As the host nation, Poland fielded a sizeable contingent of five PZL.26s and six RWD-9s in the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme. The PZL.26's Menasco engine was found to be unreliable, however, and only SP-PZL (c/n 5) completed the Challenge, in eleventh place. The RWD-9s did much better, including SP-DRC, on the left. No more PZL.26s were built and four of the five registrations were stricken from the register in 1936, but this machine, SP-PZO, was used until 1939. Note that although PZL was in Okęcie, it was not 'PZL-Okęcie' before WWII. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

Another aircraft type designed for the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme, the four-seat Kl 36 was the fastest ever Klemm aircraft, but none of the four participating Kl 36As completed the Challenge's 9537.4 km rally through Europe. They were powered by either an Argus As 17, as seen here, or a Hirth HM 8 engine. For some reason, three of them had this braced landing gear which looks like a hasty improvisation. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

The Ba.42 was a more powerful derivative of the Ba.39 with a Fiat A.70 radial. Two examples were built for the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme, I-GOGA and I-OMBO, with the latter reg presumably chosen for pilot Ambrogio Colombo. Both Ba..42s and two Ba.39S aircraft took part in the Challenge but none of them made it back to Warsaw, Colombo crash-landing his plane near Arnsberg with a broken engine mounting. Apparently the aircraft was repaired to become I-RANA. Military serial MM262 is also worn. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

The second Aero A.200 seen during the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme. It wears a depiction of a frog leaping over a barrier. Indeed the two light green A.200s excelled in the short take-off trial of the Challenge, with OK-AMA / 51 achieving the shortest take-off run in 74.5 metres, and AMB coming in third place. Flown by Jan Ambruš, AMB ended fourth in the final classification. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

PS stood for Pallavicino Sportivo - the PS.1 was created for the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme by Cesare Pallavicino at Caproni's CAB works in Bergamo. The landing gear was retractable. Two airframes were built. I-MELO was damaged during the Challenge's fuel consumption trial. I-FRAN (c/n 2) ended 18th in the final classification. Also allocated military mark MM257, I-MELO was rebuilt in 1938 as the Caproni Ca.166, I-ALGU. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

An RWD-6, SP-AHN, had won the 1932 Challenge International de Tourisme. The RWD-9, developed from the RWD-6, did even better in the 1934 edition of the event, with three Polish examples taking the first, second and seventh places, and a Czechoslovak RWD-9 the eighth place. SP-DRF, piloted by Tadeusz Karpiński, did not complete the event's 9537.4 km rally around Europe. Note: this is an RWD-9S with the Polish Skoda GR-760 engine, while SP-DRB / 76 was an RWD-9W with a Walter Bora engine. One source mistakenly has this the other way around. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

'The Junkers plane which German mechanics fly behind the participants of the Challenge'. Katowice was one of the last stops in the 9537.4 km rally of this event, organised in Warsaw. Clearly the Challenge International de Tourisme was not just a friendly meeting of some private pilots. Ex D-2468, this was a goverment-operated Flugbereitschaft aircraft. Lufthansa aircraft name Joachim von Schröder is not worn. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

Interesting comparison between the Fi 97 and the Messerschmitt Bf 108, D-IMUT / 14. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

The 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme was organised in Warsaw but here the Polish and German participants are seen in Berlin, one of the first waypoints in a 9537.4 km rally: roughly Warsaw - Brussels - Casablanca - Tunis - Rome - Vienna - Prague - Warsaw. The Polish machines are RWD-9s and PZL P-26s. The RWD-9 did very well: Jerzy Bajan in SP-DRD won the general classification, Stanisław Płonczyński in SP-DRC, top left, came second and Jan Buczyński in SP-DRE took fifth place. In the background are the German Fieseler Fi 97s, Klemm Kl 32s and Messerschmitt Bf 108s. All five types were designed specifically for this event.

Short take-off trial over an 8 m (26 ft) high barrier at the international contest for touring aircraft. Kurt Bayer in D-IBYR took 12th place in the final classification. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

The Bf 108 was designed for the 1934 Challenge International de Tourisme and four examples took part. The Bf 108s won the maximum speed and fuel consumption trials, but did less well in the slow trials. Karl Francke in the V4 prototype, D-IGAK, ended tenth overall. This particular aircraft was powered by an Argus As 17B engine. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe

The Challenge International de Tourisme was a European touring aircraft contest. The fourth and last edition was organised by the Polish Aero Club in 1934. Nationalism ran high and new aircraft were designed specially for the event, including the Fi 97. Its wing had high-lift devices similar to those of the Fi 156 Storch. Five Fi 97s, perhaps the total production, took part in the Challenge. Argus As 17-powered D-IPOS / 19, on the left , took third place behind two Polish RWD-9 aircraft. D-IVIF / 17 had a Hirth HM 8U. It was flown by the engine maker's brother, Wolf Hirth, a well known glider pilot and builder. Number 24 is a Klemm Kl 36. Photo from: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe