The ‘Jesús del Gran Poder’: Sevilla-La Habana / 1929
«…an entirely Spanish engine, airplane, arm, and heart» Alfredo Kindelán
The Project and the Aircraft
From the heart of Seville, «May the Power of Jesus aid the Jesús del Gran Poder» Telegram from the Confraternity of the Parish of San Lorenzo.
Captains Ignacio Jiménez and Francisco Iglesias struggled for three years to achieve the world distance record, which in 1927 stood at 6,292 km with a flight from Paris to New York.
To achieve this, CASA prepared a pair of Breguet XIX GR or Bidón planes, capable of carrying up to 6,050 l of fuel, which would allow them to reach 7,000 km. On May 28th, 1927, Queen Victoria Eugenia of Battemberg baptized the Breguet «72» with the name Jesús del Gran Poder due to the airmen’s devotion to the image. They attempted the crossing on March 29th, 1928, but an accident after takeoff at 500 m frustrated their plans. In May 1928, they tried again, flying eastward, but after covering 5,000 km, a sandstorm stopped them in the center of Iraq.
The Crossing from Seville to Havana
Tireless fighters, on March 24th, 1929, they began a new raid: this time Seville to Rabat in Tirsai in the first stage. The Jesús del Gran Poder took off with 6,000 kg of fuel and oil, thanks to the 7,000 m runway provided by the aerodrome.
The preparation of the route, the aircraft, and the physiological readiness of the crew were meticulous. They flew the *orthodromic route based on dead reckoning (headings, time, and drift) and astronomical navigation, using both the sextant and the method learned at the Navy observatory in San Fernando. The flight lasted 43 hours non-stop, maintaining radio-direction between navigators and pilots, and they celebrated crossing the Equator by having a glass of cognac. The flight through clouds, the sighting of icebergs, and the failure of the revolution counter halfway through the crossing were a trial by fire for the crew’s composure.
They had achieved the second longest worldwide distance and the first time record for an onshore aircraft over the sea.
Afterward, they took a long route through Ibero-America, passing through Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador… until reaching Havana, in 13 days and 22,000 total km.
Receptions and Legacy
The receptions were sensational, and Ignacio Jiménez acted as an ambassador during the flight, delivering a letter commissioned by President Ibáñez concerning the long-standing conflict in the Arica zone between Chile and Peru.
Flight Details:
March 28th – May 27th, 1929. 27,000 Km. 136 Km/H Ignacio Jiménez Martín (pilot) Francisco Iglesias Brage (navigator-engineer)