Light Aviation December 2020

SkyEcho

£1,500.00 Inc. VAT. £1,250.00 with CAA claim!

Baseline reduction until the end of December 2020.

ADS-B, Mode C/S, Flarm receive and Flarm transmit.

The Team

Yuletide positivity for us all…

Say what you like, 2020 hasn’t been one of those years that has drifted past unnoticed, and for many of you I know it has been incredibly difficult. We must do our best to be confident that as we move towards the new year, there is at last some positive hope that we can look forward to returning, in time, to something approaching normality.

Personally, I had hoped to finish working on rejuvenating a Jodel I have bought with a friend, Paddy, and revalidating my PPL so I could enjoy a return to flying. We did manage to get it flying just before the November lockdown, and another friend kindly flew her into Farthing Corner on that glorious Wednesday which was the final day of ‘freedom’. The revalidation awaits, however. Seeing her fly so well even surpasses managing to get the last packet of pasta at Morrison’s last week.

In this issue we publish details of the five very worthy recipients who received an early Christmas present of one of our ArmstrongIsaacs £1,500 bursaries (p8). It is heartwarming to see five such enthusiastic youngsters and I am sure we all wish them the very best for their future adventures in aviation.

Our member under the spotlight this month is Henry Labouchere (p58), and what an adventurous life he has managed to squeeze into his seven decades – a Boy’s Own story if ever I saw one.

I also love Dave Howell’s story of the WAR FW190 rebuild, a story of passion and persistence and what a cracker it looks, hoolie fun for sure (p24).

I hope you all managed your own successes too, certainly we have seen, in Project News, some lovely new aircraft taking to the skies since flying started again in earnest in May. I owe a huge debt to Mike Slaughter and indeed all of the magazine’s regular columnists who have pulled out the stops to provide material to help fill these pages, despite activity levels being considerably quieter most of the time. Thank you also to all the contributors who have supported the magazine, plus of course the LAA staff and the folks at Seager Publishing, who themselves have had a radically changed operation as they have taken FLYER to a solely digital format. Despite the undoubted trials that has involved, they have continued to provide the same highly professional, helpful and above all friendly service.

We also complete Stuart MacConnacher’s yarn from the archives about the Heath Parasol (p14), which doubles as a story about the very early days of our Association. What a debt we owe to those stalwarts who doggedly persevered with the regulators until the Permit to Fly for homebuilt aircraft became a reality. Yet more celebrated members are recognised in Steve Slater’s look at the names behind the trophies and awards that we present to today’s volunteers, who continue to maintain that spirit of commitment to the LAA (p48).

All that remains is for me to wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe Christmas and New Year. I sincerely hope you are able to spend it with your loved ones. Brian

By Brian Hope

Henry Labouchere – there can’t be too many current pilots who have flown a Moth over Victoria Falls.

Cheers – to 2021 ...

By Tim Hardy

Well here we go again! Another day, another lockdown, not what I had in mind when I wrote last month’s column.

Notwithstanding the underlying reasons for it, I do wonder about what was behind the ruling that sport and recreational flying should cease, whereas training for a professional licence could continue, especially as a request to fly solo would make sense but keeping a trainee in a confined cockpit with an instructor …hmmm? In fact this second lockdown was the first time that our pursuit was singled out for harsher treatment than the rest of GA. Does anyone know why?

Did you also notice that once this second lockdown began, we seemed to have some good, flyable weather, maybe not all day but certainly for parts of it? Memories of our beautiful spring weather came back, each day that passed was a missed opportunity for enjoying flight, becoming more practiced and making sure our aircraft continued to operate as expected –extremely frustrating all ways round. I hope you are finding your experience this time at least somewhat bearable, given that there is intended to be a finite length to it, in fact the 2 December date is the legal expiration of the lockdown and, as we’ve done it before, we all know what to expect.

Steve’s column (p66) reminds us of all of the routines we should follow when normal flying resumes. Hopefully therefore, by the time you read this, we will be within a few days of being able to fly once more although, as I write

there are murmurings of a third bout sometime in the New Year. Let’s hope there is no need for it, given the recent positive news about vaccine development.

Enough of this. Let’s turn our thoughts to more interesting and positive things and what we as an Association can look forward to in the coming year which, as you will know, marks our 75th Anniversary. There is a range of events planned throughout the summer that offers something for all LAA members, including a Round GB Tour which Neil Wilson is organising, many Meet the LAA fly-ins, an open day/airshow at Old Warden, as well as an extra special LAA Rally.

For others of course, there is the completion of a build, maybe even a first flight to look forward to, and an excursion to somewhere new at home or abroad, circumstances permitting.

Let your mind and inspiration wander to what might be possible and, if you’ve dreamed it before but never followed through, this year of all years must have shown us all that there’s no time like the present to fulfill those dreams. I know of some LAAers whose 2021 expeditionary ambitions are truly inspiring.

This will be the final magazine of 2020, a year that for too many people has meant sadness and worry, the loss of a career or considerable frustration, treading water and generally not moving forward as we might have hoped. However, as our movement is always looking at the art of the possible, my best wishes to you, your friends and relations for a Happy Christmas and a much better 2021.

06 NEWS

Video competition winners and RAeC Trust 2021 Bursaries

08 BURSARY AWARDS

Recipients of the Armstrong-Isaacs bursary awards announced…

10 PROJECT NEWS

Jabiru J430, Taylor Tich, Spitfire Mk26, Cleared to Fly and New Projects

14 HEATH PARASOL : PART 2

We look further into the archives in Part 2 of the Heath Parasol…

18 ART COMPETITION

The UK Kids at Home Aviation art contest goes global!

20 AFFORDABLE OPERATIONS

Malcolm Rogan and Eryl Smith look back on seven years’ flying an Aeronca Champ on an LAA Permit…

24 WAR FW190

Dave Howell knows a thing or two about how to administer TLC… as his ‘operation’ WAR bird reveals…

30 BEVERLEY BLACKBURN

LAAer saves RAF veteran from scrap

32 ANNIVERSARY TOUR

As LAA prepares to celebrate 75 years, we have details of 2021’s GB Tour…

34 COACHING CORNER

David Cockburn on additional considerations for safer winter flying

38 STRUTS4U

Anne Hughes profiles the activities of the Struts, making good use of social media

40 FLIGHT TEST

Clive Davidson flies the rare Fleet Model 80 Canuck

48 SERVICE AWARDS

LAA Service Awards – your chance to make nominate worthy recipients

52 SAFETY SPOT

Malcolm McBride looks at the importance of safety harnesses and fuel pumps

58 MEET THE MEMBERS

We talk de Havilland enthusiast, engineer and much-travelled Henry Labouchere

66 CEO THOUGHTS

Steve prepares to ‘get back in the saddle’

LAA video competition winners announced

You might remember that back in July, the LAA and Pooleys Flight Equipment launched a sport flying video competition, which allows LAA members to share their passion in a competition to submit a video of their aircraft or their flying. A £1,000 prize fund will allow winners to choose from up to £500 of Pooleys flight equipment and merchandise, and the top three entries will have free LAA membership for 2021.

The judging panel of Sebastian Pooley, Steve Slater, Brian Hope and LAA engineers Mike Roberts and Joe Hadley, who created the competition, had a tough choice to come up with the winners from more than a dozen finalists, and everyone can enjoy the results via the LAA YouTube channel (see https:// bit.ly/330b47I).

Just like the Oscars, we’ll list the winners in reverse order.

In 3rd place: Building the Ultimate Biplane by Richard Goodwin. The build of his incredible jet-powered Pitts wins a £200 Pooleys merchandise voucher, plus a year’s free LAA membership.

In 2nd place: Carry On SE5, by Mark Kempner, Mike Waldron and Trevor Bailey where Carry On meets Last of the Summer Wine, jointly receive a £300 Pooleys merchandise voucher, plus a year’s free LAA membership each.

Safari nears completion

Graham Smith, of Sprite Aviation, informs us that his KFA Safari bush plane demonstrator is very close to completion. This 750kg machine was designed in South Africa and is of the Kitfox genre although significantly larger. Power comes from a Rotax 912 fitted with an aftermarket turbocharger. The type

VAC announces scholarship winner

The Vintage Aircraft Club’s Club Liz Inwood Taildragger Scholarship has been awarded to 24-year-old David Curtis, an avid enthusiast who flies the club Cessna 150 at Eshott, where he helps out in the hangar on a Morane-Saulnier 315, Chipmunk and Auster AOP6. He is also rebuilding an Evans VP1. The scholarship provides five hours’ training for a tailwheel conversion.

“This year’s Scholarship attracted a very

And the winner is …. COVID-19 – A Chipmunk’s Tale, by Tim Watson, a clever parody where Chipmunks hold a Zoom meeting about the trials and tribulations of Covid and lockdown.

Tim wins a £500 Pooleys Flight Equipment merchandise voucher, plus a year’s free LAA membership.

debuted, with its smaller sibling, the Explorer, at the 2019 LAA Rally and not only is it a very accomplished bush aircraft, it comes with a very affordable price tag – and Sprite even has a kit in stock ready for immediate delivery. Contact Graham on 07973 254615 Email: graham@spriteaviation.co.uk

high quality of entries, obviously keen to develop the skills to operate the older type of conventional undercarriage aircraft, or taildraggers, as they are more commonly known. David stood out with both his hands-on approach and clear enthusiasm” commented Club Chairman, Anne Hughes.

Left VAC Liz Inwood scholarship winner David Curtis

Above A screen shot from the inventive and very pertinent COVID-19 – A Chipmunk’s Tale

Dr Peter Saundby 1932-2020

Peter Saundby had careers in the Royal Air Force, as both a pilot and medical officer, and then in the NHS in Wales in community health, but should be remembered in the context of recreational flying for his tireless and thankfully largely effective work on medical standards.

Peter’s work with the Royal Aero Club Council and as chairman of the FAI Medico-physiological Commission, was always marked by sound reasoning, lucid reporting and above all common sense, applied to back up his unquestionable

Aerial salute to Sgt Matt Ratana

Members will no doubt recall the recent tragic death of Police Sgt Matt Ratana, killed in the line of duty. A keen rugby player, on the day of his funeral, friends, colleagues and members of the East Grinstead Rugby Club where he was an enthusiastic assistant, assembled there to celebrate his life. By prior arrangement, a tribute was flown by international display pilot and LAA member Mark Jefferies, his generous gesture leaving many without words.

Mark rolled in from north-east to south-west at 600ft pulling the unbroken blue line, smoke encircling the rugby pitches, followed by an ascent to 1,500ft to fly a white heart drawn in a blue sky. The symbolism and sentiment of this tribute clear for all to see.

Start ‘em young!

The photo was taken a couple of months ago at Compton Abbas and shows another successful lockdown project – the Pedal Pitts G-BRNY – with a very

contented Barney, a potential fourth generation pilot, on board alongside grandfather, Nick Watson, in his self-built full size Pitts S-1D G-BXAF.

Adams Aviation on the move

Adams Aviation, well known aviation parts supplier who operate an LAA member discount scheme, is moving from its New Addington location near Biggin Hill in early December to 2 Kelvin Lane, Newton Rd, Crawley RH10 9TY near Gatwick Airport.

professional knowledge. He steadily prised regulatory thinking away from its traditional inflexible form and towards a more rational attitude.

He deserves the thanks of all pilots who today benefit from the more sensible and practical medical standards required for our licences.

Colin Mitchell

Left Dr Peter Saundby, a long-time campaigner for practical medical standards.

Left Peas from the same pod – the Pitts and Pedal Pitts, and grandfather Nick with grandson Barney.

Flying from Little Gransden in Cambridgeshire to East Grinstead Rugby Club in Sussex, takes a fair amount of planning, just to get through Heathrow, London and enter the Gatwick Zone, for which the CAA willingly cooperated.

The East Grinstead Rugby Club and Metropolitan Police are establishing foundations in the name of Matt Ratana to perpetuate his legacy of guiding young people to not become lost but to build successful lives for themselves through sport in general and rugby in particular.

John Laszlo.

Left A heart from sport flying celebrates Matt Ratana at East Grinstead Rugby Club.

RAeC Trust 2021 Bursaries

The Royal Aero Club Trust has announced the start of the 2021 bursary awards scheme for young persons. Applicants need to be aged between 14 and 21; or can be aged up to 24 in the case of a follow-on bursary.

Those who are involved in a wide range of air sports, including gliding, hot air ballooning, paragliding hang gliding, sports parachuting, fixed-wing and microlight flying, building and operating model aircraft (including drones), and flight simulator pilots may apply for a bursary award.

Full details of the rules of the scheme, as well as application forms, are available on the Royal Aero Club Trust website www.royal aero club trust.org.

The move is planned for early December, but minimum disruption of business is promised, the move being planned to take place over a weekend.

The LAA extends their best wishes to Adams in their new home.

Awards

A leg-up to a life in aviation

An early Christmas present for the recipients of the 2020 ArmstrongIsaacs bursary awards. Brian Hope reports…

More than 30 young hopefuls applied for one of the five £1,500 Armstrong-Isaacs bursaries on offer this year to help them through that expensive period of training when you have to complete the cross-country training and Nav test. Candidates had to be under 30 and have gone solo to be eligible for a bursary and as ever, it would have been great to have been able to help more applicants on the road to fulfilling their ambitions. As it transpired, the members of the selection committee independently selected four of the winning candidates and some had the fifth as a runner up.

Congratulations to the recipients and commiserations to those who have been unsuccessful this time. We wish you all the very best as you move forward with your training and future involvement in the great adventure that is aviation, either as a career or for recreation.

Harry Gribble 20, Warminster

I am extremely honoured to have been awarded the Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary by the LAA. This bursary is for me a real privilege and will be really useful for furthering my PPL training.

I have been fascinated by aircraft and flying my whole life. One of my earliest aviation memories was when I was six years old and I got the chance to sit in a Tiger Moth that had just landed at a local farm strip. At 13 I joined my local Air Cadet squadron and during my time in the Air Training Corp, I had the opportunity to experience flights in Grob 115E Tutors. These air experience flights motivated me to progress further with flying and I joined my local gliding club. I went solo shortly after my 15th birthday and for me this was one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences I have had in aviation. My passion for aviation

has been increased further still as I now work at a local light aircraft maintenance company. This allows me to work on a wide variety of light aircraft and has helped me develop a good understanding and appreciation for the light aircraft and the general aviation scene. This has led to opportunities to fly in some different and interesting aircraft, such as a Piper L4 Grasshopper. At the beginning of this year I started my PPL training, flying a Robin DR400. It has been great fun, even in this difficult year, and I cannot wait to get back in the air! Once again, I would like to thank the LAA for this amazing award.

Craig Irving 20, Falkirk

As long as I can remember, flying was what I wanted to do and going to RAF shows with my mum and dad, and visiting different airports nearly every week with my grandad, had me hooked on achieving the goal of becoming an aviator.

At 17, I approached Cumbernauld Airport to see if I could work there to gain experience and some insight to see what it would be like to work at an airport or as an engineer. The day I turned 18 I was given a flying experience as a present from the airport, and also the opportunity to work part-time. I achieved my Radio Operators Certificate of Competence and worked in the tower. I have learned a lot and still have got a lot more to learn with the help from a lot of great people there.

George, who owns the airport, has given me a fantastic opportunity and enrolled me onto an engineering apprenticeship scheme, the course will enable me to gain my B1 engineers licence. This amazing opportunity has also allowed me to carry out flight training with the guys at Phoenix Flight Training, also based at Cumbernauld. I am learning to fly the well-renowned C152. When I was told I

Left Harry Gribble Right Craig Irving

had won an Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary, I was ecstatic as it allows me to finish off my PPL, which has been a lifelong dream, and allows me to move on with endless opportunities alongside it.

Jake Gazzard 25, Basildon

Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thank you to both the LAA and the Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary committee. The bursary will help tremendously in my efforts to finish my Touring Motor Glider rating and the conversion to SEP.

I had my first flying lesson at 13 at Southend Airport in a Piper Cherokee, and instantly got the bug. I managed a few sporadic hours over the next few years when I could afford to. After joining a local model flying club at 21, a member told me of his incredible stories flying his Slingsby Swallow glider and suggested I give it a try – so I did and was hooked. Since then I went solo late in 2016 and have flown for 300 hours since.

Gliding has been an incredible experience for me. Not only is it a low cost way of flying but soaring like a bird is breath-taking. Flying cross-country and soaring to over 15,400ft in mountain wave in Wales have been such an incredible and humbling experience.

As amazing as gliding has been, I have always wanted to finish my PPL, and the Touring Motor Glider route seemed the best way for me to go. I have to use an adaption on the stick as I’m missing my left hand from the wrist, but with a lot of help and guidance I managed my first powered solo in a Falke motor glider in January 2020, which was a huge personal achievement for me!

Again, I would like to say a big thank you for being chosen for the bursary, for which I feel extremely fortunate to have been awarded. I will keep you all updated on my progress and I hope to meet you at future events.

Awards

the DH6 seaplanes in the Maldives, dropping off tourists. My favourite aircraft are the Cessna 172, Cessna Caravans and the DH6.

I am extremely grateful to be awarded the ArmstrongIsaacs bursary, it being a huge help financially towards finally completing my PPL. This bursary will not only help towards the large expenses of pursuing a career in aviation but will also enable me to focus and fully immerse myself into my training.

Above Jade Collett

Middle Jake Gazzard

Bottom Zak Silverstein

Jade Collett 28, Walsall

Becoming a pilot always seemed unattainable until I found my local flying club – I had my first lesson two years ago and I was hooked. Being an ex-prison officer working irregular shifts, the only obstacles were time and money. Two years, a new business and a lot of saving later, I was finally able to seriously commit to my PPL.

I did not regret it; the view from above gives a completely different aspect of the world and is extremely peaceful. I am in awe of the engineering of aeroplanes and their components. My two-year-old daughter has already begun her fascination with aviation, already an avid fan of airfields, the words ‘plane, plane, plane’ never get boring along with the tantrums as I pull her away from them. I hope to inspire my daughter to fulfil her dreams and will not hesitate when she asks for her first flying lesson in future.

Upon completion of my PPL, I will continue to complete a CPL. My dream is to end up bush flying in Africa or fly

Zak Silverstein 23, Bushey

From what started out as a fear of flying to what became a passion and obsession, aviation is now an integral part of who I am today. I remember nearly 10 years ago that first fateful trial flight as the 152 trundled down the runway and lifted into the air. The feeling of elation, freedom! That was it.

It really began at age 10, when I would have to be dragged onto the aeroplane by my parents, dosed up on rescue remedy for our annual summer holiday, filled with fear and praying we would land safely.

I decided to conquer my fear by watching Air Crash Investigation… smart, I know!

My interest grew and grew. In the year that followed we went to Cyprus, and I recall carrying a 16in laptop and flight yoke and proceeding to fly the route, to the dismay of my parents and poor passengers behind me. Halfway through, a 12-year-old me got bored and started watching Air Crash Investigation, which I can assure you, made the passengers behind me feel much better.

Now 23 years of age and 35 hours into my PPL, having recently completed my first solo land away at Gloucester, I’m excited to be in the final stages of my PPL. This bursary has come at a great time, a time where, due to the uncertainty of coronavirus, flight training may well have had to have gone on hold. This will allow me to complete my PPL and share the passion and love of aviation. Thank you for the opportunity. ■

Projects which inspire others to build their own aircraft

Compiled by Mike Slaughter

Project News

There’s a good number of new project registrations this month, 11 to be precise, interestingly four being of the Sling two- and four-seaters. But the project that caught my eye is a Berkut, a type unknown to me. It is a derivative of the Rutan Long-EZ, and among other changes, it features retractable main gear and a larger engine, giving it an eye popping cruise speed. They were produced as kits in the late nineties rather than being plans built à la Long-EZ, and there is only one other example on the UK register.

Ingenuity is clearly a prerequisite for building any aircraft project, many builders also find it beneficial when it comes to configuring their workshop. Howard Apps had to progressively address the dimensions of his single car garage as the structure of his Jabiru J400 four-seater grew in size – there comes a point when you just can't hide these things from the neighbours anymore!

We heard from John Rogerson just over a year ago when he provided us an excellent update on his Jurca Spitfire MJ10

G-MUTS. He’s back with a Taylor Titch project, G-DGON, with its hand-carved prop. Hand crafting one’s own propeller is a rare project path, especially with modern kits, but not unheard of on scratch-built aircraft – I watched with great interest a couple of

years ago as Alan James whittled away at a large lump of wood in the Rally Homebuilders tent. It must be very satisfying when polished and complete.

And rounding off our 2020 catalogue of project reports comes news of the first flight of a Mk26 Supermarine Spitfire – on 15 September, Battle of Britain Day.

Thank you to everybody who has supported the column throughout the year with build reports, they are a major part or the very essence of what Association is all about and provide inspiration to potential new builders as well as great interest to everybody else.

Unfortunately, a typo crept into Dudley Pattison’s Safari report last month in his description of applying the finish coats of Polyfiber’s Polytone system on non-fabric covered parts by using their EP-420 epoxy primer. The correct inference is that you DO need two spray guns in the process as there is not enough time to clean a single gun between coats. This is of course all covered in the detailed Polyfiber manual.

To get in touch with Project News , and tell your story, report a milestone or just to send a picture, email: projectnews@laaarchive.org.uk . Please share your story!

G-OHRA (LAA 336-14865) Jabiru J430

By Howard Apps

I’ve been interested in aviation from building KeilKraft balsa and tissue flying models as a boy, which led into a career as an Aircraft Design Engineer with Hawker Siddeley Aviation, and subsequently BAE Systems.

Approaching retirement about 13 years ago, I gained my NPPL (microlight) and joined a group operating a new Ikarus C42, which I continue to enjoy flying. Then post-retirement thoughts turned to something more capable in payload and range, and that was the start of Jabiru J430, G-OHRA – a SSEA rating on a Piper PA28 laying the foundation for eventually flying it.

Working in a single car garage was challenging but the bare fuselage would just fit in with the door closed. Progress was slow in the early years, spending a lot of

time shuffling things around, learning how to deal with mixing glass fibre resin and other skills, and building out of sequence relative to the Jabiru construction manual. Plus other aspects of life always seemed to be getting in the way of progress… sounds familiar!

Jobs in the winters included designing, building and wiring the instrument panel as a removable module, which works very well. In addition to the standard kit’s VFR instruments, I’ve added a vacuum artificial horizon and DI, and although I’m not instrument rated I consider them a ‘get out of jail card’ if ever caught out in bad weather. I also designed and made all the furnishings and upholstery – red leather seats – which I’m very pleased with (thanks to my wife for the use of the sewing machine).

To facilitate engine installation and to be able to

Project News

shut the garage door, a hole was made in the garage rear wall and an external box fitted, into which the rear fuselage was positioned. The last big glass fibre job before transport to the paint shop was the fitting of the fin and tailplane, which would certainly not fit in the garage. This problem was solved (much to the interest of the neighbours) by bolting the garage door open and erecting the awning from my motorcaravan on the front. This provided working space and weather protection to do the job during a summer period.

After much filling and rubbing down, the basic white paint job on the major components was entrusted to a local car body shop before final assembly – and I designed and fitted the decals and striping myself using vinyl wrap type tape. I’m very pleased with the result.

First flight was achieved this August, the Permit to Fly was issued in October and I hope by the time you read this I will have a few hours P1 under my belt.

I’d like to thank my Inspector, Colin Fray, for his support and expert guidance and also my Test Pilot, Nigel Jones, for his skilful and relaxed execution of the flight testing.

My thanks also go to the many friends who have helped, in particular Martin Francis, Richard Sigley and Allan Shimmin, and my wife Ann for her long-term support.

I consider the Jabiru J430 an excellent, comfortable long-range cruiser with a large load carrying capacity and decent field performance and I am surprised it is not more popular, being one of the few four-seat

kit aircraft available.

(2+2)

Above Tight fit –before the engine could be fitted, Howard had to cut a hole in his garage’s rear wall. Photo: Howard Apps

Top right First fit of the wings, making some fine adjustments with precision tools. Even Howard’s drive presents its own challenges. Photo: Howard Apps

Right An awning on the front of the garage enabled the empennage to be fitted. Photo: Howard Apps

Above A nice looking capable 2+2 in the summer sunshine. Howard flew her for the first time just before lockdown. Photo: Howard Apps

Above Plenty of room on the J430’s panel for whatever instrument arrangement takes your fancy. Note the smart homemade upholstery. Photo: Howard Apps

G-DGON (PFA 3233) Taylor Titch

By John Rogerson

Iam a few weeks away from finishing a Taylor Titch project that I acquired a couple of years ago. It is my follow-on build after the completion and successful flight of Jurca Spitfire G-MUTS, finished and flown in mid-2019.

This project was initially started by a Thomas Horner in Glasgow in 1980. Sadly, he died in 1991 and the project then changed hands at least twice before I acquired it. I am hoping we can find Thomas Horner’s children, or grandchildren, so they can see the aircraft take to the skies at last.

Powered by a Continental O-200, and affectionately known as the Blue Dragon , the graphic design is of a Chinese flying dragon depicted in the Tang Dynasty.

Below left Having carved your own propeller, what greater pleasure can there be than applying polish to your creation on a nice autumnal evening. Photo: John Rogerson

These were always shown flying above stylised clouds, hence the design on the wingtips.

The rudder has the ancient Chinese symbol for the word Dragon painted on it.

Thanks to Ian Woo for the design and Miya Guo for helping with the stencils.

We have now started the engine and made the first taxi run; all went well so with any luck we will be able to flight test once the second lockdown ends.

I hand carved the propeller, based on a Ken Fern design. This is the fourth prop I have carved thanks to Ken Fern’s book on prop carving.

Eric Clutton has also written a book on propeller carving which is available from the LAA shop.

Above John’s granddaughter Nicole, a potential future pilot maybe, tries the Titch for size. Photo: John Rogerson

Left Engine installation underway. The aircraft is now ready for test flying post-lockdown.

Photo: John Rogerson

G-CLKN (PFA 324-14634) Spitfire Mk26

By Andy Wood

Andy Wood sent an update on a local resident at Breighton, Mk26 Spitfire G-CLKN, which gained its Permit to Test back in early September and made its first flight, rather fittingly, on the 15 September – Battle of Britain day.

Clearly still to be painted and wearing a temporary registration – many builders debug their creations before paint to avoid potential cosmetic damage, especially on aircraft those of a more unique or individual engineering content.

New Projects

If your aircraft has been featured in the New Projects list, please let Project News know of your progress at: projectnews@laa-archive.org. uk

n Sling 2 (LAA 399-15730) 22/10/2020

Mr G Prisk, Maple Cottage, Trewartha, St. Agnes, Cornwall, TR5 0YA

n Sling 2 (LAA 399-15727) 14/10/2020

Mr N West, The Air League, 3 Whiteall Court, London, SW1A 2EN

n Sling 4 TSI (LAA 400A-15725) 9/10/2020

Mr A Seymour, 16 Temple Goring, Navenby, Lincolnshire, LN5 0TX

Cleared To Fly

If your aircraft has featured recently in the magazine and has subsequently completed its maiden flight, Project News would like to hear from you at: projectnews@laa-archive.org.uk

n G-HETY Eurofox 912(S) (LAA 376-15612) 8/10/2020

Yorkshire Gliding Club, Sutton Bank, Thirsk, YO7 2EY

n Onex (LAA 401-15440) 27/10/2020

Mr M Wiseman, 32 Market Place, South Cave, Brough, E Yorks, HU15 2BP

n Silence Twister (LAA 329-15729)

22/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen (LAA 411-15723)

8/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen (LAA 411-15724)

8/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n Zenair CH 750 (LAA 381-15722) 1/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n G-RVJL Van’s RV-6 (s/n 20207) 19/10/2020

Mr Aneirin Williams, 118 Belmont Road, St. Andrews, Bristol, BS6 5AU

n G-TMRL Zenair CH 750 (LAA 381-15488)

7/10/2020

Mr Anthony Morris, Paddock House, Conisholme Road, North Somercotes, Louth, LN11 7PS

n Van's RV-8 (LAA 303-15726) 12/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n Sling 4 (LAA 400-15721) 1/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n Berkut (LAA 252-15728) 22/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

Right Who wouldn’t want one of these? Photo: EurekaCNC

n G-CEPW Pioneer 300 (LAA 330-14293) 8/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

n G-CLDA MISSION M108 LAA (LAA 370-15578) 5/10/2020

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

Right A sunny Battle of Britain day at Breighton as ‘Kilo November makes her first flight. Photo: Andy Wood

Into the archive…

Stuart MacConnacher continues his search through the archives to discover more on the Heath Parasol G-AFZE. Part 2…

After last month’s opening part of Stuart’s tale about attempts to get the Air Registration Board (predecessor of today’s CAA) to allow Robert Parker’s pre-war Heath Parasol to be considered for a Permit to Fly, I received a charming note from Arthur W J G Ord-Hume, who recalled this episode from the early days of the Association. Ed.

Dear Brian: Congratulations on continuing to produce a first-rate journal in Light Aviation. During these hard times it is difficult to see the way ahead, let alone plan a publishing schedule.

I was particularly interested in Stuart MacConnacher’s contribution on the Heath Parasol, G-AFZE. I would like to offer a few expansions and corrections to this.

As you know, I was closely involved with the early post-war days of Bob Parker’s aircraft and was present at all the tests, including the two flights documented by Colin Debenham. It was Debenham who, I think, was responsible for the opening instance of careless spelling of ‘Blackburn’ as in ‘Blackburne Tomtit’. The engines built by Burney & Blackburne were all different from anything made by Blackburn Aircraft Ltd, in that they chose to spell ‘Blackburn’ with a terminal letter ‘e’.

The engine in Parker’s Parasol was thus the Blackburne Tomtit. Interestingly, as I wrote in my article in Aeroplane (October, 2020, p.32), the engine had been designed by Geoffrey de Havilland (before he became interested in aviation, he was a motorcycle enthusiast) and sold to Burney & Blackburne for £5, including casting patterns and all rights.

When Edward Bayard Heath (1888-1931) designed the Parasol, he designed it with two types of fuselage fabrication. First was an all-welded tubular steel structure

and, second, a similar tubular-steel structure, but this time assembled with bolted joints, i.e. no welding. It was this latter fuselage that Parker chose to use since in those days welding was both arcane and expensive.

In all, three Parasols were built in Britain, the oldest (by about four months) being that at Exeter. This was never registered but is alleged to have flown briefly until the outbreak of war marked finis to flying for the duration. It was lost during the war, leaving the only pre-war example as Bob Parker’s.

Robert H Parker, a 38-year-old draughtsman (in 1948) claimed that he began construction in 1936 (newspaper quotes) and was virtually finished when war broke out. Stored in his garage during the war, the covering was damaged and when peace returned, he decided to re-cover the whole machine, starting in 1946.

It took him longer than expected and completion was not until 1948. The outcome was, of course, the towing of the complete aircraft behind his car all the way from Eastmont Road, Esher to Elstree, rigging, and long and largely futile attempts to get enough thrust from the engine-propeller combination to allow flight. Parker tried numerous propellers, both two and four-bladed and I made at least two for him to try (these were the first propellers I ever made, by the way).

Finally came the flight and Debenham’s first circuit reckoned to be at an average height above ground of about 17ft 3.5inches. Debenham referred to biting little washers out of the seat cushion – I knew exactly what he meant!

The second flight was better and then the press was invited for the third (on 16 January, 1949) and the outcome was a Pathé newsreel and picture stories in the newspapers.

The picture on your page 20 is interesting because it

Above The underpowered Heath with its original Blackburne Tomtit engine.

shows the brand new and enlarged control surfaces for the tail – fin, rudder with aerodynamic balance and large elevators. The picture was taken in (the late) Desmond St Cyrien’s back garden at Dorking with him holding an uncovered wing. It was Desmond who asked me to improve the low-speed control of the aircraft after it had been fitted with the Cherub engine and the upshot was these larger surfaces with which the aircraft subsequently flew very well.

I look forward to reading Part 2 of this episode in our history, which is a tribute to the enterprise of a youthful Parker who, along with others of his time, battled with the might of the Ministry of Aviation in order to fly a homebuilt. Keep fit and avoid people!

Arthur W J G Ord-Hume

We left the story last month with the ARB confirming that it was its view that the Tomtit engine in Parker’s Parasol ‘FZE was unsatisfactory, and suggesting he wait to see how the second Heath Parasol, the new build G-AJCK of the South Hants Ultra-Light Aircraft Club, faired with its JAP J99 engine and, if successful, he then fit such an engine in his.

The next correspondence in the LAA archives is a letter from Robert Parker on 11 August 1950, stating that he had inspected ‘JCK while on holiday in the Isle of Wight and was impressed by its performance with the JAP J-99. He stated that he would prepare drawings for a new engine mount and would contact the Association in early 1951. Edward Mole, the Chairman, wrote back supporting this proposal and suggested he contacted Mr Weyl, the new head of the ULAA Design Team, who had experience of fitting the JAP J-99 into his Dart Kitten, and had produced a design of a motor mount for the Luton Minor.

Of interest in this letter Edward Mole stated:

So, the Association was gaining the respect of the ARB and we see the start of the authority being delegated to it that we enjoy to this day.

Mole also suggested to Robert that he contact Mr R Haigh of BOAC at Hurn, who was responsible for the work on ‘JCK, and he also enclosed forms to apply for a Kemsley Flying Trust loan to purchase an engine at a special rate – the JAP J-99 engine at £60 and a propeller for about £25.

No further information is in the file until 1953, but in June 1951 the ARB files show an ownership change to Frank Lowe, who was an engine mechanic with an Army Repair Depot, and it is he that makes a new mount and replaces the Blackburne Tomtit engine with a Bristol Cherub III. During this period, it was David Armstrong, later to become Chairman of PFA (and ultimately the initial benefactor of what has become the Association’s Armstrong-Isaacs Bursary Fund) who was the Inspector and he did the stressing of the engine mount. It seems that it may not have been until 1953 that a full Permit to Fly was obtained after trials with the Cherub.

In 1956 ownership changed again to Desmond St Cyrien of Dorking. There are a series of photos of the airframe, less fabric, taken when Desmond took delivery, and it looks like it has not been in a flyable state for some

time, although it does retain the original Heath tail surfaces. It was in August 1957 that a set of drawings by Arthur Ord-Hume were prepared to increase the tail surfaces and make a horn balanced rudder. PFA requested this change but there is no evidence as to when this was decided. It probably arose while it was being test flown during Frank Lowe’s ownership.

Correspondence flowed between Harold BestDevereux and Desmond in May 1958 asking for stress calculations for the mod. Although Desmond asks for permission to test fly the aircraft with its original tail configuration, having had some discussions with EAA in the USA, this is refused. In a typical British way the robust letter from H B-D ends with an offer to ‘meet in London and discuss matters over a pint’! Desmond does what occasionally happened at the time and threatened to get the aircraft cleared through the ARB.

This leads H B-D to write on the 22 May to Mr A Whicher of the ARB to say, The horrible Heath Parasol which you thought you had got rid of looks like coming back on your plate since the owner is dissatisfied with our assessment.

The following day PFA got a reply from the ARB confirming that it will support the previously stated view of PFA, it seems they did not want it! Matters must have calmed down over the following months as on the 11 August 1958 PFA sent out Tech forms 1 and 2 for Desmond to fill in to apply for a Test Permit (the cost for which was five shillings: 25p).

These were eventually received back by PFA in April 1959 and on the 8th a letter was sent to the Ministry of Civil Aviation recommending a Permit to Fly for testing with the modified tail surfaces and after the overhaul. The test Permit stated it was for five hours over three months and to be carried out from Croydon. According to the flight test report it completed seven hours 25 minutes of flying and 22 landings by 27 May 1959 and a full Permit was issued on 4 June.

Desmond then sold the Parasol to a Mr B Murphy of Grimsby on the 10 July 1960, although the paperwork seems to have still been sent to Desmond for a few weeks after the sale date. Doug Bianchi, the PFA’s Chief Inspector, signed-off the aircraft for a full Permit on the 28 August 1960 and on the 2 September the Permit was issued, valid until 1 September 1961, and Mr Murphy was reminded on the 9th that he owed five shillings for the renewal. A letter of apology with remittance was received by PFA on the 24 November, also informing Bill Barber of PFA Engineering that the aircraft was unserviceable 180 miles from his home in Grimsby and

Below The Heath with its replacement Bristol Cherub engine in 1959, with which it achieved a full Permit to Fly.

the next time he buys an aeroplane he will have it delivered.

Not long after, it was sold again. This time to S/Ldr Foley on 16 February 1961 at RAF Finningly. It seems to have been flown successfully over that summer and its Permit renewal was carried out by personnel on the Station. By September S/Ldr Foley had been posted to RAF Coningsby and requested expeditious clearance of the Permit in order to fly it to its new home. Bill Barber sent the recommendation to the ARB on 12 September for the issue of a new annual Permit to Fly.

On the 12 May 1962 ownership changed to F/O JM Salt of Rowston, near Lincoln and in late November he wrote to PFA stating that he had damaged the aeroplane’s front fuselage, undercarriage and broken the propeller. He put this down to the lack of power of the Bristol Cherub III of 34hp. He stated his intention to rebuild the aeroplane with differential brakes, a fuselage fuel tank and a Lycoming O-145 that he could obtain from Tom Hayes, a well-known PFAer in the Lincoln area who owned at this time the Chilton Monoplane G-AFGH, powered by the same model of engine.

Eric King from PFA wrote back to say that the increase in power could help but that due to the 65lb extra weight over the Cherub, the engine would need to be mounted further back and he needed to consider this against the data held by PFA on the type.

aircraft had not flown in the preceding year, though the engine had 10 hours of running logged.

On the 26 March, PFA sent the application form with a recommendation for a full Permit to Fly to the ARB. The aircraft had completed 1 hour and 20 minutes’ test flying since January. Unfortunately, on 1 April, with Farrel Brimecombe at the controls, the aircraft crashed at Luton Airport and the remains were left in the car park.

On 5 March 1963 the aircraft changed hands again, this time to Dennis Fry. This was the start of a major rebuild and weight reduction programme carried out by Dennis and Universal Flying Services (UFS) at Fairoaks.

The damage to the fuselage in the previous ownership required the structure from the rear of the cockpit forward to be reworked and the engine mount and tail skid, both of which weighed 12lb, to be replaced. The former was redesigned, and the latter replaced by that used on the Luton Minor. Detailed reports are held of the rebuild and the efforts to ensure that the C of G was correct.

Eventually a three-month Test Permit was issued to Dennis Fry by the ARB on 10 February 1964. A photo of it taking off was published in Flight dated 26 March 1964 and in October UFS certified that the aircraft had been inspected as satisfactory for test flying.

There are no records that show the aircraft was granted a full Permit at this time but when Farrel Brimecombe, who was an Air Traffic Controller at Luton, became the new owner on the 1 January 1966, he applied for a further test Permit with himself and ‘Dizzy’ Addicot as test pilots. The form also stated that the

Sadly

in

at Luton

At this point our paper records finish with a letter to the Accidents Investigation Department stating that PFA held the records of the aircraft if it needed to peruse them, so from this point the information is sparse. My own recollections, being a frequent visitor to James Coates’ house near Luton Airport, while a student at Hatfield Polytechnic, is that he obtained the Bristol Cherub III as a spare to keep his Luton LA-4 Minor, G-AMAW, flying and the fuselage was stored in his garden for a time. The remains of the airframe of ‘FZE were, I thought, given to the Shuttleworth Collection, but it seemed to have eventually resided with Frank Russel. I knew Frank from working at Old Warden as he was a close friend of Bert Etheridge, the chippy with the Collection.

What is known is that Desmond St Cyrien took back ownership in July 1974 and re-registered ‘FZE. James Coates related to me that Desmond badgered him on a number of occasions to release the Cherub engine used in the aircraft from the early 1950s. I recall from looking at the logbook that this engine had some history, as it was the original power plant of the Cranwell series of aircraft, and had Nick Comper’s signature in the logbook.

It is not known whether the engine was sold back to Desmond or that he managed to find another Cherub, as

Above- Redhill 1978 and Dave Wise took this picture of the Heath at Redhill, Desmond Russel’s rebuild nearing completion.

Below Early 1960s rebuild appears to be nicely executed as it nears completion at Fairoaks.

Above

the aircraft suffered an accident

Airport

April 1966 and the damaged fuselage is seen here in the airport car park.

I believe that there are still two Cherubs held at Breighton with Jim’s Minor ‘MAW.

By 1976 we have some photographic evidence that Desmond had nearly finished building a new wing, with ‘FZE trial rigged in his garden, and the last image we have is one taken by Dave Wise showing the completed aircraft being rigged outside the Tiger Club hangar at Redhill.

At about this time, Desmond was a member of the PFA Executive Committee, so the fact that no records of Permit applications exist seems to suggest that it got no further and did not fly.

Below The fuselage languished in a garden for a number of years following Desmond’s death but has been acquired by Colin Essex, who is currently rebuilding it once again.

After Desmond died, the aircraft seemed to disappear in the Crawley area, the last report I heard was that it had been bequeathed to Desmond’s grandson.

It appears that it had been stored in the family garden for many years until it was acquired by current owner Colin Essex. Colin is now well on with its rebuild, but that’s another story for another day.

My thanks to John Berkeley, Dave Wise, Mike Phipp on G-AJCK, Colin Essex, Nigel Hitchman, Bernard Martin, Malcolm Fillmore and Dave Welch for photographs and other information ■

Left Just to round off this era of the Heath Parasol story, here’s a picture of the South Hants Ultra-Light Aero Club’s post-war built G-AJCK. It flew successfully with its JAP J99 twin but is shown as having been permanently withdrawn from use in 1954.

Heath Parasol: Part 2

Quick off the draw…

The UK Kids at Home Aviation art contest goes global!

This summer, during the first COVID-19 lockdown, the LAA’s Aviation Art Competition for aviation-minded kids, parents and grandparents, moved online. Working with the Guild of Aviation Artists (GAvA) and the Shuttleworth Collection, which have provided tickets to their 2021 events to the winners, we created an eye-catching ‘e-poster’ from Phil Jackson of GAvA.

It triggered a bumper response of young people putting pencils, crayons and felt tips to paper, with entries posted or emailed to LAA HQ.

Both the event poster and the stand-out ornithopter entry from the 15-year-old winner Nick Harder caught the eye of air sports’ global body, the FAI, who have now

asked whether a version of the poster design can be used to promote similar lockdown competitions around the world.

Be a winner this Christmas

The LAA is continuing to work with GAvA and the Royal Aero Club to facilitate UK entries to the principal 2021 FAI International Aviation Art Contest which, with the title A Friendlier World with Air Sports, encourages participants to create a picture to illustrate how friendships are made via aviation across the world.

The competition will close on 31 January 2021. Entries, in three age categories: 6-9, 10-13 and 14-17, can be drawn or painted on A3 paper, and posted to LAA HQ.

For more information, check out the LAA website or www.fai.org/young-artists-contest ■

Affordable operations

Malcolm Rogan and Eryl Smith look back on seven years’ flying an Aeronca Champ on an LAA Permit…

In May 2019, our Aeronca Champ, G-DHAH, was featured in the flight test article in Light Aviation magazine. That article gave a brief history of the Aeronca Company, as well as a description of the history and flight characteristics of our aircraft. As with others in the flight test series, the costs of operating the type are not touched upon.

This article addresses that issue as, given we had time on our hands in the first coronavirus lockdown, we carried out an analysis of running costs and the problems encountered over a seven year period, which we thought might provide some insight into operation of a vintage light aircraft on a Permit.

G-DHAH was purchased in September 2012 by three friends following a fairly prolonged search. With only 40 hours from a complete rebuild, including zero timed

Above Malcolm

and Eryl’s

Aeronca Champ has proved a source of great enjoyment over seven years of ownership.

C85, twin 45L wing tanks replacing the original 13 US gallon (50L) fuselage tank behind the firewall, plus ‘no-bounce’ oleos increasing the MAUW from 1,220 to 1,350lb, it was pretty much what we were looking for – and we couldn’t afford a Super Cub! After brief test flights we paid the asking price – top dollar for an Aeronca – but it was probably the best Aeronca in the country at the time (and still is), and it has never been a regret.

Once purchased we each put £700 into a group account to cover the first quarter hangarage plus insurance, and leave a modest float. Our financial year ran from October to September, and from 2012 to 2018 we operated as a three-member group. In October 2018 we were reduced to two, and the third share was bought in.

The Champ is a very pleasant, stable aircraft to fly and is capable of managing quite short strips. It’s no fast

cruiser though – and so much of our flying was local – but over seven years we flew 479 happy hours and visited 48 different airfields around the country. Two-up duration is two to three hours with reserve, depending on the weight of the occupants. Solo, four hours is possible.

Until October 2019, ‘AH was hangared at Old Sarum, and latterly in the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection hangar, as the old flying club hangar collapsed into decrepitude. Hangarage was not cheap but, other issues aside, Old Sarum was a superbly maintained grass airfield with a pleasant café and provided air/ground radio and ground crew to move the aircraft. Wherever possible, we did our own routine maintenance and Permit work under the supervision of our Inspector.

Fixed costs covered by a monthly charge were those considered necessary to have a flyable aeroplane –hangarage, insurance and Permit costs. These have remained pretty much constant over seven years of operation and are summarised in Table 1 (below).

The monthly sub was set to deliver a small surplus over the year and over seven years accumulated £926.

* Figure rounded

The ways to reduce fixed costs are fairly obvious:

■ Increase the number of shareholders: May reduce availability, increase the risk of disagreements and personality clashes. Recruit with care!

■ Find farm strip hangarage: May provide reduced facilities (heat, power, light, water, security) and increased responsibilities (mowing, building maintenance)

■ Park outside: Not considered advisable for aircraft with fabric covering or (part) wooden airframe such as the Aeronca, although there are those who say costs of a regular re-cover of a metal tube airframe may be more than offset by savings on hangarage. You pay your money and take your choice – assuming that hangarage can be found!

Operating costs

Basic operating costs were considered to be fuel, oil, plus routine consumables – gaskets and general hardware –and home landing fees. Over seven years, annual flying hours ranged from 54 to 90. After an initial operating period, the hourly flying charge was set at £60 per wet/flying hour to cover basic costs and a surplus to allow for the unexpected – we did not plan for an engine fund as such.

Operating costs are summarised in Table 2 (top). Fuel consumption was around 18L/hr and oil consumption was slight. Oil cost included changes, initially two or three times a year, then reducing once a spin off filter was fitted. Oil costs are reported when purchased. Basic flying operations showed a surplus averaging about £700 p.a. – just short of £5,000 in total.

Over seven years the operating surplus was reduced by various repair costs. In the first year, after rich cuts on take-off, prop stops on landing and a PFL that turned into the real thing, it became clear that the carb was not correctly set up. A complete carb strip down and reset resolved all these problems and the engine has been a good performer, with prompt and easy starting, ever since. Also, the first of several stuck exhaust valves was experienced at Breighton, involving a long train ride home. These costs much reduced the first-year surplus. We were advised that the valve/guide clearance was at the bottom of the tolerance range and we should consider removing all the cylinders to have the clearances increased. We decided not to pursue this.

In the second year, a rebuild of the Hanlon Wilson exhaust system proved expensive. And in year three a rebuild of the no bounce oleos was found necessary when it became clear there was substantial wear in the bushes – on dismantling we found the wrong springs were fitted.

In 2018, careless running of the engine without cowlings resulted in damage to the rear of the prop and, with another stuck valve at Breighton, this consumed our entire annual surplus… and some.

In each year we experienced a stuck exhaust valve at least once. Some involved expenditure, others were released by mechanical means. With the benefit of hindsight, the early advice to increase valve/guide clearance should probably have been heeded, despite the short-term cost! Lesson learned – always listen to your engineer/Inspector. Hopefully, the fact that all exhaust valves have now received attention at least once, and the availability of UL91 at Henstridge, we should see the back of this problem.

An overall surplus until 2020

Despite these various travails we managed an overall surplus of £1,400, which has funded upgrades including a better propeller from Hercules and a spin off oil filter from Julian Mills. The former has delivered a modest increase in performance, and the latter greatly simplified and reduced frequency of oil changes. Sadly, the need to upgrade to an 8.33 radio was not funded within our overall costs and in 2018 the panel was modified to take a Trig TY91 radio replacing the handheld previously used.

The latter part of 2019 was not a good time for the AH Group, however. Along with all the other based aircraft

Table 1 G-DHAH Fixed Costs: 2012 -2019

Table 2 G-DHAH Operating Costs: 2012 -2019

we were evicted from Old Sarum in October, but we were lucky to find a new home at Henstridge, with only a modest increase in cost. The upside was a considerable improvement in the standard of accommodation with excellent facilities.

Downsides are increased travel time and the need to gain greater competence in hard runway operations.

During winter 2019/20 downtime, the Permit was renewed early, and the opportunity taken to replace worn bushes in the control torque tube and make repairs to upholstery. The limitation on flying hours due to the Covid-19 lockdown and poor flying weather, mean that these costs will not be covered within 2019/2020’s operating costs. We have also incurred the additional expense of fitting a transponder.

Plan for the unexpected…

Overall, our initial budgeting for fixed and operating costs has proved reasonably accurate, allowing for the unexpected and maintaining the aircraft in the excellent condition in which she was purchased. Despite experiencing engine problems we might have hoped to avoid, given the recent zero timing when purchased, and the repairs to exhaust and undercarriage, we have had a modest surplus. In operating a vintage light aircraft, it is wise to plan for the unexpected.

Our 479 hours flying have been funded by a total outlay just short of £60,000, averaging approx. £8,500 p.a. and £124 per flying hour, all in. Fitting the 8.33 radio and transponder are not included in these figures. In contemplating aircraft ownership, it is important to think beyond the initial outlay which, over time, may be insignificant compared with ongoing operating costs.

We are now looking forward to more years of flying pleasure in ‘AH, hopefully with the return of dual flying, touring, fly-ins and other gatherings in 2021. ■

Left Problems with the undercarriage, the need to replace the propeller, and sticking exhaust valves have been the major maintenance expenditures.

Below The 8.33 Trig TY91 radio in 2018, and a Mode S transponder fitted subsequent to this picture, have been significant upgrades since ownership.

Passion project

Dave Howell knows a thing or two about how to administer TLC… as his commitment to ‘operation’ WAR bird reveals…

So, it’s 1982, I have a shiny new PPL in my back pocket, and I am determined to make the most of it. Well, that was the plan – back then a PA28 was around £40/hour, so with three passengers, that would cost us a tenner each – even on my limited salary £10/hour, it would be doable, or so I thought.

By 1985 I had run out of friends who wanted to take ‘trips around the bay’, my wife and I had bought a falling down house, and I

considered one hour a month to be not sufficiently current to be safe. I stopped flying, fixed the house and helped produce a couple of children. All the while I saved the money I would have spent on flying a school aircraft for one hour a month.

By 1995 it was time to revalidate my licence, and 30 hours later and I was back

where I started, but this time with £4,000 left to buy an aeroplane! I had by this time joined the PFA, which at the time sold a PVC-bound pocket book Jane’s Pocket Book 14, Home Built Aircraft. Many happy hours were spent studying the 100+ aircraft detailed within which, by all accounts, could ALL be built in a garage.

Family life, however, meant that building was a non-starter. But, in the summer of 1996, at a PFA Rally at Cranfield, there was a Rand KR2 in the ‘For Sale’ area at around the

Above A passion realised – Dave’s WAR Fw190 is an impressive replica and is the only example flying in the UK. Photo: Paul Bunch

price that I had available. The deal was done, and I became an aircraft owner. Since then, I have steadily worked my way through the homebuilt aircraft pocketbook by either fixing, or in the case of my Cassutt racer, building, a variety of affordable aircraft.

Regularly visiting PFA/LAA Rallies, I came across Barry Conway’s Fw190 replica, G-CCFW, and it went straight to the top of my wish list. However, any WAR replicas that came up for sale were eye-wateringly expensive, so it stayed on the wish list… until May 2019. There it was, on AFORS, Fw190 replica G-SYFW! Some super sexy photos accompanied the advert, it was out of Permit and had not flown since the Permit was issued five years earlier, and it was only £12,000. What could possibly go wrong?

I contacted the owner within hours of the advert going up and was third in the queue for viewing the next day. The strip it was located at was only an hour away, so not much to lose if it was already sold. I arrived early, the engine was running, and a very enthusiastic young man was looking very

WAR Fw190 replica

Above Outside my workshop turning the aircraft upside down so I can work on the underside of the centre section.

Photo: Dave Howell

Left First sections of foam removed and replacement sections fitted. Photo: Dave Howell

Below Painted, main gear back in and ready to take outside and do another 180° roll. Photo: Dave Howell

pleased with himself. When the engine stopped I was told by the owner that the aircraft was sold to the gentleman standing next to me (who I sort of knew as he had been interested in a Taylor Titch that I had repaired). Disappointed, but not surprised, I asked if I could try it for size, as at 6ft 1ins it was always going to be a squeeze, but I fitted. Nothing more to do, I left them to finish the deal and drowned my sorrows at McDonald’s.

In June 2019 I received a text from the young man who had purchased G-SYFW saying that his Inspector had condemned the aircraft and was I still interested?

That probably wasn’t the best sales pitch I had come across, but yes, in principal, I was. When it was originally sold, because the deal had been done, I had not inspected the aircraft at all, so I was interested to see the photos that the Inspector had taken. They showed a number of areas of delamination of the fibreglass skin under the centre section of the wing, an area of delamination on the elevator tip, and a number of other smaller issues. I felt that in order to obtain the aircraft at the top of my wish list I should take it on – and a deal was done.

The pity was that, although originally the aircraft was only an hour from my home, the new owner had taken it a further three hours away. During an epic journey to bring it home, it occurred to me while dragging it along that previously no other aircraft I had trailered home had ever been able to be seen in the wing mirrors of the van. I pondered this revelation for a few hours while navigating the narrow lanes on various motorways, during which time

Below Fortunately it’s only a short journey back to Halfpenny Green, the aircraft sticks out either side of the van. Photo: Dave Howell

the rain, forecast for much later in the day, bucketed down. As I got closer to home, I contacted my engineering guru, Terry Gardner, to meet me at home to help me push the new toy up the slope, and into my garage. On arrival, with the rain still pouring down, Terry helpfully looked at the garage door, and then at the aircraft, and declared that it would not fit through the door! Not being in any fit state to listen to such stupidity, the tape measure was deployed and indeed the wings were two inches wider than the door. Plan B was quickly employed and emergency hangarage was requested and granted at Halfpenny Green Airport, just 15 minutes away.

The aircraft was now safe and dry but not at the bottom of my garden. My Inspector and I had a good look over the aircraft and a plan was made to repair the issues using standard repair techniques for glass fibre covered foam wings. This work could be done at the airfield but hangarage costs and convenience would be the sacrifice. I spent the next couple of months carrying out the agreed repairs and, once completed, invited my Inspector to do the Permit renewal inspection. All went well and I posted off the application to test fly to LAA Engineering. A week or so later I received an email thanking me for my application to test fly but, when they checked their records, the aircraft had been red flagged because, on seeing the advert on AFORS, a previous Inspector had been concerned that as it had stood for so long there could be airworthiness issues. If that was not enough, the chap I bought it off was so annoyed with the original owner that he had sent all his Inspector’s photos to the LAA.

Delaminated skin

Francis Donaldson now obviously became concerned as to why the skin had delaminated. As the structure was now 35 years old, and with it being an early example of this sort of wood/foam/glass structure, the possibility was that the whole structure could be about to catastrophically delaminate. Following a number of constructive emails, it was decided that the only way to determine the integrity of the structure was to remove the skin from the underside of the centre section and have a look.

In December 2019, the decision was taken to remove the wings and engine, take the frame off my garage door, and get the aircraft home. Having completed the easy bit, I now had to find a way to roll the fuselage over to gain access to the underside. Everyone I consulted had a different idea of how to complete this roll to inverted, some more exciting than others. In the end it was relatively straightforward, we took the fuselage back outside and fitted a frame and strop around the rear fuselage and a steel plate bolted to the engine frame with a large bolt sticking out on the centreline of the fuselage. An engine hoist and another strop then allowed the fuselage to be raised sufficiently high to clear the centre section of the ground and, once upside down, it was lowered onto foam-covered supports on castors and rolled back into the garage.

The glass fibre skin covering the affected area could then be removed to determine the condition of the foam. The foam was found to be in good condition, but the process of stripping the skin from the foam had damaged it sufficiently to warrant its replacement. Having determined the extent of the damage, a repair scheme was written up based on the internationally accepted AC 43.13 Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices The repair scheme was submitted, and its receipt

acknowledged. Christmas came and went and eventually I had all the ducks in a row and my repair scheme was accepted.

By February 2020, all the materials were sourced, and work commenced. Unfortunately, of course, winter is not the best time of year to be doing glass fibre repairs but, with the aid of several electric heaters, my garage was able to maintain T-shirt temperatures day and night. The actual repair work, once started, was very straightforward and only took a week or so. With the repaired area painted and looking good as new, it was time to once again mobilise the troops and get it the right way up. Once back on its wheels the engine was refitted and by the middle of May it was ready to return to Halfpenny Green. The wings were refitted and the whole aircraft had another Permit renewal inspection. All was found to be satisfactory and all the worksheets and other associated paperwork was sent off for the issue of a Permit to test.

In July, following a review of my worksheets it became clear that, although I had repaired the aircraft to the agreed AC 43.13, this would not be strong enough, as the Slingsby repair manual details a repair with an overlap of the new material over the old to ensure that the joint is as strong as the original. This came as quite a surprise to me, but it was OK as I just needed to rub all the paint off, reinforce the new scarf joints with an additional bandage, and repaint the affected area. My Inspector, who fortunately lives quite nearby, inspected the additional work and all the new paperwork was sent off. In August I had my Permit to Test!

Although this has been a bit of a saga it is important to remember that LAA Engineering has an extremely difficult job to do, balancing members’ enthusiasm to get aircraft flying with the need to ensure that our fleet of aircraft are as safe as they can be. To that end my thanks go to Joe Hadley, Andy Draper and Francis Donaldson who put up with some quite grumpy emails from time to time.

Below Ready to make the test flight. An interesting experience! Photo: Paul Bunch

Test flying the WAR Replica Focke-Wulf Fw190

The story of ‘foxtrot whiskey’ actually starts back in 1980, in Guernsey, when engineer Mark Parr thought it would be a good idea to build a scale fighter. By 1984 the aircraft was ready to be successfully test flown, and later the same year Mark flew the aircraft to the PFA Rally at Cranfield where he and the aircraft were awarded the Pooley Sword for ‘Best Replica’… praise indeed.

Fast forward 35 years and, following a number of incidents, I came to own the aircraft. As described, a significant amount of work was needed to get the aircraft to airworthy condition, but now, with all the pieces of paper signed, I was rapidly running out of reasons NOT to fly it.

Walking towards my little Fw190 replica it really does look impressive, in my opinion it’s one of the better looking WAR replicas – and it’s not until you walk around the front of the aircraft that it becomes obvious that the cowling is hiding a Continental O-200 engine – the clue to the engine’s manufacturer are the two small Rolls-Royce stickers on the cowl.

The engine is totally standard but is mounted so close to the firewall that it has two small domed indentations to allow the magneto wiring to clear and a rather larger cylindrical recess for the dynamo. With only a few hours on it since it was checked over following a gear-up landing, it has been absolutely reliable since day one, starting within one or two blades – hot or cold. Walking further round past the dummy cannons (one of which is an air vent into the cockpit) and the very long combined pitot and static, I remove the pitot cover, which is large and obvious, as I am very conscious that if someone walks into it the resulting damage could take a while to repair. The wing tips have standard nav lights, along with a white one on the tail. Arriving at the cockpit, the nicely engineered canopy slides back allowing access.

As with most single-seat homebuilt aircraft, climbing in is something of an art form, certainly for a six-footer. My technique involves placing one foot on the wing walk and, using the front of the canopy to steady myself, put the other foot on the seat. Then, once both feet are on the seat, I rest my bum on the top of the seat and lower myself elegantly into the aircraft.

Once in, the seating position is quite comfortable (less so after an hour’s flying), my feet fall naturally onto the rudder pedals and toe brakes, which is just as well as you cannot see them. The throttle and mixture are located on a quadrant on my left-hand side, with the carb heat on the lower left-hand side of the panel. Also on my left-hand side is a narrow built-in ledge with a number of resettable circuit breakers and the fuel selector.

The right-hand built-in ledge contains, top to bottom, fuel contents, fuel pressure, fuel pump on /off, ammeter, nav lights on /off, low volts light and three more circuit breakers. Also on this side is the alternate gear actuator which is operated by a ratchet driver, it can be operated both ways and is almost as fast as the electrical system. The main instrument panel contains all the expected instruments including a stall warning light, gear up/down switch with two green lights and a red to indicate the position of the undercarriage.

I am now strapped in with several excited onlookers milling around, I had previously, rather rudely, asked them to keep their distance as I was not in a particularly sociable mood…

Now fully concentrating on the task in hand, the battery master is switched on and the radio and the electronic tachometer spring into life, and the two gear down lights are reassuringly bright. I switch on the fuel pump – this achieves two functions, shows me there is fuel pressure and pressurises the system. Fuel pump off, the engine is primed with mixture rich and four strokes of the throttle. Throttle set and ‘clear prop’, the key moves through left, right and both to start, whereupon the engine bursts into life with the most appallingly loud exhaust noise. Bad enough when an O-200 has four stub exhausts, but in this case each exhaust has been split in two and then all eight are pointed at the pilot…

Having established that the engine has oil pressure

Below left The panel is surprisingly comprehensive. Note initially erroneous stall warning light top left. Photo: Dave Howell

Below right

Convenient ratchet to hand crank the gear down, should the electrical system decide not to play ball. Photo: Dave Howell

and is not on fire, I close the canopy to significantly reduce the noise. The alternator is switched on, the low volts light goes out and the ammeter shows some charge.

The runway in use is 34 – this means that the taxi to the hold is quite short, so I sit for a few minutes working out all the ‘what-ifs’ I can think of so that when the stuff I haven’t thought about happens, more of my limited brain power will be available…

Time to go, the helpful chap in the tower gives me QFE, the runway in use and taxi instructions (we had an extensive chat before I got in the aircraft and he knows my plan). I find myself at the hold for Runway 34, all checks done and, despite my best efforts, all is OK. I tell the man in the tower, who unhelpfully tells me to ‘take off at my discretion’. My better judgment is abandoned and with heart rate at max, I line up.

Brakes off, full throttle, we accelerate down the runway and I lift the tail as soon as possible so that I can see forward. Still somewhere near the centreline I am waiting to see 60kt, which takes longer than I expect, still, we’re there now, rotate, I’m off the ground and climbing well. Climbing at 80kt I’m concerned the stall warning light is on. While I consider whether the ASI is reading correctly there is no more runway in sight, the gear is of no further use, I select gear-up and the green lights go out. The gear takes a long time to retract but a while later while remaining slower than the 90kt gear-limiting speed, I notice that the red gear-up light has not come on and the electric motor has stopped!

I am now in the overhead at 2,000ft, I don’t know where the gear is, and at 85kt the stall warning light keeps coming on and off. What I DO know is that the aircraft is under control and, if I can keep the speed under 90kt, the gear will not fall off – provided the ASI is reading correctly.

Around this time, it occurs to me that my primary navigation device, my iPhone, will give me the ground speed, and taking into account the wind at the time it looks as though the ASI is somewhere close. I am surprised how difficult it is to stay below 90kt, even with the rpm at only 1,900, and I’m thinking I would rather be on the ground, so I select the gear down and the actuator starts turning, followed a while later by two

WAR Fw190 replica

green lights. To say that I was ‘greatly relieved’ would indeed be an understatement.

Carb heat hot, rpm 1500, back at circuit height the tower already knows I will be employing a curved base to final so a downwind call lets them know where I am.

Maximum concentration once again as the speed needs to be 80kt for the curved approach (I don’t yet know what it stalls at) and then slowing to 75kt over the hedge. That was the plan, but the last time I looked at the ASI it showed 85kt with the stall warning light coming on and off. The first landing was pretty hard with the second and third slightly less so. The gratifying thing was the tyres did not burst and the gear did not collapse. We stopped short of the end of the runway and taxied back for tea and medals.

Over the next few days the aircraft was put back on the stands and the problem with the undercarriage understood and fixed. The stall warner tab on the wing was moved in the correct direction (I hope) and the rest of the aircraft and engine inspected to see if anything had fallen off.

Subsequent flights became less and less scary, the aircraft stalled at just under 60kt with the errant stall warner lighting up at 70kt. I always find the VNE dive quite exciting so having achieved 175kt for a millisecond easing out of the dive and climbing away with everything still working was a great relief. Landing is much more

Above You’ve got to admit, at times like this it really IS worth all the effort! Photo: Paul Bunch

Below That cowling does a pretty good job of disguising the flat four Continental into a BMW double row radial. Photo: Paul

straightforward with a bit more speed than theoretically is necessary then, when the wheels touch the ground, check forward on the stick and wheel it on until the tail wants to come down. Once the tail is on the ground it all gets exciting again with lots of footwork to keep it straight.

The test schedule took three-and-a-half hours with five take-offs and landings. With another envelope full of paperwork sent off to the LAA and, a few subsequent questions answered, my Permit to Fly was emailed through to me.

Subsequent pleasure flights allowed me to get to know the aircraft rather better without the pressure of testing to think about. Having flown many hours in my Cassutt Racer and Taylor Titch, both of which are a similar size with the identical engine, I’d say that all three are very responsive but will only do what you tell them, so you must fly them 100% of the time. The Fw190 replica sits somewhere between the Cassutt and the Titch, with the Titch the nicest handling. A friend commented that he suspected the Fw190 to be a masterpiece of form over function, but I have to say this really is not the case.

There is no easy way to bring a broken aircraft back to an airworthy condition, there are processes which must be adhered to. Always keep LAA Engineering in the loop and be open and honest. It is however, very gratifying to now own the only airworthy WAR Fw190 replica in the UK. ■

Bunch

Saved from the scrapyard…

Proposed rebirth of Beverley XB259. By Brian Hope

Alittle different to usual LAA fare, perhaps but LAA member Martyn Wiseman, of Condor Aviation International Ltd., has recently bought Blackburn Beverley XB259, the sole remaining example, which was under threat of being scrapped. XB259 was built at Brough, East Yorkshire and first flew on 29 January 1955, making its last flight on 30 March 1974, landing at Paull Airfield, Hull. It was the largest RAF transport of its day and its roots lie in the GAL50 Hamilcar tank carrying glider of WWII.

Martyn intends turning it into luxury holiday accommodation, and although there will undoubtedly be those who would rather it was preserved in its original form, he says commercially that simply isn’t viable. His comments appear to hold water as none of the major museums were prepared to take it

on and he was bidding against scrap merchants whose only interest was in breaking the aircraft up.

The aircraft has to be moved from its present Fort Paull location, near Hull, within the next nine months and will be relocated at Martyn’s Birchwood Lodge Airfield near Selby. The bulk of the aircraft will be kept original, including the cockpit, and the rest of the interior will be given over to a disabled-friendly, high-quality apartment. Martyn also intends returning it to its original silver paint scheme as part of the corrosion proofing exercise.

The project has its own website at www. blackburnbeverley.co.uk and a crowd funding page has been started to raise the anticipated £100K moving costs at Save the Blackburn Beverley Aircraft – a Heritage crowd funding project in Barlby by Martyn Wiseman (https://bit.ly/374YWUc). ■

Main Moving the 36-ton Beverly will be quite a logistical exercise.

Above Initial sketch of the proposed interior décor.

Time to celebrate!

It is fair to say that everyone will be glad to see 2020 come to a close. But next year the LAA will celebrate its 75th Anniversary, including a grand British Tour between 22-31 May.

Neil Wilson reports…

As I hope by now you are all aware, 2021 marks the LAA’s 75th anniversary. To help kick off the celebrations, and following on from the fantastic response we had for a tour of Scotland for May 2020 (unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19) we have been putting together a 10-day tour that includes the rest of Great Britain.

The bywords for the tour are ‘fun’ and ‘flexibility’; it is designed so that participants can fly the entire route, or duck in and out for as long or short a period as their time allows. Each individual pilot will be responsible for their own flight planning but as in the previous round Britain tour in 2016, there will be plenty of knowledgeable pilots who will be very willing to assist the less experienced.

The intention is also for participants to go at their own pace as there is likely to be everything from RVs to Austers taking part, offering scope for the faster aircraft to visit points farther afield and the slowest to ‘cut the odd corner’ now and again to keep their daily flying to a lower level. However, it should be noted that no single day has been planned with particularly lengthy routes.

Food, accommodation, fuel and landing fees are also the responsibilities of each participant, but as many of the Struts up and down our nation have pledged to welcome the tour at the stops along the route, again there will be plenty of support in those areas too. We are also having good success in negotiating reduced landing fees for tour participants at a number of the planned stop-offs.

As this is an Anniversary Tour, we have a bit of a theme around airfields that have hosted the PFA/LAA Rally over the years (unfortunately, Cranfield, Rochester and Wroughton are not available) and indeed, we will be starting from the current Rally location, Northampton Sywell. Keep in mind that the route will, because of the vagaries of the British weather, inevitably need to be flexible. Each day a decision will be made on the next

destination, or indeed whether to move on or not – a degree of slack has been built in so that we have time to catch up on the odd lost day.

Preliminary itinerary

Saturday 22 May Starting at Sywell as our official departure (although your own airfield can be yours) the tour will head for Rougham (TBC), in Suffolk for an afternoon stop, where members of the Suffolk Coastal Strut will be on hand to assist. We then head down to Headcorn in Kent for a night stop. The airfield café will be open for an evening meal and camping is allowed ‘under the wing’. Kent Strut will be on hand to assist and will be able to offer lifts to and from local hotels if required.

Sunday 23rd Flying along the South coast we intend to dip a wing in salute to our old PFA base at Shoreham, before stopping off at Goodwood for morning coffee (Southern Strut assisting). Then we’ll continue along the coast, and you have a choice of a lunch stop at either Henstridge with the Wessex Strut, or Dunkeswell with Devon Strut – both airfields having very good cafés. Final leg of the day is down to the guys and gals of Cornwall Strut at Bodmin for the overnight. An evening meal and breakfast will be available.

Monday 24th Head up the West coast to Kemble and Bristol and Gloster Struts for coffee and then make our way to Shobdon (Shobdon Strut) or Wolverhampton (West Midlands Strut) for lunch. Some of the faster guys might like to take in Wales, if weather allows, and drop in on the North Wales Strut at Caernarfon. Manchester Barton is our intended night stop (TBC), as there are many local hotels, a café on site and our North West Strut will help ferry people around if required. Camping is permitted by your aircraft.

Tuesday 25th Today we head up to bonnie Scotland and Glenforsa for a night stop with the West of Scotland Strut. Carlisle Airport is ready to welcome us with fuel and their

Main Some of the participants of the 2016 LAA Tour awake to a glorious morning. Let’s hope for similar weather next May! Photo:

Neil Wilson

café – and there’s also a good aviation museum on site if you have time on hand. Prestwick is also available for fuel and by then so should Oban as well.

We then overnight at the renowned Glenforsa Hotel on the Isle of Mull for an evening meal. Owners Alison and Brendon say they can cater for about 100+ of us (in two shifts if necessary). Local taxis can take you to hotels and B+Bs afterwards or camping is allowed on site. A £10 camping charge includes breakfast.

Wednesday 26th Options Day! Some of you may wish to look around the Isle of Mull – the lovely village of Tobermory is nearby – while others can head for the Isle of Skye for a fly-in at Broadford to meet our former chairman, David Faulkner-Bryant. There isn’t a huge amount of room at Broadford for parking so we may need to split up and take turns, but afterwards the intention (if the weather is with us) is to fly up The Great Glen towards Easter, to the north-east of Inverness, to meet up with the Highlands and Islands Strut.

Depending on your speed and range, you may wish to do some touring in the North of Scotland, flying around the coast to Longside, or you may wish to head down for a longer stay at Perth as there is plenty to see and do, using Perth as a base. Camping is allowed at the airfield for the duration of our stay, but there is also a budget priced motel on site. A landing fee will be payable up until Friday, from when it will be free for the duration of the Tour’s presence.

Thursday 27th Depending on where you overnighted, head for Perth Airport where a warm welcome awaits from the Strathtay Strut and the Scottish Aero Club. Fettling aeroplanes (local Strut members and engineers on site can help if required), have a rest or a day in town, or perhaps catch a train into Edinburgh or do some local flying today. Evening meal in town.

Friday 28th East Fortune airfield is offering a free landing today to encourage us to visit the locally based National Museum of Flight, where they are building a replica

Sopwith one-and-a-half strutter. Our East of Scotland Strut will ferry us from the aircraft park to the museum and look after us. Then it’s back to Perth for a BBQ and possibly a ceilidh band.

Saturday 29th It’s the Perth Fly-in and Meet the LAA Day and we hope many visitors will come from far and wide, both by road and air (free landings) to enjoy a day of socialising and meeting a number of companies who will be exhibiting their wares. Arrange your evening meal in town at a restaurant of your choice.

Sunday 30th It’s farewell to Scotland and back down South via the East coast to Eshott for lunch. Hopefully Northumberland and Alnwick Castle will look their best.

We then fly on to Breighton for our night stop. The Real Aeroplane Company, with their eclectic mix of aircraft and the local Vale of York and LiNSY Trent Valley Struts will look after us. Evening meal on site and breakfast too!

Monday 31st (Bank Holiday) For those still heading South, Leicester Airport (home of the 1979/80 PFA Rallies) and our East Midlands Strut members look forward to seeing us. Airport director and LAA flyer Michael Wright extends a warm welcome and promises that a BBQ awaits. We then head for home – in the hope that whether you joined us for a day of the entire 10 days, you had a most enjoyable experience, met old friends and made new ones.

As you may imagine this is a preliminary plan, and parts may have to change either due to weather or restrictions for various reasons. Positive news of Covid-19 vaccines on the horizon, we are hopeful that the tour will be able to go ahead unhindered – let’s take a positive attitude and plan for a fabulous year of anniversary celebrations!

If you would like to join us, or be kept informed as plans develop, please email tour organiser Neil Wilson at neil.wilson@laa.uk.com ■

Coaching Corner…

The majesty of winter flying…

David Cockburn, PCS Head of Training, notes some of the conditions particular to winter flying that we need to pay attention if we are to safely enjoy those wonderfully crisp, clear days…

For many of us, December would normally be the time when we start routine maintenance and planning for next year’s adventures. The Covid-19 restrictions in November have probably brought many of those activities forward, and we can only hope that next year brings better flying opportunities. However, I’d like to suggest that if you have a bit more time to yourselves over the winter period, you could use some of it to learn a bit more about your aircraft and how you can better operate them.

An opportunity to learn

The LAA membership includes a growing number of owners who have not built their aircraft themselves, so these pilots are less likely to have that intimate

Above Fortunately, this RV has good covers which would make clearing the snow relatively easy.

Photo: Jerry Parr.

knowledge of their aircraft and its systems that builders tend to accumulate.

My engineering colleagues produce a wealth of useful information, as do type clubs and Struts, and I encourage owners to take the opportunity to learn from it.

Nearly all of us today have electronic devices, either fitted in the aircraft or hand-held, and from my own experience I know how difficult it is to decipher the detailed instructions which come with these devices. I urge everyone to spend some time with the instructions and the devices, learning and practicing how to use the equipment. However, if you are fortunate enough to be able to fly, please do not experiment with the equipment in the air unless someone else is in control and looking out!

Winter flying

Our Engineers and Inspectors also offer advice on taking care of your aircraft over the winter months, but winter can also provide superb flying opportunities, not only to remain current, but to enjoy views of the countryside in different light conditions, often over some spectacular scenery. However, if we are able to take advantage of these opportunities, we need to beware of the possible hazards. Let’s face it, the weather in winter can be cold, cloudy, dark, foggy, wet, windy, and/or icy – and all these conditions present challenges.

Cold temperatures

If we start with the cold, although the denser air in low temperatures will improve the performance of both airframe and engine, that engine will take longer to warm up to a safe temperature, as will the cockpit (if indeed you have a heater). We need warm clothing, which not only affects weight and balance, but also may restrict the pilot’s movement. There is also a temptation to hurry the pre-flight checks, which can be dangerous because the aircraft is also affected by cold – for example, seals can crack and leaks appear. Cold also affects batteries, so starting may be difficult, and personal devices can lose power rapidly.

Cloud and fog

Cloud problems don’t restrict themselves to winter, of course, but low temperatures and wet ground are a recipe for low cloud, which can form rapidly and unexpectedly. Just because the forecast doesn’t mention it, be ready to encounter that low cloud, especially when the temperatures reduce as sunset approaches. And of course, darkness falls much earlier than in summer, so take note of the local time of sunset.

Plan to get back home in plenty of time if you land away from base; we all know that something always turns up to delay us, and the engine may not want to

Above When you see the beginnings of fog like this, be very wary, it can expand very quickly as the temperature drops.

start first time in the cold and damp conditions. I expect we’re all quite aware that reducing temperatures and moist air are likely to produce fog as well as low cloud. We need to study the forecast, but also watch out for indications that the air is more moist or cooler than the Met people expected. Clear, relatively calm conditions are a classic forerunner of radiation fog, and moisture forming on wings or cockpit canopies is a good indication that conditions are close to those for fog.

Even in windy conditions, warm air over cold moist ground can produce advection fog which struggles to clear. In any case, as we fly, we should be looking around; patches of fog on the ground are an indication that an early landing may be advisable. And ‘fog’ can form inside the cockpit if cold Perspex descends into warmer air, so we ought to have a means of clearing our windscreen from the inside.

Precipitation

Water, in the form of rain or other precipitation, gets everywhere. It can reduce the wing’s efficiency and thus reduce take-off performance, in some cases dramatically. Damp ignition can prevent starting, and even if our filler caps are properly sealed it can get into the fuel while refuelling, which itself can present hazards if we’re trying to keep our footing on wet aircraft or ladder surfaces.

Sodden ground, which without summer temperatures often becomes, and stays, boggy but if you are fortunate that your strip is still usable, have you thought about soft-field techniques? Even if you don’t get completely bogged down, you don’t want to leave scars which might eventually dry into ruts. It’s worth knowing where the hard patches are on the field and make sure you don’t allow the aircraft to come to a stop anywhere else. If you do sink in, it may be better to switch off and push the aircraft manually rather than try to drag it out of a hole with power and risk making matters worse.

And if you have wheel spats, mud can quickly build up inside them and cause drag as we try to take off – you need to check them as part of your pre-flight.

Wind

Wind in the UK is not merely a winter phenomenon, but the surface winds tend to be stronger in the colder weather. Although gusts associated with thermals are unlikely, lee waves can affect the air at low altitudes some distance downwind of relatively low hills.

Even in strong gradient winds, the surface wind under a wave crest can be quite light and from a different direction from the area forecast. If we are in these light wind conditions, we should not allow ourselves to believe that a forecast of strong winds is wrong – a slight change in upper wind direction or strength can alter the wave pattern and cause a sudden increase in wind strength as the wave trough affects our landing field.

Frost, ice and snow

Much has been written about the hazards of ice. Since airframe icing is generally experienced in cloud, we are most likely to be affected by ice on the ground where aircraft parked outside may be affected by snow or frozen rain on the upper surfaces, which obviously has to be cleared before attempting to fly. However, frost can form even after bringing the aircraft out from the hangar and is equally hazardous. Although a clear morning may tempt us to cut corners, all frost and ice should be removed from at least every lifting surface and cockpit window. There is no such thing as ‘a little ice’!

Snow is a child’s delight and flying over snowcovered ground can be a delightful experience. However, flying through falling snow is a quick way of destroying most light aircraft’s wing efficiency and several fatal accidents have been attributed to flying through snow. It is worth giving all precipitation in winter a wide berth.

Fallen snow also changes the appearance of ground features, so navigation can be challenging, and a

satnav device can be very useful to prevent becoming ‘temporarily unsure of your position’. Satnav devices are also very useful in the haze, which often goes with otherwise clear days. Inside such a haze layer our visibility is likely to be quite poor, especially towards the sun, which is lower in the sky, even at midday. If we can climb above the haze while avoiding controlled airspace, we should be able to see for extended distances, providing easier flying and much safer lookout conditions. However, haze below doesn’t usually make navigation much easier, and we still need to watch out for areas of thicker haze below us… which might be patches of fog.

Low sun

That sun can also cause us problems when approaching to land. The prevailing wind over most of the UK is south-westerly, so the sun is likely to be in our eyes in late afternoon as we try to land. The effect of course, is worse if the windscreen is dirty or crazed. On a clear day, we might consider perhaps landing just after sunset, or landing with a slight tailwind if the aircraft is able to stop on what is probably a wet surface.

Please don’t let this list of possible hazards discourage you from taking advantage of the opportunities to enjoy your flying over the winter.

If you consider the possible hazards and are ready for any which might affect your particular flight, it can be very rewarding! ■

Beware your moving map!

One very minor advantage of the Covid-19 restrictions, which we may have been able to benefit from, is that several pieces of Controlled Airspace have been deactivated at quiet times. Unfortunately, the CAA has identified, in an Airspace Safety Initiative (ASI) Update, that some moving map displays which include Notam information may have been misleading pilots about the status of the Airspace. They report that some Moving Map applications depict the airspace boundaries in rarely seen colours, and may visually show airspace being deactivated throughout the Notam period, when in fact the airspace is only classified as Class G for certain periods of time (the schedule) within the Notam period. This is a feature of the Notam system, in that the first timings written in the Notam (sections B and C) only indicate the general period during which the information applies. In order to identify the exact timings, one has to read the later section, E, which provides all the details of the events notified. It seems that this can catch not only us pilots, but also our navigation equipment!

It’s a shame that these marvellous aids on which (although we shouldn’t) we often rely to keep us out of trouble, may be encouraging the very problem that they are intended to avoid. It means that we must be more careful than usual in reading the actual Notam themselves, whether displayed on an application or listed on the AIS website. The ASI Update explains how to read the published Notam, but if you aren’t sure, or can’t remember, whether a piece of airspace is deactivated or not, you should treat it as still being active at all times.

Below The low sun in winter can be severely exacerbated by a dirty and crazed windscreen.

Struts 4U

by Anne Hughes

At a recent Zoom meeting for Strut Leaders, it was good to hear that the Struts are in great shape and many have adapted to ‘virtual’ meetings as a way of catching up socially.

Members can also enjoy listening to contributions from speakers from a favourite armchair. A year ago, what is now becoming ‘the norm’ would have been deemed unbelievable; it is therefore a real pleasure to share news from the LAA’s Struts and affiliated clubs where the challenges of lockdown have been faced, and many positives have resulted from this very different way of doing things.

Pete White has been busy throughout the year, with the Cornwall Strut, the Aeronca Club and with many projects on the go at Bodmin Airfield. Pete writes, “The Aeronca Club of Great Britain is still quietly supporting its owner and enthusiast members with information, knowledge, advice and, where possible, accessing spares and parts. 2020 may have prevented us from meeting at Fly-ins, but the Club is still very much alive with the aid of communications through e-mail and telephone, and of course Club members proudly post on Facebook, especially details of their new projects.

“Events are being planned for 2021 and, if all things are equal, we will once again meet at airfields around the UK to enjoy each other’s company – and no doubt talk Aeroncanese till the cows come home!”

Meanwhile, in Yorkshire, Chris Holliday and the Vale of York Strut started the year with a planned series of seminars called Going Foreign and a goal of getting an increasing number of members across to the continent for their first time. The trip was planned for the spring, with further opportunities to travel far and wide across Europe during the summer.

Chris continues, “We managed to get the first seminar done and then lockdown happened. So, what to do? One of our members mentioned Zoom, so we checked it out and discovered that sure enough, it might work as a way of

Main Suitably distanced Cubs prepare to depart one of a handful of Vintage Piper Club fly-ins.

Right Stuart Scott snapped work in progress on former Irish Aeronca Chief, hopefully soon to fly as G-ICRR.

keeping the seminars moving so that we could still meet our goal. So, Alan Kilbride quickly mastered presenting via Zoom, and we carried on. We set up a Strut website and YouTube channel to hold recordings of the seminars, although publishing is a work in progress.

Hope remained that we would still get across the Channel but, as lockdown eased, it became clear that we probably would not manage it as a group, although one or two members did find a window when the various restrictions did allow a short visit. For the rest of us, we decided to organise the Inaugural Word Tour of Yorkshire fly out to stay close to home and let people visit as many or as few of our wonderful local airfields and airstrips as they would like over Yorkshire Day weekend. It was a great success – and all accomplished with suitable social distancing.

“Unfortunately, we were already experiencing strict rules here in the North, only for those to be followed by lockdown two, so our plans for Strut meetings remain on hold. So, it is back to Zoom for our meetings… but we all have fingers crossed that we will still be able to meet up and fly again soon.”

Social opportunities are central to fly-ins, and all the clubs have found many challenges in 2020. Richard Keech is

chairman of the Vintage Piper Aircraft Club and he comments, “Well, as we all know, it’s been a strange old year and the first lockdown caused the first three of the pre-planned gatherings of the VPAC to be cancelled and so, for a club that values the comradeship, friendship and fun that being amongst a bunch of like-minded individuals brings, it was not a good start.

“However, once we were able to fly and gather in a socially distanced manner, things definitely improved… in spades! We were able to pick up the pieces of this summer’s programme by meeting at Cromer, Henstridge and finally, at Shobdon, the visiting aircraft numbers being, respectively, 25, 29 and 44, which says it all I reckon. At all these venues the aforementioned values were clearly evident in abundance and it was marvellous to see that the Covid-19 crisis has prompted an appreciation by folks of the finer things in life. Also appreciated was the help and support provided at each of the venues, where the airfield staff readily and happily gave their

Pall. It just goes to show, some good has come out of this crisis after all.”

Unexpected opportunities often come out of difficult times as Bob Hitchcock of the Europa Club writes, “We have experienced all the usual negatives as far as our planned events were concerned, however, we have also changed tack and increased our use of virtual communication. As you are aware, due to the Club’s international nature, we have been using Skype and Zoom for years. Members have been flying without restrictions in many countries, but in reality the long range Europa Club trips have also been negatively impacted.

“Taking positives is a challenge, and to top it all I was recently contacted by the son of a member who gave us some sad news. However, he wished to donate his father’s Europa build project to a worthy recipient and has asked the Club for guidance. We are looking for suggestions and would welcome ideas.”

Strut details

lease check with your local Strut as meetings may be arranged at short notice. At this time, unless otherwise stated, monthly meetings are using Zoom. You are welcome to contact any Strut should you be interested

Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 1930. Contact keith. picton@ntlworld.com

Bristol Strut: BAWA Club, Filton, 19.30. Room 4 or by Zoom. Contact: chairman@ bristolstrut.uk www.bristolstrut.uk

1 December – Christmas miscellany.

5 January – Annual Review.

Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. Contact: Pete White pete@aeronca.co.uk 01752 406661

1 January

Devon Strut: The Exeter Court Hotel, Kennford, Exeter. 1930. Contact: david.millin@sea-sea.com

East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith. 2000. Contact: inrgibson001@btinternet.com

0131 339 2351

East Midlands Strut: Please contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com for meeting details a few days beforehand or to be added to our email circulation to get details automatically. We also have a Facebook group and upload recordings of some meetings where we have speakers.

14 December – The Light Aircraft Company.

11 January – Quiz.

Gloster Strut: The Flying Shack, Gloucestershire Airport 1930. Contact: harry.hopkins@talktalk.net

Highlands & Islands: Highland Aviation, Inverness Airport. Contact: b.w.spence@btinternet.com / 01381 620535

Kent Strut: Cobtree Manor Golf Club, Maidstone, Kent. 2000. Contact: Brian Hope bfjjodel@talktalk.net / 01795 662508

LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Kirton Lindsey. Contact:

in the advertised talk. Thank you to everyone who has shared their Strut and Club experiences. All that remains is to wish everyone a truly Happy Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

pilotbarry1951@gmail. com http:// linsystrut.wixsite.com/website

North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Brunch on the third Sunday of each month.

1130-1330 at Fishburn Aviator Cafe.

Contact: alannixon297@btinternet.com

North Western Strut: Veterans Lounge, Barton, Manchester. 1930 for 2000. Contact: cliffmort@btinternet.com / 07813 497427

North Wales Strut: Caernarfon Airport, Dinas Dinlle. HEMS Bistro Café. 1300.

Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com / 07876 483414

Oxford Group: The Duke of Marlborough, Woodleys, Woodstock, Oxford. 2000. Second Wednesday each month. Contact: LAAOxford@gmail.com www.oxfordlaa.co.uk

9 December – Virtual pub night, group members can have a catch up and a chat.

13 January – AGM followed by a quiz. Email for joining details.

Redhill Strut:.The Dog and Duck, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5QU. Third Tuesday of each month at 1930. Contact: david@milstead.me.uk

Shobdon Strut: Hotspur Café, Shobdon Airfield, Hereford HR6 9NR. 1930. Meetings (once lockdown completed) Second Thursday of month. Contact: Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com

Southern Strut: The Swiss Cottage, Shoreham-by-Sea. 2000. Normal meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month. Contact: palmersfarm@sky.com

Strathtay Strut: Scottish Aero Club, Perth Airport, Scone. Scone Clubhouse. Contact: keith.boardman@peopleserve.co.uk 07785 244146

Suffolk Coastal Strut: Crowfield Airfield Clubhouse. 1900. Contact: Martyn Steggalls events@suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk 07790 925142

16 Dec 1930: Meeting over ZOOM. Chairman’s Christmas Quiz and Nibbles –although this year the quiz is virtual, so members will have to provide their own Nibbles!

20 Jan 1930: Zoom GASCo Safety Evening. Vale of York Strut: Chocks Away Café, Rufforth East Airfield. Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801

valeofyorkstrutlaa@gmail.com

www.valeofyorkstrutlaa.wordpress.com

Wessex Strut: Henstridge Airfield Clubhouse. Contact: neil.wilson@laa.uk.com

21 December 2000 – Zoom Meeting –Building a Menestral with Tony Razzell West Midlands Strut: Navigator Café, Halfpenny Green Aerodrome 19.30. No meetings until 2021. Contact: Graham Wiley westmidlandslaastrut@googlegroups.com

Stuart Darby stuartdarby134@hotmail.com. visit our website wmstrut.co.uk

West of Scotland Strut: Bowfield Country Club, Howwood, PA9 1DZ. 1900. Contact: Neil Geddes barnbethnkg@gmail.com / 01505 612493

Youth & Education Support (YES)

– Contact: Stewart Luck /Graham Wiley captainluck@hotmail.com gw20home@outlook.com

Note: Thank you to all Struts and clubs for getting in touch. If you have any stories or items you wish to share, or updates for the calendar, please contact me at struts@laa. co.uk

Quality Fleet…

Clive Davidson flies the superb – and most definitely rare – Fleet Model 80 Canuck...

Pictures Neil Wilson

Flight Test

The Fleet Canuck is certainly not an aircraft you are going to run into on a regular basis, indeed this month’s flight test subject, G-FLCA, is the sole example in Europe, and possibly the only example outside of North America. I do not doubt there are many members reading this magazine who have only vaguely, if at all, heard of the type.

The Fleet Model 80 Canuck, to give it its full name, is of Canadian extraction, a clue being that ‘Canuck’ is an endearing colloquial expression of anything Canadian. You can in fact trace its beginnings to 1939 when aviation engineer J Omer (Bob) Noury, who worked for the Ottawa Flying Club, set about designing a training aircraft for the Canadian market. The Noury T-65 Series 1 followed the accepted American ‘norm’ of a high-wing design with welded steel tube fuselage and empennage and was powered by a 65hp Continental. The aircraft flew in January 1940 and was sold in 1941.

In 1942 Noury formed Noury Aircraft Ltd at Stoney Creek, and set about designing the Noury N-75, with the intention of putting it into production. Again it followed conventional lines, except that rather than the tandem format, which was so prevalent at the time, it featured side-by-side seating, power being courtesy of a 75hp Continental engine. It was test flown from the Hamilton Airport at Mount Hope late in 1944.

Fleet Aircraft, which had been founded by Reuben H Fleet in Fort Erie, Ontario in 1928, and is best known for its Fleet Finch, a two-seat, tandem biplane used as an elementary trainer in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during WWII, very soon took an interest in the design and in May 1945 they bought the prototype and design rights from Noury Aircraft.

Test flown by Fleet's test pilot, Tommy Williams, on June 4, 1945, they made some changes to the forward fuselage to lower the engine and improve the forward visibility, and relocated the fuel tank from the wing centre section to the forward fuselage. With the tank no longer overhead, they fitted a skylight for better upward vision – and to give the cabin an airier feel.

A more powerful Model C-85 powerplant and a larger fin and rudder were also incorporated and, the now designated Fleet Model 80 Canuck, was first flown on September 26, 1945.

The aircraft went into immediate production, no doubt with the intention to take advantage of an anticipated post-war boom in light aircraft sales. And indeed, the Canuck initially proved popular with flying clubs, charter companies, and private owners, but the ‘boom’ flattered to deceive.

Unfortunately, it very soon faltered as war-weary servicemen saw rebuilding their civilian lives and careers as their primary concern, and what market there was, was well catered for by relatively low-cost surplus military machines.

By 1948 sales had petered out with fewer than 200 machines built, production ceased but over the next 10 years or so, Leavens Brothers in Toronto built up a number

The Canuck is a rare sight in European skies, this being the sole example flying.

of aircraft from the remaining components, bringing the total number of Fleet Model 80s produced to 225, of which it is estimated around 70 are still extant.

Resided in Portugal

G-FLCA is owned by an old friend and professional acquaintance, Steve Evans. Thirty-plus years ago, he and I paired up at Bowkers of Rush Green, near Hitchin, where I would undertake the now defunct Certificate of Airworthiness test flights and he would accompany me, with minimal coercion, as an observer. Unwittingly, as the engineer who had worked on the aircraft, he was really part of my ‘insurance’ that all had been carried out perfectly. It was therefore a real pleasure to be able to fly with him again, this time in his striking blue and yellow Canuck.

Surprisingly, the logbooks show that it has completed only 165 hours, but having belonged to an aristocrat in Portugal, it spent many years in a hangar with only about 80 hours having ever been flown. Then, it seems to have become involved in a deal engineered to import Chipmunks into the UK from Portugal. It gets rather vague but the aircraft ended up in a Norfolk hangar and was ultimately acquired by Ewen Taylor, who began a long and meticulous restoration.

Steve and Ewen’s paths crossed when they worked together on a Rapide at Coventry Classic Flight. Ewen had been working on his project for around 15 years and felt a growing realisation that he might not be able to see it through to completion. He had gained a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment throughout his work, and Steve is keen to point out and credit Ewen’s input.

It was an attractive proposition for Steve as everything was already present and, being both a CAA licensed engineer and a LAA inspector, he was able to draw things to a close by completing the paperwork and ultimately get the aircraft flying.

First impressions

First impressions count and, as I taxied past it, the unusual colour scheme was certainly eye-catching. I also noticed the under fuselage’s rather appealing slightly scalloped sweep towards the tail, which bore the red maple leaf.

I could not see much else from the rear of Ruth’s RV-8, but natural curiosity brought me back, wandering around her and then peering into the cockpit as I could not recall the type.

As mentioned previously, the Canuck has a steel tube fuselage and the wings are an aluminium skeletal assembly covered in fabric, pretty typical of the genre. No flaps are fitted but they do bear differential (Frise) ailerons which are of riveted sheet aluminium. I learned that the fuselage is cotton covered and the wings Ceconite, suggesting they were covered at different times during the rebuild. What is evident though is the high standard of the covering and finish.

The main undercarriage suspension uses elastic shock cord and the wheels boast hydraulic disc brakes. While there, underneath, a gaze upwards shows the straps to ‘catch’ a faulty suspension and there is the tiniest oil grime line on the left under fuselage, beginning to edge its way back from the engine compartment, pushed by the slipstream, quite normal,

Top left Handling is reassuring and predictable and she is faster than a lot of the opposition.

Far left Main gear was advanced for its time as hydraulic discs are fitted.

Left The cabin is fairly basic but offers excellent shoulder and headroom.

Bottom left Owner Steve Evans standing beside his Fleet certainly highlights its larger size compared to its contemporaries.

and apart from that the fabric shows neat lines along the stringers. The tailwheel is on a downward arching four leaf spring, the wheel having a solid rubber tyre with attachment to the rudder steering arms via tight springs and what is euphemistically termed ‘loo’ chain.

Grabbing the end of the wing and rocking up and down shows a fair and reasonable amount of flexibility in the undercarriage travel. Also, the far aileron can be seen moving in opposition to the one I move up and down, the internal control circuitry is without any appreciable play, friction or resistant squeaking. Incidentally, a simple check for tyros – if you have ever been sitting there thinking, which way should the control surface move in relation to the stick or yoke – is that when the stick or yoke is pointed at the ailerons and elevators in turn, the control surface should rise. The mild insult here of ‘up yours’ is a succinct reminder.

The side cowlings hinge up to enable checking oil contents and have a quick look around the engine itself. It’s a C85-12J, the designation ‘J’ indicating that its induction system is not the usual carburettor, but that the engine is injected. Steve kindly furthered my limited knowledge by explaining that this was the original system on all of the Canucks. The near clean oil, 100 for the summer and 80 for the winter, shows three and a half quarts (of four) on the dipstick.

Standing in front of the nose and looking back at the cowling and the spinner, the engine intakes have metal surrounds and horizontal bars, while the grill and the lower mouth for the oil cooler has a vertical grill, giving a slightly disgruntled look. The Chris Lodge prop has a brass leading edge. The simple fuel float gauge with its sticking up rod, is both central and close to the screen, it is easy to reach to be pushed down slightly and seen to pop up again. The fuel tank’s drain shows no dirt or water.

Standing outside, but with the door open and reaching in to wind the elevator trimmer, l looked aft towards the right elevator to see which way the trimmer moved when winding clockwise (when looking up at it in the cockpit). Hopefully this might reduce the confusion of which way to turn to reduce the forces on the stick, so as to be able to relax and free a few of the remaining brain cells for other tasks. There is a fairly generous luggage space behind the seats, capable of holding 50lb. Initially Charlie Alpha was a three-seater, so you might suspect it previously had a greater all up weight. Settled into the cockpit with straps adjusted comfortably tight had me on the right as we had briefed to fly echelon left, to give a clear view of Neil in the photoship, being flown by Ken Rhodes (ex-Phantoms) in G-RHOD, his Super Stol – the speed range of the two being similar.

Steve and I had both jostled around for straps without any nudging or shoulder bumping, there is also more than adequate headroom, it’s nice to have such space within a cockpit. Obviously, my sideways upward view is limited with the high-wing configuration, but over the nose is fair on the ground and will be better in the air.

The cockpit

Inside, the pleasantly light grey metal instrument panel is uncluttered and contains the main performance instruments,

Above Empennage is wire braced with cable-operated trim tab on starboard elevator.

Left The baggage bay is cavernous but limited to 50lb.

Below Extra bracketry was fitted as standard to accommodate floats and skis.

with the engine controls mounted on a central sub panel. The rpm gauge has the green arc from 500rpm to 2,600rpm, and the ‘go to jail’ redline beyond. The ASI reads to the Vne of 160mph, and there’s a standard three needle altimeter, an oil temp dial conveniently close to the EGT gauge, and on the left is oil pressure. Central top is a Trig 8.33 VHF and a slip ball to encourage your rudder work to benefit the efficient balanced progression of flight.

My bête noires of headset jacks and fuel tap are easily resolved – Steve pointed out the jacks forward of and above the door frame, and a ‘push for fuel on’ small cream topped knob is located to the right of the same-sized parking brake knob by the centrally placed, and significantly larger, diameter throttle lever, the size of which allows the palm to wrap nicely around it. The mag switches, kigas type primer that squirts fuel directly towards the cylinders, and the cabin heat are on the left. Carb heat is of course not required with the injected engine.

A further, leaner bracket, is similarly attached to the lower left edge of the main panel with switches and fuses for the nav and taxi lights. And on the right side lower panel edge is a cylinder head temperature gauge.

Time to fly

Engine start is simple, that is once you know the drill and avoid a potential small ‘gotcha’. The history of the type found that, in time, the metering jets became worn and produced an erratic slow running, making it difficult to set up – many owners apparently changed to a carburettor. However, two full primes are pushed in firmly and then a half backward stroke half filling the primer is made, to be squeezed in, should the engine falter after initially firing. The throttle is cracked, a good clearing look around, a clearing call and the starter is pulled. It fires promptly, 1,000rpm is set and the oil pressure is quickly active and healthy. Should the engine be reluctant to continue firing after the initial burst, then the readied half primer shot could be pushed in. Should all settle down and the engine

run as hoped, then this small shot may be very slowly edged in without the revs faltering. In theory, and theory only, if the primer were to remain unlocked the engine would run, but the mixture would be too rich with high consumption and the possibility of fouled spark plugs. I have not yet covered that scenario and have no fervent wish to do so this week.

Satisfactory view out

The view out to the side and over the nose are adequate to taxi, as we can clear the area ahead with the occasional S turn to help. The hydraulic brakes are only fitted to the left-hand P1 side, so it must have been interesting as a basic trainer all those years ago. The turning circle is fair, but it is the wingtips that are generally the concern between hangars, on a sunny day the shadow helps gauge distance and clearance. If in doubt stop and get the passenger to hop out and take a look!

Into wind, park brake on, engine and oil warm, the power and magneto check is at 1,600rpm – and idle the needle wavers at 500. Back to 1,000rpm and a bit of housekeeping, a safety brief before the off with us as number two in a stream take-off behind the Stol.

The power came on smoothly and Steve rolled, keeping the stick back and the tailwheel on the ground, then he eased the stick forward to hold the flying attitude as we continued to accelerate and floated clear and gained another 15 miles an hour into a 65mph balanced climb, attaining something in the region of 600ft per min. My standpoint marker on Runway 24 at Henstridge is passing the first northern taxiway, and from this I attempt to gauge take-off performance, compared with other similar types. Steve had said that operating from Calcot Peak (just outside the North Western edge of the Brize Norton Zone) they have 800 metres of well-rolled and cut grass and he only uses around 300 metres.

A choreographed shoot

As we topped the climb, levelled out and approached the winged dot that slowly grew to be our camera ship Steve gave me control, I flew gentle excursions from straight and level to see and feel responses before calling “In the box”, our arranged RT message that we were closing into formation. Approaching the Stol in stabilised flight, I flew into the standard position using the visual cues of splitting the high wing so that I could see both upper and lower surface for height and looked for another reference, perhaps the wingtip on the prop spinner? Then, adjusting my position, a sighting along the tailplane. But already Neil was pushing me down lower, with deliberate slow hand signals, and so began our briefed choreography.

Being lower I can now play with crossed controls and attempt to show the aircraft in various attitudes, while still going ‘straight’ with the photoship, but hardly in balance for more than a second or two at a time. Of course, at each crossing of controls the drag increases and power has to be applied before we ‘slip’ (a very apt term) behind and out of shot. Part of the assessment that is determined on flying an aircraft not experienced before, is to check stability in the three axes. Here, in steady heading side slips, as controls are

uncrossed, the rudder having been in opposition to the wing held low with opposite aileron, the directional stability can be assessed as the rudder is released, seeing the nose wanting to swing and point in the same direction of flight. Similarly, from another steady heading sideslip, as the stick is released the lowered wing doesn’t remain statically low, it wishes to rise of its own accord. Of course, these are not fully blown side slips with near full control deflections, as it may well prove impossible without a huge amount of power to overcome the induced drag and remain in formation, but it is a good indication for later on in the flight.

Having transited to our area for different backgrounds, playing what we have come to call the ‘rock and roll’ session, we work through the prearranged sequence of positions and break aways. All the while both Ken in the Super Stol and Steve beside me, are scanning the skies for any threat of a possible conflicting aircraft. My eyes are glued on Neil and he is totally absorbed with his task. Hopefully as a team we can display and capture our Canuck in differing attitudes, varying backgrounds and contrasting light, as safely as we can.

Good stability

As we part company over an area I know pretty well to play over, I can drop my shoulders, relax and natter with Steve and learn a little more about this craft, which I have to say that I am beginning to feel more and more at home with. Well, I have had 20 minutes of hands on! What we have been doing, I cannot call conventional formation flying, as the idea has been to attempt to maintain station where placed for the lens: up, down, back, forward and compound linkages as well. Should I have held perfect, standardised formation positioning, all that would be shown would be the same aircraft view with varying backgrounds and lighting.

Stabilised in the cruise, straight and level at 2,250rpm gave us 95mph, and a further 100rpm increases the ASI’s indication by another 10mph. Steve thinks she is not overburdened with power but she manages well at our weight, admittedly today under the MTOW of 1,480lb. Fuel consumption is in the order of 19 litres per hour with hardly a drop of oil lost or burned.

The phugoids, the induced stick free rising and falling cycles of the nose above and below the horizon, reduced with both pitch and speed returning to trimmed straight and levelish flight, proving her stability in pitch within the accepted three cycles.

The now fully blown steady heading side slips, flown at the approach speed of 65mph confirmed both her directional stability and lateral ability by self-correcting to the flight path and wing rising would be a helpful trait, as was intended for a basic trainer on the approach to land.

Stalls and spins

Stalls from stabilised, balanced straight and level were approached with the standard HASELL checks and a gradual decrease of speed, the optimum being a loss of one knot per second. This had me exercising the ailerons, which continued to roll right down to the 48mph airspeed departure – a slight pitch down after a small accompanying judder on the stick.

Flight Test

She wafted, rocking erratically in roll as the stick was held back, but was promptly moved forward to recover as one of the wing drops was of greater enthusiasm! Minimum height loss recoveries were of an excellent crisp style with little discernible loss.

Taking it a bit further, and beyond what is normally taught of stalls, we tried climbing turns to the right from cruise, where the speed was decaying as the nose was held deliberately too high, showing a nice safe roll out as the stall bit. It was just stick forward with correcting rudder as the wings reached level and she flew calmly away. The same exercise, but to the left, had her rocking her wings not knowing if the drag on the outside wing would roll us to the right, or perhaps the torque of the prop may take us left. I had seen enough and recovered with stick forward, right rudder to balance the full power.

As much as I would like to spin this Canuck, we weren't going to as she operates on an LAA Permit that clearly states that no intentional spinning may be undertaken. However, Ewen, the rebuilder, has an in-depth 100-page Canadian report on her handling characteristics in this mode. I would certainly like to read it.

Reminiscences

Nattering with Steve he told me of a flight he had managed to squeeze into his busy life, taking the Canuck to, what had been, the Western Front of WWI. He mentioned he had stopped off at Le Touquet and stayed in Etaples, across the river. He related a mutinous breakdown of discipline during WWI. The ‘other ranks’ had their brothels in Etaples; and the officers, theirs in Le Touquet. During low tide some New Zealander troops crossed over to visit the officers’ brothels but, when returning, the tide was high, so they had to cross the picketed bridge. They were stopped and in swift time, locked up. When their mates heard of this, all hell broke loose and they broke their friends out. By all accounts one poor soul was executed for mutiny.

Of future flights, Steve would like to visit the Orkneys, so I mentioned the LAA Tour that is being organised for next year, and certainly includes Scotland.

I reminded him of one test flight we did together all those years ago that I particularly remember for good reason. It was of a Fuji 200 and the C of A flight test went off without anything untoward. After a nice two pointer, with the nosewheel held off to a smooth conclusion, taxying in I asked if Steve wished to taxi back, while I jotted down a last bit of information on my board. After 30 seconds or so, he piped up, “It feels a bit strange,” so I said “OK, I have control” and with that, the nosewheel collapsed! Apparently, the aircraft had spent a long time outside, having been abandoned at Ipswich for many a year, and there was internal corrosion on the nosewheel leg, hidden by the sliding section of the oleo.

Anyway, as that was our last landing together, Steve was going to do this coming arrival in the Fleet which, I have to say with accuracy, humility and generosity, turned out to be a good, smooth three pointer. Approaching at 65mph from a curved base, and over the hedge at 60, that last 10mph washes off quickly. What’s more, he still has all three wheels attached in the correct order and the agreed format.

My sincere thanks to Steve for an enjoyable flight in his lovely, and particularly rare aircraft. It was great to catch up. ■

Fleet Model 80 Canuck

Bulldog Model 120

General characteristics

Capacity: one passenger

Length: 22ft 4in (6.81m)

Wingspan: 34ft 0in (10.36 m)

Height: 7ft 1in (2.16 m)

Empty weight: 858lb (389kg)

Gross weight: 1,480lb (671kg)

Powerplant: 85hp (63 kW) Continental C-85-12J

Propellers: Two-bladed wooden

Performance

Maximum speed:

111mph (179km/h, 96kn)

Cruise speed: 100mph (160km/h, 87kn)

Range: 300 mi (480km, 260 nmi)

Service ceiling: 12,000ft (3,700 m)

Rate of climb: 550ft/min (2.8 m/s)

Above The scalloped sides of the fuselage give the aircraft a slenderwaisted look.

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LAA Service Awards: Your chance to make a nomination…

The LAA Awards committee and LAA Struts would normally by now have nominated and presented the 2020 LAA Service Awards to the worthy recipients at the LAA AGM. COVID-19, of course, put a stop to that. But perhaps that’s a good thing, as we now all have the opportunity to make direct nominations for five of the LAA Service Awards, in the next couple of weeks.

The awards are:

■ The Frank Hounslow Trophy, for services to LAA in an engineering capacity.

■ The Lois Parker Trophy, for distinguished service in an administrative function.

■ The Faulkner-Bryant Shield, for the most active Strut or person in the Strut System.

■ The Roderick Turner Trophy, for the person who has contributed the most to Flying for Fun in the past year.

■ The Pete Clarke Trophy, awarded to the person who has made a major contribution to air safety.

Undoubtedly many of us know people who regularly go the extra mile when it comes to helping us resolve issues with maintaining or operating our aircraft, or are the ‘go to’ person when it comes to needing something organised for your Strut of club. Many may well be worthy recipients for one of these awards, so please take a few moments to nominate them – simply send us their names, and a short

Above The LAA usually presents award winners at the AGM, but unfortunately was unable to do so this year. Please take a moment to nominate potential winners of the Service Awards by 11 December.

citation of around 100-150 words to office@laa.uk.com by Friday 11 December. We’ll then deliberate and then notify the recipients in time for Christmas.

Two trophies will be held over this year – the Chris Paul Trophy for services to the LAA Rally and the Bill Woodhams Trophy for a Feat of Navigation. We feel that due to the Rally’s COVID-19 cancellation and the lockdown preventing as much flying as previously, it is hard to make appropriate nominations. So saying, if you do think there is a worthy recipient for 2020, let us know, and we’ll reinstate the award!

The names behind the trophies

As it is many years since the various LAA awards were initiated, perhaps many of us don’t know the stories behind the names on the trophies. As we approach our 75th Anniversary year, perhaps now is the time to take a look at those who are commemorated from LAA and PFA history.

Frank Hounslow Trophy

Presented to PFA by Rollason Aircraft and Engines in May 1994. Frank Hounslow, who worked for Rollason for many years, was also PFA’s Chief Inspector until his retirement in 1990. A former RAF Halton Apprentice, during his time at Rollasons he civilianised many DH82 Tiger Moths that are still flying today, as well as working on the production of Rollason-built Turbulents and Condors. Awarded for services to the Association in an Engineering capacity.

Service awards

Lois Parker Trophy

The wife of PFA chairman Frank Parker, Lois was a devoted and inspired secretary to the PFA until she was incapacitated by an ultimately fatal illness. The Parkers’ front room was the PFA office and, due to their efforts, a sound foundation was built from which the Association has grown. The award is presented for distinguished service in an administrative function.

The Faulkner-Bryant Shield

David Faulkner-Bryant became chairman of the PFA in August 1972, taking over from Frank Parker, and one of his most passionate commitments was the creation and development of the PFA Strut system. He was described at the time as ‘an ardent biplanist who savours the wind in the wires, head in the air aspect of flying, but is not averse to canopies, sheet aluminium and low wings’. He is still a keen supporter of the LAA, and lives in the Scottish Isles where he is a premier breeder of long-horned highland cattle. It goes to the most active Strut or person in the Strut system.

The Roderick Turner Trophy

The trophy was donated to the PFA in 1972 by the family of a 24-year-old flying instructor who trained at Luton and Blackbushe, then taught with Air Navigation and Trading at Blackpool.

On 1 January 1971 he and a 19-year-old student pilot were killed when the American Aviation AA-1 Yankee aircraft failed to recover during a spinning

exercise. It is awarded for the person who has contributed the most to Flying for Fun in the past year.

Bill Woodhams Trophy

H M ‘Bill’ Woodhams was the son of the managing director of Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. He learned to fly at the Coventry Aeroplane Club at 17 on Tiger Moths, then flew Vampires with the RAF. He was an Instructor at AWA Flying Group, rebuilt Comper Swift G-ACTF – subsequently owned by fellow LAA stalwart Alan Chalkley and now resident at the Shuttleworth Collection. He was killed in a flight test accident to the first-of-type Practavia Sprite in Yorkshire on 5 December 1976. It is presented for a feat of navigation.

The Chris Paul Trophy (President’s Joystick)

The trophy, an AVRO 504N control column, was presented to the PFA by former President, Air Commodore G J C Paul. The award is made to the individual who deserves recognition for their work behind the scenes, in connection with the LAA Rally.

The Pete Clarke Trophy

For a major contribution to air safety. The cup was presented by Ivan Shaw to the PFA at its 50th Anniversary Rally in 1995, in memory of Pete Clarke who was killed during a flight demonstration at Old Warden in a Slingsby Firefly. Pete had carried out most of the test flying on the Europa during its development. It is awarded to an individual or group who have greatly contributed to air safety. ■

Adams Aviation

Air Courtage wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

By Chrystelle Luanai of Air Courtage

As Christmas season approaches, I recently enjoyed watching Klaus on Netflix. For those of you who haven’t heard about it, it is an entertaining 2D-animated movie about Santa Claus which was nominated for and won several awards, including Best Animated Film, at the 73rd British Academy of Film Awards.

Klaus’ flying device is interesting, should I say atypical. I won’t overstate the poor aerodynamics and lack of safety equipment on the sleigh – it didn’t even have safety harnesses - or the need for frequent rest and oat replenishment for the poor animated power unit, because I don’t want to spoil the magic of Christmas for any of your children or grandchildren who may read this magazine, let’s just say I was very concerned about his somewhat cavalier attitude.

Call it a professional quirk, but I couldn’t help but think that Klaus, who overflies residential areas at very low altitude with a sleigh powered by five magic reindeer, with a passenger onboard, and carrying far too much freight - who knows how far aft the CG must be - was most probably flying uninsured! I wasn’t too worried about hull cover, although his first and unexpected foray into the air resulted in substantial hull damage, because Klaus, being a carpenter, simply nailed a few pieces of wood here and there and …job sorted, although there did appear to be an acute lack of any kind of inspection and sign off. However, on the liability side there was much more to be concerned about; I noted significant negligence, way beyond what could be considered acceptable exposure. Not only does he fly and land in residential areas, but the risk of falling objects due to his inadequately secured load is definitely not adequately dealt with.

Giving it further thought, I guess there is not much we could do for Klaus anyway, even if he could obtain some form of airworthiness approval for his sleigh. As a commercial flying device, it has to comply with the Chicago Convention, and subsequent local regulations. He would be constantly violating international and national rules, it comes with the job, but intentional illegal behaviour is always excluded from insurance policies. We will, however, forgive Klaus for his temerity and negligence in legal and insurance matters, and truly wish he lands safely on your roofs and spoils you with plenty of gifts later this month. From all the team at Air Courtage, I wish you all a wonderful and magical Christmas season and we are looking forward to being in touch with you in 2021, and hopefully having the opportunity to meet you at the shows, especially the Rally.

Joyeux Noël

MAF is the world’s largest humanitarian airline, bringing Christian help, hope and healing to those in need.

Tackling isolation across the globe

In hidden pockets around the world, life continues much as it has for hundreds of years — with millions of people, who live far from roads, education and healthcare, cut off from the help they need. For many, the only way to reach them is by air.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), which brings help, hope and healing to 26 developing countries, is now assisting the fight against coronavirus in vulnerable areas.

In Chad, MAF transported essential supplies to Bardai Hospital, enabling patients’ temperatures to be screened so they could be treated more effectively.

obtaining special permissions to fly, MAF was asked to transport medicine and coronavirus test kits — the flight enabling the vital cargo to remain at the correct temperature and reach its destination safely.

In Uganda, the work of hundreds of organisations was either prevented or hampered by the limited road travel permitted. So it was a great relief to many when MAF was officially allowed to resume its domestic passenger flights in September — enabling MAF partners such as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which supports 850,000 refugees, to again provide remote communities with the help they needed.

‘It’s a great thing to resume passenger flying, which has a direct impact on the people we serve. Once again, we’re helping our partners to get the job done.’ — MAF Pilot Greg Vine

In South Sudan, alongside the usual items such as food, cooking oil, fertiliser and washing powder, MAF transported face masks, buckets and banners bearing crucial information for a coronavirus awareness programme.

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo there was a surge in the number of coronavirus cases, with patients suffering from respiratory problems being admitted to Panzi Hospital but dying soon after because they had sadly sought help too late. After

In Papua, Indonesia, MAF delivered 2,500 Bibles to the Yali people, 55 years after MAF’s aerial survey flight first discovered the tribe. The Yali, originally feared because of their violence, witchcraft and cannibalism, murdered missionaries Phil Masters and Stan Dale in 1968. In summer 2020, however, members of the thriving Yali church rushed to the airstrip to greet MAF’s plane and its precious cargo.

For 75 years, MAF has been flying over jungles, mountains, swamps and deserts to help isolated people in hard-to-reach places. Every five minutes, an MAF plane is taking off or landing somewhere in the world, bringing medical care, emergency relief and hope to thousands of people.

You

To

The latest LAA Engineering topics and investigations.

By Malcolm McBride

Safety Spot

This month Malcolm McBride looks at the importance of properly fitted shoulder harnesses and fuel pump failure…

The autumn leaves have blown away, and winter is celebrating its inevitable victory; you can almost hear it chuckling. That’s it, I’ve put paid to another year, and there’s nothing you can do about it? But I think to myself, well, I give thanks that I’m still around to enjoy the changes in the seasons, I don’t mind cold, crisp, mornings and, although winter might be feeling secure, spring is busy working up its battle plans so there’s much to look forward to.

Welcome to this Yuletide edition of Safety Spot. Happy Christmas, I hope that you and those closest to you are in the best shape possible. What a year we’ve all been through, goodness; but I don’t see too much gloominess about – such is our nature I suppose. Certainly, hats-off to the scientists and engineers who have been working tirelessly to design and produce a vaccine for this nasty virus. As I write this in midNovember, news has just been released letting us all know that trials of a new type of vaccine seem to suggest that it’s thumbs-up all round. If the success of the trials shifts across the population to a real protection from this enemy, that would indeed be a great Christmas present.

I guess, many of us are not in the place we might have predicted for ourselves when last year’s winter was defeated by spring, but things look as if they are on the up, so let’s be uber-positive and look forward to tons of airtime, build-time or just ‘life’ time, in a splendid 2021.

In the November issue, I spoke about an engine failure after a take-off incident that occurred in New Zealand some time ago. Sadly, the pilot died in the ensuing accident, primarily because the shoulder harness attachment broke, the owner having chosen to mount it to the upper part of the seat back rather than as described in the build manual. This

month’s Safety Spot begins by discussing a landing accident that occurred earlier in the year to one of our members – in this case, the pilot suffered quite serious facial injuries because his shoulder harness didn’t do its job. For reasons we will explore, the passenger during the accident walked away without a scratch.

Pelican PL – Loss of Control During Landing

We received a request from a senior AAIB Inspector to look at the seat belt installation of the Pelican PL. He was tasked with investigating the cause, as it turns out, causes, of a recent injury to a pilot after essentially a minor runway overrun… albeit, an overrun which included a passage through a hedge into the far ditch. Initially a fairly minor incident like this would not attract the attention of a senior AAIB investigator – indeed, it would quite likely be categorised as a ‘Record-Only’ event – but, when it was learned that there had been a quite serious injury, the focus changed.

In a non-aerobatic aircraft, the primary role of the harness is to reduce the chances of personal injury during a sudden stoppage. If a harness fails to do its job when called upon to do so, then this is a real cause for concern. From local accounts, and the pilot and passenger reports, it was clear that the aircraft’s speed was quite low when it went through the far hedge. There was no shortage of witnesses to the incident as it occurred at a local fly-in.

The aircraft was brought to a sudden stop in by ditch on the far side of the hedge. The pilot sustained head and face injuries because the single shoulder harness slipped off his shoulder, either during the incident itself, or some time earlier, and we needed to understand why

Above This Pelican two-seater overshot the landing site and ended up being brought to a stop by the far hedge and ditch. Both in terms of damage to an airframe and personal injury, an incident like this should be considered a minor one. However, if the shoulder harness is not tight a pilot or passenger will be thrown forward during a sudden stoppage. Had this pilot completed his downwind checks more carefully, and checked that his harness was secure, he might not have suffered a quite nasty head injury. Photos: Supplied/Malcolm McBride

Above LAA Engineering was alerted to the over-run incident by the AAIB because the pilot sustained head injuries – they were concerned that the pilot restraint system had not been effective and, if this had been the case we needed to alert other owners of this and similar types. As you can see from the extract of my report, if tight, the seat belts do their job well, when loose, they don’t. Photo: Malcolm McBride

this had happened. Was it a problem of geometry, or was there some other cause?

I have to be honest and say that I’d never heard of a Pelican aircraft so, before doing anything, I had to carry out a bit of research into the type. I noted that we only have two Pelican aircraft in our fleet, a Pelican Club and a Pelican PL. Looking at the history files for the aircraft, I couldn’t understand why there were only two UK examples, when it was clear that this Canadian design was a real winner elsewhere. I spoke to the builders of the other Pelican, LAA Inspectors Nigel Beale and Eddie Clapham, to see if they could offer a clue. Their machine was similar to the accident aircraft except that, being an earlier version, it had a fabric covered wing rather than aluminium-skinned.

Eddie, who’s been involved with more initial builds than most, said the aircraft seemed like a real winner at the time, his only negative comment was that the build instructions weren’t much cop. But this was the 1990s after all, a time when word processors and clever design software was just being introduced – I remember many an unhappy hour trying to put together instruction manuals, Sellotaping cut out pictures onto paper and endless photocopying… but I digress. Nigel recalled that he hadn’t taken up an agency for the Pelican because he had become more interested in the EV-97 Eurostar, and the Pelican slipped past him into history.

I went to have a look at the aircraft which, by this time we’d got to hear about the incident, was just a fuselage, the aircraft having already been stripped as a salvage project.

This is probably a good time to review the picture sequence I put together for our internal report into this incident. I found that the shoulder harness worked very well indeed when tight, but, as with most lap-anddiagonal harnesses, was hopeless when loose. I am pleased to say that, despite the injuries initially looking frightful, thanks to the wonders of our health service, coupled with the incredible recuperative powers we share, there’s no long-term damage to our member. He’s itching to get back into the air!

If you are a regular reader of this column, you will know that I regularly point out that it’s my experience that there’s no such thing as a single causal factor for an incident or an accident. It became fairly clear, both through the on-site investigation and by conversations with people involved directly (and indirectly), that the reason why the shoulder harness wasn’t effective during this event was that it hadn’t been secured tightly enough before landing. Downwind checks should have included a mutual checking and, if necessary, tightening of harnesses.

It’s December, the year’s not quite finished, but it’s clear that the biggest cause of damage to our aircraft, by some margin, remains Loss of Control – Landing (LOC-L). Of course, landing an aircraft isn’t easy, most students struggle with this during their training. One thing I’ve

learned over the years though, is that it is a real skill to pull-off a good landing from a shoddy approach. It’s a trick you have to learn if you’re going to be any good at instructing, but not something that should be practiced without training.

Working backwards from a successful landing, if the second from last step is a well organised and accurate approach, then the step before that is an unrushed and careful set of pre-landing checks. And normally these checks are taught to be carried out in the downwind part of the circuit.

Just like a sportsman or sportswoman beginning a critical task, be that performing a gymnastic manoeuvre or bowling a cricket ball, it’s a good idea to get into a routine… being ‘in the zone’, mentally prepared. These checks shouldn’t be background verbiage – when you say, Undercarriage Down, think about it and know that it is. When you say Harness Secure, make sure it is… you almost certainly won’t need it, but the reason why these checks are important is that word, almost.

I was taught long ago that it’s wise to include a ‘just before landing’ check, mine goes: Gear down, brakes off, speed right, picture right. I’m not embarrassed to admit that, in over 50 years of sports flying, I’ve got it wrong with every one of the above points. Oh well, nobody is perfect and, perhaps, it’s just that fact that makes life so much fun. Our Pelican man confided that he’d missed out the last two checks on my list, he was especially flustered landing at a new site during a busy fly-in. Francis Donaldson, our Chief Engineer, comments, “If your landing is going to pot, take a deep breath, swallow your pride and go round again.” It’s a good tip.

Druine D31 Turbulent – Fuel Pump Failure

Take a look at the picture of the lovely orange Turbulent taken by Andrew Goldsmith. At the time of writing, I’m still waiting for Andrew’s telephone call, I’m not sure where this picture was taken but honestly, aren’t you just itching to climb aboard and take her for a spin? I know I am.

This example, until quite recently, used to be blue – it’s just come out of the workshops after a complete refurbish. It belongs to the Tiger Club, which was founded in 1957 with the aim of giving pilots the opportunity to expand their sports flying horizons and fly machines just like this …if it wasn’t so far away I’d definitely apply to join.

If you are a regular reader of Safety Spot, you might remember that we featured this aircraft back in July 2017 – remember that dramatic picture of a blue Turbulent hitting the water just off the beach at Herne Bay? It even made the national press. Here’s an extract from the AAIB report after the event: During the ‘balloon bursting’ element of a flying display on the coast, the engine lost power and the pilot ditched the aircraft in shallow water. The aircraft flipped inverted and the pilot was

Safety Spot

trapped in the cockpit by his lifejacket, which had inflated automatically, and his proximity to the seabed.

Two members of the public righted the aircraft and helped the pilot out of the cockpit. The pilot had suffered a minor injury. The investigation revealed that a fragment of balloon had become lodged in the carburettor, restricting the airflow into the engine.

Sadly, because of another engine stoppage, again at very low level with only limited landing options available to the experienced pilot, this

aircraft has returned to the workshop for another rebuild. They say that a piston engine will run if it’s got compression, has a spark, it’s getting enough fresh air and is being supplied with fuel. OK, that’s a bit simplistic, but these are the first things to check if an engine won’t run.

The last engine failure was because it wasn’t getting enough fresh air, this time it wasn’t receiving any fuel. It didn’t take lead engineer, LAA Inspector Mike Kemp, to work out why when the machine returned to the Damyns Hall workshops – the drive to the mechanical fuel pump had broken.

Further investigations have revealed that this pump was new just 30 flying hours previously, having been replaced during a complete engine overhaul whilst the airframe was being repaired following its dunking in 2017. The pictures show what’s happened here, as you can see, the cam-driven rocker arm, has failed at its fulcrum.

This particular aircraft, along with its VW 1600 engine, have been working in harmony since 1969; it’s been flying with the Tiger Club since 1996 and has accrued over 2,200 flying hours in this time. Of course, the Tiger Club has a reputation of not skimping on maintenance and overhaul tasks, so this engine has been kept in tip-top condition. As a general rule, engineers overhaul the fuel pumps quite regularly as a matter of course – but original VW pumps can be dismantled and serviced regularly, these cheap replacements are sealed units, so replacement is the only option. It seems like these plastic rocker arms are not up to the job and shouldn’t be used on an aircraft.

Above During the overhaul of the Turbulent’s VW 1600, a new mechanical fuel pump was fitted. On the left is the dismantled pump, on the right is the reason why this pump stopped delivering fuel – you can clearly see that the plastic ‘rocker’ has broken at the pivot point. LAA Engineering has issued an Airworthiness Information Leaflet requiring pumps with plastic rockers to be withdrawn from service. Photo: Michael Kemp

Above Here’s one of my favourite Permit aircraft, the Druine D31 Turbulent. This machine had only recently taken back to the skies after a complete rebuild following a dunking in Herne Bay back in 2016. Sadly, she’s in need of more TLC after being damaged in a forced landing incident after a sudden engine stoppage. Photo: Andrew Goldsmith

Above Left shows a VW aero conversion after a complete overhaul, note that the fuel pump fitted is not an original VW pump and will very likely use a plastic, rather than a metal, rocker arm. Fuel pumps are an often-neglected item, though they are bound to suffer wear over time –inspection and testing should be included into your maintenance schedule. On the right is an AC type pump off a Continental O-200 which was on its last legs when removed during an engine overhaul. Photos: Phil Chapman

With this knowledge, and with the help of the VW Heritage community, higher quality pumps have been sourced, and these pumps have metal rockers, just like the VW originals. So that we don’t see another failure like this, the LAA is issuing an Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL) requiring pumps that use plastic rockers to be replaced with higher quality, metal rocker replacements in a timely manner. It is also necessary to check the proper fit of the pump to the crankcase to ensure the operating throw of the pump properly matches up to its drive lobe. If you think that you might be operating with one of these suspect pumps and haven’t heard of this issue before, please check out the online Airworthiness Alert, you’ll find this in the Engineering section of the LAA’s website.

Hoffmann HO-V 72 – Propeller Failure

LAA Engineering has recently received notification that EASA has issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD 2020-0226-E) requiring a ‘before next flight’ visual inspection of the er hub on any aircraft operating with a Hoffman HO-V 72 variable pitch propeller. Also, a further NDT inspection of the hub must be performed within 20 hours – the EAD also introduces a ‘life’ of 30 years to this hub.

Our database shows that we have over 350 Hoffmann propellers in service in the LAA fleet; although only a very sma ll percentage of these are variable pitch types. In fact, we only have six HO-V 72’s listed. Naturally, we made sure that all these owners

were made aware of the AD and, so far, we’ve had no reports of cracked hubs.

Hoffmann Propellerwerk first opened its doors in 1955 when Ludwig Hoffmann and Richard Wurm, together with six employees, started production of propellers for motor gliders. More recently, Hoffmann constant speed propellers, like the HO-V 72, incorporate a wood-composite construction, the root of the blade being manufactured using compressed Beech veneers (Compreg), where Beech is compressed in a mould with an epoxy resin; the rest of the internal structure of the blade is normally made from Spruce.

This wooden/epoxy core is then covered with GRP. This type of construction means that issues of blade fatigue, such a worry when using forged aluminium alloy, are non-existent, primarily because of the natural energy-damping effect of the wood.

Naturally, after receiving details of this AD from the CAA, our first port of call was the UK agent for Hoffmann propellers, Hertfordshire-based company, Skycraft. Skycraft’s boss, Michael Barnett, explained that they had just completed a bespoke composite propeller for a Spitfire and have a number of other vintage aircraft projects on the go. They are well-equipped to offer support to any Hoffmann owner, and this would, if necessary, include the manufacture of a brand-new hub.

Because an EASA AD would otherwise only apply to ex-certified aircraft in the LAA fleet, and this issue is just as serious with one of these props on a homebuilt, LAA Engineering is issuing an Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL), requiring owners to carry out an immediate (before next flight) visual inspection of the hub, and within 20 flying hours an NDT inspection of the propeller’s hub as per the EASA AD.

has very nearly travelled right round the hub. Photos:

Above The recent failure of a Hoffmann HO-V 72 variable pitch propeller (on a non-LAA aircraft) prompted an EASA Emergency AD requiring an immediate visual inspection followed by detailed NDT inspection of the hub, and LAA Engineering has issued a similar Airworthiness Information Leaflet for Permit aircraft using this propeller. The picture on the right shows the primary reason for the AD – the failed HO-V 72 hub of a Slingsby T67 Firefly. The circumferential crack, following along the internal thread line,

EASA/Michael Barnett

Left The Hoffmann HO-V series of propeller is unusual in that the blade is held in place by a blade-retaining-nut which screws into the hub. Far left shows another unusual feature – the hydraulic piston which changes the blade angle during operation, sits on the flange side of the assembly. Left, the second failure, discovered by an LAA Inspector during routine inspection, shows the beginnings of another hub crack. Photos: Hoffmann Propellers/Michael Barnett

Discussions continue with Skycraft as to whether we can bring Hoffmann variable pitch propellers into our Low hours Propeller Inspection Protocol – LPIP (See Airworthiness Alert 20/12). If these hubs are prone to cracking, we’ll need to introduce an appropriate long-term inspection schedule to keep things safe.

Bristell NG-5 Aircraft – Weight and Balance Checks

In June 2019, a Bristell NG-5 operating in Eire under an LAA administered Permit to Fly, crashed during a routine familiarisation flight and very sadly, both occupants of the aircraft were killed. The investigation into this accident is being led by investigators from the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit, the AAIU.

As part of the detailed investigation, the leading AAIU Investigator became aware that the pilot moment arm figure stated by the kit manufacturer, i.e. the position where the pilot and passenger’s weight will act on the aircraft during flight, that was listed in the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for the aircraft, didn’t appear to be correct.

LAA Engineering wrote to all UK NG-5 owners in July, advising them that they must adopt a more accurate moment arm figure of 750mm in their weight and balance calculations, some 150mm (six inches) further aft. Because of the dangers of flying an aircraft outside its demonstrated Centre of Gravity (CG) range, and because the original pilot moment stated by the kit manufacturer was now known to be incorrect, LAA Engineering issued an Airworthiness Information Leaflet (LAA/ MOD/385/011) mandating the use of the new pilot moment pending changes to the information coming from the manufacturer.

As investigations continued, it became clear that there was also some confusion about where the actual datum was located on the aircraft, having been related to the wing leading edge at a specified wing rib on the Bristell’s tapered wing. The datum is the point around which all the calculated moments act and can be placed anywhere, indeed, though it sounds implausible, some aircraft designers place a datum some distance ahead of the aircraft itself… but it is essential that the datum is defined against a fixed and immovable point on the aircraft structure. Because of this confusion, the kit manufacturer has now issued a new weight and balance chapter for the POH which specifies the datum as the aircraft’s firewall, stating amended matching moment arms and cg limits specified in terms of the firewall datum.

Due to doubts about the accuracy of the previous weighings, LAA Engineering is now requiring all Bristell NG-5 owners to re-weigh their aircraft using the firewall as a datum and, in line with normal practice, measuring the actual wheel positions from this datum rather than relying on the nominal standard dimensions given in the examples in the POH.

This exercise doesn’t actually change the cleared CG limits in terms of the wing percentage chord, it’s just to help the owner get accurate weight and balance figures, so that pilots can calculate a correct CG

Above Whether you call it an Owner’s Manual, a Pilot Operating Handbook or an Aircraft Flight Manual, these documents should become part of your aircraft’s technical library. But an aircraft operating under a Permit to Fly operates under the limitations imposed by the Permit, and not the manufacturer’s published limitations. It is essential that owners take extra care to ensure that the numbers in the manual, and the numbers on the cockpit placard reflect the limitations published in the Permit to Fly documentation. Photo: LAA Library

position for every flight – if necessary, limiting the aircraft loading so the aircraft isn’t flown outside its cleared CG range.

You will note that I make a specific point that the weight and balance datum and dimensions were based upon figures obtained in the Pilots Operating Handbook (POH). This type of operating guide has been very much under our microscope over the last weeks. As you will be aware, an aircraft operating under an LAA administered Permit to Fly, operates under the limitations imposed by the individual Permit. Though many aircraft types appear to have a fleet status, and to some extent are treated as a group, actually every aircraft must be considered an individual.

Quite often, the LAA imposes different limits to those given by the manufacturer – either for safety reasons or to fit the aircraft into a particular UK category. It’s also not uncommon for two essentially outwardly similar aircraft to be operating with subtly different limitations; perhaps because of a different engine fit or modifications to allow an expanding of the envelope. The Permit system allows for this… indeed,

Above In July 2020, LAA Engineering issued an Airworthiness Information Leaflet (AIL) (LAA/MOD/385/011) requiring owners to use a pilot moment arm of 750 mm aft of the aircraft’s datum. Originally, the Pilots Operating Handbook for the Bristell Speedwing defined the pilot moment as 600mm aft. However, it became clear that there was some difference of opinion as to the correct position of the datum itself, so LAA Engineering, in association with the manufacturer, has redefined this datum as the firewall of the aircraft. Because incorrect moments may have been used during the original weight and balance calculations, and there’s some uncertainty about datum positions on some aircraft, LAA Engineering is requiring all Bristell NG5 Speedwings to be re-weighed, and a new Operating Limitations document has been produced for each aircraft in the LAA fleet. Photos: LAA Library

Above We touched on the importance of investigating signs of fretting, often visible as ‘smoking’, in the November issue. Luckily, LAAer Peter Dyer took heed and investigated some black staining he’d noticed on his Luscombe spinner. Right is what he found, and left shows what might happen if a similar crack progressed to complete failure. The resulting spinner loss, befalling an overseas aviator some years ago, led to serious propeller damage – expensive. Photos: LAA Library/Peter Dyer

many aircraft are still able to fly because their limitations have been adjusted one way or the other to keep things safe. The Bristell, though they might all appear like peas in a pod, are all individually crafted by owners and, when they come up for their final inspections, are assessed as such.

It’s not unusual for manufacturers to proclaim amazing performance figures after all, in fact it would be a bit weird if they didn’t. Recently I questioned a Vne figure put down on a Permit renewal application, the aircraft was flown quite a bit faster than it should have been. Digging deeper, I could see that the test pilot was using the ‘book’ figure for his Vne check and not the speed defined in the aircraft Operating

Limitations document. He was a bit embarrassed about this, but it wasn’t just his fault, the placards reflected the ‘book’ figure too. Our Chief Inspector, Ken Craigie, is writing to all the inspectors reminding them that it is essential that owners are aware that the defining document, when it comes to an LAA Permit aircraft’s limitations, is the Ops. Lims, and not an unapproved manufacturer’s handbook.

So, that’s it again for another year of Safety Spots – a really big thank you to all of you who have contributed to safety by sending in your stories and pictures, many of which are tales of woe after all and, like all bad news, tempting to brush under the carpet. By not doing that, you never know, you may have saved a life. Fair Winds. ■

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Ed Hicks Editor - FLYER Magazine

A wealth of talent and tales…

This month we talk to de Havilland enthusiast, engineer and much-travelled Henry Labouchere…

Welcome Henry, can you tell us about your career?

I work as an aircraft engineer on old aeroplanes, mostly de Havilland types. In the past I have been an agricultural worker, an outboard engine mechanic, and a marker and loader for agricultural spraying companies in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. I’ve also worked as a pilot and engineer for films, and for a charter company in Australia, and been involved in a number of trips to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zambia, often taking owners’ aeroplanes in containers, reassembling them and flying around the country.

Where were you brought up?

I was born in 1948 in Sculthorpe, Norfolk, only half a mile from the end of the main runway, which was wall-to-wall USAF B45s, T-33s, C119s, B29s/KB50s, B66 Destroyers, Beavers and a whole lot more. And RAF Raynham was only a few miles away with Canberras, Meteors, Vampires and Hunters. It was great!

Dad was ex-Army and mum a human dynamo. She had driven in the Liege-Rome-Liege and Monte Carlo rallies

Above Henry Labouchere with his beloved Tiger Moth which he bought in Australia in 1971.

pre-war and was also a fantastic horsewoman. Unfortunately, dad died when I was 14, and mum had another partner elsewhere, so after prep school in Oxford until about 1962, I was pretty much home alone when not away at boarding school.

While away at school in Devon, I was asked to leave after a misunderstanding to do with detonators on the local railway track, and something to do with driving a tractor on the road while under age and not being insured –somehow it all got attributed to me!

I think this was a reaction to my dad’s death as I was very close to him. Poor mum didn’t know what to do with me, so I went to agricultural college for a year and then on to a technical college. It was at this time that I started to learn to fly with the Fakenham (McCaully) Flying Group with Mike Watts and Barry Tempest and got as far as going solo.

Later, I went on to get an Australian licence at Mount Gambier with a fabulous bloke, and a great instructor, Roger Pitt, who had lost both legs above the knee in a swing saw accident. I eventually ended up with Australian, New Zealand, East African, Portuguese and American licences.

What started your interest in aviation?

As noted earlier, the sky over Norfolk was chock-a-block with all sorts of RAF and USAF aircraft, as well as their being air force personal living locally. I loved model aeroplanes and mum flew too, as did my brother Colin who was a superb aerobatic pilot (he was 10 years older than me). He went into the RAF and came sixth in the Lockheed Trophy Aerobatic Championship flying The Bishop, Tiger Moth G-APDZ.

In what, where and when was your first flight?

Aged seven in Tiger Moth G-AGYU, in September 1956 from Marshalls at Cambridge. I howled my head off the whole way around the circuit, I was so frightened.

Thirty years later I bought the same Tiger, and as Colin was visiting me in Norfolk we went for a burn up along the beach.

Where did you learn your engineering?

This really started at a crop spraying company called Westwick, at Ludham. We had five Pawnees, a Cub and two Tigers. In the winter we would pull the aircraft apart

Top Henry and Leopard Moth with the late, great Alex Henshaw of Mew Gull and Spitfire fame.

Above left An enthusiastic dH man maybe, but Henry appreciates the charms of all great aircraft; here he enjoys the Bücker Jungmeister.

Above right Henry’s adventurous flying started from a young age. Here, aged 22, he and friends land on a bar in the Upper Waiariki river in New Zealand.

and do a check five. The engineers, Jo Lindores and Jack Anderson, had been with Cobham and Skyways respectively, and were great mentors. I left Westwick and headed for Western Australia and worked as an agricultural top-dressing loader, mostly at Jandakot, flying Cessna 185s with internal hoppers. They took about two thirds of a ton and did about 150 loads a day. This was a great way to learn about rough/wet/hilly short strips.

The pilots were mostly superb, but if an aircraft broke, we fixed it. I also worked for Airwork (NZ) on all kinds, including Bell 47 and Hillier 12E helicopters that were used for deer hunting. I gained my BCAR licences on our return from the Antipodes with the help of my now wife Jill, whom I met in 1977.

How did you hear about the PFA/LAA?

At prep school, dad would send me the PFA mag, it was full of Luton Minors for £150, Proctors for £600 and Tigers for about £250. I’ve been a member since about 1980 when I owned a Leopard Moth which had a PFA Permit, so I had to chat up Mr Walker, the then Chief Engineer, every year for a new Permit. And my brother and I used to fly the Turbi, G-APFA. I became more active with the LAA when

M3 approvals were withdrawn from small organisations by the CAA.

How many types and hours have you flown?

I really don’t know exactly. I think I have flown about 116 different Tiger Moths – not sure if that is good or sad. Totally different types – about 250 – with about 8,500 hours, plus a few that I may have left out when working with people I won’t mention.

I have flown solo in gliders, autogyros, helicopters, float planes and microlights and have been very fortunate to have wonderful clients and friends to work for.

There must be some fascinating stories to tell then…

How long have you got! Well, having completed the 1969/70 top dressing season in Western Australia, I drove my Mini Minor Countryman across the Nullarbor to South Australia (1,000 miles in two days) and after a while farming, I went off in a Cessna 182 on a jaunt to Sulawesi in Indonesia with a mate called Warwick Woinaski.

On the way back I was offered a job in Darwin, working for SAATAS (South Australian and Territorial Aerial Services). I worked there a while but, after a night at the dog track, I got blamed for putting ‘Sex Arranged Any Time After Six’ beside the letters on one of their Indonesian Doves and got the sack.

I then got an engineering job with Freeport up to West Irian (near New Guinea) working on their PBY Catalina, which was involved with copper mining. Although it had 1,400hp Cyclones it struggled in the heat. I earned enough money from that job to buy myself a Tiger Moth – there were plenty of Tigers available as the AG operators were having to reduce their fleets by one third each year, which meant there was some rubbish around – they didn’t have the following that they do now. I got VH-WAL, an old trainer and glider tug, while my mates had Cessna 180s!

I took WAL back to South Australia to the farm that I was working at and flew it for seven years before returning with it to the UK. There were some characters I worked with, including two brothers who ran big bulldozers, who had a Cessna 180 they used to take spare dozer parts around. The farm strip was one way in, one way out and the poor 180 could hardly get out, so they had a great idea of building a Harrier-type ski-ramp at the end of the runway. However, the gear would spread when hitting the ramp, thus the prop was getting close to being shortened. No problem – they put a chain across the gear!

I then went on to New Zealand where I met a bloke

called Simon Spencer Bower, who remains my best mate to this day. He was a stockman with a Tiger, but now runs Wanaka Helicopters and has around 22,000 hours on rotary and has, in recent years, taught me to fly helicopters. We went everywhere together with all sorts of scrapes, including one in a Tri-Pacer when the engine dropped a valve while below the cliff tops. I put it down and only broke an undercarriage bungee.

Didn’t you take part in the 50th anniversary MacRobertson UK-Australia Air Race?

Yes, I was delighted to be asked by Tim Williams if I would help him in his Puss Moth. All prep went well until about six months before the off, when Tim lent the aeroplane to a friend who ground looped it quite badly. The friend managed to fix it but only just in time, so there was no time to fettle it, just jump in and go.

We left from Mildenhall and all was well until midChannel, when the engine started to miss – not a very auspicious start! A new mag went on at Lyons and we went onto friends at Florence, where we got stuck for 10 days due to fog, low cloud and rain.

Eventually we got to Brindisi after yet more mag trouble and going on to three cylinders at Foggia – I managed to sort some parts from a crashed aircraft. Next stop Corfu, and in poor visibility the artificial horizon toppled because it was installed at the wrong angle in the panel – our inflight solution was to disconnect the top of the panel, pull it towards us and get some locking wire to hold it – and that’s where it stayed until Melbourne.

Then Corfu, Rhodes and Pathos, where we stayed with Tim’s dad – then on to Akrotiri for some radio work before we flew onto Cairo and then Amman in Jordan, where we were guests of King Hussein.

We then moved up to a fighter base along the big H5 pipeline and on to Dharan – Muscat – Karachi. Then, at 6,000ft over the Rann of Kutch salt desert the engine stopped; I was driving so looked at Tim and said, “What now,” he replied, “best put your shoulder strap on.”

We called Karachi and said we had a small problem, to which the controller said, “Roger, confirm you can make it back on one engine”. Luckily as we got lower the engine picked up (vaporisation) and we landed back at Karachi.

Next off to Ahmadabad – wonderful – Delhi with visibility only ½ a mile on a good day, and we stayed with friends at the High Commission before heading off to Calcutta. More engine problems here which were sorted by Air Survey (Dakotas) who had a Gipsy Major carb test rig in their workshop, so we could get the float level sorted. Then

Below The muchtravelled Henry took part in the 50th Anniversary of the MacRobertson air race, here pictured with the Puss Moth in India.

Rangoon, Phuket and at Singapore Seletar, where we used the very last gasp of fuel to make it. The controller told us to go to Kongkong beacon and enter from there and I said “Negative, this is straight in” – the engine stopped when the tail came down and we had to push the aircraft off the runway – a bit close that one…

Then on to Jakarta in the monsoon, dodging CBs all the way down the Thousand Islands. Going into Jakarta, we heard a Garuda DC-10 on final about 30 miles behind us, but the controller had no concept of how slow we were.

The Garuda’s last call was two miles as we touched down, I told Tim ‘hold tight’, as I braked as furiously as the Puss Moth would allow and half ground looped into a left turn off. We just had time to swing round as this monstrosity sailed past, vortices trailing not 30ft away.

Past active volcanoes to Bali and then Kupang, from where it’s about 450 miles to Darwin; and our navigation was brilliant, we steered 107 degrees across the Timor Sea, it took about 5½ hours – the first beer didn’t touch the sides. We then did some long days, sometimes 13 hours, via Townsville to Melbourne, being met by a bunch of old mates. The total flying time was 147 hours, and I lost a stone and a half.

By the time we got to Melbourne not much worked, from memory we were down to the compass, clock and oil pressure, the other instruments had given up.

And you also took a Dragonfly to Oshkosh I believe?

Yes, Torquil Norman, a successful businessman and fantastic pilot (ex-Sea Furies on carriers) asked me if I would like to help him take his D H Dragonfly to Oshkosh. This is the aeroplane Cliff Lovell and the boys restored after a bad crash in Kentucky. We reconfigured the seats, stuffed an extra fuel tank on the back seat that gravity fed the rear tank and gave us 11 hours at about 100kt, and fitted HF radio. We departed Lyneham (long runway) for Prestwick (weather) then onto Stornoway – Reykjavik –Kulusuk (Greenland). Out of the latter you have to climb to about 9,000ft, but luckily it was only the cold we had to worry about, so we skimmed across the ice cap to Sondrestrom. Delayed by weather we then continued to Frobisher Bay. This is an utterly deadly country to fly over – no chance to survive a forced landing. Then on to Kuujjuaq and Sept Isles along the St Lawrence River, which was one of the most frightening flights of my life –bad weather, instruments icing, one engine misfiring, very high ground and unable to climb, and 100 miles off track due to the weather. To cap it all we then had to land in the most terrible crosswind, but thanks to Torquil’s incredible skill we survived.

Further on we lost indicated oil pressure on the starboard engine, so we landed at Tiffin, Ohio, where we went through everything, but by this time it was too late to fix it and get to Oshkosh, so we borrowed a beaten up old Cessna 336 and went in that.

I returned to Ohio later in the year and changed the gauge with Mike Vaisey of Vintech, and all was well. We went to Oshkosh the next year with Desmond Norman (Torquil’s brother) in a B-N Islander, Desmond of course, being the co-designer.

We came home the short way via Goose Bay and Narsarsuaq (640 miles). We got iced up badly, all I could

Top In his Zlin 326, which he owned in the late 1980s

Above Descending into Kulusuk, Greenland in the Dragonfly, en route to Oshkosh.

see was out of the side window. It was difficult to fly and we were coming down rather faster than I would have liked. Luckily, we broke out of the front into a 50kt gale that put salt into the air which effectively de-iced us, and all was well. It was another 640 miles to Reykjavik, but we could not go direct because we could not out climb the mountains – so we went around Cape Farewell, which added an hour. Then on to Glasgow and home to Norfolk. It took about 45 hours each way.

Tell us something about your work in the film industry

In 1976 I was fortunate to work on A Bridge Too Far with Arthur Heath – a great engineer who was sadly killed in the Invader crash at Biggin Hill. We spent six months in Holland at Deelen, in sizzling hot weather, with 11 C-47 Dakotas, of which we operated for, with John Hawke as chief pilot. John was quite a character – he got mixed up with the CIA in Angola etc.

I also did a film with David Niven, former test pilot George Aird (who once had to eject from a Lightning) and Harry Robins with the BAe Mosquito. Niven was wonderful to work with.

Hanover Street with Harrison Ford, who I still fly with sometimes, involved John Hawke getting five B-25 bombers together – not one of which was really fit to fly, you didn’t have to look for the corrosion, you could stand and listen to it! They staggered across the Atlantic but we did lose an engine on take-off out of Bovingdon which wasn’t a whole lot of fun.

Another film I got involved in was The Aviator with Christopher Reeve and Rosanna Arquette. Four Stearman, with John Taylor, Brian Smith and Pete Kynsey, involved some

quite hairy mountains in Slovenia in the middle of winter. We lost two aeroplanes, a Stearman and a Travelair at Krk Airfield the night we arrived, due to strong katabatic winds.

Do you have favourite and ‘not so keen’ on types?

It’s horses for courses really. My favourites are the Jungmeister, Mosquito and DC-3 as they are so lovely. Followed by Cessna 206/180, Leopard Moth, Beaver and Cub, because they are so useful and versatile.

Group three ‘favourites’ are the Tiger Moth and Dragon as they are so awful. They don’t do anything much but are a real challenge, so are rewarding when you get it right.

Not so favourite was a Luton Minor with a twin-cylinder engine I borrowed in Australia. It did take off, just, but I couldn’t clear the high-tension wires at about a mile range, so I went underneath and landed in a paddock – and then rang my laundry for a quote! I also believe the Maule needs great care. Their ailerons are not powerful enough in turbulence.

Current and previously owned aircraft

My Tiger Moth purchased in 1971. Leopard Moth, 1981-1996. Zlin 326, 1977-1981, and Hornet Moth.

What is your best aviation moment?

Flying the Out of Africa Gipsy Moth around in Kenya, something I have to do every year to renew its C of A. Why? Freedom and no hassle, but you have to remember that if you should have engine trouble, you are on the menu.

I have had so many good moments, and the pleasure I get from my flying is directly related to the amount of pleasure it gives other people. Flying a Hornet Moth around the Victoria Falls was also pretty special.

Do you have any aviation heroes?

Many. Jimmy Melrose, Cobham, Kingsford Smith, the Mollisons, Henshaw, Twiss, Chichester, Cunningham, the list could go on. All pilots from the war, test pilots, Bush

Below Float flying at Lake Como, Italy in a Caproni CA100, a clone of a Gipsy Moth, which Henry had rigged for the owner.

pilots, AG pilots plus Beryl Markham, Pauline Gower, Tim Williams, Torquil Norman, Brian Smith and Pete Kynsey.

Any ‘learned about flying from that’ moments?

I have had quite a few over the years. I think one should take all flights with apprehension, if you get where you intended, it’s a bonus. After a few engine/electrical failures and forced landings due to weather etc, one takes things a lot more calmly than when it first happens to you. I always just concentrate on where I’m going to put the thing down – singing on the radio is probably not going to help you very much.

Can you recommend any aviation books?

All the usual ones, plus Chichester and Richard Goode’s book Living the Goode Life

What aircraft or vehicles are on your wish list?

I have a 1931 Austin Seven and a 1970 Fiat 500. It would be good to trade my Ford Ranger for a Toyota Hilux. A Cessna 185 and a set of amphibs for myself would be nice.

Do you have other non-aviation hobbies?

I am vice chairman of Langham Dome, a small museum dedicated to the Coastal Command Beaufighter chaps. We have just put up a Spitfire MK.9 as a gate guard. I also enjoy puttering around in my Austin Seven, which we have had for 65 years.

What piloting advice would you offer?

Be diligent in your planning. Don’t just do the great Australian FUFO – (Fire Up and …well you get the picture) and simply charge down the magenta line. Keep potential landing places in sight as much as possible and learn to identify crops and surfaces. And always land up the tramlines. ■

For all display or commercial advertising enquiries please contact Neil Wilson: 07512 773532 neil.wilson@laa.uk.com

You can email your classified advertisement direct to the LAA at the following address: office@laa.uk.com

Deadline for booking and copy: 15 December 2020

If you would like to place an aircraft for sale advert please see details below:

MEMBERS’ ADVERTISEMENTS

Up to 30 words: £6; 31-50 words: £12

Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £45

NON-MEMBERS’ADVERTISEMENTS

Up to 30 words: £22; 31-50 words: £44 Up to 50 words with a coloured photo: £60 www.laa.uk.com

AIRCRAFT

JABIRU

PROJECTS

Kitfox Mk2 G-BSSF, accident damaged. Welding done, needs fabric sorting. One Rotax 582, no crankshaft; one Jabiru 2200, complete with all ancillaries; One Jabiru 2200 in pieces. £4200.

Ring Fred: 07970 696 510.

478 Europa Tri Gear Kit, 400 hours completed. Some damage caused by recent moves. For further details please email ianbrookes.tcs@gmail. com or telephone 01886 853 546. Any reasonable offer considered.

HAPI Cygnet SF-2A project for sale. Almost complete (see photo) but ill-health forces sale. Powered by new Rotax 912. Instruments provided but not yet fitted. Sensible offers invited. Please email gcygi.sale@gmail.com for more information.

WANTED

Hewland ARV Aero Engine for static display at Museum of Berkshire Aviation.

Dave Scott: davescott321@btinternet.com

SERVICES

PARTS & SERVICES

Jodel propeller, probably an Evra. ‘Jodel D14 M400A’ ‘Lycoming 0-360 A1A’ ‘N153T. 29/12/60’ on hub. Release note from Rollasons. Condition is not brilliant, but it is certainly useable and would be a very good back up. Offers around £450 +VAT. Email: henrylab@btinternet.com

JPM, Oil filter adapters. Made to order, Continental O-200 -12 £320 and A65-8 from £390. Will help with Mod paperwork. These adapters replace the oil screen assembly.

jpm.aviation@gmail.com Julian Mills 07976 530563 Welding services (mobile). CAA approved for 4130 steel airframe manufacture and repair. Custom exhaust systems and aluminium fuel tanks undertaken. Manchester based. Contact Julian Mills, on 07976 530563

Design & Stress Analysis Service. Type submissions, modifications, engine frames and general advice. We cover everything from SSDR to A380 :- structures, powerplant (IC and electric) and avionic installations. Contact John Wighton enquires@acroflight.co.uk or call 07770399315.

Chipmunk Wheel Set. Pair of DHC-1 wheels, need an overhaul and some tyres. Would make a good spare set to have on the shelf - £300 posted. Sam 07885 500848

GROUP AIRCRAFT

Chipmunk Share (WK514/G-BBMO) - Rare opportunity to join the Wellesbourne based Chipmunk syndicate - a long established, knowledgeable and passionate group. 1/7th share in this historic example. Extensive spares, tooling and significant engine fund. £80month-£96/hr wet. Emigration forces sale. Details: skelly2020@ protonmail.com or 07930 146 584

HOLIDAYS

France, Loire, hangarage for two aircraft at our private airfield “ Montrichard”, four-person cottage, package designed by flyers for flyers. £800 per week, www.lachaumine.co.uk, 07802 217 855, 01424 883 474.

MISCELLANEOUS

Stratos Magnum BRS for sale. Unused and recently re lifed through chute repackaging and rocket replacement. Suitable for aircraft up to 600kg. New purchase price £4800. Will accept reasonable offers. Contact Ron Emerson on 07768 600 692

Back in the saddle

Hopefully, by the time you read this we’ll be coming to the end of the second COVID-19 lockdown in England, and I hope too that elsewhere in the UK, relaxation of movement restrictions will also allow pilots to resume flying. The first lockdown was particularly arduous in that it followed a lengthy period of winter weather and of course, we had absolutely no idea of how long it might go on. Thankfully, the lockdown this time is set to be shorter with a more finite period. Crucially too, we have already got some past experience of managing the risks.

At the end of the first lockdown the CAA identified the primary risk to pilots as ‘Skill Fade’, for everyone from private pilots to instructors and commercial. Most private pilots are naturally cautious, but we did see an increase in landing and loss of control accidents, perhaps stemming from simply not recognising that things were going wrong quickly enough, and/or a lack of appropriate decision making.

There was also a notable spike in airspace infringements, which investigation indicates that pilots were so much more preoccupied with physically flying their aircraft, that this impacted their situational awareness and again, decision making, leading to airspace ‘busts’.

The LAA has continued to advocate to DfT and the CAA that there is no COVID-19 safety reason why an LAA member should not fly, either to maintain pilot currency or to maintain aircraft serviceability. If a flight is solo, or with a passenger from their social ‘bubble’ and from ‘A-to-A’, there is minimal additional COVID-19 risk provided ‘hands, face and space’ precautions are taken on the ground. The risks posed by losing flying currency are arguably much greater.

As we get going again, there are some great tools which we recommend every pilot considers. The General Aviation Safety Council has excellent online Q&A video that offers tips on decision making on that first post-COVID-19 flight. You can check it out at www.gasco.org.uk

If you are short on self-confidence, make a booking to fly with an LAA Pilot Coach. You can find the nearest appropriately qualified coach via a link on our website and while we temporarily suspended coaching activities in England in line with Government advice, it has been continuing in Wales and Scotland, as regional advice has allowed.

I for one, will approach my return to the air with a bit more caution than a routine flight. I’ll wait for benign weather and the wind somewhere near ‘down the slot’. I’ll minimise distraction. I’ll also keep my initial flight simple, close to base. Apparently one enterprising fellow on his first post-lockdown flight flew along the edge of the London TMA, around by Farnborough, then on to the Isle of Wight, via Solent airspace, perhaps the most complicated VFR airspace in the UK. You’ve guessed it, an ‘airspace bust’ was the result.

By Steve Slater

Perhaps the most significant COVID-19 impact from an LAA HQ point of view has been the closure of our offices, with all staff working from home. Due to the experience we gained in the last lockdown, we have been able to maintain almost all member services and engineering support at regular levels. To do that has required exceptional flexibility and hard work from all the HQ staff. I hope you’ll join me in thanking them for their efforts. I metaphorically take off my LAA cap (available from the LAA Shop for just £8.50) to them!

Pilot medicals

One area which has caused members some concern has been the decision by the CAA not to extend medical exemptions beyond 22 November, then, a statement from the CAA’s Head of Medical Policy noted that pilots applying for a Class 2 or LAPL medical examination during November’s lockdown may be breaching Government regulations. He also added, in a letter to Aero Medical Examiners (AMEs), that the CAA is monitoring their activity on a weekly basis to identify such cases . Big brother is watching you!

We wrote to the CAA pointing out that this appears out of line with government advice on GP and private medical activities where health assessments are still being encouraged, and that there was already likely to be some ‘surge’ in requests for medicals with the decision not to extend medical exemptions. This appears likely to aggravate the situation further as we resume activities post-lockdown.

While no formal announcement has been made, a recent letter to AMEs seems to have indicated a grudging change of policy. It states pilots can now talk to an AME who can advise and determine whether conducting a certification appointment is justified . Hopefully, common sense appears to have prevailed.

Bursaries and video competition winners

You’ll read elsewhere in Light Aviation this month that we have nominated five young pilots who will receive bursaries from the Armstrong-Isaacs fund to complete their PPL training. We’re also naming the winners of the LAA lockdown video competition, with a £1,000 prize fund supported by Pooleys. Check out all the entries on our LAA YouTube channel, which you can access via our website ( www.laa.uk.com )

Zoom!

Another great innovation was a Zoom webinar on Electronic Conspicuity, hosted by the West Midlands Strut but open to all LAA members and attracting more than 90 attendees from Aberdeen to Westonzoyland. As we move into the New Year, watch out for more of these, as well as our LAA Virtual Pub Nights on the last Friday of each month, which are continuing by popular demand. See you there! ■

CAA Electronic Conspicuity Rebate

The CAA is offering a rebate of 50%, up to a maximum of £250, to pilots purchasing Electronic Conspicuity Devices including those listed below.

Equipment purchased from 1st October 2020 until 28 February 2021 will be eligible for the rebate.

uAvionix SkyEcho 2 Electronic Conspicuity

• ADS-B Transceiver and FLARM Receiver

• TSO-C199 GPS (SIL=1)

• Barometric Altimeter

• Up To 12 Hour Battery Life

• Use With SkyDemon, ForeFlight and more

Trig TT21 Class 2 Mode S Transponder

Trig TT31 Mode S Transponder

Trig TN72 GPS Receiver

Trig TN70 ADS-B OUT Solution

Garmin GTX335 ADS-B Transponder with WAAS

TQ Avionics KTX2 Mode S Transponder

Funke ZTRT800H OLED Mode S Transponder

Funke ZTRT800H LCD Mode S Transponder

Garmin GPS20A WAAS Position Source for ADS-B BendixKing KT74

Trig TT22 Class 1 Mode S Transponder