Light Aviation September 2022

Chairman

ERYL SMITH

CEO

STEPHEN SLATER

Engineering Director

JOHN RATCLIFFE CEng FRAeS CMgr FCMI

Chief Technical Officer

JON VINER CEng MEng MRAeS

Chief Inspector

LUCY WOOTTON

President ROGER HOPKINSON MBE

Vice President

BRIAN DAVIES

Engineering email engineering@laa.uk.com

Email office@laa.uk.com

Office Manager Penny Sharpe

Head Office Turweston Aerodrome, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5YD

Telephone for engineering and commercial 01280 846786

LIGHT AVIATION MAGAZINE

Editor ED HICKS

Email ed.hicks@laa.uk.com

Design and Print SEAGER PUBLISHING

Production Editor LIZI BROWN

Art Editor LISA DAVIES Opinions

New types…

Afew weeks after the dust had settled having returned from the intensity of the event that is EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, I was sitting at LAA HQ having a chat with our CEO Steve Slater and Engineering Director John Ratcliffe.

Steve, like me, had been very excited by the wide array of kit aircraft types on display at the show, a number of which have yet to make it to the UK. This got us talking, and two questions came up. Which of these new types would our members be most interested in building, and how do we make it possible to get those kits onto the LAA system in a timely way?

Now, Oshkosh is an extreme ‘shop window’ to the homebuilding world, and it has to be said that designs in the US are not approved by the FAA, the EAA, or indeed anyone. Consequently some types that have been developed for the unregulated US market are simply not designed or supported in any way to meet CAA or EASA design code requirements.

So, how can we give them a good start on the road to approval for the LAA system?

Aircraft like the RV-15 from Van’s Aircraft, and the Sling Aircraft High Wing, are clearly designs from well-established manufacturers. However, there are some designs that are less high-profile, like the Sport Performance (SPA) Aircraft Panther, Timber Tiger Ryan ST-L, Scalewings SW-51, and Scalebirds P-36.

The SPA Panther has been flying for more than eight years and has accumulated extensive in-service experience, while the Timber Tiger Ryan ST-L and the Scalebirds P-36 are only very recent flying additions to

the homebuilding world, but their designers have put extensive efforts into each aircraft and have expressed an interest in working with overseas markets like the UK.

So my question to members is this? What kit aircraft that’s not yet approved are you interested in building? I can’t promise that there’s the chance to approve a machine to suit every homebuilders desire, but as the editor of your magazine, I’m always interested to hear what you’re thinking, and I will feed that back to HQ.

And if you’re thinking, “I hope Ed’s told HQ that he’s writing this…”, then restassured, as I can reassure you that thanks to the chat we had, it’s actually been positively encouraged… In fact, by the time you read this, there will have been some discussion around new types and their approval during a Speaker’s Corner segment at the LAA Grass Roots Fly-in at Popham.

So get thinking, and let us know.

ed.hicks@laa.uk.com

The pretty Panther, from Sport Performance Aircraft. A modern, low-cost kit with quick-fold wings… what’s not to like?

FEATURES

12 PROJECT NEWS

Check out a ‘barn find’ –Murphy Renegade Spirit 912, plus a Van’s RV-14 maiden flight, New Projects and Cleared to Fly

16 FLIGHT TEST

A the simple pleasures of the rare Druine Turbi captures Clive Davidson’s heart…

26 SHOW REPORT

The world’s biggest and boldest aviation show, there’s nothing quite like EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh. We have all the highlights from the World’s largest fly-in

34 COACHING CORNER

It’s more likely a partial loss of power that’ll surprise you, than a full loss of power, says Head of Coaching David Cockburn…

36 ENGINEERING MATTERS

This issue we look at Rotax Carburettor float guides, failures of bracing wires, and question the accuracy of analogue gauges.

41 TECHNICAL

While drilling holes in wood can be simple, Dudley Pattison has some tools, techniques and helpful hints, which will assist you in ensuring each one you make is perfect…

47 MEET THE MEMBERS

Neil Wilson talks to Amy Whitewick, the pilot behind some very clever aerial art…

LAA ‘trip’ to Oshkosh a huge success!

New Advanced Flight Systems EFIS

Advanced Flight Systems introduced its new flagship AF-6600 display at EAA AirVenture. An evolution of the best-selling AF-5600, the AF-6600 features improved performance, a sharp, exciting design, an improved pilot interface, and a lighter and more compact body. It also fully interfaces with the existing AF-5000 series displays and Dynon modules.

The redesigned, flush-mounted 10.4in touchscreen has a faster processor for improved performance, faster start-up time, and a new LCD screen features increased brightness and more vivid colours.

With a reduced unit depth and approximately 1lb lighter, the unit uses the same wiring and mounting as AF-5600 displays for easy upgrades.

www.advancedflightsystems.com

While not an official organised tour, the initiative by LAA members to combine forces to share transportation to Oshkosh was an undoubted success.

What started as informal group, culminated in two coach loads, so massive thanks due to Brian Mellor,

Calling members in Scotland

The LAA is preparing a Holyrood GA Information Event, to take place on 21 September 2022 – on the General Aviation Market in Scotland – to be held at the Scottish Parliament. Sponsored by Graham Simpson MSP, the objective of the event is to raise the profile of General Aviation in all its forms, with the MSP’s at Holyrood, as well as other invitees. All MSP’s will receive an invitation, but, members in Scotland may wish to encourage their local MSP to attend through direct contact. They will, we are sure, be interested to hear more on the positive contribution that GA makes to Scotland’s economy and its strategic importance.

George Pick and Neil Murgatroyd for coordinating things.

People are already asking about next year. There are no firm plans yet, but if you are interested, drop an email to office@laa.uk.com, marked simply ‘Oshkosh’ – and we’ll keep you informed!

New TX56/57 NAV/COM from Trig

A new arrival that completes the Trig stack product line. The TX56 is a slimline unit, that’s only 33mm, which saves valuable space in any avionics stack.

The TX56 uses a bright high-resolution display, and has a customisable frequency database, which holds more than 200 com and an additional 200 nav frequencies, loaded via a USB stick.

Dual Watch allows the monitoring of two com frequencies at the same time. Monitoring of a second Nav VOR is also possible – improving navigational accuracy. Trig’s popular ‘Say Again’ feature is a

single touch button which instantly s the last received transmission, meaning you don’t have to transmit, ‘say again’. The Nav/Com includes a two- place intercom, with support for stereo music. All TX56 models have a built-in digital course deviation indicator (CDI). The Nav supports VFR and IFR navigation, including ILS approaches. Trig’s TI106, Course Deviation Indicator is also available, as the ideal panel mounted companion to any TX56 model.

The list price of the TX56 is £ 3,690 and the TX57 is £ 4,230. www.trig-avionics.com

Plenty more news is available on the LAA website at www.laa.uk.com check it out every day!

LAA AGM

New Safety Sense leaflet on ditching

Ditching is a deliberate emergency landing on water, and it is not an uncontrolled impact, so

New cowl options for Van’s RV’s

James Aircraft, famous for after-market cowling for RV kitplanes displayed new cowlings for the RV-10 and RV-14. Designed to work with Van’s baffle kits, the price for either cowling is currently $1,650. While James Aircraft cowls are approved for some UK Permit RV’s, interested buyers of these new cowls should check with LAA Engineering with regard to making a change tn the RV-10 or RV-14. www.jamesaircraft.com

says the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Its latest new and updated Safety Sense Leaflet on ditching has been released as part of the ongoing updates to its Safety Sense leaflet range of documents. Designed to provide guidance on ditching light aircraft on water, the leaflet is primarily focused on fixed-wing pilots, although much will be applicable to helicopters. tinyurl.com/safetysenseditching

CubCrafters offer new engine

Developed as part of a long-standing collaboration between CubCrafters and Lycoming, a new new CC363i F/P engine is being offered exclusively for the homebuilt Carbon Cub series of aircraft including the EX-2, EX-3, FX-2, and FX-3.

The new engine is fuel injected instead of carburetted, and develops almost 5% more horsepower than the original CC340 used in Carbon Cub models, but for only a 7lb increase in weight. The company also expects that the new engine will be more tolerant of mogas and the next generation of aviation fuels than similar higher compression ratio engines.

In addition to the typical fixed pitch wood/ composite propellers previously offered with the CC340, the new engine can optionally be fitted with newer ground adjustable

propellers, such that pilots can quickly optimise the aircraft for climb or cruise missions, without having to change to a completely different propeller.

CubCrafters notes that the new CC363i F/P engine is still in the final phases of flight testing at its HQ in Yakima. Following the completion of the flight test programme, new engines should begin shipping to customers as early October. UK builders interested in the Carbon Cub should check with LAA Engineering as to the approval path for this engine in future.

A reminder that the LAA AGM will be held at Turweston on Sunday 23 October. We will also have a Zoom hybrid meeting capability and electronic voting, allowing members to participate even if they are not able to, or wish to, attend in person. Notices of Motion of any kind for the AGM must be received at LAA HQ no later than Sunday 4 September 2022. A full list of Motions and the AGM Schedule will be circulated with the October Light Aviation magazine.

More LAA courses coming up

More LAA Training courses have been arranged, most taking place at the LAA Training facility at LAA HQ, Turweston Aerodrome (unless otherwise stated). Courses available include:

● Monday 19 September: Fabric covering course presented by Polyfiber agents Aircraft Coverings. £150.

● Saturday 24 September: John Barrott hosts a course on the installation and operation of the fuel-injected Rotax 912iS and 915iS engines. £120.

● Tuesday 27 September: Building in Wood. Dudley Pattison presents a course on the skills of building with wood at his workshop near Swindon. £120 including lunch.

● Tuesday 11 October: Caring for your Gipsy Major – a new course presented by acknowledged DH Gipsy engine aficionado Dennis Neville. The course will explain the ins and outs of these vintage aircraft engines including how to solve those starting difficulties. £120.

● Tuesday 18 October: Dudley Pattison presents another course on the skills of Building in Wood at his workshop near Swindon. £120 including lunch.

Course information is available on the LAA website at www.laa.uk.com via a tab on the main menu. Please check regularly as additional courses are being added.

Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided throughout the day. There is an additional £20 fee for non-LAA members who wish to take part in these course, so why not put this towards joining LAA?

To book a course please call LAA HQ on 01280 846786, extension 2.

Robert ‘Bob’ Gardiner 1935-2022

Bob was a lifelong aviator of vast experience, a serial aircraft builder, a PFA-LAA Inspector and test pilot for many enthusiasts.

Born in Northern Ireland, Bob’s first foray into flight was with model aircraft. Sadly his first effort disappeared on the

LAA Partner Content

maiden flight! At the age of 19, while working at Short Bros and Harland in Belfast, he learned to fly Tiger Moths with the company club, followed by Chipmunks and piston Provosts with the Queen’s University Air Squadron, with the intention of joining the Auxiliary Air Force. As the latter was disbanded he decided on a career in commercial aviation.

With a commercial licence gained both by correspondence course and exams he began his career flying joyrides with a Miles Messenger at Weston, then as First officer to ex-bomber pilots in DC-3s with Derby Airways.

While living in Bahrain with his young family, he flew a Heron for Gulf Aviation from desert strips, where he sometimes had to take off on three engines to airstart the fourth – and then land to take on the passengers.

Back in temperate climes he flew Short Skyvans with Emerald Airways, which were troublesome, and then with BKS bloodstock division carrying racehorses.

Bob had been the intended Captain of the Airspeed Ambassador which crashed at Heathrow due to metal fatigue, but was

replaced as he was out of hours. His career moved on to BEA and BA with Viscount, Scottish island hopping, Comet 4b, Tristar and B737 and, after airline retirement, to the Sharjah ruler’s flight.

His first homebuilt was a Bede 5 followed by a Sonerai 2, then a Long-Ez and a Colomban Luciole. The BD-5 eventually flew under the Irish flag.

Latterly he set up an idyllic airstrip in upper Clydesdale with his usual quiet efficiency and welcomed many visitors.

As an Inspector Bob was in demand because of his affability, enthusiasm and knowledge.

His flying experience over 54 types and 14,300 hours, ranging from EoN glider to Tristar and B737, and every class between, made him the ideal test pilot for many first flights. He also mentored builders on flying their aircraft, with great patience. He was sure he was meant for flying as he was always very light in weight.

He was recently predeceased by his wife Jan, and leaves a son, also an airline pilot, a daughter, and three grandchildren.

Neil Geddes

Learn More – Aviation war risk insurance

Alexis Morillon from Air Courtage Assurances looks at how aviation insurers cover war risk incidents...

The Dawson’s Field hijackings, (6 September 1970 – 28 September 1970) were an event that led to the creation of AVN48B and the emergence of war risk insurance policies. Three airliners were flown to Dawson’s Field in Jordan and eventually blown up with explosives. In 1970 an event like that was not that common, and measures had to be taken to address this kind of risk and the potential damage resulting from such an incident. For this reason, a different type of insurance policy, war risk insurance, was marketed, allowing insurers to face events such as hijacking.

War risk insurance covers hull (material damage to an aircraft), which is insured separately from the hull risk insurance; and covers passenger and third-parties war risk, which is, most of the time, added to the liability policy by an extension clause.

Events such as civil wars, strikes or invasion of a country may not seem threatening to your day-to-day operations. However, aviation war insurance also covers acts of malicious intent, as well as

confiscation of an aircraft. Confiscation of an aircraft is a very current topic of concern, with a large number of foreign-owned aircraft remaining in Russia. Although excluded in aviation policies pursuant to AVN48B, (war, hijacking, and other perils exclusion clause) war risk insurance is most of the time written-back.

What is covered with your LAA member insurance policy?

Under the LAA insurance programme, we automatically write-back war risks, at no extra cost.

In most cases where war risk insurance applies, it concerns malicious acts. For example, in the case of the multiple Rotax engine thefts that occurred in the UK in recent years, they were considered as malicious acts and therefore covered by the hull war risks policy. So while you think, ‘war risks won’t affect me’, the cover can prove to be important.

The write-back of war risks is made on standard market clauses which are LSW555D for losses that were excluded from Hull all Risk insurance according to AVN48B, and AVN52E for the liability side of it. LSW555D writes-back and covers for losses that are excluded from the Hull all Risk insurance according to AVN48B such as invasion, strikes,

terrorist attacks, sabotage, confiscation or hi-jacking. However, there are a few exclusions to this write-back. As an example, this policy excludes loss, damage or expense that may be caused by war (whether there may be a declaration of war or not) between the UK and France. War risks are not financially bearable by insurers in case of a major conflict.

It also excludes losses arising out of any war using atomic or nuclear fission / fusion or radioactive weapons. These exclusions are common to most of the policies as there is no insurance policy available on the market as of today.

Regarding aircraft liability towards third parties and passengers, it is also subject to AVN48B and the exclusions associated. Write-backs for liability insurance are written-back under AVN52E. This writes-back the exclusion of AVN48B and covers passengers and third parties, as opposed to hull war risks covering the aircraft itself.

For more detailed information about the LSW555D scope of coverage, please refer to page 34 of the LAA insurance programme General conditions.

• You can also contact us by email or by phone. laa@air-assurances.com +44 (0)3 306 845108.

Don’t forget Acroflight! Dear

Francis,

Great to see the write up of the Waterbird in the LA magazine.

However, I’d like to correct something, which is that my involvement in the project was through Acroflight Ltd (John Wighton). There was no mention of Acroflight – and I seem to get most of the credit!

We were tasked with finding a way to get the seaplane air tested legally. Our approach was to use E conditions with myself working for AF as the ‘Competent Person’. As risk mitigation, we had to produce a dossier, including justification of the airworthiness.

Our starting point was the structural analysis done by John Tempest, that done on the float by Jack Gifford, and the mounting structure done as a Cranfield University student project.

We had to do a lot of work to produce an airworthiness report, including stress analysis, justifying all the load cases at an increased all-up weight. Fortunately we were able to use John Tempest’s FEM data file, but this was in a different format to the Hyperworks software we use, was at a lower all-up weight, and did not include all the float loads.

The very slender interplane struts were found to be inadequate in Euler buckling. On the other hand, some parts e.g. the bolts attaching the float structure were of unnecessary locomotive proportions! We stabilised the struts with a 1.5mm wire.

The E conditions worked well for the 2021 trials where there were porpoising problems we could not solve on the lakeside. This year, after aero and hydrodynamic analysis, the wing alpha was increased (to get the aeroplane to lift off at a lower airspeed) and the height of the twin steps reduced (to raise the critical speed for porpoising).

This year the team decided to apply for an LAA Permit to Test, which was granted, but only on the basis of the work done by Acroflight the previous year.

It’s true, however, that this year I jumped into Nigel Jones’ shoes following his accident, to get the aeroplane dismantled, transported from Liverpool, reassembled, rigged (many turnbuckles!) and inspected.

Following the fuselage on the low loader up the M6, despite advising the driver not to exceed VNe, I saw the canard steadily rising above the lorry cab. After much flashing of lights he stopped – a strap had sawn through on a sharp edge. After reassembly on site, a further inspection (by Francis) was carried

out where he spotted a few more things, which were corrected prior to issue of the Test Permit. Hearing of Nigel’s injuries, I was astonished when he turned up, supported in a kind of exoskeleton to see his ‘baby’ and give advice. I wish him further speedy recovery.

Best regards.

Bill.

Francis Donaldson replies: Sorry for not giving John Wighton’s part in the Waterbird’s earlier story the recognition it deserved, Bill. It was a genuine omission on my part when, just back from the Lakes, I wrote the item for the magazine as a ‘stop press’ late addition

Image size: Engineering Matters

Dear Jerry, I’ve recently received the latest edition of Light Aviation

Despite not being an aircraft owner, I am most interested in the Engineering Matters section of the magazine. However, I do find it somewhat frustrating that some of the images of failures are too small to see satisfactorily. The engine mount pictures in the August edition are a case in point.

It is, perhaps, possible to see where the Sting mount has failed (but only due to the red arrow!)... Bigger images would be very nice, but if impossible due to space constraints, perhaps they could be displayed on the website in sufficient resolution to allow detailed inspection?

A picture may ‘paint a thousand words’, but not if one can’t see it!

Aside from that, thanks for another interesting set of articles.

Best wishes,

Ian Marsh

Ed replies: Thanks for emailing Ian. We’ll try and make the images as big as space permits in future.

Ideas to fly more?

Hello LAA members, Fingers crossed, in a few weeks I should hold a private pilot’s licence. Recently I landed back from Chicago having attended Oshkosh. If I wasn’t slightly obsessed with aviation beforehand I most certainly am now. It was also eye-opening to experience first-hand the quality and quantity of airfields in the United States. What’s more I wasn’t charged a single cent for several touch-andgoes in either Canada or the United States. That’s an enormous contrast from what I have to pay at Redhill.

I write to the membership asking for some advice. I have no ambitions to be a commercial pilot, but I do want to experience as much as possible and fly as much as possible.

As far as I can see there are a couple of options for me:

· Buy an aircraft

· Buy a share in an aircraft

· Hire from Redhill aviation or Cub Air I fear the first option, mostly through my lack of management experience, and secondly, as I would expect that I would lose flying time to maintenance issues. I also would want to store it at Redhill as I can walk there, but I imagine that would be very expensive.

A share seems to be sensible, the costs would be more controlled and management handled by someone with more experience. Availability and possibly having to travel to Biggin or Shoreham are likely to be minor issues?

Hiring an aircraft is likely to be the easiest way to control costs and outsource all the aggravation. I imagine that taking an aircraft for a weekend or week would be very challenging. I would then continue to look at hiring an aircraft or taking a lesson when I am travelling for work or a holiday.

If my ego was a little bigger and I was more impulsive I would have purchased the first aircraft I saw in the classifieds so I could call it my own, but I’m a cautious type and I am taking the opportunity to ask the membership for advice.

What have you done? What do you wish you had done? What would you avoid? Feel free to reply to this letter or email/WhatsApp/ call.

All words of wisdom gratefully received. Many thanks in advance

Matthew Taylor matthew@mct72.co.uk 07917185951 ■

We are always pleased to receive your letters, photos of your flying, and your feedback. Please email the editor at ed.hicks@laa.uk.com

Above The wonderful Waterbird replica takes flight… as reported in Project News in the August issue of LA.

Straight and Level

In praise of volunteers

Chairman

It’s September, and all too soon it feels as though the summer is behind us and the evenings are already beginning to draw in. The summer events calendar has been full of airshows, fly-ins/outs and aviation-related gatherings, big and small, without which our flying opportunities and experiences would be greatly diminished.

While many events have professional support and resources to organise and run them, most, particularly at the grass roots, rely on the enthusiasm and effort of volunteers to plan, setup and run them on the day. As an Association we could not attempt to manage and resource a programme of events solely from the centre, and must rely upon the many members from across the network of Struts and type clubs and local airfields who willingly give of their time to organise and oversee such events. Over the course of the summer across the country it has been heartening to attend events and see the enthusiasm and effort that members put in ‘on the ground’ to make things happen.

Such activity is not just about the flying, but re-enforces the social aspects of what we do – the fun!

But volunteering among members goes much further. The last YES! AGM showcased the many initiatives around the country,

Updates from the Chairman and CEO

many involving LAA members at their heart, which endeavour to share our passion and skills with a younger generation, be it build-a-plane, pedal plane, air experience and charity flying days, or STEM-related opportunities to provide hands-on skills learning experience.

Together these deliver the opportunity to reach out and enthuse others, perhaps to rekindle an interest or to stimulate a future career or recreational interest. They are also a source of great pride and satisfaction for those who willingly provided their time, and without whom such activities could not happen. So to all those unsung members who have given time and energy in planning, organising and running the many events this summer a BIG thank you.

I hope that when attending events you spare a thought to those who have laboured to make it happen – and say thank you.

Perhaps if you have not already done so you might also think about how you could volunteer in the future for the benefit of the Association, your fellow members, and encourage others to join our aviation community. Next time someone calls for volunteers to stage an event, however big or small, please do consider how you might help. ■

People power

It’s always a challenge writing for this issue. The deadline comes right on the eve of our annual big event. This year, of course, Popham’s rural ambience will ensure our LAA Grass Roots Fly-In is a subtly different event to the LAA Rally. While the change was forced on us by the unavailability of Sywell this year, I believe it is a great opportunity to refresh what we are offering, yet still keeping to some of the traditional elements that make our events so popular. In next month’s magazine, we’ll find out whether we are right!

Of course, with a scorching summer in full flight (I bet it’s rained by the time you read this), I hope that your Ts and Ps have stayed sufficiently in limits to allow you to join in the flying fun. The LAA Vale of York Strut’s fly in at Rufforth was a great success and our final ‘Meet the Members’ event of the season is at Rougham in Suffolk on 17-18 September. Hope to see you there!

Of course, another success further afield was the visit by LAA members to EAA AirVenture in the USA. While not an official tour, it grew out of discussions in the LAA ‘Virtual Pub Nights’ when someone asked for tips on visiting Oshkosh. “Why don’t we hire a minibus from Chicago to Wisconsin?” someone asked.

The idea snowballed to such an extent that retired travel agent

George Pick hastily unretired himself and began coordinating an ever-bigger party, which eventually needed two coaches and occupied two floors of the University of Wisconsin campus. It was LAA ‘People Power’ at its best!

The numbers at Oshkosh are, as our American friends would say, ‘awesome’. The EAA quoted more than 650,000 visitors and Oshkosh’s Wittman Field and surrounding flying sites hosted more than 10,000 aircraft during the seven-day event. The total number of ‘showplanes’, as opposed to visitors and those with owners camped under wings, was 3,226, including 1,375 registered in vintage aircraft parking, plus 1,156 homebuilts and 369 warbirds.

You don’t need reminding that it is ‘the greatest show on Earth’, but it wasn’t the aircraft that really impressed – it was the people. None of us felt like ‘just visitors’. Everyone I met; staff, volunteers or guests, felt they were much more than that. They were all participants in the shared fun. That’s a great achievement.

There was poignancy too this year, as on the Monday of the convention it was announced that Tom Poberezny had died. The son of the Association’s founder Paul (and both of whom kept regular correspondence with and visits to PFA and LAA events), Tom spent 20 years as President and Chairman of the EAA and was very much the architect of the Fly-In’s success. One of Tom’s favourite quotes was: “Folk come to Oshkosh for the airplanes, but they come back for the people.” I’ll vouch for that, and we’ll prove it at Popham, too! ■

Steve Slater CEO

Eryl Smith

Inspiring members to take on their own aircraft build or restoration project

Compiled by Mike Slaughter

Project News

Astaple of internet motoring channels is the ‘Barn Find’. In short, a vehicle locked away and untouched for decades, usually totally original and, as such, quite desirable. I suppose we could then use the same term for Stuart Porter’s Renegade kit below. It was, after all, locked away for 32 years and left untouched, until found and built by him over the last two years.

A very unusual type for Project News nowadays but in the early nineties some 30 or so ‘hatched’ and came out into the sunlight. Have a look, I think it’s an interesting tale.

At a recent Fly-In at our airfield, I stood next to an RV-14, and it

struck me as to what a sizable aircraft the type is. Checking online I see there are some 13 registered, but I think we are in the first handful of examples actually flying. I suspect that over the next year we should see more of them appearing in the Cleared to Fly list. Steve Hicks details the building of his example very nicely and I have to say what a super paint job. Interesting to see that this example isn’t a nosewheel version and in fact of the baker’s dozen registered on G-INFO, tailwheels outnumber trikes more than three to one.

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

G-CMIX (LAA 188A-15732) Murphy Renegade Spirit 912

Built by Stuart Porter

By a combination of luck and planning, Stuart Porter had sold his Kitfox right at the start of the first Covid lockdown, funding the purchase of his Murphy Renegade Spirit kit. He had located a seller with two Renegades for sale, one, an untouched kit and another as a non-flying project. The kit dated from the type’s heyday of 1990, and more to the point was the coveted Rotax 912 variant where most UK examples of the day were built with a Rotax 582 two-stroke. The pandemic was both a blessing and a curse to the project – lockdowns and restrictions provided plenty of time to work on the aircraft but they also made it very difficult obtaining the parts and supplies needed. On balance, it must have been a help, as this is by no means a ‘quick build’ kit and to be ready for test flight in two years is very good going indeed.

In its time the Renegade was a fairly complete kit with the fuselage main structure factory built, all of the aluminium ribs pressed and any welded parts prefabricated. But typical for kits of the period, simple items were supplied as sufficient raw material for the builder to cut, file and drill themselves. The build manual, while very comprehensive, was typical of the day, so by today’s standards very rudimentary. The kits were supplied with sufficient Polyfibre cloth to cover the aircraft, but this had been exposed to sunlight for many years and so was binned and fresh purchased. On the other hand, the

Above The fuselage is quite tricky to cover, Stuart resorted to taking the undercarriage off and suspending the engine mount in a sling to rotate it.

aircraft’s wooden propeller had been more carefully stored and was in excellent condition with both blades being of identical weight and the whole unit perfectly serviceable.

The engine also came with the kit and is somewhat unusual being of 1990 vintage, Rotax only introduced the 912 the year before and the early phase engines differ from today’s models by having all the electronics installed in a single aluminium box that is bolted to the firewall. Rotax 900 owners will be more familiar with the engine’s two coil packs attached to the top rear right of

the block. Interestingly, this first iteration of the motor also came with a 600 hour TBO, but that’s easily extended to the modern figure of a couple of thousand. In fact, many regularly used Rotax 912s often double this figure before needing attention. All that said, this 30-year-old lump came out of its original crate and fired up happily on the airframe and ran like the proverbial ‘Singer’.

Stuart had little trouble with the build, and although this is his first full project, he’s spent a lifetime making flying models, and has owned a MKII Kitfox, initially fully restoring it. As the Kitfox was another child of the early 1990s, he felt quite at home with the Renegade.

Originally not a standard item, Stuart’s kit was supplied with the optional trim tab, but of course there was no mention of it in the build book. Not an option 30 years ago but today the internet soon had Stuart in touch with an original Murphy employee who explained the process required.

The only significant rework required in the whole project was the top wing fuel tanks. Upon pressure testing it was found that one tank leaked due to the hollow pop rivets used, even though the Pro-Seal process was followed. The tanks are constructed from ribs without lightening holes and form the actual structure of the wing, these sections were all de-riveted and re-assembled with captive mandrel pop rivets, and once re-sealed and pressure tested, all was fine.

A neat rotisserie was fabricated to make wing covering an easier job, there are four of them after all. While Stuart stayed with the original Polyfibre fabric, he chose the Stewart Systems finishing process, presumably not because of the name, but the fact that it’s waterborne and not a solvent-based process. The difference begins with attaching the fabric to the airframe, instead of a very pungent fabric cement, it uses a waterborne glue more like copydex. Thereafter, the rest of the process is relatively odour-free – I think this sounds worthy of further

investigation! The finished result is very striking, and Stuart must be pleased with the outcome.

Like all aircraft there are bits inside the structure that benefit from inspection, service and maintenance. The original design left this to the builder as part of the covering process with standard fabric inspection rings, but Stuart has gone a little further with some neat custom inspection hatches here and there. Just imagine trying to tend the brakes by performing a handstand in the P2 cockpit! A little forethought – and an inspection hatch –can save so much future grief.

Stuart is very grateful for all of the help given by Jon Viner in Engineering who went out of his way to assist the project, things were kept on the straight and narrow by Nick Woolsey his Inspector, but of course Stuart extends his gratitude to his wife for putting up with him while the aircraft was built.

Top left Top port wing looking very shiny in its waterborne paint system finish.

Above left Pre-test engine runs, all of the debugging had been undertaken before covering.

Above The cockpit interiors.

Below Stuart posing with his creation.

G-STRV (LAA 393-15500) Van’s RV-14

By Steve Hicks

I’ve just had the privilege, joy and excitement of flying Van’s RV-14 G-STRV on her maiden flight, touching down on Sleap Airfield’s Runway 36, elated after a successful 20 minute maiden flight.

This was the culmination of dreaming, planning and then building over several years with my friend and rivet partner Tim Nicholas. We have shared flying experiences over many years, having built a CFM Streak Shadow in 1994, and being owners of a Jodel D120 from 1999 to the present day. We both liked the idea of a Van’s RV to enjoy in our retirement.

But which one? With an RAF background I’d always fancied owning a tandem seat RV-8, but having researched the recently released RV-14, we decided it was the aeroplane for us. The impressive side-by-side tourer retained Van’s legendary handling and aerobatic capability, and the build manual is fantastic, showing clear CAD diagrams of each build stage with instructional

Top What a lovely looking RV!

Above left First box of parts to arrive in October 2017 – the aft fuselage, fin, rudder, tailplane and elevators.

Above Part-built wings resting on their purpose-built wing stand – October 2018.

text. As we wanted the challenge of building the whole aeroplane, we opted for the ‘Slow Build’ version rather than Quickbuild.

A house move to Shropshire allowed me to choose a location near Sleap Airfield, and more importantly to pick ‘a workshop with a house’ to buy. A large shed was soon converted into a workshop with a shiny floor, electricity, compressed air outlets and a spray booth. As you spend a lot of time there, I made it as user-friendly as possible. It even sported a sofa, although we rarely had time to use it!

Having never set a solid rivet before, we both attended the excellent LAA Metalwork course at Turweston and developed our fledgling skills on two Van’s practice kits. We were clearly now ‘experts’ and ready to start the build!

One of the challenges embarking on a project such as this is that you don’t know what you don’t know, and it

Above The fuselage mounted on a ‘rotisserie’ for ease of access during the fitting of the systems – November 2019

Above The finished canopy –June 2020.

Above Hanging the Lycoming IO-390 –September 2021.

Above Fitting the cowling – October 2021.

takes time to find your feet and be confident in making build decisions. But that’s all part of the adventure of learning new skills. The internet has proved invaluable in obtaining information, but care is needed to filter the top tips from the dubious advice.

The first box of components, containing the tail feathers and rear fuselage, arrived on the doorstep in September 2017, and an inventory was followed by robust organisation of all the components and hardware – it makes finding things fast in future!

The metal components are pre-cut, pre-formed and pre-drilled by Van’s to a very high standard of accuracy, so there’s no need for the use of jigs. The quality of manufacture from Van’s is impressive, so if something doesn’t fit you’ve done something wrong!

Tim rapidly established himself as an expert rivet partner, bracing various bucking bars in inaccessible places. Having such a chum is an important aspect of building a Van’s RV… as is an understanding partner!

Right from the start, a capable avionics fit and robust electrical system was in order with a plan to obtain clearance for IFR flight at a later date. Designing the electrical system was one of the most challenging aspects of the build, requiring many hours of research, planning and learning of new skills to build the system.

Van’s supply five inch wheels, but we decided to fit larger six inch wheels, hoping they will be more suitable for the farm strip flying we both enjoy. These larger wheels meant bigger spats, and both of these aspects needed a LAA mod application.

I had decided very early in the build that while I was capable of priming/painting the interior, I wanted a professional to paint the exterior. Happily our hangar is next door to Shropshire Aircraft Painting, which has done an impressive job to give G-STRV a great finish.

As with any long term project, there were times when I thought, “Will I ever finish this thing?”. By way of an antidote to these blues, RV-8 owner Ian Mackay had

New Projects

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

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.uk.com

■ G-CLKH Pietenpol Air Camper (PFA 047-13478) 29/7/2022

Mr Keith Redfearn, Fox Hall Farm, Copley, Butterknowle, Bishop Auckland, DL13 5LW

■ G-HAII Bristell NG5 Speed Wing (LAA 385-15796) 12/7/2022

Mr G Hall, Elm Cottage, Bowers Lane, Aston, Stone, ST15 0BN

Above Twin screen Garmin G3X panel fit, plus autopilot, GTN650 and Garmin G5 backup

Below Test flying complete – smiles all-round July 2022.

advised, “Do something every day, even if that means putting one rivet in on Christmas morning.”

However, there were plenty of high points. Finishing the fuel tanks with no leaks, and turning on the avionics with no sparks evident were major morale boosters. And, of course, the special moment of launching off on her maiden flight!

Building the RV-14 has been a delight, teaching us both new skills and introducing us to new friends over the last four years and nine months. And the flight testing has revealed that Van’s has created something special – a rock steady, stable aeroplane combined with vibrant, precise controls – a winning combination.

Inspired by a fellow UK builder’s web blog, I attempted the same, both for our own record and also as a resource for other builders. You can find it at vansrv14project.uk ■

■ Sling 4 TSi (LAA 400A-15839) 18/7/2022

Mr H Wilson, 2 Wallaces Farm, Wallaces Lane, Chelmsford, CM3 3AU

■ KFA Safari (LAA 402-15840) 21/7/2022

Dr S Favell, Lodge Farm, Moor Lane Reepham, Lincoln, LN3 4EE

■ G-STRV Van’s RV-14 (LAA 393-15500) 12/7/2022

Mr Stephen Hicks, Oakfields, Whixall, Whitchurch, SY13 2PP

■ G-CMFD Bristell NG5 Speed Wing (LAA 385-15806) 28/7/2022

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

■ G-CMIX Renegade 912 (LAA 188A-15732) 27/7/2022

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

■ G-FFRV Van’s RV-10 (LAA 339-15082) 7/7/2022

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

■ Zenair CH-750 Cruzer (LAA 381A-15838) 11/7/2022

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

■ Aeroprakt A32 Vixxen (LAA 411-15841) 26/7/2022

Name & Address held by LAA Engineering

Above RV-10 G-FFRV

Druine’s delights

Flight Test

It is occasionally slightly odd how some snippets of information arrive at your own doorstep. As an example, take this case when searching for a little bit of background information on the Turbi. Patrick Caruth, always generous to a fault, gives of his time to fly his BN Freelance as a photoship for Neil to ‘air’ his camera for our team effort flight tests. He lent me a book quite some time ago and having ‘refound’, while looking for another, settled to read about Britten Norman Ltd., The Last Grand Adventure in British Aviation? by Derek Kay.

The only three-engined aircraft I had on my licence was the Trislander, an Islander with an extended fuselage and a third engine attached to its fin. A novel solution indeed. So I settled down to learn more about the company’s projects and maybe to glean a little more on the Trislander.

Very soon into the second chapter there was a rather surprising revelation. In 1956 Desmond Norman, one half of the partnership, had arranged with both the Popular Flying Association, and with Associated Rediffusion Television programme This Week to film the complete construction of a Druine Turbi! There was no other information, but it sent me down a rabbit hole… or two. It was perhaps G-AOTK, or a very appropriately registered G-APFA, as both commenced their builds in 1956, the year of the broadcast. Project numbers PFA 230 and 232. ‘Oscar Kilo had a 65hp Czechoslovakian Walter Mikron 3, an engine whose four inverted inline cylinders blend with the fuselage lines of the Turbi, whereas Foxtrot Papa had the arguably more mechanically balanced four cylinder horizontally opposed Continental A65-3 with its familiar, but rather pronounced, cylinder cooling ‘eyebrows’ that protrude, catching the slipstream.

Design origins

Roger Druine was born in France and his surname, if you remove the final letter ‘e’, indicates his ancestors were boiler makers, true engineers. Starting from age 16, he produced many designs and various subtypes, but he is noted for three principle aircraft designs. His most popular design, the single-seat Turbulent is constructed of wood with a VW engine. The first one I saw up close was Nigel Lemon’s, who incidentally started building it when still at school aged 14. A subtype with a strengthened spar gained a full Certificate of Airworthiness here in the UK. Nigel must have been in his mid-twenties when I was fortunate to meet him, and later

A rare Druine Turbi captivates Clive Davidson…

Photos Neil Wilson

Above The Turbi has functional, but handsome, lines, flattered by it’s elegant colour scheme.

Below The ‘Working End’ displaying the contrasting tones of the wooden prop and the engine cooling eyebrows.

test flew his Turb’ from the active rural Hertfordshire farm strip at Benington. It was delightful, nimble, light to handle and of course, well constructed.

The two-seater bigger brother, Druine D5, was an expanded tandem two-seater version, and again the fuselage was constructed of a wooden rectangular box, having four longerons as wooden frames, and a plywood covered turtle deck, again the tail, fin and tailplane were strengthened by a ply covering. The low cantilever wing is a one piece structure with two spars. All control surfaces are fabric covered, having a fixed main undercarriage and tailskid. Although much later, it was again at Benington I first saw a Turbi from afar whilst joining their circuit.

The third aircraft of Roger Druine’s was the Condor D 60 series (61, 62, 62A, 62B and 62C, each with a change of engine and increased power). It was manufactured both in France and in Britain by Rollason at Croydon, and with its closure, then at Redhill. This too was the then home of the late Tiger Club who among many activities had a formation display team of four Turbulents. As an aside, Prince Philip also enjoyed flying this single-seater.

Rupert’s Turbi

The Turbi we tested carries serial PFA 229, registered just ahead of the Rediffusion televised construction and was undertaken by Dr Frank Roach, a Glaswegian GP and John Raye a cabinet maker, who’s very skills must have been a great advantage in an all-wooden project. Rupert Hibberd, ‘Bravo Oscar’s owner for the last 30 years, has, from its build, a host of documents and supporting letters from Harold Best-Devereux, who, at the time was one of the ‘top brass’ of the PFA and well connected with the EAA. The Turbi caught Rupert’s attention at the 1977 Sywell Rally. He thought she fitted the bill as ‘a delightful looking aircraft’, and ‘a simple, easy to look after machine’.

That long wingspan was reminiscent of a Klemm 25/ BA Swallow, the only thing not to his taste was the blue, red and yellow colour scheme. Twelve years later he had the good fortune to acquire it, and has owned and operated her for 30 seasons since.

That vintage similarity is not difficult to appreciate and its large wing area of 145.3 square feet provides a very light wing loading of 7.5lb per square foot. This is just a smidgeon under the Tiger Moths 7.6, and being so lightly loaded, theoretically the Turbi has a slightly better turning circle.

Rupert had built time on Austers – he owned two –whose characteristics certainly gave a good appreciation of deft rudderwork to tame its wayward, adverse yaw. A less attention-demanding Jodel with a C-90 followed, then a DR 1050 Ambassadeur with a Continental 0-200 and a DR1051M with a 105hp Potez 4E.

The very name ‘Turbi’ derives from Monsieur Druine’s earlier single-seater the Turbulent, which of course appears partially in the D5s naming, naturally enough with its success a two-seater version was called for, thereby getting the two place the friendly suffix of ‘bi’ added to the shortened Turbulent, giving us Turbi.

The aircraft in Rupert’s own words is not a true two-seater. Yes, it has two cockpits, but full fuel and full

cockpits can invariably place it out of limits, one item has to be reduced. However,as an aircraft for a summer evening, he says it’s hard to beat. Although not the ideal travelling machine, he has made numerous trips to la belle France, where he was welcomed and helped on many occasions.

The Turbi lives at his family airstrip near Devizes, the place where Rupert grew up and has flown for 40 odd years. It’s 520 metres by 30 and is oriented 260/080.

Walk around

At 22ft 6in long, with a wingspan of 28ft 7½in, the aircraft is finished in a smart green and cream scheme. The wing is a NACA 23012 section and is notable by having

pronounced differential ailerons, the downward deflection being about four times greater than the upward movement. This large movement does not allow for any fabric sealing from aileron to wing. Also the significant weighted leading edge frise ailerons are directly behind the outer wing leading edge slots promising to give good low speed handling. I couldn’t detect any visible signs of washout to aid a gentle stall, but this is rarely obvious to the naked eye. At the wing tips there are hand holds for ground handlers to have some purchase while pulling and pushing, whilst turning and taxying.

The simple undercarriage uses rubber blocks in compression. Rupert assured me they are more than enough for the job. The brakes are cable operated, while

Far left The generous tail

Left The nose profile shows the downward sloping, converging rear eyebrows to cool the hotter rear cylinders.

Above Entrance is from the non-slip right wing walk through the generous fold down doors.

surfaces.

of the fabric-covered large elevators and rudder, and rather give the low performance of the Turbi away. It’s not the dimensions of the surfaces, but the widely spaced stitching holding the polyfibre securely in place. The faster the projected machine’s performance, the closer the stitches. Perhaps you remember Biggles diving his Camel away from the enemy and being concerned that his wing fabric might balloon? Closer stitching might have solved that… W E John’s only inferred the problems and not the result… it was apparently a bad thing. The wooden 72 x 46 prop with its alternating light and dark wood laminations was made by Dave Silsbury, a name synonymous with several Turbi projects.

The tank capacity is 10 imperial gallons (45.5 litres). At cruise Rupert reckons the Continental 75 burns 18 litres an hour at 2,150rpm, giving an airspeed of 70kt. In these circumstances a two-hour flight would give a still air

carburettor was overhauled by Steve Hodge of SOAR Aviation and Rupert says it ‘revitalised’ the aircraft, with much easier starting.

An uncluttered cockpit

As a straightforward VFR machine, the cockpit of ‘Bravo Oscar is simplicity itself. You clamber aboard from a right-hand wingwalk, a door for each cockpit making things easier. The rear baggage area behind the rear cockpit can be checked. Home to a ‘wooden’ (of course) fuel dipstick, oil, and some small wheel chocks. Putting the straps aside with a bit of forethought so as not to have them misplaced once seated, you have to stand on the seat then lower yourself down. Your lower legs sitting over the upright rear spar as your feet rest on the broad wooden rudder pedals. You can tell Roger Druine liked wood – a glance around the internal structure, and it’s displayed in its entirety for you to examine.

For the left-hand first, there’s the throttle lever, which I recognise as being the same item in a Tiger Moth. There’s a tell-tale inboard arm sticking out that catches the Tiger’s mixture lever when the throttle is closed, pulling the two levers back together. However, on the Turbi there is no mixture control.

The black carb’ heat lever is a plastic T-handle that is easy to grab. These lowered powered Continentals were quite prone to icing particularly over dewey grass on wet

Above In her true element, borne on a large wing area.

“The brakes are cable operated, while the leaf spring tailskid is fixed, which means a larger than average turning circle on the ground”

mornings with low power settings.

A green rod beneath the throttle that rotates from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock, turns the fuel tap from off to on. Activated by a black extension that has to be swung forward to engage the rod, I liked it as it’s unlikely ever to vibrate off due to its mechanical advantage staying open. Comms with the outside world are via an 8.33 Icom handheld radio, and there’s a two-place intercom for conversation between pilot and passenger.

The instrument panel offers little chance of confusion, with just a compass, ASI, altimeter and a slip ball. The ASI though has the lowest speed marking of any I have seen, at 20kt. Having thought briefly about it, we all need to know if our own ASI is indicating before becoming airborne. If our own wings lift us into ground effect at under 40, whatever the value, of knots or mph, then we need to know it works before we lift from the runway. In our case, a needle off the stops and pointing at 20 is good news.

On the left of the main panel, there’s an rpm gauge, while on the right there’s oil temperature and pressure gauges. Keep things 100F to 225F, and 30-60 psi to stay healthy!

A circular wiggle around the cockpit with the stick confirms the ailerons and elevators rise as the stick points towards them. “Is there a cockpit trim… and where have you hidden the mag switches?” I ask. Rupert’s reply, “There’s a fixed tab on the right elevator… and I thought you flew Tiger Moths? Same place.” I found them outside on the left-hand fuselage so that the prop swinger could see them too.

Straps and helmet tight, chocks in place, fuel on, mags off, throttle closed, Rupert sucks in for 16 blades (seems a lot of swings but he knows his machine). He mentioned to me earlier that in the winter he uses one of his vet’s 20 mil’ needles of fuel squirted directly into the carb intake for a consistent cold start. Mags ‘On’, and the engine fires on the first compression.

For the first time I actually realised that, despite the fact I am in the rear cockpit, the view is particularly good, from 8 o’clock 4 o’clock. The bonus is that I can very nearly see over the nose. Looking through two sets of plexiglass windscreens allow a good view forward and only the upper edges of the eyebrows and a sliver of the engine top mask a minute area of the horizon.

Taxying is quite straightforward in technique as the toe brakes are effective, but bear in mind the aircraft has to be moving fast enough to overcome the drag of the skid. She is not short coupled or ready to spin on the proverbial pre-decimal sixpence. Her natural ground environment is, of course, from a strip, tarmac will wear the dragging tailskid with friction. A certain amount of considered anticipation is needed.

A run-up confirms the mags operation a good carb heat drop. The pre-take-off checks are minimal, but as always still so very pertinent and my straps are… tight. A further round the houses with the stick checking all the control cables are still attached. A self-brief on emergencies on departure… and the Turbi and I are off.

The ground roll is perhaps 200 metres with 2,100rpm. The first 50 with the stick held back, the skid in the grass and a pressure of slight right rudder as I counted to four, the stick eased forward to raise the tail to allow a view of

Above Pilot’s view of the simple cockpit and horizon attitude.

Left The fixed skid is attached to the rear lower fuselage.

Below Fixed slats help maintain airflow over the ailerons.

Above right In this foreshortened view, the Turbi could almost be mistaken for a Turbulent!

Below Rounding out in the flare, about to meet her shadow.

the runway’s end and the world ahead. The aircraft lightens up, easing into ground effect. There was no conscious rotation, once held level on two wheels at a natural attitude, she flew herself off, very similar to levitating. Nothing exciting, just delightful.

The best climb speed is 55kt and Rupert expects around 500 feet per minute at 90% all up weight and for the Permit climb flight, 461ft per minute at the all up max weight of 500kg having taken 130 seconds to climb in still air the statutory 1,000ft gain up to 2,000ft. On such days he tends to strap a secure bag of bricks into the front cockpit rather than trying to find a light passenger to achieve an all up weight. I’ve been told both sandbags and bags of potatoes work well too…

At the top of the climb the speed increases to 70kt with 2,150rpm, giving us a splash over 20 miles to the gallon in old money. ‘Bravo Oscar will reach 85kt at 2,300rpm, which is wide open throttle, but we’re just out having fun. To manoeuvre, the Turbi doesn’t require

muscular rolling inputs or heavy feet, but encourages a gentle, appreciative touch. Rolling into turns and maintaining a consistent bank emphasises empathy and coordination. She does exhibit a touch of adverse aileron drag, but sitting so far back in the fuselage, any slight yawing departure can be instantly detected and corrected. It’s neither a racer, nor a long range traveller, and she allows you to feel and taste the air. Light turbulence has her reacting to gentle bumps, rather than fight them and accept them for an easy attitude to life. Directionally she is stable, a look at the size of the fixed fin and rudder and their distance from where the weight of the crew, fuel and engine definitely suggested that.

Laterally she doesn’t trouble herself to be too prompt to return from crossed controls to wings level after side slipping, but she does at least return. Upset her from a trimmed cruise speed (Induced longitudinal pitching), and she’ll return to the same speed and nearly the same

“

To manoeuvre, the Turbi doesn’t require muscular rolling inputs or heavy feet, but encourages a gentle, appreciative touch”

At the edge of its slow speed regime, approaching the stall, the ailerons are still effective in raising and lowering the wings. This is helped by the built-in slots on the outboard leading wing edges. Air is being channelled through and helping an active, positive response. All very good stuff. When once in France he was told, well warned in no uncertain terms, of a pilot who taped these off before flight, with absolutely horrendous results, as the behaviour of the old girl became intolerant in roll, with an immediate beefy need to try and steer her! I can’t imagine why he did it… The stall arrives at 30kt. A light unloading of the forward stick gives minimum height loss and power can be brought in steadily. Don’t rush to whackit on, it might cough.

Bringing her home

At the other end of the envelope, the ‘book’ gives Vne as 115kt, but I didn’t go there, as with the turbulence being generated by Hambledon Hill and other Dorset friends to the south, I thought better of the demonstration. It would be bad manners of me to bring back a much-loved airframe creaking like an old sailing vessel.

The approach is flown at 55kt, slowing to 50 over the hedge to round out and float… float… float. Slowly bringing the stick back, touchdown happens eventually in a three-point attitude. A tiny bit of ruddering held her straight without the need for brakes. Thinking about it, this is perhaps only the second aircraft I have the pleasure to fly with a fixed tailskid. A short debrief, and a ride for Neil followed. His white crash helmet in the front cockpit now compromising my view forward. I really did have to swing the nose, clearing the way ahead. On landing I make a 10° offset approach to keep aiming point in sight. To make things simpler I wheeled it on to maintain an improved view of the world ahead.

The time spent with Rupert and his Turbi was a pleasure, broadening my experience of Roger Druine’s designs, too. Having topped up Rupert’s tank, drunk a coffee and eaten most of another packet of dark chocolate biscuits, I thanked him again, swung his prop, placed the chocks behind him in the cubby hole and off he went. My chance to watch her levitating into her element, Rupert’s extended arm waving.

A truly delightful Druine. ■

DRUINE D5 SPECIFICATIONS

Wingspan: 28ft 7in

Length: 22ft 6in

Wing area: 145.3 sq. ft.

Empty weight: 617lb

MTOW: 1,100lb

Wing loading: 7.57lb / sq ft.

Aerofoil: NACA 23012

Engine: Continental Motors C75-12

Power to weight ratio: 14.6lb per hp.

Fuel capacity: 45.5 litres

Cruise speed: 70kt @ 2,150 rpm @ 18 litres an hour consumption.

Over optimistic still

air range to dry tanks: 175 nm

Top The pilot has a fine uncluttered scanning view. Those undercarriage legs appear unfairly unsubstantial, but work just fine.

Above A gentle formation break showing clean under surfaces.

PFA Project No 229

A irVenture 2022

of the

Photos

01 The show, which takes place at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, had a total of 3,226 show planes registered, included 1,375 vintage aircraft, 1,156 homebuilts, 369 warbirds, 137 ultralights, 87 seaplanes, 77 aerobatic aircraft, and 25 helicopters. 12,000 people flew in and camped, while 40,000 drove in to stay. The site really is HUGE. To give it some perspective, in this photo, which was taken from the north looking south, the 18/36 Runway at top left of the photo is 2.4km long, while 09/27 in the foreground is nearly 1.9km long. If you look closely, you’ll see two other grass airfields within the site, for Pioneer Airport, and the Ultralight Fun-Fly zone. There were 18,684 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 21-31, giving an average of approximately 121 take-offs/landings per hour when the airport was open.

02 The Timber Tiger Ryan ST-L replica is a 95% scale replica of the Ryan ST. Powered by a 100hp Rotax 912S, the aircraft, the airframe kit is $43,000, with fastbuild options for the fuselage and wing available for an extra $6,000 and $1,700 respectively. ST-L designer Nick Pfastaniel is considering selling kits into the UK.

03 An incredible formation of 50 RV’s made a special flypast on the show’s opening day, to mark the 50th Anniversary of Van’s Aircraft.

01

A seven-day long aviation extravaganza, 650,000 visitors attended this year’s AirVenture, Oshkosh, to see over 10,000 visiting aircraft. Here’s some

highlights!

Ed Hicks and Nigel Hitchman

04 The Auster J-2 Arrow is a pretty rare type in the UK, but in America, there is only one example, and even that one surprised enthusiasts with it’s appearance at Oshkosh. Flown to Zimbabwe from the UK in the 1950s, then purchased by the Spence family, it’s been flown by three generations of the family having been sold, then repurchased, and had two rebuilds. LAA member Nigel Hitchman ensured the aircraft was recognised for its rarity and relocated to a main display spot in the Vintage area.

05 The Ampaire hybrid-electric EEL demonstrator aircraft flew 1,880 miles from Los Angeles to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which included one 1,135 mile leg. Ampaire claimed was the single longest nonstop flight ever made by a hybrid-electric aircraft. The forward Continental IO-360 piston engine is replaced with an electric motor powered by a battery in a parallel hybrid configuration.

06 I’m not sure the ailerons are big enough, is a question no-one asked about the REVO, designed by Eddie Saurenman of Saurenman Aero Works. The aircraft has a steel tube fuselage with a carbon wing, and has a 340kg gross weight. It is being test flown using an 80hp Rotax 912, but a second prototype is due to fly with a ULPower.350. +/-8g, roll rate is 400º per second. An aluminium wing option will be available, and airframe kit prices start from around $35,000.

07 Demonstrated in the Fun-Fly zone, the Mirocopter SCH-2A Coaxial Helicopter is claimed to be the lightest manned coaxial helicopter in the world and is compliant to US FAR Part 103 Ultralight rules. Max take-off weight is 250kg, and it’s powered by a 60hp Fiate MZ202 twostroke motor. The A Slovenian design, it has been flying for 10 years. US agent RotoTrek was marketing the SCH-2A for $35,000, ready to fly.

01/02 The undisputed winner of the ‘Dead Grass’ award, the RV-15 Engineering Prototype unveiled by Van’s Aircraft on the first day of the show was completely surrounded pretty much all day, every day. The first high-wing design from the company, while the aircraft is still in the testing phase, Van’s hinted at a cruise speed of 140kt, useful load of around 900lb. Two seats, with an option of 2+2, powered by a 215hp Lycoming IO-390 Exp-119 engine. Expect 12-18 months until the first kits are available.

03 Following the success of previous One Week Wonder projects to build an aircraft during the seven days of Oshkosh, volunteers built a Sonex Waiex B-Model with hundreds of rivets pulled by members of the public. It taxied under its own power on Sunday July 31 and the aircraft made its first flight on August 18. 04 If you think a two-seat homebuilt jet is for you, then the Sonex JSX-2T could be what you need. Estimated total build cost (including engine is around $155,000).

A irVenture 2022

01 Silver Age Outstanding Open-Cockpit Biplane was Michael Pangia’s 1930 Brunner-Winkle Bird, ordered new by Charles Lindberg, for his wide Ann Morrow Lindberg to learn to fly on. Kelly Mahon’s wonderful 1932 Monocoupe 110 Special was Silver-Age Runner-up.

02 1949 Beechcraft D17S owned by Mark Homquist from Suwanee, Georgia, was named Grand Champion Antique, while this 1947 Piper PA-11 owned by David Allen, of Elbert, Colorado was Grand Champion Classic.

03 EAA Chapter 1414 and the Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum, both of Poplar Grove, Illinois teamed up to build this reproduction 1918 Curtiss Jenny JN-4. Built from scratch, other than the original OX-5 engine, over five-and-a-half years, it was the Bronze Lindy – Replica Aircraft Champion.

04 Walt Bowe, from Sonoma, California won Antique Reserve Grand Champion – Silver Lindy, for his 1940 Waco SRE.

01/02

Three Sling High Wing aircraft flew from Johannesburg to Oshkosh to make the types debut at the show. An epic trip, weather caused some late delays which meant the aircraft didn’t arrive until mid-afternoon on Wednesday. The flight took around 70 hours and routed JHB – Luanda (Angola) – Accra (Ghana) – Praia (Cape Verde) – Seawell (Barbados) – Turks and Caicos (Bahamas) – Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA) – Oshkosh. The factory development prototype, ZU-SHW, was modified for pilot Matt Cohen, who lost the use of his legs following a motorcycle accident. Matt flew with Sling Aircraft’s Chairman, James Pittman.

03 A breath-taking level of fit and finish was evident in every detail of this Van’s RV-6 built by Raymond Eaton, from Plantation, Florida. He fitted the magnificent build in around 27 years of life events. Raymond was awarded the Grand Champion Kit built – Gold Lindy award. 04 Winner of the Grand Champion Plans built – Gold Lindy award, was this equally perfect J-3 Cub. A five year project by Zach Jackson, from Brainerd, Minnesota.

01 Still wearing battle-damage repairs from the Vietnam War, Jesse Schneider’s Sikorsky UH-34 Choctaw was the Judges Choice for Best Warbird Helicopter.

02 Dubbed ‘The flight of the Cats’, this rare gathering of Grumman Wildcat, Hellcat, Bearcat and Tigercat wowed airshow spectators.

03 Pilot, philanthropist, and commercial astronaut, Jared Issacman arrived at Oshkosh flying his personal Mig-29, accompanied by his fellow ‘Polaris Program’ astronaut team members in L-39 Albatros’ and Alpha Jets.

04 Rescued almost intact from Lake Swiblo on the Estonian/ Russian border, where it force-landed on ice after being shot down, every detail of Bf 109 G-6 410077 was perfectly restored over a 10 year period by Midwest Aero Restorations for owner Bruce ‘Doc’ Winter. The aircraft was named World War II Grand Champion.

01 Just four Howard DGA-11’s were built, and only two remain today. Owned by the Howard Aircraft Foundation and yet to be painted, it was displayed alongside a replica of the Bendix and Thompson Trophy-winning Howard DGA-6 racer, Mister Mulligan. This replica was built over three years and 8,000 hours by the late Jim Younkin using just photographs as the starting point. It’s owned and flown today by well-known warbird pilot, Doug Rozendaal. A Howard DGA-15, one of a number on display at the show, completes the line-up.

02 The Blackfly ultralight from Opener, flew a number of times during the show. The company says the carbon fibre single-seater with eight electric motors will ‘cost less than a helicopter’… so maybe not as cheap as we hope!

03 On display, along with the equally dramatic Grob Egrett that’s used as a tow-plane, the Perlan II recordsetting glider made its first public flight demonstration at AirVenture. The team will attempt to set an all-time world altitude record for wingborne flight in 2023, going beyond the 73,737ft achieved by the team in 2018.

04 The Rutan Vari-Viggen marked the start of legendary designer Burt Rutan’s work with homebuilt canard aircraft, and the type celebrated it’s 50th anniversary at the show. Until recently, none remained airworthy until this one, a rare example with metal, rather than composite wings, was restored by the Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience.

05 Spotted in the EAA FlyMart section, the advert on this read, ‘60% scale JU87 Stuka, Ford V6 with reduction. Taxies great, plans included. $15k OBO’. Looked to be constructed from foam and glass over a steel frame.

A irVenture 2022

01 It’s amazing what you’ll find as you explore at Oshkosh!

This is the fuselage for a 1933 Lockheed Altair reproduction that’s being manufactured for a private customer by D&D Classic Automobile Restoration from Covington, OH. The standard of the metalwork was breathtaking. The finished aircraft will be powered by a 500hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial.

02 The Scalewings SW-51 Mustang wowed US homebuilders. The good news for potential UK homebuilders of this exciting machine is the company indicated that a UK representative plans to bring it to the UK in the future.

03 This is the ScaleBirds P-36 Hawk, a scale replica of the Curtis P-36 Hawk. Powered by a 124hp Verner Scarlett radial, the aircraft has been designed so that builders can also finish the aircraft as a Curtis P-40 replica, using Rotax, Jabiru or ULPower engines.

04 TurbAero, from Adelaide, Australia is fitting one of its TA200TP Talon turbo-prop engines into an RV-7 for test purposes. The Talon produces 200hp on take-off with a maximum continuous power of 190hp, with a fuel burn of 47lph using recuperator technology for improved fuel efficiency over existing turboprop designs. Weight is 123kg.

05 The Sindlinger Hawker Hurricane is a 5/8 scale replica powered by a 150hp Lycoming. 446kg empty weight, it cruises at 142kt. Built 50 years ago by Fred Sindlinger, it is now owned and flown by his son, Lyle.

06 If you need a break from the Osh craziness, then a trip to the peace and tranquillity of the EAA Seaplane base will deliver that, plus a wide array of visiting seaplanes.

Coaching Corner…

That doesn’t sound right…

It’s unlikely to be a full loss of power that surprises you, but more likely a partial loss of power, suggests Head of Coaching David Cockburn…

I’m sure we are all aware of the need to be ready for an engine failure at any time, especially immediately after take-off, even though the reliability of most modern engines can tempt us into a belief that it will never happen to us. After all, how many hours are flown in light aircraft and how many failures do we hear about?

Even if we think the likelihood of an engine failure is remote, we all went through practising forced landings and engine failures after take-off during our training, and hopefully we continue to practise them, even if it’s only on our two-yearly ‘flight with an instructor’. These practices were probably initiated by suddenly closing the throttle to simulate a catastrophic failure, after which we were able to concentrate on making a successful (we hoped) into-wind approach to a field. ‘Phew, got away with that’, we probably thought.

However, if we speak to pilots who have encountered a real problem with their engines in flight, we are likely to discover that it wasn’t such a sudden and complete failure. The AAIB has recently published a report tinyurl. com/partialpower into such an accident, which occurred last year. While the aircraft concerned was not a LAA type, the report’s conclusions are worth considering by all of us.

The climb immediately after take-off is the most critical phase for a pilot to be faced with an emergency, and that is why the PPL syllabus stresses the engine failure after take-off situation. However, as in the case of the fatal accident in the report, evidence suggests that when the engine has not completely failed, the pilot is likely to be tempted into a more dangerous situation than the one in which they originally found themselves. For that reason, LAA Coaches are encouraged to give members the opportunity to discuss, and hopefully practise, coping with a partial power failure in the initial climb after take-off during routine training flights.

The AAIB highlights the guidance booklet published by the Australian Transport Safety Board after a similar fatal accident a few years ago tinyurl.com/ ATSBpartialpower. I recommend it for study and consideration.

Like the ATSB, I would suggest that the risk of a power failure on, or just after, take-off can be reduced if we always operate our engines as the manufacturer recommends. During the start procedure, odd noises, or oil pressure readings, which are abnormal or slower to rise than usual, should give us pause for thought. We should also pay careful attention to its response during the pre-take-off power checks; an unfamiliar gauge

reading, or unusual tone, at high rpm might be an early indication that all is not well. The same applies as we increase power to take off. Abandoning the take-off during the ground run should result in no more than a runway overrun and minor injury at worst, but if we do not notice any problems until we have left the ground, the risk of serious damage and injury is a lot greater, especially if there isn’t enough runway ahead to land and stop safely.

If we suffer a total power failure at a low height, we know to lower the nose to gain and maintain the glide approach speed, and then to land as close to into the wind as possible without turning through more than about 30° unless we are high enough to safely do so. If, however, there still seems to be enough power available to continue a climb, I have found as an instructor that most pilots will start to turn, probably in the hope that they can either complete a low circuit or at least land on the airfield in an abnormal direction. As has been seen in many fatal accidents, especially if the engine loses more power part way round the turn, the pilot may mishandle, stall and spin.

Downwind turn

Investigators tend to emphasise the increased stalling speed in a turn as a factor in loss of control accidents. However, that is not the only factor involved. A turn downwind produces an increase in ground speed and, as we learned when considering wind shear, the inertia of the aircraft in relation to the Earth tends to reduce its airspeed as its ground speed increases. However, the pilot is looking outside the cockpit, and at a low height the ground appears to be moving faster than before, which encourages the erroneous perception that airspeed is increasing, leading to an unconscious, and dangerous, rearward control column movement to reduce it.

Even if the pilot was able to maintain a safe airspeed during the turn, a reduction in power at that point will mean that the subsequent forced landing would be out of wind. Any contact with an obstacle would probably be at a higher ground speed than that of which the cabin structure is capable of protecting the occupants. We need to reduce the risk of that happening.

The more complicated an emergency procedure is, the more likely components of it are to be forgotten or mistaken. I suggest we stick to the EFATO drill we all know, but use whatever power is remaining to provide options to increase our safety. Even if we do not realise instantly that we have less power than we should, we should always be automatically adjusting our climb

attitude in order to maintain our speed for our intended climb. The speed for maximum climb rate is usually very close to our gliding speed. So the first priority, whatever power we have available, is to gain and maintain that gliding speed.

If there is no power at all remaining we are committed to landing in the most suitable part of whatever area is in front of us. Any power which does remain can be used to reduce our rate of descent, and increase the size of the available area. If we have minimised drag by raising any flap there may be enough power available to maintain level flight at our gliding speed, or even permit a climb at a reduced rate. In any case, the priority must be to maintain that speed because any increase or decrease will reduce our performance, as will even a gentle turn.

However, we must remember that an imminent total failure is now likely. If there is any appreciable wind, we need to steel ourselves to avoid turning more than a few degrees, until we have enough height to turn all the way round into wind again if the engine completely fails at the worst possible moment. At least if we are not landing immediately we should have more time to carry out the other actions listed in our aircraft’s particular EFATO drill.

We can check for possible reasons for the problem and try to regain more power by switching fuel tanks and pumps, and checking mixture and magnetos. While carburettor icing is frequently cited by the AAIB as a probable cause of engine failure, and applying full heat is normally recommended as the initial action for a rough running engine, pilots may feel the reduction in available power when it is selected would place them in a more hazardous situation. Every situation will be different and I can’t advise – that is why the pilot is in command! We can also try to tell others that we have a problem and what we are doing about it.

If we cannot climb and are forced to land ahead, however much or little power remains, the possibility exists that the engine may provide a temporary increase in power again, messing up our landing and stopping distances. Once on a satisfactory glide-slope we should switch off the fuel and magnetos.

If we have been fortunate and still have enough power for a gentle climb, we need to consider whether, and at what point, we should make a turn back towards a more suitable landing area such as our departure airfield. The threat of a total failure will always be there; might a diversion to a long and wide runway with rescue facilities (if we can reach one) be a better idea? In any case, we should try to stay within gliding range of

possible landing areas until we are safely at rest back on the ground.

Recently, I have been emphasising Threat and Error Management (TEM), and it is essential in this area of flight. Operating our engine in accordance with the handbook can reduce the likelihood of failures, and careful pre-flight checks can help spot possible problems, but we must be ready to take the actions needed if the problems appear. I advocate making acceleration checks on the take-off run, but these are only useful if we are actually prepared to abandon the take-off if we do not achieve our check speed. Once airborne, we must be alert to make adjustments to our pitch attitude to maintain our climbing speed whatever happens, and to keep aiming more or less ahead until we have enough height to safely go elsewhere.

Accident reports indicate that the temptation to turn can be overwhelming. If we routinely brief ourselves and any crew members (perhaps not worry passengers) on what we intend to do if we experience problems during and just after each individual take-off then there is a chance we might overcome that temptation. Perhaps the briefing I suggested last month ought, more correctly, be: ‘If anything unusual happens during the take-off run, or if we haven’t reached (30) knots before we pass that tall tree (previously calculated stop point), I shall close the throttle and apply the brakes to stop. If we’re airborne and the engine isn’t giving enough power, I shall lower the nose, achieve (60) knots (approach speed) and land on what’s left of the strip or aim for a clear area ahead or slightly right (towards the wind). If I have enough power to avoid landing immediately I shall maintain speed and aim ahead towards a clear area. I shall not turn until I have achieved (600) feet (depends on the local hazards)’.

shall the involved.

nine serious or life-threatening injuries. In no or

The AAIB report concludes: “During the period 2011-2021 the AAIB completed 16 field investigations in which the partial loss of power was involved. Arising from those 16 accidents, there were 15 fatalities and nine serious or life-threatening injuries. In two of these accidents there were no injuries, and both were as a result of flying the aircraft under control to a successful forced landing or ditching. There were five attempted turnbacks, all of which resulted in fatalities or injuries.” ■

Above The climb immediately after take-off is the most critical phase for a pilot to be faced with an emergency.

Below The Australian Transport Safety Board have produced an excellent guiide to managing partial power loss.

The latest LAA Engineering topics and investigations. Compiled by

Jerry Parr

Engineering Matters

Including: Rotax carburettor float guide checking, failures with bracing wires and inaccurate analogue gauges. Got a submission? Send it to

engineering@laa.uk.com

Rotax 912 carburettor float guides

Problems with the floats fitted to Rotax 91x Series engines over the years are well documented, but what may be a new issue has recently come to light on a BMAA-administered EuroFox.

The new owner of the aircraft discovered it was suffering from starting and running difficulties, which were more than likely there at the time of the sale.

LAA Inspector, Ian Daniels, was asked to have a look, and having gone through the basic inspection items, removed the float bowls to check the floats, as well as for any other issues. One of the floats was found to have a loose brass guide tube which was effectively free to slide in and out of the float, although at times, it would stay put. Wear marks indicated that the guide tube had been moving for some time. One of the holes for the guide tube in the float was round but the other was oval.

CFS, the UK Rotax distributor, replaced the floats under warranty. It would be wise to check the security of the guide tubes whenever

A Pitts Special on the LAA fleet was found, after landing, to have a broken tailplane upper bracing wire. The wire was reported by the pilot as being intact with good tension before flight and the break only noticed after landing and parking. A maximum of 4g was pulled during the flight, and no ill effect on handling was felt.

In discussion with Pitts Specials experts, it would appear that failures of tail brace wire have happened many times before, and to the best of their knowledge have not resulted in any major issue in

flight. That said, there remains the possibility that there is potential for it causing a problem if the aircraft was manoeuvred harshly after a wire failure occurs.

An excellent source of reference regarding streamline wires including their installation, inspection and upkeep is the de Havilland Support Ltd Moth Aircraft Technical News Sheet CT (MOTH) No 23.

the floats are removed for their periodic weighing.

Above Rotax carburettor float with a loose float guide tube.

Streamline flying and bracing wires

Above The failed Pitts Special tail bracing wire as discovered after landing.

Right Close ups of the failed Pitts Special tail bracing wire, showing potentially a corrosion area which may have been the initial cause of the failure.

Lexan and windows

Inspector Ray Harper reports that he has recently seen yet another high-wing aircraft with wing tanks and a Lexan windsceen that has been damaged by a fuel spill during refuelling.

Ray mentioned that he is aware that some manufacturers (such as Murphy) moved away from Lexan for this reason.

It isn’t just high-wing aircraft where there is a potential issue. The original RV-12 rear window was Lexan and we always protected ours during refuelling operations with a rubber mat as the refuelling point was only just aft of the rear window. Later RV-12s use a Perspex rear window and the refuelling point is now lower down on the fuselage side.

Tool checks

Ballistic Parachute Recovery Systems: CAA G-INFO and LAA ‘My Data’

As mentioned previously, the CAA G-INFO entry for an aircraft should now show if it has a Ballistic Parachute Recovery System fitted. This is to assist first responders if they are attending an aircraft incident.

If your aircraft has a BPRS fitted, please visit G-INFO and check that the details for your aircraft are correct. Please notify LAA Engineering if G-INFO is showing incorrect information.

Similarly, LAA members can log onto the LAA website and check their aircraft details under ‘My Data’. Please advise LAA Engineering if there are any errors.

Control locks

A well-publicised incident in the USA that occurred in July 2021, resulted in the death of a highly experienced airshow pilot who was also an ex-US Navy aviator. The NTSB discovered in the course of its investigation that, in all probability, the control lock had not been removed prior to departure.

The control lock on the aircraft in question (a tandem two-seater) was floor mounted and secured the P1 control column, but allowed the normal rudder pedal and tailwheel movement.

If a control lock is fitted, then ideally this should secure the P1 controls to give the best chance of it not being overlooked during the pre-flight checks. The incident in question demonstrates that even then, for whatever reason, the control lock may still be missed.

The safest types of lock are those that actually prevent the pilot taking their seat unless the control lock has been removed.

Factory-built gyro modifications

It has become apparent that some factory-built gyros (FBG) may have been modified in the field without following the correct procedures for the type.

While it is possible to apply for a modification via LAA Engineering for those FBG that are administered by the LAA, the ‘LAA Standard Mods’ should not be embodied on FBGs in the same manner to which they are on other applicable LAA-administered types.

We received an email from seasoned LAA Inspector, Phil Chapman, who was taking advantage of the warm weather to check the stabilator control cable tensions of his Jodel.

At the end of the day, with the maintenance tasks complete and having refitted the large empennage fairing, Phil could not locate the tensiometer.

On lifting one side of the fairing and using his phone camera to look inside – mystery solved.

Above The original RV-12 refuelling point is very close to the Lexan rear window – take care when refuelling.

Far Right Phil’s tensiometer where it should be. Right Phil’s tensiometer where it should not be.

VW Revmaster pushrod

While completing a valve clearance check on his VW-based Revmaster R2300 engine, Richard Teverson found that one valve had an excessive tappet clearance of nearly 1/8in.

On closer examination the steel inserted end of the aluminium pushrod had come loose and hammered the aluminium tube. If this had not been noticed in time, the pushrod could have failed completely.

Richard reports that he contacted Joe Horvath at Revmaster who advised to replace all the aluminium pushrods with steel ones. Apparently, it is possible to purchase them in the UK from Aircooled Hut UK Ltd.

Many years ago, Lycoming introduced a ‘production improvement’ for the O-235 series engines which are one of the few Lycoming engine models that do not utilise hydraulic tappets.

This improvement was to replace the aluminium pushrods with steel versions. As part of this change, the dry tappet clearance was reduced from 0.010in to 0.005in as the steel pushrods would expand less than the aluminium ones at working temperature. The engine data plate had to be restamped for the new clearance figure.

Wing damage? Additional inspection points

When an aircraft is involved in a collision, be it in the air, on the ground, with something moving or stationary, it is imperative that a thorough inspection is carried out to ensure that no damage has occurred to the surrounding structure.

Additionally, areas further away from the initial contact point must be accessed and inspected for damage. Examples of this are when the outboard section of a wing strikes something other than the air.

Wings are carefully designed to provide strength in specific directions, reacting against certain loads. They do not take kindly, for instance, to a fore or aft load. With a leading edge striking an object, because of the long lever arms involved, there is every chance that damage has been caused to the wing attachment points, especially the rear spar. Not only is it the spars that are at risk but also the fuselage structure to which they attach and the same for aircraft with wing struts.

As part of the repair process for aircraft involved in such incidents, rigging checks should be carried out before and after the repairs to ensure the airframe is in alignment and entries made in the worksheets confirming the inspections to the airframe structure and the rigging check have been carried out.

Above and left Regardless of the extent of the obvious damage caused to wings and other parts of the airframe, it is vital to check for subsequent damage elsewhere.

Above The damaged VW pushrod as discovered by Richard Teverson.

Accuracy of analogue instruments

LAA aircraft owner, Angus Fleming, was surprised to discover just how inaccurate engine gauges may be when compared to modern EFIS electronic systems.

Angus compared his Rotax tachometer with a calibrated TruTach optical digital tachometer. The difference was an underread of the Rotax instrument of up to 9%, which could easily result in an

LAA Engineering housekeeping

unknown engine overspeed situation. Even electronic gauges may not be accurate and the old-style ‘magnet and cup’ car speedometers will probably be the worst of all. Most people accept that car speedometers may be up to 10% inaccurate and the same ‘technology’ is used in cable driven aircraft tachos. Of course, the same issues can affect other

Emails going to spam For reasons best known to someone else, there appears to be a higher than normal proportion of emails sent from LAA Engineering that are going straight into recipients’ Spam or Junk folders.

If you are expecting an email from LAA Engineering and it has not appeared, please check your Spam or Junk folder.

Patience please We are currently in the busiest period of the year in LAA Engineering, please be patient if your query, Permit to Fly revalidation, repair or modification is not dealt with as quickly as you might hope.

Postage charges We receive two or three items of delayed post a week due to insufficient postage.

The way the Royal Mail system works means these items go off on a different route and can take two weeks to arrive at LAA HQ. Currently, LAA absorb the associated ‘fines’ but in the future may have to claim the money back from the sender.

LAA Engineering charges

Initial Permit issue Up to 450kg £450

Permit Revalidation

now be paid online via LAA Shop) Up to 450kg

1,000kg and above £260

Factory-built gyroplanes* (all weights) £275

*Gyros note: if the last Renewal wasn’t administered by the LAA, an extra fee of £125 applies

Modification application

Prototype modification minimum £60

Repeat modification minimum £30 Transfer (from C of A to Permit or CAA Permit to LAA Permit)

Four-seat aircraft

aircraft flight and engine instruments. If in doubt check your tach reading. It may be possible to adjust or recalibrate the aircraft’s instrument, but not necessarily over the entire range.

Generally speaking, the modern ‘glass cockpit’ EFIS systems are more accurate, but should still have a check calibration wherever possible.

Europa door latch stop Mod/247/012 Permit to Fly revalidation applications are being received with no record of the mandatory modification having been carried out. The Standard Mod SM15833 LAA/MOD 1 form must be submitted to LAA Engineering before the Permit to Fly can be revalidated.

Permit to fly revalidation check flight W&B The take-off weight for the Permit to Fly revalidation check flight should be in excess of 90% of the MTWA for the aircraft, as this makes aircraft performance monitoring more meaningful.

Additionally, the centre of gravity at take-off should be within the limits stated in the aircraft’s Operating Limitations document and use the same datum as specified and please include the units of measurement, not a percentage of MAC, unless that is what is used in the Operating Limitations document.

It is surprising just how many applications are received with a centre of gravity that is outside limits and the incorrect ‘forward of datum’ or ‘aft of datum’ stated. ■

Recent Alerts & AILs

Please note the Engineering section of the LAA website has the most current information.

LAA TSB: TSB-001-2022

Applicability: All Europa aircraft

Europa: Door latch system stop

CAA MPD: 2022-003

Manufacturer’s/agent’s type acceptance fee

Project registration royalty

Category change

Group A to microlight

Microlight to Group A

Change of G-Registration fee

Issue of Permit documents following G-Reg change

Replacement Documents

Lost, stolen etc (fee is per document)£20

PLEASE NOTE: When you’re submitting documents using an A4-sized envelope, a first-class stamp is insufficient postage.

LAA AIL: MOD/247/012

LAA Alert: LAA/AWA/21/08

Note: CAA MPD 2022-003 has now been corrected as of 22 June 2022

MT-PROPELLER ENTWICKLUNG GmbH

Applicability: MTV-( ) Variable Pitch Propellers

Subject: Propeller Blade Lag Screw Replacement EASA AD 2022-0134

Note: Please see the MT Propeller TADS P17 link to the ‘EASA AD Safety Publishing Tool’ for further info.

SLING

Applicability: All Sling aircraft types and serials

Subject: Eyebolt inspection and conditional replacement Sling Service Bulletin #0020

Note: It has been found that the eyebolts fitted in the control system of certain Sling aircraft may fail to meet the manufacturer’s specification in regard to fatigue life. Such eyebolts are identifiable by the narrowness of the neck of the eyebolt above the bolt thread. This service bulletin details the procedures for inspection and replacement of such eyebolts in the various control systems.

Left Instruments old and new – never assume they are all accurate.

Top notch drill tips…

When it comes to drilling holes, there’s more to it than just putting the right size bit in a drill. There’s a wide array of tools available to you, including the pillar drill, the cordless drill and the 90° drill. Drill bits aren’t one size fits all either, and include centre drill and long series, stepped hole cutters, flat bits, hole saws, trepanners and drill guide blocks. Also note that if you need a ¼in hole, you do not start by using a ¼in drill. I would normally start with 1/8in, go to 3/16in and then to ¼in.

Pillar drill

You will need a pillar drill with a 3/8in capacity chuck minimum. Nearly all are multi-speed and it is worth looking into how long it takes to change the speed of the drill – they vary in complexity. The change of speeds needed between drilling timber (reasonably high) and metals (quite slow) is often necessary, and a pain, if it’s a protracted operation. The quill travel (the quill is the hollow shaft that surrounds the spindle. The spindle is the rotating shaft that the chuck is mounted on) is worth consideration also. My pillar drill has many combinations of belt positions giving a huge choice of speeds, but I just about only use one, two up from the bottom, and one two down from the top. The quill travel is around 2 ½in which is a disadvantage at times, but rarely.

The table can be quickly raised or lowered to suit the thickness of what is about to be drilled by unclamping, winding up or down, and re-clamping to the pillar. This is another tool that often sports a further adjustment you will rarely, or never use – the dreaded tilting table. Just make sure that even though the indicator may say it is at zero, it actually is!

Burst through

Whenever drilling through timber, always try and have a firm surface to rest the workpiece on. Something like a piece of melamine worktop material is ideal.

This is used so that when your drill passes through the far side of the component, it does so cleanly and does not ‘burst’ the surface. Of course, there is a limit as to how many times the same piece of melamine can be used as the surface disappears into holes…

If you are working away from the pillar drill, say on the side of the fuselage. Hold a block of hardwood or similar, on the inside of the fuselage.

If you are worried about missing the block and hitting your fingers, then it may be best to get someone else to hold it!

While drilling holes in wood can be simple, Dudley Pattison has some tools, techniques and helpful hints, which will assist you in ensuring each one you make is perfect…

Above Mark a pencil cross, then carefully touch the drill on the cross centre before you start drilling..

Above A centre drill has a small tip and a large body, making it less prone to bending/breaking.

Cordless drill

What can I say about a cordless drill? There are so many available now that the choice is huge. My favourite unit is a small Bosch, although it has the disadvantage of a built-in battery, so when that is depleted it cannot be used until re-charged. The reason I like it though is because it is light. That’s a real benefit when you are stretching across a wing or fuselage, using it at arm’s length. It’s also a huge advantage, when space is tight, to have a small form-factor, or short, drill. My most expensive drill is also the most powerful and came with two batteries, a very fast charger and a built-in LED light system to show how much battery capacity is left. It is very good, but it is heavy for repeated use.

90° angle drill

When building an aircraft you will be amazed at how many times you have to get into very awkward places, with little spare space, and then have to drill holes. A 90° drill is useful as it is short. Small 90° adaptors are also available that fit a regular drill, and a much cheaper alternative to a 90° drill. They clamp into the chuck of a standard drill and have bevelled gears that turn the drive through 90°. The whole assembly can be quite unwieldy though!

Home-made short drills

Also useful are old drill chucks. By fitting a drill or a screwdriver bit in them, they are turned into a very short hand drill or screwdriver.

Drill bits

Your kit, or plans, will either show imperial hardware, AN,

or the almost unobtainable now AGS, or metric. You therefore only need a set of imperial drills, or metric drills. The range of the sizes will also be limited. The KFA Safari which I’ve just finished, only required 4,5,6 and 8mm drills and 8 and 12mm hand reamers. The RV-7A before that had a similarly short list of imperial size requirements. However, it is nice to have a more full set of drills, as often holes are bored undersize with drill changes to get to the required size. Buy the best quality drills you can!

Long series

Long series drills can also be very useful. These can often be found at 6in and 12in lengths. They will often allow you to get to places otherwise inaccessible!

Centre drill

A particular favourite of mine is the centre drill. I usually use a 3/16in one. Normally used by a lathe operator in the tailstock to start a hole in the component held in the chuck, a centre drill has a very stiff body that supports a short, small drill end. If the operator had used a normal small drill in the tailstock, the tip would have skidded away and broken the drill.

I use one to start my holes accurately. A hole usually starts life as a vertical and horizontal pencil line forming a cross. If the marked component will fit on the pillar drill table, the job is more easily and more accurately accomplished than working freehand. With the pencil cross positioned under the drill tip, lower the drill to just touch the surface. Raise the drill and you will see where you touch by the absence of graphite (assuming you were somewhere close…). If not spot on, adjust the component position as required and try again. Eventually

Above When it comes to cordless drills. Best to have a light one and a heavy duty one.

Above Always check that the table is square to the quill on a new drill.

Above Placing the component on a base board for drilling prevents burst through, making a clean hole.

Above Three ways to drill at 90°.

Above Stepped hole cutters were designed for thin sheet metal, but work well in ply and timber as well.

Above A dummy panel in plywood can help you perfect your layout design. This one took three tries…

Above Trepanning. A good way of making any size hole that you want.

Above When free hand drilling ensure your fingers are clear!

you will get it right (honestly), and the drill can be plunged a little deeper to form a good start to the proposed hole. Change the centre drill for an appropriately sized drill bit and drill through.

Drill guide block

Let’s assume the pencil cross is somewhere on the side of the fuselage and so the hole has to be started freehand, else you would need an enormous pillar drill to get a fuselage on it. With the centre drill bit in a drill touch the centre of the cross with the tip of the drill and depress the trigger for a second. Remove the drill and check your efforts, if central then carry on, but if, say, the hole start is at ‘7 o’clock’ to the cross, put the tip of the drill bit in the started hole and aim it at ‘1 o’clock’. Drill a short distance at that and bring the drill back to square off the job before stopping it. It should only take one or two quick bursts like this to achieve central positioning.

Next, load your drill guide block onto a pilot drill, position the drill tip in the started hole, press the drill guide block hard to the surface and drill through.

My drill guide block, which is drilled to take 1/8in, 3/16in and 1/4in drill bits, as seen in the photo, suffers from being a tad heavy. As the tool will likely be used a few times, it would have been more sensible to use a piece of oak, or similar hard wood, for its manufacture.

Spade bits

Spade bits have little, or no, use for the structure of an aircraft but are very useful when making a form tool for laminating. They will quickly give you a large hole in a piece of MDF, for example, for clamping the laminations in place. To avoid a massive amount of burst through, when drilling the first face, only drill far enough to allow the guide point to pass through the MDF. Then turn the MDF over and put the guide point in the small hole and continue through to complete the hole.

Hole saw

Hole saws come in all shapes and sizes, and although I have two sets, they are rarely used. This is because the size of the hole is limited to the size of the saws you have, and the finish of the hole achieved is not spectacular.

Trepanner

By far the best way to cut a clean hole, in thick or thin, plywood is to trepan it. The beauty of a trepanner is that it is adjustable to make whatever size you want within its maximum and minimum capability. They come in a range of sizes, mine being toward the smaller end of the range. It was supplied with a short length of 3/16in square tool steel, which is ground to a point for cutting. The outer face has to be backed off to avoid it scuffing the edge of the cut. I have one end of the cutter ground to suit making a clean hole, and the other end ground to suit making a clean washer. Yes, some designs call up for plywood washers, although not many it’s fair to say. I use it on aluminium as well, lubricated by paraffin or just water, when cutting holes for my own instrument panels. Whether you are using it on plywood or aluminium, the rules are the same. Use a slow rotational speed and a slow feed rate. Cut to somewhere near half thickness then turn the material over and cut through from the second side. Patience is required for aluminium along with many applications of lubricant. Always secure the workpiece well.

Stepped hole cutters

This is a tool that was really made for making clean holes in thin metal sheets. If you build an RV, a selection is essential to have in your toolbox. It will also bore a reasonably clean hole in plywood as well. If you are able to place the item to be bored on the pillar drill, with a melamine or similar backing, it will make a nice clean hole. ■

Above Flat blade cutters are useful when making jigs.

Above Two drill sets, on the left is a numbered drill set, the other is a an imperial 1/16in to 3/8in set, each drill size increasing by 1/64in.

Above Long series drills can be extremely useful.

Above My small trepanner has done five (I think) instrument panels, among other things.

Struts 4U

Anne Hughes rounds up Strut news & views

While the British weather took a very Continental turn this past month, it wasn’t all sunshine when it came to the Vintage Aircraft Club and LAA Meet the Members weekend at Bodmin, towards the end of July. Despite the best of plans, the clouds descended over Cornwall and aircraft were unable to fly-in. Thanks to Pete White and Jay Gates of

the Cornwall Strut, those who did make it enjoyed Cornish pasties and a look around the hangars, plus the flora extravaganza Bodmin has become famous for. Thanks also to Neil Wilson and David Millin for arriving with the LAA stand.

The Devon and Wessex Struts, on the other hand, both enjoyed some wall-to-wall sunshine for the Branscombe Fly-In, where there were 46 arrivals by air, and at least one sunny day for the Aerofest meet at Middlezoy. Neil Wilson reported that a joint LAA and Wessex Strut stand was part of the that event, and while Saturday’s decent weather was not repeated on Sunday, when some heavy drizzle in the morning put off the would-be arrivals, they met and spoke with many people, some wanting to get back into flying and others looking at wishing to build an aeroplane. All in all, a great atmosphere… and plans for next year’s Aerofest are already underway for next year.

Nic Orchard reported on the inter-strut fly-in at Lee-on-Solent, where more than 40 aircraft arrived, and the airport was reportedly extremely happy with the turnout, airmanship and general ambience of the day. Nic says, “Half price landings plus 10% off any and

Above Plenty of LAA aircraft at the Middlezoy AeroFest.

Below left Devon Strut fly-in at Banscombe, Devon.

Opposite top right The Meet the LAA event at Rufforth East, with the Vale of York Strut.

Mike Mold

everything in the café made for splendid additional motivation. A very substantial contingent from Kent and Suffolk struts with a welcome arrival or two from Wessex and Southern Struts, not to mention a dedicated arrival by road, gave the resident spotters a plethora of subjects. We were able to give away a good number of Airfield Adventure books to youngsters, too. Visitors wandered to the beach and Hovercraft Museum (another discount!) so there was never any overcrowding.”

The beginning of August saw the return of the LAA roadshow to Rufforth East Airfield and a warm welcome from Chris Holliday and the Vale of York Strut. Entertainment took the form of an enthusiastic, and talented, two-wheel display rider who demonstrated that you can ride a motorbike facing backwards, standing on the seat, while performing somersaults, which captivated the younger audience!

The new airfield café has an Italian menu and provides musical entertainment. More than 20 aircraft arrived each day of the weekend and it was good to see Eryl Smith, Andy Draper and Steve Slater, who had driven up from HQ to support the weekend.

Of course, none of these events could take place were it not for a dedicated group of volunteers, both from the Struts and on the ground at whichever airfield hosts the event. The payback is, of course, the camaraderie of the workers and the satisfaction in seeing a successful outcome with aircraft arriving and groups enjoying a day together.

An added bonus is often to be found when the day involves provision for young people, as we have found with our Aviation Adventure Days at Turweston and LAA Aviation Art, now part of the Shuttleworth Air Shows. Stuart Luck and his team of YES volunteers, alongside the Joystick Club, have worked over the years to give inspiration and pleasure to many young people. To see the Discovery Zone in action at Shuttleworth and the learning and ‘fun’ activities involving pedal planes, paper planes and bottle rockets, as well as the LAA pedal plane used to demonstrate basic engineering skills, is a pure delight and a real ‘education’ for onlookers! Simulators are also available for young people to try out their flying skills. Stuart Luck and Mike Clews, along with Pete White in Bodmin and others involved in arranging events for young people are always happy to see new volunteers come and assist at events. Do get in touch if you would like to add the fun of working with the next generation of aviators to a day at a fly-in or air show.

The LAA Grass Roots Fly-In at Popham will again provide an opportunity for Strut Members to meet up in a Strut area, alongside the Vintage Aircraft Club. We look forward to seeing you there. ■

Strut Calendar

Please contact your local Strut to check the details before attending the calendar events.

Andover Strut: Spitfire Club, Popham Airfield, SO21 3BD. 12 September Gyro Around the World, James Ketchell; 10 October TBD. Details contact Bob Howarth email: bobhowarth99@ btinternet.com Phone no. 01980 611124

Bristol Strut: BAWA Club, Filton, 19.30. 6 September AGM; 4 October The activities of the RAeS General Aviation Group by Chris Wright. Contact chairman@bristolstrut.uk www. bristolstrut.uk

Cornwall Strut: The Clubhouse, Bodmin Airfield. 10 September Cornwall Strut Fly-In at Bodmin. Virtual Zoom meetings throughout winter months. Contact Pete White pete@aeronca.co.uk 01752 406660

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

East of Scotland Strut: Harrow Hotel, Dalkeith.20.00hrs. 12 September Strut Meeting. Contact: inrgibson001@ btinternet.com 0131 339 2351.

East Midlands Strut: The Plough, Normanton on Soar. Contact: tonyrazzell2@gmail.com

Gloster Strut: Summer venue Croft Farm, Defford, WR8 9BN. Contact: Harry Hopkins phone 07902 650619 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: Steve Hoskins hoskinsltd@outlook.com 07768 984507.

LiNSY Trent Valley Strut: Trent Valley Gliding Club, Kirton Lindsey. pilotbarry1951@gmail. com http:// linsystrut.wixsite.com/website

North East Strut: Fishburn Airfield. Brunch on the third Sunday of each month. 1130-13.30 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. First Sunday of the month HEMS Bistro Café. 1300. Contact: Gareth Roberts gtrwales@gmail.com 07876 483414.

Oxford Group: Sturdy’s Castle Country Inn, Banbury Road, Kidlington, OX5 3EP. Second Wednesday each month.14September Feedback from competing in the World Microlight Championships with Owain Johns and Richard Gibbs; 24Sept Strut ‘Pie-In’ fly-in to Enstone. All welcome. Free landing. £1000 pie meal. PPR and meal booking contact Jan 07943067234. Contact LAAOxford@gmail.com www. oxfordlaa.co.uk

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. 8

September Flying the Blackbird SR-71 Rich Graham. (Contact Keith if you are planning to attend.) Contact: Keith Taylor bushebiggles@sky.com

Southern Strut: The Swiss Cottage, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5TD. 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: Earl Stonham Village Hall, IP14 5HJ. 17/18 September

Suffolk Coastal Strut supporting North Weald Marshallers Fly-In and LAA ‘Meet the Members’ at Rougham; 21

September The Military History of Orfordness talk by Peter Whiley; 19

October Strut meeting TBA. Contact: Martyn Steggalls events@ suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk / 07790 925142

The Joystick Club: 4 September / 2 October Joystick Club at Shuttleworth Air Shows with pedal planes and simulator. Contact: Mike Clews, m. clews@sky.com. 07775 847914. www. joystickclub.co.uk

Vale of York Strut: Chocks Away Café, Rufforth East Airfield.1900. Contact: Chris Holliday 07860 787801 valeofyorkstrutlaa@gmail.com www. valeofyorkstrutlaa.wordpress.com

Wessex Strut: Henstridge Airfield Clubhouse. Check Wessex Strut website. 12 September – Henstridge Bimble, Burgers and Beans; 14 October Strut AGM. Local fortnightly Strut walks organised by Wessex Aviators Leisure Klub. Contact: neil.wilson@laa.uk.com

West Midlands Strut: Navigator Café, Halfpenny Green Aerodrome 1930. Contact: Graham Wiley westmidlandslaastrut@googlegroups. com Stuart Darby stuartdarby134@ hotmail.com. or 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) – YES stand at Shuttleworth Air Shows. 24September 1pm-4pm Audley End Scout Taster Day. (Contact 07974188395 to volunteer.)

Contact: Stewart Luck captainluck@ hotmail.com

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

The sky is no limit!

Neil Wilson talks to Amy Whitewick, the pilot behind some very clever aerial art…

Where did your interest in aviation begin?

My very first taste of aviation was many years ago, in the form of a several CD-Rom set of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2008, which my parents bought for me one Christmas. I would play for hours on it, exploring America and watching the little Cessna and the Bell helicopter twitching around on the screen – my grandfather would sometimes sit with me and loved to watch. His dream was to one day visit the Grand Canyon; sadly, he never got to go, but I was able to take him there ‘virtually’ by ‘flying over’ it in that little Cessna. I had absolutely no idea I would actually own a real one in the future.

When did you first take to the air?

My second, real taste of aviation, happened several years ago while working as editor for the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust’s magazine, The Butty. I was asked to take some photographs of canal landmarks for the Trust to use in its marketing, and the mentor I worked under, Charles Reiss, had a great friend named Sue Rose, who was a pilot. She offered to take me up from Thruxton, along with her co-pilot, Mohammed Huq, in a fabulous four-seater Cessna. I remember being both excited and terrified that day, having no idea what to expect!

Once in the air, the scenery below was absolutely

Above Pilot and aerial artist extraordinaire, Amy Whitewick, with her much-loved Cessna 150 Aerobat, ‘Alpha Charlie.

magical, and I really could not believe we were actually flying through the air (considering I had never flown abroad or in any type of aircraft before then). Both Sue and Mohammed were so professional and calm. Although, I didn’t tell them I had my eyes closed on landing in fear of the unknown, despite their beautifully smooth touch down!

For weeks afterwards, all I could do was look up at the sky. My eyes were no longer Earth-bound any more.

Number of types and hours flown?

To date I have approx 282+ hours since I began flying in 2018. I obtained my microlight NPPL(M) licence in 2018, and my PPL(A) in 2019, and have enjoyed flying a wide variety of types, including Ikarus C42, Skyranger, Evektor Eurostar, Jabiru, Condor, Tiger Moth, Chipmunk, Robin DR40, K21 Glider, Cessna 150 Aerobat, and recently a Beagle Pup.

I also have approx 3,000+ simulator hours on a home VR sim with full stick and rudder setup, flying an interesting array of types including P-51 Mustang, Dakota DC-3, Carbon Cub, Extra, Cessna Ag-Truck, C-130, Spitfire, Boeing 747 and several helicopters.

Have you owned any aeroplanes?

I did very briefly own a Jabiru not long after achieving my NPPL(M) in the summer of 2018. Unfortunately, I was involved in a landing accident in it, which left me pretty

shaken. When I returned to flying, I encountered a form of post-traumatic stress when in flight with my friend and fellow Wessex Strut member, Mervyn White. While I was landing, I completely froze like a rabbit caught in the headlights, convinced the same terror would happen again. Mervyn quickly saw what was happening and took immediate control, landing the aircraft and reassuring me.

He then spent several evenings working me from the P2 seat, back to P1 seat in his aircraft, making multiple approaches, over and over and over again at a grass strip near Westbury, until I was able to land again without fear. The stress of the accident was very unpleasant, and I’m so grateful Mervyn got me straight back into it and flying again.

Later that year, a friend in the village where I lived decided to sell his Cessna 150 Aerobat, G-JHAC. He had taken me flying a couple of times before, and I thought she was a very smart and beautiful aircraft. For some reason, I really couldn’t bear to see her go to someone else, and made him an offer. I couldn’t believe when the

Above Amy’s Jabiru.

Below top Cessna Aerobat Alpha Charlie.

Below bottom Trying some gliding.

offer was accepted and she was mine! It was all a bit of a dream and a whirlwind, and suddenly, I realised my microlight licence wouldn’t cover flying her, so I promptly signed up for lessons at Compton Abbas Airfield.

Unfortunately, none of the microlight hours counted towards the PPL, however, my fantastic instructors, Dave Farrow and Steve Clayton, chose to have some fun and fill the 40 hours with all sorts of mischief, including aerobatics, instrument flying, landing at military airfields, and a cheeky drop-in to Bournemouth where my instructor at the time needed a lift there to do a brief Cessna Citation emergency exit course. The gentleman showing my instructor how to open the hatch kindly let me have a go too, and I can proudly say I have been able to eject the emergency hatch on a Citation, as well as having a sneaky sit in the cockpit!

Completing the PPL course on Alpha Charlie was fantastic, and I have built a very strong bond with her through this – I obtained my full PPL(A) licence in 2019 and have been enjoying flying her ever since.

Any favourite or least favourite types?

While it’s the aeroplane I also own, the Cessna 150 Aerobat is definitely my favourite. Built as a trainer, mine continues to teach me new things and I have a great deal of respect for her. I’ve had some boy-racer type pilots poke fun at her, saying she is ‘very slow’ and ‘boring’. I hope that some of the aerial art and other adventures Alpha Charlie and I have done together shows that she’s far from dull, and that training aircraft can be just as exciting.

Probably the worst type I flew, on reflection, was the Jabiru which I very briefly owned. The controls seemed very slow, unresponsive and sloppy, but of course, that’s a personal preference – I know and admire some great pilot friends who handle them fantastically.

I just didn’t like the way you could ask it to turn around a corner and it would think about it first, then a little later that maybe, just maybe, it wanted to turn in that direction. I disliked its small rudder at slow speeds, too.

What type of flying do you enjoy the most?

I love all types of flying, so don’t really have any preference to either – I do particularly like local practising (stalls, steep turns etc) at the moment, and love experimenting.

Aerobatics are great, too. I started learning in 2019, but sadly had to put that on hold while Covid was rampant. I’ll never forget doing a negative push in Alpha Charlie which covered my instructor in dirt and leaves (I’d forgotten to vacuum the aircraft after the winter).

I cracked up when he looked at me under his compost-covering. “Next time, I’ll open the window,” he grunted.

Taking non-pilot passengers is fun, too. I’ve only ever taken two of them up, the first one not long after obtaining my licence, which was a bit frightening as they had a nasty bout of airsickness (nothing to do with my flying, I swear!). I’ve never flown so fast back to the airfield!

Aerial art (a new flying category perhaps?) is fantastic too – I’ve learned so much from that, and it’s incredibly challenging and demanding.

You have become well known for your aerial art. What inspired you to start doing this?

The inspiration began between lockdowns. I was a little anxious about landing away and wanted something to improve my skills locally instead, but that was also something fun and different. I was scrolling through Facebook one day and came across a GPS image a friend had done while out jogging. It was supposed to be a whale, but really didn’t look like one! That set the spark of an idea. I wondered if it would be possible to draw a GPS image in an aircraft? As an artist, this thought instantly seized my curiosity, and I began planning small images on SkyDemon to practice on, which eventually led to making an entry in the Pooleys Dawn to Dusk Competition. The idea very quickly grew out of all proportion and I wanted others to experience and enjoy the task of creating an image as a team instead of working alone.

Tell us about your early artworks, the Peace Dove and John Stringfellow.

The Stringfellow flight planning stage was utter madness. It took more than four hours to draw out the design and plan it, using a technique in SkyDemon, by drawing a set line between two points, then clicking the middle of the magenta line and dragging it to create further points. I then had the challenge of splitting it into three flights, owing to Alpha Charlie’s endurance. The planning itself (safely on the ground) was fuelled by quite a bit of Prosecco! I later actually asked my co-pilot, Mervyn, in flight, if I was mad… I am, probably !

Above The start of Amy’s aerial art adventures - a Dove of Peace.

Right Created as an entry to the 2021 Pooleys Dawn to Dusk competition, a portrait of John Stringfellow.

Below left Being presented with the Pooleys Sword, for best Dawn to Dusk competition Log entry.

Below right Putting the Pooleys Sword to good use… arise Sir Merv!

The Dove was drawn in a similar fashion and was a little easier to ‘draw’ in the sky. The only difficulty with planning these flights is the fact that aircraft really have only one forward plane of motion. They can’t go backwards like a helicopter, so trying to draw something in one direction is basically the same as drawing a picture without taking your pencil off of the paper.

The Stringfellow flight took approximately 5hr and 27min in the air total time in three parts, and the Dove was a little shorter, of about two hours and was part of a three-bird set of pigeon sky art drawings in memory of my grandfather, a keen and award-winning pigeon-racer and breeder. The three drawings were part of my 2021 entry into Pooleys Dawn to Dusk, for which I was awarded the Women’s Bonney Trophy.

It was a bit more challenging on my own for the Dove

flight and I struggled with the amount of workload in the cockpit. These drawings really are a two-pilot job, and I was honoured and delighted to fly the Stringfellow one with Mervyn last year.

The flying was the easy bit compared to preparing the Dawn to Dusk competition entry log, although the Stringfellow evidence log of 40 pages took just over two weeks to put together!

Your latest work, the Wessex Wyvern and Queen’s Head were done with Wessex Strut members. Did this take more planning and work?

The most recent GPS drawings of the Queen and the Wessex Wyvern were done as a team effort with members of the Wessex Strut, as I felt it would be great fun to share this exciting new ‘sport’ as a team, so that we could all learn something from each other. The planning for this was probably best described as ‘crazy’! The Wyvern one took around eight hours, and the Queen’s portrait around 10 hours, just to flesh out the illustration on SkyDemon and then break apart into the separate sections required for each team member. As SkyDemon doesn’t allow multiple select of waypoints (and it really shouldn’t, anyway!), I ended up click-delete-click-delete to remove each one to split; this was done up to 200 times in six segments for the Queen, and 200 times in eight segments for the Wyvern. I couldn’t feel my hands for numbness – thank goodness for the Prosecco afterwards!

After this of course, came the team assignments with their individual routes, which I tried to match with their skill levels and experience to ensure a pleasurable flight that would help expand on their skills without pushing too far.

It was a strange feeling, suddenly planning for multiple teams rather than just myself. I was now having to think about Notams, weather, airspace etc for a wide variety of pilots. It was challenging, exciting and fun, and I learned so much from each of them.

How do you deal with airspace, as things have got bigger?

That’s a tricky one, when plotting the routes, I try to consider difficulties around airspace and match trickier areas with more experience pilots if possible, but always advise to all pilots that their own airmanship should determine their course, and that all standard rules and procedures apply as per any usual flight – after all, they are Pilot in Command. Flying through, or near to, airspace should consist of a good routine of listening out, squawking if possible, and if in doubt, call out. Airspace operators are usually quite reasonable if not under pressure, and a quick phone call before leaving the ground usually results in a helpful conversation if you’re uncertain of anything. Yeovilton Radar, I have to say, are particularly nice on the phone and radio and have been very helpful to our Art Force Teams. As a pilot, however, it’s always your responsibility for your flight, even if it has been pre-planned by someone else. I’m never offended if a pilot says to me as a flight planner ‘Hey, that’s not right!’ – I usually respond with ‘OK, tell me more – let’s work on this. What can we learn?’.

Do you have any more art plans for the future?

Absolutely! As an artist, I’m constantly dreaming up the next one, and I have one in mind for next year which I’d like to design to cover most of the country. We really need to show the world just how good the UK is for General Aviation. If that doesn’t do it, what will? I hope to get plenty of pilots involved in that one, to give others the same fun opportunities to join in, especially if they elect to take someone with little or no experience as P2. I hope it will inspire a new wave of future pilots.

I may also have a fun one up my sleeve that us women from the Wessex Strut might try next year possibly for charity, and a bit of a giggle!

Your favourite moment in aviation?

All of them! Although one sticks in my mind. I was with my instructor, Steve Clayton in Alpha Charlie, and he instructed me to climb through an almighty cloud. Owing to the slow climb of the Aerobat, the climb went on and on and on, for what seemed like forever. I kept looking nervously at him, while flicking my eyes back and forth between the gauges. He had a smile on his face. “Keep climbing!”, he encouraged.

He leaned forward to check the wings for ice, which made me even more nervous, then, although I could see nothing outside, I heard torrential rain at about 5,000ft, hitting the airframe. Still, Steve smiled and said “Keep

Above Amy and co-pilot Mervyn White being presented with the Norton Griffiths Challenge Trophy from the Royal Aero Club for their aerial artwork.

Below Preparing for some more aerial art flying.

going.” The white in front of us grew paler, and then suddenly burst into blue. At about 6,500ft, we popped out on top, and the landscape of cloud below was like flying over the Arctic snow, with beautiful blue shadows. I’ll never forget that.

Do you have other non-aviation interests?

My main hobby (when I’m not working or flying!) is drawing and painting. I absolutely love drawing portraits, and use both digital and traditional mediums, my favourite being acrylic on canvas.

I surprised my instructor once with a caricature to say ‘thank you’ (for some extra aerobatic lessons after my PPL), of him flying his Chipmunk, which I drew by hand and painted on the computer.

I also secretly enjoy playing the electric cello on winter evenings, and occasionally, the didgeridoo in the garden, much to my neighbours dismay.

Do you have any aviation heroes?

My aviation heroes have got to be my fellow pilot friends and instructors. I really look up to them and admire their experience and knowledge. I have a lot to learn, and all of my pilot friends are so incredibly inspiring. They’re my heroes!

Any favourite aviation books?

Aerobatics by Neil Williams. It’s real ‘stick and rudder’ stuff and I’ve used it to learn manoeuvres in my simulator. It’s a great primer of what to expect and is very honestly written, warts and all, with some wonderful illustrations.

Any lessons learned from aviation?

Gosh, that’s a tough one! I’ve had quite a few hairy moments, but the most fun one was in a Tiger Moth. My instructor asked if I would like to have a go at a loop, and, excited, I took control and tried to attempt it like I would in Alpha Charlie (i.e., in Alpha Charlie the stick is a bit lighter and I have a habit of not necessarily pulling it all the way back to the stop). I started the loop, believing I had the stick right back, and looked at the bright yellow wing over the horizon, thinking, “Gosh, that’s a bit slow. Will we ever get over the top?” The instructor let me continue, but kept asking to pull the stick back further. At this point, the Tiger did an ugly flop and the engine stopped! The instructor dived the aircraft, the ground rushing up fast, before the engine coughed back into life. Thankfully, after reading the aerobatics book by Neil Williams, I knew what to expect when a Tiger has a

Above Amy’s latest and greatest projects, have been to create a portrait of the Queen, by her and Art Force One team. The same team have also created (above left) a Wessex Wyvern.

hiccough, and thought the dive to restart the engine was spectacular and very amusing. I did get another go afterwards, and, I’m pleased to say the engine did not stop on that one… lesson learned!

Any aeroplanes or other vehicles on your wish list?

I do have a burning ambition to fly a Piper Pawnee (or similar ag-truck aeroplane) one day. They just look awesome and I’d love to try glider towing in one. The related American Thrush aircraft look stunning, and have a great deal of grunt. Flying a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) Fire Boss aircraft would be my ultimate goal. Fighting fires with one and scooping water all day would be a dream job, and a close second to that would be flying an eVTOL. They look very cool.

As for vehicles – a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat would be nice to try drifting in… but I equally appreciate the subtle curves, character, paint finishes and leather / oil scent of vintage cars. You just can’t beat that.

Any advice to share with other pilots?

Always ensure you spend as much time planning your flight as you would spend in the air. Careful planning goes a long way to reducing workload and pressure –never do your planning last minute. I did that once, forgetting to mark up my map with headings and winds, and received a swift (friendly!) slap with a map from an instructor for my troubles. I never rushed again! ■

WHERE TO GO

Aselection of events for the beginning of the year, and some you might want to plan for in the summer months. While they’ve yet to publish a list of events, don’t forget GASCo are running some Safety Evenings up and down the country. Keep an eye on their website, www.gasco.org.uk, for further updates.

September

2-4 Popham LAA Grass Roots fly-in [PPR]

2-4 Connington BAeA Nationals

2-4 Blois Mondial de l’ULM

4 Old Warden Shuttleworth Steam & Vintage Air Show

9-11 Alderney Fly-in

10 Bodmin LAA Cornwall Strut fly-in [PPR]

10 Old Warden DH Moth Club Gathering of Moths

10 Piddington Shadow Owners Club fly-in

10-11 Duxford IWM Battle of Britain Air Show [pre-book]

17 Sutton Meadows Microlight

17 Compton Abbas Microlights [PPR] fly-in

17-18 Rougham North Weald Marshalling

Team fly-in and Meet the LAA day

As always, check the Royal Aero Club Events website for the latest information and web links for many of the events: http://events.royalaeroclub.org/events.htm.

Our thanks to the RAeC and to Dave Wise for the use of their data. If you have an event you want to advertise on the list, please email the details to Dave at: dave.wise@btinternet.com.

17-18 Kemble Vintage Aircraft fly-in [PPR]

17-18 Fenland BAeA Aerobatic competition

24-25 Eshott RRRA Air Races

24-25 Sandown Late summer flamping fly-in

24-25 Sywell Pistons & Props show

25 Barton Friends of Barton Aerodrome fly-in [PPR]

30- Old Warden RRRA Kings Cup 100th

1 Oct anniversary tribute air race [PPR]

October

1 Oct Old Warden Race day Air Show [PPR]

6 Old Warden Shuttleworth access all areas and lunch [PPR]

6-9 Sleap BAeA Nationals

8 Welshpool VPAC fly-in

8 Duxford IWM Flying Finale Air Show [PPR]

9 Bicester Sunday scramble!

Planning ahead…

Oct 9 Coventry MAM Aviation Fair

Oct 11-12 Shrivenham CAA/MAA PostSeason Air Display Symposium

Oct 15 Old Warden Shuttleworth night photography

Oct 20 Exeter GASCo Weather Decision Making For GA Seminar [pre-book]

Oct 22 Turweston LAA AGM

Oct 22 Sywell Threshold Aero Thomas Castle Aviation Heritage Scholarship Night Photocall [pre-book]

Oct 29 Elvington Yorkshire Air Museum Night photoshoot

Nov 5 Sleap SAC Bonfire Night Fly-in [PPR]

Nov 13 Sleap SAC Remembrance Sunday [PPR]

£18.00

ANDAIR FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTS COMBINE MODULAR DESIGN, SUPERB QUALITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO SUIT ANY AIRCRAFT BUILD PROJECT.

Having built a reputation for excellence in the design and manufacture of light aircraft fuel system components within the amateur-build aircraft sector, Andair has now established a significant presence in the commercial aviation market as well.

www.andair.co.uk

Join the FLYER Club for just £52/year or read all our great content for just £30/year.

Not only can you access all our great content, but you’ll get member benefits worth hundreds of pounds a year. Find out more at flyer.co.uk/membership

*

LANDING

VOUCHERS

While October may see us rolling into autumn, hopefully we’ll still be enjoying some great flying weather. So, we’ve got these three great landing offers for you to enjoy at Breighton, Goodwood and Longside.

Aviation

Free Landing October 2022

Breighton Aerodrome 01757 289065

Our thanks to these airfields for supporting our LAA members landing voucher scheme. Please be sure to thank them for their participation by buying fuel for your aircraft, or if there’s a cafe, fuel for you and your passengers!

Located 5.5 miles north-east of Selby, and home of The Real Aeroplane Company, which has a great collection of historic and varied aircraft on the airfield. Please PPR – non-radio aircraft welcome. Please join on the live side as there is often aerobatic activity which takes place on the northern side of the runway centreline. No overhead joins. 700ft QFE on South circuit. Grass runway. Avgas and Jet A1 fuel on site – self service. Food and drink available. Radio is 129.805 www.realaero.com

Aviation

Half Price Landing for October 2022

Goodwood Aerodrome 01243 755061

A great destination, plus there may also be some cars to see on the race track. Set next to the Sussex Downs and the lovely city of Chichester, the airfield has lots of things to do and visit. Nearby Tangmere Museum is a terrific way to learn about what happened in the local area from WWI, WWII to the Cold War, it also has a Lightning simulator to try. Taxis can be arranged. PPR essential please. Avgas and Jet A1 available. Three grass runways. Radio is 122.455 www.goodwood.com

Aviation

Free landing October 2022

Longside 07825 811111

This airfield adds a great place for touring in a lovely area, and is very welcoming. PPR essential please, as there is intense helicopter activity nearby. Do not overfly Torterston or other nearby residential buildings. Mogas by arrangement – text the day before. Circuits at 1,000ft to South on Aberdeen QNH. A/G Radio is 118.280. If there is no answer, make blind calls. Aberdeen radio is 119.055 www.buchanaeroclub.co.uk

Classifieds September

AIRCRAFT FOR SALE

SHARES FOR SALE

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:

19 September 2022

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

LAA Engineering advice to buyers:

AIRCRAFT APPROVED? Members and readers should note that the inclusion of all advertisements in the commercial or classified sections of this magazine does not necessarily mean that the product or service is approved by the LAA. In particular, aircraft types, or examples of types advertised, may not, for a variety of reasons, be of a type or standard that is eligible for the issue of a LAA Permit to Fly. You should not assume that an aircraft type not currently on the LAA accepted type list will eventually be accepted.

IMPORTED AIRCRAFT? Due to unfavourable experiences, the purchase and import of completed homebuilt aircraft from abroad is especially discouraged.

TIME TO BUILD? When evaluating kits/designs, it should borne in mind that technical details, performance figures and handling characteristics are often quoted for a factory-produced aircraft flying under ideal conditions. It is wise, therefore, to seek the opinion of existing builders and owners of the type. You should also take your own skill and circumstances into consideration when calculating build times. The manufacturer’s build time should be taken as a guide only.

AMATEUR BUILDING All LAA aircraft builders and potential builders are reminded that in order to qualify for a LAA Permit to Fly, homebuilt aircraft must be genuinely amateur built. For these purposes the CAA provide a definition of amateur built in their publication CAP 659, available from LAA. An extract from CAP 659 reads “The building and operation of the aircraft will be solely for the education and recreation of the amateur builder. This means that he would not be permitted to commission someone else to build his aircraft”. An aircraft built outside the CAA’s definition could result in an expensive garden ornament.

PARTS FOR SALE

JPM, Oil filter adapters, made to order. Continental O-200 -12 from £360, and A65 -8 from £430. All oil filter adapter kits are LAA approved via TADS document, E05. jpm.aviation@gmail.com

Julian Mills 07976 530 563

AIRCRAFT WEIGHING

Light Aircraft Weighing Service in East Yorkshire and surrounding area. For details contact Demraview Ltd. Email: Demraview@gmail.com Mob: 07984 810 761

PROJECTS

Vans RV12 Empennage / Tail Cone Kit offered; Fin, rudder and horizontal stab assembled and signed off – £1,000.00. For more details and photos of components during assembly and at current state contact Gordon – 07778 861150, email: gordon.s.massie@gmail.com. Lincolnshire. Hand and air tools available on negotiation. RV-8 QB Project. CAA and LAA registered. Unstarted Empennage kit available now in UK. Wings available in UK Oct 22, fuselage available in UK Feb 23. Please contact Ian at smithyon29f@ gmail.com for further details. £POA

Fokker DR-1 replica triplane. ‘The Red Baron’. Aircraft fully functional, excellent condition. Permit to Fly to October 2022. New Superior IO-360 engine, 180 HP. Overall 30 hours flight. Based at Felthorpe airfield near Norwich. £65,000 or offers. peterbruegg@gmail.com

1/3rd share for sale in Perth based MTO3. Upgraded to 500kgs MTOW with RSll rotor head. Always hangared and professionally maintained. Great opportunity to be part of a small, friendly, well run syndicate offering fun flying. £10,000 share, £20/hr dry and share monthly costs. Contact GyroSyndicate@gmail.com

ZENAIR 601XL. Built 2008. Rotax 912 ULS. 100HP. 305 hours. A/F 264 hours. Trig 8.33. Mode S transponder. Digital engine monitor system. Electric flaps/trim. Wing lockers. Permit due September. £37k. Contact: 07807 474556

Christen Eagle II - half share for sale - £36k.

Registration Number: G-EEGL. Year of manufacture: 1985. Total Airframe Hours: 480.

Total Engine Hours: 480. Hours since top overhaul: 110. Permit to Fly to July 2023. Low-time propeller. Based and currently hangared at Andrewsfield. Contact: swoboda576@gmail.com / 07711132885

DH Chipmunk. LAA Permit. Hoffmann propeller. Gypsy Major 10-2. Always hangared. All ADs done. 9,500+ total hours. Last inspected and partially overhauled by Vintec in 2014. Recent engine mount/undercarriage/tailplane X-rays. £50,000. Please email: silverchipmunks@gmail.com

RAF Gyro, 116 hrs, Permit July 2023, £19,000 Call or text 07918 601 568

SERVICES

WELDING SERVICES (Mobile). CAA approved for 4130 steel airframes, manufacture and repair. Custom exhaust systems and aluminium fuel tanks undertaken. Cheshire based –contact Julian Mills on 07976 530 563 or email jpm.aviation@gmail.com

Hangarage / outside parking available private strip near Huntingdon / Peterborough. 700M grass runway. On site security. Clubhouse. Toilets. www.aerium2020.weebly.com

Email aerium2020@outlook.com Tel 07808 808945

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.

For all members classified advertising enquiries contact Sheila

OFFICE@LAA.UK.COM

SERVICES

FROM THE ARCHIVES The stories behind items in the LAA’s collection

DH89A DRAGON RAPIDE

In and around the LAA HQ there is, as you might imagine, a variety of aircraft models gracing the desks and bookshelves of enthusiastic staff. However, this is one of the more unusual examples.

This beautiful DH89A Dragon Rapide is made from card. It was built and donated to the LAA by former PFA and LAA Inspector Herbie Leverett, who worked at Bodmin and as a BGA Inspector at Perranporth Gliding Club.

The model is thought to have been built from a pack made by Scheiber-Bogen in Germany, with the aircraft being cut out

from card sheets, carefully folded and glued with water-based adhesive. It is a true reflection of the skill and patience of a good LAA Inspector!

The model portrays G-AIDL, built as an RAF ‘Dominie’ trainer, then used for many years as the company aircraft for Fox’s Mints at Leicester. It went on to be used as a parachute jump aircraft and for pleasure flying by Caernarfon Air Services, whose livery the model portrays. ‘AIDL is today operated from Duxford, by Classic Wings; like the model, an evocative survivor. Steve Slater