Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 3

We continue the tour still lingering within the collections pioneer machines,a real contrast from the machines of today,but remember these were only built sevearal years after the Wright Brothers flew successfully at Kittyhawk,so the advances even then were quite remarkable,just look at the quality of construction,we still have the slow flying birdlike wing sections and open rear fuselages,low power primitive engines took them into the air sometimes assisted with a bump in the ground !



This Avro Triplane replica was built for the film 'Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines' by aircraft doyen Viv Bellamy,this box office knockout thrilled thousands and has become a classic in its own right,the Triplane has all of the character and shortcomings of the original and is powered with a Cirrus engine,note that like the Blackburn Monoplane she has a 'V' shaped fuselage,very light but strong.



The Bleriot XI rear view showing the fuselage longerons and cross members,note how they are assembled.



Avro Triplane replica tail area showing the profuse use of wires and cables..



Scout Experimental 5A ( S.E.5A) brings us into the World War one period,this particuar aircraft was a Jack Savage 'Smoke Writer' this early method of aerial advertising utilised smoke activated from the exhaust system,the pilot wrote the message in reverse from a mirror positioned in the cockpit,the Science Museums S.E.5A was also a similar aircraft,this one here at Shuttleworth has been modified back to its original fighting configuration.



Bristol F2B Fighter or 'Brisfit' as it was commonly called,note that the wing is set below the fuselage,a large Rolls Royce Falcon engine provides the necessary power,and boy does she sound good !



Believe it or not,this is a replica of the Bristol M.1C produced by the Northern Aeroplane Workshops,this fantastic organisation has so far produced not only this,but a fine flying Sopwith Triplane for the collection,a Sopwith Camel is also in the pipeline.



The Avro 504K was the aircraft that really led the way to organised flying training with the proven syllabus of the Smith Barry school of flying at Gosport.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 4.



Hawker Tomtit was formerly owned by Neville Duke,Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose engine.



The Sopwith Triplane replica made specially for Shuttleworth by the Northern Aeroplane Workshops,this is a superb machine and close inspection reveals a very high standard of build to the original specifications..



On loan from Tim Moore at Skysport Engineering at Hatch,is this Westland Wallace which was going to be built for an Everest flight attempt.



This is Shuttleworths Hurricane 1B built by the Canadian Car & Foundry company.



Another view of the Hawker Tomtit nose showing the rare operational Mongoose engine.



Provost T.1 the second such machine to be owned by the trust in recent years.

Simply awesome as you climb up the steps ( thank you Shuttleworth staff ) is the Westland Lysander which is part of the collection in memory of the spy dropping operations conducted from nearby Tempsford airfield using this versatile machine.

Handley Page fitted slots enabled the aircraft to operate from small un-prepared fields.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Finally in the summer workshop.

Well yesterday I cut my first timber this year in he summer shed workshop,out came the bandsaw and with some small pieces of Gelutong I started a new small model of the De Havilland DH.86 biplane airliner,the birds were singing,the sun was shining so what more could I want ? soon I was knee deep in shavings and sawdust,thats my idea of heaven !

Well today I am off to see a once in a lifetime exhibition at Compton Verney stately home,some of the original paintings done by Vincent Van Gogh,cannot wait to see the works of this great master,not often that you get the chance to se such prestigious paintings in the UK,no doubt this will give me even more inspiration as he is amongst my favourite artists,well lets grab the sandwiches and get going,hope that you too have a great spring day.

P.S Update after my visit-The paintings were simply stunning and the colours as bright as the day that they were first painted by Van Gogh,the first thing that struck me was that they were finely painted,ie not giving the heavy inpasto effect that the photographic reproductions show,you could get within inches of the paintings which I did to study the techniques,certainly one of the best exhibitions of paintings that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing,the artist was without any doubt a genius ahead of his time.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth collection walk around-Part 5



Just imagine sitting in this cockpit at night landing to pick up an agent from France,and then flying across the channel with little in the way of any navigational aids,the Westland Lysander will go down in the annals of aviation history together with its brave crews,not forgetting the secret agents either.



The unique shape of the Lysander and the enormous spatted undercarriage are shown in this view..



The Bristol Mercury powerplant fitted into the Lysander.



Cockpit of the Shuttleworth owned Miles Magister.



And a front view of their Magister flown alongside Peter Holloways own aircraft at Old Warden.

[Guest]

Barry,

There are some superb shots of some amazing flying machines there. Many thanks for sharing them with us. The collection obviously has to be worth a visit to anyone with any interest in aircraft.

[Guest]

i was going to do a post on the shuttleworth collection. spooky!

very impresive isnt it. the air shows are comming up, take a look at their website for dates.

http://www.shuttleworth.org/main/index.htm

also, if your in the norfolk area, try out the muckleburgh collections, no planes but its still amazing, right near RAF Weybourne (no longer base but still MOD owned) we stayed on the old base with ATC, really strange staying in WWII barraks!

i went about 5 years ago and went on the Gama Goat which was amazing, now you can learn to drive a takn for £80!!!

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden-Part 6.



Peter Holloways beautiful Miles Magister wearing the pre war all yellow finish,the aircraft a composite airframe flies alongside the collections Miles Magister at air shows.



Angelsonefive operate this Tiger Moth giving flights to paying customers..



Another view of the DH.82A Tiger Moth used at Old Warden for pleasure flying.



This unusual biplane at least in the UK is the Polikarpov PO-2 which is on extended loan to the trust.



Rugged construction of the PO-2 a popular Polish training machine,at the time of my visit the tail skid had been damaged.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 7.

Light aircraft-Shuttleworth Collection.

A very important part of the Shuttleworth Trust is the collection of rare and interesting vintage light aircraft held,once again many of these machines can be seen flying at the air shows held throughout the year at Old Warden,my thanks to the members of the Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society for allowing me access to these classic machines and the ladders and steps provided to assist photography.



Cockpit of the ANEC II which was recently rebuilt by the Shuttleworth Trust.



Rear view of the ANEC II showing its unusual lines.



Starboard view of the ANEC II.



This view shows the high aspect ratio wing of the ANEC II.



Cockpit detail of the Comper Swift 'Scarlet Angel' held by the Trust,this record breaking aircraft was flown from the UK to an Indian tea plantation in India during the 1930's.

One of only a few left in the UK with others abroard.

[Guest]

Just look at the cockpit of the Anec II, you are basically holding onto a broom handle to fly the aircraft. Talk about seat of the pants flying!!!

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 8.



Finished in wartime camouflage is the Hornet Moth,a 1930's touring aeroplane that was also pressed into service with the R.A.F and the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War 2.



Cockpit of the diminutive Hawker Cygnet designed by Sir Sidney Camm for the Lympne Aeroplane Trials in the 1930's.



The Cygnet was a design exercise in terms of an ultra light aeroplane powered with a low horse power engine.The design looks just right as the designers other more well known machine the Hawker Hurricane.



Cockpit of the Desoutter high wing cabin aircraft,the design has Dutch ancestry in the Koolhoven company.This restoration has not been without its problems,on the first post restoration test.flight the wings started to twist and the control cables started to stretch,the Shuttleworth team had to get their heads together to solve the problem.



Richard Shuttleworth used the Desoutter to travel to and from his other haven,the Brooklands racing circuit,the National Flying Services badge appears on the nose of the aircraft.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 9.



The Desoutter presented a few problems for the trust after its test flight the pilot reported severe aileron flutter,this was later traced to the wing trying to twist in flight,this had the effect of slackening the control cables which had to be modified,the aircraft can be a tricky machine to handle.



Unusual use of the National Flying Services initials on top of the fuselage on the Desoutter.



DH.53 Humming Bird was also a contendor in the pre-war Lympne ultralight aeroplane trials,the aircraft has been rebuilt several times during its career.



Cockpit of the diminutive Humming Bird.



English Electric company Wren,yet another machine built for the Lympne ultra light aeroplane trials pre war,Test pilot Peter Twiss whose normal mount was a Fairey Delta 2 once flew this machine.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary,The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 10.



The Southern Martlet is a very pretty little biplane fitted with a Genet Major 1A engine.

Strut mounted simple air speed indicator on DH.60X Cirrus Moth G-EBWD,this aircraft holds the record for the longest time the same aircraft has lived on the same airfield,she was once the personal mount of Richard Shuttleworth.



Another view of the same DH.60X Moth G-EBWD.



DH.88 Comet 'Grosvenor House' undergoes some deep maintenance in the Shuttleworth workshops,the aircraft suffered a collapsed undercarriage and the design and geometry of the gear is being re-designed in order to make it more reliable.



No collection would be complete without the venerable Tiger Moth,seen nestling here in the private owners hangar at Old Warden.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 11.



Yet another view of the Hornet Moth,the impressed camo scheme does not look very good on this aircraft.



Pou De Ciel 'Flying Flea' Sky Louse,this one is in taxying condition,a survivor of the laymans attempt to get airborne,the machine had dire aerodynamic faults which would flip the aircraft onto its back,the aircraft would be unable to recover and landed inverted with the obvious consequences for the pilot.The Air League of the British Empire and the authorities were forced to place a ban on these aircraft which were being built in lofts and garages throughout the land.



The unique Miles Falcon Major belonging to Peter Holloway on maintenance with Warden Engineering,a subsidiary of the Shuttleworth Trust.

Tipsy Trainer 1 in the private owners hangar,a very fine example of this delightful small aircraft..



The chummy cockpit of the Tipsy Trainer,note the 'Hand over' type of control column.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Shuttleworth Trust,Old Warden,Part 12.

Avro 19 (Anson )



The Avro 19 was the post war attempt at a commercial light feeder,the Royal Air Force also used the type as a standard navigation trainer and communications aircraft and she flew with the services well into the late sixties until being retired,only a few aircraft survive to this day with two in flying condition in the UK,this aircraft G-AHKX was rebuilt to flying condition by British Aerospaceat Woodford and is now in the custody of the Shuttleworth Trust who continue to maintain her in flying condition.



The Cheetah engines a distinctive feature of the Anson series,note the oil coolers and sturdy undercarriage plus the domed spinner..



The famous A.V.Roe logo displayed on the cowls.



Centre section and engine nacelle detail.



Another view of the cowlings with Armstrong Siddeley logo declaring Cheetah XVII series engines fitted in G-AHKX.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Building a De Havilland DH.86 Airliner.

Building the De Havilland DH.86 Express airliner.

Having scratch built all but one of the lovely biplane airliners produced by Mr de havilland,I decided to start the spring building season with the missing machine to add to my collection,here is my photo diary to show the progress,the pictures speak better than any words.



The parts laid out all ready for assembly,the fuselage and engine nacelles are made from Jelutong and the wings and tail from Basswood,note the card templates at the back for constant checking of the shapes as they are carved.

Whittling is a black art and we need a constant reminder that every single kit starts out as a pattern in some way similar to this enjoyable process.



Note how the fuselage sides have been angled and the cockpit area carefully shaped,treat each separate part with care moving onto the next for attention,the final sheen can be obtained with a silicone finishing paper ( pale grey in colour,obtainable from any good DIY store ) run with the grain at all times,for small components use a tree that holds the piece whilst shaping,whereby the part can be removed at the very last minute.



The lower wings and engine nacelles are glued into place using Aliphaetic resin adhesive,carefully checking the alignment with the plans,this adhesive has enough time to work with and above all a quick grab.



The struts are fashioned and added,use a pair of dividers to arrive at the correct lengths,constantly checking the distance between the wings to make sure that they are correct.



Fair and smooth any joints with Squadron grey filler,combine strength with the way the parts go together,whatever you do get the dihedral angle correct,nothing spoils the look of a model than incorrect rigging.



Smooth down all of the joints and hold your creation up to the light,see how the shadows cast across the model to reveal any small flaws.

Here we can simulate what this great biplane looked like flying over,a lost shape in the skies as the last example flew back in 1958,so we have re-created a tiny bit of aviation history.