Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[wonwinglo]

***Yes good idea about SeaBee owners,will do that Duncan.

Yeah agree about Kermit' date=' I just meant somebody with loads of dosh. The Meteors and Canberras should come home. There is a strong SeaBee (international) owners group that would like to know about that one too.[/quote']

[Guest]

I actually have quite a number of Argies on my team and the climate would seem to be fairly varied but generally much drier than the UK and hence why these things stay in such good condition.

I remember the Skyhawks were in use against the Harriers a lot in the conflict and were quite an adversary if used skillfully.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Aviation in Argentina-Part 5 of a special report.

This C-47 Dakota is located at a model flying field,my research shows that she was once operated by Howard Hughes as NC63400 following service with the U.S.A.A.C as 42-92936 then sold as a war asset,then going to All American airlines as N91229,N19A Allegheny airlines,then T-34 with the Fuerza Aerea Argentina.



Douglas C-47.



Looks like a licenced built version of the Piper Super Cub ?



Curtiss Wright CW.16 E3 Light sports aircraft.



De Havilland Dove.



Nord Norecrin.



Sikorsky S-55.



Stinson 108-1 Voyager c/n 108-1581.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Aviation in Argentina-Part 6 of a special report.

More goodies from Argentina as a photographic record-



Piper Super Cub.



Stinson 108-1 Voyager



Morava.



Another Morava out to grass.



Piper Super Cub.





Ekco Ercoupe.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Aviation in Argentina-Part 7 of a special report.

Private flying appears to be healthy in Argentina judging by the number of small general aviation airfields,some of these pictures were taken in remote areas where airstrips and hangarage existed,the American aircraft influx is evident.



Taylorcraft BC-12,this design came to Great Britain and was built under license as the Taylorcraft Auster range of aeroplanes at Rearsby,Leicester.



Piper Super Cub.



IA 50 Guarani II with turboprop engines,Indigenous design an earlier version of which had radial engines,very angular and functional.



Stinson 108 Voyager.



Piper Apache,early American twin which gained great success as a private owner aeroplane.



Fleet 10 c/n 15



Taylorcraft BC-12.

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Aviation in Argentina-Part 8 of a special report.

Now this aircraft is a mystery and has kept me busy researching its obscure origins,basically it is registered as Auster J/1 Autocrat with a factory serial number 1851,it was one of an handful delivered post war to Argentina,but this is no normal Autocrat,the rear fuselage turtle decking suggests that it is a J/5P Autocar ,something that was never fitted to the Autocrat ? now there have been a few suggestions,the aircaft had an accident many years ago and was rebuilt,also some Autocars that were on the Argentinian register vanished,so has the aircraft been made up from different airframes ? not impossible since many Auster parts are interchangeable,but out of all Auster hybrids this one is a novelty,if I could only come up with an original picture of this aircraft when delivered it would explain a lot.



Auster J/1 Autocrat ( sic Autocar ).



Stinson Sentinal.



Ryan Temco Nvion.



Ryan Navion.

[Guest]

What a piece of nostalgia. Can you point me to where I can get plans for the De Havilland Dove? I might have a strange perspective, but it looks wonderful.

Steve.

[Guest]

Barry, do you mind me asking? did you take all of these amazing pics yourself? and how on earth do you know what each aircraft is?????

[wonwinglo]

***Squiffy,the pictures were taken by a colleague Captain Hitchman who flys for British Airways,he travels all over the globe searching out vintage aircraft,I just know and have a love for aircraft like people know steam engines or cars,the more obscure the type then the better I like it,if there is something different about it like the Auster then I have an eagle eye ! I also run several Yahoo specialised aircraft groups.

I just wish that I had the stamina,circumstances and resources to travel and photograph these old aircraft,thankfully there are plenty of friends prepared to share their travels including these rare pictures,I also have a personal database which holds details of over five million individual aircraft which comes in handy,hope that this answers your interesting question ?

Barry' date=' do you mind me asking? did you take all of these amazing pics yourself? and how on earth do you know what each aircraft is?????[/quote']

[Guest]

5 million !!!!!! Barry that is more than the science and imperial war museum put together do you realise the value of what you hold ?????

[wonwinglo]

***Nigel it is a commercial software programme that I just keep adding to,I have a licence for it,expensive but well worth it,all of the worlds museum aircraft are on it as well.

5 million !!!!!! Barry that is more than the science and imperial war museum put together do you realise the value of what you hold ?????

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The story behind the picture.



Researching for the life story I found this long lost image,it shows a five year old Wonwing holding dads 'Wakefield' rubber job in the back yard,the building in the background is a very old brick wash house which made an ideal workshop for the modelling activities besides a store place for the coal which when delivered created a black dust in the air,hanging up high in the ceiling was a solid model of the Westland Lysander which I still have to this very day,as a young lad I used to stare at this model wishing that I had it in my hands to fly around the garden! that place was ideal to live as just at the bottom of the garden was a disused field owned by the council,it was always intended to make it into a park but that never materialised,the thing was my father used to test fly his models there by literally walking out the back yard,I was the 'fetcherite' my young legs running through the long grass to retrieve the models,those days must have had a big influence on me not only because I remember them well,but because I carried on aeromodelling being strongly influenced by my father,I recall one great flight with his Spitfire rubber powered model which he spent years perfecting in his usual through way,the model had knock off wings held with an elastic band which went straight through the wing root and fuselage,the slightest knock and the wings would just simply fold away,very clever,the original plan was published in the 'Aeromodeller' by a chap called C.A.Pollitt,anyway back to that special flight,after a few test flights on low windings,he decided to put on the magic thousand turns ! after launching her she climbed to about a couple of hundred feet and circled,then as the rubber ran down she righted herself and headed straight for the next door neighbours garden ! then vanished last seen flying through the orchard at low level,then as momentum built up she climbed sharply and caught the top of one of the apple trees well and truly lodged.For anyone who has had the misfortune to have a model stuck in a tree will know of the dilemma of a frail tree coupled with a very fragile balsa model,after seeking permission from the neighbour ( who was incidently also our landlord at that time ) we managed to get her out of the tree with a long stick,with the only damage a few tears in the tissue which were duly patched up with clear doped tissue.Many more small models were flown from that field but no other flight matched the spectacular flight path of that old Spitfire.

Back now to the photograph and the Wakefield model that I am holding,this was also built from some Aeromodeller drawings which I still have,and one day may just build a replica for old times sake,the odd thing was that she never flew under her own power but was merely test glided over long grass,I just do not know why she was never properly finished,just one of those things,sadly when we moved to new modern premises she was broken up as she presented a transport problem,a great pity but you know how these things just happen ? also in this picture is my old trusty three wheel cycle in the background,this and subsequent rusty old bikes were lubricated with fish oil,the neighborhood cats would follow me as they liked the smell of the oil ! the tree in the background was used by me for climbing,I seemed to be always climbing things or digging big holes in the garden,one day I decided that I had enough of my old playpen and decided to use it as a ladder,the whole thing collapsed onto me in one big heap as my foot went through the wooden dowel rungs one after the other like something out of a Disney cartoon,I survived the ordeal with a few bruises and a bit shaken,with strict instructions not to climb again ! it is amazing what memories a tiny black and white photograph can bring back,but they do.

One thing is for sure and that is my love for flying machines started very early,I must have been really inspired by those early models that became a part of my everyday life,thank goodness that my parents gave me this interest that has stayed with me until this day.

It is great to share these stories with you all here.

If you want more stories like this,rather than have to wait a very long time for the entire unweildy life story then that suits me fine,I am happy to do that ?

[Guest]

Barry we want both mate so keep em comeing

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The day I went on 'Magpie'



The scene is Old Warden back in 1966,a cold windswept day when nobody except the writer took to the air,well got the wheels off the ground ! the chap on the left is Charlie Essex an aeromodelling friend,and that is me a slim shaven youngster on the right,we are both holding flying models of the Blackburn 1912 Monoplane which was my favourite back then,the brief was to fly for the cameras but the weather was far from suitable,after hanging around in the hangar protected from the biting cold and wind I decided to at least give the cameras something to record,so I started up the little diesel engine and placed the Blackburn monoplane on the ground,it taxied and then lifted quickly into the air,not good as it barely made any headway into the wind but at least the cameraman was happy,after a short interview it was time for a cuppa,and time to call it a day,the two Blackburn's were loaded carefully into the car and off we went home.

The coverage was shown on a childrens television programme called 'Magpie' anyone remember it ? it was a direct copy of the erstwhile and excellent 'Blue Peter' younger viewers television series,I had all but forgotton this event until I found these old pictures.

[wonwinglo]

***OK Nigel,I will slot them together for you.

Barry we want both mate so keep em comeing