discussion Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

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Wonwings diary-A selection of flying machines for today.

Jean Battens record breaking Percival Gull G-ADPR, when owned by the Shuttleworth Trust,at Old Warden and seen being flown here at one of those lovely evening flying displays when the air is so still,the aircraft is now on static displayat the Jean Batten Memorial Auckland International airport,New Zealand and preserved in a special building.

This is a flying replica of the German Me.262,the aircraft is one of a small batch of four,which were built exactly to the specification of the original aircraft using an original machine captured during WW2, and stored with the U.S.Air Force,the only concession is its modern jet engines,the life of the original motors could be measured in hours before they literally blew up due to the right metals not being available back then,the aircraft above was flown briefly during November 2002 making a short hop down the runway,ballast had to be added to the nose to compensate for the lack of armanent,this exciting project should make a special appearance at the Berlin airshow this year.

Low level beat up by a preserved B-17,there are still a few dedicated operators of the Flying Fortress in the U.S.A and we are fortunate to have our own 'Sally B' here at Duxford UK.

B-17 converted as a flying water bomber by the U.S Forest service,several types of bomber were converted for this task and called 'Borate Bombers' one was even fitted with turboprop engines.

You can almost hear all of those engines in the B-36 bomber,six pusher piston engines with four tip mounted jet engines the B-36 was unique and looked most impressive in flight.

Just look at this classic shot of one coming into land.

Howard Hughes Spruce Goose now in a museum following some years outside,the aircraft made a single short hop but Hughes immediately realised the limitations of such a large machine with such marginal performance and the Spruce Goose was never flown again.

When placed into the museum,a special plastic coating was applied all over the airframe to help preserve the all wooden structure.

Hughes was constantly at loggerheads with the U.S.Navy especially over the supplies of good quality plywood,the Navy department tried to fob him off with inferior timber keeping the best for the war effort,a thorn in the side as he had little time for officialdom or bureaucrats in his constant battle for his many plans.

 

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Wonwings diary-The man who stole a Focke Wulf 190 to escape.

The Bob Hoover story

After his Spitfire was shot down by a Focke-Wulf 190 over the Mediterranean in 1944, Hoover was captured and spent 16 months in the Stalag Luft 1 prison in Barth, Germany. He eventually escaped, managed to steal a Fw 190 (which, of course, he had never piloted) and flew to safety in Holland. After the war Hoover signed up to serve as an Army Air Forces test pilot, flying captured German and Japanese aircraft. He became buddies with Chuck Yeager; Hoover was Yeager's backup pilot in the Bell X-1 program, and he flew chase in a Lockheed P-80 when Yeager first exceeded Mach 1.

Hoover moved on to North American Aviation, where he test-flew the T-28 Trojan, FJ-2 Fury, AJ-1 Savage, F-86 Sabre, and F-100 Super Sabre, and in the mid-1950's he began flying North American aircraft, both civil and military, at airshows. Jimmy Doolittle called Hoover "the greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived."

Hoover is best known for the "energy management" routine he flew in a Shrike Commander, a twin-engine business aircraft. This fluid demonstration ends with Hoover shutting down both engines and executing a loop and an eight-point hesitation slow roll as he heads back to the runway. He touches down on one tyre, then the other, and coasts precisely to the runway center.

Hoovers routine in the Aerocommander 680 has to be seen to be believed,many would be happy to do aerobatics with engines running at full power,Hoover opts to do the routine engines out using the stored energy to roll the machine over and then make a spectacular landing.

Despite the numerous awards accorded him, Hoover remains humble enough to laugh at himself. He notes in his autobiography, Forever Flying , that in the 1950's, after showing off his Bugatti racer to the neighborhood kids, he asked, "Well, what do you think?" One youngster's reply: "I think you've got the biggest nose I've ever seen."

Fasten your seat belts and join him in this amazing video sequence-

aerobatics.html

 

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Wonwings diary-Out & About today photographing aircraft.

27-05-2006 Wellesbourne Mountford airfield,with a gap in the weather to take some photographs,and a few interesting aircraft at my local airfield,here they are-

N121MT BN.2T Islander

N121MT BN.2T is a very special machine having once served in 1988 with the U.S.Army Aiborne Electronics Research Department as 88-0196,she then went to be civilianised as N200LQ,going to Swiftaire at Elstree as N121MT and placed into storage,she was also one of the original American Jonas Aircraft batch then registered as N413JA,N73413 and N5079R respectively.

She made a brief visit to Wellesbourne on 27-05-2006 for fuel.

Whistling away with her turboprops N121MT climbs steadily away from Wellesbourne on 27-05-2006.

Seen parked up at Wellesbourne on 27-05-2006 is R-44 Clipper G-DBUG which normally lives at Newmacher.

Smart vintage Piper Aztec G-AYMO was seen at Wellesbourne on 27-05-2006,not many still flying in the UK but still a worthy twin.

G-DMND Diamond Star DA.42 at Wellesbourne on 27-05-2006,fast gaining popularity with flying schools for economical twin engined training.

 

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Wonwings diary-Bits & Pieces.

Well we are certainly learning to live with this wet weather now,after waiting for over a fortnight and keeping the batteries charged up it was time to get a few flights in late this evening against darkening skies,and far from still conditions but all went smoothly in the end.

This morning at a car boot sale I picked up a real bargain,a brand new Electra Fun still in the box for £18 ! someones unwanted present and I snapped it up for the gear alone,after getting it home I charged up the battery and assembled her,the battery had a dead cell detected by the West Mountain power analyser that we ran a review on recently,great kit.

So I fitted a replacement battery and pressed the activation switch and she shot across the lounge wanting to get airborne ! took her out for the first flight and she climbed like an homesick angel to around 600 feet,you need to blip the transmitter switch and she glides beautifully,then hit the switch again to gain more height,nice and quiet flying fun,soon I was getting the hang of the peculier engine management system and doing runs up and down in front of me,as the motor died she floated in gracefully just tripping on her fragile undercarriage,but who cares,you can easily fly without that encumberance anyway.

Everywhere is waterlogged and a few shows have been cancelled over the weekend,the Vintage Flying weekend held this year at Keevil airfield managed to attract a decent turnout of visiting aircraft,a local balloon meet did not fare quite as well,with sodden ground again the recovery vehicles were unable to get on the common land.

So we are soon into flaming June with no real signs of a let up,its regulation rainware no matter where you decide to go !

So whatever you got up to hope that you had a good restful break and above all are enjoying your hobby.

 

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Wonwings diary-How America first used the Whittle technology.

Bell Airacomet

The XP-59A Airacomet was the first American turbojet-driven fighter which was developed in the greatest secrecy during WWII,even to the extent of fixing a dummy airscrew on the nose whilst on the ground. In April of 1941, U.S. Army Major-General, Henry "Hap" Arnold had a trip as an emissary to Great Britain. He was shown the British top-secret first jet aircraft, the Gloster E-28/39 prototype. General Arnold was so impressed by this new technology and asked for the engine blueprints to start the American own design. After his return to the United States, he selected General Electric to build the jet-engines; Bell Aircraft Corp was chosen for the airframe design because of its location which was near the General Electric plants. Only 13 months later, the first U.S. jet-powered prototype, XP-59A took its first flight into the air in October 1942. After a year of test and evaluation, the P-59 was ordered into production. However, it never got into combat during the war but provided valuable flight data for the process of the next American jet fighter, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star which in turn was developed into the T-33 twin seat trainer.

The Bell Airacomet shown in service,this aircraft used a direct copy of the Whittle jet engine being developed in the UK.

 

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Wonwings diary-Which type of aircraft is that ? and the aircraft recognition story.

The importance of recognising whether an aircraft is 'Friend or Foe' during wartime cannot be over stressed,there have been many cases of trigger happy gunners shooting down the wrong aircraft ! to this end the British war office contracted out orders for literally thousands of aircraft recognition or 'ID' models as they are more commonly known in America,these models were made from either card,wood or plaster with a scrim outer,their shapes were basic but adequate for the purpose intended,in some cases the parts had to be hand finished but wood spindling and routing equipment was used to speed up production of these miniatures,normally they were painted all black,or sometimes even grey,the idea was that the when strung up from the ceiling the basic silhouette would depict the salient features of that particular aircraft,many were hung up in nissan huts,usually there was a dedicated room for aircraft recognition lessons,linked to the models were walll hanging silhouette charts depicting different types or a combination of aircraft that could be confused in flight,an example of this was the Focke Wulf FW.190 which at a quick glance could be confused with the Hawker Typhoon.

What of the professional spotters themselves ? well during wartime in Britain there were factory spotters,these were normally situated somewhere up high in a special post,crew took turns to man the posts which required the quick and accurate identification of British and German aircraft,many of these people had ordinary day jobs and volunteered to do a vital job,then we have the Royal Observer Corps who in those days it was their job to sight and track the position of aircraft flying over,the ROC had specialist posts positioned at strategic points around the coast and inland,and a fine job they did as well.

The interest in aircraft recognition was promoted in the services with the 'Joint Services Aircraft Recognition Journal' a glossy regular publication which had a clever mix of recognition subjects to tease and test via series of photographic angles,normally the MOD would sanction special batches of air to air photographs for use in the journals of a particular type,these would then be mixed with contemporary subjects from foreign air forces.

The 'Aeroplane' magazine were also approached by the Air Ministry to produce a pulp paper called 'The Aeroplane Spotter' this was freely available to the public on the news stands and was in itself the start of the spotter movement that we know of today,it also featured another first in that post war it gave details of the new aircraft on the British Civil register, in turn leading to the well known Ian Allen organisation producing the ever popular 'Civil Aircraft Markings' yearly publications which sell by the million,so from a wartime need for correct identification grew an hobby that has is now an industry in itself.

Back to the recognition models,I also have examples in my collection of post war American ID models such as the KB-50 and F-86 Sabre,these were made from wood and painted a grey finish,underneath each one is a small transfer which gives the manufacturers name,and also the type of aircraft that is depicted.

A model of the Fairey Albacore made from wood,underneath it has a decal which says 'Fairey Albacore' made by Albacore,Leeds.

The struts are made from oval nails and the undercarriage from plastic wood (wood dust mixed with adhesive and moulded) it is a fine example of what was made at that time.

And what exactly happned to these models ? well after WW2 the F.W.Woolworth company sold them off for a few pence each having purchased the remainders from the Air Ministry which had been stored up and down the country in maintenance units,the author located some in Army surplus shops around 1960,sadly most of these were traded off for other items.

This model of the Albacore has stood the test of time,it is still intact all but for a few blemishes probably fom being passed around a room and dropped as budding air gunners took in its shape,but these were the tools of the trade and rough handling was to be expected.

A replica aircraft recognition model made by myself,this is of the Langley Monoplane.

 

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Wonwings diary-A question of values.

You read all sorts of things about the value of items whether they are antiques or just something that we need for our hobby ? I have been reading about the prices realised at some auction houses throughout the land. Everyone is entitled to draw their own conclusions and comparisons is a great way to work out values of individual items,a worthy appraisal is here given by a retired person in the industry who is also a collector,it makes interestinmg reading-

We all see items realising what appear to be silly figures on on-line auctions.

I would like to make one observation, however. As a former insurance appraiser for antique automobies and specialty items I am often asked "What is this collectible or item worth?" The question may have reference to an antique car, 1920 Coca-Cola Sign, Glass "Marathon" Gasoline pump globe, or a plastic model kit. There is only one correct response when dealing with collectibles:

"It is worth whatever someone will pay for it."

This applies much more so in an auction than a live marketplace. It only takes two bidders to set a new selling price record. Consequently, it only takes one bidder's interest to set a new low selling price.

Solid numerical values, however, are required for insurance or for any personal records you keep. "Insurance", "Mean" or "Average Market Values" for rare items can be skewed with one large auction. If a rare item is seen to sell only twice a year, and one price is $6000 ($4500 above the average), the new "average market value" just went up dramatically. This just happened with a rare Coca-Cola Sign. Is it realistic? Perhaps not. But averages and means do not care. They are numbers and they just went up. Perhaps next year it will go down. It's all part of the excitment and controversy of any good hobby.

I like to recommend three things:

1. Buy what you really like and do not be swayed.

2. Pay for it what it is worth to you and within your own budget.

3. Enjoy it to the full !

What price for your hobby that gives so much pleasure to you ?

Happy model building and collecting.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Great Aviation History Museums to visit on your travels.

If you are lucky enough to be able to travel across America then you could be in for some surprises at airport foyers and terminals,the trend now is to exhibit historic aircraft and artifacts at specialist museums where millions of people pass through the gates whilst travelling by air.

With all the upheaval in the airline industry, it's possible that today's paper ticket jacket will become tomorrow's sought-after defunct-airline collectible. But you needn't wait until the next airline merger or bankruptcy announcement to catch up on aviation history. In fact, you may not even have to leave the airport. Many airports have aviation museums tucked right into the terminal. Others have one right nearby, and they're often staffed by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers who have flown, built, collected, or lovingly restored the artifacts and memorabilia on display.

Here's a round-up of some of the aviation museums to look for in and nearby airports across the country:

At McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, the Cannon Aviation Museum documents the history of aviation in southern Nevada from the 1920s through the introduction of jet airplanes. Of special interest are display cases filled with memorabilia relating to Howard Hughes, who based his regional airline, Hughes Airwest in Las Vegas.

Location: Above baggage claim (pre-security), plus exhibit cases post-security by the A and B gates.

Hours: 24 hours.

Admission: Free.

For more information: www.co.clark.nv.us/Parks/Clark_County_Museum.htm

or 702-455-7968

In Milwaukee, the General Mitchell International Airport is home to the Mitchell Gallery of Flight. The large exhibit space includes an exhibit on Charles A. Lindbergh's 1927 visit to the Milwaukee airport and

information about James A. Lovell Jr., who grew up in Milwaukee and went on to become an astronaut in the Gemini and Apollo programs. Artifacts on display include antique propellers (one dates back to World War I), numerous scale models of airplanes and jets, and a 22-foot, 1/36th scale model of a Graf Zeppelin II, a sister to the Hindenberg.

Location: Pre-security, near the C concourse.

Hours: 6 am to 10 pm.

Admission: Free.

For more information: www.mitchellgallery.org or 414-747-4503.

At San Francisco International Airport, look for the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum (and San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library) in a corner of the international terminal. Designed to look like the

passenger waiting room in the 1937 San Francisco airport administration building, the museum is an 11,500 square-foot tribute to commercial

aviation history in the Bay Area. In November, the museum will unveil several new exhibits as part of its China Clipper Celebration, commemorating the 70th Anniversary of Pan American Airways' inaugural

flight of the China Clipper.

Location: International terminal

Hours: 10 am to 4:30 pm, Sunday through Friday. (Closed Saturdays and

holidays).

Note: Some display cases are visible even when the museum is closed.

Admission: Free.

For more information: www.sfoarts.org or 650-821-6700.

In Indiana, passengers at Fort Wayne International Airport can nibble on free sugar cookies handed out by hospitality volunteers while gazing at local military, commercial and general aviation artifacts in the 6000-square-foot Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum. Curator Roger Myers says the museum has a special emphasis on local heroes, including WW II

Ace Lt. Paul Baer and "Bird Boy" Art Smith. According to Myers, the most popular museum artifacts are the replica of Smith's Wright Brothers-inspired airplane that hangs in the airport atrium and the two-volume scrapbook of articles and photographs put together by Smith's mother in 1915.

Location: Post-security, second floor.

Hours: 6 am to 7 pm.

Admission: Free

For more information: www.fwairport.com/museum.htm or 260-747-4146 ext.

270.

At some other airports, on-site exhibits can range from a few models to walls covered with vintage photographs or historical murals. For example, in the Concourse E ticket lobby at Baltimore/Washington

International Airport, there's a model of the China Clipper, the world's first transoceanic passenger aircraft and one of three "flying boats" built at Maryland's Glenn L. Martin factory. At Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, passengers will see Charles Lindbergh's personal Ryan Monocoupe suspended from the ceiling in the main terminal and learn about the history of aviation, including the significant contributions made by African Americans, from two murals in the baggage claim area.

The following collections are located outside airport terminals, but in most cases are just a short cab ride away. Be sure to call ahead if you plan on visiting these sites: many are staffed by volunteers and most of the museums are closed on major holidays.

Located outside the terminals at the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Ky., the 12,000-square-foot Aviation Museum of Kentucky includes dozens

of modern and restored aircraft, including a Crosley Moonbeam biplane, a Kiowa helicopter, and a replica of Kentucky's first aeroplane, the Matthew Bacon Sellars 1908 Quadruplane. According to former Air Force pilot and museum docent Don Sproule, the museum also has a recently-retired F-14B Tomcat and two flight simulators, one for the youngsters and one made out of a real cockpit, for big kids of all

ages.

Location: The museum is on airport property, about a half-mile from the main terminal. Those who don't want to drive or take a taxi can walk a short distance to the executive terminal and ask for a ride to the

museum.

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday: 1 pm - 5 pm.

Admission: Adults: $5; Seniors (60+): $4; Students 6-16: $3.

For more information: www.aviationky.org or 859-231-1219

Opened in December, 2003 near Washington Dulles International Airport, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center displays the thousands of aviation and

space artifacts that didn't fit into the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. That includes the Lockheed SR-71 (the fastest jet in the world), the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay", a de Havilland Chipmunk aerobatic airplane, the restored Enterprise space shuttle, and the Gemini VII space capsule. An IMAX theater and flight

simulators are also onsite.

Location: 14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Va.

Hours: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm, everyday except Dec. 25th.

Admission: Free, but parking is $12.

To get there: The museum is about 2.5 miles from Dulles International

Airport. A cab ride will cost about $10.

For more information: www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy or 202-633-1000.

Located about 2 miles from the California's Oakland International Airport, the Western Aerospace Museum is housed in a vintage hangar at the airport's historic North Field. Among the 24 aircraft on display is

the hard-to-miss Short Solent 4-engine Flying Boat, which once belonged to Howard Hughes. They also have a Lockheed Electra, a sister plane to the one Amelia Earhart was flying when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean after taking off from North Field in 1937.

Location: 8260 Boeing St., Oakland. North Field is about two miles from the main terminal, next to the rental car lot. Take the free car rental shuttle bus and ask the driver to point you in the right direction.

Hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 10 am to 4 pm.

Admission: Adults: $7, Seniors: $6, Active Military: $5, Kids 6-12: $3,

Kids 5 and under: free.

For more information: www.westernaerospacemuseum.org or 510-638-7100

The New England Air Museum is located next door to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. The museum has 75,000 square feet of exhibit space and during good weather opens up the outside storage area for touring as well. In addition to all the airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and other aircraft on display, the museum has exhibits on early French aviation, ballooning, the history of air mail, the Tuskegee Airmen, and much more.

Location: The museum is located next to the airport. A taxi will run you about $8.

Hours: Daily, 10 am - 5 pm.

Admission: Adults (12 & older): $8; Kids (6-11):$4.50; Seniors (60 and

older): $7.

For more information: www.neam.org or 860-623-3305.

One of the largest air and space museums in the world, The Museum of Flight, is located just a few miles from Seattle-Tacoma International

Airport in Washington. The 12-acre museum campus includes more than 150 historically-significant air and spacecraft and thousands of aviation-related artifacts. The outdoor display includes the prototypes

of the Boeing 737 and 747, the first jet Air Force One and a British Airways Concorde. Indoors, there's an Apollo Command Module, flight simulators, a full-size reproduction of an airport control tower, and the Aerocar III, a sassy two-passenger car that was a commuter's dream machine: it has a rear propeller and a tow-able set of wings that made it a breeze to escape a highway backup.

Location: 9404 East Marginal Way S., Seattle. A taxi ride will cost

about $15. Metro transit Bus #174 from the airport also stops here.

Hours: Daily, 10:00 am - 5 pm and until 9 pm on the first Thursday of

each month.

Admission: Adults (18-64): $14; Seniors (65 & older): $13; Youths

(5-17):$7.50; 4 and under: Free.

For more information: www.museumofflight.org or 206-764-5720

 

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Wonwings diary-Building Lindberghs 'Spirit of St Louis' atlantic flyer.

Building a scale flying model of the 'Spirit of St Louis'

As we sit in our comfortable seats travelling across the atlantic in a Boeing 747 spare a moment for the pioneers that met challenges in frail machines skimming across the waves to achieve the impossible,the story of how Charles Lindbergh, crossed the atlantic single handed in his Ryan NYP named 'Spirit of St Louis' is now firmly etched into the annals of aviation history.

This incredible story of determination and skill in navigation has been portrayed as a film which leaves you fixed to your seat,the recent Lindbergh biography portrays his life in full from his childhood.

So what about a model of his record breaking machine ? well having built a few I wanted one to co-incide with the 100 year anniversary of flight,so I saw a kit that was available and decided to build it,here are the results of my labours.

Here are the completed and assembled parts all ready for covering,the white portions are plastic mouldings provided in the kit,these simply fit over the structure,normally I would make the wingtips up from balsa block and fill in the nose with sheet balsa which is then sanded down to match the contours.

The struts have wire end fittings which are bound with thread to balsa that has been shaped to an aerofoil section.Note the multi sparred lightweight wing,this also stops any warping as well..

Trial run of the undercarriage,struts,tail assembly etc the engine assembly was made up from balsa dowel with string bound around to represent the cylinders,a concession to scale in order to aid stability was a few degrees of dihedral shown here.

The covering is silkspan provided in the kit,it takes a compound curve nicely,take your time with anything in modelling and you will reap the benefits later.

Standard kit flying propeller is not very efficent,best to carve a new one,model was test flown on this prop pending a replacement.

The replica Wright Whirlwind engine can be seen here..

A smaller scratch built Ryan N-Y-P (New York to Paris) alongside the Guillows kit built model.

A bit of painwork ( keep it nice and light ) is yet to be added,silver foil is ideal for the nose cowling.

 

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Wonwings diary-Some aviation flasbacks.

The fast dwindling Avgas guzzling piston fleets of the world will always be remembered,here are a few of these great aircraft described in historical detail for you to enjoy,relive that dripping oil from a Connies engine bay,those enormous paddle props and the evocative smell of dope and aviation spirit.

Saber Airlines DC-3 Dakota N79017 looks very much like a strengthened floor version with a more pointed nose.

The one and only Hawker High Speed Hurricane,known as the thin wing Hurricane it was made by Sir W.G.Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft company at Baginton.

Sir W.G.Armstrong Whitworth aircraft were deeply involved in laminar flow wing research and the Hurricane here (Z3687) was suitably converted by them with a brand new thin wing,in comparison with a standard Hurricane it must have been a bit slippery,spending its time between Boscombe Down and Baginton.

(With thanks to Robert Belcher for sending me these historic pictures.)

Note the very unusual positioning of the standard R.A.F cockades (roundals) very inboard of the wing,it is quite possible that this was to help the aerodynamic properties of the critical wing.

Photograph was taken at Farnborough on 24-09-1947 by Mike Buck.

Two Lockheed L.749 Constellations flying over Miami Beach,a very unusual shot,probably early publicity material for the Lockheed Aircraft company.

And another Lockheed Constellation over the Pyramids at Giza,Egypt.

WF320 Blackburn Universal Freighter (later renamed the Beverley) loads a period coach at Brough.

The unique Beverley was to join 47 Squadron as one of the R.A.F's more interesting piston engined freighters.

 

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Wonwings diary-The Avro 19 Anson photo page.

FOCUS ON TYPE-THE AVRO 19

Sometimes referred to as the ANSON but not strictly true as the true Ansons were early Mk 1 aircraft with wooden wings,the series 19 and 21 types were a new aircraft designed to meet the needs of the post war RAF,the series 1 of the Avro 19 had parallel chord wooden wings and the series 2 had new increased span tapered chord wings,this is the basic identification feature.The Australian civil aviation authorities would not issue any more certificates of airworthiness to Anson 1 aircraft from 1952 and the British authorities followed suit in 1962 due to some accidents attributed to glue failure on the wooden aircraft in Australia,the glue scares spread to many aircraft including Miles Magisters,Percival Q6 and Proctor,Miles Messenger and other types,the problems lay with a beetle type of adhesive used for wartime production of aircraft which was said to deteriorate especially in damp humid conditions,despite the use of resorcinal resin adhesives a lot of valuable aircraft were scrapped off which on reflection was totally uncalled for as the full potential problems of the adhesive failures were unfounded.

G-AHIB Avro 19/1

This aircraft was photographed at Wymeswold 12.3.62 by Dave Peace,with c/n 1317 it was built in 1946 and last registered to Pomeroy Developments Ltd,Guernsey although it is shown here in the colours of Olivetree Estates Ltd and doped green and white,the final demise of this aircraft was probably due to the aircraft having wooden wings as shown here in its final resting place and the date ties in with the British authorities concern over early versions of Anson aircraft and their beetle glue construction.

G-AHKX Avro 19/2 constructors number 1333,ex Smiths Aircraft Instruments aircraft hack was built in 1946 and shown here in Treffield Aviation colours (Treffield was the amalgamation of the names Lord Trefgarne and Charles Masefield) colours were a pale blue/green almost a duck egg shade.The aircraft survived and is now at Woodford on restoration.

Gemini Aerofotos picture.

G-AGWF Avro 19/1 c/n 1287 was built in 1946 and operated by Fairways (Jersey) Ltd.

Gemini Aerofotos photograph.

VM318 Avro 19 at St Mawgen in 1960 when it was part of the station flight at the airfield,note the tail of a Canadair CL-44 in the background probably visiting for one of the stations at home displays.

Photograph by Barry Cole.

G-AGPG Avro 19/2 c/n 1212 was built in 1945 and used by Ekco for research and as an hack aircraft ,photographed at Baginton circa 1963-64 note the bulbous nose modification for the experimental radar,this was actually the second Avro 19 used by the company they having used G-AHKX also for some years although not with this type of nose.The aircraft went onto the Historic Aircraft Museum at Southend and is now in store with the Manchester Aviation Museum.

Gemini Aerofotos picture.

TX237/FKNL Avro 19 Taken on a foggy day at Finningley probably in the mid fifties,this is a 1948 built aircraft,we make no excuses for the picture quality of this historic photograph note the tone of the roundals due to the use of ortho film used at that time and a confusing thing for people unaware of this process in identifying aircraft colours.FKN was the code for Flying Training Command Communications Flight (credit:Squadron codes1937-56)

picture credit-E.G Hall,Leamington Spa.

G-VROE (G-BFIR) AVRO 652A ANSON C.21.

This is the aircraft preserved in flying condition by the Air Atlantique Historic Flight and kept at Baginton.Flown for many years by G.M.K Fraser and based at a variety of airfields in the UK terminating at Enstone were it was stored for a while with its former RAF serial WD413 the aircraft at one time was a maintenance aircraft with the serial 7881M although the official quoted c/n of 3634 is incorrect and suspect.The aircraft has been kept at East Midlands,Lee On Solent,Turnhouse,East Fortune in recent years and had been used on the airshow circuit for many years by Mr Fraser.

picture credit-Dave Peace at Birmingham Airport.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Avro 19 Anson photo page-Part 2

The very same aircraft at Enstone airfield,Oxfordshire on 6.2.93 prior to its sale shortly afterwards to Air Atlantique when it was registered as G-BFIR, and flying in its RAF colourscheme as WD413,it was ex maintenance serial 7881M.

Mike Collett the company chairman delivered the aircraft to Baginton where it is now part of the Air Atlantique Classic Flight.

VH-ASM anson 1 This is a true Anson Mk 1 used by Marshalls Airways at Tamworth NSW,Australia ,this aircraft has been shipped to the UK and after a spell at Duxford is now on display in the RAF Museum complete with a mid upper turret,and painted as an RAF example with serial W2068 which is its former RAAF serial.

Via N.M Parnall phptograph.

Picture-Aviation Archives.

G-AMDA Avro Anson 1 picture shows David Ogilvy putting G-AMDA/N4877 coded FV-X through its paces at a Skyfame Staverton airshow in the seventies,the aircraft was built in 1938 with two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 9 engines and became part of the Derby Aviation magnetometer fleet which together with civilian Mosquitoes performed extensive research work for minerals in Canada.

On the demise of the wonderful Skyfame museum, which was way ahead of its time and started by Peter Thomas and his wife the aircraft were transferred to Duxford where they carried on the work of aircraft restoration with the Imperial War Museum collection.

The aircraft is on display after undergoing extensive restoration by a team at Duxford.

N4877 shown at Duxford on an unknown date picture by Dave Peace.

A recent photograph of G-AMDA being restored at Duxford to non flying condition,a turret will be added during the work on this aircraft,note that work had already started on this when the photograph was taken.

Pictureave Peace.

This lovely early shot of G-AIPA has recently come to light,it clearly shows the underslung magnetometer equipment in the form of an ECM Bird which was trailed behind the aircraft,note also the legend 'Canadian Aero Services' on the nose.

Gemini Aerofotos files picture.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Britains oldest man the only survivor of the Battle of Jutland.

Fly-past for Britain's oldest man

Henry Allingham will be 110 on 6 June.The RAF has scheduled a fly-past over the East Sussex coast to celebrate the 110th birthday of Britain's oldest man.

Two tornadoes from 31 squadron are to fly over the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne for the anniversary on Tuesday.

Mr Allingham, a World War I air service veteran, lived in the town after retiring, but recently moved to a care home near Brighton.

"He really does marvel at the fact he has reached the age he has," said close friend, Denis Goodwin.

"It's going to be a tremendous day for Henry and I'm sure he will enjoy it."

Mr Allingham will be joined by senior figures in the RAF for the fly-past.

He will later have a private lunch with family members from the US.

He served as a mechanic with the Royal Naval Air Service during the war, before transferring to the newly-created RAF.

He is the last remaining founder member of the RAF and the only remaining survivor of the battle of Jutland.

He has five grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

In March, Mr Allingham was given the freedom of Eastbourne, where he had lived since the 1960s.

Three weeks ago he moved to St Dunstan's, a care home for ex-service personnel, in Ovingdean.

Scale-Models sends its best wishes to a man with a remarkable and long life,enjoy your very special day Henry.

The Battle of Jutland (known as the Battle of Skagerrak in Germany), fought between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet in 1916, was the largest surface naval battle of the metal ship era, the only major fleet action of World War 1, and the last major fleet action that the participants will ever fight. It also played a key role in the demise of the reputation of battlecruiser, saw the first use of a carrier based aircraft in battle and is one of the most controversial naval actions in the Royal Navy's long history.

 

[Guest]

Barry,

If you have ever read any of the "Forgotten Voices of...." series of books you will have enjoyed some of the most enlightening first hand experiences of any conflict.

My own favourite was the First World War Royal Navy one that covers the Battle of Jutland. I cannot possibly begin to comprehend what it must have been like be in the middle of the ocean whilst your out of sight enemy hurled huge great lumps of metal at your ship in thier attempt to sink it before you managed to do the same to them. It hadn't really progressed very far from the Roman times when they did pretty much the same with rocks and catapults.

The other thing that really surprised me was the phenominal size of the fleet we had at that time, all bought and paid for by the British Empire.

Very interesting books if you ever get the chance.

 

[Guest]

Re the battle of Jutland read the experiences of a young man named John Carlos it was inspiring

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Getting the best from your Twister Bell 47G

The Twister Bell 47G electric helicopter has taken the model helicopter world by a storm to new degrees of reliability and lots of fun without the hassle of many larger helicopter subjects.

These small models can be tucked under your arm and flown in a small paddox or even a larger garden,after flying mine now for several months under calm outdoor conditions ( usually late evening or early morning when the air is still ) it has made me realise the potential and convenience of these small designs which offer so much in terms of fun and flying pleasure.

The one thing that must never be overlooked with any working model helicopter,is maintenance,admittedly there is not much of that on this model but there are a few pointers that will keep your Bell 47 flying smoothly in order for you to get the very best of service from it,the one thing that will get damaged at some stage is the rotor blades,there are two opposite handed sets on this model which are very efficent,just make sure that they match up in terms of weight,they can vary between 3.5 & 4 grams for each main blade,a set of jewellers scales will prove invaluable fo this simple task,weigh each blade and compare the results,if they match then that is fine,but if not carefully sand a little from the heavier blade or add a small amount correction fluid to the underside of the light blade,believe me it makes a big difference in the way that the model behaves in flight.

If you have the misfortune to strike the flybar in a mishap then do not attempt to straighten it,get a new one and do yourself a favour,it will pay dividends in the smooth operation of your model,make sure that the flybar weights are well secured inside the vinyl boots,you do not want those flying out like a bullet ?

Anything that is damaged is best replaced soon as possible,keep a spare set of parts in your toolbox at the ready,all that you will need for this one is an extra small phillips screwdriver to undo the tiny self tapping screws,be careful and do not drop them onto the floor,they are difficult to see.

The plastic main frame will get the occasional bump and possible breakage,you can use cyno with a bit of kicker to fix any non structural skeletal part with reasonable success,the vulnerable bits are the small outrigger rear planes,and any part of the framework,just make sure before flying that nothing is floating around that will get caught up with the rotors.

Normally I would say keep the antennae as straight as possible,but with this model the antennae is just in the way and gets chopped by the whirling bits,if that happens then you will almost certainly loose range or at the worst radio contact,tests have proven that looping it around from tail to nose has no harmful effects,in fact my model has flown at great height without any bother so be careful of this often overlooked point,you could even find some stiff thin plastic tube to lead the antennae well away from the tail,but be careful of the centre of gravity if you take this route,the model should balance with a slight nose down trim from holding it just under the rotor head.

The double sided tape holding down the combined receiver and gyro is best also supplemented with a small elastic band,if that works loose then you will loose the gyro operation and probably crash,it is not worth the risk.

Likewise with the lithium battery which is slung underneath and held via some velcro,add a band as well for extra security.

Tomorrow I will discuss the flying of this little gem and tell you how to get the vey best from her,even if you are a raw beginner,she really is a fun model to handle.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-Getting the best from your Twister Bell 47G-Part 2 Flying

Due to its clever design the Twister Bell 47G is a very stable model helicopter,two electric motors working in opposite directions cancel out the torque from the rotors,there is no tail rotor on this model as the built in gyro detects any swing of the boom and makes tiny inputs to the receiver and corrects any such movement,input of the (rudder) from the left stick enables swift turns to be made,in fact the most difficult of helicopter manoeuvres the nose in hover is made very easy due to the inherant stability of this design,the helicopter gives confidence to those who have struggled in the past with conventional helicopter designs,that is not to say the model is dull or un-challenging to fly,far from it as you begin to experiment and appreciate with the flight envelope.

Being such a small model the skids tend to dig into anything but bowling green quality grass on take off,I take out a small take off platform in the form of a small piece of plywood sufficent to get airborne,this will save the flustrations of turning the helicopter over as the skids wrap around the rough ground,I do not recommend flying over tarmac or concrete as an heavy landing will do untold damage,at some stage you will make mistakes with heavy arrivals and landings,so at least use pastureland as natures cushion.

Point the model into wind ( do not fly in strong wind as this model due to its small size will not be able to cope and drift sideways out of control ) and slowly open up the throttle,begin to get a bite with the skids light ie just entering into ground effect,add a bit more throttle and tower into the hover,once about ten feet into the air carefully move the right (Elevator ) stick forwards and the helicopter will gain a bit of speed and make headway and start to climb,at the same time ease off the forward pressure otherwise the helicopter will continue to climb very fast and quickly,so always go into the manouevre and then check it ( the term check means to centralise the stick and if necessary then go back a small amount into the opposite direction,practise will make perfect ) now it will be time to make a turn otherwise the model will be shooting into the distance,remember this model is small and will quickly get out of your optical sight,always fly within your own personal limitations to avoid dis-orientation especially with helicopter models.

Place the model into a slight bank,this helicopter has no preference to direction as the self cancelling rotors take care of any natural tendency to take a natural preference,follow this at the same time with the left stick and the nose will quickly come round,do not over control otherwise the boom will swing past the centralised point and then you could be facing in the wrong direction ! the Twister Bell still calls for precise flying in the turn but you will quickly learn to not over control.

Keep flying until the battery shows that it is loosing power and the helicopter fails to climb any more,now is the time to land so aim for a smooth area and once again get into the hover and slow the helicopter down by pulling up the nose gently and gently settle onto terra firma once again.

Thats it,all that now remains is for you to practise and practise again,try to make a couple of flights every day unti you can do it backwards ( yes this model will go backwards but that skill will come much later ) this really is a great little helicopter and one that will give hours of enjoyment.

Happy lndings.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Meccano system explained.

What is Meccano? Meccano was probably the first metal construction toy to reach the mass market. It was developed in Liverpool by a British toymaker named Frank Hornby around the turn of the century. Hornby founded Meccano Limited, which also manufactured toy trains (Hornby Dublo) toy vehicles (Dinky Toys) and many other types of toys over the years. Hornby’s formula of a relatively small number of general-purpose metal parts like girders, brackets, pulleys, shafts, and gears was widely imitated, most notably by Gilbert, which created the familiar Erector Sets that were discovered under virtually every American Christmas tree during the 1950’s. Meccano Limited ceased manufacturing operations in the UK in 1980, however, but a French firm kept the name alive and now manufactures Meccano sets for the world market. In the U.S., Meccano of France now owns the trademark "Erector" and manufactures "Erector" sets for sale in the States. These Meccano-built "Erector" sets are not compatible with the old Gilbert Erector sets, but are simply relabeled Meccano products. The parts are completely identical. Several other firms manufacture metal construction sets that are compatible to some degree with Meccano. What incompatibilities exist are mostly due to English/metric measurement conflicts. Although considered toys, metal construction sets like Meccano present opportunities to robotics crazies who do not have access to machine shop tools, or who simply don’t have the mechanical skill to machine their own small parts for robotics experiments. Both sets and spare parts are available mail-order in the U.S., Europe, and South America. What is the "Meccano Standard ? Any construction set depends on there being a set of standard dimensions that all the various parts adhere to. All the bolt holes must be of the same size, and holes in girders must have the same spacing, and so on. To be compatible with Meccano parts, another manufacturer must adhere to the same standards as Meccano uses. * What are the Meccano standard hole and shaft sizes? Meccano bolt holes on parts manufactured today (in France, a metric nation) spec at 4.1mm. The holes used to be bigger. Parts made in the Thirties have holes that clear a #16 drill but not a #15, so they were about 0.178". Today’s parts have holes that *barely* clear a #19 drill bit, which makes them almost exactly 0.166" (it’s a real tight fit, especially on painted parts.) When holes are arranged in a linear run, (as for girders, plates, and so on) they are 0.5" on centers. To turn freely within 0.166" bolt holes, the shafts must be a little smaller, and mike out at 0.1603" on my Sunday-only mike, giving about 0.005" play. The shaft diameter is thus almost precisely 4mm, and if you can find metric drill rod 4mm works beautifully. Almost as good is #20 drill rod (0.161") which is available at Industrial Pipe and Steel. 5/32" rod will clear holes and hubs, but at 0.156" it’s a pretty sloppy fit and I don’t recommend it for anything other than simple models.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Meccano system explained-Part 2

What is the size of the standard Meccano screws? Meccano screw threads are 32 per inch, and mic out at about 0.152" across the threads. This is just a bit smaller than your standard hardware store 8-32 NC (National Coarse) machine screw, which is supposed to be .164" across the threads. However, a spot check of my bolt drawers shows none that big; most come in at 0.158" to 0.162", with the bulk of them about 0.159". So it’s close. 8-32 screws clear the standard Meccano bolt hole with ease, and may be substituted for the more expensive Meccano screws. I’ve purchased 1/4" 8-32 brass screws from fastener stockholders,modern Meccano screws have an allen-socket head with a 3mm socket. Older Meccano screws have what is called a "cheese head" design, with a screw head shaped roughly like a round of Edam cheese with a screwdriver slot. Older Meccano screws were brass; the newer ones are zinc-plated steel, like most hardware store nuts and bolts. I much prefer the allen-head screws, as they can be perched on the end of an allen wrench and worked into tight spots where fingers don’t quite reach. Metric hex keys are available at larger hardware stores; my favorite has a plastic- coated T-handle and works very well,just make sure that you buy one with hardened steal and not the cheap rubbish. Some Meccano parts come with setscrews having a metric allen head 2mm in size. I keep the 2mm and 3mm T-handle keys with my Meccano parts, and that’s all I need.Will 8-32NC set screws work in Meccano hubs? No! Meccano screws are slightly smaller in diameter than 8-32, and while the thread pitch is the same, the hubs are tapped a little too small to accept 8-32NC set screws. (The tap drill for the one standard Meccano thread is given as 3.25mm. Meccano is made in France now, which is metric.) It is possible to re-tap a Meccano hub to 8-32, but is has to be done very carefully to avoid breaking the tap off in a part that may be worth a lot more than the tap. (Meccano gears, in particular, can be very expensive.) Meccano setscrews are readily available from many mail-order sources including Whistlers,just check the catalogues and order a small quantity before commiting to larger purchases to check on the quality, What are Meccano parts made of? Nearly all Meccano parts are steel or brass,modern gears are made from Sintered brass,these show as a dull gold finish.There is virtually no aluminum in the line apart from some special rods that were made for a Meccano clock kit escapement many years ago. In recent years some plastic parts have appeared which are not liked by Meccano enthusiasts, primarily realistic wheels for special sets, transparent plates for windshields which do not stand up to much re-use, and other small but sometimes oddments,in recent years some rather obscure parts have appeared in the small 'one model type' sets. Some gears are now made in plastic to reduce their considerable cost,never mesh a plastic gear with a metal one it will not last long and eventually wreck both gears, but equivalent gears are in every case normally available in brass. There is a separate line of plastic parts called Meccano Junior, targeted at small children and intended to price-compete with Lego, but I won’t discuss these further here as they have little use to the serious builder.

 

[Guest]

...and don't forget that Hornby Dublo was so named as it referred to the scale which was OO scale or double 'O'.