Missing thread

Malcolm Brighton also worked on the Bristol Belle, one of the first hot air balloons in the UK, with a team including one Don Cameron. Whatever became of him? 🙂

Gondola looked more like a life raft I think. It was September 1970 they launched.

Must be a different one; the tiny yacht-gondola must have been later maybe 1976 to 1978?

It’s queer that Brighton has never featured – as far as I’m aware – in an aircraft name. No BAC, Blackburn, Boulton & Paul, Bristol or Britten-Norman Brighton. Not even a Beagle Brighton, which would be as close, geographically, as one might get!

This might be true but ‘queer’ and ‘Brighton’ have oft been used in the same sentence.

Was ‘The Free Life’ the tiny yacht-shaped gondola / balloon that was featured on ‘Blue Peter’ (what irony) on the BBC and which was lost without trace?

Gondola looked more like a life raft I think. It was September 1970 they launched.

Well, it’s a good job that it’s a Whitley that I’m restoring to flying condition near Brighton. Otherwise the letter from Sue Grabbit & Runne would be in the post tonight! 😉

Yes, I know the project!
A green farm gate off Brumble road.
. I read in Historic Aviation Quarterly the lock combination to get in is: 24-66-34. Should be an exciting project.

Oh, I’d forgotten that there were plans to build the US ‘no cockpit’ RLU-1 under licence on the Sussex coast. It was going to be called the Brighton Breezy! OK, I’ll get my ….. 😀

Was ‘The Free Life’ the tiny yacht-shaped gondola / balloon that was featured on ‘Blue Peter’ (what irony) on the BBC and which was lost without trace?

In the cold light of dawn and with a brain free of alcohol and cheered by a thoroughly unhealthy breakfast, the leetle grey cells, as Poirot would say, have been stirring.

There have been British manufactured aircraft bearing the name Brighton: several gas balloons and the Lebaudy airship replica built by Malcolm Brighton in the late 1960s.

The Lebaudy was used in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and was flown by amongst others, Derek Piggott. Brighton flew a balloon across the Channel and was lost in the early 1970s along with two Americans in an unfortunate attempt to cross the Atlantic in a Roziere balloon named The Free Life.

Recommended reading is “The Free Life” and “The Dangerous Sort” by Anthony Smith – and also “Throw Out Two Hands” about Smith’s ballooning adventures in East Africa in 1962. Also, of course, “Delta Papa”, Derek Piggot’s autobiography in which he describes the Lebaudy.

And there’s me thinking that I knew all the British aircraft ever produced. It just demonstrates what you can learn from this forum. False news, did I hear someone say? Nah, mate, if you read it ‘ere it must be true!

Of course, the Brighton Aircraft Manufacturing Co. built the Blackburn Roc under licence, the Brighton Roc; and they wanted to build an aircraft to the design of Sir Malcolm Early, to be named after him, but they couldn’t get up in time.

Wasn’t there a Brighton-Norman Islander? And a Bristol Brightonia?

It’s queer that Brighton has never featured – as far as I’m aware – in an aircraft name. No BAC, Blackburn, Boulton & Paul, Bristol or Britten-Norman Brighton. Not even a Beagle Brighton, which would be as close, geographically, as one might get!

How ironic, I’m restoring a Brighton in Whitley!

Well, it’s a good job that it’s a Whitley that I’m restoring to flying condition near Brighton. Otherwise the letter from Sue Grabbit & Runne would be in the post tonight! 😉

Look up the new GDPR regulations; by being ‘helpful’ you (and this forum) may have broken the law!

Say, for example, somebody asked: ‘Hey, does anybody know who that guy is who is restoring an Armstrong-Whitworth Albemarle to flying condition near Brighton?’

And you answered: ‘Yes, he is called Frank Made-Up-Name, and restoration is being done at Made-Up-Name Farm.’

Well, think for a minute; do you think Frank wanted the whole world (potentially) to know what his name was, what he was restoring and where, perhaps, thousands of pounds worth of aircraft artefacts and tools were being kept?

Not saying this is what you did…..just maybe a reason that the thread got deleted?

Personally I think if GDPR protects this sort of personal information, that can only be a good thing!

By the way, I’m certain nobody is restoring an Armstrong-Whitworth Albemarle to flying condition, anywhere!

The person who started the thread could have deleted the whole thread…

…it is a bit of a blunt instrument but the only way to delete something that somebody else wrote.

For example, if you divulged something that they didn’t want in the public domain?

As this has gone off topic, wonder whether this thread will go missing. Then someone can start a Missing Missing Thread Thread

Sorry, Friday afternoon

Paul

Linked to the new Dr. Who series this weekend??

so it has…now how did it get there?

probably through one of those darn holes in the time-space continuum :rolleyes:

Martin

Erm… It’s gone to General Discussion 🙂

so it has…now how did it get there?

🙂 what a lark.