Well here it is – albeit a rather long time coming!
A number of Dicer related queries. The Dicer is said to have been constructed from the rear fuselage and wing parts of a Swallow 1 and the undercarriage of a Tipsy. Does anyone know the identity of the Swallow and the type and identity of the Tipsy? Was the rest of the Dicer “new build” or did it use parts salvaged from other aircraft in the Burgoyne workshop? Furthermore was there any other aeroplane that flew in the UK, without bothering about the formalities of registration, for so long? Apparently the Dicer was complete by 1939 but the war and the lack of an engine prevented it flying until, it appears, 1946. Despite carrying the registration G-AECN (actually the registration of a Burgoyne built Pou de Ciel – maybe parts of that went into the Dicer?) it seems to have flown, regularly and unregistered, until about 1950. After that it was stored in a barn at Burton-in-the-Wold, at Newton, at Wymeswold and finally at Syerston. This appears to have been until sometime after 1954. Ord-Hume says that it last flew at Syerston and was broken up there. Does anyone know when this was? Other sources say that it was withdrawn from use as early as 1948 – which could have been the case yet still fit within the Ord-Hume account.
Can anyone provide additional information concerning the Dicer? I am aware that Don Burgoyne’s son has posted on this forum in the past, but I don’t know if he visits here still, and of his tribute website to his father. Perhaps he can contribute more on the subject. It maybe that there is more on the subject in the book ‘Wings over Warwickshire’ but I don’t have a copy. Does anyone who does add anything more here?
By: avion ancien - 1st December 2010 at 17:48
The various extracts from the AB Archive over the years, kindly supplied by Roger, make very interesting reading. In the search to discover the ultimate fate of the Dicer, it looks as if the trail went cold at Burton-on-the-Wolds (Wymeswold?), where it was reported to be stored in a barn in 1950 (although W&R 3 records the Dicer as having been last seen at Newton in 1953). However the AB Archive information ties in with the reference to the Dicer at http://www.hoap.co.uk/who/who27.htm (although that might just have drawn on the AB report). The only other thing that occurs to me is that BEAGLE is said to have had an off aerodrome airframe storage facility in that area in the 1960s. Probably that’s just a coincidence. Probably there’s no connection between it and the Dicer’s barn. Anyone care to comment?
By: avion ancien - 16th November 2010 at 22:14
Pas de problème. I trust that you received my e-mail. I’ll look forward to some interesting reading when I get home. Thank you, Roger.
By: RPSmith - 16th November 2010 at 21:15
AA sorry for delay – have now sent two emails as I discovered on reading the scans myself that two of the seven were partly illegible!
There is an additional A-B reference now as well – A-B Digest of July, 1950 when a Ken Wright reported the Dicer “strung up in a barn at Burton-on-the-Wolds near the airfield” (RAF Wymeswold). In the summer of 1992 Ken and John Collier went looking for it “but the Dicer, and the barn, have gone”. As at the end of 1992 they were “following up other local leads……….watch this space”.
I’ll have to badger my mate to see if he would search issues beyond 1993, no 3.
Roger Smith.
By: avion ancien - 24th October 2010 at 17:11
Roger, did you get my PM with my e-mail address?
By: avion ancien - 17th October 2010 at 18:56
I’ll send my e-mail address by PM and virtual kisses via the forum!
By: RPSmith - 17th October 2010 at 18:41
AA – saw my chum today and have borrowed the Air Britain mags – he looked out a previous reference and the follow-up bits in later mags as well.
Will scan over next 2 – 3 days if you can send me an email address (preferrably by the email option on PM?).
Roger Smith.
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October 17, 2009 at 12:50 pm