Skeeter XL814 of the Army Air Corps Historic Flight appeared at Eastleigh this summer as part of the celebrations of the type’s 50th? anniversary. Does this mean it is active again, as I understood it was permanently grounded due to a lack of serviceable rotor blades? The AACHF website seems to indicate it is part of the active fleet.
By: stringbag - 30th August 2008 at 23:20
If I remember rightly…
G-APOI was donated to Solent Sky.
XL812 is to be donated to the AAC Museum of Flying.
XL814 will remain with the AACHF but as a travelling exhibit only.
All this was said publicly at the handover of APOI at Eastleigh earlier this month.
By: super sioux - 30th August 2008 at 20:32
G-BLIX was flown regularly around NW Bedford up to a few years ago and I have many memories of it flying around in its quaint way. The owner produced a good video on its restoration to flying but title escapes me at the moment. I first set eyes on a CFS Skeeter at Ternhill in 1962.
The video you cant remember might be the one I have just found in my collection. It is from a series called ROTORS OF YESTERYEAR and is subtitled
‘This film is the story of a SKEETER AOP 12 HELICOPTER on its journey through renovations to flight’. It was released in 1991 and I bought in a sale for £1.50 and it is very informative and probably the only coverage of the Skeeter in detail.
Ray
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 29th August 2008 at 16:06
Did anyone see that one has just been donated to Solent Sky?
TT
By: T-21 - 28th August 2008 at 21:03
G-BLIX was flown regularly around NW Bedford up to a few years ago and I have many memories of it flying around in its quaint way. The owner produced a good video on its restoration to flying but title escapes me at the moment. I first set eyes on a CFS Skeeter at Ternhill in 1962.
By: Lee Howard - 28th August 2008 at 19:19
It was a joint decision between the MoD and the CAA to permanently ground all Skeeters on the UK G- and Mil registers due to main rotor blade spar corrosion problems. Badly underpowered, especially on a hot day, the type was marginal to operate at the best of times. At the time the AACHAF’s aircraft last flew their then (female) OC was chosen specifically to fly the type as she was the only one light enough to allow the aircraft to get airborne with any meaningful margin of safety!
By: Arabella-Cox - 28th August 2008 at 17:44
But presumably this aircraft flies on a Military Release to Service so what have the CAA got to do with it?
By: Arm Waver - 28th August 2008 at 16:57
Oddly enough I thought the reason they were grounded was due to a lack of gear boxes.
For some reason I recall it being the tail gear boxes.
At least I managed to see them fly.
By: J Boyle - 28th August 2008 at 16:46
It was the Skeeters.
As I recall reading here (which is all I know on the subject) it was more than just blades, but time expired rotor head components as well.
Anything can be recreated, all it takes is money not only for the parts themselves, but for the paperwork to get any new parts arroved by the CAA.
In todays CAD/CAM world, the second part might be more of a problem than the first.
By: Newforest - 28th August 2008 at 16:11
I thought I read that all Skeeters were permanently grounded by the CAA or was that the Wasp/Scout?:confused:
By: Arabella-Cox - 28th August 2008 at 15:36
Skeeter XL814 of the Army Air Corps Historic Flight appeared at Eastleigh this summer as part of the celebrations of the type’s 50th? anniversary. Does this mean it is active again, as I understood it was permanently grounded due to a lack of serviceable rotor blades? The AACHF website seems to indicate it is part of the active fleet.
Funnily enough I was asking myself the same question only a few weeks ago. Like you, I checked the AACHF’s website which indicates its still a flyer…
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August 28, 2008 at 3:30 pm