Luton Minor Piccies

Another request. Does anyone know anything of the cause and circumstances of the crash of G-AHMO at Sandown (IoW) on 22 October 1966?

Thank you, FB. I’m most grateful for that information. I wish the owner of G-AFIR improved luck in tracing the required magneto parts and intake manifolds for the JAP engine.

I last saw AFIR about 10 days ago and it is certainly still under restoration to flight and looking absolutely fine. The owner is trying to source some magneto parts and same JAP J99 intake manifolds in order to conclude the engine restoration, but otherwise it has come on far beyond the Facebook page updates show.

When it crashed at fairoaks, that was due to magneto/plug failure leading to loss of power immediately after take off, resulting in a broken wing and lower fuselage damage. The airframe passed through several owners before being restored by a chap who then sold it on to another party. That party then took the original engine for an Aeronca restoration and then reassessed the airframe and declared it far from serviceable. The wings were stripped right down and the fuselage was left as was along with the tail surfaces, before it was all placed into store.

The new new owner has now built new wings for IR, has stripped and repaired the fuselage, completed most of the control fittings and major mounting points and acquired another engine which is stripped and ready for reassembly.

it will be absolutely superb when it flies again although the owners workload is considerably high currently hence probably whilst it is slow. It probably really is the lack of engine parts that is really holding up the progress

FB

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the moderators (:o) and having failed to get satisfaction by going down a more ‘modern’ route, I’ll dive into the vault and bring out this ancient thread ….. !

The first reason for so doing is to repeat a question about G-ASEA. The old grey matter is not all that once it was. If it was otherwise, I might be able to remember the date on which Luton Minor G-ASEA (an appropriate registration mark in the circumstances) ditched in the sea off Shoreham, Sussex. What I can remember is that it was being flown by Mike Stapp, possibly on a check flight, and he was less than pleased to be soaked to the skin in consequence of an engine failure(?) away from terra firma. I also recollect that he waded ashore but lost his wristwatch and threatened to sue the owner of G-ASEA for the cost of its replacement (it’s amazing what rubbish one still can remember!). G-ASEA was brought ashore, salvaged and flew again, but nowhere can I find the date of this ditching. Can anyone help?

The second concerns G-AFIR. I presume this still to be in the course of a prolonged restoration – judging by what has been said about it on this thread and having looked at its facebook page (which, I note, hasn’t been updated since October 2017). But the question relates to what, I presume, was the reason for it requiring a restoration. G-AFIR is recorded as having crashed at Fairoaks on 14 March 1971 but nowhere online can I find anything concerning the cause or circumstances of that crash or the damage that it suffered thereby. Can anyone help?

Superb Stuart. Great to see ‘WMN looking so good.

Stuart, Its looks good. I have been doing a bit on SEA, when im not playing with my gliders.

Dave

looks really good Stuart, nice too another Minor well on the way back to being in the air.

Luton Minor Pictures

As my Luton Minor is shown in a sorry state in post #125 I thought I would post a more recent picture. Since photo has been taken the wings have been covered and she is due to be moved to Great Oakley, Essex some time in July for the post rebuild test flying.

Stuart

PM sent many thanks.

Four Counties Flying Syndicate

I HAVE SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE ON THE FOUR COUNTIES FLYING SYNDICATE. Please email me at [email]dcaineyw@yahoo.ca[/email]

LOL 😀 I think as you suggest an articule in Todays Pilot is due. 🙂

Or some other magazine………;)

G-AFIR, Rearsby, 1938

Just found this one in the filing cabinet – courtesy Victor Doree IIRC

A few Minors from 40 years ago!

Just scanned some of my slides for you – where did the last 40 years go?

Minors plus one Major.

(I’ve posted some Martin Monoplane stuff on the Barton Aerodrome thread – PM me if you want the full story.)

G-AMAW, Flying for Fun, Sywell, 11 July 1970

G-ASEB, Old Warden, 31 August 1969

G-ATCN, Old Warden, 25 August 1968

G-ATKH, Wolverhampton, 21 April 1968

G-AVDY, Tollerton, 24 August 1968

Luton Major G-AYVN, Old Warden (?) some time in early 1981

Thanks to all those that have given me information to help track down some of the history of Luton Aircraft and in particular to the time here at Barton.. many thanks especially to both Steves and Dave!

I asked before about the Martin Monoplane and fingers crossed it looks like it is may still be in existence if not one piece!… as said in the thread before it was based on the Clarke Cheetah (Cinque Ports AC), and built for RA Hopkinson then based at Bovingdon By Luton Aircraft at Barton on 06-07-1937 from a DH53 salvaged by the company. The a/c was never that successful by all accounts with numerous engine failures and spent most its days in storage before being restored in the ’70’s. In more recent times it was acquired by the team at Salisbury Hall as donor parts in the rebuild of its DH53 G-EBQP which was a used in the parasite aircraft/airship trials. After a chat with the helpful people at Skysport Engineering we are fairly sure the airframe is in storage at Salisbury Hall (Mosquito Aircraft Museum) and owned by Terry Pankhurst still.

Steve sorry for moving off your Minor pics thread, more on the Minor in the next post.

GASML
I seem to remember seeing a ‘Luton Major’ in the early seventies which was a widened Minor, still open cockpit but side by side seating. It was just a scaled up Minor and not tandem like your photos.
Now what could that have been?
Jim

Yep. That’s the Luton Duet. Not really a product of Luton Aircraft or its successor Phoenix Aircraft Limited. One example was built G-AYTT.

Click on this link for some seasonal pics of the aeroplane last Christmas!
http://www.kingpinmedia.co.uk/_OtherSites/LutonMinor/LatestNews21.htm

GASML
I seem to remember seeing a ‘Luton Major’ in the early seventies which was a widened Minor, still open cockpit but side by side seating. It was just a scaled up Minor and not tandem like your photos.
Now what could that have been?
Jim

I think you’ll find it to be the Luton Minor III Duet G-AYTT
G-AYTT

GASML
I seem to remember seeing a ‘Luton Major’ in the early seventies which was a widened Minor, still open cockpit but side by side seating. It was just a scaled up Minor and not tandem like your photos.
Now what could that have been?
Jim

Many thanks for the photographs ! the airfield hangars and slope look like Kirton-In-Lindsey ?

It is. A PFA fly-in I seem to recollect. It was a transparency offered on e-bay.

The other pictures of G-ASAA are from a fly-in to the rugby fields that are just to the west of Boston in Lincolnshire. The chap in the cockpit was a USAF F-105 pilot gaining his first fix of vintage open cockpit flying!

Many thanks for the photographs ! the airfield hangars and slope look like Kirton-In-Lindsey ?

Would like any information on the Four Counties Flying Syndicate(P.Lea and Ernie Lingard)that used to operate 2 Luton Minors G-ASAA and G-ASXJ from Sudbrook House airstrip Ancaster ,Lincs in the sixties. The strip was close to RAF Cranwell and full of sheep ! Tipsy Trainer G-AFVN also used the field and flying commenced around 1954 by the owner Robin Simpson using a Tiger Moth reg unknown ?

A few pics from that period are below.

G-ASAA was among the first post-war Luton Minors, built by Arthur Ord-Hume, who previously had rebuilt the pre-war G-AFIR. G-ASXJ is still flying in the Gloucester area and after being stored for many years at Fenland, Ernie Lingard’s Tipsy Trainer is curently been restored in Lincolnshire by David Almey.