Slingsby Type T-7/T-8 Kirby Kadet/Tutor

Phil

The one at MAM has blue wings which are of the T.7 Cadet Mk 1 type. I think the other one was BGA891. Its C of A expired 24/1/66. I have it listed as the Cornish Flying club at Trevelas airfield.

and back to my original query. The Cadet at MAM (on display dismantled in the Robin hangar) has had the identity BGA804 since it was acquired by the MAPS from the Cornish Gliding Club, Perranporth in 1968.

Roger Smith.

Roger, I remember that one, one of two the Club owned and was it or is it, in a fine dark blue colour scheme? I polished it, but never got to fly it, as it was disposed of before my 16th birthday! By that time we had also disposed of our T-21 and T-31 and were using K-13 and the Swallow for first and early solo.

I’m very glad that the Tutor is alive and well, or at least preserved.

Best wishes,

Phil Hawkey

David. You are correct however I think the chances of finding its true identity are slim. When I recovered the fuselage of the one I have at Keevil there was absolutely nothing to identify it by. Rest assured I looked long and had and even had mirrors with a torch on to look in places where I could not get my head in.

On a more positive note I am finally starting to make progress with this glider and it should be flying in RAFC markings as XE761 in 2013.

As a sidenote, there’s the well-known Pink Panther T.8 at Asperden that’s flying (had the pleasure of flying that recently), and there’s another one flying at Midden Zeeland. The owner also has the remains of another one in storage.

The T31 is a different beast altogether, the Tandem Tutor. Several still flying on the continent.

The fuselage really needs a good looking at!

I was able to view the Cadet at Midland Air Museum last week up close. Whilst the fuselage hangs up in the roof of the Robin hangar the wings are hidden behind some boarding. Interestingly the wings are those of a T.7 Cadet Mk1 and not those of a T.8 Cadet Mk2 or Tutor. The elevator is marked SSK/E/1058.

This suggests to me that it can not be BGA804 as it was converted from a T.7 VM589 to a T.8 XE761 whilst in military service.

Some Slingsby glider’s where built by Martin Hearn Ltd, these have a MHL stamped on the ply some where. The only plates i have seen are modification plates, but the one’s i have seen haven’t got much on.
In the British Gliders book by P.H.Butler BGA 804 was VW589 a Cadet TX1, then must have been fitted with new wings as it became XE761 a Cadet TX2 ( T8 Tutor).
Dave

I have never seen a constructers number plate on any Slingsby wooden glider. Each major item (wings, fuselage, ailerons, tailplane etc) had a paper identity plate that was recessed into the ply and then covered in fabric. The fuselage would be marked SSK/FF/….. Wings SSK/OW/….. Aileron SSK/A/… and so on. Sadly on my BGA804 none of these original identity plates remain.

If you know the serial numbers for the parts of your glider I would be interested in knowing them as there appears to be no list as to which item serial numbers were allocated to each glider that Slingsby built. I am slowly compiling my own but it is a very slow process.

WB981 – As I say that was the identity we were told when acquired from Perranporth in 1968. Do Tutors/Cadets have c/n plates on them?

Bob Ogden was MAPS Chairman at the time I’ll try asking him to see if he can throw any light on it.

Roger Smith.

The real BGA804? I own BGA804 at Keevil and was shocked when I discovered there was another T.8 Tutor also claiming to BGA804 at MAM. I know that the glider I own has had several accidents and has had numerous rebuilds. I wonder if at some stage the fuselage has been changed but the glider has kept the registration BGA804 for ease of paperwork issues. What I do know is the glider was last rebuilt in the early 80’s by Bob Beck at Dishforth who then passed it on to Arthur Chadwick before the glider moved to Keevil in November 1996.

I hesitate to say, “what’s yours then” ‘cos I know its going to cost me a pint. 😉

But as I’m totally lacking in Slingsby knowledge, what’s the story behind this camouflaged beauty??

This is our Slingsby Kirby Kite 1 BGA400. It was used by army at Ringway, then Haddenham. The Glider Training Squadron used 15 of them in 1940-41, the first main type use by the army before the larger Hotspur came in.
BGA400 has the wings of the radar Kite. This was used during july 1940 over the channel. To see if radar could pick in comming gliders, as they wanted to know when the German’s where comming. The radar Kite was built with minimal metal fittings.
After looking after the Kite for 19 year’s it is now up for sale.

Dave

Back to the beggining of the thread there are 2 T.8 Tutors at Keevil, BGA804 and BGA1698. The latter is airworthy and 804 is under restoration to flying status again. In addition there is a T.31 XA310 which is also airworthy at Keevil. For photos go to www.bannerdown.co.uk.

and back to my original query. The Cadet at MAM (on display dismantled in the Robin hangar) has had the identity BGA804 since it was acquired by the MAPS from the Cornish Gliding Club, Perranporth in 1968.

Roger Smith.

There is a camouflaged Cadet TX1 in the Trenchard museum at Halton, Bucks. This was restored some years ago by Mike Beech. The Tutor we use to have was painted trainer yellow with a roundel under its top coat of red paint. But below the yellow was Raf dark green with the roundel in a slightly diffrent position.
Dave

I hesitate to say, “what’s yours then” ‘cos I know its going to cost me a pint. 😉

But as I’m totally lacking in Slingsby knowledge, what’s the story behind this camouflaged beauty??

There is a camouflaged Cadet TX1 in the Trenchard museum at Halton, Bucks. This was restored some years ago by Mike Beech. The Tutor we use to have was painted trainer yellow with a roundel under its top coat of red paint. But below the yellow was Raf dark green with the roundel in a slightly diffrent position.
Dave

Kirby Cadets

That name takes me back to the days when I worked on the them in WW11. They were finished in RAF training scheme, & used mainly for basic air experience for the ATC boys.

Only wish that I had been allowed to join the ATC. at the time for a chance to fly in one, — it would have been much better than working on them, (which I hated), especially when doubled up in that cramped little cockpit.

Anyone got a pic. of one in RAF garb ?

Dustyone

I remember the Slingsby T29b Motor Tutor G-AKJD on it last flight at Dunstable 21/6/64. I was 9 years old at the time. It made a big boom as it crashed. My father said most fabric and wood aircraft made that noise when they crash. I think it had flown up from Lasham for an air display. The wings where lifted of in on piece of the wreckage to get the pilot out. There was lots of shouting ‘No smoking’. The pilot nose was bleeding, i dont think he was to badly injured. I still have small bit’s of the motor tutor i picked up weeks afterwards. The Motor Tutor was based on the T8 with a J.A.P J99 engine.

Dave

My father and my self did own Tutor BGA833 ex VW535 for a few years. We got it from Ivor Strech, it had been in the Motive Air Museum at Lytham St Annes. One wing had been cut through. So i got a new one from Cambridge aerodome. My father did the mod 80 to the wings. ( This modifacation was a result of a Tutor braking up in the air.This was then looked at Farnborough). We then sold it. I last saw it at a Vintage Glider Rally at Camphill some years ago. The Vintage Glider Club Has most of the Slingsby glider plans, plus a few other types. I have had some good flights in T31’s.
Dave

Back to the beggining of the thread there are 2 T.8 Tutors at Keevil, BGA804 and BGA1698. The latter is airworthy and 804 is under restoration to flying status again. In addition there is a T.31 XA310 which is also airworthy at Keevil. For photos go to www.bannerdown.co.uk.

Okay, didnt realise it was you Dennis. Good to see someone else from those modelling foroums.

Ollie – historically gliders aren’t on the CAA register, unless they’re self-launching motor gliders, which is why G-INFO won’t show any. However EASA has changed this — all gliders being brought into the UK must now be registered with the CAA, as well as the BGA. This is also being applied retrospectively for registrations in I think the last 2 years.

Back in I think it was the 60s glider registrations were handled by the CAA — there was one glider accident a couple of years back (the Oly 463 delamination) where the AAIB were lead investigators since the glider was unusually on a CAA registration. Then gliding was delegated to the BGA and everything generally got on with itself until EASA turned up. *sigh*