Ward Gnome G-AXEI and Elf G-MMUL

Ray Fixter was my late uncle, fantastic info about the ward gnome-just to add the plane was garaged at Gosberton and was partly sponsored as such by one of my current customers,John Smith, now in his 80’s-then proprietor of the garage that is now “Wheelrite” in Gosberton. The Gnome was on display in his showroom for periods of time,and he is the chap shown standing next to Uncle Ray whilst he is seated in the plane,when it’s pictured between a Mercedes and a Ford Galaxie above

So the Gnome is neither, the smallest, lightest or the shortest wing span aircraft in the world, but not far off

It was the smallest and lightest in 1969.

So the Gnome is neither, the smallest, lightest or the shortest wing span aircraft in the world, but not far off

Thank you, yes that is my dad, I have just been on eBay and bought it.

Your Dad? I had not realised that! Maybe I missed it. So I almost “met” your Dad in 1969!

Looking at that picture it occurs to me that my recollection of him pulling the Gnome could have been that he was hitching it to the car, or unhitching. It was a long time ago!

Maybe you could tidy up that photo and format it and repost?? I thought I had one of my own but can’t find it so far.

This is a later photo of the Gnome, the chap in the foreground is George Clover who re-built the engine and designed the undercarriage. Photo taken 4 years ago when George was 90.

I finally found a photo of G-AXEI in the Spalding Parade in 1969. It’s not how I recall it, being pulled by its owner, but maybe that was another year.

https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/Ephemera…8AAOSwEeFU44uk

Thank you, yes that is my dad, I have just been on eBay and bought it.

I finally found a photo of G-AXEI in the Spalding Parade in 1969. It’s not how I recall it, being pulled by its owner, but maybe that was another year.

https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/Ephemera…8AAOSwEeFU44uk

“Further more the only person to exhibit the Ward Gnome in the Spalding tulip parade was indeed Ray Fixter.”

Thanks for that dj bounce. So I was not dreaming about seeing it in the Spalding Parade, but it must have been Fixter rather than Ward. Do you know what year that was? By my reckoning it must have been about 1967.

Hello, i’m not sure what year it would be but I would say between 1967 to 1971. I will try and find out more and let you know.

“Further more the only person to exhibit the Ward Gnome in the Spalding tulip parade was indeed Ray Fixter.”

Thanks for that dj bounce. So I was not dreaming about seeing it in the Spalding Parade, but it must have been Fixter rather than Ward. Do you know what year that was? By my reckoning it must have been about 1967.

Re the Ward Gnome, The aircraft although constructed by Mick Ward, Peter Anderson and George Clover Mick taxied it and Peter tried to fly it with little or no success, Peter Anderson was to heavy to get the low powered engine to properly take off. Ray Fixter who purchased the Gnome went on to be the only pilot to properly fly it. This flight is the one recorded in the Guinness book records. The flight took place at Camp St Athan flown from East to West on the 29th anniversary of the Battle of Britain Saturday 20th September 1969. It is Ray Fixter who was the record holder. To confirm this the Guinness book of records mentioned is the 1969 copy and is on pages 186 and 187. Further more the only person to exhibit the Ward Gnome in the Spalding tulip parade was indeed Ray Fixter.

I got to chat today with the chap that had seen the Pixie during construction, i took him the picture of it sitting enginless in a hanger, he remembered a VW engine in it and as soon as i mentioned Ray Fixter his eyes lit up, yes that`s the chap he said. It was constructed in a workshop on the premisis of Parker builders who were then in Little London in Spalding, a friend of his who was the mechanic at Parkers and had done some of the installation work on it took him to see it late one evening and swore him to secrecy, it was apparently hush, hush. It was the size of a Mini for the cost of a Mini, that was how they were going to sell them, he seemed to think that it was taken to Skegness aerodrome for the test flight, Ray Fixter and his friend flying up in another aircraft. After the test flight his friend never mentioned the aircraft again. Someone must have more pics of the aircraft, hopefully they will turn up sometime. The mechanic is still in touch with the chap i see and he has said he will try and find out a bit more about the Pixie…………..Martin

Re my post 19, above. For what it’s worth the date I saw the mini-aeroplane in the Spalding Flower Parade was after 1965, so the dates correspond that it was indeed Mr Ward pulling his Gnome. Anyone else heard of this?

Thank you for the additional information. The Gnome at Newark is now fitted with a Citroen engine that came with the airframe and is a draw to 2CV owners!

Another visit to the NAM Archive and a further read of the aircraft file is called for!

Pete Anderson was one of the 3 enthusiasts who agreed to build a model “big enough to sit in” in 1966, as they were all RC Model builders. Mick Ward was the most experienced and said he would build the airframe if George Clover could find an engine.Pete was to be the Pilot. So, although Mick taxied the finished machine at Wigsley, he, as a member of a WW2 Bomber crew Mick had time”at the controlsl” but Pete was a flier. However, both Mick and Pete were too heavy to get the Gnome out of Ground Effect and the boundary trees always loomed.One day a rusty Renault Dauphine appeared while the trio played at Wigsley. Out stepped Ray Fixter cutting a picturesque figure in plimsolls and Flight Captains Cap.He offered to take the Gnome off their hands as he saw he had a chance to improve on the hops as he was much slimmer and lighter than Pete.So it proved to be ,but testing at East Kirkby confirmed more power was needed and eventually Ray designed the Pixie with VW power. The Gnome was hung up at Tattershall until the Museum had to vacate.Meanwhile the Gnome-money was invested in a new biplane design by Mick Ward ;the Elf. Mick used a Citroen engine,and tried a Wankel Rotary. Ray Fixter developed the Pixie from a Gnome-design empennage and a wider fuselage in 1979.. He passed away 3 year after it had made a single maiden flight. The Gnome as exhibited at Breighton represents the form it was first built and flown at Wigsley by Peter Anderson and later Ray Fixter. A Newark replica did/does not have an original type Douglas engine .

Vis a vis the location of the Fixter Pixie at the time of the photograph on the ABPic website, there might be a clue in the background. That appears to include a dismantled Aiglet Trainer, G-AMUI, which was registered to Mell-Air of Goxhill, Lincs between 1965 and 1984 (the photograph is said to have been taken in 1975), being recorded by the CAA as PWFU in the latter year. Subsequently G-AMUI was registered to Maureen & Allan Copse of Market Overton, Rutland. In Dave Peel’s ‘British Civil Aircraft Registers since 1919’ (1985) G-AMUI is noted as ‘stored’. Maybe discovering where G-AMUI was stored (and where it had been based prior to that) might help identify where the Fixter Pixie was and to where subsequently it went?

Yesterday, prompted by this thread and a recent encounter in a care home in Newark (more on that later) I looked at the aircraft file in the Newark Air Museum (NAM) archive for the Ward Gnome BAPC 330 that is displayed in Hangar 1 (photo attached).

The material in the file does not add a great deal to the points already raised in this thread, although it does contain a couple of photographs of G-AXEI from the Nev Franklin Collection, that appear to have been marked up for possible use in Control Column.

Some of the correspondence does however add another name into the frame regarding flights out of ex RAF Wigsley, one Pete Anderson.

As a child living in Newark I knew him as a friend of my aunt and uncle and also as the owner of a favourite toy shop in Newark. On a Sunday in the 1960s we used to go and watch him flying radio controlled planes at Wigsley; then when I joined NAM in the 1970s Pete was a regular participant at their fly-ins with an Auster that he owned.

In two separate communications in the Gnome file at NAM, Pete Anderson is noted as having flown the Gnome at Wigsley in the 1960s. Also, in one of these communications reference was made the entry of the Ward Gnome into the Guinness Book of World Records, whilst being flown by Pete Anderson.

It is my understanding that Pete Anderson has passed away, but just after Christmas, whilst visiting my uncle in a care home in Newark I did speak with his widow who was also in the home for some respite care and who had been speaking to my uncle about their visits to Wigsley, old time dancing and attending each other’s weddings!

I will endeavour to do some more research but I felt that it was perhaps worthwhile sharing this new name in these Ward Gnome discussions.

Mick Ward, The designer/builder of the Gnome built it during 1966 and its maiden flight was 4th Augut 1967
Regarding last known location of Fixter Pixie G-AXNY,reported by the photographer as Nayland Essex,this has been followed up on site and the airfield’s owner Tont Harris denied all residence rumours for this machine,supported by period log books.The building in which it is pictured is not of a construction at Nayland anyway .. It is likely that is is pictured at Postland(Crowland) in 1985,but was also reported at Chatteris,Cambs in 1992,but has disappeared by 1993. I now have photos of the aircraft under construction in Spalding.It was powered by a VW conversion, and made flight at first attempt (only recorded flight) and landed in a nearby field. The plot thickens.

Talking about Spalding: I remember being at their Flower Parade, probably late1950s, and seeing a proud owner dragging his tiny new home-built along with the various floats (I don’t mean it was a seaplane – the “floats” were decorated with local tulips). I recall he was simply lifting the tail and pulling the aeroplane backwards. I have a photo somewhere but I can’t find it. I think it could have been Mr Ward and his Gnome, but I note that he only started work on it in the 1960s. Is my memory playing tricks or was it an early version?

Re Fixter Pixie G-AXNY,I will get Chris Fixter back on the hunt.He went to a location near Crowland but no trace some years back.I will advise him of your Nayland thread.Tony Harris has lived on the Farm all his life so something may emerge.
Back to Ward Gnome G-AXEI ,here’s a “Flight”page from May 1969 showing Ray Fixter just airborne..
Re Ward Elf G-MMUL here’s a pic of it climbing out at East Kirkby and one of it static at Coningsby in 1985

Engineman, I’ve just looked up G-AXNY on the ABPIC site and they have the same photo of of the Pixie as you posted.
It says the location is at Hill farm airfield at Nayland in Essex in 1975. It says it flew only the once.
ABPIC info can sometimes be wrong, but who knows.