Listed as with same owner and current CofA, and pix in G-INFO.

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1

Don’t keep Mr. Zamfire in suspense!

Registration: G-ARRX Current Reg. Date: 21/02/1989
Previous ID: VF512 First Reg. Date: 04/07/1961
Status: Registered De-Reg. Date:

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Manufacturer: AUSTER AIRCRAFT LTD
Type: AUSTER 6A
Serial No.: 2281
ICAO 24 bit aircraft address (hex):
Popular Name: TUGMASTER
Generic Name: –
Aircraft Class: FIXED-WING LANDPLANE
Engines: 1 – 1 x DE HAVILLAND GIPSY MAJOR 10 MK.1-1

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Ownership Status: Owned
Registered Owners: JOHN EDWARD DONALD MACKIE
5 SCHOOL ROAD
RISELEY
READING
RG7 1XP
UNITED KINGDOM

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MTOW: 998kg Total Hours: 350 at 31/12/2005 Year Built: 1946
CofA / Permit: PRIVATE C of A Expiry: 22/06/2009

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Display of Registration Mark Exemption Details
Issue Date: 01/10/1993 Expiry Date: 30/09/2008
Origin: ROYAL AIR FORCE Code: PF-M Serial: VF512

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Third Party Insurance Information

Insurance evidence verified date: No Details Date of “No Flight” declaration: No Details
Select this link for an estimate of the minimum insurance requirements for this aircraft

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Aircraft Photographs: Photo 001 – (photograph displayed in a new window)
Photo 002 – (photograph displayed in a new window)

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Right place at the right time, congrats. If this is number two into service and is c/n 7, is should be ex Air France, Air Madrid and was EC-JIS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Plus_Comet

Maybe two on one pic!
The one in front is VH-BMC, June 9, 2006 at Hoxton
But look behind the red one – there is a yellow Optica….
http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00733688&size=large

Martin

Bonus points awarded to Wieesso! Now can anyone inform us what the aircraft do downunder?

Another sad day in the annals of maritime shipwrecks. In more recent times, what happened to the car delivery freighter that turned on its side in the Pacific last year and how is the salvage progressing on the MSC Napoli in the English Channel. How quickly headlines are produced and then fade like a ‘candle in the wind’:(

[QUOTE=zoot horn rollo;108593 There is the rather lovely narrow gauge railway though…[/QUOTE]

That’s the idea, after alighting from the steam powered train, your four cylinder Austin 10 or maybe a Morris Oxford taxi takes you to the airport where you do not see any x-ray machines, customs officers and climb the airstairs to your Douglas Dakota, Bristol Freighter or Airspeed Ambassador…

http://www.lydd-airport.co.uk/documents/The_case_for_LAA.pdf

Hi NPK (like Tiger Moths?) Thanks for that info., enabled me to locate a photo of same!

Long time ago, but I thought the idea was for the type to have a Wankel engine, and I have always associated the two. The prototype maybe, or just an idea which never happened?Tim

No, the prototype had a Lycoming 0-320-32B. Maybe the Wankel was considered before the Lycoming was chosen.
There are differing opinions whether 21 or 25 Opticas were produced. Eight were destroyed in the fire at Old Sarum and I have been trying to locate the remainder. So far, I have discovered the following:

G-BGMW 001
G-KATY 004 (crashed Ringwood)
G-BMPF 010
G-BMPL 016 (9M-MPL)
VH-BMC 018 (Airworthy)
G-BOPN 020
G-BOPO 021
G-BOPR 023
G-BMFL
G-BLFC

I would guess there was an ‘OPP (022), anybody got any other details?

It is interesting that the FAA are reported to have grounded the Optica due to spar cracks, so did any go to the States?

Saw one over the western outskirts of Sydney only a couple of days ago. I believe it lives at Hoxton Park, and has a Lycoming rather than the original Wankel engine. Strange noise, looked up, there it was!Tim

And you weren’t imagining it! It was probably VH-BMC and may have been the one in this picture.