Yes once again Mother Nature conspired against us…
It was called off around lunchtime again and some of us decamped to TW for a cuppa and sticky bun only to find out – no sticky buns!!!!!!!!! – plenty of other nourishment but not a bun in sight…

Thanks to those members who drove in for the day. At lest there was a presence. 4 Bicester based events and only two visitors to show for it….

Call that three…..while you were tucking into the sticky buns at Turweston (and no doubt trying to peek through the hangar doors at the Seafire), we hosted one visitor at least.

Three cheers for Chipmunk ‘MG, which battled through the scud from Warwickshire way! (Follow the headlights down the M40 and turn left I guess!)

🙂

This may in turn be eclipsed by the as-yet embryonic R176, 16 seater.

Sorry, couldn’t resist trying to get in first!!! :diablo:

Thanks Guys, Much appreciated – Loved the Picture of the Luton Minor, Am I right in thinking there are to Luton Majors curretly airworthy?

Steve

Hi Megalith

There are certainly Luton Majors flying in Ireland and Australia, but as far as I know none are currently flying in the UK. It seems that the PFA removed all permits due to issues regarding the stressing of the wing root assemblies.

Anyone know any more? I’d love to get my hands on one!

🙂

I’d be happy to bring my cockpit, but it is attached to an engine, some wings, a fuselage, a complete set of tail feathers and an undercarriage.

Moggy

Try flaring at about 20 feet. That usually does the trick!

Something to practice with Hairyplane, while waiting for Mr W to make up his mind?? 😀

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/R-C-AUTOGIRO-KIT_W0QQitemZ6032270186QQcategoryZ19164QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Absolutely lovely.

Andy Sephton’s (I guess?) Spitfire display and the Mew Gull are my personal favourites – but what a cliff hanger, I was waiting to see how Taff Smith got the Gull back on the deck!

Camel rolled

Back to Sopwith Camels.

This cutting appeared in the NZ Waipara Times newspaper yesterday.

Although its sad to see the aeroplane damaged, the story creased me up!

It wasn’t some of you lot, handbags at dawn?? :diablo:

Wairarapa wind too much for World War I veteran

24.01.2006

PETER JACKSON’S priceless original World War I Sopwith Camel fighter went up and over after being caught by a gust of wind.

An “unfortunate gust” of wind flipped a plane on the runway at Hood Aerodrome on Saturday spurring a tiff between two women concerned for the pilot’s well being.

The WWI era Sopwith Camel fighter plane, of the kind made famous by Captain W.E. Johns in his Biggles novels, is part of the Omaka Collection, which is owned by moviemaker Peter Jackson’s group.

The historic aircraft was caught by a northwesterly gust, which threw the lightweight craft on its back. The pilot, American flying ace Gene De Marco, was unharmed in the crash but the biplane did suffer some damage.

Witnesses say the biplane wasn’t the only one to flip out on the airfield.

Police said when the plane rolled two women rushed out on to the airfield to see if he was all right.

Later one of the women made an allegation to police that the other woman had assaulted her but police “found no evidence to substantiate this allegation” and no charges were laid.

http://times-age.co.nz/storyprint.cfm?storyID=3669773