Another Myth?

Thanks for the help, don’t suppose any one knows what colours the aztec was painted? Can’t find any colour pics.

Cheers
PaulC

Suspect it was white with red and either black or grey trim but can’t be sure as it didn’t survive for long, being written off in the Lock Haven floods of 1972 I believe.

On another topic, from the dimmer recesses of my brain (and there are few dimmer places: :confused: ) I vaguely recall that Sheila Scott used at least one other aircraft, which she called ‘Myth Sunpip’. I know it might seem unlikely and illogical compared with ‘Myth’, ‘Myth Too’ and the Aztec ‘Mythre’ but can anyone verify whether this was so and identify the aircraft concerned?

On the other hand I could be completely mythtaken….

Wicked Willip :diablo:

It would probably be a safe bet that this is G-BAYL as it is registered in Cornwall.

Doubt it – fuselage was dumped outside at Chirk a few years ago.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Willip26, wow! do you have anymore of HRC??
My father purchased her from Bill and sadly as barry has said she now resides at the bottom of the irish sea, Im sure Barry can relate that story better than i but she was returning from a display in Ireland in 1972, 2 years after Dad had been killed, I remember Mum saying it was as if she didnt want to come home with out him:(
Images of her are allways good to see, i sometimes wonder if one day she will surface in a fishermans net, i still have the log books and, arh well we can but dream;)

Wonder who that was flying in the Tiger on that day. Sorry I don’t have any more, but I do have another nice shot taken at Sywell of the replacement Tiger mentioned in Barry’s fascinating story.

Unfortunately can’t post it as I’ve managed to exceed the forum’s pictures limit but send me a PM if you want to see it by other means.

All the best.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

If it happens then it will be a great tribute to one of the most generous benefactors I have had in my five decades in general aviation.

The Barnstormers used all of Bill Tomkins aeroplanes on occasion, especially his unique Tiger Moth G-AHRC which still lies at the bottom of the Irish Sea off Anglesey. We also regularly used Rapide G-AKNN for both parachuting and many other airshow acts including flour bombing and tethered balloon bursting plus formation. The “Brown Bomber” came in very useful all round though I still shiver at the memory of shoe-horning it into his tight and short strip at Apethorpe. A steep slipping turn just missing the weathercock on the village church spire was the right, indeed the only, effective technique.

Bill would lease them to us at ridiculously low rates as I think he liked the thought of his collection being used rather than just being stored either at Sywell or at Apethorpe. I recall £6 per hour dry for the Rapide enabled us to offer it to parachute clubs and teams at highly advantageous prices. Happy days indeed.

He really was a fine English gentleman farmer and aviator who would have been quite horrified at the PC society we now “enjoy” in the UK.

He was killed some 40 or so years ago in a tragic accident at night on the A1 at Stibbington. His Ferrari Superfast went under a badly lit HGV trailer when the lorry driver was crossing the dual carriageway to go northbound from a greasy spoon break. Bill was probably doing 100 mph plus when he hit it.

As can be seen from the photo of the Gamecock he demolished, Bill had more than his fair share of luck. It ran out that night and we lost a wonderful character. I miss him still.

Cheers,

Reaper 69
😎

Barry

Like this Rapide you mean…..and I believe he had a Messenger in similar colours too.

Cheers

Wicked Willip :diablo:

The lastest on G-ASEA is that the fuselage is in my father’s workshop. Its upside down. I have removed some of the old ply at the front that was brittle. I hope to replace it soon and may be more on the sides. I haven’t done to much on it this year as i have been playing motor bikes. I got my 1949 AJS model 18 on the road and have been working on 1973 Triumph Tiger 750. But after looking at new build Comper Swift yesterday, i must get back to working on my Minor.
Dave

Glad to hear it and are you fitting it with floats just in case there’s a next time…..:)

Seriously though best of luck with the rebuild and looking forward to seeing another Minor back in the air.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Heres a photo my late Father took at Fairoaks in 1973,

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1032009/M/

Cheers

Mike Hudson

Here’s another photo of the Desford – this time in its 1960s civilian colours.

Wicked Willip :diablo:

Probably saw you at Eastleigh in my bicycle days when the sun shone every day in the summer.:)

Ah yes, the days of the Spitfire G-AIDN, Currie Wots, B.E.A., Cambrian and Jersey Airlines Daks and the Saunders-Roe hangar full of Skeeters and the first batch of P.531 Sprites, as I believe the Westland Scouts were originally called.

Remember the bicycle days too, having several times cycled from the Sussex coast to such places as Gatwick and Goodwood for the motor race meetings.

Nowadays don’t think I could ride one any more and last time I flew in our Group-owned Cub needed a task force pushing and shoving to manouevre me into the front seat.

Greatest fear in flying always used to be of a midair but now it’s of not being able to get my leg over. 😀

Wicked Willip :diablo: (once a member of this Forum but now banned…..)