EnginemanI have been given a number taken from a crankshaft, purported to be a RR Merlin, recovered by trawler from North Sea of Angus Scotland.
I will be able to view the corroded engine remains shortly, but meantime I have been given this sequence taken from the last crankshaft throw* ( *which end of crank wasn’t given).
000HAK825W0(orD)17309 The first digit( 0) is indistinct amongst corrosion, so could be spurious.
Does this marking indicate anything to do with Engine Number and/or type/mark of engine ?
Thanks
Brian
EnginemanGood thinking Kartman.I attach some more construction photos from the same series,which Chris Fixter passed to me last week.He is a personal friend and I met him when he wrote to Flypast asking for any info on the Ward Gnome,which his father had bought from Mick Ward.Chris h as been striving to acquire any material/aircraft etc in memory of his dad.I responded to the letter and have been buddies with Chis ever since.I built the 1/6th scale model of the Gnome for Chris as I had much material on this project which I gathered to include in my “Douglas Light Aero Engines” book. The Fixter Pixie had Volkswagen power and therefore did not feature in my work.Now I’m aiding him to fill in the gaps on the Pixie story which was his fathers creation but owes much to the Gnome in its construction etc The last prospect we have for its final destination is Chatteris, as a search of Nayland buildings yielded no possibility that the concrete blockwork/sheet metal structure in the photo of G-AXNY was at that location. but hopefully someone reading this specific Pixie thread will know more.
All this 3 photos therefore are copywright Chris Fixter Collection
EnginemanPete 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 .
EnginemanMick 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.
EnginemanRe 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
EnginemanThe Banana Man (Van Geest) was the sponsor of Ray.I ‘m sure you are right Elmdon Boy about Fenland location.Chis Fixter attempted to find the barn/Pixie at that location a year or so ago but not a trace now.
EnginemanVoila,I found the Pixie PIC in my archive.If I come across the background text I will post it.
EnginemanHi Martin (kartman), I will dig out the only known picture of the Pixie ,as found in the barn. It must have been the prototype Pixie that your Spalding man referred to and Ray was the “entrepreneur” whose commercial schemes came to nought.
Brian
EnginemanThe 1915 sv Douglas twin is still in place on the Gnome,as far as I know. It has not been taken down since I climbed a triple extension ladder to read the engine number and thus date the motor.It had been previously been described in publication as 1923,but this was a guess by George Clover who fettled the engine bought from two local boys for £1.50. The Elf had a Wankel unit fitted by Ward after the original Citroen fit,but it was flown with the Citroen. I will try to relocate the Elf footage.
Brian
EnginemanThank you for your kind words on my Book avion ancien ! You will find Ward Gnome brief specifications and a three-view drawing on pages 174 and 175 , but I have much more detail on both airframe and the 1915 600cc motorcycle engine that powered it.
It is incredible that even the very skinny Ray Fixter was able to coax the machine off the ground given that the engine,even in if it was in perfect order as new, would not have produced more than 12bhp (rated at 4hp by its cubic capacity on RAC method ).
The propeller was also hand carved by Mick Ward who was a woodworker by trade and a consummate aeromodeller. More will-power I would say, than horsepower. The later Ward Elf Biplane had a Citroen air cooled boxer engine,but that at least was contemporary with the airframe and had a lot more power.Let me know what else you would like to know.. The later still Fixter Pixie was built in Spalding Lincs to the design of Ray Fixter and probably completed, but not flown.A photo exists of the tricycle undercarriage fuselage abandoned in a barn.If anyone wants a copy of the book ,I have the last remaining copies from the distributors which I can sell for half price.
engineman (Brian Thorby)
EnginemanIf I may comment on G–ANPK Facebook references.The designer/builder of the Gnome,Mick Ward of North Scarle Lincs,has been deceased for decades.His son is alive but not forthcoming on his father’s work. Ray Fixter is also dead,but his proud son Chris is very keen to preserve his Dad’s memory, and ability to get the Gnome out of ground effect. Chris hs trie to buy the machine from Nigel Ponsford but was rebuffed. The “tak-off shot ” was at East Kirkby, as was the flight tests on the Elf,done by a serving RAF pilot !
Engineman
EnginemanGood Afternoon,
As it features in a book I wrote o “Douglas Light Aero Engines from Kingswood to Cathcart” I collected a large amount of detail on the Gnome and also am aware of Movie Footage of the Elf in flight.
I attach some pics of the Gnome in its early years including the second owner(to builder Mick Ward) Ray Fixter taking off. I made the picture scale model of the Gnome/Ray for his son Chris.More later. I did a three-view drawing of the Gnome for my book.
Engineman
EnginemanYou are spot on Tim. I gather the Hawk has been in Stafford Store for some time.I believe the MASHC application was given merit as there were a fair number of the related Magister aircraft based at Montrose in the war years.We have a building concerned mainly with “Training”, so it will be more appropriate to Montrose’s raison d’etre in WW II than other exhibits that could never have put a wheel down there (Meteor,Vampire) My views are not popular on this topic, but they did ask me to volunteer again to do the BE2a’s Renault etc, and now its done….Mary Baker Eddy had it right.
EnginemanHi Mothminor.
The Montrose Air Station’s “next project” is just getting under way.The existing replica Sopwith Camel is shortly to be revisited,to make it more authentic, in terms of removing “extra” interplane struts and fabric recovering . This exhibit was acquired years ago as an ex Royal Tournament showpiece prop, very well built by RAF Apprentices with Q.D. Wings. The Q.D. feature required the extra struts, so port and starboard upper/lower planes’ cells could be removed /refitted quickly, while the Tournament lights were down.The refit will be done in a new building which is now being laid out on the station. Personally,I will not be working on this project,although the dummy Clerget needs a tidy up, as I have a personal project “off base” which involves a “runner” to be replicated (another air-cooled V-8 !!).A few odd jobs for me to round off on the BE2a replica (oil leaks to add on the Renault engine, and a few small details to add to another one of my pastimes; the replica Elliot Instrument Board ). The Heritage Centre will soon receive a Miles Hawk Trainer which will be sited in the Butler Building with existing “Training” theme exhibits. No doubt this new addition will require work before display, so the forthcoming workshop building is really needed. More anon.
EnginemanHi John,
Yes,the Crankcase ,Timing Gear Cover,and Sump components are all cast in Aluminium, by use of patterns made from museum engine. Cylinders cast in aluminium from ADC Cirrus 1 pattern before machining to ancestral Renault profile. Cylinder Heads laminated from 7 sections cast in silicone rubber moulds with low-temp alloy. There are no Pistons/Rods Crankshaft (centre) or Camshaft,but everything else is there in metal except wooden flywheel.The Prop shaft rotates. Pics attached of raw castings.[ATTACH=CONFIG]250395[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]250396[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]250397[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]250398[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]250399[/ATTACH]
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