WJ244Can’t help with the paint shade but I have probably got some photos (but not cockpit) if you haven’t got some already.
WJ244Unfortunately for £25 to £50 you will find a few toyish items which claim to fly but have little or no performance and are extremely disappointing.
You really need to spend more than £50 to get something worthwhile which will give you and the youngster hours of pleasure rather than hours of frustration. I know the bigger financial commitment at the beginning may be a bit daunting but Ready to Fly RC is one of those items where you get what you pay for and generally speaking if the new price seems too good to be true it almost certainly is and sooner rather than later you will be puting your hand in your pocket again for something half decent.
A few years ago I bought a twin engined pusher job callled Bluebird from Ebay for my grandson. It was 2 channel throttle and steering. Steering was by thrust steer which basically killed the power to one motor to yaw the aeroplane. Problem was unless you do very long very gentle turns the loss of thrust on one side means such a huge loss of airspeed that the aircraft falls out of the sky. It also had the centre of gravity way too far back meaning that when it did get airborne it flew in a series of progressively more violent swoops and stalls until it hit the deck. I moved the battery and anything else I could manage to move further forwards to address the CG problem but I still had to add loads of ballast to get the CG right. It was then so overweight that it could barely get airborne at all even from a hand launch.
My advice would be to stick with the established names like Hobbyzone, Parkzone and Kyosho amongst others as the well known brands generally provide good spares back up and as a beginner you will need spares back up because you will inevitably break props and bits of the airframe and that cheapie won’t seem so cheap when you can’t replace a bent wing, tailplane or even fuselage after an unplanned arrival on terra firma.
The Hobbyzone Firebird series have had good reviews and although they don’t have a particularly exciting performance and need calm flying conditions they will teach the basics and are generally fairly benign if things do go wrong.
The other alternative would be something like a Piper Cub or any other high winger (as they are much more stable then low wing and have a lower flying speed and lower stalling speed) BUT check out the model you intend to buy by doing a websearch of the RC forums before committing to parting with your money as there are some very good ones out there and also some pretty awful ones as well which suffer with lack of power and some of the cheapies are made from low quality foam which doesn’t “bounce” very well.
Another alternative is to keep an eye on Ebay. If you spend a bit of time acquiring some knowledge from the web, or by buying one of the electric filght mags, so that you know what you are looking at there are bargains to be had where people have bought RC and then found it is not for them.
WJ244Both Haydon-Baillie’s T-33s and his Sea Fury spent time in the museum at Southend. When I get a chance I will go through my old museum newsletters and see if the dates are given.
Speedway bikes in those days used Castrol R which was a castor based oil. Both JAP and Jawa engines used a total loss oil system so the oil went through the engine and dribbled out on to the floor. Modern speedway bikes are still total loss oiling but they have a catch tray which is emptied after each race – much more eco friendly.
If you really miss the smell just stand near any of the WW1 aircraft at Shuttleworth. Rotary engines use the same oil and their total loss system throws oil all over the pilot and the aeroplane. You still can’t beat the smell of Castrol R and methanol – I am sure there would be a market for that smell if you could bottle it!
WJ244I still can’t help thinking that they have got the expansion plans all wrong.
The problem with the 06/24 extension is that once the currently proposed work is finished there is no way that there can be any future expansion of that runway simply because they have run out of room. At best the plans are trying to shoe horn a quart into a pint pot.
When you look at the figures involved surely it wouldn’t be too much more expensive to buy back the retail park under a compulsory purchase order and reinstate runway 33/15 which was the preferred option for the 1960’s expansion.
Warners Bridge is a problem with using 33/15 but the railway was allegedly lowered at the end of 06/24 a good few years ago now so surely something similar could have been done with Warners Bridge. The other alternative would be to realign 33/15 to avoid the bridge along similar lines to the widening/realigment of 06/24 to avoid the church.
The positives for 33/15 are that there is less density of population close to the airfield under the take off and landing paths, more scope to extend the runway into fields at the northerly end to take larger aircraft which would allow the runway threshold to be moved further inside the current airfield boundary at the Warners Bridge end meaning that the road outside the airport would be further away from the threshold.
In the 80’s local opinion seemed to be that the airport wouldn’t be around much longer which I assume was the reasoning behind selling off the fringes of the airport land for the retail park. This was no doubt a quick way of making a fast buck for the council at that time but long term it has left anyone wanting to make the place into a commercially viable airport again with very limited development options which will ultimately limit the airport’s potential to earn income due to the inevitable restrictions on the size of aircraft which can be operated safely. Well Done Southend Council!
WJ244Thanks for the heads up on the IOW generally. I had told my other half that it was great place and she was up for a visit this year but with no public toilets and pot holed roads it doesnt even sound car friendly so it seems that a few days somewhere else is a better bet.
WJ244Certainly was Rayleigh Speedway. The stadium was roughly where the retail park is behind Sainsburys.
It was a small friendly stadium where much of the work on the track was done by volunteers. I used to help all day Saturday then help the fuel and oil man in the pits which meant I got to spend the meeting standing at the pits fence usually surrounded by the riders. It was hard work sometimes but it really got me into the centre of things and it was far better than paying the admission (which I couldn’t afford anyway as I was still at school) to stand in the grandstand.
WJ244Just wondered if anyone has any shots of the legendary Coleys yard which was just down the road from the old Science Museum store fairly near Heathrow.
Having seen the listings in the LAAS magazine a friend and I caught a bus to Coleys in about 1981 but when we got there the yard looked empty. It wasn’t a completely wasted trip though as we did manage to persuade someone to let us into the Science Museum store which at that time held the HP Gugnuc, Flying Flea, Short SC1 and one or two other aircraft plus an absolute treasure trove of cars and other bits and pieces.
WJ244If you have a read of the following thread (when you have a spare hour or two) all will be explained. If you use the serch function and search for SWWAPS then you will find there are a couple of other threads as well.
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=95382&highlight=swwaps&page=7
WJ244The Harvard was painted in USAAF colours around April 1973 and the F-84 wasn’t assembled until Feb 1974 so your photos must be 1974 onwards.
WJ244I was quite young at the time so I may have got the story a bit twisted but my understanding was that the Fiat was originally intended to be a gift from the Italian AF to the original British Historic Aircraft Museum. I think it was airfreighted into Northolt but by the time it arrived the BHAM had either folded or was about to fold.
It was also around this time that the original founder of BHAM was implicated and I believe subsequently prosecuted over the attempted shipment of two Meteors to Biafra. I was told that as a result of this the Italians witheld delivery of the Fiat fearing it could be the next candidate for a trip to Biafra so the BHAM never go their hands on the aeroplane.
The first time I saw the Fiat was shortly after the Historic Aircraft Museum was founded and the aircraft had been moved to the museum site from the airfield. The Fiat was laying dismantled and a bit dusty in one of the light aircraft hangars adjacent to the old Tradair hangar along with Proctor G-ANZJ / NP303 which we were working on for display. I was told that the Italians had released the Fiat once they were happy that the Historic Aircraft Museum was a genuine and viable company.
If anyone can add any more to this or correct my version of events then please post but that was the story as told to me by Stan and/or David Brett a very long time ago.
WJ244Bill Gent told me that Southend tower had words with Nigel about his low passes over the museum in Super Chipmunk G-IDDY. Bill reckoned that it was only a matter of time before Nigel took the roof off.
He also told me that Nigel reckoned he could fly through one of the Dartford tunnels provided the fans had been turned off for a while beforehand to let the turbulence tie down. He said that the authorities weren’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea and Nigel had to shelve the plan.
It was very sad that someone who was obviously a very talented pilot and a real character met his end in such a needless way.
I met Kim at Duxford many years ago when I helped measure the Beaufighter bits for Revell – a great bloke who gave us access to anything we wanted and couldn’t have been more helpful.
WJ244http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv101/STANF09/img199.jpg
The man on the right in this photo is Bill Pepperell initially chief engineer then Manager / Curator at the Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend. The aircraft in the background looks to be a Belgian Air Force Pembroke so presumerably this was something to do with the presentation of the F-84 to the museum.
The gent on the left also looks vaguely familiar but I can’t put a name to him at the moment.
A search of my old museum newsletters produced this which sheds more light on the picture but still not sure who the gent on the left is although Les Hunt seems a likely candidate. I am pretty sure it isn’t Robert Budge.
An event that has so far escaped. mention in our chroncle was a vlslt to the Museum on Aprl1 1973 of Lt. Generale Aviateur Baron Donnet -of the Belgian Air Force. Durlng this vlsit which was to glean ldeas for. the Belgian Air Force’s own museum, Genernal Donnet took time to rneet his wartlme friend Leslle Hunt, the Museum,s Honorary Advlsor, and between them the ldea was born that the Belglan Air Force should present the people of Southend. with an alrcraft as a reminder of thelr wartlme association wlth the town. Back in 194O Michael Donnet was captured by the advanclng Gernans but managed to escape in 1941 and flew to England in a Belgian Air Force Stampe landing in a field at Thorpe-le-Soken, near Clacton. He jolned the RAF, worked his way up to Squadron Leader and eventually formed no 350 (Belgian) Squadron at Rochford Aerodrome as Southend Airport was then known subsequently another Belglan squadron No.349 also flew from Rochford thus between them forming the links with the people of Southend.
As a result of these early talks two Belgian AF C-130 transports flew into Southend on 14 November (1973) carrying a Republic F-84 Thunderstreak, a veteran of 15 years service with the Belgians. Serialled FU-6 the aircraft was built for the UAF as 52-7133 and was supplied to the Belgian AF in 1955 and flew with the
2nd Tactlcal Wing at Florennes from August 1955 until the end of 1970 by which time it had completed a total of 2447 flying hours. The aircraft was assembled at the end of February (1974) and the officlal handover took place on 15th. March 1974, General Donnet whose decorations include the DFC and the Croix de Guerre made the presentation to the Mayor of Southend. Others present included the current Commanding Officers of 349 and 350 Squadrons , the Belgian Air Force Attache and other Belgian Air Force officials along with Robert.Budge, BllI Pepperel, Les Hunt and Anthony Cusworth, the Airport Commandant.
WJ244Five of the Leisure Sport replicas went on loan to the Southend museum in October 1981 – Fokker DR1, Fokker DVII, Albatross, Spad and Sopwith Camel.
Nigel Brendish did a lot to help the museum when Bill Gent was curator and he was more than happy to arrange a loan to the museum rather than have them taking up space in the Harvestair hangar. Sorry I don’t have a date for their return to Harvestair but I do remember that they were a wonderful sight lined up in the museum hangar. Not sure if I took any photos but if I come across any I will try to scan and post them.
WJ244Stan and David Brett were involved with the BHAM and later Historic Aircraft Museum at Southend. Before the building went up they used to spend their holidays camping in a tent at the museum site to work mainly on Mitchell N9089Z which was very much their “baby”.
When the Historic Aircraft Museum was launched there was an article in the local paper saying that some of the aircraft had been moved to the museum site. On the following Sunday I cycled to the new site and waited for someone to appear hoping that they would let a spotty 14 year old meddle with their aeroplanes. Stan Brett appeared on a tractor so I asked him if I could help.
“You need to speak to Bill” he said “lock up your bike and jump on”. He drove me across the airfield to meet Bill Gent and I was welcomed into the group.
I was regular after school visitor when Stan and David were at the museum and they always encouraged me and showed me how to do things to help.
My only visit to Earls Colne was around the time that David died and I was shown around by someone from the museum who I think worked on the airfield.
Stan and David both put a lot of effort over a long time into aircraft preservation and it is very sad that their museum doesn’t survive but I am sure that they would be happy to know that the Maruader section is being looked after.
WJ244There was an article in Aeroplane Monthly a while ago explaining how the way things are managed at Old Warden has changed significantly since the arrival of Tony Haig-Thomas who has accountancy qualifications. I think it was said in the Aeroplane article that, in the old days, the finances were run along similar lines to those of a garden fete and were in grave need of updating. Tony Haig-Thomas has taken a far more hard headed business approach in constructive ways at Old Warden and it is due to his approach that the collection has been in a position to acquire more aircraft and even replace the original Percival Provost that was sold off, again to make money to keep the place afloat.
I don’t think it is fair to place the blame at the door of the manager who ran the place at the time of the disposals. I believe that back then the estate gave a certain budget to the aviation side each year and you had to do the best with what you were given and sometimes what he was given was simply too little. It was also said that you had to spend every penny you were given by the end of the season otherwise you had to give back any surplus and the budget for the next year was likely to be cut to ensure that you didn’t get a surplus again so it was impossible to set money aside longer term for expansion or larger repair projects.
In some ways the new management style means that Old Warden has lost just a little of its charm but the alternative was clearly to carry on the old way and eventually have to close. On the positive side the new managemnt has allowed expansion of the collection and I can think of one or two staff members who seemed to be part of the fixtures and fittings in the past who were thoroughly obnoxious to the customers. They have now departed (one way or another) and the place is all the better for their absence. It also seems that the old idea that opening hours for the shop and cafe were designed to suit the whims of the staff even if this meant turning punters away has now been banished. I can even remember one occassion many years ago where the old cafe managment forced an outside burger stall close down at a cold evening show simply because the manager had closed the cafe so no one else was allowed to continue to serve food or drinks.
I still think that there is much Old Warden could do with the shop which would generate more income both from enthusiasts and the general public and for years it has been my dream to get my hands on the shop and build up the business but unfortunately this is likely to remain a dream.
In some ways a Gull would be a great addition to the collection or maybe even a Proctor to fit in with the training types BUT we lost a very special Gull to NZ and no other can ever quite fill that void.
I believe that Shuttleworth did have the option of buying the Arrow Active and the Mew Gull but my understanding was that the asking price was regarded as being too high so they didn’t buy them. A shame but I am not too sure how you can place a market value on two such unique aircraft.
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