I would like to know more about the Mitchell “Moviemaker II” which I saw every weekend form the mid sixties until it disappeared on a low loader to Southend. Always thought it was a pity that it was just dumped at Biggin Hill. It was referred to on the airfield as Bill Webb’s Mitchell (Bill owned and ran the commercial company Fairflight which operated Herons, Doves and Ansons) but it never moved anywhere, just sat in front of a hangar next to the Surrey and Kent Flying Club. Seen the WIX files but not much help. Always loved that plane.

Steve

Neil Williams did not I believe participate in 633 Squadron. He did take actor Cliff Roberson flying in a Tiger Moth and Robertson thanked him by letting him fly his Spitfire. I did though hear that Don Bullock flew in 633 Squadron, don’t know if it’s true though.

Re an earlier question, the wheels up crashes in the middle and at the end are the same crash from different angles. Watch them very carefully and you will notice a large clump of earth thrown up in both crashes, in the last one it disappears behind some mountains in the background!

Steve

OK, just found an excellent thread about the collection which proves the “recently airworthy” remark wrong. There is a good Pathe news item there as well. I had always been told that the Nash Collection was like Shuttelworth and that the aircraft were airworthy until acquired by the RAFM. After reading it I feel slightly less angry at the RAFM, but they still have a lot to answer for.

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?41266-The-Nash-collection

Steve

The Triplane in the RAFM was the recently airworthy example from the Nash collection if I remember correctly .

Steve

The main wheels are “toe-out” (not toe in), which makes perfect sense for stability in cross wind landings. If weight of the aircraft is on one main undercarriage, it’s toe out will cause it to track in the direction of the weighted wheel, which will help put the other main wheel on the ground. Obviously there are other forces in effect here, but the toe out would assist in this.

Let’s knock this one on the head right now.

For taildraggers, toe-in is good, toe-out is bad and excessive toe-in is bad as well. Mark Hannah wrote and article in an modelling mag about the Buchon and I can’t remember which but he said it either had toe-out or a lot of toe-in. Either way it was not the best arrangement. He also pointed out that as the tail rose and fell there was a significant change in the u/c gometry, and said that the Buchon has a lockable tail wheel so that three pointing was the only way to go!

Cheers

Steve

All sounds good James. Are you guys coming to Adelaide Apple at all?

Cheers

Steve

That’s a great picture Peter. I knew they had been at Biggin Hill prior to filming for the fitting of VORs and had heard that they attended an air display there as well, but that is the first photo I have seen.

Steve

Well I have a Stearman (not the same I know) and we can move that by pulling/pushing on the bottom of the front wing struts, or you could capture and lift the tailwheel with an appropriate Towbar. I can also tow from the eyelets on the u/c but don’t know if a Stampe has any.

Steve