A friend of mine was building a Europa as well at the time the series was first aired on television. He was quite critical of the programme and was adament that the aircraft was not built by mr. Evans but was effectivively built by either the manufacturer or other professionals.
Sounds similar to the story in the wonderful series “The History of the Popular Flying Association” by Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume currently running in the PFA’s ‘Poular Flying’ magazine.
The (then) young organisation agreed with the (then) new Associated Rediffusion (that was one of the first UK commercial TV companies) to make a programme about building your own aeroplane. O-H was on the PFA committe that agreed to this – or rather nearly bit off ARs arm at this wonderful opportunity to promote light aviation.
The PFA engaged Messrs John Britten and Desmond Norman to build a Druine Turbi two-seater and be filmed doing it. Months went by with no start being made as B & N were too busy coping with crop-spraying demands.
O-H was invited to Bembridge and taken on as a Design Engineer but was quickly put to work on building the Turbi at Ryde. This was done and the Turbi G-APFA is still around, I wonder if tapes of the TV programmes (called ‘This Week’ broadcast in 1957) still are?
I hope the story O-H has, so far, told in his often amusing manner will come out as a book – it deserves a wider audience.
Roger Smith.
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