Mark

I think we have a difference of opinion, I remember hearing about Peter McMillan at the time of its construction and maybe my memory is incorrect but I seem to recall his role was more as the financial side of the project and its prime purpose was for the England to Aust re-enactment that I clearly remember as do I remember the National Geographic involvement and maybe a video produced by them.

I remember Lang spending a considerable amount of time in the USA and as I recall it was project managing the build project. Lang was never the owner, just the inspiration behind the project as I recall.

Maybe JDK can tell us when where he is getting his sources of info from (hearsay maybe). Mine come from Lang at the time and my memory (my memory is definitely the suspect part). My feeling is that without Lang’s input there would be no Vimy replica.

We will just have to disagree over the matter. I have emailed Lang, maybe he can give some direction as to the facts.

cheers
Ross

Septic

I wasn’t suggesting that it wasn’t built to an airworthy standard, definitely not.

Its amazing that more focus hasn’t been thrown on the purpose for which it was built and who actually designed the Vimy replica. I can’t remember who the designer of the replica was.

Lang Kidby is an adventurer and has done a few significant things aeronautical like rebuilt an Avro Avian for another re-enactment flight from England to Australia, organized a World Vintage Aeroplane Rally that saw 40 aeroplanes fly from England to Australia (and most subsequently remained in Australia. Lang told me that was his original thought – a way of boosting the vintage aeroplane population in Australia.)

He as done a number of other interesting projects, like a re-run of the Peking to Paris car race that took place in the beginning of the last century.

cheers

You guys are starting to catch on, remember I said it was built NOT by LAME’s or AME’s or even aviation people but by USA movie set carpenters and that I suspect is part of the problem.

I think someone in an earlier posting to me told me that there is no equivalent to the Australian/USA Experimental aircraft category.

The Vimy replica was built by an Australian (Brisbane boy – Lang Kidby) and financed by an American and the National Geographic Magazine specifically for an re-enactment flight of the flight in 1920 from England to Australia by Ross Smith. As such this aeroplane has more to do with Australia and not much to do with England, save that after the re-enactment flight it was a leftover and needed something to do.

From memory parts of the fuselage were built in Brisbane, Queensland Australia, The engines were certainly developed and ground run there.

I know this because I know Lang well and talked to him during its construction and post the re-enactment flight.

I suggest that if its going to be grounded, then the best thing to do would be to give it to an Australian Museum – if it is to continue to fly, then it needs the population mass and the short distances between airshows that is in Europe.

The hope back in the 1990’s was that it would continue to fly in England.

Really this aeroplane has very little to do with England.

cheers

I am always asking the same question about my Tiger Moth, why such a small fuel tank and why didn’t the Australian ones at least have the “Queen Bee” tank.

Its not just the distance you might want to travel cross country on a long journey, but may be just a flight to a fly-in and return without having to worry about fuel. The Tiger is very short range 105 minutes + 45 minutes reserve. That means that you can only go about 100-110 nm.

What are the figures for the Victa? Gotta be better that the Tiger!

cheers

Mark

I think we should use some of the usual Australian ability here and claim that our air force comprising 155 million bush flies, 287 million blow flies, not to count the 38 million mossies was bigger and better than anything the poms can muster and those figures only relate to 1 acre of land.

cheers

As an foreigner (Australian) who reads this and other forums, it always strikes me that the pommies (British) show an extraordinary interest in two aeroplanes types.

The Spitfire (a great success and a time when British Empire military might was at its peak, Churchill with his “we will fight them on the beaches” speech, a time of great leadership and courage) and the TSR2 (a time when the British Empire was crumbling and it couldn’t afford to maintain its military might). The TSR2 seems to be a symbol of British failure (militarily, and economic) of the time.

I think there is a lot of psychology related to the British psyche that is mixed up with discussions on these two aeroplane types.

cheers

Can we navigate this back to the original topic..!

Peter

Sorry, Please post more about your project, but you know what’s like on a forum, info on one aeroplane type prompts people to discuss/bring up related topics. I read your contribution, and when I got home the Classic Cockpits video was in the mail and I though people interested in Lancaster’s (including you) would be interested in know it was a really good video to watch.

Having a rebuild project of my own (a Percival Proctor Mk1) I know I love to hear about other news on Proctors.

Anyhow look forward to more news on your project its a great to hear about people making their charges be more than just another static!.