Yes, I vaguely recall that too, now that you mention it.

However, if Arido did not talk directly to Captain Collins, or did not provide sufficent detail or Captain Collins (or a message taker) did not write down or, for whatever reason, record and pass on the message, or the message got mislaid or misfiled, then the MoD will have no record, and therefore will have ‘not received’ the information.

We all know this sort of misinformation and poor message handling goes on all the time.

Anyway, carry on the search and maybe one day a satisfactory investigation will be reported.

Almost 5 years to the month from joining to first post, I wonder if that is a record? Anyway, hi.

Can’t suggest any websites but do know someone with several DH types for sale (and a couple of ‘others’). where are you based and what are you after or are you selling?

And, as above, just because they were out of general service, did not mean that airframes weren’t available. Were there any service units, trade schools or RAF airfields near Reigate Grammer School that could have had derelict airframes available?

Did the Gordon have folding wings? Pictures I just saw online don’t show that.

Is there not already a website available for this type of funding in the UK? Kickstarter being the biggest I know of in the US and PledgeMe a New Zealand version- http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/7593086/Kiwi-crowd-funding-takes-off

And some very quick research returns many options on google and answers my own question.

Pretty sure it was a SR20 (spent a multi-day cross-country tour as a passenger)- interesting aircraft, found the seat very uncomfortable after a couple of hours- might be great in a high G landing, but you’ll be in pain regardless.

Thought the electronics would be good with someone who really knew how to fly before getting in the aircraft and also knew how to run them.

For someone without a good grasp of the basics- the TV screens are a massive distraction (in fact a massive attraction to fly eyes-in). During the flights I was on, the best approach and landing I saw came at an airfield which was not in the GPS data base and which therefore forced the pilot to really look outside and just fly the aircraft, could not encourage him enough to do so otherwise.

Which is why most civilian Skymasters had the rear engine disabled… or at least not run unless the front one quit.

It was not removed due to C/G issues.

So pilots took off in a twin engine aircraft with one engine deliberately shut down just in case it caught fire?

Despite the fact that the rear engine was more efficent due to aerodynamic flow and gave better book figures in an engine out situation?

Biggest risk was inadvertant loss of the rear engine during taxi followed by a single engine take-off (or attempt anyway), corrective technique was to ensure take-off roll was started by advancement of the rear engine first to confirm of operation.