I have an interest in aero engined specials, have had for years. A few years ago had a very interesting chat to a guy who had built an Amilcar with a Hispano V8 when he was preparing it for a practice at Silverstone. I said I would love to be able to build one but couldn’t ever be able to afford it. He replied with words to the effect ‘ oh, you can pick up OX-5’s in the US quite cheap- I know of one in running condition for $20,000’
This was interesting mostly for the fact that he thought $20,000 dollars was not expensive- different world!

Having said that, he was extremely friendly and very willing to chat for some time, a real gentleman

The show was great, particularly the M1c from my perspective as I last saw it fly when it had the pushrod peel the cowling back all those years ago.
However as far as the commentary was concerned, he seemed behind the curve when he stated more than once that the Bristol F2b and Gladiator were the only airworthy examples….

The macchi had fixed pitch two metal bladed props so didn’t have need for pitch change mechanism.

I am sure that I have read somewhere that in most installations the rear prop is the most efficient and can absorb more power by up to 20%- this may be why on the Macchi they had the front half of the installation drive the rear prop and the rear the front prop and the supercharger

I believe Chris Williams has substantial portions of two engines the one in the car and a ‘spare’- he told me that he had bought another Lion from Australia which had originally been part of the Shulttleworth collection and that he was in the process of rebuilding it. This was a couple of years ago and I know that he has another project on the go with a very large american aeroengine of approx 40 litres to be placed in a Bently chassis so he may have moved it on?.

he still lives around Worcester I think – he cut me up on the Wittington roundabout a few months ago in his car adorned with adverts for his company- not what you would expect of an ex-policeman

I am surprised that the gent you spoke to had seen “the original plans” for the DR1 as I had understood that here are no complete plans avaialble anywhere nor an original to copy from so all current replicas rely on a degree of ‘artisic interpretation’

is that the Vimy in the background of the first shot? did it fly?

This link list them all. Very sobering reading.

http://www.iprom.co.uk/archives/caithness/jervisbaycasualties.htm