A truly remarkable man.
More information on his flying career at http://www.biggles-biplane.com
Just a pity we didn’t get the BE replica flying in time for him
While researching the Haynes Tiger Moth Manual (out next month, please buy, money needed to fix old aeroplanes!), I came across these two pictures in the deHMC archive of the painting operation at Cowley in 1940.
Neither a rubber mat, nor a stencil in sight. I suspect that a stencil of some kind was used to mark up the aeroplane, then it was down to the hand-eye co-ordination of the man with the spray gun.
In September 1940 (well that’s the date on the photos, even if the roundels are wrong!), I suspect that speed was of greater importance than a perfect finish!
(Pictures courtesy of the de Havilland Moth Club archive)
I wonder whether the Historic aircraft flyers should play them at their own game and call their aircraft ‘Home Builds’ because if its that stringent how on
earth do the home build aircraft get into the air?Graham
A neat idea, but the CAA thought of it before you….
The Light Aircraft Association, which issues Permits to Fly to homebuilt and some light vintage aircraft in the UK, has very stringent restrictions placed upon them by the CAA. This effectively limits their juristiction (to quote from their website) to:
Minimum speed, power off in the landing configuration not to exceed 60 mph.
Maximum speed not to exceed 250 mph
Aircraft must be amateur built
Maximum number of seats – 2
Maximum take off weight not to exceed – 912 kgs (2006 lbs)
The installed power not to exceed 260 hp
There are types on the LAA register that do not strictly meet all of the above criteria, but each has been individually agreed with the CAA.
Just to reinforce Chippies post, below is details of the new Chairperson of the CAA to take up the post in August, direct from the CAA website,
Dame Deirdre Hutton (Chair Designate)
Appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Board Member in April 2009 and will be taking up the position of Chair of the CAA in August 2009. She is currently Chair of the Food Standards Agency, Honorary Vice-President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Honorary Vice-President of the Trading Standards Institute, and serves as a Non-Executive member of the HM Treasury Board. Previously, she was Vice-Chair of the European Food Safety Authority Management Board, Deputy Chair of the Financial Services Authority, Chair of the National Consumer Council, Chair of the Scottish Consumer Council, and a member of the Better Regulation Task Force. She has also held a number of positions on a variety of bodies dealing with food issues.
Its good to see that they picked someone with a wide range of aviation experience, at least no one at Gatwick will get food poisoning!
I don’t think that the earlier posts referred to Dame Hutton.
Having seen that cv., maybe airline food might get better! 😀
Totally agree George.
It would be wrong to look at the current impasse between CAA and an individual operator in isolation.
As you may know, the Historic Aircraft Association is working hard to assist in the solution of precisely the problems you’ve outlined above.
Have you joined yet?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/2383809/Takeoff-looms
Moggy
Disregarding the dog for a moment. Just looked at the picture in the link above. Doesn’t look much like Lincolnshire to me :diablo:

Very sad news. Here’s a brief obituary, from the Historic Aircraft Association:
We sadly have to record that Captain John Fairey, Vice President of the HAA, lost his life in a flying accident on Wednesday 8th July 2009.
John was an experienced and highly respected aviator and display pilot, with a deep fund of knowledge on both flying and engineering vintage aircraft.
The son of Sir Richard Fairey, the founder of the Fairey Aircraft Company, John was born in 1935. He first obtained a PPL on seaplanes in Canada. Subsequently, he was trained on Chipmunks and Harvards by the Cambridge University Air Squadron.
For most of his flying career he flew for airlines, namely Cambrian Airways, British Airways and Channel Express Air Services. The aircraft that he flew included the DC3, Viscount, BAC-111, Herald and Fokker F27.
He was also involved with various forms of general aviation including flying instruction, aerial survey, air taxi and banner towing. From 1978 to 1980, he flew DC3s for the Rhodesian Air Force.
John was involved in display flying for over forty years. The first aircraft which John flew on the display circuit was the Spitfire Trainer G-AIDN.
Following the sale of ‘DN’, he organised the construction and operation of a replica of the extinct Fairey Flycatcher biplane fighter of the 1920s.
More recently, his displays with the Piston Provost and SAAB Safir were noted for their grace, precision and for showing both aeroplanes to their best advantage.
In addition to being Vice President of the HAA, John was Chairman of the Friends of the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Liveryman of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators. He was also deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire.
John was also a staunch supporter of the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, where his Fairey Flycatcher replica is displayed along with other products of the ‘family firm’ which were a source of particular personal pride. These include the legendary Fairey Swordfish and the Fairey Delta 2, which in 1957 claimed for Britain, the title of the fastest aeroplane in the world.

Don’t worry, he’s used to twitchy beasts on landing…he used to fly a Luscombe! :diablo:
Just back from a FANTASTIC weekend broiling in the sun with other old aeroplane nuts!!
Several hundred guests (and many of the volunteers) flew in everything from Tiger Moths, to DH Dragons, Miles Messengers, Austers and (thanks Propstrike) Piper Cubs.
The paying guests will have contributed several tens of thousands to charity.
The charity flying was disrupted by the odd airspace incursion. Like the Queens Birthday Flypast, the BBMF and a large, noisy, tin triangle. :diablo:
…..and a good time was had by all! Thankyou de Havilland Moth Club!
……And just don’t get him started on Hillman Hunters!!! :diablo:
More seriously though, was not the main reason that the (Hawker) Hunter was preferred was that it simply was faster, more manoeuvrable and better handling in combat situations, particularly at altitude? ie. It was the better aeroplane?
There is a lot of information on the company in Arthur Ord-Hume’s two books ‘On Home-Made Wings’ and ‘Flight on Frail Wings’.
Arthur was a former employee, so he had plenty of tales to tell!
There is a link to Arthur’s publisher on the Luton Minor website: http://www.lutonminor.com
The latest news is that Chalkie has done it. He’s back in Capetown having beaten Henshaw’s record.
All credit to Stoddart, but the fact that it has taken 70 years of development to do it, still says a lot about the sheer scale of Henshaw’s achievement back in 1939!
A load more photographs (thanks Damien!) now on http://www.biggles-biplane.com !
Just as well it wasn’t covered today. With wind gusting to 30kts, we’d have been having to hold it down!
It was a great day and a super opportunity to thank all those who have assisted in getting the aeroplane to its current state.
Sadly, I have no info on who took it, or where, but a picture does better than words here……