Notes from a Tourist

Surprisingly given the weather forecasts (not to mention the blustery winds on Saturday!), about a dozen aeroplanes got around the entire three-day route.

Sadly flooding after overnight rain meant that we couldn’t land at Bidford, although a couple of Tiger Moths hadn’t got the message and apparently created impressive bow-waves!

Sorry BenyBoy. We must have missed you by minutes as we touched down at Sherburn at about quarter to the hour!

As anyone who was watching will testify, the real challenge was East Kirkby where there was a 20 knot wind right across the main length of the landing site. It led to a few entertaning arrivals and departures, thankfully without damage.

A few snaps from a small camera. There were plenty of big lenses about, look forward to seeing any results!

Not a Moth, but The Blue Max celebrated by getting the Aeronca 100 running for the first time in about 35 years!

Friday morning. Perfect visibility after overnight storms had passed.

We tried hard, but could never get the camera to focus on our ‘rainbow’ and shadow….

Tiger Moth, Dragonfly, errr Cessna Moth, Hornet Moth and Dragon at Hucknall

Proof for Benyboy. We DID get to Sherburn!!

A Tiger Moth owning farmer, helped our navigation by combining a DH logo into his cornfield!

Mission Accomplished. In time for Sunday lunch at White Waltham

Thanks mate!!:eek:

The choice of Subaru, Chevrolet Corvair, air cooled VW and BMW boxer engines is often as much governed by their flat-cylinder configuration, which makes fitting into exisitng airframes much easier.

‘Upright’ four cylinder engines pose some ‘interesting’ design challenges in terms of propeller size, visibility and centre of gravity if you mount them the same way up as in a car.

Inverting the engine gets the thrust line in the right place, but adds to complexity with the need for ‘dry sump’ lubrication in order for the oil system to work properly. If you compare a vintage DH60 Moth with an upright engine to a DH82 Tiger Moth, you’ll get an idea of the challenge.

In Germany, a number of homebuilts fly with adaptations of SmartCar three cylinder engines. I also seem to recollect that this engine forms the basis of a diesel power unit too?

The Honda and Nissan engines in some Australian homebuilts seem all to be fitted in pusher designs, where they achieve a higher thrust line by using belt drive to reduce propeller speed. The bulky installation seems less of an issue in the depths of the fuselage.

There are two challenges for a car maker aiming to get into the aircraft market. The first is the relatively small sales volume offered by light aircraft.

If say, 1200 aircraft engines were to be made available, they’d flood the market for a year. Most car engine plants regard that figure as the minimum viable, per day!

Secondly, there is the question of product liability, which thanks to all those pesky lawyers (thanks TT!:diablo:) is a minefield. It was for that reason, rather than any technical issue that Porsche withdrew their excellent engine a few years ago. I seem to recollect they even paid owners compensation to retro-fit the old cast-iron ship-anchor Lycomings!

Back in the early 1970s I seem to recollect that Alf Wight, who still was running his vets practice in Thirsk, took a close interest when the late Bill Meynell restored his Tiger Moth G-ANEL back into its wartime camouflage as N-9238, based at Catterick.

I don’t know whether ‘Mr Herriott’ ever got to fly in the aeroplane though.

Low and Slow- that appears to be the D.H 4M that was recontructed from a number of remains. Kermit Weeks has on quite close to completion at Fantasy of Flight and there are a couple more under rebuild to flight in the U.S.

I stand happily corrected! 😮

No comment on accuracy or otherwise of the finished movie, but the replica aircraft look stunning.

Check out section 3 of http://www.barondiaries.com/

In other news my trousers have simply exploded in the fact that the Aeronautical Love of my Live – Auster G-AJRB has been confirmed to attend, her first display visit to Sywell after restoration. I will therefore be found cuddling her undercarriage for the duration of the show, which is worrying as she is supposed to be flying. Sigh….’RB…drooooool……..

TT

Not a pretty sight……..:D