not being able to F**CKING SLEEP 😡
To see both of those lancasters in the air together *sigh*
ill have you know, I didnt exceed the speed limit once! 😀
There is no acceleration limit aside from that of your car 🙂 Ive never been pulled by the police, never had points and never drunk drove!
ill have you know, I didnt exceed the speed limit once! 😀
There is no acceleration limit aside from that of your car 🙂 Ive never been pulled by the police, never had points and never drunk drove!
Did you come and have a peer through WR963? 🙂
It would do, you’re northern. To us its a normal hoover, however to you up north its witchcraft encarnate
It would do, you’re northern. To us its a normal hoover, however to you up north its witchcraft encarnate
Try telling that to mr kelly… 😎 When we last saw her she had plenty of spares inc a couple of spare engines and gearboxes but AFAIK only one set of blades (those from the donor)
I would love to get her back here and in the air again, would mean so much to my father!
We havent had any involvement with XJ729 for close to ten years mate.
John put her through a permit for a cricklade based chap called Brian Austin who sold her to a chap in ireland called James Kelly I believe. She went to ireland along with her spares donor (i cant for the life of me remember what the donor’s serial number was!) Both are ex 22sqn HAR.10’s
I flew in her a couple of times in the 90’s lovely helo 🙂
info here – http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=BVGE
If someone has 100-120k to buy her, bring her back here and magically come up with some houred blades then im sure she could fly again, Perhaps another trip to weston helo museum might provide more fruit a second time round
this photo is off G-INFO taken within the last 3 years id say (credit to the photographer at the bottom of the photo)

I know very well the two chaps that put XJ729 through her permit to fly in the early 90’s (one is my father) John Griffin practically rebuilt her himself! With a bit of help from my father.
I spoke to him about complexity and running costs and wessex’s. He said that the major difference between a Whirlygig and a Wessex was that a whirlwind was a doddle to jump in and fly whenever you really wanted, there was a lot more work to be done with a wessex. obviously with two gnome engines the wessex is a good deal more complicated than a whirlygig.
I remember the one thing holding back XJ729 was the lack of serviceable rotorblades, I know that a trip to Weston helicopter museum was fruitless in terms of these.
🙂
edit: Ignore my pathetic mumblings
The last flying westland whirlwind XJ729 (G-BVGE) Permit to fly ran out in 2008
Having a bit of a sort out and before taking them to the tip if any one is interested in an instant magazine archive going back into the 70s they are available. I may even be able to deliver. Any one interested pm me.
Nice to meet you today mate, Ill have them if no one else does! 🙂
Sorry Bruce, I made some pretty stupid comments there looking back on it 🙁
ANYWAY – Honestly I would love to see this happen, I dont think ive ever seen a concorde fly up close in real life 🙁 Seen them at about 20-30k feet but never up close
Not forgetting for all of you going to CWJ at brunty, Airbase is open tomorrow as will be WR963, We have a great canteen at baginton now too, so if you get a chance please come down and support this new and important project!
Cheers
Ben