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Biggles of 266

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January 11, 2011 at 5:06 pm in reply to: Rolls Royce Condor III #1089745

Biggles of 266
Participant

Propeller

I’ve got a propeller from one, but that’s no help at all is it!
😀

See this link:

Guy

January 11, 2011 at 12:04 am in reply to: Scrapyard Photos; Any More? #1090225

Biggles of 266
Participant

Typhoon

The Typhoon, as I said in the post, is believed to be at Hawkinge, belonging to Peter Smith.

Was at Brooklands for a while in a similar state to as found.

I would be interested in seeing some current pictures of it.

If Peter Smith wants to contact me, I still have a bit of it, which fell off in the van on the way home!

I’m gutted in later life, for not trying harder to retain either cockpit section or turret. The turret picture was of it in my garage! But it was much complicated by ‘group’ ownership, which seemed to morally prevent any one individual taking it over.

It was also very large, and had been a continual headache to store. I was only 17, hadn’t two
pence to rub together, and even moving it around was beyond my means. The job of restoring it, at the time, also seemed enormous.

Still, we did save it from the smelter at least, and had some fun doing it. We also did lots of other stuff that is not for this thread.

Yes, the guy in the photo is Jim Howard.
Guy

January 10, 2011 at 2:00 pm in reply to: Scrapyard Photos; Any More? #1090655

Biggles of 266
Participant

Brownhills 1977 ish

I was fortunate to have visited the yard at Brownhills in the mid Seventies.

I was a member of anaviation society, and we had grand designs.

We recovered Mk1 Car Door Typhoon, which ended up at Southend, and thought to now belong to Peter Smith, nr Hawkinge. T the time we could find no ID, but believe it now has been. It had remained there we think, because somebody had put a lorry on it, and we had a great deal of trouble jacking it off.

The yard was amazing….off the top of my head, I recall a seafire cockpit section (Burnt out) a pile of York wings. A pile (literally 30ft high) of Wellington rear turrets. Searchlights, a WW2 RAF fuel bowser.

An internal room with the sawn off engines and props from a Lincoln, still complete with cowlings. A B17 cowl. Several Harvard fuselages. Lots of Meteor Nose/cockpit sections.

We recovered a Wellington rear turret, also went to Southend, wherebouts unknown.

I kick myself for not taking more pics but here are the few that I have.

Guy

January 8, 2011 at 8:36 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1092049

Biggles of 266
Participant

XE799

That is very interesting Baz, she has had her wings changed, as I assume many had, but the serial numbers do not tally with the Fus!

She also has the tailplane off XE798, which was dismantled, I believe.

Now I know why! 😀

Whereas WT873, now BZLK is all matching.

Yes Baz, I first found the reference to JEJ on that site. I have tried e mailing, but have had no response as yet.

I’m really looking forward to flying her next year, but think she may be aerowtowed. She’s a grand old lady, and modern winches have a lot of grunt, so she may just have an easy life. After all she is nearly 60 years old.

Keep thinking about that picture! I would love to find it. I is an important piece of history for this ac.

Guy

January 6, 2011 at 6:02 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1094976

Biggles of 266
Participant

G-AKJD

Don’t throw them out, somebody will rebuild her :rolleyes:

I believe the pilot walked away at least.

Thanks for the info. I wonder what happened to G-AKEY in the Bahamas?

It would be interesting to know.

Guy

January 6, 2011 at 1:22 am in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1095952

Biggles of 266
Participant

T29’s

OK I stand corrected..

G-AKEY

G-AKJD Lasham based, crashed at Dunstable by touching wing on the hill.

One flew marked as G-26-1, probably by Slingsby’s, but not sure which one.

Also
G-AXMB, a single seater Tutor, started with two engines, then has one at the front.
Guy

January 5, 2011 at 10:52 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1096087

Biggles of 266
Participant

T31M

Mike,

The front cockpit is gone! It is a bigger conversion than you think.
In front of the pilot is a petrol tank, and a very substantial firewall.

The conversion drawings were done by Slingsby themselves for the first conversion G-AYAN was done by a Slingsby employee. Also they had built about four T29’s to satisfy an MOD Carrier wake trials contract. But it came to nothing. Partly because the original I think 600cc engine was so underpowered, that the T29 was very marginal to fly.

It has taken a relatively modern powerplant like the VW to transform it into a really good aeroplane.
Guy

January 5, 2011 at 1:22 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1096819

Biggles of 266
Participant

Slingsby T31M

It has an 1800cc VW engine, with a very healthy rate of climb. 2hrs + duration. 10 litres an hour.

Generally not a 2hr duration for the pilot, however, as after an hour one feels a bit frazzled and uncomfortable.

But an absolute treat to fly.

Guy

January 5, 2011 at 12:52 am in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1097232

Biggles of 266
Participant

Airstarting

Not a stupid question.

Currently, yes you can turn it off, but there is no restart facility.

I was intending to fit decompressors, but when I found that the engine off sink rate was 450 fpm, there didn’t seem a great deal of point.

You would need at least a 4.5 kt thermal before you could attain zero sink. So I don’t think I will bother now.

In answer to your other question. About 20 conversions attempted and about 8-10 flying. It seems brutal, but it has probably been responsible for saving quite a few T31’s that would otherwise have been burnt as no good to man nor beast. As a lot of redundant wooden gliders have met their end by falling into disrepair.
Guy

January 5, 2011 at 12:04 am in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1097240

Biggles of 266
Participant

Conversion

Thanks Mike,

I cannot take credit for the conversion, I bought it done and I agree it is a lovely job..It was only done in 2006 by Ivan Manley near Selsey.

Only the ‘Biggles’ paintwork is my handywork. She was very ‘Civvy’ when I bought her, with a white prop and red wings etc.
Glad you like it, I’m in love already. I have got so into T31’s I set out to get a glider too.

Hence XE799, and I hope she will be turned out to a similar standard with all the proper Stencils etc. Having said that, most are original anyway.

This thread is drifting isn’t it!

Just to prove she flies….

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22405356@N05/3941672979/in/set-72157603623372615/

Guy

January 4, 2011 at 10:32 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1097390

Biggles of 266
Participant

Conversion

Several years of your life I think!
Not a great deal in aviation money terms, but a great deal of perserverance.

The T31 is now a rare beast in it’s own right, and we would do our best to prevent any further gliders being chopped. There are, however, a few still uncompleted conversions around, which need some TLC.

PM sent PP.
Guy

January 4, 2011 at 9:44 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1097523

Biggles of 266
Participant

XE799

G-BZLK
Aargh yes 50 mph x 25 hours, thats 1250 miles!
£10 an hour, mmmm thats 250 quid!

Oh dear, not quite that cheap, but not far off.

XE799
Yes the belts are sorted thanks, I could do with another Smiths ASI, as the one I bought recently from Germany in too small a box and was granulated. A real shame.

Cockpit is finished, all that is needed now are the stick gaiter, Strut assembly/Painting, a few careless fabric tears repaired, and then the dreaded paperwork. She passed the pre inspection all ok.
Oh and the biggest job was finding a trailer.

Plus tracking down that picture of J.E. Johnson!

She was one of the last ones retained by the RAF, as spares for the one in Hendon, so was probably one of the most recently refurbished in service and it shows.

It went from Cottesmore, to Spitalgate in 1954, to Swanton Morley just after your flight in 1974. Then spent the rest of it’s time from 1975 at Syerston.

It transfered to the RAFGSA at Syerston in 1996, and subsequently into private hands for a spell at the Boulton Paul Museum in 2004.

Now she has fallen in with the T31M club for restoration, but don’t worry, I will die before she gets a engine fitted. She is quite safe from conversion, as we all have one already!

Can’t wait to fly her.

Guy

January 4, 2011 at 12:49 pm in reply to: Slingsby T31-Johnnie Johnson -Cottesmore #1098085

Biggles of 266
Participant

XE799

Not flying it quite yet, but don’t worry, as I’ve now got about 25hrs on it’s motorised sister WT873 G-BZLK.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22405356@N05/4650656839/

But it is XE799’s history I’m researching.

Guy

January 4, 2011 at 10:06 am in reply to: Aircraft still in it's WW2 paint? #1098253

Biggles of 266
Participant

IWM Spitfire

With regard to the original post.
The IWM Spitfire is one of two in the world in a genuine wartime colour scheme, (albeit later than the BOB) and with its BoB history, makes it probably the most important Spitfire in existence. The current paint scheme, if removed can never be replaced.

The general tatiness is very tempting for refurbishment back to Brown/Green, but by doing so the IWM would in my view be destroying the one thing that really makes it special.

In my view, such aircraft, and the paint specifically, should be elevated by perhaps English Heritage to the status of a ‘National Treasure’. Which it surely is.

Guy
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