I think the Turb which flew through some electricity wires and lost it’s fin was G-ASDB, flown by Ambrose Barber.. I’ve seen a picture of it, but cant seem to find it.

The Turb G-APKZ crashed after attempting aerobatics near Biggin Hill in 1960. I was reading the accident report only the other day… The aircraft has a very low +g limit, something like +3g, and a -g limit of 0! Its not aerobatic for obvious reasons…

I’ll amend my original post to include the w/o dates. As i said, i’m busy for the next few days and cant get to my records.

Ahhhh the Turbulent… Rollason built examples listed below

REG C/N TYPE FATE?
G-AJCP PFA 512 D.31 In the rafters at Eaglescott
G-APBZ PFA 440 D.31 Written off, Berck sur Mer, France 15/4/1963
G-APIZ PFA 478 D.31 Airworthy
G-APKZ PFA 479 D.31 w/o near Biggin Hill, 6/12/1960
G-APLZ PFA 480 D.31 w/o near Latchingdon 23/4/1974
G-APMZ PFA 481 D.31 w/o Nr Newtownards 1960s
G-APNZ PFA 482 D.31 w/o nr Rye, 3/9/1995
G-APTZ PFA 508 D.31 w/o Headcorn 15/3/2008
G-APVZ PFA 545 D.31 Airworthy with The Tiger Club, Headcorn
G-APYZ PFA 546 D.31 w/o Little Snoring 15/6/1974
G-APZZ PFA 552 D.31 Ditched English Channel, 10/7/1964
G-ARBZ PFA 553 D.31 w/o West Mersea 1999, but just about to fly again at Chessington, destined for a private owner at Headcorn
G-ARCZ PFA 554 D.31 w/o near Stapleford 1/6/1984
G-AREZ PFA 561 D.31 Last heard of near Shrewsbury
G-ARGZ PFA 562 D.31 Airworthy with The Tiger Club, Headcorn
G-ARIZ PFA 563 D.31 w/o Limerick after mid air collision with Auster 25/8/1962
G-ARJZ PFA 564 D.31 Last heard of in Norfolk (Seaplane conversion)
G-ARLZ RAE/578 D.31A Last seen at Branscombe
G-ARMZ PFA 565 D.31 Airworthy with The Tiger Club, Headcorn
G-ARNZ PFA 579 D.31 Airworthy with The Tiger Club, Headcorn
G-ARRZ PFA 580 D.31 Last heard of in Norfolk
G-ARZM PFA 581 D.31 Force landed in bad weather and w/o 1992
G-ASAM PFA 595 D.31 Force landed in bad weather and w/o 1992
G-ASDB PFA 1600 D.31 w/o Shoreham 11/8/1968
G-ASDE PFA 1601 D.31 Sold to USA as N69M
G-ASHT PFA 1610 D.31 Airworthy
G-ASMM PFA 1611 D.31 Airworthy, Sevenoaks
G-ATHP PFA 432 D.31 w/o Membury 5/10/68
G-AWPA RAE/100 D.31A w/o Usworth
G-AWPB RAE/101 D.31A w/o Sleap 25/5/70
G-BIVZ PFA 048-10681 D.31 w/o Swanton Morley, July 1998

A fantastic aircraft, light, manouverable yet can certainly lull the pilot into a false sense of security, with a stick force of just over 1lb per g, it it easily broken. There was a flight test written by Dave Evans in the February or March 1997 issue of Pilot Magazine…..:D

A Turbulent has been fitted with floats, used for glider towing (I kid you not!) and I’ve even flown one on skis. The D.31A was designed to be eligible for a full Certificate of Airworthiness, but turned out rather heavy and was not as nice to fly.

Time prevents me from regurgitating my notes on the Rollason Turb, but I’ll come back and amend this when i get time. I’ve got many pictures of broken Turbs, which always seem to appear again in due course. Of course, a wooden aeroplane is never written off for very long, and I’m sure the chaps at Redhill & Croydon used to just keep making them so that the original registrations could be stuck on again:eek:

EH

If it’s the person I was told it is, then he must be one of the few people who have made money out of aviation………:D

Aaaah Foulness Island, the home of the Proof & Experimental Establishment.

I can explain, as not only have I been there by road, but have flown past a few times at fairly low level 🙂

At the very western edge of the long grass triangle, mounted on the concrete plinth is (or was…) a large ships gun. Not sure the calibre but a BIG gun! This was used to fire various projectiles out to sea and used to rattle my windows even 12 miles away!

At the Eastern end of the grass triangle, are two towers, between which is strung a cable (you can just see this on Google earth) with some form of measuring device attached. What they used to measure is probably still secret, but if you look further south on Foulness Island, you’ll see another long building which I’m reliably informed was also used for weapons testing, being used to for firing projectiles along.

When I went there in the late 70s, there were still lots of old miltary aircraft targets languishing about on the northern edge of the Island at a place called ‘White City’, including bits from the TSR2. I recall early Buccaneers, Lightnings, Sea Vixens, a Pre-production Lynx (XX337 rings a bell?) and many more. Most of the aircraft have now been disposed of, but I did notice a MIG 23 just inside the sea wall last time I went past a few years ago..

It’s a fascinating place, and in the 70s, was like stepping back in time. The local pub on the island at Churchend was straight out of the 30s. The facility has downsized a lot since i went there last, but the ranges are still active during the week, so they must still be firing things……

The Heinkel 162 is Guy Black’s, acquired as part of for a DH9 Puma engine and the Bristol Fighter G-AANM, which went to Canada. The engine and the 162 came the other way. It’s currently at the Aero Vintage Workshops in Westfield, East Sussex.

Not really in ‘private’ hands, as most are now in Army ownership as barracks, but to name but a few that I have seen recently from above that are in good condition:

Thorney Island
West Raynham
Debden
Wethersfield
Wymeswold

All perfectly adequate to land on..

Watton also used to be very well kept, but haven’t flown over it for years.

The best preserved ex USAAF airfield has got to be Tibenham?

Unlimited budget right?

In no particular order..

P-51D Mustang
F4U4 Corsair
Beech 18
2 Aviat Huskys, one on amphib floats
Fournier RF4D
‘Big Block’ Stearman
Stampe SV4
Bucker Jungmann
L4 Cub
T6 Harvard
Pitts S-1T
Hunter F6
DC-3
BN2A Islander
Jodel D140 Mousquetaire
Jodel D150 Mascaret
Robin DR400-180 Regent

and a 5000 acre private airstrip

and a 25yr old billionairess, with a brewery and an oil refinery as well

Dreams eh?

Last saw it in the Hangar at Dunsfold on the Saturday of this years airshow.. Looked airworthy to me, and as Mr Gilmour lives just down the road, would seem a natural base.