It is not clear to me what is the profile of prospective civil operators of these expensive aeroplanes.

If you need a fast, touring machine, perhaps for business you are more likely to need 4 seats.
If you really want to go fast, you can get a jet, say Venom, Gnat or L.29 for a third of the money.
If you need a civilian/club aerobatic trainer, well, Bulldog, Yak52, Cap20, and others, all sub £50k
If you love to wearing a green grow-bag, and cruising around in an ex-military aircraft, why not a Harvard, Yak52, Jet Provost.

Everything about this machine shouts ‘expense’ and ‘hassle’. It was built as a trainer to replicate the handling of a military jet, and prepare the pilot for that transition. It may be a delight to fly, but really has no sensible place as a civilian recreational aeroplane if money is in any way a consideration.

S*d the photographer.
Its the crew I am worried about!

It may be too early to speculate ( no, its never too early) but would this have happened if the occupants had not been wearing their charts as improvised headgear?

Anyway, main thing is the person/persons are OK, and with luck the RV-7 will be fixable. Thats quite a photograph.

Quite a good event today, with many aircraft having flown in to Booker, despite the grotty vis. This is in theory one of the regional PFA mini rallies but there was very little evidence of them or the ‘traditional’ PFA aeroplanes of old, ie homebuilds and vintage, and in that sense there was no PFA atmosphere, although a large PFA tent present.

Kitplanes were much in evidence, and some looked very good indeed, especially the CZAW Sportscruiser, which is taking the PFA by storm, with FIFTEEN projects registered this month. It looks fantastic, sips fuel, stalls at 35 knots and the complete kit is under £30 K ! At last UK General aviation is no longer defined by PA28 / Cessna 152.

Also on display was the born-again SAH-1/ Trago -Mills Sprint which appeared 20/25 years ago but never really got going, despite rave reviews for handling. It promoted was a contender for the RAF basic trainer though the prize in the end went to the Tuccano. It is available as a kit, or ready to go ( ex -Romania ) with 160 hp for an eye-watering £113,000. As we look towards the £2 litre, how attractive these bigger, heavier, thirstier trainers will be is debatable.

All in all, there was a good buzz at Aero Expo, and the traders I spoke to seemed quite up-beat. There did not seem to be any requirement to either have or buy a ticket. Its on again tomorrow (Sun) .

Whilst this discovery is fascinating and exciting to us, historic aircraft cognicenti, I think you would be hard-pressed to make a compelling case that it was ever significant!

A Skua did shoot down the first allied kill of the war, and Skuas also sank the Konigsberg which was tied up in Bergen harbour. Apart from that, not much really.

More interesting than a P51? Without a doubt, and certainly a significant find.

I am almost certain that the Harvard/T6/SNJ is NOT operated on a permit under the auspices of the PFA.

Even the lowly ( in HP ) Auster is presently a marginal case, and may yet be required to have a C of A.

If you MUST have something a bit ‘warbirdy’ and want to have it on a PFA permit, then the P47 or FW 190 is the way to go – Scale replicas, of course!
Perhaps even one of those Spitfire MK26 2-seaters.

Oh dear- this on top of their C-54 loss in January, when an engine caught fire, and the aeroplane made an emergency landing in the tundra, and one wing was consumed by fire. A tough environment which takes its toll.

Thanks Mk V.

I am surprised that the total is less than 20, – I really thought we had a few more than that

AR213 G-AIST is another ‘flyer’ on long-term engineering. Last flew about 1996, I think.

If G-AIDN T8 does return from the States that will help to balance the books.

That over-blown canopy is a bit of an eyesore – I suppose it is to give the backseater a bit more airspace.