Funny to think that we are now further from 1975 (31 years) that it was then from the end of the war (30 years). Tempus fugit…..

I think that looks like XM172, one time Coltishall Gate Guardian, and part time garden ornament for Jezza Clarkson, now in some uncertain state of preservation at Booker.

Photo-Neil Airey

Central White Waltham-

I was thinking more in demographic terms, than a geographically derived epicentre, ie people=Luton minors, at a current rate of approx 2 million to one. The further north you go, the less chance you have of drawing people form the south-west, or Kent or Sussex, and the south.

In truth, I do not know if there is any ‘core’ of Luton activity, but without being ‘southist’, I imagine there are more to the south of Northampton than the north.
Having said all that, Sywell would probably be as good a place as any!

Really very good indeed. I too share Robant’s concern regarding propellors in paintings, in which the artist so often simply replicates the effect of a photographed propellor, though there seems no compelling case why this should be the case, since to the eye they are generally unseen.

Having said that, I would not invite viewers to ‘paint by commitee’ since given the chance people will try to tell you how each rivet should be portrayed, and even then they will not reach a consencus. Nobody knows better than you what you are trying to achieve.

As an aside, I have found in my own painting endeavours the great value of good b/w photos as reference material. During the war, there were fewer telephoto lenses in use, and so the images do not have the ‘compression’ which looks so unnatural when painted. As b/w images, they often needed strong contrast and highlights, which can be a great help to the aviation artist.

Having said that, painting aeroplanes should be more than slavishly reproducing a photograph.

The forum search facility is your friend.

It is the box marked SEARCH on the top bar.

Type in G-FURY, and it is all there.

Quite agree, Clive, why build one, when you can buy a Minor ready to go for perhaps £4k or less. As for practicality, I am of the opinion that the whole business is just for fun anyway, and I think there is very little scope to use a light aircraft in the UK for a practical purpose. For almost all trips, a car is cheaper, quicker and more reliable.The Minor is a single seater by design, and so yes, it is impractical for carrying two people, in the same way that a teapot is impractical for carrying coal! It evolved to provide cheap, safe aviating, and it is still fit for purpose.

When my old group disbanded, the aeroplane sold for a sum with a ‘2’ at the start, simply because it had to go, and hangarage was racking up at £250 per month, and if you don’t sell by October, you probably won’t get a bite until the spring.

Why do the ATPL hours-building chaps (esses) hire Club aircraft at £90 per hour (say £50 if in USA) when you can fly your own Luton for £15 per hour ??

On a tangent, I know of a pretty little Gardan Minicab which is up for sale at a giveaway price, just needs a dusting down and a new permit.

It used to be silver with a blue stripe, when owned by John Coxon at Barton.

On windy days he would to do vertical circuits, ie climbing to circuit height, going backwards up the runway until back at the threshold, and then landing ahead. ATC used to get quite cross, for some reason!