Many thanks to all who have shed light on the WK163 saga. I should have gone to LesB’s site in the first place. The reason I was unsure was that I thought it was a B2, but the engines looked like the later Avons with the longer housing for 3 starter cartridges, if I remember, rather than just one in the earlier engines fitted to the B2,T4 etc. All is now revealed.

As an aside, the cartridge situation led me to some embarassment on one occasion. I was flying B15s on the squadron in Cyprus, and my navigator had done some pilot training in his early RAF career. So I thought it would be nice to give him a ride in the squadron T4, with him in the left hand seat, me acting as instructor in the right. All went well well, he and I both enjoyed it, but as we were taxiing back after landing, he had control, and as the speed was building up rather, I suggested he should throttle back a little. Unfortunately he pulled back the high pressure cocks rather than the throttles, so we came to a stop with no engines. Had we been in a B15, we could have started them again, but all we had was a dead Canberra, and a rather dischuffed Flight Sergeant who had had to dispatch the squadron tractor and a couple of his chaps to rescue a couple of very red faced aircrew, plus aeroplane, from the nether regions of the aerodrome!

Bert, I can’t imagine Luton Airport as a grass field, rather prettier than when I operated from there now and again in the ’80s!

My log book tells me I was lucky enough to fly MKs 1, IIA, Vb and 9, both single and two seat, during the BofB film. I don’t remember much about the MK1, but know I really liked the IIA and Vb. And, as the BBMF pilots quoted say, the 9 was not quite so pleasant from a pure handling point of view, but much better for serious business. Flying the two seater from the back seat, with only a camera in the front, was interesting, if only because of the acres of aeroplane in front of you, specially on landing.

The IIA was my favourite because it was the last Spit I ever flew, ferrying it from Bovingdon to Coltishall to join the BBMF, via Cranwell for lunch to show the budding Harrier and Phantom pilots what a real aeroplane was like!

Thanks Newforest, yes I imagine it was. Couldn’t see the colour though, too far away, but I don’t think there are any more in Oz.

Long time ago, but I thought the idea was for the type to have a Wankel engine, and I have always associated the two. The prototype maybe, or just an idea which never happened?

Tim

Good to see that old Vampire in your garden. I am sure it must be the same one I flew at Shawbury in late 69, early 70. I only have it as E in my log book, but dates seem to match. I did 17 trips in it, mostly bashing the GCA circuit for the U/T controllers, occasionally escaping to do the odd aero. I flew with various observers in the right hand seat, including one trip with my son, who was in the ATC at school at the time (had to get his hair cut, poor fellow).

All the best with your project, give her a pat from me!

Cheers, Ray. Proud to have known you.

Tim

Two birds with one stone on this thread! David Lockspeiser and I flew Meteors together on 245 Squadron, RAF Horsham St Faith, in the early 50s, and have been good friends ever since. I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with him from Dunsfold on a production test flight in a Hunter 66 (I think), destined for the Indian Air Force, when I was instructing on Vampires at RAF Swinderby, many years ago. I also remember an exciting display he gave in a Hunter 9 at a Farnborough show about the same time.
He had stored his own prototype at Old Sarum while doing some test flying in Singapore, and it was destroyed in the dubious fire.
Since he lives in deepest Surrey, and we in darkest New South Wales, we don’t see as much of each other as we would like, though we did catch up with him a month or so ago on our last visit to UK. Still hale and hearty, he spends a lot of his time on motor rallies in Europe, driving his lovely old Lotus Elite, British Racing Green of course!

Regarding the real subject of this thread, I saw an Optica over Sydney only the other day. A knowlegible gentleman from the Pprune network tells me it is based in Camden, and must be the one referred to by Mark Pilkington. I thought the original Opticas had a Wankel rotory motor, this one apparently has a Lycoming.

As I was slashing the paddock the other day on our vermillion (well red) old Fergie tractor, the only excitement I get (or, sadly, need) these days, I wondered when we would see photos of Melvyns delightful red (vermillion?) aeroplane in the air. Lo and behold, I turn on my ancient computing machine, and there they are!
Congratulations Melvyn. On your world tour, we have an excellent paddock, freshly mown! Lots of cold fizzy, and excellent Oz red.

Tim