Aircraft General Discussion

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

, Gentlemen,

I've been outside today loading my trailer and van with an engine to display at Little Creeting tomorrow and whilst tinkering I heard a raspy engine coming towards me which turned out to be a Commander Wallace type AutoGyro and he was going at a reasonable pace as well, approx 1000 feet up, I came in to write this when I spotted something on another forum and thought I would share it **LINK**

Martin P

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Having done a few hours on the S K HAR 3 at Boscombe Down when we had it on Service entry assessment, that R/C demo struck a real chord!! The airframe 'sit' is very realistic although it's missing the proper coning angle on the main rotor. A remarkable piece of model engineering as well as aero-modelling – well done!

To avoid inter-Service angst, Martin, the designer/builder of the autogyro was (the late) WING Commander Ken Wallace, ex Royal Air Force and a legend in the gyrocopter world as designer, builder and flyer – known among the non-gyro world for his 'Little Nellie' of James Bond fame.

rgds

Bill

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Bill,

 

Silly me I should have known that  my Father worked for a company, as a draughtman, which fitted reconnaissance camera's to two of his Autogiro's for trials by the army.

 

Martin P.   

Edited By martin perman on 09/07/2016 17:49:32

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Does anyone have knowledge of Heston Aircraft (besides what is on the net). My Dad worked there, finishing as chief draughtsman as chief draughtsman 1937- 1957 ish.
BobH

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

Further to the anecdotes about Ken Wallis, I was at a model aircraft meeting on a farm strip near Baldock in the late '90's when we observed an autogyro approaching. Ever mindful of the dangers of mixing models and the fullsized, all the airborne models landed while the autogyro completed a circuit and then landed on our strip. Who other than Ken Wallis himself! He'd seen the models flying, so decided to 'pop in' and take a closer look. After about half an hour of chatting with various modellers, he climbed aboard, took off again and turned to perform a hands and feet free low pass along the strip before waving goodbye and heading off. One of aviation's real characters and a bit of a hero to boot!

Heston Aircraft – I regret I have no knowledge other than seeing signs at the entrance to Heston village which depicted the Heston Racer. Last time I drove through, I think there was only the one sign remaining.

[robjon44Participant @robjon44]

Hi guys, fresh from my spotting the V22 OSPREY near Leyburn in Yorkshire last weekend, this weeks expedition was to the Cambridge area, around 11.30 am I was packing up ready to go home when a small voice said " ooh look theres an aeroplane with 2 engines" I quickly nipped round to the other side of the campervan & sure enough about half a mile was another OSPREY in aircraft mode tracking directly away from us, it was not difficult to identify as from behind or in front the "PROPROTORS" as I now know they are called are huge! however as I resigned myself to watching it disappear into the distance it did a fast 180 degree turn back in our direction & shortly afterwards transitioned into helicopter mode & stopped, it turned on the spot in either direction a couple of times then reentered aircraft mode & cleared off in a big way, I think their following me about.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Robjon,

You were following them as their base, Mildenhall, was no more than 20 miles from where ever you were in Cambridgeshire.

Martin P

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

I'm 6 miles away from Mildenhall so the things are like wasps round a jam jar.

Martin

[robjon44Participant @robjon44]

Martin, found Mr. Google Maps straight line measuring tool this morning, RAF Mildenhall 26.6 miles from campsite, who knew? anyway I have pencilled in some hanging on the chain link fence for another day, in another lifetime I signed the Official Secrets Act so they wont mind Robjon44

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Guys
A Spitfire & Hurricane was at White Waltham airfield Berkshire today
Nobby

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Hi Nobby.

Perhaps that was something to do with the BBMF flypast over Henley Trad Boat Rally, I think it is occuring tomorrow as well.

Can't go this year unfortunately.

http://www.tradboatfestival.com/#!event-timetable/c219h

Edited By V8Eng on 16/07/2016 21:21:50

Edited By V8Eng on 16/07/2016 21:24:20

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi V8Eng
You may be right White Waltham Maidenhead is not far from Henley . As you may know this was the HQ for
ATA Air Transport Auxiliary during the war . My son works in the engineering section West London Airo Club WLAC.
Regards George

Edited By Nobby on 16/07/2016 22:44:07

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I may have mentioned about a young lad here in NZ Jerry Howell, in January he soloed in a Microlite on his 16th birthday, well not just one Microlte, but 16 of them (a world record). I'v just heard that he has just past his Microlite instructors rating, although he only has his learners licence for driving a car. He has to wait until he is 18 to get his instrutors licence for light aircraft. He has been doing competition aerobatics this year.

Ian S C

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

The real reason that the BBMF use White Waltham is that they get free tea and cakes whenever they visit.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Nobby on 16/07/2016 20:50:35:

Hi Guys
A Spitfire & Hurricane was at White Waltham airfield Berkshire today
Nobby

NIce!

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

BBMF Lancaster took to the air for test flight today following post fire repairs.

Martin

[ROBERT BLACKSHAWParticipant @robertblackshaw40066]

I have not read any of these posts on this topic but I have a question about a aircraft was it fact or fiction. Watching Talking Pictures a freeview channel on UK TV a film from the 60s black and white, called Cone Of Silence. The aircraft was a six engined passenger jet, some of the film of the jet looked like a model when in flight but in the hanger and out on the runway it is a full scale aircraft, was this jet a prototype or just a well made large scale model. I have become a Talking Pictures fan of late some great films from the 50s and 60s in black and white which I have never seen before.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Hi Robert,Yes there was a real aeroplane, the plane in the program was the Atlas Phoenix, the real plane was an experimental jet air liner the Avro 706 Ashton 3, based on the Avro Tudor. The basic aircraft had 4 RR Nene engines in 2 engine pods under each wing, as a test bed it had other engines hung on out board of these pods, at the time of the the program Bristol Siddeley had 2 Olympus engines on it out board of the Nenes.

The TV program was loosely based on the DH Comet crash in 1952.

Ian S C

[DrDaveParticipant @drdave]

We were getting lunch ready when I heard something large & low flying past. I got outside just in time to see a wing tip & tail of what looked like a C17 transport aeroplane disappearing behind the trees. It cannot have been much above 500', skirting the southern edge of Bedford. Wonder what brought that here?

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

I went from Bedford to Ducklington Oxfordshire to a Vintage rally today and around 12:30 to 13:00 a RAF C17 did a circuit and then passed over the rally on the approach to RAF Brize Norton where several are based, they are the RAF's heavy lifters.

Chances are it was the same aircraft as it was the only aircraft that landed at Brize in the five hours I was at the rally.

Martin P

[Anonymous]

Posted by DrDave on 24/07/2016 19:51:48:

We were getting lunch ready when I heard something large & low flying past. I got outside just in time to see a wing tip & tail of what looked like a C17 transport aeroplane disappearing behind the trees. It cannot have been much above 500', skirting the southern edge of Bedford. Wonder what brought that here?

Probably avoiding Old Warden, which was NOTAM'd for large model flying today with the airfield closed for full size aeroplanes.

Andrew

[Graham TitmanParticipant @grahamtitman81812]

Hi Martin you should have gone yesterday there must have been 6 or 8 took off and flew low over the rally field,I have never seen so many stationary engines in one place according to the programme 180 plus.A good day out.Graham

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Graham,

I counted over 200 as there were some not cataloged, I usually display with my engines at the rally but was unable to spend the whole weekend due to lack of holidays caused by ill health so had to be happy with a public visit today, I spent yesterday taking apart one of my engines ready to fit a new big end and refurbish it so that its fit to exhibit at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in a few weeks.

Martin P

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

New Chinese SeaPlane

**LINK**

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/25/worlds-largest-seaplane-ag600-chinese-state-company?campaign_id=A100&campaign_type=Email

MichaelG.

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hmmm
So now they can get to every little sandbar in the south china sea with ease.

[Author]

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