Aircraft General Discussion

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

That landing looks like a regular landing on a windy day at Wellington NZ (rated as one of the more "interesting" airports in the world), although the on the ground antics are usually left out.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

"Le pilote, à qui on peut tirer son chapeau"

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Any chance of a translation!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Loosely, 'the pilot, to whom we doff our caps'.

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Wonder if the Pilot spent some time flogging a car when He was Younger?

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Visitors to NZ have another steam train they will be able to ride from the beginning of December, it will run on the line from Picton to Blenheim, at the north of the South Island. And when you get to Invercargill the latest attraction is a big boys park where you can drive a bull dozer, or an excavator, I think it's $NZ 200 per hour.

Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

A New Zealand built P-750 XSTOL turbo prop aircraft, built by Pacific Aero Space is under trial as a unmanned cargo transport.

These aircraft have been developed from the Fletcher aerial topdressing aircraft(piston engine) via the Cresco turbo prop, then stretched a bit, and a passenger cabin installed instead of a hopper.

Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Found a photo of the P-750 XSTOL Cargo Drone.

Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

What an ugly b***r!

I suppose its mother loves it…

Neil

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Don't let M OL see it or your cheapo trip to an airfield miles from your intended destination will be 'sans chauffeur!!

rgds

Bill

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Here is what the PAC P-750 XSTOL developed from,. Designed by Fletcher Aviation in the USA in 1951, the Fletcher FD-25 Counter Insurgency aircraft, the concept was not taken up by the USAF, about a dozen of them were built in Japan. NZ was looking for a top dressing machine, and found this, the design was changed to nose wheel undercarrage, and a hopper fitted behind the cockpit, the first few were built in the states, then production moved to Hamilton (NZ) as the Fletcher FU-24, I'll probably find a photo of one of those too.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 14/10/2017 11:51:16

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

And the Fletcher FU-24 topdressing aircraft, the backbone of ag flying in NZ, it's engine grew from a 225 hp Continental to Turbo prop engines over 1000 hp, but usually in the 600 hp range.

Ian S C

[Anonymous]

While sitting outside this afternoon having a cup of tea I watched a Tiger Moth fly west over the bungalow at about a 1000ft. There was also a Harvard flying by the sound. Sure enough the Harvard hove into view catching up and flying alongside the Moth for a few seconds. It then proceeded to do a chandelle over the Moth before heading back to Duxford. The Moth carried on flying west. I don't know if it was pre-arranged, the Moth pilot might have been a tad surprised if it wasn't!

Andrew

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Andrew,

Is there a scale Spitfire in our area as twice this week I've had a spitfire fly over with an engine that certainly not a merlin or griffon.

The first time it was heading east over me and today it was heading west.

Martin P

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Just heard a lovely quote from a WWII Mosquito pilot when asked how much punishment the aircraft could take, after one raid I returned home flying lots of holes held together by bits of aeroplane.

Martin P

[Anonymous]

Posted by martin perman on 25/10/2017 20:57:21:

Is there a scale Spitfire in our area as twice this week I've had a spitfire fly over with an engine that certainly not a merlin or griffon.

I don't know. There are some small scale Spitfires, but I think they're powered by Continentals or small Lycomings and consequently don't look right. However, there is a US company that sells a kit for a 90% scale Mk26 Spitfire powered by a V6 or V8. Presumably they're modified automotive engines. It's got a pretty impressive performance, and certainly looks like a real Spitfire. There is at least one flying in the UK, but I don't know where it is based.

I've dug a bit deeper, the UK agent is based at Enstone, so if the aircraft is based there it would pretty much be flying over you on the way to/from Duxford.

Andrew

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 11/10/2017 16:22:00:

What an ugly b***r!

I suppose its mother loves it…

Neil

It looks like the bastard love child of a Pilatus Turbo Porter and a Cessna 208 Grand Caravan!

[Adrian GilesParticipant @adriangiles39248]

Martin, could possibly be a Silence Twister, which is a lookalike Spit designed for aerobatics, powered by a four cylinder opposed 2.6 litre , 107hp engine. Saw the 'Twister duo' do a magnificent evening/ night display at Bournemouth with pyrotechnics and lights a couple of years ago, really good!

Designed initially as a r/c model, then scaled up to full size, bit contrary as we tend to do things the other way round.

One of the pilots then was Guy Westgate who previously gave one of the best displays I have seen, at Shoreham, flying a glider, to a music track, with smoke generators on the wing tips, in a beautiful clear blue sky, really pushing the aerobatic envelope doing manoeuvres I had never seen a glider do before. Really really enjoyed that.

Adrian.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Thank you Andrew and Adrian it certainly looked the part but if it was running a Merlin it sounded seriously sick, even as a flat four it sounded rough to the ear.

Martin P

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

There have been aircraft, including replica Spitfires using modified Jaguar v 12 engines, these sound like the real thing.

Ian S C

[Anonymous]

Posted by Ian S C on 28/10/2017 14:58:45:

…including replica Spitfires using modified Jaguar v 12 engines, these sound like the real thing.

Ah, like a bag of nails then, like the real Spitfire that has just flown over the bungalow.

Andrew

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Not sure but just watched a high wing radial powered aircraft fly over towards Old Warden, it looked like the Lysander, seen it on the ground but never flying.

Martin P

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Just read this morning that Steve Hinton Jr increased the speed record for piston engined aircraft from 528.3 mph set in 1989 to 531.53 mph on September 2nd in a much modified P51 Mustang Voodoo, he made four runs which averaged the record speed.

Martin P

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Mention of a V12 Jaguar engine Spitfire replica disturbed what I have left for a brain. I recall reading about such a build many years ago. The builder had rented an industrial unit for the build I believe somewhere in or close to Coventry.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

There is/was a full size replica of a Spitfire (Viking Spitfire) in England somewhere, powered by a Jaguar engine, modified to about 7Litres, it was a wooden framed aircraft, and around half the weight of the real thing, it seems to have quite a good performance.

I'v just looked it up, it crashed in 1997 while being test flown by a CAA test pilot, it was rebuilt as a non flying museum exhibit.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 01/11/2017 10:58:38

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