When is a moth a better moth? When its made of metal…. August 3, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Royal Air Force, aircraft.Tags: ADC Aircraft, aero clubs, aircraft, Aviation, Cirrus engine, Danish register, De Havilland, DeH Gipsy I, DeH Gipsy II, Denmark, DH60, DH60 Moth, DH60M, DH60T, DH82a Tiger Moth, differential ailerons, First World War, flying schools, French, Geoffrey De Havilland, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, GVFWE, Major Frank Halford, Metal Moth, RAF, Renault V-8 engine, Roy Palmer, Royal Air Force, WW1
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Geoffrey de Havilland’s line of biplane sports/training aircraft, which culminated in the DH82 Tiger Moth, began with the first flight of the DH.60 Moth prototype, at the hands of De Havilland himself, in February 1925. That aircraft, G-EBKT, was powered by a rather unusual engine, built by ADC Aircraft – the Cirrus. This consisted, essentially, of one half of a surplus WW1 Renault V-8 engine, and was, therefore, incredibly cheap. The Moth quickly established itself as the prefered equipment for flying schools and aero clubs everywhere. The Moth was so ubiquitous that soon any light aircraft was refered to as a ‘Moth’.
By 1927, De Havilland had a problem; the huge ‘pile’ of WW1 Renault engines had almost run out, and a new engine for the Moth line was needed. In conjunction with Major Frank Halford, a four cylinder, 100hp engine was designed and built for the DH60; the DeH Gipsy I.
The aircraft you can see is a DH60M Moth, built in 1929. Powered by a DeH Gipsy II of 120hp, it represents the state-of-the-art in light aeroplane design for this period. Several significant changes had been made to the original DH60, including the use of a metal tube primary structure for the fuselage, as opposed to wood (hence the ‘M’ for ‘Metal Moth’). If you look closely, you can still see that De Havilland has retained his ‘differential ailerons’ on the lower wing only, and the wings and tail are in the traditional ‘any colour so long as it is silver’ factory finish (the aero club, or individual customer, chose the fuselage colour). This fine example of the breed is seen here at GVFWE 2009, at Kemble, and is now owned by Mr Roy Palmer; it was on the Danish register, prior to being recovered to Britain.
As well as examples for the civilian market, the DH60 (as the DH60T) was sold to various military customers. The Royal Air Force was not totally convinced, however, and it wasn’t until the sweep of the wings were altered, to enable pilots to bail-out easier in an emergency, and an inverted version of the Gipsy engine fitted, that it finally adopted the Moth as the DH82a Tiger Moth. The rest, as they say, is history.
Nanchang CJ-6A, G-BVVG June 14, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble, aircraft.Tags: 'warbird', aircraft, Albania, Aviation, Bangladesh, Bracknell, brakes, Cambodia, Chinese, CJ-6A, engine cooling gills, flaps, G-BVVG, GVFWE, Huosai-6JIA, Huosai-6JIA radial engine, Kemble, Kemble Airfield, Marlow, NAMC, Nanchang, Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Nanchang CJ6A Group, North Korea, oil cooler, Peeking Duck Group, People's Liberation Army Air Force, PLAAF, pneumatics, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, USA, Yak-18A, Zambia
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It would be perhaps wrong to describe this Chinese trainer as ‘universal’, but with over 10,ooo built it is, indeed, popular. Despite appearances, it is not a direct copy of the Yak-18A, but has been extensively re-engineered to suit Chinese requirements by the Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company. The prototype first flew on August 27, 1958, and entered PLAAF service in 1960, followed by over 3,000 examples for the Chinese armed forces. Since then, it has been exported to Albania, Bangladesh, Cambodia, North Korea, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Zambia. Powered by a Nanchang Huosai-6JIA radial engine of 285hp, the CJ-6A is heavily reliant on pneumatics to operate flaps, brakes and start the engine. The control of various aircraft systems, such as the oil cooler and engine cooling gills are all manual, so there is a lot to manage during any flight.
The example seen here, G-BVVG, is parked at the GVFWE, Kemble and is in typical PLAAF markings. It was on the French register for a while, from 1999 to 2002, but is now owned by the Nanchang CJ6A Group of Marlow; prior to this it had been operated by the amazingly-named ‘Peeking Duck Group’ of Bracknell !
A very popular ‘warbird’, the CJ-6A is now being released in batches by the Chinese authorities, and several specialist companies in the USA are currently importing and overhauling these aircraft for re-sale.
CEA Jodel DR. 1050/M-1 ‘Sicile Record’ June 7, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble, aircraft.Tags: aviation industry, CEA, Centre Est Aeronautique, Continental Motors Corporation, D.9 Bebe, dihedral, DR.100A, Dr.1050, Edouard Joly, EVRA propeller, French, G-BAEE, German, GVFWE, Jean Delemontez, Jodel, Jodel DR.1050/M-1 'Sicile Record', Kemble, Luftwaffe, O-200 engine, outer wing panels, Pierre Robin, plywood, Round Sicily Rally, Second World War
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- CEA Jodel DR.1050/M-1 ‘Sicile Record’
Following the Second World War, much of French aviation industry was either bombed flat, or still producing German designs, continuing on from Luftwaffe contracts. Edouard Joly, who ran an aviation repair business, and his son-in-law, Jean Delemontez, designed and built a light single-seat aircraft, the D.9 Bebe. This little plywood gem, with distinctive dihedral outer wing panels, first flew in 1948, and a whole series of developments and varients of what became the Jodel family of aircraft flowed from this, and were were either built by licencees or home-built.
Folland (Hawker Siddeley) Gnat June 3, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, Great Britain, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, RAF, Royal Air Force, aircraft, military.Tags: 'Teddy' Petter, 'warbird', aircraft, airframe, Airshow circuit, Aviation, BAe Hawk, Charlie Sheen, Cirencester, Delta Jets, E E Lightning, English Electric, feature film, film, Fo. 144, Folland, Fuse 13, Gnat, Gnat T.1, Gnat Trainer, Hawker Siddeley, Hot Shots, instructional airframe, jet, jet warbird, Kemble, Kemble Airfield, KM, Lloyd Bridges, Midge, No 4 FTS, Postmaster, RAF, RAF Flying Training School, RAF Kemble, RAF Scampton, RAF St Athan, Red Arrows, Royal Air Force, runway, signal square, South Wales, twinkle roll, US Navy, W E W Petter, Yelowjacks
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- Folland Gnat T.1
Kemble Airfield has many interesting residents. The local aviation company, Delta Jets, is better known for it’s fleet of Hawker Hunters, but it also owns this Hawker Siddeley Gnat T.1, XP502. Currently, the Gnat is located on the old airfield ’signal square’ , a relic of the early days of flying, when a pilot would join the circuit overhead, and look down at the square, to see which runway was in use (shown by means of black ‘dumbell’ markers) and even confirm WHERE he was (the two-letter code for Kemble, KM, is still there). XP502 is in spurious ‘Red Arrows’ markings, to commemorate the fact that Kemble was the home of the ‘Reds’ for nearly 15 years, from 1969 to 1983; the last four years of which had seen the Gnats supplanted by the BAe Hawk. Indeed, the Postmaster at nearby Cirencester still sometimes gets mail addressed to ‘The Red Arrows, RAF Kemble’ – it is carefully forwarded to their present home at RAF Scampton.
Newark Liberty International May 22, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, New York, United States, aircraft.Tags: air conditioning, Air Train, aircraft, Amtrak, Continental Airlines, Empire State Building, Manhattan, monorail, New York, Newark, NJ, PATH, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, rapid transit, Statute of Liberty, terminal buildings
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Newark Liberty International - Air Train
Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey since the 1940s under a lease arrangement, and one of the busiest airports in the Greater New York area, Newark Liberty International serves as a hub for Continental Airlines and many other carriers. One of the more interesting features of the airport is the ‘Air Train’, a free rapid transit monorail system which runs between Terminals A, B and C. This is easily accessed via a series of interlocked safety doors on the upper level of each terminal. It also travels to the Airport’s own rail station where Amtrak and NJ Transit passengers alight.
Here we see a set of Air Train cars, making the smooth transit between terminals. Be warned, however; the cars are NOT air conditioned, and on a warm day in May, the passengers were already feeling the heat.
Just over the Hudson River from Manhattan, it is easy for passengers to reach hotels in the city (the airport is about 16 miles from mid-town Manhattan). Both approaches to, and departures from, this airport offer spectacular views of the New York skyline, and such features as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building can be clearly seen. Please choose your seat assignments carefully!
Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble, May 9 – 10th May 14, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Britain, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, RAF, aircraft.Tags: 111 Squadron, aircraft, control tower, Delta Jets, EGBP, England, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Hawker, Hawker Hunter, ICAO, Kemble, Kemble Air Day, Kemble Aviation, RAF, Royal Air Force
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Control Tower, Kemble Airfield
Well, the 2009 GVFWE has come and gone…..and it was a roaring success. Elements from previous events seemed to blend easily with the new, thanks to some excellent work by Glen and all at Kemble Aviation, (here is a shot of the control tower at Kemble, ICAO designation EGBP) . I know that those of us who were ‘carry-overs’ from previous years found ourselves thoroughly at home. Kemble, of course, is used to holding some first-rate aviation events, including an Air Day (this year a two day show) featuring some of the local Delta Jet fleet. GVWFE was re-worked to include a one-hour flying programme, in the middle of each day, which also featured sparkling displays by a Delta Jets two-seat Hawker Hunter, in the colours of No. 111 Squadron, RAF, and many other aircraft.
All in all, a great start to a ‘new’ edition of this classic event.
M-Gator and R-Gator – the way forward April 13, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, United States, aircraft, military.Tags: 3-cylinder, 3-cylinder diesel engine, Afghanistan, agricultural equipment, airfields, Basra, C-130, C-130 Hercules, Canadian Armed Forces, casualties, commercial buildings, diesel, Gator, industrial plant, Iraq, John Deere, litter support frame, M-Gator, military, military bases, military reservation, off-road supply vehicle, R-Gator, re-supply, rough country, Sather Air Base, tractors, UGV, Unmanned Ground Vehicle, US Marine Corps, USAF, vehicle hood, walking wounded
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M-Gator in Iraq
If nothing else, the security of airfields, commercial buildings, industrial plant, and military bases has come under increasing threat in the last few years. How to meet those threats, without exposing security or other personnel to increased risk, has become a major problem.
John Deere, the well known manufacturer of tractors and agricultural equipment, has come up with an elegant solution. They have taken one of the members of their Gator series of off-road vehicles, and turned it into a most effective military re-supply and utility machine.
The M-Gator, as it is known, is powered by an efficient 3-cylinder diesel engine and has already seen service with the US Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as being used by Canadian Armed Forces in the later country. There is a litter support frame fixed to the vehicle hood, and as well as evacuating casualties, the Gator is a nimble off-road supply vehicle in rough country.
However, the story does not stop there. The Gator has now been turned into an autonomous UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle), the R-Gator. The R-Gator can be controlled by an operator, remotely, or programmed to follow a pre-arranged path to and from a target location, carrying many types of loads – it can, of course, be driven normally by the flick of a switch. The R-Gator is equipped with a range of sensors, which enables it to act as a silent sentinel on military reservations, large industrial plants and other high value targets, yet retain a patrol facility.
Here you can see an M-Gator being loaded onto a USAF C-130 Hercules aircraft at Sather Air Base, Iraq on its way to Basra.
This vehicle, especially in its R-Gator form, has an exceptionally bright future ahead. It is an idea who’s time has come.
http://www.deere.com/en_US/contractsales/fedmilitarysales/cce/r_gator/r_gator.html
Image courtesy of Wikipedia: -
A short-lived company, but a long-lived Civilian April 2, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, London, Second World War, Wales, aircraft.Tags: 'push-rods', A.B.C. Hornet engine, Air Show, aircraft, airports, Armstrong Siddley, Armstrong Siddley Genet Major 1A, auctioneer, auctioneer's hammer, Aviation, Biggin Hill, Cardiff Airport, Carmarthen, Civilian Aircraft Company Ltd, Civilian Coupe 2, D H Mosquito, Derby, Derbyshire, England, Flight magazine, fuselage, G-ABNT, Glynn Rees, Great Depression, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, GVFWE, hangar, Hedon, Heston, historic aircraft, Hull, Hullavington, London, municipal airports, passenger seat, plywood, plywood panelling, port, propeller, radial engine, River Humber, Second World War, Secretary of State for Air, Shipping & Airlines Ltd, South Wales, Wales, wings, wire, Yorkshire
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- Civilian Aircraft Company Coupe 2
Throughout the 1930s many towns like Derby and the Yorkshire port of Hull joined the rush towards modern transport by establishing municipal airports. Hull’s was sited about 5 miles out of town at Hedon on the banks of the River Humber, and the civic authorities tried to attract aviation concerns to the new airfield. ‘Flight’ magazine in its March 27th, 1931 issue, mentioned that the Civilian Aircraft Company Ltd. had established a small manufacturing works on the southern edge of the site and was producing a two seat aircraft. Sadly, the first example of the ‘plane, which was first shown to the public at Heston in 1929, was powered by an A.B.C. Hornet radial engine, which vibrated rather badly. The Series 2 of the Civilian Coupe had solved the engine problems by fitting the Armstrong Siddley Genet Major 1A of 100hp. The aircraft’s fuselage was so narrow that the passenger seat had to be offset slightly behind and to one side of the pilot’s (rather like the much later D H Mosquito). There was some use of metal tubing in the fuselage, but the majority of structure, including the wings, was covered with stressed plywood panelling. Technically interesting, because it was one of the first aircraft to use ‘push-rods’ to connect the controls, rather than wire (leading to crisper responses), the Coupe was the right aircraft at the wrong time, as it appeared just as the civilian market was under immense pressure due to the Great Depression. A small series of aircraft was built, but it was already too late, and ‘Flight’ noted the demise of the company in its April 15th, 1932 issue.
One of the breed survived by sheer chance; Serial No. 03, a Civilian Coupe 2, was bought by Mr Glynn Rees of Carmarthen, South Wales and hangared at Cardiff Airport. Little flying took place (a total of 130 hours only), and he stored the aircraft before the outbreak of the Second World War. The aircraft’s registration was cancelled, by order of the Secretary of State for Air, on 1st December 1946.
After being stored for more than 40 years, G-ABNT went under the auctioneer’s hammer in Wales in February 1978. It was sold to Shipping & Airlines Ltd of London, along with a quantity of spares, including wings and a propeller. Careful restoration, and a move to a hangar on the historic Biggin Hill airfield, ensured that this highly significant aircraft is still with us today. Here she is in the historic aircraft park at GVFWE, Hullavington.
Date for GVFWE 2009, 9th/10th May – Kemble Airfield March 30, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, England, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, aircraft.Tags: Air Show, aircraft, aircraft type, AOP9, Auster, aviation event, Bu131 Jungmann, Bucker, CH3 Super Ace, Chrislea, Cotswold, D H 82a Tiger Moth, D.31 Turbulent, Druine, Druine Condor, Druine D.62B Condor, EGBP, England, Europe, flying display, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble Air Day, Kemble Airfield, M.38 Messenger, Miles, RAF, RAF Kemble, Red Arrows, Royal Air Force, Terry Booker, Tiger Moth, Tipsy, Tipsy Belfair
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Great Vintage Flying Weekend
The Great Vintage Flying Weekend had come to be a ‘fixture’ on the UK air show scene, that is until 2008. With the retirement of Terry Booker (Operations Director, and the man responsible for much of the excellent organisation behind the events), the event fell into a kind of stasis. Without an injection of capital, and a permanent new home (GVFWE had been a moveable feast), it was likely that Europe’s premier vintage aviation event would simply cease to exist.
With a great deal of goodwill, and some complex negotiations, it was announced just after Christmas that the event would be moving to Kemble Airfield (EGBP), the former RAF Kemble, which had once been home to the Red Arrows. The home of the highly-regarded Kemble Air Day, the Cotswold airfield had already been used before by GVFWE and was therefore a known quantity in organizational terms.
Here you can find the link for the new, official, GVFWE site; a major departure from the established pattern will be a one hour flying display to be inserted into the daily programme of events. I can safely say that everyone involved is really looking forward to a splendid 2009 event.
As an indication of the many different aircraft types which can appear at GVFWE, here is a photograph from the last Hullavington event. You can see examples of the following; Bucker Bu131 Jungmann, Miles M.38 Messenger, Auster AOP 9, Tipsy Belfair, D H 82a Tiger Moth, Chrislea CH3 Super Ace 2, Druine D.31 Turbulent, and Druine D.62B Condor .
The feisty Fennec – a fiercer fox March 24, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, England, France, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, United States, aircraft.Tags: Aviation, Air Show, GVFWE, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, England, Hullavington, Museums, nose art, France, Wright R-1820 engine, 'warbird', Hurricane, French, Sud-Aviation, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, .50 calibre machinegun, Browning, Algerian civil war, Algeria, close-support aircraft, North Africa, COIN, T-6G, T-6G Texan, underwing gun pods, observer, North American Nomad, North American, T-28A, Trojan, USAF, primary trainers, St. Nazaire, R-1300, R-1300 Cyclone engine, R-1820-76B, Pac-Aero, Fennec, desert fox, T-28S, SNEB rockets, 87mm rockets, napalm containers, 'iron' bombs, light strike unit, Escadrilles d'Aviation Legere d'Appui, EALA, 7/72 'Fennec', Armee de L'Air, Haitian Air Force, Radial Revelation Inc, Wilmington, Delaware, The Aircraft Restoration Company, 'Little Rascal', Metropolitan France, Mirage IIIC, air exercise 'Carte Blanche', European, Haiti, Dassault Mirage IIIC, Dassault, 51-7545, hardpoints, armour protection, radio gear
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North American T-28S Fennec
In the late 1950s, with war raging in Algeria, French forces needed a close-support aircraft urgently. Their light strike aircraft being used in North Africa (in what would now be called a COIN role) included large numbers of the T-6G Texan. This aircraft had been upgraded, fitted with underwing gun pods and thrown into the fray. Standard French operating procedure was to use a pilot and an observer in the Texan on missions. This left the aircraft slow, underarmed and very vulnerable.
Two North American Nomads (civilianized versions of the T-28A) were purchased by the French for test purposes, quickly followed by 146 ex-USAF T-28A Trojans. These primary trainers were handed over to Sud Aviation at St. Nazaire, who oversaw the rebuilding of the machines; this included fitting standard French radio gear, armour protection for the engine and crew, and additional underwing hardpoints. The aircraft lost their 800hp R-1300 Cyclone engines, and were upgraded with a Wright R-1820-76B putting out 1425hp (these were sourced through Pac-Aero, who had produced the Nomad conversions). The aircraft was named Fennec, after the swift, cunning desert fox of North Africa, and the designation changed to T-28S; first flight took place on 10 March 1960, with each aircraft conversion taking approximately two months.
The war in Algeria was being fought over rugged mountain terrain, as well as in urban settings, and the Fennec suited the task. As well as being faster, more powerful, with extra armour protecting the engine and crew, the armament fit included a mix of .50 calibre Browning machine pods, SNEB rocket packs, 87mm rockets, napalm containers and ‘iron’ bombs.
The Fennec seen here is based at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, and is one of only two T-28 aircraft in the country. It was originally built by North American in 1951 (51-7545) as a T-28A, but was converted as the 119th Fennec. It carries the markings of one of the French light strike units (Escadrilles d’Aviation Legere d’Appui) EALA 7/72 ‘Fennec’ of the Armee de L’Air. Eventually, this example was disposed of to the Haitian Air Force, where it served until 1978. After a time on the US civil register, it was bought by Radial Revelation Inc, of Wilmington Delaware, and shipped to the UK, under management of The Aircraft Restoration Company.
This aircraft carries nose art, as ‘Little Rascal’, and the badge of 7/72, appropriately a fennec under the moon, under the cockpit. This feisty fox has been described as ‘a poor man’s Hurricane’; indeed, when the Fennecs were withdrawn to Metropolitan France after the Algerian War was over in 1962, they were issued to training and secondline defence units, and it is a matter of record that a Fennec claimed a ‘kill’ on an ‘opposing’ Dassault Mirage IIIC during air exercise ‘Carte Blanche’ in 1963!
‘Little Rascal’ is a fine performer on the European air show scene, and is shown here parked in the warbirds section at the GVFWE, Hullavington. A splendid conversion of an already successful type.
