Bluebells August 2, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, England.Tags: bluebell, bulbous plant, Common Bluebells, County Durham, deciduous, Durham, England, European Beech, Fagus sylvatica, ground cover, Hyacinthoides hispanica, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, North of England, Spanish Bluebell, whitebells, Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981
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This area of woodland near the city of Durham, in the north of England consists of mixed deciduous species, with the European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) predominating.
The ground cover is fairly diverse, but in spring it is carpeted with Common Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). Although the Common Bluebell was, well, common when I was young, the status of this bulbous plant has changed somewhat. Hybridisation with the introduced Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) has meant that this stronger hybrid strain has taken over in some locations. Since the Spanish species produce less scent, you lose the heady perfume of a typical bluebell wood in full bloom. In order to protect this quintessentially British landscape, it has been necessary to enact legislation, and since 1981, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (and a further prohibition to trade in bulbs and plants enacted in 1998) it is offence to remove these lovely flowers from their native habitat.
One item of note, bluebells don’t have to be blue! There is a very attractive, naturally occuring, white varient and these ‘whitebells’ can be seen mixed in amongst the drifts of flowers in many bluebell woods.
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.
Dry-stone walls, Derbyshire April 6, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, New England, Peak District, Prehistory.Tags: agriculture, architectural design, caravan, Carl Giles, cartoon, cartoonist, cattle, cattle pen, cultural link, Derbyshire, Dry Stone Walling Association, dry-stone wall, England, field boundaries, fields, flocks, foundation, France, frost, garden design, Germany, Giles family, Great Britain, harsh weather, herders, horizontal 'key', ice, key, livestock, maze, Middleton by Wirksworth, Millenium Wall, mobile studio, National Stone Center, Neolithic, New England, Peak District, Peak District National Park, predators, sheep, sheep folds, Sweden, thorn hedge, tour
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- Dry-stone walls, Derbyshire
Since Neolithic times, herders of sheep and cattle have sought to construct sheep folds and cattle pens to defend their livestock against predators. They also wished to define the limits of their own fields. Planting thorn hedges worked to an extent, but in harsh weather a dry-stone wall is best.
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: 'iron' bombs, 'Little Rascal', 'warbird', .50 calibre machinegun, 51-7545, 7/72 'Fennec', 87mm rockets, air exercise 'Carte Blanche', Air Show, Algeria, Algerian civil war, Armee de L'Air, armour protection, Aviation, Browning, close-support aircraft, COIN, Dassault, Dassault Mirage IIIC, Delaware, desert fox, Duxford, EALA, England, Escadrilles d'Aviation Legere d'Appui, European, Fennec, France, French, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, GVFWE, Haiti, Haitian Air Force, hardpoints, Hullavington, Hurricane, Imperial War Museum, light strike unit, Metropolitan France, Mirage IIIC, Museums, napalm containers, North Africa, North American, North American Nomad, nose art, observer, Pac-Aero, primary trainers, R-1300, R-1300 Cyclone engine, R-1820-76B, Radial Revelation Inc, radio gear, SNEB rockets, St. Nazaire, Sud-Aviation, T-28A, T-28S, T-6G, T-6G Texan, The Aircraft Restoration Company, Trojan, underwing gun pods, USAF, Wilmington, Wright R-1820 engine
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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.
Leopoldoff Colibri – romantic, obscure, and very French (or is that, Russian?) March 16, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, British Isles, England, France, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Second World War, aircraft.Tags: Abingdon, aircraft, Aviation, Aviation Federation of Morocco, biplane, Bolshevik Revolution, British, British register, coelcanthe, Continental Motors Corporation A65-8S engine, D'Arcy Aviation, diamond, Dr Saugnes, drawings, E.T.S.Leopoldoff, emigres, England, F-PCZX, First World War, fishermen, France, French, French register, G-AYKS, General Juin, genus, German, gold, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, hummingbird, Imperial Court, Imperial Russia, interplane struts, L'Amicale Jean Baptiste Salis, L.3, L.7 Colibri, La Ferte-Alais, Latimeria chalumnae, Leopoldoff, lower wing, M.J. Rousseau, Malagasy, Morocco, navigation instruments, nets, Paris, post-war, Prince Moulay Hassan, prototype, Rabat, Resident General de la France au Maroc, Russian, Russian aristocracy, salesmen, Salmson, Salmson 9Adb radial engine, Second World War, Sensenich W72CK, sesquiplane, shopkeepers, Societe des Avions Leopoldoff, Societe des Constructions Aeronautiques du Maroc, taxi driver, upper wing, William Cooper, wing dihedral, wooden propeller, WW1 markings
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- Leopoldoff L.7 Colibri
Sometimes you find something that surprises you – immensely. It is rather like panning for gold, and coming up with a huge, rough diamond. At Abingdon, during an early phase of the GVFWE event, I came across this pretty aircraft; it was rather like some Malagasy fishermen hauling up their nets and finding a coelcanthe (Latimeria chalumnae).
The genesis of the Leopoldoff is shrouded in the mists of the Bolshevik Revolution. It is said that the plans of the original aircraft were drawn up prior to 1917 by E.T.S. Leopoldoff, who, when the Imperial Russian regime fell, hurriedly left the country. Like many other Russian emigres, he ended up in Paris (French had been the preferred language of the Imperial Court, and most of the Russian aristocracy). There, the Russian community scratched out a living as best they could; some were shopkeepers, some salesmen, and some, as in Leopoldoff’s case, became taxi drivers. He finally persuaded a French company to build a prototype to his drawings, which flew in September, 1933. Progress was slow, with the first production machine appearing in 1937. Minor variations gave rise to changes in designation, with the main version being the L.3. Leopoldoff had formed his own company by now (Societe des Avions Leopoldoff), which undertook to build this pretty aircraft as a two seater for club or touring purposes. Just over 30 aircraft were produced before the Second World War broke out.
The L.7 Colibri (named after a genus of hummingbird) is a post-war modification of an L.3. The original aircraft would have been fitted with a Salmson 9Adb radial engine of 45hp, leaving it rather underpowered. Instead, the L.7 now has the ubiquitous Continental Motors Corporation A65-8S engine, of 65hp, driving a wooden Sensenich W72CK propeller – a much better proposition. You can just make out that the L.7 is a sesquiplane (or unequal span biplane). Some Leopoldoff aircraft were ‘normal’ biplanes, and you can see that this has given rise to an odd appearance. The attachment points for the interplane struts on the upper wing have stayed the same, which means the struts now make an acute angle with the shorter, lower wing. Note the pronounced wing dihedral. There are echoes of WW1 aircraft in this design; indeed, one of the few examples still extant (in the collection of L’Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis, at La Ferte-Alais in France) is painted in German WW1 markings.
Post-war, six more aircraft were built in Morocco by Societe des Constructions Aeronautiques du Maroc, and one of these made a noteworthy flight on the 3rd July 1948, when it successfully completed a 600km course as part of an aviation rally organised by the Aviation Federation of Morocco. The Leopoldoff (powered by a Salmson radial) landed safely back at Rabat, where the crew of Dr Saugnes and M J Rousseau were greeted by the Resident General de la France au Maroc, General Juin and Prince Moulay Hassan. It was the smallest aircraft in the rally, and had no special navigation instruments!
This L.7 is the only one on the British register, and was owned by D’Arcy Aviation in the 1970s (it had been on the French register, at one stage, as F-PCZX). It is now in the capable hands of Mr William Cooper. Long may she grace British skies.
The rare made commonplace – G-AIYS, DH 85 Leopard Moth March 6, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Museums, Royal Air Force, Second World War, aircraft.Tags: aeronautical engineer, Air Show, aircraft, aircraft disposal sales, airfield, Aston Martin, Baghdad, Biggin Hill, communications aircraft, De H 85, De Havilland, De Havilland Gipsy Major 1 engine, DH 80, Egypt, England, fabric-covered, folding wings, Geoffrey De Havilland, Gipsy Major engine, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, GVFWE, hangarage, impressed aircraft, Iraq, Keevil, King's Cup Air Race, Leopard Moth, liaison type, Mr Ronald Gammons, Mrs Valery Gammons, oil companies, plywood, prototype, Puss Moth, RAF, RAF Kemble, RAF Museum, Scotland, Second World War, Sir William James Denby Roberts, steel tube, Strathallan Collection, Surrey and Kent Flying Club, Torquil Norman, Victor Guantlett, Wiltshire, WW2
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- The rare made commonplace – De Havilland DH 85 Leopard Moth
Geoffrey De Havilland was a skilled aeronautical engineer, of that there was no doubt, but he was also a passionate lepidopterist, and named many of his early creations after various species of moth. The Leopard Moth was designed in the 1930s to provide a relatively swift (c. 130 mph) ‘gentleman’s aerial carriage’ (one pilot, two passengers). The prototype won the King’s Cup Air Race in 1933 at over 139 mph, flown by Geoffrey De Havilland himself. The fact that De Havilland had forsaken the fabric-covered steel tube formula of the Leopard Moth’s predecessor, the DH 80 Puss Moth, and instead built a strong, sturdy ‘box’ from plywood, giving a structure of lower weight, enabled the aircraft to fly faster and further. The DH Gipsy Major 1C engine puts out around 142 hp, which gives a cruise speed close to 120mph, and a range of over 700 miles.
Castleton – The George Hotel February 25, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Castles, Derbyshire, England, Great Britain, Peak District.Tags: Derbyshire, Castles, Peak District National Park, England, Castleton, Peveril Castle, Hope Valley, Blue John, caverns, The George Hotel, malt whiskey, hostelry, King George II, licenced premises, ghost, haunted, oak beams, steak and ale pie, tourists, natal day, Visitor Center, single malt, serving woman, inn, pub grub
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Castleton - The George Hotel
Since it is my natal day, I shall celebrate by re-visiting my beloved Derbyshire. Here is another shot of the small town (or large village) of Castleton in the Hope Valley. As you can see, Peveril Castle dominates the skyline from almost every angle, and, along with the caverns and Blue John jewellery, is the reason for the town’s economic existence. During the summer tourists easily outnumber the locals at weekends, and the recently constructed Visitor Centre is very busy.
The George Hotel is an excellent hostelry in the center of the town. The building dates from 1543, becoming licenced premises exactly 200 years later. The hotel sign depicts King George II, during whose reign the building was opened as an inn. It is, of course, haunted (the ghost of a young serving woman), and the lovely oak beams add a nice period touch to the atmosphere. I can recommend the food…especially the steak and ale pie. Oh, and don’t try and sample all their single malt whiskies at once – there are over 40 of them!
G-AMMS, not an Alpha, but alphabet soup again! February 16, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, England, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, aircraft.Tags: Aviation, GVFWE, England, De Havilland, Auster, Hullavington, Gipsy Major engine, Auster J-1N Alpha, Fairey Reed, Leicestershire, Auster Aiglet Trainer, Pakistan, Pakistan Air Force, aerobatic, Rearsby, Auster Aircraft Ltd, G-AMMS, J5F, J5K, J5L, De Havilland Gipsy Major 1 engine, Blackburn Cirrus Major 3 engine, Blackburn, metal propeller, Cirrus Major
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- G-AMMS
Sorry about the terrible Auster pun at the start of the post, but I could not resist this opportunity. G-AMMS isn’t an Auster J-1N Alpha, of course, but a much changed Aiglet Trainer. Built in 1951 by Auster Aircraft Ltd at Rearsby, it was retained by the company until 1954, being completed as a J5F, then modifed as a J5K (the only such aircraft) and J5L. The airframe was fitted, at various times, with a De Havilland Gipsy Major 1 of 130hp or a Blackburn Cirrus Major 3 of 155hp, and had the Auster Aiglet Trainer’s shortened wingspan (from 36 ft to 32 ft, to increase the aircraft’s roll rate) and strengthened structure to enable aerobatics to be performed. Aiglet Trainers were popular abroad, and the Pakistan Air Force used them in quantity.
