Down on the Farm 38 this month 10/21

“POPUP” flyin was cancelled due to the fact that Lesley and I both have had Covid, the airstrip was under a lot of water again and it was squidgy yesterday when I walked it. I doubt if the weather will play ball now until next spring but never say never!

Klemm L25C G-ACXE

We have spent more time finishing off the engine cowl especially the right hand side which is more complicated as it contains the oil filler neck. We had to fit hard pads wherever there were attachments as the wear from continual removing it and vibration in service would elongate the holes. Its still got to be painted.

We went down to the New Forest to see a Pobjoy driven BA Swallow owned by Jim Cresswell. Also to borrow 2 air diverter units which go between the engine cylinders to divert the cooling air to cool the cylinders so not just take the route of less resistance and zap through the gaps. Jim spends his days building and repairing wooden planes and I was very taken with his workmanship and what a nice guy he was with so much knowledge of old planes and generally building stuff.

We found out lots of information about operating the plane and what sort of revs to operate the motor at. Jim ran the engine for us and he allowed me to climb in and sit there with fairly high power settings i.e. 2500rpm. Seats were one of the items to look at but it appears that the change from Klemm to BA meant the fitting of aluminium bucket seats when the Klemm idea was to have a wooden seat right across the plane with foam pillows(we checked with a friend in Germany who has an earlier Klemm). We also have the wing root cover plates to complete; John (the original builder) had made them out of plywood but we had planned them in Alloy sheet. We looked at Jim Cresswell’s BA design and decide to modify Johns design and go somewhere in between, if it does not work out then we will go back to plan B and make it out of Aluminium alloy sheet.

Goodwood revival meeting 2021

If you are familiar with Mr Millyard’s work then you will probably know about this very special Vee twin (can you spot what the pots are off of?)

P38 with me dressed up

B25 as used in the Doolittle raid on Japan

Allen Millyard makes some very special specials. Look him up!! He started it for me and it seemed very simple but it just that he so good at it (a Hero of mine).

Prizes

The transport prize of £1000 that Jim Copeman and myself won for the British Klemm was presented to him by Princess Anne at Fawley Hill railway museum last week. I unfortunately could not attend as I had Covid, and then to add insult to injure I won the 2021 Faulkner-Bryant Trophy for the most active person in the strut system to be presented at the AGM and could not go (still Covid).

Tony Palmer

Events

• Club night, Wednesday 3rd November, 7:30 pm, Swiss Cottage, Shoreham!

For the latest list of events, go to the Events page on the Strut website.