In this edition:

• Down of the farm 76 last month 4/25 – Tony Palmer
• The Perils of Low Flying! (video)
• Mike Whitaker’s MW9 Plank Plans Available
• Strut Visit to ‘Engine Run Day’ at Gatwick Aviation Museum – Richard Griffiths
• Events: Stow Maries Fly-out (or drive) – coordinated by Paul Griffin

Down on the farm 76 last month 4/25

Klemm L25C G-ACXE

We test flew the plane and with the rocker box new drain system it has almost removed the oil leaks down the side of the plane compared with previous. But the oil captured is almost nothing, I think that what it has done is to allow the engine to breath much better. I had the idea that by removing the oil from the rocker boxes it would stop the oil from filling up the rocker boxes and stop it going through the valve guides and oiling the spark plugs, but I think it has allowed the engine to breath. We have flown about 5 flights since the new drain system was installed and it has not fouled a plug, it might be that the rings are getting bedded in but it was a sudden change. We also noted that when descending and side slipping the air passes past the gravity ‘U’ fuel tank breather and sucks out the fuel because the fuel level rises relative to the return line to the main fuel tank. I have constructed another type of breather with a vacuum breaker. In the test flights the new fuel tank breather has totally cured the siphoning of the fuel when descending and side slipping.

Prentice G-APPL VR189

We have at long last got the go ahead from the CAA/LAA that we can transfer Apple to the LAA which of course means we can do the work ourselves, so its go go go!!! I am also in the throes of writing to the CAA for permission to fly it in RAF colour scheme without displaying its civilian reg.

Gordon Turner in NZ

About 5 years ago I had a letter from Gordon, he is an enthusiastic model maker from NZ who specialises in making full size copies of airplane panel and controls. He wanted info and pictures of my Miles control units that I was going to use on my Miles M20 replica. I gave him pictures then and now he has finished it, I attach pics of his work and a picture of the real thing.

Visit to Gatwick Museum

See Richard’s separate report on the event. It was my first visit ever and I was suitably impressed with the experience, my daughter and son in law met me there and I took Jim Copeman my partner in plane renovations with me. Everyone seemed to enjoy it including the engine runs of the English Electric Lightening and the Shackleton. My daughter had got there early and had booked me a conducted tour of the Shackleton which was very informative as our guides were part of the teams that operated it in anger. The guy inside gave us the low down on the Russian Submarine hunting techniques when they were using diesel electric subs, they tracked them from start to finish but with the advent of the nuclear subs it was almost impossible to find them.

Palmersfarm Fly-in

We will be having the annual Palmersfarm flyin again this year on the 2^nd of August, all are invited and Lesley will be providing the catering again this year. I am not sure what the theme will be at the moment (we will keep it as a surprise) come as you are unless you are advised differently.

The Alvis club will be attending with a sample of motoring history.

The club subscriptions will stay at £25 this year as it just covered the Xmas meal cost and will hopefully cover next year’s prices.

Please, PLEASE can we have club members come up with things to do this year!!! Maybe organise trips out to museums, flyouts, someone to do an interesting talk??

Tony Palmer

The Perils of Low Flying!

While making an excellent video on the issues of low flying, this guy got reported to the CAA – for low flying! But all’s well that ends well.

Mike Whitaker’s MW9 Plank Plans Available

Back in 2018 I took the above picture at the LAA Sywell Rally, of Mike Whittaker with his, as he says final project, the MW9 Plank. It is a brilliant concept for a low cost easy to build aircraft, very much in the ethos of the Popular Flying Association. In tests it flies well, so If you want to build one, Mike has made the plans available for free at The MW Club.

Strut Visit to ‘Engine Run Day’ at Gatwick Aviation Museum

The Strut organised a trip to the Engine Run Day at Gatwick Aviation Museum on Saturday 24th May. It’s an interesting collection of mostly Cold War British aircraft that was put together by the late Peter Vallance. I’d previously visited in 2011, when Peter was still alive. Here’s a picture I took of him in front of one of the two Shackletons there at the time. I think you can see he was quite a character.

There were actually more aircraft then, including a Fairey Gannet and some helicopters. The engines and other material was stored in old chicken sheds. Peter was embroiled in a major battle with the local planning authority to build more appropriate accommodation, despite it being right next to Gatwick’s runway! It seems that the battle was won as the new hangar building works well for display. I hope Peter got to see it.

Two aircraft had their engines exercised, an English Electric Lightning and an Avro Shackleton. The Lightning engine run was not visually that exciting, though the control surfaces and air brakes were exercised, but if you were there, THE NOISE!!! Both engines were spooled up to 80% and no afterburner; apparently the limit before the brakes and chocks gave out and the crowd became more acquainted with the aircraft than wanted. The sound on the video doesn’t do it justice, even if the volume is up to ear-bleed level.

I was surprised that all four Rolls-Royce Griffons on the Avro Shackleton were run; must have involved an enormous amount of maintenance effort. Actually during the run, one had to be shut down with fuel pouring out. I guess an old seal had failed.

The commentator told us that the cost for the day’s fuel was £2,000. I dread to think what the cost of actually flying the aircraft would be – amazing (and unlikely) as that would be to see.

Here’s the gang that went.

If you didn’t come along on this day, put a visit to Gatwick Aviation Museum on your bucket list.

Richard Griffiths

Events

Stow Maries Fly-out (or drive)

The date for the visit to Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Museum is Friday 6th June 2025.  It has not been possible to make a group booking for that date, but if you get individual PPR you can fly in (grass runways 550m and 640m).  Alternatively, you could drive there.  A car share can be coordinated. We aim to arrive around midday.

To book PPR asap on the PPR line, open Monday-Friday, as per the website: https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/contact/directions-air
 
Landing Fees are £15, plus admission fees. These range from £9 to £12, depending on your admission choices. Details here: https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/contact/plan-your-visit

I will be coordinating the trip, so contact me if you are planning on coming, and let me know if you can share flights or a car trip.  My email is paulgriffin313@gmail.com, and my mobile number is 07947744155.

We can chat about it at Wednesday’s meeting, but please let me know before then if you are interested. 

Paul Griffin 

Next Strut ‘Club Night’

At The Longshore is on Wednesday 4th June, 7:30 pm.

For a full list of events go to the website Events page.