In this month’s edition:

• Down on the farm 83 last month 10/25 – Tony Palmer
• Back in the day at Croydon Airport – A 1930’s film about operations there
• British Nuttiness at its Best! – Del Boy’s Reliant flies to France under a parachute canopy
• Tony’s Klemm’s visit to Shoreham written up in the Brighton Evening Argus – Link to the article
• Who should give way: you flying ‘see and avoid’ or a drone? – Possible change to rules of the air coming down the line
• Scout Story – Phil Laycock’s Sherwood Scout Build
• Help to Save Popham – It’s at risk of disappearing under housing again
• Don Lord’s Spitfire Ride – Photos
• Booking for the Strut Christmas Dinner

Down on the farm 83 last month 10/25

Klemm L25C G-ACXE

The Klemm was given a last flight before winter and cylinder number 6 fouled its plugs, so we pulled it off and am giving a refurbish. The runway flooded last week for the first time this winter but with a bit of luck it might dry out enough to fly it before it becomes impossible.

Prentice G-APPL VR189

No movement

Beagle Terrier G-ATDN TW- 641

We ran the engine, recorded oil pressure at different RPMs, then stopped it at a high power setting to check the mixture. Then carried out a cylinder pressure check while warm; all the numbers were good. I found two spark plugs that were not the same and have just taken out a mortgage to buy two new plugs from LAS, but at least they had some!!!!

Because I wanted to get as original as possible I took a recent trip to the Army Air Museum at Middle Wallop after finding that they had an AOP6 on display. But having paid and hurried in to find two Austers on the ground and the one that I wanted to take pictures of was hung from the roof about 30 foot up!!

I did look at other exhibits and below are some pics. Click on an image to enlarge it.

Next club night November 5th 2025

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

Back in the day at Croydon Airport

The old footage has been upscaled and colorized, a treatment that can divide opinion. I think it makes it much more accessible. The section involving radio location is ‘quaint’.

British Nuttiness at its Best!

Just had to include this for anyone who hasn’t seen it. At the end of September there was a mass charity fundraising paramotor fly across the English Channel by 47 brave/foolhardy pilots. Amongst them was a flying Del Boy’s Reliant Robin. View a video here: reliant-robin-flies-above-the-english-channel/ and further details here: MSN article

Tony’s Klemm’s visit to Shoreham written up in the Brighton Evening Argus

It’s a nice writeup: theargus.co.uk

Who should give way: you flying ‘see and avoid’ or a drone?

Well, it could be you, if proposed changes to the regulation of BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) drone flights go ahead. Drone would have right of way in open airspace if you are not transmitting electronic conspicuity – and tough if that is not working. The Americans seem to be pushing ahead more rapidly with this. Here is an article from the US AOPA that presents the issues: aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2025/october/09/aopa-pushes-back-on-conditional-right-of-way-for-drones

Scout Story – Phil Laycock’s Sherwood Scout Build

An article about the Sherwood Scout aircraft that I have recently completed, test flown, and now awaiting a full Permit to fly from the LAA.

The Scout is a light aircraft two seater, high wing aircraft which resembles a Piper Vagabond and it features a very quick wing fold system. My first aircraft ownership experience was with a PA15 Vagabond, way back in 1990 ……….. all thanks to Don Lord and the Oscar Flying Group with G-BOVB, so maybe that had a influence on future decisions.

During 2018 I somewhat foolishly decided that I should build an aeroplane. I had recently retired from British Airways at LGW working as a Licensed Engineer and was looking for a project to do in my increased spare time. Lurking in a hangar at the airstrip where the Luscombe that had been rebuilt jointly by myself and a fellow engineer was a Reality Escapade aircraft which was a “neglected Hangar Queen”. It was a Tri-Gear version, which I believe had some engine issues and was never seen outside of the hangar, but the owner wasn’t interested in moving it on so that possible project idea was dropped.

I briefly looked at a Sport cruiser (already completed) and a Bristell kit and the Vans RV12 kits but I generally prefer High wing aircraft so investigated a Mission M108, and of course Kitfoxes / Eurofoxes. I then found that The Light Aircraft Company (TLAC ) in Norfolk were marketing a improved version of the Escapade called the Sherwood Scout. TLAC were also already making kits of their Ranger biplane retro aircraft design in the factory at Little Snoring, near Fakenham.

The Scout has optionally a 80 Hp or 100Hp Rotax, Jabiru, UL Power or even D-Motor engine options and can be tri-gear or the much better aesthetically looking taildragger version. It can also be a BMAA class microlight. A big selling point is the large baggage area behind the seats with a generous C of G range allowing quite a weight to be carried there. The Max AUW of the LAA Scout version is 499 Kgs .

After a visit to the factory and having a confirming demo flight I went ahead and placed an order .

Two months later I was hiring a Jumbo size Transit van, driving up to Norfolk and just about managed to squeeze the kit components all in, the welded steel tube fuselage frame (already powder coated ) was strung up inside and we brought the whole lot back to Sussex .

Construction then began, assembling the undercarriage, wheels and brakes and all the components and controls in the fuselage, tailplane, elevators and rudder. Each wing with ribs and spars already glued, fitting fuel tanks and construction of the ailerons and flap surfaces followed the build plan, utilising the manual, which it has to be said was a bit sketchy in places; it was a modified Escapade build manual and some instructions didn’t apply and others had not been included yet …..! The factory were always helpful in answering any queries.

Progress was slow and steady, my excuse is mainly due to having access to the Luscombe ! …..did I want to spend time in the garage toiling or alternatively go flying and /or flamping with the classic aircraft when it is lovely VMC weather? I’m sure progress would have been vastly quicker on the Scout if not always having that tempting option!

A day trip to Coventry airport to CFS Aero to pick up a expensive crate with new Rotax 912ULS 100 Hp engine in it. Firewall forward parts from TLAC were purchased, then progress was halted for quite a time during the Covid lockdown periods. I think most homebuilders of aircraft would have speeded up during this time, but I am somebody who doesn’t follow the crowd!

Setting and rigging the wings to the fuselage with the wing fold system utilised many spirit levels and plumb bobs and had to be done on a calm day, as my garage wasn’t large enough to carry out this critical task.

I chose to cover the aircraft in the lightweight Oratex system and this is generally pretty straightforward, where the fabric is glued with a water based application and the adhesive is then activated by heat, either by a special temperature controlled iron or a accurate thermostatic heat gun. Once glued it is then shrunk using a higher heat setting and that is it, no doping or painting required. Biggest difficulty with the Oratex was the fuselage sides where you use just one large fabric sheet for the whole side from tip of the fin to the cockpit door cutout, as this has some areas to stretch the fabric as well as areas to shrink it over the compound curves.

Overall I was quite pleased with the covering process and hope it will prove hard wearing and durable.

A further delay to finishing was a house move and that also meant decanting the aircraft to a shipping container (actually a site storage container, as annoyingly a STD container is not wide enough).

Earlier this year the instrumentation and avionics were finally sorted, an MGL electronic display for primary display and a standby combined airspeed / altimeter / vertical speed instrument which can be independently powered, along with a Trig radio and transponder. It took a little while to eliminate some radio interference and a oil temperature display problem. After weighing and calculation of C of G, it was on to the engine runs, fuel flow test and then taxi tests.

I got the OK to carry out the test flying myself from the LAA after getting some actual familiarisation flying one, courtesy of a friend in Essex who had already built one and has amassed some 750 hours in it. I also got a good couple of ideas for future modifications from him as well.

Finally on September 22nd this year, Sherwood Scout G-ZLSK took to the skies from runway 06 at Deanland. It was an amazing and exciting experience for me. The acceleration and climb performance is certainly quick, especially at light weight and solo. Pleasingly, the aircraft flies nice and straight and trims out nicely with light control forces. Over the next two weeks the testing then continued to the LAA schedule culminating in the two-hour endurance flight and sustained max weight climb that averaged out at 900 ft/min.

Hopefully the LAA will be issuing the full Permit to Fly before the Autumnal weather takes a turn for the worse.

Special thanks must go to Dave Grint my inspector throughout this build. Very many thanks Dave!

Phil Laycock

Help to Save Popham

Last year it looked as though Popham was safe from development when it was removed from the local planning policy document. However the relief was only temporary! The Government’s push for more housing (certainly needed) has pressured the Local Authority into reconsidering. Despite previously celebrating the airfield’s community value, the Local Authority have done a volt face. Here are a couple of quotes from their planning correspondence:

“Whilst the Airfield makes a contribution to aviation in the wider area, it is not considered that it is such a significant part of the national network of general aviation airfields that its loss should be resisted.”

“The loss of employment and community and sporting events associated with the Airfield are recognised but are not considered significant enough to justify the prevention of the loss of the Airfield: these users are expected to relocate.”

You may beg to differ! If you do, here’s a link to the group fighting to save it: pophamairfieldmatters.org

Booking for the Strut Christmas Dinner

This year’s Xmas dinner is to be held at the White Horse 23 High St, Steyning BN44 3YE at 7.30pm on 3rd December 2025.

Below is the menu, if you are a paid up member then the £25 subs will be deducted from the cost of your meal, you can have two courses for £28 or three for £36 but any cost above the £25 will have to be paid on the night in cash to Tony P. See list of paid up members after menu. If you are not a paid up member bring cash on the night but you must still let me know you choices and partner info by 10th November 25.

Click the image to enlarge.

List of paid up Southern Strut member for 2025

A.Palmer, D.Grint, Farry, Mike Thomas, Richard Griffiths, Mick Welch, Chris Foss, Adam Blinch, Ken Manley, Paul Griffin, Phil Trangmar, Mike Lodge, Tony Batchlor and Michael Maguire.

To book click here: Christmas Dinner Booking

Don Lord’s Spitfire Ride – Photos

Last month, founding Strut member Don Lord had a Spitfire Experience from Goodwood. Family members were in the chase-plane, so some great air to air shots. [Click on the images to increase the size.]

Don had been thinking for a while what to do with the Insurance money he got for the sadly departed Rans Coyote. Some people he knew had done these flights from Goodwood and once he started looking at it he quickly decided he wanted to go ahead! The people at Spitfire.com were really lovely and helpful, and arranged for Don to go over and have a go at getting into the simulator before committing himself. We think they wanted to see the 95 year old Don was up to it.

He booked for a 45 minute flight which would allow him to pass over the strip at Swanborough at the outer range of the package, and also would take in Shoreham on the way back. The flight was booked for 2nd October. Fortunately that day was at the end of a good week’s weather with little wind and a good cloud ceiling.

On arrival the crew at Spitfire.com were brilliant, they allowed the four of us who were with Don to access all areas and we had a great time watching all the preparations. In fact so infectious was it that on the spur of the moment we booked the accompanying flight in the Air Van so we could see it fly alongside. We set off beforehand and rendezvoused with the Spit over the old Ford Naval strip. It was an amazing experience to see the Spit approach us from behind, then to see Don so clearly in the rear seat as it flew alongside. On command it peeled away and dropped down over the sea, amazing to see and probably even better sitting in that fantastic plane

Events

Next Strut ‘Club Night’

At The Longshore is on Wednesday 5th November, 7:30 pm.

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