Popular Flying Oct/Nov 1957

Populor FIVIng

WB. 610. One of the 62 Chipmunks sold by us.in lgS6_now flying with the Aero Club of Southern Tosmonio

MAGAZINE OF THE POPULAR FLYTNG ASSOCIATION

Volumel l{umber6' (NewSeries)

Published by THE POPULAR FLYING ASSOCIATION Royal Aero Club Aviation Centre

Londonderry House, 19 Park Lane, W.l

Telephone: Hyde Park 3050

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Editorial Offices

ROYAL AERO CLUB AVIATION CENTRE

Londonderry House, 19 Park Lane, W.1

Telephone: Grosvenor 1246 Ext- 25

Editor JOHN BLAKE

lndividual membership of the P.F-A. (one guinea ier annum\ antitles each member /o PoPULAR ii:r,tc free of charge. Additional copies -may be nli"iinli fto," P.F.A. Headqu(trters at Lotdonderry House. i9 Park Lane, London, W.l, at ls' 8d' including postage. P.F-A. Groups receiv-e one copy- 'i;;;--;r7'secritaries tnav obtain a discount o-f -3d. per copy on additional orders by tlte Grotrp'

M.rr pEopLE *ILL RECALL the old Arab story of the ease with which one may break one single stick, and the impossibility of snapping a bundle tightly tied together. Trite though the parallel may be, there is not one that more aCcurately defines our danger today. Here at Londonderry House we are in constant touch with the various organisations representing sporting flying in all its aspects and it is a sad and a terrible thing to have to say that we are a[], after all these years, faoed with the same old problem: nobody will take the slightest official interest in the future or present welfare of the majority of British aeroplanes-and as we pointed out once before, we are in a majority. As far as Government policy is concerned, we are evidently to be pushed out into the wilderness and left to starve to death. To that, there is only one answer; we will not be pushed around, to a wilderness or anywhere else. But if we are to convince anybody that we are not just a nuisance, that we are a respectable and valuable body of responsible citizens with the same basic rights as anyone else, we must, each and every one of us, make up our minds to do something actively about it. Every single P.F.A. Group, every Flying Club, every Gliding Centre, Model Club, or individual with the interests of sporting flying at heart can be of immense help. To make our voice heard will need either vast sums for publicity (which we simply have not got), or the combined efforts of everybody to make sure that the public. the local newspapers, the Councils, the County authorities and Members of Parliament are aware of our presence' our activities, our general desirability and our need, right ancl will to survive. We have no wish at all to antagonise

authority, collectively or singly, but we must make ourselves known if we are to become any sort of a power in the councils of aviation; it is largely up to you to ensure that the P.F.A. name is recognised and that we are a solid, corporate body of united opinion on the necessity of sporting flying's survival and growth.

Determined though we are to let no opportunity pass of asserting our rights, we would not have you think that this picture of gloom-under an administration supposedly dedicated to the rights of private enterprise-is wholly without its gleams of light. We have received in the past and continue to receive the most generous and understanding support from the Air Registration Board, and on many occasions have been given encouragement on some question by the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Nevertheless, we repeat that a strong, united Association is the first step towards convincing the powers that be of the fact that aviation does not consist wholly of large multi-engined airliners, owned by the Civil Service (and probably American at that), with a grudging admission of the existence of the smaller twin and fourengined types of the independent operators.

PorlcY AND PusrtcITY

The day has arrived when the P.F.A. must face the fact that its growth has reached a rather critical stage. We are involved, through the very nature of things, in the flght for light aviation. In the battle against restrictive legislation and discrimination we intend to play alarge part. We are aTready deeply concerned in such matters as the threatened closure of Croydon and the positively mediaeval rate at which petrol rebates are paid; in the former case, the Secretary has been working for some months in very close cooperation with the various bodies concerned in the retention of this vitally important aerodrome. lt has always been the policy of the organisation to leave individual Groups very largely to their own devices and to a certain extent this must always be so. Now, however, it is important that we keep ourselves informed of all your progress, your needs and your difficulties, so that

we may truly represent your interests in the face of any attack on the structure we have jointly built up over the last eleven years. We are going to continue to expand and it is already difficult for us here at Londonderry House to see even a fraction of the Groups; do, please, let us know from time to time what you are doing and what you want. Several Groups send us their News Letters and for these we are extremely grateful, but the Editor is very short of Group news and only through the arrival of letters from the Groups telling of their flying activities and outings can he fillthe gap. Please keep in touch with us as often as you can.

Talking of keeping in touch, we draw yolrr attention to the item on another page concerning the facilities offered by the Kronfeld Club to P.F.A. Members who are living in, visiting or passing through London. We have in this Club a first-class social centre, where you can meet your friends-or even see us !

On the Wing

BY ARBUTHNOT

This little column has a new game which consists of searching for fields in which to land (and with some success it might be added). Now that landing at recognised aerodromes is becoming so expensive the old pre-war habit of keeping a list of handy fields is paying off again. Ten bob for an Auster used to be pretty iniquitous at State airflelds but now twelve bob at some places gets a bit steep. A visit to White Waltham for example costs in this context five shillings for fuel and

Popular Flying, Octoberf November, 1957'

thirteen and five for telephone and landing charges. We also learn that a cup of tea at another West London aerodrome comes out expensive, so now dear P.F.A. member in the London area you can go to Southend for tea, if you have a radio set, Fair Oaks only if you have this P.P.O. thing, White Waltham if you

if you have a Radio Set have change for the telephone, and so it goes on. Thank the Lord for enlightened places like Stapleford Tawney where the tea is good and they are glad to see you, Bembridge also seems to scrub along without an aeronautical version of Dick Turpirt.

While binding about the London area aerodromes there seems to be a growing tendency to make life for Groups a bit difficult, presumably because they are able to fly at reasonable rates and are not afraid to get stuck into a little self help. This opposition is not confined only to bodies affiliated to the P.F.A. but other bodies of enthusiastic types as well. Lympne is glad to see private pilots and provides a gateway to private flying freedom as was shown en route to the annual rally of the R.S.A. at Toulouse. At Toussus the equivalent of four shillings paid for a landing and the statutory Customs charge, at Limoges no charge, the same at Toulouse. At Angoul6me a friendly club where a drink on the house is the tradition and refuelling takes twenty minutes only. At Beauvais the club can always find a hangar, switch on a flare path, and usually give a lift to town all for two shillings.

This year's meeting at Toulouse certainly showed the way in organising friendly meetings and the sight of nearly seventy aircraft, mostly amateur-built was spectacular to say the least. Several of the aircraft present were amateurs' Popular Flying, Octoberf November, 1957

dreams when it comes to novelty, a special Jodel has been produced, by a club instructor in his spare time, which has three seats and was seen transporting the portly Imray to great heights. A device known as the Statoplan and smaller even than the Turbulent showed its capabilities by flying around with a sixteen stone pilot aboard. This little aircraft is built by an enthusiast known as Gatard who believes that elevators are unnecessary, a large tailplane only being used. Pulling or pushing on the stick moves the mainplane trailing edge flaps up and down and thus the Statoplan. It all seems to work very well as did everything else at Toulouse, even a Flying Flea gave a fantastic demonstration of flying in attitudes which could only be arranged with mirrors. Apart from the many superbly presented Jodel two seaters, one with an Aeromatic v.p. propeller, the Emeraude this year showed a great development. Claude Rousseau, of Dinard, has produced a version with a large sliding one piece hood which together with spatted wheels makes bne of the prettiest aeroplanes for a long time.

Thanks to the kindness of Monsieur Briffaud, an enthusiastic member of the French A.R.B. cum M.T.C.A., it was possible to sample the little Sipa Coccinelle which he had brought to the rally, just like flying a four horsepower Renault

in fact and most lively. A two seater Pdurffi Ciel, an old Potez 36, and a Leopoldoff al1 helped to add a picquancy to this wonderful banquet of light aircraft.

Nearer home the Bembridge Turbi has resumed its flight testing and has now otftained

flyinq afour horsepower Renault

its full permit af,ter a delay in the making of a new propeller in place of the old one used at first which almost gave take-off revs at slow running. A word on this Turbi G-APFA, it is being used as a development test bed for piling up experience on the Flying Neptune. While the engine is in prototype form it is somewhat heavy and needs a great deal of lightening but we are gaining valuable experience and using a two-seater aircraft gives some disposable load to the engine without overloading a small airframe such as would be the case had a single seat design been used. For the present the Turbi is therefore flying only one up. At Leavesden the T.K. Turbi is now almost ready and is resplendent in a Iight grey and maroon paint scheme, a pity not ready for the P.F.A. rally but spare time work is spare time after all. The same goes for the Newtownards Turbulent, which all hoped to see at Sywell in the hands of the Reverend P. O'Kelly. The picture, however, is imprgving, this year should see at least six newly constructed ultra-light aircraft in the air while others are following up.

Visits to groups using the more orthodox vintage type aircraft show a healthy activity going on. Cambridge treasurer D. Jackson, has bought a Miles Monarch for himself, while Bill Ison has to freeze in a Tiger; there is obviously no justice. Fred Beezley, well known at Elstree, has joined the Swallow Group, Fred used to prosecute offenders against the A.N.R.'s so the Swallow is being flown with a wig in the locker and a copy of Shawcross and Beaumont under the seat just in case. Hookwood are not

store. Aldenham Group Whitney Straight has been seen with a piece of fence wire from Pebsham around its tailwheel while Roberts Eagle, as befits a twin, has been rallying as far as Copenhagen. It is even rumoured that the Hirtenberg was seen with a spot of, oil on it, we find however, that it was only elbow grease. The ex-Ord-Hume Luton Minor has finished "its Permit overhaul and has a new engine mount in train while the Chilton, of Massey Dawson, has had a bubble hood fitted and is awaiting its Mikron installation so that it can show its new blue and white paint job.

Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held at Londonderry House, on Saturday,2lst December, at 2.30 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting will be to consider proposals from the Executive Committee in respect of the alterations to group and individual membership subscription.

being flown with a wig

operating at present and have sold the Aeronca Champion but have two Taylorcralt D's in

Full details and formal notice of the meeting and resolution will be circulated to all members and groups.

A recent photograph of G ffri^ @ans cowling)

Popnlar Flying, Octoberf November, 1957

by Christopher Dearden

Come, fill the cup, and in the fire of Spring

The Winter garment of repentance fling: The bird of time has but a little way

To fly-and lo ! The bird is on the wing. OMAR KHAYYAM.

Some thoughts on Amateur Designing

The thing that makes the choice of aerofoil section so difficult is the fact that there are so many from which to choose. Unless the designer, through previous experience or some other reason, has a particular section or range of ;sections in mind, he could go on looking for ever and not see what he really wants. A high maximum lift coefficient (Cr rurnx) is sought by all designers, but particularly so in the ultralight field where the stalling speed is limited to a maximum of 45 m.p.h., and elaborate lift increasing devices are undesirable because of their weight and complication. There are many sections that offer an attractively high Ct ulx, but this should not be 'bought' for the price of a vicious stall. Some of these sections have a curve that rises to a high, sharp peak before falling almost vertically, giving a sudden stall. This in turn could lead to sharp wing dropping unless wing rflanufacture and rigging are very accurate. A well defined but rounded -top to the curve of Cr should be looked for in conjunction with a high maximum value. N.,A.C.A. 4412 is a good example of this. The purpose for which the aeroplane is being designed will once again have a bearing on the matter, for a craft with a stall so gentle as to be nonexistent would be very safe, but would lose some value as a trainer. The pupil should know what it is like to fall out of the sky (at a safe height) as this may help to prevent him from doing it too often !

The position of the centre of pressure and its ;,ofle of travel on the wing. must also be considered, though at this early stage the lay-out of the aeroplane can usually be made to suit the c.p. rather than the other way about. If, however, it

Popular Flying, October November, 1957

is thought desirable to have the c.p. zone in some particular position on the chord, then this will obviously influence the choice of section.

A high maximum value of the ratio of lilt to drag is another rainbow for the designer to chase. Generally speaking, though, if the lift characteristic is good and the section is otherwise well behaved, an acceptable, if not brilliant, value of L/D will be found.

When sorting out a wing section he must note the Reynolds Number and aspect ratio at which the test figures were obtained, as these may not coincide with the actual flight conditions of the proposed aeroplane. A reduction of R.N. will cause the wing to stall a little earlier. Most aerofoil curves are plotted for an aspect ratio of 6, and this represents a good all round figure for the average light aeroplane.

By this stage the designer should have a pretty good idea about the general lay-out of the machine and he can consider the chosen wing section from the structural point of view. Knowing Cr MAx, the minimum required wing area can be found and aspect ratio and taper ratio can at least be fixed provisionally. From these things the actual physical depth of the wing at any point can be calculated. Knowing the weight of the aeroplane and the load factors to which he must work, he can then do some preliminary stressing to get an idea of the size and spacing of the spars that would be best suited to the wing structure. It is usual for the spars to pass right througl-r the fuselage. That being so, the decisions on wing spar arrangement will have an effect on the design of the fuselage centre section. In a small, single-seat aeroplane of conventional

lay-out this will almost certainly be the Cockpit area. Thus it may well happen that the problem bounces back and the design of the fuselage centre section has an effect on the wing spar arrangement.

This puzzle is essentially tied up with the centre of gravity estimate. As far as ultra-lights are concerned, the pilot generally represents the greatest single unit of weight, and so it is more nearly a case of positioning the aeroplane relative to the pilot rather than the pilot relative to the aeroplane. The designer already knows the target weights of the main components and can make reasonably accurate estimates of their individual C.G. positions. He must now make an intelligent guess as to what he thinks the lay-out will be like, and then take moments in the vertical and horizontal planes about some convenient datum points. This will give him a C.G. position. From the preliminary G.A. sketches he can get an idea of the positions of the propeller thrust line and the resultant total drag line of the aeroplane. (The detailed drag estimate is a separate job in itself). Either by experience, or by direct comparison with similar types he can make a guess at the probable cruising speed and lrom the graphs for the engine and airscrew he can find the net horse power available at this speed, and so work back to get a value, in pounds, for the thrust and drag. Considering the aeroplane in its cruising condition, then, it is possible for him to fix an optimum position for the resultant lift line, i.e., one that would cause the forces of lift, weight, thrust and drag to be in equilibrium. But obviously the thrust and drag will vary in magnitude at differing conditions of flight. Furthermore, the thrust line will vary relative to the flight path and the drag line will vary relative to the aeroplane.

Although some aerofoil sections do give a substantially flxed centre of pressure over the working range of angles of attack, the majority have some degree of C.P. travel. This, together with the pitching moments of the section as obtained from its characteristic curves, is considered in the original choice of wing section. In addition to this, the designer must take into account the

possible movement of the centre of gravity due to the fullness or otherwise of the fuel tank, the carrying of a passenger, baggage or any other movable load or special equipment. He must therefore consider the zone of C.P. travel in conjunction with the zone of C.G. travel to ensure that the out of balance moment can never become so great that it cannot be counteracted by the tail load. For this reason, C.G. limits must be set for the aeroplane. So it is that the optimum position must be amended to an optimum compromise position either by moving the wing or by shifting the C.G. If the wing is moved it will naturally (because of its own weight) cause the C.G. to move a little. This must be checked by taking moments again, and the process repeated until a balance is reached. A balance round a mysterious point which the designer is stilt trying to locate. It all sounds pretty impossible, and if every single factor were to be taken into account it probabty would be. Even then it is unlikely that the result would be any more satisfactory than that produced by a few really good oguesses'.

The same principle of C.G. estimation holds good of course whatever the lay-out of the aeroplane, whether it be high wing,low wing, tractor, pusher, twin boom, single boom, biplane or monoplane. But here indeed is dangerous ground, for once started, the discussion of different lay-outs and ideas may go.on for as long as the search for the ideal aeroplane-probably for ever. There are more variations than there is time to think about them all. One thing is certain though, there are precious few basic themes that have not been thought of by someone at some time.

From the amateur design point of view one of the most attractive themes is the Parasol wing lay-out. The wing and fuselage become two entirely separate entities. The problems of getting the spars through the fuselage disappear and the wing being one continuous piece from tip to tip has no root ends as such to be worried about. A few alarmingly thin steel lugs and three or four 2.8.A. bolts are generally all that is needed to hang the fuselage beneath the wing,

Popular Flying, Octoberf November, 1957

more Variations than there is Time -

the whole device then being strut braced to stop it flapping. Another advantage of the Parasol type is the extremely good 'crashworthiness' which can result, because sitting under the wing, on top of the undercarriage, behind the engine and in front of the tail the pilot is practically indestructible whichever way up the aeroplane choose to land ! On the debit side is the rather bitty machine which the Parasol usually makes coupled with a lot of interference drag, and a poor field of view for the Pilot.

The last mentioned item can be remedied by sitting the pilot in lront of the wing and balancing him with a pusher engine. A lot of people appear to be prejudiced against this, though. They don't like the idea of the motor sneaking up behind them in the event of a crash. The average pilot is of greater mass than a small engine and so if the aeroplane stops violently enough to wrench the engine from its mountings the pilot is likely to have made an exit through the windscreen before the engine puts in an appearance through the bulkhead. Even a body harness is only as strong as the structure to which it is attached, and if this will withstand an acceleration of -25G, the motor mounting must be made capable of taking even more.

Ultra-lights must by their very nature be small and this is just as well, for many home constructors will have to beg and borrow premises in which to work or literally construct their adroplanes at home and transport them in sections for final assembly. The designer would do well to give some thought to the question of production breakdown ioints. For example, he must consider whether or not the advantages of the one piece wing are outweighed by the unwieldy nature of such a component.

The smallness of the aeroplane will make the pilot not only the heaviest single unit but also the largest one to be fitted into the fuselage. Strictly speaking, this is the wrong way to look at the problem for the pilot should not be 'fitted in' but rather 'fitted to'. An aeroplane can be scaled down, a pilot can't. Thus it is logical that the design of the fuselage should start with a sketch of an average sized person sitting in a

comfortable position. Ideas on just what is a comfortable position will naturally vary, but if the seat platform slopes at about 8'to the horizontal with 100' or so between it and the seat back and a basic floor level about 8 inches-I0 inches below the platform, that should be a fair compromise. A rudder pedal (or bar) travel of plus and minus 4 inches about the central position is reasonable. The engine bulkhead and engine can then be sketched in and the general picture built up. If a canopy is to be used something of the order of 4 inches should be allowed over the pilot's head and a windscreen angle of 45" is a good compromise between optics and aerodynamics.

It is clearl11 impossible to think of everything at once, but the dgsigner should make a very great effort at this early stage to conceive the aeroplane as a whole, including all its controls, mechanisms and equipment and to integrate them with his ideas on the basic structure. By doing this he may be able to avoid the pitfall of simplifying one component only to find later on that it has complicated the design of another. Once again that word compromise pushes itself forward. Once again the importance of coordination between designers makes itself felt. A group of the simplest possible components do not necessarily make the simplest possible assembly as a whole.

At the earliest possible time serious consideration should be given to a full-scale mock-up, of the cockpit area at least. Generally speaking the other parts of a light aeroplane are straightforward enough to be easily visualised on the drawing board and do not warrant further investigation for they are quite 'impersonal' pieces of structure. This is not so with the cockpit when the human element invades. It is easy to express a mechanism or a structure on paper but the human body with its infinite variety of movements defies such expression. Hours can be spent working out theoretical positions and movements of the various knobs and levers, but only the super-clever designer can reolly foresee the snags that might cause a coat sleeve to get caught up, or a knuckle barked, or an instrument to be badly placed. The question of

ease of entry and exit for the pilot (and passenger) should not be left to chance, and a mock_up can provide the answer to this as well as to dozens of other points that may never come to light on the drawing board. It is in fact an example of designing on the job, albeit only a mock_up job. It should be noted though that the principle of design must first be established o., pup.. and then the details worked out in practice.

As far as the cross sectional shape of the fuselage is concerned there is not very much choice, if double curvature skin panels are to be avoided. If a circular or elriptical section is used, then the lines in elevation and plan view must be straight and where a line changes direction (e.g. under the belly), a sharp corner must occur, because as soon as a radius appears so does double curvature. The section can, of course, be modulated from rectangular at the centre fuselage where the lines are likely to be curving to elliptical for the front and rear fuselage where the lines can be straight, but any advantages derived from this would have to be large before they could outweigh the simplicity of manufacture of the slab-sided fuselage, particularly for the home constructor.

A thing that should be watched, not only in the fuselage but right through the design, is the number of different cross sections of wood or metal that are to be used. If each structural member were to be made exactly in proportion to the load which it has to carry, then the longe_ rons could taper off towards the tail, the frames and bracing could get gradually lighter and even the skin thickness could be tapered. This would obviously'result in greater number of slightly different sections, which is equally obviously bad economics. A "o-pon.rrl certainly must not be smaller than its theoretical size so a bit of weight must be given away by making it the next 'standard' size larger. A little care in this direction can reduce the number of sections to remarkably few. Of course it is an entirely different matter if the aeroplane is intended specifically for racing or record breaking, when everything must be pruned to the limit, but in such a case as that neither initial

cost nor operating cost will be of much concern to the owner.

As fuselage elevation and plan shapes have an effect on fuselage section, so does the wing section have an effect on wing plan form to th; extent of limiting it to straight line tapers of one sort or another. The untapered rectangular wing is undoubtedly the ultimate in simplicity for manufacture, and also gives the maxim.um area for the minimum span on a given chord. There is thus a very strong case for its use in this kind of aeroplane in spite of it fallin g far short of ideal theoretically.

The lift force is not distributed evenly right across the span but falls off at the tips. tt woulO therefore be logical to concentrate the wing area at the most effective part and taper it a;y in sympathy with the lift distribution, but this would give an elliptical plan form with its attendant double curvature panels. The next best practical thing to do is to take the wing down in a straight taper towards the tips. A closer, though still very crude, approximation to the ellipse can be obtained by having a rectangular centre portion and tapered outer wings. The centre part can be made without dihedral angle u,ra built integral with the fuselage, which means that if flaps are incorporated they can have one straight torque tube across the centre section without ihe need for universal joints on other couplings which a dihedral angle necessitates and which are taken so for granted by the professional designer, but then the amateur has to pay his own bills. There is also the consideration oi produc_ tion breakdown of major components, as mentioned earlier, and splitting the wing area into three parts instead of two will be oi n.tp in this respect.

From the structural point of view the low aspect ratio straight tapered wing is by far the most satisfactory. The short span results in a comparatively low bending moment at the wing root fixing, while for a given aerofoil section the greater the chord length the deeper, and therefore the lighter, can the spars be made. If any degree of sweep back (or forward) is used then an altogether more complex system of stresses

Popular Flying, Octoberf November, 1957

rears its ugly head for a swept wing has a built in love of twisting under load, but such a wing is not likely to be of interest to the amateur except in very mild form; possibly as a rather desperate means of shifting the resultant C.P. position aft, or maybe to improve the forward and downward view for the pilot. A straight wing is one in which a straight line joining the quarter chord point at the root to .the quarter chord point at the tip lies at right angles to the fore and aft axis of the aeroplane. Sweepback is measured as the rearward inclination of this quarter chord line.

Aerodynamically thc Iow aspect ratio wing is something of a dead loss for a low powered aeroplane because the high induced drag associated with low aspect ratio will give a poor take-off and climb. Since it is'these two elements of performance which normally decide the practical low limit of engine power, the designer may be compelled to abandon the structural advantages and to push the aspect ratio up if his engine is of very low power. The high aspect ratio wing will tend to be heavier for a given area and the larger span will naturally make the aeroplane more bulky in the hangar (folding wings?) but the gains in climb, ceiling, range and ability to glide may be considered worthwhile. The induced drag will also be affected to some extent by the plan form of the wing, being at a minimum for elliptical loading, but for straight tapered types it will be smallest for a laper ratio of the order of 2.5:I; if the aspect ratio is about 6, which is a good all round figure.

In connection with gliding ability, the designer would do well to spare a bit of thought to the inclusion of some form of air brake, even if not flaps as such, to steepen the flnal approach and reduce the float before touch-down. At these times aflut glide can be a great disadvantage and the delicate, not to say hair raising, art of side slipping off excess height is not everybody's cup of tea ! Although a low speed on the approach and landing is a very desirable quality, it can, in fact, be made too low for practical purposes because a very lightly loaded aeroplane can be a bit of a puzzle for a beginner to land on a day that is

even mildly gusty. In general, a light wing loading implies a low stalling speed but a moment's consideration shows that the figure of wing loading by itself does not convey the true picture, and must obviously be taken in conjunction with the lift coefficient. If Cr- rr,rex is reduced then the stalling speed will increase and it is just a passing thought that lift spoilers might be uSed to enable an ultra-slow aeroplane to be brought in and three pointed faster in gusty weather thereby raising the ratio of aircraft" speed to gust speed. It should not be beyond the wit of rnan to devise soilre simple catch such that if the throttle were opened for an overshoot, or some emergency, the catch would be tripped and the spoilers snapped shut by their return springs. However, any auxiliary mechanism of this kind must be very carefully weighed against the advantage gained-it all adds weight: it all costs money. Another method of achieving the same end is to use a tricycle undercarriage and fly the machine onto the ground. Although this would certainly be hdavier and more costly than spoilers, the virtues of the tricycle should not be ignored.

CLUB

This Club, situated close to Victoria Statior-r, is run for the joint benefit of British Gliding Association and Popular Flying Association Members, providing a social cenire where you can meet your friends and see how the other half lives. For those who cannot stop this naughty, sinful-type drinking, there is a fully-licensed bar, with drink at very advantageous prices.

Most Wednesdays there- is a lecturd or film show and details of those for the rest of this year are given below. The Club is open, at present, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and membership is only l5s. a year. We do recommend you to join this enterprise and help to maintain a most essential focal point in the light aviation movement.

CLUB LECTURES-Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

Nov. 6th Philip Wills

Nov. l3th Film Show

Nov. 20th Peter Scott

Nov. 27th Wally Wallington

Dec. 4th Film Show

Dec. 18th Christmas Party

IHE KROTFETD

Do it yourself-if you dare

Tsn Popur-eR'FLvtNc AssocIArIoN exhibited at the Fifth Annual Hobbies and Handicrafts pxhibition held at Earl's Court, London, in September. When we decided to put Turbi on our stand, we did not realise just what an attraction it would be. There had been boats, garages, greenhouses and yes, eveu kitchen sinks, but neve.r before had there been an aeroplane. Therefore it was a great innovation to have a 'Done it Myself' aircraft at a 'Do it Yourself ' show.

The-exhibition started for us three days before the opening when the Hon. Member for Bembridge taxied Turbi up to the hangar at Elstree. Here; with the aid of a pair of pliers, Maurice Imray, a bicycle spanner and the editor of a well-known magazine published by the P.F.A., he proceeded to render the machine into srnall pieces-technically. Messrs. R. and J. Parks very kindly supplied a low loader vehicle and two first class chaps free of charge and thus, with little difficulty,.G-APFA arrived at Earl's Court to take her place with Do It Yourself wallpaper kits, Make Your Own Lampshade outfits and doubtful devices for .burning weeds off grand pianos.

The P.F.A. stand, measuriqg forty feet by twenty, was devoid of everything, save Principle Exhibit No. l. Ted Davis raided his own store bnd produced two handsome black velvet back-drops, half a dozen ornamental pillars and some white, rope donated during the visit of the Bolshoi Ballet. He also put his team cif expert sign-writers into action to turn out notices for us.

' Now we had the aeroplane, a space and some furnishings, but no one to fix them:up. Activity was all around-everywhere except on our stand. A most respected member of your Committee,

having stood around long enough, took off his jacket, picked up a nail and began knocking it into a piece of wood with the side of a hammer. At once work around us stopped. A burly carpenter, whose upper garments consisted of a cap and a vest, cunningly cut to reveal a hairy chest like a sofa with a rip in it, slowly walked up. Hon. member was still clouting the nail, which was now bcnt. The carpenter placed his left foot firmly on Hon. member's shoulder and gently dislodged him. 'There ain't gunna be no show if you goze on like that!'he said, gesticulating menacingly with a rip saw. 'That's our job, see mate!' He removed the nail with a well-placed boot heel and walked away. Here was a Do It Yourself exhibition where the last thing you could do was to D.I.Y.

At long last, tradesmen rallied to our aid and, in a surprisingly short time, our stand began to take shape. In the meanwhile, a pair of skilled Dexionographers arrived to make for us, at no extra charge, a very smart stand for Turbi, a

The staff of the Association turn their backs on the camera in this view of our stand at Earl's Court during the'Do it Yourself ' Exhibition. (The Secretary's rear end can be seen at ground level; the Editor's on the first floor.)

pair of 'Go Up and Look Inside' steps and a stand for the Ardem engine, which had just arrived. At this moment, a well-known, wellbattered Land Rover materialised with the largest roll of green linoleum it has ever been the writer's privilege to see. We stood by as Lino Layers came along to put it down, then waited whilst a carpenter was found to put a nail in. Finally, the Coventry Victor Flying Neptune exhibition engine was put in position and the flower boxes put in place.

By Wednesday, lSth September, P.F.A. had a very smart stand ready for the press preview. The press-boys organised a segment of their favourite fodder-a shapely piece of cheesecake. They demanded that she should sit on the side of Turbi's cockpit, tapping her neat ft" diameter heels on the wing fabric. Your member for Bembridge (having, incidentally, refused to return home without Turbi) persuaded her to remove her shoes and then delegated to himself the job of lifting her off the machine. He swears that his thoughts were solely for the safety of Turbi. Mention of the Association and pictures of G-APFA appeared in most daily and evening papers, both London and provincial.

At 10 the following morning the turnstiles began clipking and the public descended on the exhibition. Right from the start it was apparent that our stand was a great attraction to the public who stood around, asked questions, peered into the cockpit and even bought copies of popuLAR FLyrNG. In addition to our magazine, we had on sale other literature regarding flying instruction and co-Ownership Group formation and, of course, sets of drawings for Turbi and Turbulent. These we had done up like boxes of chocolates in polythene bags with (inaptly) red ribbon. It was not expected that a great number of sets would be sold, so we were content to make up only a few sets of each aircraft thus.

The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, who graciously opened the exhibition, took great interest in our display and spent quite a while with us. We were also visited by Lord Luke who, likewise, was extremely interested.

It was noticeable that members of the general public were reticent about the idea of building an aeroplane themselves and, although we were inundated with questions, only a few people seemed all-out to have a crack at the task. Quite a large number of people wanted to know where they might learn to fly and large quantities of our Lists were disposed of to these enquirers. We have no doubt that, as a result of this, a good many groups can expect to increase their membership.

Maurice Imray, realising that it was impossible to be at both Londonderry House and the exhibition, decided to move in with the p.F.A. office. Accordingly there arrived a desk, a chair, your editor's typewriter and Jill Exell.

Among the many interesting people who came along to see us were three members of our American counterpart, the Experimental Aircraft Association. It was interesting to compare notes on amateur aircraft with these chaps who really are keen. Also visiting us was George Wing, of the Transland Company, California. His company manrifacture the experimental 'Ag' series of crop spraying and dusting aircraft. Mr. Wing made a thorough inspection of G-APFA and promptly pulled out his cheque book and bought a set of drawings. Your member for Bembridge was seen huddled in a corner with a slide-rule trying to work out thirteen guineas at the current rate of exchange. That night, Jill cashed ,p in sterling, dollars, rupees, kopeks and lira !

On the first Saturday of the show, Ted Felce, Stan Clarke and Bev Adams, from the Coventry group, arrived to do their stint on the stand. Their gallant gesture in travelling so far to face almost tWelve hours solid questioning, mostly by small boys, was very much appreciated by those of your Committee who had done many hours with but an occasional scotch and soda to fortify them.

Another person who was a most welcome visitor to our stand was Mr. C. H. LatimerNeedham who did so much for the ultra-light movement before the war. He is perhaps best known to us for his association as chief designer

to the Luton Aircraft Company. Mr. Charles Brown, who donated three of his excellent airto-air photographs of Turbulent and Luton Minor also visited our stand. Later, we were to have the pleasure of the company of Mike Hawthorn, who came along to see our handiwork.

perfectly good flying days to come along and help us. For their most useful assistance we were all extremely grateful.

The exhibition closed on Saturday, 28th September, and here began the job of getting everything packed up. At the close of an exhibition, everybody seems to go mad in their endeavours to render everything into produce, from stands upwards and downwards-including, presumably, any poor unfortunate who happens still to be on his stand. This show was no exception. Hardly had the last of the public been shepherded out than a small electrician arrived with a pair of steps which he straddled across Turbi. He shinned up them and, with a pair of side-cutters, snipped off each electric light fitting. As each shade and lamp crashed to the ground, showering glass everywhere, he looked down at us, bit his lower lip and gave a nervous little smile before proceeding to the next one. By some stroke of good fortune, each missile fell clear of Turbi.

There was an amusing incident one evening as a news vendor approached along the aisle shouting 'Late Night Final!' A well-known P.F.A. representative donned his cloth cap and opened up in competition shouting 'Popular Flying! Gechore copy ear!' This move seriously affected sales of both publications for some minutes.

Mr. Alfred Weaver, of Coventry Victor Motor Company, provided invaluable assistance by serving the whole of the second week with us. Whilst I am sure he will not mind my saying that he knows infinitely more about engines than aeroplanes, he made it his business to be able to answer any and every question he might be asked about both Turbi arld P.F.A. He tells me that he received numerous enquiries concerning the Flying Neptune, the development of which Major Weaver now has in hand.

Several members of the Experimental Group made their services available on our stand and thus, on the second week-end, they forsook two

On Sunday morning, having borrowed a Land Rover full of trestles from Elstree, we dismantled the aeroplane ready for Messrs. R. and J. Parks the next morning. The only unfortunate incident of the whole show manifested itself that morning when, having arrived to take Turbi away,we found that somebody had taken a liking to tile front seat complete with upholstery. Also the Ardem engine had been carefully stripped of ignition lead caps.

Again, Mr. Alfred Weaver was of immense assistance at Elstree in helping to put Turbi together again. He also displayed considerable skill in fashioning a temporary front seat out of hardboard so that the pilot's feet might not get frostbitten. On Tuesday, lst October, your member for Bembridge ascended into the autumn murk in a diminutive blue and yellow two-seater to return it to its hangar on the Isle of Wight.

What was the outcome of the exhibition? Was it worth while? First, the Association, by presenting itself to the public, did a tremendous amount of good for the ultra-light and amateurconstructed aircraft movement. The great

Arthur Ord-Hume and a Distinguished Visitor (Mike Hawthorn) discuss the ARDEM engine; available for Turbulents at Rollasons of Croydon, on the P.F.A. Stand at the' Do-it-Yourself' Exhibition

majority of people had no idea that it was possible to construct their own aeroplane, nor had they heard of the Popular Flying Association, its aims and objects. An equally large proportion of our enquirers had no idea that an amateur-built aircraft could operate without a Certiflcate of Aifworthiness. Whilst financially, we are, as far as we can at present see, slightly out of pocket, it was most deflnitely worth while. Several dozen new individual members were enrolled, a few sets of drawings sold and thgstrength of our Groups increased.

The spirit of our movement has been shown to the general public, hitherto unaware of our activities. To a great many people, a home-made aeroplane meant a Flying Flea-an unsafe object of derision. I believe we have once and for all eradicated that impression.

In conclusion, we would like to express oLlr thanks to the management of the Hobbies and Handicrafts exhibition, in particular to Mr. W. Leah for his very great assistance in making this, our first exhibition, the success which we feel it has been.

A.W.J.G.O-H.

FOR THE AMATEUR CONSTRUCTOR

The Covering of Wing Leading Edges

A task which faces the amateur constructor is the plywood covering of wing leading edges. This is a job which must be carried out properly and the performance of the completed aeroplane depends to a large extent on the result. A smooth, evencontoured forward edge is essential to preserve airflow over the wing at low speeds. If the leading edge is uneven or badly finished, the airflow will break up into small eddies thereby building up the profile drag and destroying lift. This means a higher stalling speed and a lower cruising speed. One can therefore appreciate the importance of taking pains over the construction and finish of this all-important portion of the wing.

Leading edge covering is quite an easy operation provided that it is approached in the correct manner. The secret of a good smooth leading edge lies in the accurate shaping of the ribs before the plywood is attached. If there is any unevenness whatsoever in the nose ribs, the plywood will inevitably be a mass of bulges and Iumps.

Even with careful rib construction there are bound to be slight discrepancies in the rib profiles. The major part of this error should be

corrected before the ribs are assembled to the spars by trgping them all up together. The ribs are placed in a pile and clamped together with short lengths of timber corresponding to the spar dimensions placed in the spar slots to locate them correctly. The stack of ribs is then secured in a woodwork vice with the capstrips uppermost. Using a straightedge held spanwise across the ribs, check at close intervals along the chord for any irregularities between them. With a finely set smoothing plane, clean the ribs 'to uniformity paying particular attention to the portion forward of the main spar. If, as is the case with the Druine Turbi and Turbulent, there are nose ribs between each main rib, these should also be clamped into place with the main ribs using suitable packing aft of the mainspar.

Check with a square to see that the ribs are true and that the prepared chbrd profiles are parallel to the spar. Turn the stack of ribs over and repeat the operation for the lower camber.

When the ribs have been built onto the wing and the leading edge ready for plywood covering, the wing must first be checked for alignment as, once the nose ribs are boxed in, the wing will be stiff and any twist will be set in it. To true the wing and box in the nose ribs, mount the main-plane

Popular Flying, October I November, 1957

vertically-that is to say with the trailing edge lowermost. Make up three supports using 2" x 2" timber as shown in the accompanying sketch. One is used to support the wing at the centre-section and should be fixed securely to the floor to prevent movement. Attach the wing to the support by means of 'G' clamps. The wing may now be brought up level by means of packing under the rear spar 4ileron gap. At all times when clamping or packing anything onto a structure, ensure adequate protection for it against local crushing by placing large blocks of wood under the area of pressure to spread the load. This is particularly the case when olamping as the pressure applied may be far greater than is either intended or necessary and crushing will invariably take place'if no protection is afforded for the aircraft woodwork. The remaining two supports are now fixed in place near the wing tips and are clamped to the main spar.

With the aid of a spirit level, check that the wing is level by lining up the uppermost face of the main spar. Any errors may be corrected by packing under the supports. Again remember to pack between the supporting timbers and not directly against the structure for the weight of the wing alone is sufficient to permit crushing against a small packing wedge or block.

Select two stations on each wing. They should be as far apart as is practicable but must be positioned where the spar is of uniform thickness. It is useless to try to take any rigging dimensions from the tip where the spar tapers in section. As a rule, it is advisable to choose a point two ribs outboard from the centre section and two ribs inboard from the tip. At these stations on each wing, place a plumb line over the main spar so that it hangs over the under surface .of the wing to within about an inch of the floor. Tack a short strip of wood about l" x $" and about eight inches long across the rear spar adjacent to and protruding several inches beyond the plumb line. These are rigging reference pieces against which is read the distance from the spar centre line to the plumb line.

Carefully slide the plumb line along the main spar until it is within about *t" of the reference

Popular Flying, Octoberf November, 1957

/s_E!-ts_-_A,Gtu t1.'o*Sm,-q r*q r- Inrx th ao y'r,rrhi{,r:a!t[!!sA,

piece. Mark a line with a pencil at the point where the plumb line comes up to the edge of the reference piece. Repeat this for the others' Measure from the spar centre line to this point of reference. Both root end or centre section readings should be similar. If the outboard readings differ from the inboard ones, the wing must be twisted-or rather an existing twist rectifiedby adjusting the amount of packing between the rear spar and the support at the tip. Using this method, it is possible to true the wing exactly, but an error of approximately #" is permissible.

The structure is now ready for the final preparation before the attachment of the leading edge plywood skin.

Take a straightedge of at least sufficient length to touch three ribs. Place it across the ribs and, working on three at a time, check spanwise €very inch to detect any high spots upon which the straightedge will rock. Remove these high spots with a finely set plane, spokeshave or sandpaper. If the straightedge shows a hollow or depression, glue onto that rib a thin slip of wood and plane it to shape when the glue has dried.

This period of careful checking and double checking cannot be hurried over. The degree of thoroughness with which it is executed will be shown by the standard of the skinning' Pay particular attention to the leading edge slot ribs -these are just as vital.

It is advisable to skin the wing in sections, one piece at a time, rather than to scarf up the entire length of plywood at once. Each scarf must fall on a rib so that the joint is supported for gluing.

Check with a tape measure or a scrap strip of ply the width of the sheet required to pass from the base over to the top and cut the plywood sheet accordingly, leaving at least an inch or two extra. As a general rule, the grain of nose rib skinning ply runs spanwise (parallel to the spar) and not chordwise. Remember this when ,cutting the panels. Mark a line on the ply sheet corresponding to the leading edge of the wing, and fold the sheet along this line, taking gteat

care not to split the sheet. If the ends of the sheet have been scarfed already, avoid damaging the edges.

With the help of an assistant, pour boiling water over the outer edge of the bend. This will enable the sheet to be folded to a tight radius. When the ply has become supple enough by repeated applications of boiling water to the outer surface, the sheet may be clamped between two boards and left to dry out overnight. During this process of pre-forming plywood, the sheet must not be forced round-but allowed to take up the curve gradually as it softens.

When the piece is dry and set, the skinning may be begun. Always start from the bottom or lower surface of the wing and work round to the upper side.

Mix up srlfficient glue for the job and apply liberally to the ribs. If Aerolite 306 is being used, paint the inner surface of the plywood with the hardener, using a broad, soft brush. lf Aerodux 185 is to be used, the ply must be offered into position flrst and the position of the ribs and the spar marked onto it with a pencil so that the resin may be applied to both surfaces in contact.

Put the sheet in place over the leading edge ancl tack it to the under surface of the main spar having flrst made sure that the sheet is squarely aligned to the wing. it should be pbinted out that each section of the ply should be affixed completely within a reasonable time to prevent the glue hardening before the task is finished. Do not apply one half of a section and then leave it; Each piece must be tackled without interruption. Using $" long brass gimp pins and one inch wide plywood tacking strips, nail the sheet to the spar and ribs at intervals of half an inch. Work from the lower or aft edge of the sheet and move progressively upwards, thereby eliminating any wrinkles in the ply and also making doubly sure that there is no air trapped under the ply on large contact glue surfaces.

By attaching a four foot (approximately) length at a time, it is possible to complete the tacking of each length within the shuffiing time

Popular Flyins, Oc'tobetl November, 1957

of the glue. In the bradding operation, stop about one inch short of the leading edge. This is to permit the lifting up of the sheet from the other (top) side to apply glue for the top surface if this has not already been done. Make sure that there is no gap between the two applications of glue if they are done separately

Before attempting further bradding, it is necessary to hold the sheet in firm, intimate contact with the top camber of the ribs, eliminating all bulges, to permit proper adhesion. The best method to achieve this is to strap or tie the panel firmly down and then wedge it. By means of protective padding around the rear spar, tie ropes or long webbing straps round the leading edge and under the rear spar. Endeavour to place each strap adjacent to a rib. For a four foot wide section, three straps are sufficient. Obtain about half a dozen four foot long lengths of 1" x !" or thereabouts. Insert one of these aft of the main spar under the'straps. Work it up over the plywood and under the straps thereby tensioning them. Slide it right up to a point as near the leading edge as possible. Check to see that the ply on the actual leading edge is in firm contact with the ribs and the leading edge member without sponginess. Drive more wooden strips in under the ropes until the ply is held firmly down all over.

Tack through tacking strips all along the leading edge member. Using short lengths of tacking strip, brad through to the ribs between the wedging strips. It is not necessary to tack the ply under the wedges. Work from the nose downwards (aft) finishing with the spar. Leave the section to dry overnight. Remove the wedges, straps, tacking strips and brads and clean up the scarf joint to take the next section of plywood.

During the attachment of the leading edge, it is advisable to verify at frequent intervals that the wing has not moved or been knocked out of alignment by examining the plumb lines and reference pieces.

Pay particular attention to scarf joints in the nose plywood. See that they are clean and a good tit before gluing. To do this, it may be found

Popular Flying, Octoberf November, 1957

desirable to put the sheet into place and strap it down without glue. When it is flrmly in Slace, the correct position of the scarf may be checked. When bradding through a scarfjoint, always use a strip of short grained ply as a tacking strip separated from the joint by a piece of waxed paper.

Should it be necessary, as for example on a wing tip, to join two panels of plywood at the leading edge, this operation may be tackled as follows. Cut one piece of plywood to form the lower or under side panel. Leave at least three or four inches overlap at the leading edge. If it is necessary to preform the ply, either pour boiling water onto it to plasticise it, or boil it in a large basin of water. Whilst it is still wet and hot, place it in position and clamp it upAllow it to dry thoroughly before attempting to glue it. When finally gluing into place, strap or clamp the overlap at the leading edge firmly round to the other side. Ensure that it is in contact with the leading edge or tip member.

After the glue has dried, unstrap and carefully pare down the leading edge with a plane or spokeshave until a scarf has been cut along the member. Now cut the top panel, also leaving a good surplus at the leading edge. Pre-form if required as above. Affix this in the same manner> pulling the overlap well round to the other side in firm contact with the other ply panel. Make sure that there is plenty of glue in the join. When dry, unstrap and plane away the surplus woodThe result is a 'back to face' scarf flrmly sup* ported by the leading edge or tip member.

To attempt to cut the scarf before attachment would produce a feather edge too weak and fragile to bend round. Furthermore, to apply even pressure to so soft an edge would present great difficulty.

When the whole nose portion of the wing has been plywood covered, sandpaper it thoroughly and remove all brads and lumps of dried glue. As a final check on all sanding, there is no better method than to run the hand over the surfaceIf it draws blood, you have more to do !

The next operation is the application of fabric and finish to the wing, to be dealt with shortly-

NEW GROUP AFFTLTATIONS, JULY, 1957

Group

The Bicester Flying Group

The Fox Easy Flying Group

,604 Squadron Flying Group

Saxon Flying Club

West Surrey Private Flying Group

MilI HiII Group

Bustard Flying Club

Airscooters Flying Group

L.C.W. Group

East Riding Flying Club

Ulster Aeroplane Group

Walter-Watson Group

Fakenham Flying Group

Great Easton Flying Group

39 Rutherglen (Auster) GrouP

The Highfield P.F.A. Group

The Denham P.F.A. Group

Air Towing Group

105

No. 106 r22

Secretary

Mrs. D. I. Rabbetts

fu-ru"o., iliknell ioad, Bicester, Oxon.

M. C. Mackinnon, Dragon House, Petersfield, Hants

J. E. Hutchinson, 52, Hornton Street, London, W.8

K. Desmond, Mipaka, Crossfield Avenue, Porthcawl, Glam.

A. Bridgewater, 57, East Hill, Wandsworth, S.W.18

C. J. Read, 63, Bittacy Rise, N.W.7

E. Owen, 19, Assisi Road, Paul's Dene, Salisbury, Wilts.

F. Willinger, 93, Regent Street, London, W.1. Miss M. Pilgrim, 8, Osborne Mansions, Luxborough Street, London, W.l

Miss J. M. Peck, 20, Davenport Avenue, Hessle, E. Yorks.

J. Fletcher, 39, Princess Gardens, Holywood, Co. Down.

356, High Street, Ponder's End, Enfield, Middlesex

E. McAully, 20, King George Road, HemPton, Fakenham, Norfolk

S. W. Stevens, Allendale, Start Hill, Bishops Stortford, Herts.

Dr. F. E. Roche, 25, Yictoria Road, Burnside, Rutherglen, Glasgow

B. Parkes, 41, Highfield Lane, Quinton, Birmingham, 32

A. R. Driessen, Riverside Works, Standish Road, London, W.6

Mrs. C. Roberts, 26, Stafford Road, Waddon, Croydon, Surrey

TTraining Group.

CConstruction GrouP.

Cardiff,

Croydon

Docking,

Later from Little Snoring

*Restricted to employees.

tRestricted to Service Personnel. Popular

Group News

Aviron Group

popuLAR FLvTNG takes this opportunity of thanking the Group for their Newsletters, from which the following information comes. We are delighted to see more Groups following the example set by the beautifully-presented Armstrong-Siddeley Group JVewsletter.

Membership of the Group is about 60, including more than 25 flying members. Mr. Cole, the C.F.I., is putting in more hours than he used to in a comparable period with the R.A.F. (He has, incidentally, recently become an Official Observer to the Royal Aero Club). The Group is now giving serious consideration to the problem, with which several others are faced, of keeping the trained pilots happy while the C.F.I. gets on with producing more p.p.L.s. They have an Auster available for those who have passed their tests, and are considering the possibility of forming off-shoot Groups around another aircraft, or building a Turbi.

Reient flrst solos include Nigel Wallis, Hermi Pearlman and Anthony Preston.

Among other items in the letters, it is most encouraging to see that the Group has arranged a series of winter lectures and is considering forming an aerobatic team; with this last object we are in the most whole-hearted agreementTiger Club, please note !

Fakenham Flying Group. P.F.A. ll7 Group

A short note to put you in the picture on our activities up here in 'British Siberia'.

We are now installed at Little Snoring Aerodrome after the very satisfactory outcome of negotiations with Air Ministry. By arrangement with U.S.A.F. we have the use of part of a hangar so our precious Tiger G-ANCS is now afforded some decent protection from the Norfolk gales.

One of our instructors obtained a full rating from G.A.P.A.N. so we are about to embark

on some intensive flying training to back up our weekly lectures.

Membership (f,ull members) is now 40, Associate Members 20, and still we are pulling them in.

We pay f,25 each on joining and are operating at 32s. an hour.

So far we have logged 160 hours in 14 weeks and I expect this figure to increase rapiclly once we get our second aircraft back from its. C. of A. Considering that we have only been in operation little more than three months and that our membership has been a slow build ,p to our present strength I think thal we have been moderately successful and this winter we will consolidate at Little Snoring and perhaps next year will be in the running for the Masefield Trophy.

Experimental Flying Group, Croydon Airport

By the end of July we had flown a total of hours greater than that achieved during 1956. Both Maggies completed their l,000th hour of flying with the Group within a few days of each other during the month. To date, nine pupils have completed their first solo flights this year and four members have obtained their p.p.L.s. Two commercial licences have been obtained,. which include twin ratings and one other twin rating has been endorsed on a P.p.L. Only one R.Ae.C. certificate (third class) has been applied for so far but I hope to put at least four others in for this in a few weeks' time. Three or four members are interested in doing Assistant Instructor courses and I have now obtained permission from the Guild (GAPAN) to give these. Apart from the shadow of the intended closure of Croydon, the future looks reasonably rosy.

A.S. Flying CIub

On Monday, 16th September, the Annual General Meeting of the A.S. Flying Club was held in the Sphinx Social Club, Paradise Street. Twenty-five members were in attendance and the meeting got down quickly to the business in hand, with the retiring Chairman, Ron Christmas, giving his report. 19,

Reviewing the activities of the Club during the year, on the flying side, two members had qualified for their P.P.L. and eight others had isuccessfully carried out their first solo flight. The Tipsy G-AFSC was at the moment the Club's only aircraft and despite the period of engine trouble that had overtaken us during the summer; the aircraft continued to give yeoman service.

In January of this year the Club had held its Dinner and Dance at Chesford Grange, at which we had had great pleasure in presenting certificates of Life Membership to our two instructors, John and Harold, and to Norman Slater, C.F.I., of the A.W.A. Flying Group, and Bob Lavell, C.F.I., of the Coventy Aeroplane 'Club.

The biggest event in the Club's short history had been made in May last, with the payment of the last cheque to Basil Meads, Secretary of the Kemsley Flying Trust-when the Tipsy-lock, stock and prop-became the property of the A.S. Flying Club.

During the past eight months covered by the report, we have done a total flying trme of 263 hours 29 minutes, equivalent to 396 hours per annum. The total income from this source iepresented a flying charge of f,l 15s. 4d. per hour, showing that Associate Members' flights .on Vouchers and sundry non-chargeable test flights have been absorbed by our normal :surcharges.

During the past year the social activities of the club have expanded very rapidly far beyond the expectations of the committee. It is pleasing to report that most of the visitors to Baginton Airfield, whether by air or by road, now know of the hospitality which is afforded by the A.S. Flying Club.

Since the start of flying after the war Baginton has been used mainly-but not wholly-for week-end flying by the four clubs based there. The odd Rapide from various charter firms have dropped in and Don Everall has graced the scene with his Dakota during the summer season. But apart from the Dunlop and Alvis test hangars and planes, nothing in the 'Big Stuff'

line was based at the airfield-and Dunlop have since departed.

Now with the arrival of Orion Airways Ltd., our airfield looks safe from the fate of a housing estate that once threatened its existence.

Orion are a charter flight company operating a Viking under the Chairmanship of Captain P. E. Palmer, and before coming to Baginton the Company operated from Blackbushe Airport. In addition to their atcrafl and more important to us as a Club, Orion brought their maintenance unit with them and all are now established in the hangar recently vacated by Dunlops.

So it was that when our 50-hr. engine check became due recently, the Committee decided to pass its custom over to the new firm. As a rebult we have great pleasure in being able to inform our members that we are more than satisfied with the service given to the Club. Not only did they service the engine but they also furnished a report on its general condition, giving details of the parts which they considered should be replaced at the next engine check. In addition their engineers located and repaired one of the oil leaks that has bedevilled the Tipsy for far too long. Before the start of the operation the engineers spent some time on familiarisation of the Mikron engine and before returning the aircraft to us, cleaned it down from tip to tail.

SMALL ADVERTISEMENTS

Members of the Popular Flying Association may have the use of this column for advertising articles wanted, exchange or disposal for ONE INSERTION trp to 24 words FREE. lf more than one insertion it must be paid cash ii advance at the rate of 4d. per word lmin. 12-w-o.rds). Boi No. ls. 6d. extra. Non-members chargeable at the rate o.f 6d. per word (min. 12 words). Box No. ls. 6el. extra. Cheques and Postol Orders should be crossed and sent to Fryers Advertising Service,lO Mitcham Lane, S.W.16.

WANTED

PoPULAR FLYING, Vol. 1, No. I (March, Cpl. Sinclair, 652 Lt. A/c Sqdn. B.F.P.O.

Light cabin type aircraft and Gipsy Major engine. McAullv, Hempton, Fakenham, Norfolk.

FOR SALE

Complete Turbi tail unit with fittings and inspection certificates. Write: Wiggins, 84a, Station Road, Sidcup, Kent. Aircraft l0 cwt. turnbuckles and flexible cable. Also limited number of sets of Druine Turbulent Wing Ribs and Turbulent Control Columns. Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume, The Airport, Bembridge. I.o.W.

A11 metal fittings Luton Minor including wr'ng.struts, joy stick, fuel tank, all unused. Two Aeronca J.A'P. 19 h.p. ensines little used. Tipsy under-carriage with spats, f40 the lot. Delivery from N. Ireland. Details, B. Crawford, P.O. Box 663, Nairobi, KenYa.

Popular Fllting, Octoberf Noventber, 1957

Basol 99 is harmless on fabric, paint & metal and so kind to the hands. A cleaner plane means a faster plane, so write or telephone

THE COMPLETE ATRCRAFT

Used

CTEAN ER

and Flying Clubs throughout the world

ROLLASON'S

are SPECIALISTS in TIGER MOTHS &, GIPSY

MAJOR ENGINES

Full range of Spares in Stock

Complete Engine Overhauls undertaken on GIPSY MAJORS, SIXES and QUEENS

For the ULTRA-LIGHT enthusiast we are building the ARDEM ENGINE for use in the ROGER DRUINE TURBULENT *

If you are interested PAY US A VISIT