Turbulent auartet

should reduce the VW whisper still further. Total cost, everything included, came out at [400.

From 'down under', where Walter Watkins of the Ultra Light Aircraft Association of Australia's Victorian Division beats the homebuilders drum we received their Christmas card in the form of P.F.A. 445 airborne as VH-PWH in the hands of Peter W. Hodgens, its owner and builder, of Bondi Beach, New South Wales. Peter obviously lladn't spent much time on the beach as this Ttrrbulent was knocked out in twelve months flat. First flight was 13th November, 1958.

Four P.F.A. amateur constructor members have sent us details of their Turbulents within the space of six weeks. First of these hails from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A., and is the work of two enthusiasts, L. Warren-Carter and J. M. Mathias, Jnr. Unfortrinately we are unable to publish coloured photographs but a print received shows that P.F.A. 417 is a superbly finished job in orange, with black lining, and white top. fhe whole task involved 2,300 man hours over two years, many hours being spent on the flnish which is lightweight glass cloth on to ply surfaces and then just patience in rubbing down eight coats of flller and flnish on the fuselage. The wings have a total of nineteen hand rubbed coats of dope. The engine is a VW converted to take twin Bendix mags which are gear driven from the back of the motor. A ram air intake is fitted with hot air selector, the hot air being supplied from a neat muff on the port side exhaust system which runs the exhaust from two cylinders into a common tail pipe which

Popular Flying, February, 1959

Nearer home at Belfast the Reverend padraic O'Kelly has sent us news of the successful tests lVing_dowry-Down Ultder, peter Hoclgens puts his rurbute* 'l;': o"/;?Wi;iic atltucte' for of his Turbulent P.F.A. 163, registered G-ApCM. Jock Eassie of Short Bros. and Harland made the first test flight at the Ards aerodrome, and by all reports the first flight made by Father O'Kelly must have been a low level aerobatic sortie to avoid the radio, T.V., and press who turned out in great force to make Northern ronic sot-ra-rhe o"''

Ireland's flying priest front page news. Construction took three years and cost about f,450. In the construction great help was given by J. Kirkpatrick, the Shorts apprentice supervisor, who we fancy needed all his skill in handling apprentices with the ' Bhoy' Kelly himself! However, patience and virtue have their own reward, and how many private owners can say these days that they have a private aeroplane that is newly built, and of post war design? One day we hope to publish some details of the trials and tribulations of the Belfast boy while building his Turbulent. We rather like the little story behind' Charlie Mike's' registration, the Ministry of T. and C.A. couldn't understand the firm

YT/TRE THREAD INSERTS

For new parts or repairs ATRCRAFT SPRTNG WASHERS to 2.5P.47. Specifi cation CIRGTIPS AND RETAINTNG RINGS to S.B.A.C. and other standards

A.l.D. A.R.B. approved

Manufacturing Co. (1938) ttd. COMBE DOWN, BATH Telephone: Combe Down 2355/8 ror a crescendo request for these letters, neither could we, encyclopaedias, the good book, Latin scholars, and various learned friends, were consulted, all to no effect. The mystery was solved quite easily, Father O'Kelly is a V.H.F. radio fiend, and Charlie and Mike remain the only letters in the phonetic alphabet not mucked about with. Not only butter comes from Denmark either, news has also been sent of Hans Axel's Turbulent and registered in the peremptory Danish style of OY. Hans, in a long letter to P.F.A., tells us how much he enjoyed the work and of his elation at the performance of the Turbulent. Also his letter contains many thanks to the P.F.A. for the help in completing the project.