IMPORTANT NOTE FROM BERNARD MARTIN
Sadly due to mobility problems (Osteoarthritis and Lumbar degeneration in old age !) I have not been able to attend ANY airfield since 2019 ! In the meantime POTTED HISTORIES are being added/updated, so please enjoy these and the slighted dated reports which I shall leave on site below. Normal service will be resumed as soon as I can - Take care !
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From time to time I shall add reports here. As a starter I am including my personal commentary on the Microlight Trade Fair at Popham on 5th/6th May 2018. It is NOT a list of registrations of all attending, but my view of the exhibits.
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Click here for an illustrated pdf
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Although initially written for AIR-BRITAIN's AVIATION WORLD, the arrival of a "plastic" Red Arrows Hawk in Downing Street prompted much earlier personal memories of RAF aircraft "COMING TO TOWN"
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Click here for an illustrated pdf
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MAKSIMOV SK26 PROJECT
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Click here for an illustrated pdf
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LAA SYWELL 2018 (Sorry it is old - but I like the pictures !)
This photographic selection is a purely personal one and does not attempt to summarise all of the types attending this LAA annual extravanga. Click on Regn for photo.
First a look at some of the CLASSIC TYPES present. No review of these can ignore a few de Havilland specimens including the DH.60G III Moth Major G-ACGZ, DH.85 Leopard Moth G-ACUS or a handful of DH.82A Tiger Moths G-AVPJ, G-BEWN (Australian-built) & G-BPAJ.
Close behind were Miles with the recently repatriated M.28 Mercury 6 G-AHAA, M.38 Messenger 2A G-AKBO, G-AKIN & M.65 Gemini 1A G-AKKB
Another pre-War favourite is Chilton with DW.1A G-AFSV & modern-built G-DWCB & G-JUJU
Complementing a line-up of Racing aircraft were Comper CLA.7 Swift replica G-ECTF & Percival Mew Gull replica G-HEKL & Travel Air Type R Mystery Ship replica G-TATR
No collection of Classics would be complete without the Piper J-3 Cub, represented on these pages by G-AISX & G-BSFD plus its less-common WW2 cousin Aeronca O-58B Grasshopper G-BRHP. From the USA Cessna 120 G-BUHZ recently celebrated the anniversary of its first flight on 14th August 1948 and N2106V represented many of the UK-based American-registered examples.
A couple of French Classics were Jodel D.140B Mousquetaire II G-EHIC & Morane Saulnier MS.317 G-MOSA. Three other old-timers were Mráz M-1C Sokol G-AIXN, Beech 3TM G-BKGL & the quaint Cadet III Motor Glider G-BCYH.
Of the HOMEBUILTS it was difficult to ignore the multitude of Van’s types but I include just RV-7 G-OGRL, G-TPPW & RV-8 G-TDJP & D-EIGT as colourful examples. Other welcome overseas visitosr were JODEL D92 EC-ZCZ & the unique Verhees Delta D-2 F-PDHZ . Similarly interesting were Mike Whittaker’s latest creation in the bizarre shape of his MW9 Plank G-CKAA and the somewhat older Colomban MC-15 Cri-Cri G-CRIK, but always a talking-point. One of the older UK homebuilt designs was in the shape of Taylor JT.1 Monoplane G-OBJM.
When the Groppo Trail first appeared in the UK in partially-built form, I confess that the design seemed so basic and angular thatI thought that it was a joke ! It has developed into a fairly popular kit and is represented here by G-CIYO & G-SMLZ. The Sonex Sonex always stands out and G-CGDM & G-HELL certainly did !
The Aeroprakt A-22LS Foxbat has been around for some while -here with G-CINV, but the similarly starting name Aeropro EuroFOX is becoming a popular newcomer with examples being G-FOKZ & G-MGFC with injected and standard Rotax 912 powerplants.
A final miscellany includes Murphy Rebel G-CBFK, Rans S-7 Courier G-CBNF, Nicollier HN.700 Menestrel II G-CHRE, Titan T-51 Mustang G-CIFD, Alpi Pioneer 400 G-CIMD, Zenair CH.601HD Zodiac G-EZUB, BRM Bristell NG5 Speed Wing G-STDO, Best Off Skyranger Nynja LS 912S(1) G-TRTL & ICP MXP-740 Savannah VG Jabiru (1) G-WHYS.
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