21st anniversary Tiger Moth - Denham

[aviate1138]

As a young and hopeful aero type I cycled to Denham Airfield back in the early 50's to watch the 21st birthday celebrations of the Tiger Moth.
In the back of my mind I am sure I saw a LF-1 Zaunkönig flying that day. It flew so slowly.

That year I got very interested in building model aircraft with as many slow flight devices on as possible.

Anyone know if my memory of the flying LF-1 Zaunkönig was true and who may have been flying the machine that day?

[l.garey]

Zaunkoenig G-ALUA was at Cambridge in the early 1950s. I saw it there in 1954.
More information on
Brunswick Zaunkoenig G-ALUA - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums (http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=93250)

Laurence

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Saw it at Croydon in 1957. Last info on the CAA register says it went to Ireland in 1974.. Would sure like to see it again.

[l.garey]

There is another thread on the Key site
Zaunkonig: Looking for information - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums (http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=66343)
G-ALUA went back to Germany, to the Schleissheim museum . It still appears on their site today
Deutsches Museum: Zaunkönig (http://www.deutsches-museum.de/flugwerft/sammlungen/propellerflugzeuge/zaunkoenig/)

Laurence

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

As an infant in the very early fifties a big treat was to be taken in the old car from home at Chalfont St Peter to Denham. The last part of the journey involved bumping and scraping along a marshy track through woods before coming upon the airfield and its hangars. Too young to know what was what I can still remember a sign on what looked like the door of an old shed - 'Nightscale Flying Services'.
Denham and Bovingdon, catalysts for my love of aeroplanes.

[zetec2]

Zaukonig G-ALUA lived at Kidlington late 50's when owned by Peter Clifford, shared the hangar with Kronfeld Drone G-AEKV & the Henshaw Mew Gull with the big tall canopy , ah happy days, had to move them round to get the Oxford Aeroplane Club Tiger Moth G-AMEY out to go gently aviating round Oxfordshire, long past memories, Paul H , Bicester.

[l.garey]

Good to know it frequented both Oxford AND Cambridge, Paul.
Cheers

Laurence

[Planemike]

My first sighting of G-ALUA was in the back of the hangar at Thruxton 16 September 1962. Remember making my way up to Thruxton from Southampton on the bus to attend Thruxton Air Races. Wonderful afternoon.

Planemike

[one11]

As a 13 year old spotter I had just moved on from ticks and underlines to keeping a log, which amazingly has survived. It says 7 March 1953 Denham, Tiger Moth 21st Birthday display - but no Zaunkoenig. Lots of civil and RAF Tigers, various other deHavilland and noted as first sighting of an Ercoupe ( G-AKFC).

I would not regard this as conclusive as it could have passed through earlier or later than my visit times.

[aviate1138]

Thanks one11, I probably mixed it up with other visits to Denham around that time. I had brain surgery as a result of a bike accident so maybe my bipolar neurons were busy rearranging themselves! :)

[KeMac]

Didn't Airwork have some involvement with Denham in the 1950s?

[henry crun]

I sat in it while it was at Redhill in 1951.

[Sir George Cayley]

It was at Fairoaks in 1969.

Sir George Cayley

[Props]

I learned to fly at Denham with the Airways Aero Club on Magisters and later flew some of Dick Nightscales aeroplanes including a 2seat Auster and a Dart Kitten thats still flying.

[D.C.W.]

I have just come across some photos of the Denham event in 1953.
Available at:
DENHAM: TIGER MOTH 21st BIRTHDAY 7-3-53 - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/sets/72157626230992545/detail/)

or Flypast forum post at:
1950's Archive Part 15:Tiger Moth 21st Denham 1953 - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums (http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=107802)

A number of the schoolboys could be you!

DCW

The photos were taken by the late Gerald Lawrance of Cambridge, digitised and made available by Tony Clarke.

[India Four Two]

I saw the Zaunkönig at an air display at Booker in the late 60s. Probably the same display that saw the infamous VC-10 and Trident approaches.

Slow, very slow!