Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines

[Full1978]

Hi, I'm new here so please be gentle :) I hope I've posted in the right place...

I'm looking for 3-view drawings for some of the planes from "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" to model in 3d for Microsoft's Flight Simulator.

I have completed the Demoiselle & Walton Edwards Rhomboidal, I can post pics if anyone is interested.

Craig

[chiglet]

For a teriffic "overview" try searching for Derek Piggot. I think that his Autobiography ["DeltaPapa"] will give you a wealth of detail. Meanwhile, Goggle has given me umpteen hits.
Good luck

[treadigraph]

Also "Building Aeroplanes for Those Magnificent Men" by Allen Wheeler if you can find a copy - no drawings I'm afraid but plenty of photos of the flyers and a few of the non-flyers. An interesting read too.

[Full1978]

Thanks guys ! Just ordered Derek Piggott's book from Amazon for £17 ! bargin

[Windy Militant]

Get yourself down to the Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden they have a number of the aircraft that were in the film, some still flying. :ok:

Shuttleworth Old Warden Park (http://www.shuttleworth.org/) one of the few commercial ventures that's allowed air time on Pprune ;)

[Mechta]

If you can get the relevant Aeromodeller magazine (Vol.31 No.3 March 1965) for the time, that gave three views and showed the difference between the film aircraft and the originals.

Bill Hannan, an American designer of indoor rubber powered models, did several plans of models in the film and also included the differences on the plans.

Here's a link to some more plans:

Model Flying Machines (http://webspace.webring.com/people/na/aerohydro/mfm/scale2.htm)

Model Flying Machines (http://webspace.webring.com/people/na/aerohydro/mfm/scale3.htm)

You might also take a look at the December 2010 Aviation Modeller International. According to the blurb its got four ''Mag Men' designs featured, although I've not seen it myself yet. Try WH Smith.

Model Activity Press | Modelling and Hobby Magazines for Aviation and Military Enthusiasts | Current Issue (http://www.modelactivitypress.com/ami/)

[Liobian]

...and apologies if it's not what you want, but are you aware that there's a flt sim add-on CD, called 'The Early Years of Flight' with many pioneering a/c ?
search on firstclass-simulations.com

[Sir George Cayley]

Don't forget to model the sewerage farm! It was an important part of the film:ok:

SGC

[PPRuNe Pop]

Windy Militant.

The Shuttleworth Collection is NOT a commercial organisation - it is a charitable Trust:

Dorothy Shuttleworth, although devastated by the loss of her son, set up the mansion as a Red Cross Convalescent Home for injured airmen and created a small chapel, dedicated to Richard. In 1944 she decided to place the estate in a charitable Trust in memory of Richard; she wanted to ensure that it would continue as one entity to be used for the purpose of agricultural and aviation education, two interests that Richard was especially keen on.

PPP

[ExAscoteer]

Also "Building Aeroplanes for Those Magnificent Men" by Allen Wheeler

I'll second that.

I have a first edition copy given to me by my late Father - a very interesting book on how they built the replica aircraft with plenty of good photographs.

[Full1978]

Many thanks everyone !

Some of those books are quite expensive £100 for "Building Aeroplanes for Those Magnificent Men" I'll put it on my To Buy list

Delta Papa is a great book received it today :ok:

The sewage farm will definitely be there, any ideas on where the planes in the film (fictionally) flew from, like Brookley to.... I've possibly found where they landed in France, Guyancout LFPR, unfortunate it is no longer there.

[treadigraph]

All filming was completed in the UK so far as I know. Mostly Booker, a bit down at Dover, some up at Skegness (Derek Piggott flew the Boxkite back from there to avoid de-rigging it again!) where they filmed the dune scenes and the trip across France.

Pity that the Antoinette and Demoiselle aren't still flying...

[astir 8]

Didn't they have to get Joan Hughes to fly the Demoiselle because it wouldn't fly with anyone heavier?

[ExAscoteer]

Brookley was Booker (Wycombe Air Park).

Didn't they have to get Joan Hughes to fly the Demoiselle because it wouldn't fly with anyone heavier?


Yes, the Demoiselle was too small for a man to fly.

[ExAscoteer]

Full1978

I am away till after Christmas, however, if you wish to contact me after the New Year I will lend you my copy of 'Building Aeroplanes'.

Usual caveats apply.

[Windy Militant]

Oops Sorry Pops! I should have said it has special status here on Pprune. :O

[robin]

Some of those books are quite expensive £100 for "Building Aeroplanes for Those Magnificent Men" I'll put it on my To Buy list


At that price, I'll put my own copy on my 'For Sale' list. :ok:

[ICT_SLB]

"Yes, the Demoiselle was too small for a man to fly."

Not strictly true - believe Santos Dumont had been a jockey at one time hence the need for a smaller pilot.

[aviate1138]

"Not strictly true - believe Santos Dumont had been a jockey at one time hence the need for a smaller pilot.

Yes but they got the wonderful Joan Hughes to fly the Demoiselle - absolutely the best pilot to ever fly one.

Big fan of JH and all her associates! :)

[astir 8]

That picture of her standing next to the mainwheel of a Stirling is a classic

[PPRuNeUser0139]

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_03/womenpilots2PA_468x532.jpg

[JEM60]

Because Booker is quite high above sea level, I understood that JH was chosen, not only for her small size, but wieght considerations enabled her to get it off the ground, when other people couldn't!!.

[Sir George Cayley]

I think the Demoiselle is at Brooklands Museum at the moment - can you get there?

Sir George Cayley

[India Four Two]

Because Booker is quite high above sea levelJEM60, I don't really think it was Booker's mountainous setting (520') that was the issue ;)

The original Demoiselle had an all-up weight of about 315 lb. I don't know the weight of Doug Bianchi's replica but I would imagine that even at sea-level, Joan Hughes would have been the only experienced pilot light enough to get the replica airborne.

I was living in Maidenhead at the time of the filming and there was an article in the local newspaper about Joan Hughes appearing in Wycombe Magistrate's Court for flying under a bridge on the (under-construction) M40 adjacent to Booker. She was acquitted after claiming that she had engine problems and was making a forced-landing - the bridge was purely coincidental! Does anyone have any more details?

An incident related to the film occurred during my Flying Scholarship at White Waltham in September 1966. I was doing circuits with my instructor early one evening, when we spotted a strange biplane approaching from the north at low-level. My instructor took over and we went off to have a look (no radio at WW in those days). We ended up in loose formation with the Bristol Boxkite ("Phoenix Flyer") - actually it was a slow overtake as the Piper Colt couldn't fly slowly enough. The Boxkite edged around to the east of WW and headed off to the south.

[JEM60]

I42. I should have put a smiley re Booker's height I guess. It was actually stated in an Aviation mag that the height of Booker made her the only contender!. Coincidentally, I also saw the Boxkite from the air, whilst it was flying to the Shuttleworth Collection whilst I was in the Halton area in a 152.:ok:

[India Four Two]

:) JEM60, I thought that might be the case.

Although I learnt to fly in the UK, most of my flying has been in Alberta, at density altitudes of over 4000', so I find discussions of high-altitude UK airfields somewhat amusing. I like the extra power that light aircraft have near sea-level, even when flying out of lovely Compton Abbas.

Quite a contrast from towing heavy gliders out of Cowley (3850') where density altitudes can approach 10,000' on a hot summer's day.
Cowley; Canada's Diamond mine (http://www.soaring.ab.ca/cowley.html)

Edited to add that the picture of Joan Hughes next to the Stirling gives a whole new meaning to "Kicking the tyres".

[JEM60]

I42. I remember seeing the picture of JH in a book many years ago. It was captioned ''Joan Hughes delivered many a fine Stirling''. How I wish I had recorded 'Spitfire Women' a few weeks ago. Magnificent.

[Agaricus bisporus]

As Booker's altitude places it well within the natural day to day barometric pressure variation at sea level in the UK it can hardly be considered "high" or restricted, can it?