Ferranti Tribute Site
I've received a number of PM's quizzing me on the expected launch date for the Ferranti site which, admittedly, was slated to have occurred earlier in the year. What I can report is that much of the work is completed; such as the design of the site's page templates and collation of the open-source material. Contributions from a number of PPRuNe members as well as from various aviation photographers have also been gratefully received.
However, the crucial material remains in the UK, some stored in the village of Withyham, East Sussex, some in London and some in Manchester. In addition to collecting this material I must also visit/interview a number of people including one or more members of the Ferranti family and others familiar with Ferranti's former operations. All in all I need a good two weeks in the UK and which, to-date, I have been unable to achieve given that this project is a hobby and not business-related, ie. a relatively low priority.
Having said this, I will make time to come over and do what is needed but, while my home is in Italy I spend nearly all my time divided between the Middle East and Africa and this does make it slightly less convenient to 'pop back' as it were.
I am thrilled that there are some who are looking forward to reading about Ferranti. The company (helicopter division) was formed as a legal entity for a little under a decade but, though it was a small and short-lived affair it left a footprint upon the UK's helicopter industry, a footprint which, I might add, was almost swept-away by the winds of time. This site will, I hope, in some small way help preserve the efforts of those who, for a time, were known as Ferranti Helicopters.
Needless to say, when we are ready to go, I shall advise accordingly.