A few MMMmmmiles more
Yet another forwarded EMail from Barry Clay -
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G-AJOG/OO-ERY was the last Miles Aerovan to survive,in 1963 I was part of a team sent down to Wrafton Gate (a strip at the end of R.A.F Chivenors airfield) to remove the engines,instruments and other recoverable equipment from this aeroplane,the airframe despite my pleas to the very few people interested in old aeroplanes at that time to save her,she was set alight,the fire brigade arrived on the scene to read us the riot act and put the fire out ! the remains were burnt on November 5th by the R.A.F.
The company who purchased G-AJOG was Devonair Ltd for use on a ad hoc air service to the Lundy Islands,the aircraft came from the Belgium Royal family but became the subject of a complicated legal battle and it remained in the blister hangar at Wfafton Gate.
For many years I always thought that the aircraft never actually flew to Lundy but only just recently I have confirmation that she flew there at least once quote this e-mail 'With regard the Aerovan,yes it certainly flew to Lundy,Martin Harman,the then owner of the Island around 1959 invited the R.A.F officers over to the Island for a cull of the red deer,the officers provided their own guns and ammunition,we certainly have a photograph of the aeroplane on Lundy following the successful deer shoot' so ended a forty year old mystery for me.
The idea was to fit the Aerovan with Lycomings much like the Miles Gemini conversion in Australia done some years later,however the ownership problems held everything up.
One remarkable story about the Aerovan can be summed up in this accident at Croydon in 1944,one of these machines loaded with racing pidgeons took off in a strong wind failing to get any altitude over 100 feet,it turned downwind after flying for three miles out from the airfield then struck a tree,and disintigrated with hundreds of birds flying away ! performance was not one of its good points.
The only other machine to be developed was the Hurel Dubois high lift high aspect ratio version of the Aerovan aircraft which was later developed into a special aircraft used for geophysical survey work in France.
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Thanks Barry!
What a mine of information you are!
HP
Hi GTT,
Fascinating stuff!
I have a picture of my Falcon in Sweden - taken at Norrkoping in Sweden in 1938 on the occasion of a fly-in.
There is a German Swastika flag fluttering on a pole mounted on a hangar in the background.
Not only does the hangar survive - and we recreated the same shot last June - I have an original programme of the event which lists my aircraft - SE-AFN as it was then - as taking part in the navigation competition!
As far as Kings Cup winners are concerned - My Messenger G-AKBO won it in 1954, My Falcon won it as late as 1979 and my Magister came third I'm not sure in what year - I'll look it up!
Keep it all coming guys - we are looking to break 200 posts!
Anybody seen British Airshows 2002 yet?
Great footage from Kemble.
HP