Hiya - just wanted to share these couple pics taken today at Headcorn. I got there to score aero comp but ... the stinkers had changed the date to next Sun (today too many pilots were displaying at LCY) and had forgotten to tell me ... serves me right for not getting down there often enough!
ANYWAY.. it was a fairly busy day and among the a/c coming through was this 1929 Gipsy Moth made under licence in the USA. It is actually owned and flown by a Dutchman who with a pal in a Slingsby had flown in from Seppe in the Netherlands ..
v sweet a/c. Particuarly notable was its lack of noise - the engine (compared with G-ACDC the Tiger Club's elder stateswoman) is upside down, and the exhaust runs virtually the length of the fuselage .. sounded no louder than a lawnmower which (a) is good if you live in a noise abatement area but (b) makes it not sound right!!
View from back showing reg which is closest to that of Amelia Earhart
side view showing exhaust and makers sign
I believe that this aircraft was originally built in 1929 but as I didn't get to speak to the pilot personally (others went to help with refuelling) I don't know whether this is a replica or the "original" - you know what I mean by that!
Either way, it was an interesting arrival!