Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)
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I was working my way up the Silver ladder at Bruggen in 66 and they “gave” me a Bronze C on the strength of having one Silver C leg!
Managed to finish the Silver with a distance flight to Leige in the Ka2 on my last weekend at Brugen before returning to the UK to start work the following week.
Fantastic experience for an 18 year old! Thank you Phoenix G.C. and Flt.Lt. Ray Passfield.
Managed to finish the Silver with a distance flight to Leige in the Ka2 on my last weekend at Brugen before returning to the UK to start work the following week.
Fantastic experience for an 18 year old! Thank you Phoenix G.C. and Flt.Lt. Ray Passfield.
"Isn't that a bit too high performance for the 'needs' of training cadets to solo standard? "
This is purely hypothetical now, however, the K13 would have been an ideal training aircraft for Cadet Bloggs...it's simple, very benign and easy to fly whilst being robust enough to absorb " firm arrivals ".....excellent view from the rear as well...which is why so many are still in use as a basic trainer today.
This is purely hypothetical now, however, the K13 would have been an ideal training aircraft for Cadet Bloggs...it's simple, very benign and easy to fly whilst being robust enough to absorb " firm arrivals ".....excellent view from the rear as well...which is why so many are still in use as a basic trainer today.
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Fair question. There are some. The rear seat view on a Ka7 is restricted in many ways, on the 13, you can see just about everywhere you need to and certainly Cadet Bloggs actions could be easily monitored. . Plus, the 7 could "bite " if mishandled...although it was still a good trainer. The 13, in comparison , was very forgiving...it would happily just "mush " in a gentle stall, recovered very rapidly and smoothly from a full stall, and, as was demonstrated, recovered almost by itself from a full spin or two. Airspeed was also very easy to control and the brakes worked as advertised.
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K13 perfect for 14 year olds !
Cotswolds 14 year old solos on 14th birthday and wants to join the RAF , that's how you
get kids interested in flying !
https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/new...der-cotswolds/
get kids interested in flying !
https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/new...der-cotswolds/
Isn't that a bit too high performance for the 'needs' of training cadets to solo standard?
Reminds me of the late 1960s proposal to replace the Cadet Mk 3 with T53s, which would have a fixed stop to lock the airbrakes pertly open. Apparently seriously considered before Slingsbys had a fire which damaged the T53 jigs, leaving only 2 or 3 partly complete airframes.
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Hi,
I'm looking for hi-resolution scans of photographs of the following gliders in use while in ATC service for an article:
Slingsby Cadet TX1
Slingsby Type 21 Sedbergh TX1
Slingsby Type 31 Cadet TX Mk3
A real bonus would be anything of Fred Slingsby himself.
Any images used will be paid for and must be scanned/copied at 300dpi for publication.
Please email me at [email protected] in the first instance if you can help.
Cheers
Andrew
I'm looking for hi-resolution scans of photographs of the following gliders in use while in ATC service for an article:
Slingsby Cadet TX1
Slingsby Type 21 Sedbergh TX1
Slingsby Type 31 Cadet TX Mk3
A real bonus would be anything of Fred Slingsby himself.
Any images used will be paid for and must be scanned/copied at 300dpi for publication.
Please email me at [email protected] in the first instance if you can help.
Cheers
Andrew
Grounded not Groundslides
A new fleet of MK 3 machines would still be operating 'as was' and Cadets would be still going solo in great numbers. That's the USP they killed.
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Well the 'Organisation' found an easier way to stop machines getting airborne; A short 'Pause' followed by a very long 'Pause' followed by Nothing!.
A new fleet of MK 3 machines would still be operating 'as was' and Cadets would be still going solo in great numbers. That's the USP they killed.
A new fleet of MK 3 machines would still be operating 'as was' and Cadets would be still going solo in great numbers. That's the USP they killed.
The Wheel stays 'round'
Sometimes in life simple is best and stays that way, unfortunately the new brooms do not see the 'wood' but only f glass trees. If the RAF Cadets went back to basics and offered what we knew as normal it might just save the organisation, although we could skip the wellies, and would have to go back to all over silver and 'training' yellow; after all it was the largest and best TRAINING organisation in the world. Well done to all those who tried to salve something from the saga, plus those who have stayed with the ship. Pobjoy had his first ever flight some 60 years ago in a MK111 at Kenley, and then had to wait another couple of years to do the A&B bit, it was not just the flying but all that went with it (including the NAAFI pies) an amazing experience never bettered. (the jury's still out on the pies) Merry Xmas
Last edited by POBJOY; 18th Dec 2020 at 00:27.
I'm sure the Hullavington MkIII and Sedbergh were properly maintained, with records kept of repairs and modifications - unlike the SERCO maintained ATC Fleet....
MGSP
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Dry joints
I think it was Mrs Hepple T21 VX275 ? that on a major overhaul they found all the glued joints
in the wing were completely dry and cracked as in not attached, only held in by the covering.
Just found more on Mrs Hepple at https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...intage-gliders
in the wing were completely dry and cracked as in not attached, only held in by the covering.
Just found more on Mrs Hepple at https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...intage-gliders
Joints should be dry
I think it was Mrs Hepple T21 VX275 ? that on a major overhaul they found all the glued joints
in the wing were completely dry and cracked as in not attached, only held in by the covering.
Just found more on Mrs Hepple at https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...intage-gliders
in the wing were completely dry and cracked as in not attached, only held in by the covering.
Just found more on Mrs Hepple at https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...intage-gliders
This was a common problem on all early wooden machines and the main reason they failed their COA's later in life.
The replacement 'Aerolite' was a 'two pack' system that required the use of a hardner. and then had to be applied quickly.
To ensure the hardner had been added it was normal for it to be dyed therefore ensuring the joint was sound.
As most ATC gliders were hangar stored I do not think water ingress into the structure was a problem.
On a bit of a 'creep' Gp Capt J Kent obtained a Comper Swift after the war and kept it at Tangmere. When it came up for its COA it went into the Station workshops for its inspection where they found the machine in fine order 'apart' from the glue joints. Normally the labour required for this would be uneconomical, but the C/Tech in charge decided it would be an ideal opportunity for several members on the staff to do their 'trade tests' on the real thing.
They used all the original wood but 'fixed' with aerolite, and that's why the machine survived. The main spars were solid spindled so not affected.
Last edited by POBJOY; 21st Dec 2020 at 14:12.
I groundlooped it and was later told that had it not been a presentation aircraft it would have been Cat 5 (written off); as it was they took it back to Kirbymoorside and re built it and I flew it again a year later.
Mention of an aircraft called Mrs Hepple may confuse some, but this page from the magazine Flight may help.
If anyone is interested VX275 is likely to be put up for disposal by the RAF Museum who have held her in store at RAF Stafford since she finished her time as a maintenance airframe at RAF Saint Athan in the 1980's.
If anyone is interested VX275 is likely to be put up for disposal by the RAF Museum who have held her in store at RAF Stafford since she finished her time as a maintenance airframe at RAF Saint Athan in the 1980's.
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VX275 was first flown when I was 2 years old !!!
I wonder how much they would sell it for?
Wonder if you could bungy launch it to 10 feet or so?
I'll put a fiver towards buying it , anyone else?
I wonder how much they would sell it for?
Wonder if you could bungy launch it to 10 feet or so?
I'll put a fiver towards buying it , anyone else?
Why not ask Verdun; the '613 retired winch drivers' group still exists and we must all have '275 in our log books; I'll come in with a fiver; Halton will still exist for a few years yet although what will happen after 2025 is anybody's guess.