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Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)

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Air Cadet Gliding pix in the 80s (pre glass)

Old 20th Oct 2020, 05:28
  #1181 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by UV
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.
That' sounds like fun in a Ka2 !......and probably a better way to get to Liege than driving.....

"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.
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Old 20th Oct 2020, 08:35
  #1182 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Krystal n chips

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.
Got a ride in a Ka7 at Lindholme; was there much difference?
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Old 20th Oct 2020, 09:32
  #1183 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by chevvron
Got a ride in a Ka7 at Lindholme; was there much difference?
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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Old 26th Oct 2020, 12:48
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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/
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Old 26th Oct 2020, 15:15
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Afraid I don't know the 'solo' age for Air Cadets nowadays; used to be 16 when Mal and I were at 613.
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Old 26th Oct 2020, 19:09
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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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Old 27th Oct 2020, 17:57
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I think that the Ka7 flown solo was slightly better at soaring than the same flown in a Ka13 due to the uninterrupted wing. I did like the Ka2.
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Old 27th Oct 2020, 22:53
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Originally Posted by Fitter2
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.
Grasshoppers could be fitted with spoilers to prevent them getting airborne during groundslides.
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Old 14th Dec 2020, 18:59
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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
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Old 17th Dec 2020, 00:21
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Grounded not Groundslides

Originally Posted by chevvron
Grasshoppers could be fitted with spoilers to prevent them getting airborne during groundslides.
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.









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Old 17th Dec 2020, 04:03
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Originally Posted by POBJOY
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.
That was the ironic thing: We WERE flying the MKIII and the Barge in ATC colours from a normally active VGS field during the 'Pause' with the 621 HF at Hullavington
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Old 17th Dec 2020, 23:57
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The Wheel stays 'round'

Originally Posted by 621andy
That was the ironic thing: We WERE flying the MKIII and the Barge in ATC colours from a normally active VGS field during the 'Pause' with the 621 HF at Hullavington
Wonderful I rest my case P
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.
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Old 18th Dec 2020, 15:39
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I'm sure the Hullavington MkIII and Sedbergh were properly maintained, with records kept of repairs and modifications - unlike the SERCO maintained ATC Fleet....
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Old 18th Dec 2020, 16:45
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MGSP

Originally Posted by Fitter2
I'm sure the Hullavington MkIII and Sedbergh were properly maintained, with records kept of repairs and modifications - unlike the SERCO maintained ATC Fleet....
The Mobile Glider Servicing Party complete with 3 ton truck kept the fleet in tip top condition without the need for complicated systems. Inspections and repaire were conducted on site and glue repairs cured with the help of a plywood 'lampshade' complete with light bulb. I believe their main tasks were sorting out cracked or broken wheel boxes and if one happened to go into the hangar during the week an 'up ended' fuselage having its box attended to was not uncommon. Simple and superb just like the rest of the operation, and not a lap top in sight.
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Old 21st Dec 2020, 12:08
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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

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Old 21st Dec 2020, 13:58
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Joints should be dry

Originally Posted by Mnewton
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
It is far more likely that 275 (it was quite old) had been constructed with the old non waterproof glues of the time, that used to fail when they stayed damp.
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.


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Old 21st Dec 2020, 18:42
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Originally Posted by Mnewton
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.
Would that have been just after I pranged it in 1967?
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.
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Old 22nd Dec 2020, 09:41
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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.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf
VX275 presentation.pdf (368.4 KB, 49 views)
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 13:05
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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?
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 16:11
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Originally Posted by Mnewton
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?
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.
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