Of NDN-1 Firecrackers

[The AvgasDinosaur]

The prototype G-NDNI c/n 001 is currently registered in America as N182FR to the same company as NDN-1T c/n 005 N2157C

FLIGHT RESEARCH INC
Street 702 PONDEROSA DR
City STARKVILLE State MISSISSIPPI Zip Code 39759-3548
County OKTIBBEHA
Country UNITED STATES

Two others c/n 006 N50FK and C/n 007 N70878 are registered to

FIRECRACKER INC
Street 2923 FLINTLOCK ST
City EUGENE State OREGON Zip Code 97408-4660
County LANE
Country UNITED STATES

Are these still flying ?
What happened to C/N 002, 003 and 004 ? I suspect that at least one of them may have been a static test frame. Does it still lurk somewhere?
I recall seeing Firecrackers, Fieldmasters and Firemasters in packing cases at Cardiff half a life time ago with c/ns into double figures.
Any information on these three innovative types much appreciated. Also details on Sheriff and Nymph projects.
Thanks in anticipation.
Be lucky
David

[5 Greens]

Back in the 90s there was a Firecracker at CVT that flew occasionally by management of Air Atlantique. Also lots of half built BTN airframes type unknown stored in hangar. There is a Sheriff in the museam at EMA

[treadigraph]

Think the stored tpyes at Coventry were NDN Freelances or possibly Fieldmasters or both. Freelance was an update of the BN-3.

Desmond Norman was once kind enough to let a teenage Treadders sit in the Firecracker prototype at Goodwood. A very nice man as I recall.

[Conc]

The Freelances were in the hangar at Coventry for years but believe they are now at Kemble and that one, G-NACA is flying now. Seem to remember seeing something about them in a recent flying magazine.

[wet wet wet]

The Freelances are stored with DevonAir at Little Rissington (moved from Kemble). G-NACA is indeed a flyer.

[The AvgasDinosaur]

Quote from wet wet wet

The Freelances are stored with DevonAir at Little Rissington

How many are there please? What are DevonAirs intentions, please.
Thanks for your input
Be lucky
David

[tail wheel]

NDN.

Looking at the cowling on G-NRDC, it looks like it had a PT6 turbine?

[wet wet wet]

Avgas Dinosaur

There G-NACA and parts (including made-up wing assemblies etc) for about five others. I believe they are for sale, certainly DevonAir handed me a brochure when I visited. I suggest that you contact them if you are interested.

[AV8007]

Firecrackers

FIrecracker Ser. # 006 has been continually flown in the US under experimental exhibition cert since 1989.

[chevvron]

Perfectly capable of operating from an 800m runway; I was at Fairoaks when Desmond was demonstrating it to the Aussies. He told me the Tucano couldn't do that, and it only won the RAF competition over the Firecracker because it was re-engined to achieve the requirement for 250kt ias at low level.
Interestingly my aircraft at the time (a Monnet Moni) had the same airbrake configuration as the Firecracker, and Desmond and I were comparing 'notes' on the effects of them eg speed loss, acceleration, pitch change etc. Very nice guy he was.

[Genghis the Engineer]

N182FR (ex G-NDNI) is to be found at the National Test Pilots School (NTPS) in Mojave, California where they use it for test pilot training. To the best of my knowledge it's kept in flying condition, although I don't know exactly what they use it for within their syllabus, nobody I've known do a course there over the last couple of years has flown it.

G