Slingsby T21/Sedbergh Stories
The first time I went higher than the local trees was in a T31 at Swansea on a winch launch with the ATC in 1971. I had a broken arm as I recall and thus wasn't allowed to play with anything.
It was still a fantastic experience and I loved every second of it. We didn't half laugh at the poor lad who threw up during the winch launch
When I showed my kids a dismantled T31 in Duxford and told them it was the first aeroplane I'd ever flown in, they looked at me like I'd started in WW1
It was still a fantastic experience and I loved every second of it. We didn't half laugh at the poor lad who threw up during the winch launch
When I showed my kids a dismantled T31 in Duxford and told them it was the first aeroplane I'd ever flown in, they looked at me like I'd started in WW1
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This brings back happy memories....
I, too, was in the ATC (308 squadron, Clacton on Sea).
Did a bit of gliding in about 1968, either Debden or Duxford if I remember correctly.
Can't remember the gliders, I think it was Sedbergh, but recall one was open cockpit side by side wooden seat - bit like a park bench with wings (and probably less aerodynamic!).
Also remember never having been so scared in all my life - but still went up
Also reminds me of a scary pilot in a Chipmunk (Cambridge airport maybe, or possibly Duxford again - university air squadron) who took me up and took great delight in flying a long distance upside down following the river Cam (which is VERY winding.... ).
And the times out on the firing ranges in both the ATC and Army cadets - firing a Lee Enfield .303 that was probably taller than me - the recoil pushed me back about a foot every time I fired it.
And the summer camp at RAF Ouston in Northumberland - my first taste of Newcastle Brown
I, too, was in the ATC (308 squadron, Clacton on Sea).
Did a bit of gliding in about 1968, either Debden or Duxford if I remember correctly.
Can't remember the gliders, I think it was Sedbergh, but recall one was open cockpit side by side wooden seat - bit like a park bench with wings
(and probably less aerodynamic!).Also remember never having been so scared in all my life - but still went up
Also reminds me of a scary pilot in a Chipmunk (Cambridge airport maybe, or possibly Duxford again - university air squadron) who took me up and took great delight in flying a long distance upside down following the river Cam (which is VERY winding....
).And the times out on the firing ranges in both the ATC and Army cadets - firing a Lee Enfield .303 that was probably taller than me - the recoil pushed me back about a foot every time I fired it.
And the summer camp at RAF Ouston in Northumberland - my first taste of Newcastle Brown
Kingsfield ... Nineteencanteen.. Secretary to the UN general in Cyprus strapped into a T-21 for a jolly, gets six feet off ground and decides she doesn't really want to do this so she pulls the release and the barge sinks vertically back onto the runway. CFI of Crusaders turns to her and says .."what did you do that for?" Crinkles all round, including up the side of the T-21!
Portmoak 19canteen plus... The venerable Arthur Robinson of ATC School at Halesland strapping into a T-21...
SGU Instructor.."Done much gliding?"
Arthur: "Oh 10,000"
SGU instructor.."What!!! 10,000 launches?"
Arthur: "No 10,000 hours"
SGU Insrtuctor (in the inimitable style of Arthur) "Good Gawd!!"
Portmoak 19canteen plus... The venerable Arthur Robinson of ATC School at Halesland strapping into a T-21...
SGU Instructor.."Done much gliding?"
Arthur: "Oh 10,000"
SGU instructor.."What!!! 10,000 launches?"
Arthur: "No 10,000 hours"
SGU Insrtuctor (in the inimitable style of Arthur) "Good Gawd!!"
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I am sure that sometime in the eighties, I read that some ex-ATC
T31 Gliders had been bought by private owners and that some of
these were being converted to motorgliders by fitting an engine
in the nose, which also made the aircraft a single seater.
Can anyone provide more details and are any of these conversions flying today?
T31 Gliders had been bought by private owners and that some of
these were being converted to motorgliders by fitting an engine
in the nose, which also made the aircraft a single seater.
Can anyone provide more details and are any of these conversions flying today?
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T31 Motor Gliders
The Motor Glider conversion was initially done when the airframes were almost new, ie before Falke had even been invented.
I have an ancient Aeroplane Monthly somewhere which I will dig out and try and get the details.
The T31 or Cadet Mk III flew like a brick on a good day, but was very forgiving of mishandling as a friend of mine once found out.
A single seat Cadet is as near as matters a Slingsby Prefect.
T_M
I have an ancient Aeroplane Monthly somewhere which I will dig out and try and get the details.
The T31 or Cadet Mk III flew like a brick on a good day, but was very forgiving of mishandling as a friend of mine once found out.
A single seat Cadet is as near as matters a Slingsby Prefect.
T_M
A really irritating PPRuNer
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635 GS RAF Burtonwood
Flew the following at Burtonwood in 1980:
XE791 - Cadet Mk3
XA282 - Cadet Mk3 (Did first solo in this one)
XN185 - Sedburgh
WB981 - Sedburgh
Flew the following at Halesland in 1980:
WJ306 - Sedburgh
WB972 - Sedburgh
Also used to drive the winch, and that was a real pig to get off the ground!
Oh happy daze!
XE791 - Cadet Mk3
XA282 - Cadet Mk3 (Did first solo in this one)
XN185 - Sedburgh
WB981 - Sedburgh
Flew the following at Halesland in 1980:
WJ306 - Sedburgh
WB972 - Sedburgh
Also used to drive the winch, and that was a real pig to get off the ground!
Oh happy daze!
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Swanton Morley
April '54 , b. cold! One week course.
2nd or 3rd flight on the Sunday 45 mins or so in Sedburgh got to 3400'. My instructor covered most of the sylibus on the way down. Went solo on the Tues evening in the Cadet. Despite the cold a great week. Eventually became a sort of honary staff cadet and then dropped out after struggling for 9 minutes with the Cadet and being told any fool who couldn't get his "C" in those conditions never would! I turned the same way as the crow in front of me .... he must have had a tigher turning circle because he gained 200' on me very quickly. Now if it had been the single seater I might just have got those vital 6 more minutes.
Staff C.O. Alfie Warminger
Gilbert Burton, Chris Warner
Barry Tempest, staff cadet who became rather good at aerobatics later in life.
An S.A.C. Dixon used to hang around and often drove the winch. He borrowed a Prentice one night and took it to Belgium to visit his girl friend. I think the R.A.F. then sent him to the funny farm.
2nd or 3rd flight on the Sunday 45 mins or so in Sedburgh got to 3400'. My instructor covered most of the sylibus on the way down. Went solo on the Tues evening in the Cadet. Despite the cold a great week. Eventually became a sort of honary staff cadet and then dropped out after struggling for 9 minutes with the Cadet and being told any fool who couldn't get his "C" in those conditions never would! I turned the same way as the crow in front of me .... he must have had a tigher turning circle because he gained 200' on me very quickly. Now if it had been the single seater I might just have got those vital 6 more minutes.
Staff C.O. Alfie Warminger
Gilbert Burton, Chris Warner
Barry Tempest, staff cadet who became rather good at aerobatics later in life.
An S.A.C. Dixon used to hang around and often drove the winch. He borrowed a Prentice one night and took it to Belgium to visit his girl friend. I think the R.A.F. then sent him to the funny farm.
Last edited by Pom Pax; 16th Jul 2002 at 05:44.
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Re Brian's Dixon's post
thanks for the report that WJ 306 was at Halesland in 1980. She was also there in 1977 (Ticketyboo flew her then) so she seems to have been fairly regularly there anyway.
Does anyone know if there is still ATC activity in that area?
PS You can almost get a winch to fly, but you need one of these big modern glass two seaters with a pole-bending pilot on the other end of the wire!
thanks for the report that WJ 306 was at Halesland in 1980. She was also there in 1977 (Ticketyboo flew her then) so she seems to have been fairly regularly there anyway.
Does anyone know if there is still ATC activity in that area?
PS You can almost get a winch to fly, but you need one of these big modern glass two seaters with a pole-bending pilot on the other end of the wire!
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I believe the Ulster Gliding Club still have their Capstan.
Spent an hour or two in it a couple of years ago. Tremendously civilised machine, with enough room to share tea and biscuits comfortably.
Note to self: must get current again!!
grob103
Spent an hour or two in it a couple of years ago. Tremendously civilised machine, with enough room to share tea and biscuits comfortably.
Note to self: must get current again!!
grob103
Hairy crosswinds there is one for sale in the PFA mag Popular Flying I think. Have a root around on pfa.org.uk
I have several fond memories of the T61? Capstan.
1. I got checked out for aerotows in one at Dunstable
2. The BGA used to have a National Coach who used to tour the gliding clubs with a Capstan. I flew with him once at Cranfield and our CFI told me off because this guy was still trying to soar at about 400' and ended up doing a down wind landing.
3. The last time I flew a Capstan was at the Long Mynd when I had to do a touch and go trying to land in a 60 kt wind. Touched down too fast so the instructor closed the spoilers and we did a go around back into the hill lift and my first introduction to wave soaring - absolutely amazing!
1. I got checked out for aerotows in one at Dunstable
2. The BGA used to have a National Coach who used to tour the gliding clubs with a Capstan. I flew with him once at Cranfield and our CFI told me off because this guy was still trying to soar at about 400' and ended up doing a down wind landing.
3. The last time I flew a Capstan was at the Long Mynd when I had to do a touch and go trying to land in a 60 kt wind. Touched down too fast so the instructor closed the spoilers and we did a go around back into the hill lift and my first introduction to wave soaring - absolutely amazing!
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Low n`Slow - Thanks for that, although I wasnīt looking to buy one.
What I remember about the T49/Capstan is that it didnīt have spoilers but these huge plank like airbrakes that extended from both sides of the wing.
An instructor once took over control from me saying that he was going to carry out a dive attack on the tug that was underneath us. I didnīt understand what he was on about, but gave him control and he then put the aircraft into a vertical dive and just hung it on the airbrakes. As I sat there looking at the ground that was now in front of us, and probably with my chin in my lap, the tug bootled by about 600 feet below us and the instructor yelled, "DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA!".
What I remember about the T49/Capstan is that it didnīt have spoilers but these huge plank like airbrakes that extended from both sides of the wing.
An instructor once took over control from me saying that he was going to carry out a dive attack on the tug that was underneath us. I didnīt understand what he was on about, but gave him control and he then put the aircraft into a vertical dive and just hung it on the airbrakes. As I sat there looking at the ground that was now in front of us, and probably with my chin in my lap, the tug bootled by about 600 feet below us and the instructor yelled, "DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA!".
My first ever solo in any type of aircraft was in a Sedbergh at Old Sarum in 1967 (gulp...!!). The cockpit was bigger than most cars at that time. Apparently my approach was applauded as I sideslipped in neatly - not that I had a clue what I was actually doing. In the middle of moving country again at the moment, but I'll check the reg's when I get a chance.
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sedbergh
please note its spelt sedbergh! i flew in one on a cadet leadership course in 78 at sealand. i was all set to do my gliding course at burtonwood(that school is now at samlesbury) but i decided to join the raf instead. if an sac did fly a prentice to belgium, the raf should have sent him for pilot training instead of the funny farm!
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I just got back from the Vintage Glider Club rally in Germany.
There were five T21's including one whose owners (Dutch I think) had embraced the "barge" nickname.
The cockpit was equipped with detachable rowlocks, oars and a foghorn which was sounded while going up the wire launch.
Incidentally the pilot of a Tandem Falke motor glider got it horribly wrong on Saturday and taxied over a live winch cable.
His tail got "launched" and half sawn off, prop stuffed, engine bearers bent. No injuries. The T31 which was on the other end of the cable was also ok.
Question. Can this be the first Messerschmidt product to be allowed as a "confirmed kill" by a T31??
There were five T21's including one whose owners (Dutch I think) had embraced the "barge" nickname.
The cockpit was equipped with detachable rowlocks, oars and a foghorn which was sounded while going up the wire launch.
Incidentally the pilot of a Tandem Falke motor glider got it horribly wrong on Saturday and taxied over a live winch cable.
His tail got "launched" and half sawn off, prop stuffed, engine bearers bent. No injuries. The T31 which was on the other end of the cable was also ok.
Question. Can this be the first Messerschmidt product to be allowed as a "confirmed kill" by a T31??
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Astir 8
A Silly Falke then? (assuming German pronunciation...)
Hope the airframe attendance was better than the one I went to at Lasham in the 80s. Actually the attendance was probably good, just the weather was dire that year and a lot of the visitors stayed in their boxes.
If I can get up Oxford way some time, will definitely see about coming for a jolly with your club. It's about time I had a proper stab at the sport!
Cheers
Treadders!
A Silly Falke then? (assuming German pronunciation...)
Hope the airframe attendance was better than the one I went to at Lasham in the 80s. Actually the attendance was probably good, just the weather was dire that year and a lot of the visitors stayed in their boxes.
If I can get up Oxford way some time, will definitely see about coming for a jolly with your club. It's about time I had a proper stab at the sport!
Cheers
Treadders!
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canberra
The S.A.C. was a fairly reasonable glider pilot, I don't know if he had any power experience. As I think he worked on the Prentices he would have known the start up procedures. He borrowed it about 3.0 a.m. from inside a hangar. He appears to have landed it on a narrowish concrete farm? road undamaged. The next day there were pictures in the Eastern Daily Press. It was summer time so landing was after dawn.
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Astir8, what was the Vintage Glider Rally like this year, I couldnt get to it unfortunately, and as usual the vintage glider clubs web site is as dormant as ever.
Had my first flight in a T21 about 2 months ago at Hus Bus, good but albiet short, fun.
Had my first flight in a T21 about 2 months ago at Hus Bus, good but albiet short, fun.