Andreas Gliding Club T53
 

At least the snow is not affecting our trusty Post Office-from published sources Dad has informed me this glider is the last T53b built by Slingsbys out of the batch of 16 which was converted to partial T53c spec and then passed to Yorkshire Sailplanes who called it the YS53 prototype. Dads entire design was the first prototype the T53a and in his album, alongside a photo of the T53b prototype, he wrote "one year and 3 weeks later the system produced a lighter and weaker T53."
He has determined which glider it was from the BGA and works number plus the fillet fairing at the base of the fin leading edge.On his T53a it was a flat bracket and exposed bolt head. One design rule at Slingsbys was that the top surfaces had to be flush but exposed bolt heads on the underside were ok! The older picture of XB951 was written off at Cranwell in 1972 but rebuilt into a YS53 using the belly of the fuselage only, is not the Andreas T53 but they probably know that ,as it is detailed in Simmons book.

Slingsby Swallow
 

In answer to the question about the Swallow name J K Rushton would probably have known the answer, but unfortunately we do not.I did meet J K Rushton a couple of times as child-he preceded Dad at Slingsbys. However he still remained in touch with Dad.Aother picture you may be interested in is Arthur Brayshaw,Sales Manager, with
F N Slingsby.
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/a...Sailplanes.jpg

T53 Flight Test
 

I carried out the test Flying of the T53B in company with Derek Piggot and also flew The T53A with John Sellars as a Passenger in the rear seat plus
some extra flights for air to air photography.
I also spent time at RAF stations Swanton Morley and Spittalgate introducing the type to the instructors of Nos 1 & 2 Gliding Centres.
At a later stage I carried out the test flying of the aircraft modified to T53C standard but minus the proposed reduction in sweepback.
Later still I carried out the design changes and test flying necessary for
the aircraft to be granted a BGA Cof A under the aegis of Yorkshire Sailplanes. In this configuration the aircraft was designated YS53 Sovereign.

Slingsby T53
 

Many thanks for your reply Geoff-I had been thinking of not continuing with this due to lack of interest,but I have printed off your reply and posted it for tomorrows post.
He never mentioned he had been up in one and I presumed it was the same as my design experience of sitting behind a board and never seeing the finished result!
My other line of enquiy is Sigma which was the next project he worked on and I am in contact with the present keeper who last flew it in1999.
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/a..._Launch_32.jpg

roys,

Do please continue. I am sure there is a lot of interest in both the T53 and Sigma.

I don't think we have had a direct line before on PPRuNe, to the designer of historic aircraft like these.

The cracked runway in your picture of Sigma looks very familiar. Is it Innisfail, Alberta?

Dave Marsden, who took over Sigma, is a long time member of the Edmonton Soaring Club and a Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta. He rebuilt Sigma's wing using slotted flaps, based on his experience from his Gemini two-seater.

There is a previous PPRuNe discussion about Sigma http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...area-quiz.html including a link to a talk by Nick Goodhart
Competition Flying In Sigma

Sigma Sailplane
 

Many thanks for the Sigma links, India Four Two as it does include a general arrangement drawing plus wing sections.
Not too sure of the runway location but can ask next time I email.
I do have 3 original photos of the 10' test specimen of wing that was built showing the flap in and out plus some info of dad as to how the flap mechanism worked but I note that the Sigma thread is closed.Is it possible to get it re-opened?
Off to see him next weekend so any questions?

Sigma Thread
 

roys,

I suggest you start a new thread entitled "Sigma".

The flaps-down profile is amazing. It would be great to see some pictures of the wing before and after Dave Marsden's rebuild.

I have some questions for your Dad. What was the main reason for the performance being lower than expected? Was it the flap seals as I have read and if so, what was the issue?

The flexible lower wing skin on Sigma was one reason it was far draggier than the design spec. The gap between trailing edge and the extending section of the wing was up to 1/4 inch.

The wing section designer, Dr F.X. Wortmann was at Lasham during the initial performance trials. When aked what he thought about the aircraft, he replied enigmatically 'If I wanted to make a swiss watch I would not employ a blacksmith.'

The hydraulic mechanism to pump up an accumulator by pushing the rudder pedals agains a spring caused some amusement - the combination of seating position, strap arrangement, cushion material and ergonomics made it virtually certain that one's trousers would come down when the pump was operated, unles wearing stout braces.

Gemini
 

Hi PW

The last I heard of the Gemini was that some twit retracted the undercart
on the ground and I believe it was written off.

Identity error
 

Hi Roy

The gentleman pictured with Arthur Brayshaw by the Gull 1 is not J K Rushton but is F N Slingsby himself.

Regards

GBW

J K Rushton
 

Corrected! Thankyou.

Swallow name origin
 

Hi Roy

The Swallow was intended to be called Sparrow but when Slingsbys
general manager John Reussner was flying the prototype at low level along the hill at Sutton Bank for Fred Slingsby to take photographs he finished up suspended in the telephone wires !

This brought forth the comment from Fred Slingsby:

'It's joined the Swallows ready for migration' and the name stuck !

The damaged aircraft was aquired and repaired by John Reussner with an extra metre added to each wing root and an extended rear fuselage.
In this form it was named 'Swift'

Golf Bravo Whisky

Nice story GBW...great to have you on the forum,I had a half share in the YS53 and really enjoyed flying the old girl,I remember seeing your name in the paperwork !
Do any of the original T53 flight test reports survive ?
Would be interesting to see any remarks by a professional test pilot !

T53 Flight Test
 

Hi

I have Flight Test Reports for all variants except the first prototype
T53A with flaps. As far as I am aware no quantitative testing was
carried out, only qualitative flying being completed before the decision
to delete the flaps was taken. Hence no report.

I did not fly this aircraft and believe Derek Piggot was the only man to fly it.

GBW

Hi G
Flight test reports from any variant would be interesting,I was just wondering how much difference there was (handling/flying characteristics) between the T53 and the YS53.
I never flew a T53 - just the YS53

rgds baz

T53 Handling
 

Hi|Baz

The main handling difference was much better directional stability of aircraft having the extra fin area on top of the fin. This was a Slingsby
mod on the last T53 they built, works No 1721.

The YS 53 had slightly better aileron control due to re gearing of the
control circuit. However, the ailerons were the worst feature of the
flying controls and it was not possible to improve them without major re design.

Regards

GBW

T53 Test Flying
 

Hi GBW,
Dad recalls being the first back seat passenger in the T53 ,flown by yourself, with a static asi "bomb" connected to a lot of plastic tube which he fed out of the ventilation slide window in the canopy.Flight was from Wombleton over Helmsley. He was most concerned about losing it and bombing Lord Fevershams greenhouses! What was the date and glider concerned?

T53 with JS
 

Hi Roy

My logbook says the flight with your dad took place at Wombleton on
30 March 1967 in the sole T53A ptototype. I do not know the works No of the aircraft but it is almost certainly identified in Norman Ellisons book:
'British Giders and Sailplanes'. Unfortunately I have loaned my copy to a
friend so cannot at this time consult it.

Martin Simons book 'Slingsby Sailplanes' shows photographs of the aircraft
taken on the day of the first flight and also of the first prototype T53 rigged outside the back of the Slingsby factory erroneously labled T53A.

Best Regards, to you and your Dad. Ask him if he's tamed his car horn yet !!

GBW.

T53A protype works no.
 

Works number 1560.

never registered as a CAA or BGA aircraft (almost uniquely for a UK commercially built glider).

Happy to oblige.

By the way, GBW, thanks for confirming the anecdote I heard long ago about the naming of the Swallow. I had forgotten who the pilot was.

T53 Test Flying
 

Thanks for the info GBW-off to see dad on New Years Day so I will see if I can borrow any more photos off him.