Jackaroo
 

Anyone heard of this big modification to a G.Moth so that it had an enclosed cabin and 4 seats? I have seen a photo og G-AOIR but do not have it to hand at this stage.

Perhaps 20 Tiger Moths converted to four seat Jackaroos at Thruxton, late 50s and early 60s. Rollasons did one too for the Tiger Club. I think one or two survivors were de-modified back to Tiger Moths.

Sheila Scott owned and raced one before she acquired her Comanche.

I had the pleasure of a ride in G-APAP a couple of months ago. It spent several years as a Jackaroo before being converted back.

The only photo I can find quickly is of G-AOIR at Lt Gransden some years ago .... but doesn't show the cockpit canopy very well ??


Keith


http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...n/DSC_0130.jpg

Eighteen conversions at Thruxton, plus one that wasn't completed. The one-off Rollason conversion was to a slightly different design with a tapered rear fuselage rather than the characteristic Thruxton "tadpole" shape.

G-APAP Thruxton Jackaroo was our tug aircraft at Moonrakers Gliding Club RAF Upavon in Wilts. It was there up to 1973 when I left. Learned the art of prop swinging on this old girl. Great fun.
GGR

Ah, great and prompt response thank you! The man who did the engineering detail for it has just died and I am gathering a little extra information for the family.

He started at Fairey in Hayes, and went to the College of Aeronautics. Then Martin Baker and Baynes Aircraft Interiors before moving into the construction line but aviation was his life long interest. Many other things along the way.

Are any jackaroos still airworthy?

Yes, quite a few flying, my wife and I were at the Woburn Abbey fly in this year, one flown by a lady did very well at "balloon busting" and flying under the "Limbo banner", We have in fact thought about buying one as our DH Hornet Moth has a very snug cockpit with very little pay load and it would be nice to take more than one person flying at vintage gatherings over this side of the pond.

Classic "variable noise, constant speed" aeroplane with four up!

I'd love to fly one, but so far have only been able to admire at a couple of vintage aircraft fly-ins.

There are two currently flying on the UK register.

https://www.caa.co.uk/application.as...oo&dataindex=0

and

https://www.caa.co.uk/application.as...oo&dataindex=2

G

Based at Henlow and Headcorn respectively.

You can fly in the latter: Fly in the Jackaroo - Aero Legends

Clunkdriver - Suggest you go the whole hog and get a Dragon.

Ah, the Jackaroo, flew one, G-APJV as part of my PPL together with Tiger Moth G-AOUY in 1959. Both owned by the Glamorgan Flying Club If I remember right the Jackaroo Climb Speed was 80 the cruise speed was 80,and the best descent speed was 80 So long ago Csman

Minor correction, the Upavon based Jackaroo was G-APAM, owned by Ralph Jones, and the one originally owned by Sheila Scott. I did my first aerotow from the front end of the rope in PAM, with 11 hours power total in my logbook. We used her as a tug at Inkpen from 1972, when Moonrakers closed. There was another Jackaroo at the Army Club at Netheravon at the time.

I remember it being a one-speed type, but nearer 60 kts than 80; also the 12 inch speader bar in the undercarriage to cater for the increased fuselage width making it far more docile than a standard DH82 in a crosswind.

PAM is now converted back to a proper Tiger, based at a strip near Hungerford.

Oftenflylow, We are looking for one at this time, but dont want to buy a restoration project, have done enough of that, so somthing with more payload would fit the bill, the Waco series seem to be along the right lines and are more common than DH products this side of the pond, but maybe we have enough toys for our time left on the top side of the grass!

I only came for the entertainment. Don't think anybody needs a Jackaroo. WSF greatest achievement was announcing at Farnboro they had sold one to India. I seem to think bits shipped & a registration was allocated by the Madras authorities. Before wisdom prevailed.

I can't find any trace of that Indian Jackaroo, but ex-WSF examples certainly made their way to Nigeria, Argentina and Canada in the late 60s/early 70s.

Madras aeroclub ordered one - kit was shipped - I saw a reggie quoted in about 1965 -that did not appear as 82a or Jackaroo. Rollasons built two NZT & POV.
keep up!

Have done some sleuthing on Jackaroo histories.


It would appear that G-APAK (with that reg you would expect it to go to the country next door!!) was intended as a Jackaroo conversion. Conversion never took place: cancelled from UK register 18 Jun 69. The airframe was apparently shipped to the Madras Flying Club and registered VT-DOF. It was overhauled, acquiring the "c/n" MFC-06/61. It was eventually cancelled from the Indian register 21 Nov 69.

Four more Tiger Moths were intended for conversion N6667 (G-APRB), T8197 (G-APRC), N6585 (G-APSU) and DE636 (G-APSV). None of these was converted.

A J Jackson's BCA 1919 - 1972 Volume III states 18 were built by Jackaroo Aircraft Ltd (Wiltshire School of Flying) and ONE was built by Rollasons
(G-APOV).

I was always under the impression G-ANZT was a Rollason machine but it would appear this is not the case, unless anyone knows otherwise.

G-ANZT and G-AOIR remain airworthy in UK. At least one other remains in store. It is likely G-APHZ is still be airworthy in Canada as C-FPHZ formerly CF-QOT...http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1150970/ http://www.airpixbycaz.co.uk/cazsite...ania/mm09.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thruxt...s_Jackaroo.JPG