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-   -   Jackaroo (https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/570971-jackaroo.html)

PAXboy 22nd Nov 2015 18:25

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.

treadigraph 22nd Nov 2015 18:37

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.

munster 22nd Nov 2015 18:45

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.

norwich 22nd Nov 2015 18:46

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

DaveReidUK 22nd Nov 2015 19:09

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.

GGR155 22nd Nov 2015 19:27

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

PAXboy 22nd Nov 2015 19:46

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?

treadigraph 22nd Nov 2015 20:06

Nice little film

clunckdriver 22nd Nov 2015 20:18

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.

scotbill 22nd Nov 2015 21:51

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

Genghis the Engineer 22nd Nov 2015 21:56

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

DaveReidUK 22nd Nov 2015 22:07


Originally Posted by Genghis the Engineer (Post 9188630)
There are two currently flying on the UK register.

Based at Henlow and Headcorn respectively.

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

oftenflylo 23rd Nov 2015 09:59

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

CSman 23rd Nov 2015 10:13

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

Fitter2 23rd Nov 2015 10:40


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
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.

clunckdriver 23rd Nov 2015 10:56

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!

oftenflylo 23rd Nov 2015 11:13

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.

DaveReidUK 23rd Nov 2015 12:01

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.

oftenflylo 23rd Nov 2015 15:08

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!

Planemike 23rd Nov 2015 19:33

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

DaveReidUK 23rd Nov 2015 22:00


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.
The photos that survive of the Thruxton-built Jackaroos mostly show a kink in the turtledeck just aft of the canopy, apart from G-ANZT which has a smooth profile and a tapered fuselage. That's also the case for the confirmed Rollason-built example G-APOV, so it would certainly seem possible that, despite what Jackson says, G-ANZT was also a Rollason conversion.

Edit: This source:

http://all-aero.com/index.php/contac...xton-jackaroo-

suggests that G-ANZT was a Thruxton conversion, subsequently acquired and modified by Rollason as a precursor to carrying out their own conversion on G-APOV.

That sounds more likely.

oftenflylo 24th Nov 2015 07:18

Not really interest what folk have put on web-sites in recent years.
Pleased you dug out the indian reggie.
As for G-ANZT I think we are all thinking/remembering along similar lines. The slight difference might be conversion (& completion) by Rollasons.
The real abomination was the crop sprayer with the cut-down deck, a single pilots seat on left side with even less sightline to the right, additional drag etc. Somebody must be able to put a picture up here.


As an aside Airspray initially use G-APHZ as a sprayer but quickly took the kit off.

treadigraph 24th Nov 2015 09:09

The single seat crop sprayer appears in the video I posted on first page. Can't find any pics on web. There is a pic of 'PHZ in her dusting outfit!

Planemike 24th Nov 2015 10:11

"""Not really interest what folk have put on web-sites in recent years."""

No, but other readers of the thread maybe interested in seeing them.


""""As for G-ANZT I think we are all thinking/remembering along similar lines. The slight difference might be conversion (& completion) by Rollasons. """

This looks possible, G-INFO shows NZT initially registered to WSF and then to Rollasons, transferred in Mar/Apr 58. Transferred back to WSF in Jun 64.

clunckdriver 24th Nov 2015 12:43

Well, managed to get Tom and Bob of the "Tiger Boys" on the phone yesterday before they go South for the winter where they carry on their restoration work in hangars which dont require heating! They own and fly Jakaroo CF-PHZ, which I belive started life in 1937 as a DH82A, Im away from any decent internet hook up at the moment but if someone Googles this registration it seems to have had an" interesting" life, including being in France during the Germam invasion! Im on my way next week I hope before they depart for warmer climes and hope to get some pictures along with advice on some work to be done on one of our Gipsy engines, Sorry to be so brief but our world just turned very white and have snow equipment to prepare!

oftenflylo 24th Nov 2015 14:02

Planemike - Sorry did not quite mean it like that. I always hope someone will put up their own photos from long time ago. The ag-abomination request was just such a hoped for....
These made up pages like Wiki Aerod etc are just grabs of bits & become gospel. I find two complete pages on Wiki credited to me - never did it, somebody else has & put their errors in..
Overlooked, so far, the original G-AMTX - which later grew in to G-APJV and G-ALIV which was another not completed (might have blossomed later as G-APsomething).

DaveReidUK 24th Nov 2015 14:13


They own and fly Jakaroo CF-PHZ
Lovely looking example. If that can be said of any Jackaroo. :O

http://www.airteamimages.com/pics/46/46159_800.jpg

oftenflylo 24th Nov 2015 14:17

ooooo -look -they've fitted Canadian 'raked' legs!

Planemike 24th Nov 2015 14:32

oftenflylo....

Yes, agree G-AMTX morphed into G-APJV. No signs of G-ALIV (T6247) moving onto another identity, although the registration document has been amended to show type change from deH82A to Thruxton Jackaroo. Think this is another one to add to the other four "might have beens".

oftenflylo 24th Nov 2015 14:52

The one up the road here is fully assembled & could be flown

treadigraph 24th Nov 2015 15:03


Originally Posted by oftenflylo (Post 9190448)
ooooo -look -they've fitted Canadian 'raked' legs!

And a tailwheel!

India Four Two 24th Nov 2015 16:43

I saw one performing in a Tiger Club display at Ramsgate Airport in the 50s.

Two questions:

1. Why Jackaroo?

2. Was it really a four-seater?

Wiki says about 800 lb useful load, so with full fuel - 120 lb?, there is room for four 170 lb people. I know people were skinnier back then, but this seems a bit fanciful. I noticed in the video that one of the passengers was quite young. ;)

I wonder what the performance was like at max. AUW.

VictorGolf 24th Nov 2015 17:52

Well, back in Summer 1959, a pal and I were on a plane spotting trip down to Cornwall from Blackpool when we called in to Thruxton. Lovely Summer's day and a Jackaroo was sitting on the grass and being 19 and therefore a fount of knowledge on everything, I casually said "well that will never take 4 people". Naturally I was overheard by a bearded aviator who said "find me 3 people and we'll go flying". So I did and we did! And neither my chum nor I were 7 stone weaklings of Charles Atlas fame. Unfortunately my log doesn't reveal the registration which is pretty poor for an ex-spotter.

norwich 24th Nov 2015 19:18

I have found a couple more photos, not old I am afraid, taken within the last four years I imagine ? at Northrepps Cromer .... I hope I have sized them better this time ???? Enjoy !


Keith.


http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...fc6d4c2f1f.jpg


http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...1ae9dfce17.jpg

Fitter2 24th Nov 2015 21:36


2. Was it really a four-seater?
Among the sorties in my logbook, one in 1969 when the weather was too rubbish to launch gliders, Jackaroo G-APAM, pilot Ralph Jones, passengers John Thorne (who used to own Compton Abbas), Ron Wright (ex RCAF CF-100 nav) and myself flew Upavon - Nympsfield to see if the weather was better there. It wasn't. The other 3 had a pint or two, and I was designated pilot back to Upavon when the cloudbase lifted a bit.

It could carry 4 up (cruise about 65 mph).

thetexpat 25th Nov 2015 02:08

I believe this may be the 'missing' crop-spraying Tiger referred to:

[IMG]http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/y...psc284690c.jpg[/IMG]

Pic was taken when I was 'doing' my PPL @ Thruxton JUL-AUG.1961!

thetexpat

DaveReidUK 25th Nov 2015 06:46


I believe this may be the 'missing' crop-spraying Tiger referred to
That looks more like a regular Tiger Moth, rather than the crop-sprayer Jackaroo.

oftenflylo 25th Nov 2015 07:26

Yup G-AMTO - regular Tiger but with the larger screen to aid visibility & the ability to look over both sides. The Thruxton conversion appears in the treadigraph film-link much earlier in the thread.

Planemike 25th Nov 2015 07:50

Victor Golf............

You beat me to it by about three years. My first visit to Thruxton was to attend Thruxton Air Races 16 September 1962. Seem to recall there was a Jackaroo race with about six aircraft taking part. Down in the hangar I remember seeing Miles Falcon G-ADTD, this was to crash a week later practising for Shoreham Air Races.

Think your "bearded aviator" could be Pat Shea Simmonds who was the "test pilot" for the Jackaroo.

treadigraph 25th Nov 2015 07:59

Would Pat Shea-Simmonds be Charlie's dad?


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