Hi Dave, not too busy at work then?

A syndicate at Lasham have a grasshopper that they drag out on the occasional evening.
I've had the pleasure of flying it and all I can say is "What a blast"
Great fun and whooping all the way up the launch.
The brief went something along the lines of - "don't fly it slower than 40kts, on landing don't round out until the last minute as she's so draggy she stops flying pretty quick, enjoy it"

GS

Sedburgh
There also used to be a wonderful photo in the Bicester bar of a lass strapped onto a primary. Either the shoulder straps were doing wonders for her bust measurement or she had the most amazing bra.......
Yup I remember it - she was a true 60's child at the time & very nice on the eyes.:p
The Primary you mean was owned by "Happy Harry" Chapple & not flown that often, I think it may be the one at Keevil but stand to be corrected as usual:O
The RAFGSA owned Primary that I was reffering to was flown & sold (I recall) as stated, I was lucky enough to fly her off the winch a number of times, not so lucky though to see it being flipped upside down (complete with pilot) when the launch cable that I was attached to in the old Twin Astir had somehow got pulled around the outside of it & the "up slack" was swiftly stopped - pilot Ok (the second time he had crashed upside down ironically!) - Primary repaired.

At Halton way back in the '60's, we had a Chief Tech who travelled around CCF schools instructing and maintaining their Grasshoppers. He told us a tale of when he visited one school, their own instructor (a schoolteacher as well) complained that the footrest was loose and there was a bit of structure at the back end which flapped about sideways all the time. Amazingly he was serious!

Quite agree with you Henry. Don't know what the fuss is about. I did an aerotow behind a Chipmunk from Cranwell North around 1961/2 and from 2000ft over the field into wind you could actually do a full 360 deg circuit - albeit you needed to keep it tight. Hanna Reitch and Ann Welch to name but two exponents of the type would turn in their graves at some of the comments here.

Anyone know how to post a pic? Do we need the headmasters permission?

NDB

If you can, please do post a pic as these "gliders" (can you call something that falls with an aspect of 1:8 a glider) I'm most interested.

It was still there in 2004 just before the RAFGSA moved out and the new club moved in

reacher: look here, SG38, Dagling, Grasshoppper, they are all much the same.
As has been mentioned, for some reason some of them have now been equiped with instruments, I can't think why. http://perso.orange.fr/aircollection...sg38nantes.jpg

I flew the Bicester primary while on my Instructor course - as most of my course mates did. I took the wimps option and aerotowed to 1500' - very refreshing after a hot summer's day. Those who took the more heroic winch launch had fun trying to get back to the launch point after 700' max. Not so much a 'glider' as a 'plummeter'. The 'primary streak' was an option offered to us, but no one wanted to be towed over Bicester town at 200' completely naked.

We also dragged the AV36 out of the hanger. I got to soar it. It went up like a dream, but the handling was horrid. By heaving back on the stick you could 'flick loop' it. A very lightweight mate of mine got snatched off the groung by an enthusiatic winch driver. At about 300' the cable back released as the pitch got to about 80 degrees, the thing flick looped and he managed to compose himself enough to land staright ahead. He was a gibbering wreck and had to be lifted out of the thing. I seem to remember that a certain CFI who hated the 'Budgie' accidently ran over the wingtip with a tractor before anyone killed themselves in it. Many years later, someone in my PFA strut mentioned he had bought the wreckage of a glider and would I fly it when restored? It turned out to be the dreaded Budgie. The answer was no!

Always a Sapper
It was still there in 2004 just before the RAFGSA moved out and the new club moved in
Agreed, I was there to the end (of the GSA's occupancy) too but the "new" job & an impossible treck up & down the ever jammed up A34 means I now fly further south, I assume Harry had bought the Primary when it was sold by the GSA as described earlier
Good Flying to everyone on this thread.
R2

For photos & location of primaries see www.rcawsey.fsnet.co.uk

select "Slingsby production lists" & then "T38 Grasshopper"

Clicking on the registrations in purple will reveal the photo

The link on WZ 795 is worth following too!

Flew the Bicester one in the 70's. Aerotow behind very slowly flown Chipmunk to 2000ft then climbed in a gaggle in strong thermal to 5500ft. Then got seriously frightened when I looked down between my legs. Only just made it the 2nm back to the airfield. Only time I ever felt 'vertigo' when flying.
rts
edited to add:
Agree no need for instruments (Bicester a/c had none when I flew it) -wind up your trouser-leg was a good pitot head and you could hear and feel the upper surface flapping as separation occurred close to the stall.

NDB

Check your PMs

Courtesy of NDB

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...asshopper2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...asshopper1.jpg

Mr Farley,

Absolutely classic photos. Love the growbag.

Cheers, ECDI.

Hey, Wait a minute...those are my feet!
Still, whilst I'm there ladies & gentlemen, perhaps you would care to note how I am effortlessly scanning the instrument panel, my eye's picking up the first hint of disturbance etc etc. Never miss a teaching opportunity. You just can't teach this kind of thing!
PS Do I get an apperance fee?

Henry crun

I remember that Dagling, Bill Longley used to display it at station air days with thunder flashes and smoke canisters tied to it. I believe once he was aero-towed across the channel in (on) it. I can't remember what that was to celebrate.

It was Derek Piggott who towed across the channel as part of the Daily Express London to Paris air race.

It's in is book 'Delta Papa' - what a great read that is.............


Arc