Luton Minor
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Luton Minor
I had the honour of doing the flight test for a Luton Minor G-ASXJ, after the engine was rebuilt, 0-145 lycoming, I seem to remember that this was once owned by a famous pilot....possibley ?
Anyone got any history on her just out of curriosity.
Many Thanks Will.
Anyone got any history on her just out of curriosity.
Many Thanks Will.
Last edited by will5023; 28th Dec 2007 at 19:32.
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luton minor
I think you probably mean G-ASXJ which was built by Mr P Lea and Mr A Lingard in Lincolnshire and first registered in 1964 with a 34 hp Ardem(Volkswagen) engine.It was based at Blackbushe in 1970.Looks pretty now in dark blue in G-info picture!!!
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Hi Will I fly a Luton Minor G-BBCY from Errol in Scotland and I think you will be quite amazed at how docile they are. Best part is the cost or lack of it which is one of their biggest assets.
Great to hear that G-AXSJ is back flying.
Great to hear that G-AXSJ is back flying.
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Thanks for the reply guys, have ammended my typo ! Did the test flight after engine rebuild at Farthing Corner. A nice little classic homebuilt, reminded me of my first plane, a Taylor mono G-BDAD along time ago !
Will.
Will.
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Luton Horror
This was one of the worst aircraft I ever flew.
It was a 1st prize at a PFA Rally and the winner would not fly it. We bought it for £3,000 in the mid ninties and flew it for about 4 years. I wrote about it for a mag. It did'nt take off, more like departed with the earth. The throttle was situated in such a poor postion you had to use your thumb to work it, and then it only seemed to work as a volume controll. I can remeber flying it from White Waltham to Cranfield for one of the legendery rallys and it took 1 hour 17 mins. the following year i took my pits G-Loop and it took 17 mins.
It was a 1st prize at a PFA Rally and the winner would not fly it. We bought it for £3,000 in the mid ninties and flew it for about 4 years. I wrote about it for a mag. It did'nt take off, more like departed with the earth. The throttle was situated in such a poor postion you had to use your thumb to work it, and then it only seemed to work as a volume controll. I can remeber flying it from White Waltham to Cranfield for one of the legendery rallys and it took 1 hour 17 mins. the following year i took my pits G-Loop and it took 17 mins.
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Ken.
Such a pity you found "EA" so horrendous.
When I owned her in the late 80's, I found her to be docile and forgiving.
Unlike yourself, the quest for speed was not important to me and the ability to drop into fields when running short of fuel to top up the tank from the two cans I kept behind the seat, was something I'd not care to do many other types.
As for the vagaries of the throttle control. It worked, didn't it!
By the way, thanks for posting the photo of the old girl in the colour scheme I applied but a pity the spinner is missing as I'm sure you'd have been pleased with the additional 2 knots in airspeed I got from her when I first attached it!
Incidentally the blue paint came from the bus company I worked for at the time (it was used in their livery) and guess what, it's called "aircraft blue".
Wherever the old girl is now, I'm sure she's making someone happy!
Such a pity you found "EA" so horrendous.
When I owned her in the late 80's, I found her to be docile and forgiving.
Unlike yourself, the quest for speed was not important to me and the ability to drop into fields when running short of fuel to top up the tank from the two cans I kept behind the seat, was something I'd not care to do many other types.
As for the vagaries of the throttle control. It worked, didn't it!
By the way, thanks for posting the photo of the old girl in the colour scheme I applied but a pity the spinner is missing as I'm sure you'd have been pleased with the additional 2 knots in airspeed I got from her when I first attached it!
Incidentally the blue paint came from the bus company I worked for at the time (it was used in their livery) and guess what, it's called "aircraft blue".
Wherever the old girl is now, I'm sure she's making someone happy!
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Will
My Dad used to own ASXJ, and I spent many happy hours flying her as a 17 year old just after I got my PPL.
I know she was built as one of a pair by a piano tuner in Lincolnshire and that my Dad brought her from a small strip near Boston in Lincolnshire (where Lincs Aerial spraying used to be based) in the mid eighties.
We went all over the place in her. I remember one memorable flight back from Shoreham to Halton watching the cork and piano wire fuel guage gradually get lower and lower as I flew back into a moderate headwind. I landed with about 1/2gal on board.
On another occasion my Dad was flying back from Duxford to Halton when the venerable 0145A spat out a spark plug around luton. The engine kept running (albeit lumpily) on three cylinders, but would not maintain height. My Dad got back to Halton on a long straight in gently descending final, passing over the boundary hedge with around 100' or so of spare.
Eventually my Dad brought a Jungmann, and after a couple of years of owning both planes, we reluctantly sold ASXJ arund about 1990.
It was a smashing little aeroplane. I really liked the unusual baby lycoming (once we got the hang of starting her!).
cheers
5footface
My Dad used to own ASXJ, and I spent many happy hours flying her as a 17 year old just after I got my PPL.
I know she was built as one of a pair by a piano tuner in Lincolnshire and that my Dad brought her from a small strip near Boston in Lincolnshire (where Lincs Aerial spraying used to be based) in the mid eighties.
We went all over the place in her. I remember one memorable flight back from Shoreham to Halton watching the cork and piano wire fuel guage gradually get lower and lower as I flew back into a moderate headwind. I landed with about 1/2gal on board.
On another occasion my Dad was flying back from Duxford to Halton when the venerable 0145A spat out a spark plug around luton. The engine kept running (albeit lumpily) on three cylinders, but would not maintain height. My Dad got back to Halton on a long straight in gently descending final, passing over the boundary hedge with around 100' or so of spare.
Eventually my Dad brought a Jungmann, and after a couple of years of owning both planes, we reluctantly sold ASXJ arund about 1990.
It was a smashing little aeroplane. I really liked the unusual baby lycoming (once we got the hang of starting her!).
cheers
5footface
Used to have the same engine in a PA-15. Nice smooth running, but 65HP seemed optimistic 
Getting spares got a bit of a problem as even the USA sources were drying up.
I remember that we went through quite a few aluminium and copper head gaskets
Getting spares got a bit of a problem as even the USA sources were drying up.
I remember that we went through quite a few aluminium and copper head gaskets
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S205-18F,
If Will is who I think he is (and I'm pretty sure he is). He will know of G-BBCY. He used to be the strut co-ordinator of the strut that formed the shoestring flying group, flying ... G-BBCY down here in Sussex. She was a lovely aeroplane to fly and I was very sad to see her fly fly north after she reappeared near to me at Goodwood a couple of years ago.
SS
If Will is who I think he is (and I'm pretty sure he is). He will know of G-BBCY. He used to be the strut co-ordinator of the strut that formed the shoestring flying group, flying ... G-BBCY down here in Sussex. She was a lovely aeroplane to fly and I was very sad to see her fly fly north after she reappeared near to me at Goodwood a couple of years ago.
SS
