VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

"We had a very strict inspectors' requirement that they
should break at once any sub-standard work. The workers at
Nitra had not heard about this, and they threw an inspector
into the stream" (probably the Nitm River"CW). Kaurite
glue was used and it was simply a matter of coating one
surface with a black substance and the other with a red substance,
and pressing both surfaces together. When asked about
the improved Kranich 2b-2s (Jastrab 2s) with the rear canopy
higher than the front canopy, he said that only one was built.
When someone mentioned that we had three registrations
for them, he said that the other two must have been built by
Mraz in Bohemia.
At the end of the war, there was no more demand for the
Kranich 2B-2s but, he went around the factory putting all the
parts in order, in the hope that they would not be destroyed
and could be used again.
The main production hangar was destroyed, but many of
the smaller bUildings are still there, but have had other buildings
built on to them. It was impossible for Chris Wills not to
compare the Mraz Nitra firm with Elliotts of Newbury which,
during the war, had a similar number of workers, and where he
was employed from 1952-1954.
It is still not clear whether Mraz at Chotzen (Chosen) built
any Kranich B-2s at all, but all the Mraz Kranich 2B-2s we
have seen have had name plates with: Dr lng. Mraz, Chotzen­
Bohmen on them. Perhaps these were installed during their
building at Nitra
We ask forgiveness from our Czech and Slovak friends for
having called their JERABS Kranich 2B-2s. This was done for
the easier understanding of some of our newer members.
Mr Jiri Havelka, now lives in Slovakia We were all captivated
by his warm personality and were very glad to have met
him. He had printed some black/white photographs from 50
year old negatives, during the night before. These showed
Mraz Nitra's Kranich 2B-2 production. Concerning the Mraz
built JERABS, we believe that of the more than 1,400 built,
none are airworthy, but one may fly during 1999 and another
will be, we hope, restored ,to fly soon.
We hope that we will have another International Rally at
Nitra and, should this happen, we will do our best to bring
Kranich (JERAB) 2s with us for Jiri Havelka and fellow Mraz
Nitra workers to see again as we did not have a single Kranich
2 available to bring to Nitra in 1998. In the near future, there
should be 6 Kranich 2s airworthy in Europe, but only one of
them was built by Mraz. The Mraz firm is now called OrIican
and, after having built the very good Czech contest sailplanes
VSO 100, it has been building the Schempp Hirth DISCUS
fibre glass sailplanes.
(e. Wills thinks that the original Weihe and Grunau Baby 2s
were also redesigned for mass production during the war by
DFS in 1939/40 and that is why the Jacobs Schweyer Weihe
which was mass produced during the war is for ever being
referred tQ as (/ DFS Weihe. Similarly, Kranichs are all often
referred to as DFS Kranichs irrespective of the version or
where they were built. DFS built a production run of60 ofthe
first Weihes from 1938, according to Hans Iacobs. and they
were quite different from the IS Weihes. Normally, we have
been referring to these first Weihes as DFS Weihes, the Last
two ofwhich languish in Finnish Museums.)
THE MOTORISED PETREL
Ted Hull has visited Wing Commander Ken Wallis (of Gyrocopter
fame) and related the following story of the Motorised
Petrel.
"In 1947, the Slingsby Petrel BGA 651 was owned by John
Moore of Reigate who persuaded Wing Commander Ken
Wallis to install an auxiliary motor. He mounted above the
centre section a 268cc twin cylinder two stroke engine, originally
serving as a starter motor for a German Jumo jet engine,
which drove a 30 inch diameter wooden propellor of 10 inch
pitch. The fuel tank of 16 fluid ounces was once a soup tin!
Ken Wallis had to make the installation without altering or
making holes in the Petrel and he achieved this by attaching
everything to new wing pins which had been extended. The
engine, mounting and battery added 30 lbs to the weight of the
glider.
The machine was taken to Redhill for flight testing but
Lame Welch, the CFI, wanted nothing to do with it until the
ARB had given it qualified approval. At that time the Petrel
fortunately had a wheel incorporated into the landing skid and
Hugh Kendal, no light weight at 14 stone, carried out 10 flight
tests. After this, the restrictions imposed by the ARB precluded
any further development flying and the engine was
removed.
The engine and its mounting as still in existence in Ken
Wallis's hangar at Dereham in Norfolk"
(BGA 651 is still flying and is owned by Graham Saw Ed).
A RARE
VINTAGE
n\
Phone, tax or write to:
Stephen Hill
ell aviation
hI serviceS insurance
Itd
Phone: 01765·690777 Fax: 01765·690544
Unit 1A, Sycamore Grange Estate, Copt Hewick,
Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 5DF
J.~
Ifyou have put a lot oftime, effort and
money into a vintage glider, you will want·
to safeguard your investment. We can
help you by providing a reliable and
competitive insurance policy together with
a friendly and efficient service.
16