VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

The Phantom glider designed and made by P.J.Michelmore
in 1931. From C.Wills
Michelmore was a very small man and the Phantom had been
designed to fit him and would therefore be unsuitable for the
majority of pilots. By this time anyway Cloudcraft had gone
bankrupt so as a temporary measure the Phantom was stored
at the RFD Co, Guildford, Surrey. But in January 1932 RFD
stopped all glider manufacturing work and handed it over to
the Lowe-Wyld's British Aircraft Co Lld at Maidstone. On the
13th May 1933 Lowe-Wyld was killed flying a Planette and
his business was taken over by Robert Kronfeld, but in new
premises, so once again the Phantom was moved.
Michelmore had it moved by rail to Patchcroft Railway
station, the nearest to his home where it was dumped, uncovered
on the railway platform.To my astonishment it did not
suffer further damage from vandals or souvenir hunters. From
my log book it wasn't long before we, the Bradford Gliding
Club, reached agreement with Michelmore and promptly collected
it and stored it in a Bradford wool warehouse for a
number of years. The price agreed was £25, suggested by
myself, as being the value of a new double bunjee rope and an
undamaged Smith's Glider Airspeed Indicator both of which
were immediately put to good use. The remains of the glider
were a bonus but not of much use.
(When the BAC stopped all glider work they offered all
their material for sale and their Bat Boat was offered to me but
what became of it I don't know. I did buy a complete set of
control surface hinges for a Hols der Teufel being built by the
Bradford club and which had its first flight on 4th June 1933
at Baildon Moor). Because the Bradford club did not have any
storage space of their own the Phantom was moved several
times until, on the formation of the Yorkshire Gliding Club in
1934 it was transferred to the premises of Fred Slingsby at
Kirbymoorside where after some more years it disappeared,
probably burned. At the same time only the Dickson and the
Hols were taken to Sutton Bank as worthwhile but three other
plimaries, an ancient car and a load of other gliding junk were
just left to rot. A Hols der Teufel Mark I was bought from the
Ukley Ghd,illg Club and taken to the YGC, and that glider has
caused some confusion among later gliding historians.
In some ways the Phantom and the Hunt Sailplane have
this in common, so much work for so little return. Fred Hunt
joined the Commandos and lost his life in North Africa but
what happened to Mr Michelmore is unknown".
The Phantom Sailplane, from "British Gliders 1922-1970, by
Norman Ellison. Designed by Roger Dickson and built by
Cloudcraft Glider Co.
Conventional construction (but see Harold's remarks
below)
Semi cantilever wing with a single strut either side, all
moving tailplane.
Wing span 15.54m 51 ft, Length 7.62m 25ft, wing area
18.58sqm 200 sq ft, Aspect ratio 13 wing section RAF 34
modified, undercarriage, main skid plus tail skid, empty
weight 112kg 247 Ibe, all-up weight 184kg 407 Ibs, wing
loading 9.95 kglsqm 2.04 lbs/sqft. Max LID 26 Price £300.
"The fuselage was semi mOllocoque with the rear part conventional
but the nose to cockpit was made with a comparatively
heavy solid keel, a number of fairly heavy stringers and
heavy narrow panels of ply. The butt joints were lengthwise
and secured by a great many brass screws. That feature played
a prominent part in the machine's end when it was lifted then
dropped on the ground." Harold Holdsworth August 1998.
From AIY Ceelen, in Holland.
Dear Mr. Barry Smith,
Good to see mentioned in the VGC News(Winter '98), the
'Dutch habit' to use English words in their own way. Indeed
we use the word "Oldtimer" for older cars, -ships and -planes
in normal conversation or written articles, but not for persons.
The words 'Vintage' or 'Classic' are typical for English use.
We use the word 'Oldtimer' - "vintage glider" in our own
way. Just the same as we use the word "occasion" for a "secondhand
car". The English word 'occasion' means "bargain',
but the Dutch use the French word 'occasion' but pronounce it
in the English fashion! (In Flemish-Belgium they use for 'secondhand
car' the word: 'okka'sie', derived from the French
word 'occasion'). So you see some foreign words 'fly-over' to
other languages and are used for new expressions.
By the way, did you see the cover of the VGC News Read
the words around the VGC badge:
"Vintage, Old Timer & Classic gliders"!!! What No
'oldUmer'
From Tony Maufe,
I am glad to see the introduction of 'Oldtimer' onto the VGC
logo. All we need to do now is to remove the word 'Vintage'
and return it to its correct usage - namely on bottles of wine
[or port]. [Middle English vendage, vindage, Latin vinum
wine', vintner, etc.]
I believe it was the uncultured motoring fraternity that
started abusing the word 'Vintage'. However, to a scholarly
drunkard who, seeing the word 'Vintage' on the News, could
assume it to be a wine review and could well be confused...
WHITE WINES
1952 Steinadler scraped over the hedge.
1943 Sparlinger soared all day. Looped down from
5630m.
1956 Rhonlerche ...air sick after 45mins. Landed short.
The Red wines could be more exotic - Honza Zlin, Pionyr,
Krajanek.
Has Barry Smith asked the French what they understand by
the word 'Vintage- I recall, whilst in France, stopping at a
Cafe du Rex. I agree with Barry, words do not always translate
quite as intended.
However. Dutch are always understood and understand, so
if they use the word 'old-timer' the rest of the World, most
likely, will comprehend. So 'Old-timer' it is. Reserve
'vintage' for your bottle of port, Barry! 'Veteran' maybe, but
that is another issue.
Hopefully we will fly more next year
38