VGC News/Newsletters - Lakes Gliding Club

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CAMPHILL VINTAGE GLIDING GROUP PROGRESS REPORTOwning four gliders, three wrecked T21 s and a T31, can betoo much of a good thing and a decision was needed to betaken, whether to continue with Plan A, and work on the T31first, as the smaller and cheaper job, or on the T21 "3 into I"project. The decision was taken, on the basis of which wouldattract the quickest finance and hopefully enthusiasm, the T21winning the day.In the event, both finance and workers did not materialiseat quite the rate we hoped and we failed to meet our target ofcompletion by this year's Slingsby Rally at Sutton Bank; afact that will not surprise anyone who has restored aircraft,particularly where a group is concerned. However, significaJiltprogress has been made and we were able to test rig a virtuallycompleted "3 into I" fuselage with the chosen wingsfrom 2 aircraft with the tailplane from another. (See photo)Our plans after completion of the T21 in time for nex'tyear's Slingsby Rally, (watch this space) win be to sell on theremaining T21 parts to another rest'orer to do a "2 into 1", andthen move on to the T31.On the pIllS side we have a well equipped vintage workshopwhich is better than the Club's, power and hand toolshave been donated and we have already trained some workers.A winter working schedule is now being planned and if anyVGC member in the area wOllld like to take part in any waywe would like to hear from them.lan Dunkleythe club has everything, the club height record is over 23000 ftand 500km triangles have been flown in glass, if not in wood.Our weather is not as bad as our reputation as 'Damphill' atthe 1954 World Championships suggested and there is plentyto do if you cannot fly; you could help restore vintage gliders,for example.In order to promote Camphill as a Vintage Centre the cluboffers all Vintage Glider Club members free reciprocal membershipfor up to 28 days per year with camping, caravanspace, or clubhouse accomodation at club rates. Whether youcome for a week, a weekend or just a day, with or without anairc~aft, you will be made welcome. If you do plan to come asa group, or with an aircraft simply ring John McKenzie on01298871270, or write and we will take it from there.The Derby & Lanes Gliding Club's buildings at Camphill.Photo lan DunkleyThe 121 being restored by the Vintage Glider Group at Camphill.Photo lan Dunkley.A VINTAGE GLIDING CENTRE IN THENORTH?Camphill, the home of the Derbyshire and Lancashire GlidingClub, is one of the oldest gliding club sites in the UK. Whilstkeeping lip to date with modern facilities and virtually allglassfleet, the club has probably changed less over the yearsthan most sites. With modern winches, a bungee slope, a clubhouse based on an old farm house, a hangar which couldqualify as a listed building and an established Vintage GliderGroup, it is an ideal candidate for a Northern VintageCentre.Located in the centre of the Peak National Park whereaero-tows are not permitted, it is surrounded by some of themost attractive country in the UK, an ideal holiday area evenbefore gliding is considered. With ridge, wave and thermalsUndercover storage for the winter is available less than onemile away from Carnphill, so you could store your glider thereand ,tow it out to fly. What better way to try Camphill andprotect your glider at the same time?A future possibility is the organisation of a 'Wooden Compel'ition',1950s style, if vintage 1950s retrieves are acceptable,or based on closed circuits if not. Comments on this ideaare awaited ..The free reciprocal membership is limited to members ofthe VGC so any syndicate partners or crew who are notmembers would have to join to qualify. Why not give them anapplication form now?lan DunkleyAs well as Ian's letter we have also received the followingletter from the Chairman of the Derby & Lancs Gliding Club.Ed.Dear Mr ShrimptonThe Derbyshire and Lancashire Gliding Club in line withmany other clubs have adopted the policy of offering free reciprocalmembership for those who wish it.We therefore have pleasure in offering this facility tomembers of the Vintage Glider Club and we would welcomeany of your members to fly at, and enjoy the facilities of, theDerby and Lancs Club without any form of payment for20
membership. We would also, because of the uniqueness ofyour set up, not expect you to offer members of our club reciprocalfree membership.[f you wish to take advantage of our offer your memberswould be most welcome to fly with us either on an individualor group basis at any time.Yours sincerelyFRANK TOWNSENDChairmanHOOKED!My Log Book records that it was on the 15th April 1967 that,as an early solo pilot, I undertook my first flight as a contestantin an official competition. My mount was a SlingsbyTutor which had been "cobbled" together with bits fromdivers other Sproule type gliders; and adorned with a homemadecanopy and a resplendant bottle green and white topcoat ,it was, in those early days, the Club's hot ship. I clearlyremember hurtling down the runway on the back of a coupleQfthousand feet of 12swg (.104") piano wire (£5. 12s. Od.)which Was suitably attached to an Austin Princess car(£25.1Os. Od.) and achieving a very creditable launch height ofIOooft - launch fee, Is. 6d.!The task was to fly a text book circuit and land within theconfines of two markers, so placed as to ensure that thelanding had a cross wind component.I thought that I did reasonably well but, as every early solopilot will be aware, all CFIs appear to be blessed with peripheralvision which somehow exceeds 360 degrees in bothazimuth and elevation. They also seem to possess a vocabularyto match this extraordinary "sense" and as this incumbentwas no exception, I duly received the benefits of his observations!To cut a long story short this competition was the 1967W.D. & H.O. Wills Competition that could win for the Clubwhich produced the person who was considered to be the bestsolo pilot, a brand new Slingsby Swallow. Needless to say,yours truly never reached the finals of this unique competitionbut it did introduce me, with some vengeance, to the OttfurRelease Unit.Apparently one of the final tests in the competition was toassemble from a pile of unrelated bits of ironmongery, onecomplete and functional Ottfur Release Unit and to assist youin this task you were permitted to use a few standard handtools.Now, from my comments above regarding my then residentCFI it will come as no surprise to be told that he had the verybright idea ithat this exercise would be well wOl1h trying onsome of his Own early solo wards - one if which was me!It took me over an hour not to complete the task and toafflict third degree lacerations to the thumb and first andsecond fingers of both hands and to conclude that the task wassimply quite impossible. Also, 1 took an oath that never againwould] venture into the inner workings of these malevolentmechanical assemblies called Ottfurs, and even now, somethirty years after that painful and frustrating experience, Imust admit to still having a serious hang up with such thingsas Chinese Puzzles you get out of Christmas Crackers, andRubic Cubes.[n late 1995 I was working, together with a couple of likeminded colleagues on the restoration of Colin Street'sOlymp'ia 2 when he suggested that we might be interested inre-establlishing an Ottfur Release support service for the 'olderglider' fraternity. He advised us that some time previously hehad procured the design and manufacturing rights fromSlingsby and/or Vickers and as the available ex-MOD (UK)spares were now beginning to dry up it seemed an opportunetime to seriollsly consider such a project.My instinctive reaction was to duck the issue but my colleagueswere deeply involved in other areas, so I, having thebreaking strain of a dehydrated Kit-Kat and secretly hopingthat given time the suggestion would die a natural death,reluctantly agreed to conduct a feasibility study.Within a few days Colin presented me with a plastic folderfull of drawings, a box full of Ottfur bits, some new, butmostly unserviceable and four wooden trays containing half aton of tooling.Out of the plastic folder fell a little bit of gliding history.Here w,ere some of the original Ottley Motors Ltd: drawings,many updated or redrawn by Slingsby. The drawingscovered all of the Ottfur configurations and except for theassembly and functional test procedures the package wascomplete. It did not take long to conclude that, given suitableresources, it would not only be possible to produce new sparecomponents but also complete new units.It took even less time to discuss and decide to proceed withthe project.My long-standing aversion to the inner workings promptedme to co-opt the assistance of my unflappable friend from pastrestoration days, Bob Stringer who, with the aid of a couple ofserviceable units, took on the task of writing the assemblyprocedures together with the design and manufacture of anyspecialised assembly tooling which would be necessary.As for the test procedures - more of these later.Next came the ~ooling. Much of it was in dire need of somededicated TLC, but with the exception of a couple of items,complete. There were Drill Jigs, Welding Jigs, Ring Mandrels,Jogglimg Tools and Press Dies, all of which were, at firstglance, useable. Here again Bob came up trumps with thedesign work for some missing Drill Jigs which were thensuperbly machined and assembled by Dave Linford of theEast Sussex G.c.Equivalents for the original material specifications weredetermined and, after some experimentation with these newmaterials, it was decided to discard the Press Dies in favour ofLaser cutting;. this process, together with surface hardeningand fablication being sub-contracted out to professionals. Furthermore,the etch primer and paint process proved to besomewhat of a health and safety problem so it is now plannedfor pl'Oduction units to be zinc plated.The big headache did not appear until the test procedureswere considered. Without the original Slingsby documentationit was difficult to know where to begin. Obviously in thecase of dle Ottfur it was necessary to comply with the requirementsdefined In BCAR Section E, but was it necessary toconsider JAR 22?In September 1983 the Australians had produced a reportfor the OSTIV Meeting which indicated that the release pullloads for 'wom' Grtfur units were well in excess of thosedefined in JAR 22. They made no reference to BCAR, so tocheck out their data and evaluate BCAR requirements a TestRig was manufactured by another restoration colleague, MickDunford, and with many thanks to Crawley College, suitablycalibrated.21
Page 3 and 4: VGCNewsNo. 89 Autumn 1996ContentsFr
Page 5 and 6: participants should not subsidise o
Page 7 and 8: RalliesTHE RALLY OF THE WHISPERINGW
Page 9 and 10: In 1927, Marshal! Balbo had founded
Page 11 and 12: increase to 32 or 33 degrees at mid
Page 13 and 14: THE THIRD CZECH NATIONAL VINTAGE GL
Page 15 and 16: Thursday 1st August Yesterday's wea
Page 17 and 18: Thursday 8th August The weather was
Page 19 and 20: FeaturesTo start what we hope will
Page 21: DART CAMBRIDGE.~IA single-seat sail
Page 25 and 26: 23J~ _Spruce Goose going up on the
Page 27 and 28: Neil Scully is working on the Gruna
Page 29 and 30: ObituariesWaiter DittmarThe death h
Page 31 and 32: Wi,th the Gull 4, a possible rival
Page 33 and 34: om~I6.&023._--2750---HB -11HB·347~
Page 35 and 36: From Colin and A/ice Anson.The othe
Page 37 and 38: Classified AdsFOR SALE & WANTEDSmal
Page 39: "You con bank on us"-------------..

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