Mr. B. Franklin representing More on the Woodley Town Council. We and M52. also take this opportunity to (Jeremy Miles) thank their predecessors, Mr. I Brown and Mrs. M. Knight (who The Falcon fitted with razor- continues ex-officio) for their edged wings seen by David contributions at the meetings Miles (no relation as far as I and support. know) was, of course, the Gil- lette Falcon. If others have already provided this informa- tion (or even different informa- Volume 2 Number 15 Engineering Report (Geoff Etridge) tion sorry). Editorial There has been good progress on The airframe was one which had (Brian Lloyd) a number of items during the been sold to Farnborough for re- search into various wing figura- A two page coloured Feature ap- past few months with special thanks to the Wednesday volun- tions and was returned to Wood- peared in the August 08 ley to have a pair of M52 style “Flypast” magazine, written by teers – known within the Mu- seum as “The Wednesday Boys” wings fitted to explore the low the Editor Ken Ellis who kindly speed handling of the bi-convex attended the opening ceremony. . The replace- thin wing intended for the super- Many visitors have made com- ment wing section has been fit- sonic project; it was never used plimentary comments about the ted for a trial fit and the mount- in a wind tunnel being, of shop and the “Bob Brown” hall. ings had to be modified to facil- course, too big. After some pre- itate fitment of the tapered wing liminary flight trials it was fitted mounting pins, which was with the all-moving tail also in- kindly manufactured by Brian tended for the M52. I remember Lamb. The engineering team seeing the Gillette Falcon in the have started to remake the lead- Experimental shop with wooden ing and trailing edges, after battens clamped onto the leading which the wing section will be and trailing edges because, ap- removed in order to marry it up parently, someone had inadvert- with the outer section, prior to (photo: Geoff Etridge) ently walked into the wing and covering and painting. had cut his head open, not fatally ALAN LOTT. We regret to : the forward I assume. report the death, at the age of cowling manufacture is pro- According to Eric Brown, it was 86, of Alan Lott on September gressing. The left hand side is th not (probably predictably) espe- 28 2008. Alan was a great now completed and the right cially pleasant to fly but did supporter of the Museum and hand side is being manufactured. demonstrate that the low-speed always full of good ideas. Any- Miles Student: the rear fuselage handling, including the stall, of thing to do with filming was framework is now fitted and the the M52 would not present any his passion and he helped to engine compartment rebuild is in undue problems. “Low speed” in compile many video docu- progress. Some of the control the case of the M52 was prob- mentaries, including one about rods are being altered in order to ably somewhere around the Company facilitate rigging the and 150knots, rather above the max- which is on sale, including on elevator rigging. imum speed of the Falcon disc, at the Museum of which, being lighter, stalled at a Berkshire Aviation. lower speed. We welcome the two replace- Thank you Mr. Miles for this ment Committee Members. Mrs contribution. Any additional P. Jorgensen representing Wok- contributions welcome. ingham Borough Council and

Museum of Berkshire Aviation Newsletter – Winter 2008 Lindbergh’s Mohawk proud to have been able to as- Attention Gift Aid Donors. Any- (Ken Fostekew) sist, albeit in a modest way. one who has kindly completed a Gift Aid form are reminded that In March 2008 the Museum of you must be a UK Tax Payer to Berkshire Aviation was asked by News ensure the Museum recovers the the RAF Museum Hendon for (Brian Lloyd) contribution from the HM Rev- assistance with the colour enue and Customs. If you quali- scheme for the M.12 Mohawk, Did You Know: A Miles Aer- fy and have not completed a Gift as it was about to go to the paint ovan crashed in June 1947. It Aid form, these are available shop for finishing. There was no took off from Croydon Aero- from our Treasurer. doubt about the shade of black, drome and came down in a field but the shade of orange was an- opposite Pampisford Road, other matter. South Croydon. The three occu- Regarding the Weihi - Museum volunteer Monty Cook pants were released by a mem- Miles Aeronautical Tech- ber of the public wielding a is probably the only person alive nical School today to have seen this aircraft long-handled axe. During the when new, in fact Monty refu- evening vans took away a cargo by Dorothy Whitfield (later Mrs. elled the aircraft for Charles of baskets containing some 4000 Nicholas) 1945/1946 ? Lindbergh here at Woodley racing pigeons said to be en (handwritten) route to . when asked if Charles Lindbergh Some time last term the school spoke to Monty he said yes, "just Courtesy, Best of British was suddenly (so it seemed to don't spill fuel on the Magazine, www.bestofbritish- me) confronted with bits and paintwork". mag.co.uk pieces of woodwork. Apparently Shortly after the remains were E-mail: [email protected] Commander Wills had offered recovered from the United ness.co.uk these to the Miles Technical Stales, where School with the idea that the The Maidenhead Heritage school should start to construct a restoration had been started by Centre Opens at the new sailplane - for these bits and Mr Lou Casey, a group of volun- Premises. Worth a visit to see pieces were no less than the teers were invited to visit Skys- over 3,000 historic objects, in- parts of the German Weihe - in port Engineering to view the cluding aviation items and in- contrast with the twin-engined aircraft. Whilst there a piece of formation/pictures about White Venture. The idea, no doubt, be- original ply skin was found and Waltham. ing that building a glider would when cleaned was found to be 01628 780555. WWW.Maiden- be a much simpler effort than a the original shade of orange, headheritage.org.uk Address is powered aircraft - and would Monty Cook had taken with him 18, Park Street, Maidenhead, take less time. an old orange tooth brush which SL6 1SL. Open each day, and was the exact match with the Next was heard that a certain Second Sunday of the month, piece of ply skin. Why Monty few intelligent people (not in- 10.00 to 1300hrs. just had an old orange tooth- cluding me ?!) had been selected brush in his pocket, it would be Mr. John Fairey. One of our Pat- to check all the German draw- better to ask him! Dulux colour rons, John Fairey, met 51 other ings, which had come with the charts were obtained and we Test Pilots at their Reunion on Weihe and to discover what oth- were able to select a shade of or- 8th July 2008 at Popham Arfield. er drawings would be needed. A ange, along with a piece of Mon- These pilots are both current and school meeting was held in the ty's toothbrush to send to Hen- retired. The Reunion was large lecture room at which any- don. The result is a very spectac- sponsored by Rolls Royce and a body could fire questions at the ular looking aircraft and great panoramic picture of all of the few, so that the whole school credit to all who were involved attendees appeared in the should know what was being with the restoration. The Muse- September edition of “Aero- done. At that time a glider or a um of Berkshire Aviation is plane” magazine. sailplane to me was just a non- powered aircraft, which was

Museum of Berkshire Aviation Newsletter – Winter 2008 towed along and then let loose that I was wanted in the office; though there are the inevitable on its own - any idea of thermals then the owner of the voice few who do not manage to do and other meteorological phe- telling me in person that the time their work, the majority are hard nomena just did not exist in my had come when the sailplane working individuals, who are ignorant brain. I did not really needed a real “boffin” on the keen and all try their hardest to see why a glider should not glide job, to work out its aerodynamic do their best. downward without mishap, pro- and stress it, and that I had been It took a few days to settle in, viding its C.G. position was al- chosen for the job. but I felt as though I was expect- right. From that day, my idea of the ed to have stressed half the Wei- The thought of a non-powered glider changed from mere bits he in that time. My wish then glider defying gravity, merely by and pieces to an important job. was that I had taken more inter- moving with currents of air, just Working in the Stress Office est in the Weihe previously, be- had not entered my mind. By previously had taught me that cause, as it was, I did not know a now, I almost feel confident to concentration and deep thinking single thing about it, and had to take off in a sailplane on my was essential so here was a start from scratch. But eventual- own, though I am sure that a chance to show people what I ly things began to run smoothly more experienced glider pilot could do. I left Mr. Marples of- and to sort themselves out. My would tell me not to be such a fice with great resolutions in my first job was to estimate the C.G. fool. mind. “From now on”, I said to position, which was done with But the flying of the school Wei- myself, “you will work hard and the help of Mr. Budd's depart- he is still in the distant future as take life more seriously. This is ment, who weighed the bits and yet, though by this time next what you want to do”, I went on, pieces. year, there may be signs of a “now it's up to you”. So I This weighing and measuring gliding school, because work wished farewell to Engines, not went alright until it was realised started in the drawing office in that I wanted to leave there par- that a lot of the German data was earnest this term. A lot of stu- ticularly, I considered that my not to be relied upon. Then dents were disappointed when time in there had been of great things began to happen - the instead of being put in the Wei- use and the company had been fuselage lengths did not key up he D.O. they had to sit all day in pleasant. And though there had with each other (that is those on front of Venture drawings, or been a range of temperatures in the drawings and on the ‘gen’ stay in the machine shop, in tea- the hangar, it was preferable to sheet), and the worst thing of all, ups listening to new tales of the the stuffy and drowsy atmo- the aerofoil sections did not Weihe, but they bore up to it sphere in the D.O. which no check. That upset both the draw- very well. Those who were se- amount of open windows will ing and the stress offices, the lected to work on the sailplane get rid of. lay-out for the wing had been worked like Trojans for the first At last I saw for myself how the drawn, but of course, was then month ( somebody informed me) bits and pieces I had seen in the useless, and I had done all my some of them do not do so badly previous term connected up with calculations on the assumption at the moment, either. each other and of what use they that the section at the root was But I did not see what was going were when there were no draw- GOT.549, up to the semi-span, on in the D.O. then, as I spent ings. The students concerned changing parabolically to M.12 my time in the Engines Hangar, had a chance of seeing the Ger- at the tip. But Tuffs’ efforts to learning why the crankshaft did man construction better too - the determine the sections showed so many revolutions, why a pis- good and bad points. So I am that these were certainly not the ton moves up and down the now installed in No. 1 D.O. to ones, so my calcs. on stressing cylinder etc. I fully expected to watch with interest the work be- cases etc. were to put it mildly, be there until Christmas and ing done on the sailplane - Par- “up the pole”. tried to harden myself to the cli- menter working hard with his Another shock came too, when it matic conditions, so imagine my and controls, Tuffs was thought that the actual Wei- surprise when one Friday a voice managing to overcome his deci- he's spar was under strength. I over the telephone informed me mal points. I have decided that suggested that maybe the 13%

Museum of Berkshire Aviation Newsletter – Winter 2008 thickness of the 549 would be forgotten to state. Meanwhile the will be given a similar prob- deep enough to take a strong rest of the D.O. carried on with lem to do - and so on, until he enough spar. So calculating the their drawings of metal fittings understands it. Reserve Factor of the Weihe's taken from the bits and pieces of 15% thickness spar, we discov- the Weihe. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ered it to be .76, so the idea of Extract from another handwrit- Royal Berkshire Aviation reducing the percentage thick- ten essay written by Dorothy Society ness was out of the question. We Whitfield. entitled now asked ourselves why should A full programme of meetings we discover that the spar’s “M.A.T.S. Stress Office will be held over the coming strength was bad after experts and Weihe” months – (first Tuesday of each had been on the job and after The work on the Weihe so far month excluding August) at the hundreds of Weihe's had flown this term has been of an under- Museum. without the spar failing. But standing nature, and not intro- looking deeper into the matter, All Museum Members are very duced any difficulties. All past found that Mr. Marples’s esti- welcome to come to any meet- calculations are now at the stage mate on one point was 5% out ings. where they all have to be which altered the Reserve Factor checked and written up, because from .7 to 1.08. all future work will depend so But this did not help to deter- much on them. Most of the cal- Committee Members mine anything definite about the culations have been independent Information wings. So a meeting was held in on others, depending only on the Chairman & Curator Ken Mr. Evans' office of the chief geometry of the plane. Waiting Fostekew: people concerned on the Weihe, for the B.G.A. requirements is [email protected] because a general policy was building up some work which needed, due to this uncertainty. ought to be done. We hope to Treasurer Alan Foskett It was decided that the material find some information on gust that the fuselage would be made cases in the requirements as A.P. Engineering Geoff Etridge: of, would have to depend on 970 and Shenstone do not give [email protected] whether the Woodwork Hangar sufficient data; some of their Publicity & Press Brian Lloyd: or the Fitting Shop had not statements being rather ambigu- brianlloyd@redwood32. enough of the Venture to keep ous too. freeserve.co.uk them going; that No. 1 D.O. 01628 661 005 should be responsible for the Many of the requirements will wooden one and No.2 D.O. for be similar to A.P. 970, so Museum Manning: Jean & Ken the metal one. there is not a hold up for lack Fostekew: of work. The work is dis- Then transferring from the fuse- tributed with an object in Membership Keith Freeman: lage to the wings it was agreed [email protected] that some of us should try to de- mind. If a person works sign another wing - thus stress through some detail stressing and drawing offices combined with no difficulty and with forces and set out to discover the understanding, he will then be Published by The Museum of best wing section. The stress of- given some primary stressing Berkshire Aviation, Mohawk fice finding the characteristics or aerodynamics. Or similarly Way, Woodley, Reading, and the drawing office finding if he has understood primary Berkshire RG5 4UE the ordinates. But, while all this stressing he will be given Web Site was going on, a set of drawings something different. But if he arrive from Slingsby's and there has only done the work with http://www.museumofberkshire- was a mad rush to try to discover much help from other quarters aviation.co.uk/ the section they used, which they (he may have done some hard had accidentally, or otherwise, thinking, or he may not) he

Museum of Berkshire Aviation Newsletter – Winter 2008