New four-seater F1 air racer P2010 tested on the Flying to Spain eve of certification for the first event

August 2014 £3.99

Anything and everything you can fly Stemme S6 The ultimate motorglider

THISENGINEERING MONTH MATTERS! Why we are facing a maintenance crisis AIRFIELD PROFILE What could be better than Wickenby? EVENT CALENDAR This summer’s go-to events

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Editorial A small but happy world Write to Pilot, Archant Specialist, 3 The Courtyard, Denmark Street, Wokingham RG40 2AZ s I write, the other onlookers to discover how Editor Philip Whiteman flying season knowledgeable he is on the Mustang and Tel 0118 989 7246 A really has WWII fighter operations — and if you turn Email [email protected] taken off and all our to page 20 you will discover how Nigel contributors are out came to have this insight. Digital Editor Jenny Ross Tel 0118 989 7245 getting some use A week later, Digital Editor Jenny Ross Email [email protected] from their . and I were at the Goodwood Festival of GA not being a Speed, where we met these days rather Designer Carine (Kitty) Thomas huge world, we less regular contributor Colin Goodwin Email [email protected] keep bumping into (rest assured, fans; he will be back). While Contributing Editors James Allan, Bob Grimstead, each other: as a we were fantasizing about investing in Mike Jerram & Peter R March member of the Vintage Aircraft Club and either the Beech Bonanza or Guimbal Flight Test Editor Dave Unwin the owner of what is deemed ‘an Cabri G2 on display (see p.7), helicopter Engineering Consultant Andy McLuskie interesting old aeroplane’, I was invited in flight tester and columnist Pat Malone Regular contributors Nick Bloom, Alan Brown, June to the Bicester Heritage brunch. was, unbeknown to us, limbering up to Colin Goodwin, Geoff Jones, Pat Malone, Don Peterson, Peter Turner & Keith Wilson Having been saved from becoming demonstrate the new Arial Ace Digital Apprentice Mac Hooper a housing estate following the motorcycle on the hill. You may have RAF’s departure, this wonderful read about the Arial in The Sunday Advertising Buckinghamshire airfield is now home to Times: writing about motorcycles is Deputy Sales Manager Richard Marsland a very active civvie club, a Pat’s day job — his column Tel 0118 989 7237 Email [email protected] Sales Executive Cheryl Butcher. number of light aircraft, and a growing appears on p.24. Tel 0118 989 7238 Email [email protected] number of vintage and classic cars and In between times, I met up with Commercial Brand Manager Ross Arnold associated businesses. photographer Keith Wilson when I flew a Tel 0118 989 7220 Email [email protected] The brunch was primarily an old car rather nice new diesel-engined aeroplane Production event, but drew a fine selection of fly-in from an airfield in Essex, and I was Production Coordinator Michael Godden visitors, including this issue’s flying buzzed at his own strip by Nick Bloom in Tel 01603 772876 Email [email protected] adventurer Trevor Jarvis, who brought his freshly-revived Tipsy Nipper. You will Reprographic Technician Neil Puttnam along his Taylor Titch racer Catch 22, and be reading about these aircraft in future Publishing Director Peter Timperley regular ‘Race Report’ contributor Nigel editions so, as the old TV cliché has it, Managing Director, Archant Lifestyle Will Hattam Lamb. Nigel rather eclipsed all the other stay tuned folks! vintage aviators — even the Millers, père Subscriptions, binders & back issues et fils, with their immaculate DH Dragon Write to: Pilot, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9EF Rapide — by turning up in P-51 Mustang Visit www.subscriptionsave.co.uk or tel: 0844 848 5232 or Ferocious Frankie. overseas tel: +44 1858 438840. It was nice to be able to congratulate See page 76 for the latest subscription offer Nigel in person for his first Red Bull Air Pilot Race win, described in the last issue. Want to sell in your club? It was also interesting for me and Philip Whiteman, Editor Contact Kay Tel 020 7429 4043 Wholesale and retail distribution If you have difficulty obtaining a copy please contact: Seymour, 86 Newman St, London, W1T 3EX. Tel 0207 429 4000 Printed in England by William Gibbons Origination Archant Specialist Contributing to this issue... Pilot is published by Archant Specialist, a division of Archant Community Media Ltd. The entire content is © copyright, and none of it may be reproduced in any form without permission. (Permission to make a limited number of photocopies is usually given, but should be sought.) Articles for consideration are welcome. Advice to contributors is available free from Pilot’s editorial office on receipt of an SAE marked ‘Advice’ in the top left-hand corner, or on our website or by e-mail.

We take good care of material submitted, but do not accept NIGEL LAMB PAT MALONE DAVE UNWIN NICK BLOOM TREVOR JARVIS responsibility for loss or damage, however caused. In writing about We mention his We were impressed Now he is enjoying F1 air racer and some of the special motorcycle demo by Tecnam’s new a two-plane fleet, hand-propper training required hill-climb activities P Twenty-Ten, but with a biplane or extraordinaire There are now even more ways for Red Bull Air above: as you’ll Dave doesn’t allow monoplane to (Taylor Titches and of keeping in touch with the and his see on p.24 Pat its many good choose from, Nick’s the Editor’s Cub), editorial team’s flying activities, takes off in yet features to blind airfield visits are Trevor turns in a adventures and plans — follow us on Twitter and find photos Nigel gives the another direction him to one or two fly-in jobs. Share classic Flying and news on Facebook back-story to his for his regular little faults. Flight the pleasure with Adventure, starting twitter.com/pilot_mag flying (p.20) column Test p.26 him from p.77 on p.55 facebook.com/pilotmagazine

www.pilotweb.aero Pilot August 2014 | 3 Contents | August 2014

ON THE COVER

26 Tecnam P Twenty-Ten We fly the first European four-seat single to be certified in fourteen years F1 Air Racing 41 Engineering Matters! Is the aviation engineering sector facing the perfect storm? 55 F1 Air Racing As if flying a Taylor Titch to Spain wasn’t enough of a challenge...

62 Stemme S6 Flight Test: Special Feature: If you ever win the Lottery, don’t Stemme forget to buy us this motorglider! Engineering 77 Wickenby A former WWII bomber station is getting ready for the upturn... 90 Calendar The top aviation events taking place Airfield Profile: ‘Notes’ FoS photo around the UK and further afield Wickenby report  Follow us on @Pilot_mag £1 OFF £1 OFF Pre-order the September issue and /Pilotmagazine SAVE £1 OFF the cover price with Go to FREE UK delivery! RRP £3.99. www.buyamag.co.uk/Pilot $6 USE DISCOUNT CODE

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Flying Adventure | Racing in Spain ‘Catch 22’ in Catalonia PHOTO: CHRISTOPHE BOZEC Flying a Taylor Titch to Spain would be challenge enough for some, but then to enter an F1 race in it... By Trevor Jarvis

ifty years ago John Taylor delight to fly; manoeuvrable, predictable, explained that the bright yellow little submitted the drawings for the vice-free and just great fun. Although a aeroplane would look good on camera as Titch as an entry to the 1964 little apprehensive approaching for my first all the other faster racers went past it. F Norman Jones (Rollason Aircraft landing, I needn’t have been, the flare and To cut a long story short, I started out and Engines Ltd) sponsored touchdown were progressive and smooth, from Hinton-in-the-Hedges on Saturday 24 Midget Racer Design Competition. The with stick forces and movement May 2014, setting course for Goodwood to competition was set up to encourage harmonising with the decreasing speed. refuel before crossing the Channel direct to British subjects to design a sporting midget Next stop was her new home at Hinton Deauville LFRG. During the run-up to the racer aircraft that could also be flown and where I was confident enough with the trip I had spent some time deliberating on used by an average club pilot. By landing characteristics to use the 500 the route down to Spain, but−with a 38.5 November 1964 the entries were judged metre grass strip. litre fuel tank−every time I factored in and John Taylor’s Titch design was The Taylor Titch had limited success as various winds, the whole route structure, awarded second place−a team of young a racer in the 1970s and 80s but ‘Zulu fuel stops and diversions had to be design engineers employed by the British Hotel’ certainly looked the part with her changed. I looked at so many Aircraft Corporation (BAC) at Luton took bright yellow paintwork, teardrop sliding combinations and permutations that I first place with the Beta. canopy and carbon fibre spinner and researched just about every airfield in I bought Titch G-AYZH in April 2013 instrument panel. Unfortunately Formula France and eventually settled on taking my from Terry Gardner, who had taken on the One air racing had reached its pinnacle in old RAF 140nm nav rule (which was one plans-build project in 2001 after its two UK by the mid 1980s and until this year no sector in still air) and planning on the previous owners had failed to complete pylon racing had taken place for over hoof. Several ex Search and Rescue pilot the aircraft, first registered in 1972. Terry fifteen years. I was therefore intrigued to friends questioned my wisdom of not completed ‘Zulu Hotel’ in April 2007 and see an article in one of the online aviation taking the shortest Channel crossing but flew her out of Wolverhampton newsletters promoting a Formula One air the Titch hadn’t missed a beat in the year I (Halfpenny Green) for six years until he race scheduled to take place on 1 June had owned her so it was a calculated risk needed the hangar space for his soon to be 2014 at Lleida International Airport which I was prepared to accept. completed Cassutt racer. As you can (LEDA) in Catalonia, Spain. I sent the At Goodwood I donned my lifejacket imagine, there is no dual to solo check-ride organisers my best wishes and a few and ensured that my McMurdo sponsored with a single-seater so a little time was photographs by email and also suggested Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) was spent taxying around the airfield, getting that if they had any vintage support races attached to me, and close to hand. used to the controls and cockpit in future years, I might be able to Crossing the Channel in good weather was environment until I felt confident enough participate with the Titch. To my surprise I my primary objective for the whole trip as to open the throttle and get airborne. got a swift reply from Air Race F1 CEO Jeff I don’t have an artificial horizon, just a From the first leap into the skies of Zaltman, inviting me down to Lleida with slip-ball and card compass. The weather Wolverhampton the Titch was an absolute the Titch. In a later telephone call he was perfect, I didn’t tell the Titch she was www.pilotweb.aero Pilot August 2014 | 55 PHOTO: TERVOR JARVIS TERVOR PHOTO:

Above not quite: a Le Mans-style pit stop — waiting to exchange cash for the use of a Total fuel card

Right: crossing the snow-capped Pyrénées from France to Spain, the open plains of Catalonia still ahead of us

over the sea (a trick I learned with the Auster) and we set course for Deauville. A few minutes here to relax after an extremely hectic build-up to the trip, take stock and have a look around−I noticed the newly applied red race number 22 contrasting nicely against the yellow wing. With France now in sight, for me the part of the trip which could easily have been a stopper was almost behind us and Catch-22, which was Zulu Hotel’s new race name, delicately felt her way onto

French tarmac for the first time. JARVIS TREVOR PHOTO: From Deauville I had planned to do one more sector to Cholet LFOU before sunset; O-200 relented and settled down to her setting sun just above the starboard wing. however, Catch-22 thought differently and usual rasping burble from the short-stub A quick calculation indicated that it would be dark at Cholet so I diverted to Le Mans LFRM and spent the night there, setting off We set off south with the setting sun just again on Sunday morning for Angoulême LFBU, about 20Nm east of Cognac, for yet above the starboard wing... another refuel. The most common reason for delay through France was waiting for someone to exchange the use of their Total no matter how much I swung the prop she exhausts and after this twenty-minute fuel card for cash, and with this did not want to hot-start. Eventually the unforeseen delay we set off south with the accomplished at Angoulême we were on

56 | Pilot August 2014 www.pilotweb.aero Flying Adventure | Racing in Spain

Above: Trevor washes off the many bugs encountered at race height, hoping the rain in Spain isn’t going to fall on his plane

Below: Catch 22 with some of the other F1 racers on the Lleida flight line awaiting the next practice session PHOTO: JANE JARVIS JANE PHOTO:

our way to the next fuel stop at Arcachon The following morning I peered nervously By early afternoon the weather cleared as LFCH, about 20Nm southwest of through the hotel room curtains, but the forecast to blue skies and light winds so we Bordeaux. From here, it was my intention view didn’t fill me with joy. It was still set off, eventually to 8,500ft, to fly along the coast towards San raining with a 400ft cloudbase and the serenely winding our way amongst the Sebastian in Spain before setting course TAFs suggested this would not clear until snow-capped mountains, leaning out the inland for Pamplona LEPP, nestling early afternoon. This enforced delay gave mixture to save precious fuel on this critical amongst 5,000ft mountains. The flight me the opportunity to email Pamplona to sector. Clear of the mountains, the open plan was filed to reflect this but passing inform them of my intention to try to get plains rolled out in front of us and thoughts abeam Biarritz I was told the weather on there later and pick up fuel before finally of Lleida and a cold beer for the first time the Spanish side of the Pyrénées was departing for Lleida. Their reply was not overrode thoughts of forced landings and worsening and although Pamplona was one that I had expected and was very having to use my McMurdo PLB. still VFR at this moment, San Sebastian unwelcome: fuel was not available to me Unsure of exactly how much fuel I had was not. A decision had to be made without a carnet between San Sebastian approaching Lleida, I elected to join high quickly and had to be the correct one as and Lleida and cash would not be in the overhead instead of my usual run fuel was going to be tight. The choices acceptable. I couldn’t risk getting stuck in and break, only to discover later that I had were to continue to Pamplona amongst the Pamplona and decided that the forecast ten litres remaining, which is more than a mountains without an in-range diversion tailwinds were such that if I flew a direct quarter of a tank for the Titch and much and worsening weather, or return to track over the Pyrénées I could make it to more than I had anticipated. I was the first France and divert to Biarritz LFBZ. Either Lleida without stopping. racer to fly in. A few hours later Des Hart way the weather was not good but at least Biarritz was not surrounded by mountains so that was quite an easy decision. Catch-22 was going to have to spend the night outside on the apron at Biarritz as there is no hangarage. I secured her as best I could using sand-filled tie-down bags and ropes provided by the handling agent, before walking over to the airport hotel with the few clothes and wash bag I

had stowed in the locker behind my head. JARVIS TREVOR PHOTO:

www.pilotweb.aero Pilot August 2014 | 57 Flying Adventure | Strap2 xxx

Above: Trevor’s freshly-issued racing licence and the medal presented to all finalists

Left: Trevor gets a last-minute briefing from crew chief Kevin Broughall

Below: tension mounts as the field prepares on

the apron for the Silver race PHOTO: FERNANDO YUBERO FERNANDO PHOTO: PHOTO: FERNANDO YUBERO

with Cassutt G-BOMB arrived and a couple President of their Association Des Pilotes although some of their aircraft were of hours after that we were joined by the D’Avions De Formules (APAF). capable of , they were restricted French contingent, who had been delayed One of the aims of this showcase race from doing so by regulation. Again, by weather on the eastern side of France. was for the three international bodies to working as a team to get the show in the The three American aircraft had been thrash out the eligibility and racing rules air, all three nations resolved the issue by shipped over in a container. ready for the full Air Race F1 race series flying in a CAP 10 from France, piloted by The week before race weekend at Lleida next year. A lot of hard work, negotiating the APAF instructor Jean-Lin Balland. was used to qualify for our International and compromising by the three nations’ Although it’s not a bad thing to practise Formula 1 race licence, presented to us on representatives eventually produced a recovering from being turned upside-down successful completion of training by IF1 working set of rules for the Lleida races by the wake of another racer, FARA’s President Steve Senegal, over from the and will be a firm foundation upon which approach differed in that their training States for the occasion. The British to produce regulations for future required you to follow a larger aircraft at regulatory body for such things is the international races in this series. racing speeds at an altitude of 2-3,000ft Formula Air Racing Association (FARA), a One of the regulatory hurdles for the whilst it was turning and producing a full member association of the Royal Aero Titch was that she is not cleared for turbulent wake. Both exercises had Club. Our man-on-the-spot for the aerobatics and it is an IF1 requirement for something to offer but having experienced occasion was Martin Luton, teamed-up the race pilot to demonstrate rolls to the the wake upset forces at altitude, it better with ex-F1 air racer Steve Alexander and right and left, followed by a roll to the prepares you not to get rolled into the for all matters technical and scrutineering inverted one way and a recovery to inverted at a height and low nose attitude we were fortunate to have Bob Winsper straight and level in the opposite direction, which would probably be impossible to on our side. The French pilots were with minimum height loss. The French recover from. When it came to my represented by Dominique Milcendeau, pilots were also faced with this problem: practice, I tried to fathom out the CAP 10

58 | Pilot August 2014 www.pilotweb.aero Flying Adventure | Racing in Spain

A true air race: Trevor’s Catch 22 holds a tight line round a pylon, forcing the faster racers to the outside to overtake PHOTO: CHRISTPHE BOZEC

with all its parachute straps, seat straps we all seemed to understand each him and after three laps was in a position and finally safety straps. Eventually, under other perfectly. to ease out to the right and overtake him. the watchful eye of Jean-Lin, I pedalled All the aircraft also had to pass Flying at 160mph, wing-tip to wing-tip, ten the rudders sufficiently fast enough to get scrutineering before being allowed to take metres above the ground concentrates the airborne at a still undetermined airspeed. I part in practice races and, despite her trip mind and all this whilst also being quickly completed all the rolling down, Catch-22 was one of the few aircraft overtaken by the faster racers creating a manoeuvres required of me before that didn’t need working on before being lot of turbulence in their wake. We Jean-Lin took control, dropping down to allowed to race. managed to hold our places to the the race course so he could do a few laps Race day on 1 June soon came around chequered flag, providing some excitement and check it out. He gave me control again and the weather was beautiful; light winds at the back of the pack for the estimated after pulling off the course, closing the and blue skies with the odd fluffy white 10,000 spectators. throttle and zooming up towards the cloud. Starting on the back of the grid in The Silver race was won by No. 11, Des circuit pattern. I held the stick steady and the Silver race allowed me the privilege of Hart in his Cassutt, so he moved up to looked at Jean-Lin, and summoning up my leading the pack out to the runway for the Gold for the final race. This was won by best Franglais asked No. 6, Frenchman him if he would like Christian Guilie in “zee circuit with ‘Catch 22’ was one of the few his self-designed, poweur or zee aircraft that didn’t need working on self-built and Practice Forced self-raced Arletty II at Landing wizout zee before being allowed to race a lap average of poweur”. “Wizout, 238mph, easily of course,” came the reply, having already start. We followed the race control truck beating his three America-based Reno- lost a few hundred feet and a lot of energy. out to the grid like a string of waddling racing rivals. The three podium finishers We survived the PFL with a generous ducklings, weaving from side to side, of each race, as is traditional, wasted a lot trickle of power and I believe that pilots striving for some forward vision. Once all of bubbly on the rostrum where we were subsequently had a briefing before doing of the racers were in position, it was green all presented with Lleida 2014 Race battle with the CAP 10. flag up, full power against the brakes and pilot medals. Franglais became the common language, wait for the green to drop. It was a privilege to be allowed to race mostly in the hotel bar of course, where We were off, with Catch-22 at the back the Titch with the other ten pilots. the Brits would use it conversing with the but not too far behind No. 55, Patrick Everyone got on fantastically well with French, the Americans with the Brits and Gajan in his CP80. After a lap I was each other and the great camaraderie and the English with the Scottish. Surprisingly, catching him, after two laps I was with professionalism will ensure that this race www.pilotweb.aero Pilot August 2014 | 59

Flying Adventure | Racing in Spain PHOTO: JANE JARVIS JANE PHOTO:

Left: podium glory for the top three, while our man...

Above: ...seems to have got the babes

Below: 750 and more than twelve hours after starting out for home, Catch 22 nears Hinton

Inset: amongst the Pyrénées at 10,000 feet

en route to Perpignan PHOTO: JANE JARVIS JANE PHOTO: PHOTO: TREVOR JARVIS

I elected to take a quarter hours after first taxying out advantage of westerly of Lleida. tailwinds because of It was a wonderful ten-day adventure: the fuel problem in flying every day, covering more than Spain and fly northeast 1,500nm, either at 10,000ft over

PHOTO: TREVOR JARVIS TREVOR PHOTO: direct to Perpignan LFMP to mountains, or at ten metres above the refuel. Climbing to 10,000ft over and ground during the race. I had found a series continues and grows in future years, between the mountains, the Titch seemed wonderful group of people to be associated rivalling Formula One at Reno. However, perfectly happy and once again didn’t miss with and a wonderful little aeroplane in all good things must come to an end and a a beat despite her race the previous day. which to do the trip, fifty years after John relatively early night meant that I was After Perpignan we had to stop four Taylor first submitted her design. She was ready to leave the hotel at 0730 the next more times for fuel on the way home, never going to be a race winner in Lleida morning to fly Catch-22 back home. calling in at Souillac LFSL, Loudun LFDL, but I still maintain that Catch-22 the Titch The weather was forecast to be good Deauville LFRG and Shoreham EGKA, was the sweetest natured and cutest little with a ridge of high pressure over the before arriving back at Hinton just as the aeroplane down there−and we didn’t Pyrénées, through France and into the UK. sun was beginning to set, twelve and come last!

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