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By: 17th May 2005 at 17:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Nice pictures ;) Anna ;)
By: 17th May 2005 at 17:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-it was just a matter of time... :D
By: 17th May 2005 at 18:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Nice piccie's. I don't really no anything about these aircraft - fancy giving us a few details? :cool:
By: 17th May 2005 at 18:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Just a couple from about 1970's
By: 17th May 2005 at 19:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-This one was at the recent Popham aerojumble. It was for sale or part ownership.
By: 17th May 2005 at 19:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Taken at Sywell last Sept
By: 17th May 2005 at 20:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Lovely Pics ;) Anna ;)
By: 17th May 2005 at 21:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Like the one of G-AMAW with the Beverley in the background about to pile in! Any idea when and where?
By: 18th May 2005 at 09:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Nice piccie's. I don't really no anything about these aircraft - fancy giving us a few details? :cool:
Oh god, don't set me off, I'll be here for hours! The Luton Minor was originally designed in the late 1930s as a post-Flea kit built design. three or four were built before the outbreak of WW2.
After the War, Arthur Ord-Hume "rebuilt" G-AFIR mainly as a way of getting round the Air Ministry who tried to block homebuilt aircraft. Arthur also redrew all the plans, promoted the design in Popular Mechanics magazine and around fifty were built around the world. In the UK it was one of the aircraft that led to the formation of the PFA.
Mine was built in the early 1960s, has an 1800cc VW engine on the nose, a significant boost from the original JAP two-cylinder. Cruise speed is about 60kts, it stalls at less than 30 - therefore its one of the few aircraft that risks getting birdstrikes from the rear! Ceiling - errr don't know, but it was jolly chilly at 3,000 feet last night!
Fancy a feature in Flypast (or Today's Pilot) Ken?
By: 18th May 2005 at 09:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Thanks for all the pics. Please keep them coming.
As far as we know - the shot of G-AMAW was taken at RAF Benson, possibly the 'At Home' display in 1952. Certainly 'MAW flew a lot in the hands of RAF pilots, both sides of WW2.
It is rumoured that before the war it flew quite satisfactorily from RAF Wittering without the benefit of a registration or C of A !
Aircraft was last seen at Breighton without an engine, is it still there?
By: 18th May 2005 at 09:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Cruise speed is about 60kts, it stalls at less than 30 - therefore its one of the few aircraft that risks getting birdstrikes from the rear!
LOL :D
Seems like a great little aircraft. What's it like to fly? I guess you would have to go out of your way to hurt yourself in an aircraft that still flies at 31 knots but is it particularly stable in turns etc? Seems a funny looking design but one that kind of grabs your attention. I think as you suggest an articule in Todays Pilot is due. :)
By: 18th May 2005 at 10:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It's a very benign aeroplane, but like them all, it'll still try and make a fool of you once in a while.
It's naturally stable, but you need your feet on the rudder pedals all the time and being so light at 750lbs, it bobbles around in thermals and any wind gusts. Although it's got a short wingspan the aileron's are a little errr, slow, so you need to take that into account. (Ideal training for the BE-2 Matt?)
As a low-hours pilot, I'm very chary of flying it in any wind of more than 12kts. I tend to fly in the early morning or evening - they're ideal Luton flying conditions.
Sadly I work a lot of weekends, so haven't been able to get to many fly-ins or shows yet. Hope to fly in to Old Warden sometime this summer though.
John Allison's immaculate Luton was G-ASXJ (see attached picture). He now owns a gorgeous Miles Gemini a little further down the hangar from me at Bicester.
Have also attached a pic (thanks to Barbara Schlussler) of our furthest flung Minor yet. VH-HEP airborne over Australia!
By: 18th May 2005 at 15:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Still trying to ID this aeroplane - can anyone help, please?
For more info check out http://www.driffieldaerodrome.co.uk/driffield-flyer.htm
Cheers
By: 18th May 2005 at 17:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Hmmm. I guess we've discounted all the obvious ones like a Heath or Pietenpol and its not Latimer Needham's 'Halton Minus' design which predated the Luton.
It does have the look of Pietenpol struts and Bernie Pietenpol did build an earlier, smaller design before the Aircamper.
Could it be two enterprising chaps blowing their post-RFC demob money on a design inspired by either Pietenpol or Latimer Needham?
Maybe I should stop being so tight and spend £70 on Arthur Ord-Hume's book British Light Aircraft - but I can fly the Luton for a month for the same amount!
By: 18th May 2005 at 21:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-SS. Have you got Flight on Frail Wings ? Essential reading for Lutonites, I'll lend you mine if not.
You wafting over to Hullavington this weekend?
By: 18th May 2005 at 22:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-G-ASML
Okay, here is my oldest shot of G-ASML taken nearly 30 years ago at Sywell PFA Rally in July 1976 just to show it was once black and white! :)
By: 19th May 2005 at 11:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Thanks Propstrike, but yes I've got "Fright on Flailing Wings" thankyou -also "On Hume-Made Wings" too, if you want to borrow it.
Sadly work commitments prevent me from getting over to G-VFWE with the Luton, I've given my 'slot' back as I gather they're over-subscribed.
Thanks too, Albert. I think that's one of the earliest pictures I've seen of 'ML. It an interesting contrast to John DM's picture from Sywell last year!
Thanks to everyone for the piccies so far. Look forward to seeing any others you might dig out!
By: 19th May 2005 at 12:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It's a very benign aeroplane, but like them all, it'll still try and make a fool of you once in a while.It's naturally stable, but you need your feet on the rudder pedals all the time and being so light at 750lbs, it bobbles around in thermals and any wind gusts. Although it's got a short wingspan the aileron's are a little errr, slow, so you need to take that into account. (Ideal training for the BE-2 Matt?)
As a low-hours pilot, I'm very chary of flying it in any wind of more than 12kts. I tend to fly in the early morning or evening - they're ideal Luton flying conditions.
Sadly I work a lot of weekends, so haven't been able to get to many fly-ins or shows yet. Hope to fly in to Old Warden sometime this summer though.
John Allison's immaculate Luton was G-ASXJ (see attached picture). He now owns a gorgeous Miles Gemini a little further down the hangar from me at Bicester.
Have also attached a pic (thanks to Barbara Schlussler) of our furthest flung Minor yet. VH-HEP airborne over Australia!
With that and the tiger you should be as prepared for the BE2 as you can be!!
Matt
By: 19th May 2005 at 13:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-This is all I have I'm afraid - Chailey 2004 (Sun)
Maarvin
By: 19th May 2005 at 16:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Thanks Maarvin. Looks like 'CY gets about a bit!
Posts: 650
By: GASML - 17th May 2005 at 16:52 - Edited 2nd October 2019 at 11:40
As a change from warbirds. Anyone out there got any pictures of Luton Minors?
Some might call it a cry for help, but for the past few months, myself and fellow owners Arthur Mason and Barbara Schlussler have been compiling as many images as we can. Not too sure what we're going to do with them yet, but if we ever do anything like publishing, we'll ask all due permissions and credits.
Here are a few to whet appetites.
If anyone knows the story behind G-ASML getting her feet wet, I'd love to know (Thanks Dudley Patterson for the photo!)