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By: - 24th June 2005 at 10:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Adrian.
The second would appear indeed to be a Skyvan.
The first.. well...
By: - 24th June 2005 at 10:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sounds like those beer can models to me. :D
Used to see the 'Butterly' Stearpersons flying over on occasion, but don't sound like them.
By: - 24th June 2005 at 10:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
All I can think of is Short Skyvan, but I didn't think any were still about in the UK. Any offers?
There are three still current on the register
Moggy
By: - 24th June 2005 at 11:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sounds like it could have been a Skyvan then. Thanks, Moggy. I have seen something at Kidlington that might have been it a while ago, but the view over the fence is lousty and there were other things in the way. I wonder, given the time it took to reappear, whether it was wandering over to Enstone. However it came by at least three times, all after 10pm. Most odd.
As for the biplane JDK is correct - it was NOT the Utterlys! I'm certain it was between wars, British and civil. And I've never seen quite like it before either. No doubt we'll get it between us...
Adrian
By: - 24th June 2005 at 11:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Skyvans do parachute training at Weston-on-the-green,and I think based at Kidlington.
By: - 24th June 2005 at 13:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Skyvans do parachute training at Weston-on-the-green,and I think based at Kidlington.
Great - In which case, I think we can fairly safely put last night's one down as a Skyvan - so I do know a few aeroplanes that aren't S******e's...
Still mystified by the first one though.
Adrian
By: - 24th June 2005 at 13:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The biplane wouldn't be a Stampe would it?
By: - 24th June 2005 at 13:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
How about the Spartan Arrow from Barton?
By: - 24th June 2005 at 13:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I have had a little Google for the Spartan Arrow, and it might well be it. I got the impression that the tailfin & rudder were a bit squarer and were silver rather than blue as in the picture I found. Other than that, it was a pretty good likeness. And it was at a fair distance, so... If Barton is within an Arrow's flight of Oxford, I think it was probably that.
A Stampe? Good suggestion but at that distance I'm fairly sure I'd have mistaken it for a Tiger Moth!
Adrian
By: - 26th June 2005 at 16:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I wonder
G' day Adrian matey :D ,
I am not sure if any are now surviving at all(only 36 built, 6 going to Portugal) :confused: , BUT I think the Blackburn B-2 1932 trainer, was a damn good rippoff of the DH Moth :eek: .
By: - 26th June 2005 at 17:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
is G-ABWP still a flyer
By: - 26th June 2005 at 17:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Acc G-INFO site
MTOW: 794kg Total Hours: 1006 at 31/12/2004 Year Built: 1932
CofA / Permit: PERMIT TO FLY C of A Expiry: 03/01/2006
So still certified to fly
A225HVY
By: - 26th June 2005 at 17:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Interesting!!!!!
By: - 26th June 2005 at 19:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Babcoks currently have one Skyvan at Kidlington, G-PIGY. The other two they had are sadly no more as they were grounded more than they were serviceable so they were canibalised for spares to keep PIGY going. Ugly machines, they look like a Bedford truck with wings.
By: - 27th June 2005 at 11:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
so they were canibalised for spares to keep PIGY going. Ugly machines, they look like a Bedford truck with wings.
Is that reg a comment on the Skyvans looks, I wonder? They certainly aren't beautiful!
Phil, there is at least one B2 still about -
http://www.acf.clara.net/scale/scale-pics-3/bipes/blackburn-B2/blackburn-b2.html
and if you look at this one, one will be flying at Old Warden this weekend.
http://www.acf.clara.net/scale/scale-pics-3/bipes/blackburn-B2/blackburn-b2.html
However I am fairly certain that the vertical surfaces were squarer than that.
There seem to be a LOT of biplanes around Oxford at the mo, mostly just too far off to get a positive ID - is there a Biggles Flies Undone event or something?
Adrian
By: - 27th June 2005 at 11:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank's Adrian mate :) .
Nice plane the B-2, but too many Moth's killed it I guess :rolleyes: .
I'll dig a bit deeper in me book's for a Squarer tail job, and get back to ya Stew ;) .
Just looked across at the book shelf bomb zone :eek: (call UXB please :D ), but I can still see Biggle's and the blue moon mate :p .
By: - 3rd July 2005 at 18:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
E's at it again!
I don't know whether someone has noticed my occasional "gripes" about being put off my digging by interesting aeroplanes flying over Port Meadow & Wolvercote, but all Saturday morning a silver pre-war RAF-schemed Tiger Moth was flying back and forth across Wolvercote - also spotted by my Girlfriend (would you believe that SHE'S the Biggles collector? :diablo: ) at Marston that day, and again on Sunday morning when - yes - I was allotmenteering.
If it's you, and you've spotted me moaning,
[COLOR=Navy]THANK YOU![/COLOR]
I've enjoyed spotting you greatly! Now if anyone out there with a Spitfire, Hurricane, P51 etc....
Adrian
By: - 4th July 2005 at 04:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think the Blackburn B-2 1932 trainer, was a damn good rippoff of the DH Moth
Er, not really! DH had an effective monopoly on lightplanes in that era, but the B-2 was about as far from a Moth copy as you could get - metal fuselage, unstaggered wings and side by side seating. It's a taildragging biplane too, but that's about it in similarities.
As far as I know there's only one survivor, which is airworthy, as shown above, and owned and operated by BAe Systems.
Cheers!
Posts: 3,185
By: adrian_gray - 24th June 2005 at 10:11
OK, the regulars on here seem to know everything...
On Wednesday evening a biplane flew over my allotment. North Oxford, so possibly flying from Kidlington. Blue fuselage, silver flying surfaces, too far up to read a reggie. I immediately thought Tiger Moff, but the wings and tailplanes were square ended and what I could see of the rudder looked to have a vertical rear edge too. By the general arrangement it appeared to be 'tween wars. Any ideas?
And last night in the gloaming something with an extremely bulbous fuselage, narrow wings, high twin tail and twin props was wandering to and fro in the same area. All I can think of is Short Skyvan, but I didn't think any were still about in the UK. Any offers?
Adrian
(I promise to bone up on my recognition soon - honest!)