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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0050.PDF
52 PLIGHT, 10 January 1958 Anglo-French Ultra-light Rollason-built Druine Turbulent Makes First Flight at Croydon THE year 1958, scheduled to be a melancholy one in thehistory of Croydon Airport, began there bravely enoughwith the first flight of a new ultra-light single-seater, British- built if French-designed, on New Year's Day. This was the first Druine Turbulent to be constructed by Rollason Aircraft and Engines, Ltd.—and indeed the first machine of this type to be completed in this country, following the adoption of the Turbulent as an approved Popular Flying Association design in 1956. The Turbulent is no stranger to light-aircraft enthusiasts in this country. Many readers will remember the tour of British flying clubs made by Harold Best-Devereux in a French-built Turbulent in 1956 (described for Flight by this pilot in our issue of June 22, 1956); and over 80 sets of plans of the type have been sold, at nine guineas apiece, by the P.F.A. to prospective amateur constructors in the U.K. and abroad. Until now, active British interest has come almost entirely from enthusiasts wishing and equipped to carry out construction of the complete aircraft themselves. It is now Rollasons' intention to market complete aircraft (at about £1,000) and also component parts—either complete kits, or individual items such as wing- spars, according to demand—for amateur assembly. Powerplant for the Turbulent is the Druine Ardem 4CO2 conversion of the Volkswagen car engine. In this country the actual conversion work (involving the installation of dual ignition and a carburettor heater) is carried out by Rollasons in their engine shop at Croydon, and the selling price of the unit, which gives 30 b.h.p., is £272. Construction of Turbulent G-APBZ, completed last month, was begun in June of last year. Among the detail points of difference between this machine and the French demonstrator seen here 18 months ago are the smaller wheels, the tailskid, and the top cowling "bump" which covers the carburettor air heater. The second Rollason Turbulent is now under construction at Croydon, and it is expected that the initial batch will comprise five machines. As indicated by the fuselage badge seen in the photographs, the first machine is already on the strength of the Tiger Club, whose founder, Norman Jones, is also managing director of Rollasons. The first flight of the Croydon-built Turbulent was made by Mr. Jones on the morning of January 1. In spite of a gusting wind and light rain, the smart blue machine gave an impressive show on a number of circuits and (by special arrangement with air traffic control in the tower) low runs across the field. Only 21ft in span, the Turbulent had looked like a toy aeroplane when first rolled out: it soon became clear, however, that here was a real aircraft—and one which could give the British light-aircraft movement its much-needed boost. What also became clear, only a few minutes after the Turbulent landed, was the fact that official attitudes remain which could cancel out any such boost to popular flying. Mr. Jones was called to the hangar-side telephone to be told by a tower controller that two of his runs had constituted dangerous flying. No "dangerous flying" had been seen by any of the Royal Aero Club officials and other experienced pilots who had been watching the flight closely. Perhaps, while the tower controllers had been gazing in horror at the sight of a Chipmunk landing as the Turbulent flew over, the ground observers had been thinking of the recent "open day" at the Piper airstrip at Lock Haven. Pennsylvania, when 650 light aircraft had arrived (at a peak rate of eight per minute) and had departed (at ten-second intervals without the benefit of tower control—and without even a scratched wingtip. The Turbulent project is perhaps the most immediately interesting current Rollason activity for light-aircraft enthusiasts The company's routine work includes its widely known specializa- tion in die rebuilding and supply of Tiger Mom aircraft and Gipsy engines, and the maintenance of the Surrey Flying Club and Tiger Club aircraft. Two other special projects include the design and construction of an improved aerobatic version of the Tiger known as the Bishop, and the rebuilding of Arrow Active II G-ABVE which was recently acquired by Mr. Jones from sail- plane designer F. N. Slingsby of Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire. First flight of the Rollason-built Turbulent, with Norman Jones at the controls, is pictured in the heading photograph. Mr. Jones (right) and some of the Rollasons team responsible for the machine (below, left) are seen after the flight, with a Transair Dak- master providing scale in the latter picture. The Turbulent's cockpit (left) is delightfully simple, with harmonium- type rudder pedals and only six instru- ments: A.S.I., bubble level, altimeter, tachometer, oil pressure gauge and car-type compass. Ground-handling, below, is easy—at an empty weight of 350 Ib. Cruising speed is 75 m.p.h. "FLIGHT" PHOTOGRAPHS
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