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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 0670.PDF
RIGHT International, 12 March 1964 393 The Luton Minor built by Harry Nash and Roger Peormon (above) in its original form and (below) after being spatted. Above right, the Minor's hangar SPORT AND •BiiiiiiliiiB B U SI N ESS SSWttf Australian Luton Minor The first modified, postwar Luton Minor to be constructed from Phoenix Aircraft plans—VH-RHP, built in Australia by Roger Pearman and Harry Nash—has now obtained a full Certificate of Airworthiness in the private category and has logged "many trouble-free hours of flying, including some good cross-country trips." The Pearman-Nash Minor is in fact following a precedent, since many of the prewar Minors were built in Australia as well as in Britain and other countries. In 1958 Phoenix Aircraft Ltd was formed to take over the defunct Luton Aircraft activities, and the first project was to bring the Minor design up-to-date by installing a 36 h.p. Aeronca-JAP (or a 55 h.p. Lycoming), raising the gross weight from 630 to 7501b; and re-stressing the airframe to current British civil airworthiness requirements. Less important changes included the incorporation of a fixed fin, giving the fin and rudder similar lines to those of the two-seat Luton Major, and the substi- tution of a split-axle landing gear with central supporting pylon in place of the original outboard compression struts. A fully castoring tailwheel was also added. Since then, the company states, about 100 amateur builders have commenced work on Luton Minors, and a number have now reached or are about to reach the flying stage. Roger Pearman, an ex-RAF pilot from Birmingham, and Harry Nash, a mechanic from Derby, emigrated to Australia 14 years ago and settled in Melbourne. In 1960 they obtained a set of Minor plans from Phoenix, and then spent 18 months of spare-time work in building the aircraft. Apart from the engine and the sheet steel for the manufacture of fittings, the aircraft was built entirely from locally obtained materials. The airframe is constructed of wood, with fabric covering on wings and tail surfaces, the fuselage covering being of plywood. Both wings and tail are easily detachable for ground transport and storage. Powerplant is a 36 h.p. twin-cylinder, horizontally opposed Aeronca-JAP. The standard of workmanship by Pearman and Nash was consistently high, and the structure was inspected period- ically by the Department of Civil Aviation. The spatted Minor is finished in yellow and black, and a DCA-approved enclosed canopy has been designed and is to be fitted later. Total cost, including engine shipping charges, was £A560 or about £450. The completed Minor was transported to a friend's property at Melton, about 30 miles west of Melbourne, where a special hangar had been erected (see photograph). The hangar is of T-planform, the 28ft opening being supported by king-posts at the two ends, from which tension members run to the midspan position. Six movable panels make up the doors. Maiden flight of the aircraft was made by Roger Pearman on October 14, 1962. The initial test flying was carried out on a Permit to Fly: the Minor was then sub- ected to a rigorous inspection and further flying by DCA officials, after which a full Certificate of Airworthiness was issued. During last year a number of cross-country flights were made—the longest being a day trip from Melbourne to Swan Hill and return, a total distance of 300 miles—and the Minor appeared at several air pageants. VH-RPH was the first amateur-built aircraft in Victoria and the first postwar Minor to be built and flown in Australia. For this constructional effort Pearman and Nash were awarded the Phoenix Company's Phoenix award of Merit for 1962. London Gliding Club's annual dinner was held on February 28. Speakers comprised ex-chairman Godfrey Lee, Hugo Trotter of Lasham and the Kronfeld Club, BGA chairman Philip Wills and club chairman Charles Ellis. Annual awards, presented by Mrs Annabel Ellis, wife of the chairman, went to Roger Threlfall (Cellon Trophy for best ab initio pilot), Mike Fairman (Foster Boomerang for best out-and-return flight), John Cos tin (Dent Cup for best flight of the year), Keith Lillywhite (Desoutter Cup for best design, constructional or flight-testing effort), and John Argent (Derry Trophy for services to the club). For Tigers Only A one-class race designed to encourage new- comers to air racing will form part of the National air race meeting at Shoreham on July 17-18. Sponsored by the Tiger Club and organized by the Royal Aero Club, the race will be open to Tiger Moth aircraft flown by pilots who have not previously won an air racing event. All pilots completing the course will receive a tankard. This news was given by Mr Norman Jones, chairman of the Tiger Club, at the club's annual dinner in London on February 29. On the same occasion Neil Williams was presented with the McAully Trophy, the Esso Trophy and the DH Tiger Moth Trophy; and the de Salis Trophy went to Fred Marsh. A New 1,000km Closed-course Speed Record for aircraft under 3,000kg has been claimed for the SFERMA Marquis (two Astazou X turboprops). Flown by Maurice Oppenau and Jacques Boisbeau, the aircraft achieved 5O3km/hr on February 21.
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