Shortfinals – aviation and more!

By: shortfinals

Oct 30 2011

Tags: 'Light Aircraft Trials', 'Scarlet Angel', 17th May 1930, 1915, 1924 Air Ministry Two-Seat Dual Control Light Aeroplane Competition, 1930 to 1937, 1950s, 1956 Goodyear Trophy, 32 hp Bristol Cherub engine, 35 hp A.B.C. Scorpion, 50 hp Salmson radial, 85 hp, 90 hp, air racing and records world, Air Show, Airco, aircraft, aircraft locker made of plywood, Aircraft Manufacturing Company Ltd, Alban Ali, amazing long-distance flights, Argentina, Australia, Aviation, B.E.2c aircraft, Bedfordshire, bought by the Shuttleworth Trust in 1966, Brooklands, built for racing, C.L.A. 7 Swift, C.L.A.2, change of engine type, Cheshire, company ceased trading in June 1934, Comper Aircraft Company Ltd., Comper C.L.A. 7 Swift, Comper works, consisted of a wooden framework, covered in fabric, Cranwell, Cranwell Light Aircraft Club, damaged in Egypt during an India -England flight, Darwin, David Ogilvy, DH4 bomber, diminutive size, Douglas Rudolf Pobjoy, Egypt, engine problems, England, Firefly, first public appearance, First World War, flew across the Andes at 18000 feet, flew from Lympne Kent to Darwin Australia in 9 days 2 hours and 20 minutes, Flight Lieutenant, Folkestone Trophy, France, G-AARX, G-ABUS, G-ACTF, G-ACTF should be back in the air soon, G-EBKC, Goodyear Trophy Races, grass airfield, Great Britain, hangars, Hooton, iconic British airfield, India, India -England flight, Indian Register, Italy, Kent, King's Cup Air Race, London, Lympne, microlights, museum, Museums, Nicholas Comper, No. 9 Squadron RFC, Old Warden, outskirts of London, painted bright scarlet, plywood, Pobjoy, Pobjoy 'P', Pobjoy 'R' of 85 hp, Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft Company Ltd, Pobjoy Niagara II, Pobjoy spares are difficult to obtain, posted to France, powered by a Pobjoy Niagara II of 90 hp, prototype, R.A. Butler, raced in the U.K., raced post-war, RAF, rare racer, rear decking, renowned pilot and aviation authority, RFC, Richard Shuttleworth had been a director of Comper Aircraft, Richard Shuttleworth had owned two Swifts, Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force College, Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Royal Flying Corps, sent to its destination in a crate, shop and cafe, Shuttleworth Trust, single-seater, small production run, survived its wartime storage, Switzerland, Sydney St. Barke, Tanganyika, the 'R', two-cylinder engine, ungainly biplane, visiting aircraft, VT-ADO, wealthy Indian tea planter, World War One

Category: aircraft, airshow, Aviation, British Isles, England, Great Britain, Museums, RAF, Royal Air Force

1 Comment

The Shuttleworth Trust at Old Warden, Bedfordshire is a truly remarkable place. The grass airfield – with possibly a few visiting aircraft and microlights parked up – and the shop and cafe near the entrance give no indication whatsoever of the treasures contained in the series of plain hangars in front of the visitor. In one of the hangars you will find a rare racer – the Comper C.L.A. 7 Swift, G-ACTF.

Nicholas Comper got his start in aviation with the Aircraft Manufacturing Company Ltd (or Airco), the manufacturers of the famous World War One DH4 bomber. He left to join the fledgling Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and was posted to France to fly B.E.2c aircraft with No. 9 Squadron, RFC. Amazingly for a B.E.2c pilot, he survived the war and eventually joined the staff of the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. Whilst at Cranwell he designed several light aircraft for the Cranwell Light Aircraft Club, one of which he named the C.L.A.2, an ungainly biplane powered by a 32 hp Bristol Cherub engine. Registered G-EBKC, it was built for the famous 1924 Air Ministry Two-Seat Dual Control Light Aeroplane Competition at Lympne (known to many as the ‘Light Aircraft Trials’). He left the RAF as a Flight Lieutenant, and formed the Comper Aircraft Company Ltd. at Hooton in Cheshire. Comper’s very first aircraft was the C.L.A. 7 Swift, a tiny single-seater built for racing. Its first public appearance was on the 17th May, 1930, at the iconic British airfield of Brooklands on the outskirts of London, when it was flown by Sydney St. Barke. The aircraft consisted of a wooden framework covered in fabric, with the rear decking (which formed the locker) made of plywood. The prototype, G-AARX, was powered by a 35 hp A.B.C. Scorpion two-cylinder engine. The first change of engine type came with the next 6 aircraft, which were fitted with the 50 hp Salmson radial, but the Swift really became successful when Douglas Rudolf Pobjoy established his Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft Company Ltd. next to the Comper works in Hooton. The light, efficient Pobjoy ‘P’ was fitted to the 7th Swift, and many Swifts were converted to, or built with, the next Pobjoy, the ‘R’ of 85 hp. Swifts flew in the King’s Cup Air Race from 1930 to 1937, as well as making some amazing long-distance flights for such a small aircraft. For example, in 1932, R.A. Butler flew from Lympne, Kent to Darwin, Australia in 9 days, 2 hours and 20 minutes – a new record. Only 41 aircraft of the type being built, but Swifts were exported to Argentina (one flew across the Andes at 18,000 feet), Tanganyika, India, Australia, Egypt, Switzerland, Italy and France.

Despite the company having ceased trading in June 1934, Swifts continued to be raced post-war, in the Folkestone Trophy and the Goodyear Trophy Races, for example. An old friend of mine, the renowned pilot and aviation authority, David Ogilvy, placed second in the 1956 Goodyear Trophy in G-ABUS.

The Swift shown here was initially owned by a wealthy Indian tea planter, Alban Ali, and was placed on the Indian Register as VT-ADO, painted bright scarlet, and named ‘Scarlet Angel’. The ‘Angel’ was damaged in Egypt during an India – England flight – and sent to its destination in a crate! The aircraft was placed on the British Register as G-ACTF and survived its wartime storage to be raced in the U.K. in the 1950s, when it was powered by a Pobjoy Niagara II of 90 hp. G-ACTF was bought by the Shuttleworth Trust in 1966 (Richard Shuttleworth had been a director of Comper Aircraft, and had owned two Swifts); it has had some engine problems – Pobjoy spares are notoriously difficult to obtain – but G-ACTF should be back in the air soon.

The Swift had an impact on the air racing and records world far greater than its diminutive size and small production run would seem to warrant. For something so small, it really was a giant.

http://twb.ly/1q4EN6H

http://peoplesmosquito.org.uk

bit.ly/TPMShop

https://www.picfair.com/shortfinals