Just landed,I think.

[Rallye]

Hi there,

 

Never having been involved in any forum, chat or cyberworld, and having no love or understanding of computers, I have been reading the posts that most interested me for the last few months on this site. This was fuelled by interests in flying, not by interest in computers, which I think hate me. Ian's efforts have been truly enormous, as well as, I guess have the other administrators. The New Forum Site is brillant, but it took me two evenings to regain access. Thank you Ian for emailing me with the friendly other to help. I felt I could not ask for any special assistance whilst you were fighting your computer battles.

 

I thought I should announce myself as if people only read posts, there would be no posts to read!

 

Having recently retired from Engineering and moved from the UK I had been looking at building a Jabiru. A J200 seemed the best whilst I was still in the UK. Now probably the J160, for as Rod Stiff said as I was retired he could not see why I should be in a hurry to get anywhere. The J160 would still enable me to cover a lot of ground. In reflection I think it was sound advice. I have had a few goes in the Jabiru for a look, and also with a view to obtaining an RAAus Certificate. Two mates back in the UK have Jab's - one a U.L. and one a J400. I am from GA flying - had a share in a Rallye 150T for a few years. For the UK or Ex UK Forum members, I got my PPL quite a while ago at the Suffolk Aero Club at Ipswich Airport (now covered with houses). Last few years based at Hill Farm Nayland (a strip near Colchester). Anyway that is my introduction to you all. All the best for now Dave

 

P.S. If you haven't found this post, it means I didn't post it correctly!

 

Can't beat a slot in a mail-box, you know it's gone

 

 

[Admin]

Welcome aboard Rallye - thanks for joining and we all hope you enjoy your stay.

 

Well, your computer can't hate you that much as you seem to have landed safely on all wheels. Join in the many discussion areas and hope the forum posts help with whatever questions you have.

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Hi Rallye,

 

Your handle brings back fond memories. As a kid I spent some time in a Rallye that was owned by a teacher at school. I loved the way the leading edge slats would bang open as the airspeed fell.

 

I also remember one day on short final the pilot throttling back and pulling up as we had conflicting traffic. The Rallye simply drifted backwards in the strong breeze whilst the other a/c cleared the strip and then the throttle was opened, the nose lowered and we landed!

 

If I remember correctly it was noisy and slow but great fun.

 

Welcome.

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

 

[Guest David C]

Welcome Rallye ,

 

Great to have you aboard . Never flown a Rallye myself ,although they are an aircraft I've admired over the years, probably due to many Jersey Air rallies and trips to France over the years I suppose . Looking forward to your postings . Once again welcome .

 

Dave

 

 

[Rallye]

Hi Ian,

 

Thanks for your greetings ---- I have not changed my mind about my computer, I threatened it with having to answer to yourself, and lo and behold it functioned accordingly.

 

All the best Dave

 

 

[Rallye]

Hi Chris,

 

Pleased to hear from yourself, and also to have arrived without a crash, perhaps that is to follow. Your kind offer is appreciated - I will certainly be in touch with inevitable queries (I hope the offer was not simply an automatic response on your part that you might come to regret). Thank you for the welcome. Safe flying Dave

 

 

[Rallye]

Hi Mike aka Pelorus 32,

 

Thanks for the reply. Your class of Masters at School was certainly a grade or two above mine. The slats are pretty effective, our farm strip had a short fairly flat bit, then over the crest and down the hill - only one direction for take off and the reverse for landing regardless of wind direction - you hoped to get the wheels off the ground before the crest then follow the slope down picking up speed to clear the trees and power lines. Not as bad as it sounds, the first stage of the Fowler flaps made it a very good STOL Aircraft. Every take off was a short field one. Landings could be alarming with a tail wind but as you landed at the bottom of the hill you still might need full power to taxi up the runway. The 150 was a better performer than the original Morane Saulnier 880 with only 100hp and that was assuming all the horses were still alive. Sometimes the slats would open with a bang whilst in the cruise if you caught enough draft, which certainly focused the mind the first few times it happened. As you say it was certainly not fast with everything sticking out in the breeze, a sort of aerial 2CV. A very pleasant aircraft to fly. The large engine version 235hp with C.S. prop was not a whole lot faster but it could certainly get off the ground and climb, but guzzled fuel. All the best Dave

 

 

[Rallye]

Hi David C,

 

Thanks for your troubling to welcome me, those welcoming replies give one a sort of happy glow! I had a look at the Oakes (I think it was December 9th) but everyone was sheltering from the rain and I did not like to intrude. If you were there you might have noticed a suspicious blue Prado that crept in and crept out! I had been visiting my Mother in Law in Albion Park to cross off her list of jobs to do.

 

The Rallye was, and is a very good aircraft. It was still being made until recently at least in Poland under license. A Colleague bought a new one about six years ago. There was a story, believe it if you will, about a Rallye and a couple of French Aviators (the French support all things French good or bad) who in dire weather had got above the murk ( and consequently in the mire), darkness was falling, and in desperation pulled back on both throttle and stick, uttering Gallic prayers at the top of their voice (in order to b e heard better). All this, including the prayers must have been most effective as they descended on an even keel and struck the ground with sufficient force to bottom out the trailing arm mains and drive them through the wings.

 

They survived and the Rallye acquired a nickname "The Tin Parachute" take care Dave

 

 

[ZULU1]

Ipswich

 

Hiya Rallye

 

I didnt know Ipswich had a airport, where was it ?? I did a stint in Ipswich (Great Blakenham) two years back with our company. Did a huge tour of the ex US Airforce bases in that area. Real interesting, especally museum at Framlingham you should know them well why not post something..even Martlesham heath (Douglas Bader fame) now a play school !! was interesting as you are retired and have the time..

 

Cheers Paul aka ZULU1

 

 

[Rallye]

Ipswich Airport etc.

 

Hi ZULU1,

 

Sorry for delay. Was a bit slow and had problems. Yes Ipswich did have an Airport. It was beside the road to Nacton (eastwards heading in Felixstowe direction) if that does not locate it for you, if you were crossing the Orwell Bridge over the estuary heading in a northerly direction it would be at about 2 o'clock ahead of you. Nice airfield great big grass runways and the estuary and later the bridge made it easy to find when you were new at navigating.

 

What Company were you at whilst at Great Blakenham? The old airfields often have websites or sites with information on the net. Ipswich and Martlesham Heath both have and many others. When I was a kid several were within easy cycling distance and we use to scavenge on the airfields looking for souvenirs. Some were freshly abandoned, some still in use and some still using the hangars for MOD storage. Sometimes you were accosted by MOD or police keeping an eye on the place. As one got older they tended to make one feel somewhat sad about the people and their lives, many of the crew obviously not surviving. You could still find their names, dates and home towns written in concrete patches. The nearest one to where I live was Ridgewell this does have a sight with info and photo's and letters from personnel (and families) who served there. Later on graduating from control line and free flight to radio control we use to use the runways to fly models from.

 

Flying about East Anglia one could usually see two or three old airfields at a time sometimes more depending on visibility, important to seek another feature as well when navigating. The runways were mostly broken up for crushed concrete in later years. But the runways still show through the crops as the topsoil had been taken away when they were constructed.

 

Safe flying Dave

 

 

[ZULU1]

Suffolk Flying

 

Hiya Rallye

 

Yes I know the location, I enjoyed the time spent there. For viewers on the forum wishing to visit Suffolk and East Anglia and you have some time. There are some really interesting ex US Air Force bases, Framlingham has a small museum with a very active "group" the concrete taxi ways are still used by some trike pilots. The old control tower is the museum.

 

We built the new MRF (Material Recovery Facility) for Viridor at Masons Landfill site, manufactured in South Africa and we shipped it across as a CKD.

 

Cheers Paul

 

 

[Rallye]

Hi ZULU1,

 

Sorry for delay again. I have replied twice but for different reasons I was dislogged once again and something else. I won't waste time with looking at spelling or grammar.

 

There were many bases which were not American by the way. Many were RAF also with personnel from all over the world. The Americans contributed greatly but did not win on their own. Also they did wait for quite awhile before joining in. There was much in the way of aviation debris, crash sites were only visually cleared up as a rule. A barn on our farm strip had several battered aero engines from US, German, and British aircraft, in a corner that had been dug up just locally.

 

Two major museums, and you might have been to them are, Duxford (Part of the Imperial War Museum) which has a huge collection and several flying days as well as restoring old aircraft. That's south of Cambridge. Another one is the RAF museum at Hendon in North London. the airfield itself is now built over but it has purpose built buildings and the old original Belfast pattern wooden hangars. The collection of aircraft and other artifacts is quite extensive and always worth a visit. My Father joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force here before the war, his squadron was 600 City of London. the airfield was all grass and I believe they operated Hawker Harts. He then went to Manston near the Channel coast. the Germans bombed this completely out and the squadron moved to Biggin Hill. He was then loaned to the Fleet Air Arm and finished up in India and Ceylon. Another great museum, again south of Cambridge is the Shuttleworth Trust. They have flying days as well with aircraft from pre World War I well worth a visit.

 

I know Mason's site well, we use to make equipment for Mason's Cement Works, before it was shut down. All the best Dave