Bolkow fly-in, Sandown, 28th & 29th July

John Webb, Nick Smart and Andrew Court are organising a Bolkow Monsun fly-in at Sandown, Isle of Wight this coming weekend (28th & 29th July 2007). The plan is to arrive mid to late morning on Saturday and have a DIY Barbeque.

Details of Sandown can be found by clicking the following link: http://www.isleofwightairport.co.uk/

All Bolkow types are welcome! Hope to see you there.

News and question from Jim...

I am starting to re-install the canopy on N412GS and I need a little help from the Junior Community.

Since the old canopy was - to put it mildly - not properly installed, I'm not sure what a properly installed canopy should look like. What a I need to know is:

1. How far aft of the instument panel should the holes for the forward canopy rail pins be?
2. What is the gap between the canopy rail and the top of the fuselage when the canopy is closed?

I did the final trial fit of the forward canopy and the results were gratifying:

This is what I started with:

Jim.

Question from 'Down Under'...

A quick question for all Bolkow buffs...

I am rebuilding 208A 523 (Australia's only example ) and the horizontal stabilizer is fairly badly stone damaged from a previous life on some rough outback strips. I have used some filler and repainted it however, it will still have to operate from some rough strips. Is there any issues using leading edge tape, in terms of balance? Where is the balance point? Any helpful hints welcome.

Dennis Brown
Oz Bo 523

(Ed: You should be able to reply using the comment function. If you have any problems/issues, feel free to send your reply [as an e-mail] to me and I'll post it on the site. colihamp@gmail.com)

PFA Regional Rally - Sywell May 5th/6th

Attention all Bolkow Flyers!

A number of Bolkow pilots have expressed their intention to attend the first of the PFA's new 'Regional Rallies'. The Rally is to be held at Sywell on the weekend of 5th-6th May 2007. Let's use this fantastic occasion to muster as many examples of type as possible.

Full details of the Rally can be found at: http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/revival.php

Pre-booking of landing slots is required and can be done online. Landing fees are £5 for the entire weekend, and pilots may camp by their aircraft.

Let's help make the PFA's first 'Regional Rally' a success. I look forward to seeing you all there in a few weeks time!

Welcome!

The idea is a simple one; To provide a means for members of the Bolkow Squadron to communicate with one another, share experiences and coordinate gatherings of aeroplanes at fly-ins.

In the past, getting any amount of aeroplanes in the same place at the same time has proved to be difficult even at the best of times. It is hoped that by having a central location of contact details and information about fly-ins, events and meetings, that more Bolkow owners and pilots will be encouraged to attend. The Bolkow community, like any other, relies upon the knowledge, experience and expertise of its members, and so I would invite you all to contribute what you can to this 'forum'. Any articles, trip reports or photos that you would like to contribute would be greatly appreciated.

Please get onboard!

(This is my old aeroplane D-EDNA, now owned by Martin Woodcock. Photo taken at the 2005 International Old Timer Fly-in at Schaffen-Diest, Belgium).

G-AVKR

Clive Morris (G-AVKR)

Hi Bolkow drivers! I have a small problem with G-AVKR . The pitot tube that runs down inside the left hand wing strut has sprung a tiny leak according to my latest Annual CofA check. No problem really as the strut is sealed and acts as a large pipe itself! I have not noticed any lag on the ASI. However it should be fixed sooner or later. Any ideas? If it comes to it , can I get a new left wing strut from anywhere and how much ££s?

A quick intro: I have had GAVKR for 3 years. I am based at Deanland in darkest Sussex, a 490m grass strip. Its in a beautiful position just by the South Downs, and was a D-Day advanced landing ground with long metal runways. It had 3 Spitfire squadrons based there. Only a few minutes from France (by Spitfire!)... My wife and I have flown to Condom in s.france for the last 2 years,to visit friends nearby . Despite its name Condom is a lovely little town! The local grass strip is very friendly and has fuel. We left GAVKR for a week and it was still there when we came back. We flew via Le Touquet and Saumur midweek and hardly saw any traffic, one jodel above us, and one Mirage below us!

My background is RAF , BOAC (BA if you must)! And finished off in Virgin which made an old man very happy. I started in the RAF in 1957. I have been flying continuosly for 50 years and have averaged 500 hours a year,you work it out! I would love to see any Bolkows visit Deanland and by the way if anyone wants a bi-annual flight with an instructor to sign your log book, look no further. I can fly anywhere to meet you and fly in your aircraft or mine. I do not charge, apart from a bacon butty!

My tel: 01323 423380. Look forward to hearing from you, Clive Morris.

German Bolkow Fly-in?

Stewart Buckingham (D-EEAH )

D-EEAH will have its 40th “birthday” on 26 June 07 and I have been considering trying to take it back to Laupheim on 26/6/2007 to celebrate its first flight there. In the course of exploring this prospect I got in touch with Dr Haan on the German Boelkow web site. He has kindly put me in touch with folk at Laupheim – but he also mentioned that there is to be a Bolkow fly-in at Bopfingen (not far from Laupheim, in fact) the following weekend (not quite sure if it is Fri/Sat/Sun or just Sat/Sun or even Sat/Sun – but circa 30 June either way, so now I am looking to combine that with my Laupheim visit. He asked me if there were other UK Bolkows who might be interested – so - hence this message. Bopfingen is at N48:50.9 E010:20.0. I have not looked at routes but my guestimate is ~500nm from Lydd. Can we cajole any other Sqn members to join in, do you think?

(Ed - Perhaps any interested pilots can drop Stewart a quick line: deeah@btinternet.com)

Canopy Progress - Jim Washburn N412GS

Jim Washburn N412GS

Just finished two nerve-wracking days cutting on a very expensive piece of flexiglass. Tomorrow I'm going to do a trial fit on the airplane, but for now a large bourbon - or two!

Cut for the latch on the front bow...

Latch trial fit...


Edges trimmed...