ZS-DPR CHRISLEA CH-3Srs.2 Super Ace

[Ugly Duckling]

Was Neddy Noakes not the co-pilot in the Hansie crash?

Sadly true

[ace505]

Was Neddy Noakes not the co-pilot in the Hansie crash?

It was, I knew Neddy from FABB, he owned a Piper 235 at the time.
When I renewed my medical a little after the Hansie crash my file was sandwiched in between Meyer and Noakes’s files, at the doc’s in Benoni, doc shut me up very quickly after he mentioned that.

[nrm]

I knew Neddy because I learnt to fly at Brakpan with Sluggy.

We used to have a few dops on a sunday evening.

Very sad.

[ace505]

They called it church, I remember it well, Sam and his clan.
Sluggy taught me how to fly too back in the mid 90’s
Good times.

[Christopher]

< ...and then the Brits designed the Land Rover,...oh,....and the Buccaneer...!>

You dog, you, SandPiper! Remind me: who else was building aircraft in the 1960s that had (hands-off) terrain-following radar capability? What's that? Can't hear you...

[SandPiper]

I luv my Landy....

Come to think a out it, the Yanks? F111?

[antonroland]

...and then the Brits designed the Land Rover,...oh,....and the Buccaneer...!

Careful now...nothing wrong with a Land Rover...

[Christopher]

<Come to think a out it, the Yanks? F111?>

(a)I don't think it was flying nearly as early as the Buccaneer and (b)...errr: remind me: who designed the swing-wing concept?

[SandPiper]

The F111 started only a few years after the Buc, and well before the Tornado.

From Wikipedia:

During the 1960s, the first programmes to produce mass production variable-sweep aircraft commenced. In the United States, such a configuration for the TFX (Tactical Fighter Experimental) program, which resulted in the development of the General Dynamics F-111, a sizable twin-engined aircraft intended to perform multiple roles.[23][24] The F-111 is the first production aircraft to feature a variable-geometry wing and it, along with other systems such as terrain following radar and turbofan engines outfitted with afterburners, were innovative technologies for the era.[25][26]

Despite this head start in the field, development of the F-111 was protracted; flight testing of the F-111A model only ended in 1973.[27] During 1968, cracks were discovered in the F-111's wing attach points, the issue also has been attributed with the loss of an F-111 in the following year.[28] Accordingly, the attach points were structurally redesigned and subject to intensive testing of both the design and manufacturing quality.[29] The F-111B, intended for the US Navy, was cancelled in 1968 due the aircraft's weight and performance issues, as well as its inadequacies for the service's fighter requirements.[30][31] Several variants, such as the FB-111A strategic bomber model, featured elongated wings to give a greater range and load-carrying capability.[32] The F-111's wing featured pivoting pylons (two under each wing) which automatically adjusted to the sweep angle. Subsiquent swing-wing aircraft, such as the Panavia Tornado and Sukhoi Su-24, would also be similarly equipped.[citation needed]

[Bearcat]

Thread drift ... can we get back to the Chrislea please

[Johan Swakopmund]

Thread drift ... can we get back to the Chrislea please

Jim said all about the Chrislea and i would have agreed with Jim.
I climbed into a weighshift for taxi only and got airborne. The Eagle XL
Flew it as a three axis and the nearest i got killed in anything flying

Johan

[AEH]

A beyond awful aircraft. I do not know how many were ever registered in SA, but the late Bob Hay flew onw back from Virginia to the Old Baragwanath, and he claimed that the odd controls were the least of his problems as he was contending with bad weather, fuel leaks and a soggy Gipsy Major.

Obviously men were made of sterner stuff back then as this was Bobs first and only flight (he died in his sleep) as the DCA gave out an open license (i.e. any aircraft in the class) once you had a reasonable amount of experience and systems, which was actually a good idea. Nowadays pilots cannot be expected to be relied upon to read the POH and study performance charts. The current CAA seek to control everything.

Off topic but to illustrate the point - I found to my horror that I might not be PA-28-235 rated despite having the following signed out in my logbook, so I took away the pleasure of flying a Piper Cruiser from its owner this weekend in ferrying it from Port Alfred to Baragwanath:
1. PA-28 Series - (yes it is in the back of my logbook along with Cessna 100 series)
2. PA-28-140 / 160/ 161/ 180 / 181
3. PA-28R-180 /200 / 201
4. PA-32-260, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300T and Saratoga / Turbo Saratoga
5. Constant speed and variable pitch propellers.

Some days you just cannot win, and I do not want to take a chance with the insurers nor CAA. As my brother says, "if there is any doubt - Then there is no doubt!"

I am led to believe the powers that be believe a 235 is a P28B! and I need a separate conversion. As one does for a C150 and separately C152; and a C172 and FR172. Grrrrrr

[Ray W]

The Chrislea was modified to a single fin and rudder in the early 70s according to notes that I have and she was cancelled off the register in 1975. Here are some pics that Alan Taylor found amongst Dave Becker's collection at the SAAF Museum.

[jimdavis]

With the mandatory pool of oil under the Gypsy.

I seem to remember the nose wheel is offset because the oleo etc couldn't fit under the engine so they put it to one side.

The very worst of Pommy engineering.

jim

[Swivel]

Thank you to all who sent relevant replies.

The images from the Dave Becker Collection posted by Ray are interesting. The single tail unit on this aircraft was obtained for the conversion from a SAAF Auster 9. The Auster, SAAF serial number 5412, had a Category 2 accident on 5 January 1961. It was never repaired and eventually sold by the SAAF for scrap on 10 June 1963. Sadly therefore, no recognisable SAAF Auster 9 components now exist if ZS-DPR has been scrapped. A photograph of the "hoenderhok" would be appreciated if one exists.

The only other Auster 9 to serve with the SAAF was serial number 5413 which crashed near Bizana and burned out completely on 10 February 1961 while deployed during Operation Swivel.