Does anyone know anything about this plane?

[GliderRider]

WIth a bit of further digging, I think the engine is probably an Anzani. Have a look at the one on this Druine Tubulent in the third picture down. As the engine is said to have 20 hours on it, it may even be the same one! Inverted Anzani V twin in Druine Turbulent

Edited by GliderRider on Thursday 16th April 20:05

[Eric Mc]

Dr Jekyll said:

Eric Mc said:

Anything letters visible under the wings? Up to 1930, British heavier than air aircraft carried registrations in the block G-Exxx For example, G-ECAN was/is a de Havilland DH84 Dragon (it still exists).



The system was revamped in 1930 and started again with G-AAAA.

Although that Dragon was built during WW2 so not a good example.

I would think “rebuilt from assorted Dragon bits” as de Havilland had ceased production of the DH84 in the mid 30s to make way for the more modern DH89 Dragon Rapide which was indeed built in large numbers in WW2.

The reason I showed that picture is because it was carrying a pre 1930 style registration.

[eccles]

It has certain similarities with the Heath Parasol. Just googling them shows they can have a bewildering array of different undercarriages, engines and struts.
The one in this picture looks a little similar apart from the engine....

https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/abpic-media-eu-...

[Astacus]

GliderRider said:

WIth a bit of further digging, I think the engine is probably an Anzani. Have a look at the one on this Druine Tubulent in the third picture down. As the engine is said to have 20 hours on it, it may even be the same one! Inverted Anzani V twin in Druine Turbulent

Edited by GliderRider on Thursday 16th April 20:05

Marvellous detective work! yes the discs over the valves are there! Many thanks GR.

[Astacus]

eccles said:

It has certain similarities with the Heath Parasol. Just googling them shows they can have a bewildering array of different undercarriages, engines and struts.
The one in this picture looks a little similar apart from the engine....

https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/abpic-media-eu-...

Certainly could be something like this. I can imagine my Grandfather leafing through some early engineering weekly and considering ordering a kit. He does seem to have been an aero engineer at some point in his career.

[Astacus]

ReverendCounter said:

Is there anything on the back of the photo?

sadly no.

[Simpo Two]

Astacus said:

Simpo Two said:

Maybe someone at Shuttleworth might be able to throw some light on the mystery.

Yes. I emailed them a couple of years ago, but they never got back to me..

Always follow up everything. Write it in the diary, follow it up

[ReverendCounter]

Are you familiar with Wrecks & Relics? Published by Ken Ellis, Flypast ed?

"Wrecks & Relics remains the essential touring guide to the aviation museums, warbirds, collections and aeronautical heritage of the British Isles."

http://www.crecy.co.uk/wrecks-and-relics-27th-edit...

Apparently there's a FB group - got to be worth a shot.

Edited by ReverendCounter on Thursday 16th April 20:57

[Astacus]

ReverendCounter said:

Are you familiar with Wrecks & Relics? Published by Ken Ellis, Flypast ed?

"Wrecks & Relics remains the essential touring guide to the aviation museums, warbirds, collections and aeronautical heritage of the British Isles."

http://www.crecy.co.uk/wrecks-and-relics-27th-edit...

That looks like the sort of book you can happily spend hours in

[GliderRider]

Astacus said:

Family legend is that he built it himself using tea crates, but this is probably another dead end. There are many Many family legends about my Grandfather and most of them seem to have been made up by my Grandmother.

The wings look a bit DH53 Hummingbird(ish) to me. The RAE Scarab was a parasol built using DH53 wings, but not with a British Anzani engine. It could it be your Grandfather used parts from one to build something similar. I've trawled through all the between the wars British registrations, but can't find anything which fits the description.

There was a Heath Parasol G-AFZE built in 1939 by Robert Henry Parker of Esher, Surrey, but that had a Bristol Cherub engine. That aeroplane was only scrapped in 1996.

[ReverendCounter]

Astacus said:

That looks like the sort of book you can happily spend hours in

I think it used to be a regular publication about A5 sized, B+W, stapled, packed to the gills with every aspect of historical aircraft and museums etc. No end of factual info, records of aircraft remains, owners, locations - pretty much written/produced by the sort of curators the OP could hopefully find very informative.

[Eric Mc]

It is still printed every few years. I have a very old 1980 edition (when it was still soft back). It's now quite a thick, hardback tome. They also do international versions covering overseas museums. The reason it is called "Wrecks and Relics" is that, when it first came out in the 1960s, there were as many old and abandoned aircraft sitting around in scrap yards and on fire dumps all around the UK as there were aircraft in museums.

This is the most recent UK and Ireland edition -

[Astacus]

I am wondering whether the lettering on the cowl was simply a name given to the aircraft - maybe it was just called Gnatt

[anonymous-user]

It definitely looks like some kind of home built,
wood and fabric parasol monoplane of which there were lots around at that time or even combinations of different ones based on basic plans.

A fantastic photo especially as you have the prop. I wonder if my descendants will look at photos of me with various aircraft I’ve flown and marvel back at the days of pilots and engine powered by fossil fuels etc.

[Simpo Two]

Astacus said:

I am wondering whether the lettering on the cowl was simply a name given to the aircraft - maybe it was just called Gnatt

Could be. Was his name Folland by any chance?

[Astacus]

ha ha, no. Technology came a long way in 25 years!

[Eric Mc]

Folland was the chief designer of this aeroplane -

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

Folland was the chief designer of this aeroplane -

And this.........

[Eric Mc]

He obviously moved about a bit. Both Folland and Geoffrey de Havilland were young designers working at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough in the lead up to World War 1. de Havilland moved on quite eraly to found his own company, Airco.

There is a house on Alexandra Road, Farnborough which has a blue plaque stating that this is where de Havilland lodged when he was working at the RAF.

https://thefarnboroughsociety.org.uk/wp-content/up...

[GliderRider]

Eric Mc said:

He obviously moved about a bit. Both Folland and Geoffrey de Havilland were young designers working at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough in the lead up to World War 1. de Havilland moved on quite eraly to found his own company, Airco.

There is a house on Alexandra Road, Farnborough which has a blue plaque stating that this is where de Havilland lodged when he was working at the RAF.

https://thefarnboroughsociety.org.uk/wp-content/up...

Thank you for posting that Eric Mc. Although I knew GdH had worked at Farnborough, I had no idea where he lived.

You don't happen to have either of these books do you? I feel sure it will hold the answer to the OP's mystery:

British Homebuilt Aricraft since 1920 - Merseyside Aviation Society

British Light Aeroplanes 1920 -1940 - Arthur Ord-Hume