Vintage Kiwi's Skylark 3f Update
Text: Ian
Dunkley Photos: Marc Morley
7 Sept, 2007
The Slingsby Skylark 3f imported into New Zealand last year for Vintage Kiwi
has made it's first flight at Drury , 35 minutes on Sunday 19th August.
Previously owned by The Essex GC at the old wartime airfield
of North Weald it had not flown for 4
years following damage caused by some kind sole trying to turn it
round without asking for someone to lift the tail. A trip to the workshop
resulted some repair work being started but abandoned after the club
decided to retire it. Four years later, having gained a few more battle
scars, dangerous places for gliders are workshops, it was advertised on
the web for sale and bought by Ian Dunkley within 20 minutes of the item
appearing.
Repair work was started in the UK, and nearly finished, when the shipping
date grew near and the trailer, thrown in, free for very good reason, proved to
require much more work than was realised, starting with the back falling off
whilst being moved. The problem was made worse by competition from it's
shipmate's, the Weihe, trailer
required work which in
fact proved to be incomplete when it reached the docks in the UK, and
required completion on arrival. The story of both trailers was covered in
a Vintage Kiwi News article last year.
VK member Marc Morley completed the repairs at Drury and carried out the first flight after which care was taken to find a strong man to lift the tail for parking. Plans are currently being made for the Skylark to be operated by Vintage Kiwi and flown by VK members who have joined a special scheme. If current plans go ahead it should be seen fly over the Labour day weekend at the combined Vintage Kiwi Mini rally and the 50th Anniversary Rally of the Piako Gliding Club over the labour day weekend.
Skylark 3f for
“Vintage Kiwi”
or
“Midsummers Night Dream”
Ian Dunkley, 3rd July 2006
A Skylark 3f has been purchased in the UK for “Vintage Kiwi” and after minor work will be C of A’d, test flown, and then shipped to New Zealand to join the Vintage Kiwi Fleet. That’s the important bit out of the way.
 Leaving Essex GC workshop at Battle of Britain airfield North Weald |
 The shiny bit, new tail skid to be fitted |
 Only two more bits to go |
 The downside of the deal |
Collected on the 1st July from the Essex Gliding Club who have operated it for some years the glider, that has flown, 2654 hours and 2390 launches only requires minor repairs and cosmetic work before C of A inspection and flight. This is not quite so true of the trailer which require, if time allows, re-skinning before any significant retrieves are made. That’s the detail, now for the real story, the collection.
Collection was quite eventful, the exhaust system falling of the car on the outward journey of some 200 miles, and GPS failure a critical point on the return when the absence of a road map was discovered, a lesson here. This resulted in a sun guided cross country trip to a previously un-visited destination, that proved that, motor ways and Roman roads excepted, the UK east west road system is based on the meandering of cows and drunken ploughmen.
The destination reached, after further possible VK gliders were inspected, two microlight flights, a lot of whiskey and some sleep the journey continued, with the GPS charger plugged in this time. Camphill was reached, 20 miles and 30 minutes from the point that the GPS proclaimed “You have reached your destination” again proving never trust a GPS unless you have a map or know the way anyway. This however was not the end of misfortune.
Driving on to a trailer hitch point, uncoupling and then driving off seemed a simple procedure, driving on was, driving off revealed a car that fell into two gears at the same time and would only move, very slowly, backwards, when the clutch was depressed. Subsequent inspection, after retrieval, backwards towed by a tractor, revealed that whatever the condition of the Skylark, the car had made it’s final cross country as repairs would have cost more than the Skylark had.
I am sure you will all now realise I am beginning to wonder I am so keen to do the C of A and shipping before a major Camphill gale, forest fire, earthquake of flood completely buggers up the trailer. On the other hand a quick sale may provide me with a car again.
