The Plane My M8 Built

[DD_Arthur]

My mate Rick has been flying since he was about five years old. His father taught him. This is his dream come true, his own plane.

It's a Europa, which is a kit. It started life nearly twenty years ago when the previous owner bought the kit and had a wing and the tail assembly professionally built. Then either the money or the enthusiasm ran out. Luckily he had it stored properly for the next fifteen or so years until Rick, who's a self-employed builder, came along to build an extension to the guys house and they got talking aeroplanes.

A deal was done, the bits were hauled back to my mates garage and he set about with gusto. Five years and lots of wonga and hammered credit cards later this is the result.

I know it looks a little odd but it's one hot little ship. Cruise is 145kts thanks to the retractable, single track undercart, nice slippery shape and constant speed prop. It's brand new Rotax engine is economical and runs on unleaded from garage forecourt pumps. Think Lotus rather than Ferrari and you get the idea.

After getting it off the trailer it takes about ten minutes to rig and you're good to go. When it's on the trailer it lives in his garage at home. He's had it certified and tested and signed off and has been flying it for nearly a month now and has put twenty-six hours on it including a trip to Le Tourquet last week. On Tuesday evening we went for a spin, taking off from Dunkeswell, an old wartime bomber base about ten miles north of where I live.

Since him and his missus are restoring an old farmhouse in Northern Portugal the idea is to be able to fly down there so he's really gone to town on the cockpit and avionics. There's about six grands worth of glass instruments, gps, constant speed control unit and radio in here. It'l be worth it though as with this sought of cruise speed you can really go places.

There's always something interesting to see at Dunkeswell. I don't know what this is, some sort of Lockheed perhaps? I've seen and heard it flying overhead occasionally and it makes a great noise.

Dunkeswell itself is an interesting old place. It's one of three airfields built within a span of five miles up here in the Blackdown hills on the Devon/Somerset border. Dunkeswell was the first to be built and construction was started in mid-1941. It was originally intended to be an RAF fighter airfield but on completion in the spring of 1943 was handed over to an anti submarine wing of the USAAF, flying B-24's.

As you can see, the two main runways are still in use though now shortened which precludes the use of larger aircraft. This happened in the mid-eighties when some twit also demolished the unique and historically important control tower before it could be made a listed building. The last big thang' into Dunkeswell was b-17 Sally B in about 1985, I think. However, this also means it's a non-starter for commercial aviation which is thriving down the road at the once RNAS field outside Exeter. Dunkeswell is the main GA field in this part of the world and is doing quite well out of it.

Plenty of old hard-standings to be seen from the air and you get the idea of the general layout. The Americans stationed here called the place 'Mudville Heights' and it's a pretty accurate description if you had to live here through an average British winter. Sometime in 1944 the USAAF moved out and the USN moved their version of the B-24 in to carry on the anti-submarine patrols. I'm not sure about the numbers but this group were successful, sinking a number of U-boats that year including the first snorkel boat sunk by an aircraft and in the spring of 45' making the first successful attack on a U-boat with a homing torpedo.

This was the home base of Lt. Joseph Kennedy Jnr., the eldest of the Kennedy brothers before he was killed in action in 1944.

About two miles away and sharing the same landing pattern is what remains of RAF Upottery;

Today its known as 'Smeatharpe Stadium' the home of Banger racing with a little dirt track and carting thrown in. Construction began here in the summer of '43 and by then the airfield contractors had really got their act together and the site was handed over to the 439th. troop carrier group of the USAAF and their C-47's the following spring. Gliders were also stationed at Upottery and it was from here that the 101st. Airborne division took off for Ste Mere Eglise behind Utah beach and a well-earned place in history.

The third airfield in the area, RAF Church Stanton, is another couple of miles north of here and on its closure became home to Culm Head listening station, an outpost of the very hush, hush GCHQ, linked to the NSA in the states. Thats been closed since the early nineties and you can only just make out what would have been the main runway from the air now. None of the concrete runways and hardstandings have ever been lifted. Nature has just been allowed to take it's fairly swift course. Very well fertilised by an abundance of Cow shit too. This is dairy country.

We flew, actually I flew us to Portland on the Dorset coast and what a great little plane this is. Although it's not aerobatic it is very responsive and you fly her with a stick, not a wheel or 'spectacles' At the moment she flies a little bit left wing low and with no aileron trim you just need to keep the lightest pressure on the stick to keep her level but Ricks on the case. On the way back Rick took her over and being such a beautiful, calm evening with the sea like glass we took the scenic route home along the Jurassic Coast.'

This is the mole at Lyme Regis from about 100' and 130kts. This is the first 'little' plane I've ever flown in where you say "Did you see that?" rather than a more leisurely "Look at that" @Cessna.

This is Golden Cap and at a little over 600ft. are the highest cliffs in southern England. I must apologise for these pictures. I'm not the greatest of photographers, my camera is now seven years out of date and the Europa is no camera ship.

Beer Head cliffs. Nearly thirty years ago we had to abseil down these bastards as part of our Commando course. We were bloody mad

This is Sidmouth, the town outside of which I live and we climb here for the turn inland, a couple of low passes over my house for the benefit of my youngest son and we're almost back to Dunkeswell.

Nice little plane. Me want.

[BadAim]

Most excellent adventure! Thanks for sharing mate.

[Jediteo]

He doesn't happen to have a spare does he?

[Jabo]

Nice one m8, he's got a pretty little plane there.

The vet is a Lockheed Electra in PTO colours I think

Jabo

[Kimosabi]

You brits are lucky, you have airstrips all over the place, no wonder you have so many enthusiasts. Great pictures Arthur, looks like a very nimble aircraft. Great fun I reckon!

[Blairgowrie]

Great post Arthur! Excellent subject, great pictures and good composition.

[Pooka]

Very enjoyable Arthur, the landscapes in England still amaze me. All the land here is generally square in quarter mile sections in the flatter areas.

Thanks for posting. Pooka

[delta7]

very nice

I was in sidmouth on holiday once as a teenager - isnt the FAA ,museum near you? I remember going there, they had a concorde on display

s

[fruitbat]

nice pics arthur, looks to have been a very enjoyable day

[Sweper]

Thanks for sharing Arthur. Truley amazing!

Swep

[Painless]

~S~ Arthur M8,

Bloody brilliant !

That's a lovely little plane and about twice as fast as the one I get to fly sometimes !! Is Rick going to fit a trim tab to one of the wings to sort out the level trim ?

It's easy to see why some folks get the "bug" for flying isn't it M8 !

Thanks for the post.

~S~ Painless

[T_O_A_D]

Super post, love the history included>

[MadTrooper]

Great story with excellent pictures. It makes me want one too.

Thanks for sharing.

MT

[Jabo]

Wasn't Joe Kennedy killed during the Aphrodite test flights? Pretty sure about that, must go check the books.

Jabo

[erco]

Great stuff! The vet is a Beech 18.

[Perfesser]

Homebuilts or experimentals are damn good planes these days and can be had for the same as a middle priced car but more than half are never finished by the original buyer.

Today's kits make that ratio much better but still a lot of them never get in the air.

[Trout]

That's a great little plane... but where do the guns go?

[Jabo]

Great stuff! The vet is a Beech 18.

Oops, my bad. Good ident Erco

Jabo

[Streak]

Nice little plane he has there.