Tragedy: Mr North is pictured alongside the plane he built. He had shipped the parts to Colorado after originally constructing the aircraft in the UK


'It was in perfect flying order, and going beautifully, which makes it all the sadder. It's a mystery what must have happened.'


I'm guessing not all the parts got FedExd.

#81

Never fly on your own supply?

It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

I almost misread that thinking he died from a R/c model biplane. That would have been embarrassing.

mincepie: [www.spacegamejunkie.com image 615x384]

Gotta love that joystick positioning.

suicide

He did have a full stop landing.

vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

„Die Rache ist Mein!!"

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

Why scaled? Why not full-sized?

A wireless in an S.E.5a?

Just not done, old boy.

jaytkay: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

Why scaled? Why not full-sized?

Expense and complexity, I think. I've only been to a couple EAA meetings so I don't know much about the process. I'm hitting middle agedness, gotta find other things to waste money on besides bar tabs and sports.

Bally Jerry, pranged his kite right in the how's your father. Hairy blighter, dicky-birdied, feathered back on his Sammy, took a waspy, flipped over on his Betty Harper's and caught his can in the Bertie.

Shakespeare's Monkey:

I don't know if I have nostalgia for those cartoons or for the kid I was then.

click... huh, I was sure it was going to be a Sopwith camel.

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: jaytkay: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

Why scaled? Why not full-sized?

Expense and complexity, I think. I've only been to a couple EAA meetings so I don't know much about the process. I'm hitting middle agedness, gotta find other things to waste money on besides bar tabs and sports.

If you haven't already found it, this is a wealth of information on the subject:

Link

Garbled transmission, asking for a full stop landing, then falling out of the sky.
Sad, but sounds like he might have suffered a heart attack or stroke, lost control.
Autopsy might be able to shed some light, if he wasn't too badly burned.

Letrole called it.

Good way to go out.

RIP Ace.

Malik Sardonis: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: jaytkay: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

Why scaled? Why not full-sized?

Expense and complexity, I think. I've only been to a couple EAA meetings so I don't know much about the process. I'm hitting middle agedness, gotta find other things to waste money on besides bar tabs and sports.

If you haven't already found it, this is a wealth of information on the subject:

Link

THAT is cool, thank you.

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: Malik Sardonis: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: jaytkay: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

Why scaled? Why not full-sized?

Expense and complexity, I think. I've only been to a couple EAA meetings so I don't know much about the process. I'm hitting middle agedness, gotta find other things to waste money on besides bar tabs and sports.

If you haven't already found it, this is a wealth of information on the subject:

Link

THAT is cool, thank you.

I am STILL saying GO BIG OR GO HOME!

Build a full-scale machine, please!

/ Not my money
// Or my time
/// But go you!

Should have done a barrel roll.

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: Expense and complexity, I think. I've only been to a couple EAA meetings so I don't know much about the process. I'm hitting middle agedness, gotta find other things to waste money on besides bar tabs and sports.

Building an accurate WWI fighter repro is difficult, expensive, and most of them balance the edge between dangerous and lethal to fly, and if you use period engines, none too reliable. The SE5a and D.VII were exceptions, both relatively benign, and with modern engines are reasonable and fun airplanes to fly.

There would be no kits and no ready subassemblies. For drawings the best were Achim Engel's Fokker Team Schorndorf set, but he's gone out of business. Next best is Jim Kiger's Replicraft drawings. A guy I know built a production accurate SE5a in Tulsa from Replicraft drawings.

If you want to see a 100% accurate D.VII fly, check out Mikael Carlson's site.

Even better, see something that hasn't been seen in 90 years or so, a totally production accurate Dr.I being flown to its limits. And watch Mikael come within a hair's breadth of killing himself about 40 seconds in when he enters a barrel roll too slow and it departs at the top.

If you are serious about building a repro, I suggest you discuss it with the gentleman at the Aerodrome's builder forum.

You should also buy and read WWI Aero.

And for more fun check out Peter Jackson's (yes the LOTR guy) company that's semi-production building WWI aircraft.

Whoops got the wrong link in there for Replicraft. Try this.

vossiewulf: Whoops got the wrong link in there for Replicraft. Try this.

I appreciate those links, I've been interested for quite awhile. When I was a kid I worked fueling planes at a small airport in Arizona and among them was a group of replica Nieuport 17(?) aircraft. Since then I thought if I wanted to build an airplane, it'd be something like that.

That said, I'm not in a rush. Definitely would use modern components and motor. Still early though, gotta get thru the birth of another boy in February before anything else.

jaytkay: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: Malik Sardonis: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: jaytkay: The Gordie Howe Hat Trick: vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

After this last kid is born, I'm going to get plans for a scaled version of the Fokker D7 and get to work. I'm 38 now, I might get to fly it if when (and if) I'm able to retire. Just need some workspace....

Why scaled? Why not full-sized?

Expense and complexity, I think. I've only been to a couple EAA meetings so I don't know much about the process. I'm hitting middle agedness, gotta find other things to waste money on besides bar tabs and sports.

If you haven't already found it, this is a wealth of information on the subject:

Link

THAT is cool, thank you.

I am STILL saying GO BIG OR GO HOME!

Build a full-scale machine, please!

/ Not my money
// Or my time
/// But go you!

Pardon the ignorance, but how is half-scale any less complex than full-scale ?

capt.hollister: Pardon the ignorance, but how is half-scale any less complex than full-scale ?

If you built an exact copy of the original at half scale it wouldn't be. I've built near exact copies down to 1/12th scale and they're plenty complex to do. However this "half scale SE5" is a kit plane that only looks a bit like an SE5, with very simplified structure designed specifically for someone to build on weekends. There are other similar kits for Nieuports and D.VIIs etc.

vossiewulf: It's a homebuilt that looks vaguely like an SE5a at half scale. Still, most retired RAF officers would say they can think of way worse ways to go.

Best way for any pilot to go is on his last solo flight.