naremman

I can recall seeing a good number of retired Callairs tied down at Cunderdin when Wally Thomson was based there. A number had VH MPx registrations.

Prior to the introduction of lupins and canola to Wheatbelt rotations a hopper full of 24D Ester in a Pawnee or Callair, applied at 4 ounces an acre was mighty effective on late germinating radish or mustard, and covered a fair acreage. Once spray drift onto susceptible crops became an issue low volume spraying rendered the Pawnee and Callair mainly redundant.

A number of Callairs were repurposed banner towing and glider tugs.

If i remember correctly the Callair had wing fuel tanks and inatention to fuel management required a very quick response when things went quiet upfront as it was something like a 9 second pickup from the tank change.

Geoff Goodall has some great images of a number of Callairs.

I am sure Poteroo has something to contribute as well.

One of the first projects that Henry Millicer worked on after his arrival in Australia.

1952 saw his submission of the Airtourer design to the competition run by the UK Royal Aero Club to promote a replacement for the Tiger Moth. Quite a contrast, work on the Jindivik by day and design the Airtourer in his spare time!!

The pictured Tomtit based at Old Warden was for a few years during the 1940's  owned by Alex Henshaw, who used it as a general runabout. In his autobiography "Sigh for a Merlin" there is a chapter "Requiem for a Tomtit".

Its connection with Alex ended abruptly, when after a long day flight testing Spitfires produced at Castle Bromwich he was going to sneak home just beating last light. Unfortunately a new Spitfire had been placed on the grass which was his commonly used take off path. The ensuing Tomtit versus Spitfire collision did a fair amount of damage to both aircraft and pilot.

Great to see one still airworthy, and even better having the Henshaw connection, and sharing the Old Warden base with the Mew Gull XF.

Likewise saw it at Old Warden in 1976 when they were putting enough of the pieces together to make a static display of it.

During the weekdays you could walk  through the hangars and talk freely to the volunteer workers. Whilst reassembling the Comet the discussion was to whether it would ever be airworthy again, given the issues that arose to ground so many wooden construction aircraft in the 1960's. It is fantastic to see it in the sky again.

Once we overcome the COVID issues and we can travel again, I look forward to another Biggleswade visit, and particularly to see Alex Henshaw's Mew Gull XF and his Tomtit.