Old Microlights - Do they just fade away?

[wingnutzster]

wow! I used to bother Dave for images and research in my early days at SA Flyer if anyone has it he will...thanks Fyko (I know he photographed my Eagle at Bush Air's airshows, hoping like hek he filed those photos here!)

What's your feelings on the concept of dramatizing / emphasizing the 'contraption' aspect of these things as with the Eagle sketch? Editors like it but you wrote the story.

[wingnutzster]

...and well done on the database!

[Fyko]

What I like about the Eagle as a 'contraption' is that it's untraditional in appearance.
All microlights at the time were quite flimsy and unreliable. The Eagle adds to that the mystery of the pterodactyl-like wings (there was actually a microlight called a Pterodactyl but it morphed into a Fledge, of which there is a pic somewhere, John Cockingenis (Cook) owned it.) It had tip-rudders but they pointed upwards. Both had canards, both relied on weight-shift for pitch. There's plenty of pics of Patrols and MX2s in the article so you don't need to show any of those.
So I think your artwork is fine - as usual. Many thanks.

[Goose]

Let's put some pictures off this old birds here

This was my MX2 ZS-VAP

[Fyko]

My Dual Patrol



My QuickSilver MX2

[wingnutzster]

THANK YOU!!!Fyko I should have just asked you directly but after reading through just about every Aer news mag in Dave B's collection I couldn't find anything better than blurred black and white images of any of the Patrol range - it's like there was a government campaign not to let anyone see the thing closely, even review and test flight articles had distant black and white images I got away with the Eagle drawing (albeit somewhat rushed) for part one but for your second article ('Microlights 2 Prop Chop') I desperately needed a patrol as described in the text. Now I have one, and whats more, I'm assuming the exact Patrol described in this hilarious story?

Next time I will ask you directly, I have been accused of getting horribly and increasingly lost because I won't pull over and ask directions - next TIME i'LL ASK

[Fyko]

These are the only other images that exist, as far as I'm aware. The quality is not the best, but ole Dave was clicking away far past his salary every month.

Actually the credits for the SA Aeronews don't go to Dave Becker. The first 33 of the first 36 to be published were supplied by Alan Blain, who produced them. The others back issues were sent to me by kind souls through Avcom. I had their names in emails which went into the ether when that computer crashed - so I cannot tell you who they were. But lots of people who download 3 or 4 of these mags every day owe them, and no doubt are duly grateful.

Many thanks for your kind comments.