I was privileged to see your aircraft flying in 2018 over RAF Tempsford. The occasion was a remembrance ceremony for 'Tommy' Thomas, a member of 161 (Special Operations) Squadron that flew from there during the war. Tommy had a very special job - with his pilot, Bob Large, they used to 'pick up the mail' from occupied France. Bob was teamed up with Tommy after doing agent drops - his last assignment before that was picking up Violette Szabo at the end of her first mission (She was captured and executed by the Gestapo on her second). In a specially modified Lysander, they flew in to France at 100 ft in the pitch black. The Resistance would place intelligence information in to a large metal tube attached to ropes, the ropes would then be hung over two posts so a horizontal section was hanging from the top. Dropping down to 25ft, Tommy would hang out of the back of the plane with a hook to engage the rope. Once contacted, the tube would be hauled up by winch and they would climb to 100 ft for the trip back to England. Tommy and Bob completed over 40 missions between late 43 to 44 , bringing back intel that helped the success of the D Day landings. For his part in the operations, the French awarded Tommy the Legion D'Honneure medal.

The pilots who flew these were as brave and as skilled as any who flew in the Battle of Britain but never received the public recognition they deserved. Their contribution was immense and changed history

What a great talk from Pilot Frank Chapman, I learnt a lot. My great aunt, Mary Lindell, was flown to France as an SOE agent by Canadian John Bridger in Lysander V9353 in late October, 1942. I went on to work for Sir George Dowty, who invented the internally sprung wheel for this and other aircraft, and by chance while working at Dowty Seals in the 1970's, I persuaded the company to make some U ring seals for the undercarriage of a Lysander being restored to flying condition at Beaconsfield, after it had been rescued by American Dwight F Brooks. Mary Lindell's flight to France is described in Peter Hore's excellent book, Lindell's List, published by The History Press

@martinpooley3944

4 жыл бұрын

What a coincidence! I am currently reading "Saturday at M.I.9" written by Airey Neave and published in 1969. Neave and his department at M.I.9, Room 900, were responsible for running and supporting escape lines fro enable allied service personnel in Europe who had escaped from or evaded the German forces to return to Britain. There are two chapters of the book devoted to your great aunt. As Neave's book explains it was for that department that she returned to France in October 1942 She sounded a remarkable, not to say, formidable lady!

@martinpooley3944

4 жыл бұрын

Further to my earlier comment, I found my way here because I wanted to learn more about the plane that your great-aunt flew on.

@petermaddocks223

4 жыл бұрын

@@martinpooley3944 Martin, please find me on FB as Peter W Maddocks, and I'd like to continue this conversation, thank you and best regards

@martinpooley3944

4 жыл бұрын

@@petermaddocks223 Hello Peter, I'm afraid I'm not on FB any longer. I deliberately deactivated my account after my wife died two years ago and I don't really want to publish my e-mail address where anyone and everyone can see it. What I know of your great-aunt, I gleaned from Airey Neave's book. It was a desire to learn more about the Lysander's role in taking agents into enemy territory that led me here to your comment. I see Neave's book is available through Amazon but even in paperback it's pricey. I would be happy to mail you my copy when I've finished reading it but you may not want to publish your address! I'm in N.Z., by the way. In looking for books on the Lysander's secret role, I've come across "We Landed By Moonlight" by Hugh Verity, a Lysander pilot himself. Can you recommend that or perhaps another book on the subject? Kind regards, Martin

Even for a french who don't understood english so well, your explanation Mister Chapman are so clearly presented that I know now so much more about this beautyful plane, which I've encountered in comics in my youth... Thank you for your ability to share your passion.

Just read "Madame Fourcade's Secret War" by Lynne Olson, this aircraft was so overlooked in it's importance - made hundreds of flights into and out of occupied France with agents. The pilots were incredibly skilled flying by moonlight and star navigation with few lights from cities because of the occupation. When the French and the SOE wanted to do a re-enactment in 1976 there was only one flying and permission couldn't be granted for the flight. Forty years later there are about half a dozen flying - a labour of love.

@todaywefly4370

3 жыл бұрын

I keep reading these ‘overlooked’ and ‘under appreciated’ comments but from as early as 5 or 6 I can remember reading about how big a part the Lysander played in the war. The same with the Hurricane, growing up my memory is that it was portrayed as JUST as important as the Spitfire. The were always talked/written about TOGETHER. I’m 62 now and either I’ve gotten out of step with current general knowledge or other people never had it.

When I first went to Old Warden, in 1979, this Aircraft wasn't there. Neither was the Fiestler Storch. But It was the first aircraft model I built. It was the Keil Kraft version. Went back there a few years ago. Wow. My childhood, all over again!

My favourite aircraft at old warden, whenever I see it I can’t get over the size of it, it’s beautiful. The men that flew these at night over enemy territory were very brave.

Recommend anyone to read Hugh Verity's book 'We Landed by Moonlight'. Fascinating history of very brave men and women. Lovely chat and I learned things I didn't know (having spent 50 years in aviation), so thanks.

Just a superb aeroplane, such character and history and quite different.

A big thank you Frank, well done...it's a beautiful ship.

School Boy error Frank ! x15 years ago was when exactly please - date should be specified ! However, the rest was absolutely superb ! Thank you.

I didn't know that there were so many limitations (icing, negative g, engine temperature on ground) and particularities (the critical role of the pitch trim). So hats off to the pilots who flew them deep in occupied France by night.

Very interesting, very good. Lovely aircraft, a truly historical piece of aviation heritage well done to all the enthusiasts of all aircraft.

Interesting commentary. Earlier this evening, I watched a video on the Lysander and the pilots who flew them in and out of France with the 'spies' and other covert operators. Up until that time, I had not heard of the Lysander, and then this video popped up. So, it is wonderful to see that this airplane is still out there flying.

What an absolutely superb video and what a fantastic speaker this gentleman is. I went to my first Shuttleworth airshow the year before the CoronaLurgey shutdown, fell in love with the place swearing to return the following year and here we are! Thank you and hopefully I'll see you in person soon, maybe even sign up for a bit of volunteering. I'm a restoration engineer but I'm not averse to driving a broom or anything that needs doing.

Loved these aircraft ever since I bought a Matchbox kit when I was 9... butchered the kit but still...

@adambrickley1119

4 жыл бұрын

Airfix or matchbox?

@billolgaau

4 жыл бұрын

I've built the 1/32nd Matchbox in the colours of one that goes from Tempsford. BTW I have built Tempsford for P3dv 4.5 (flight simulator) complete with Lysanders flying in & out.

Superb video. Thank you Shuttleworth!

I would love to go up in one of these, my uncle flew them for A flight 161 squadron. I took him up in a Warrior over France when I first got my licence, not quite the same!

Always had a thing for ww2 aircraft, the lysander was one of the few i hadn't heard much about but when i was in awe at the size of it when i first stood next to one, Shuttleworth sure does have an amazing collection, even including a very old DH moth, po 2 and comet if i remember correctly.

I had a matchbox kit of one of these when I was a lad, great explanation of the prop pitch, reading Jeffery Quill’s excellent book on the Spitfire. He said on the early Mk1’s the fixed pitch wooden props were set to max coarse pitch and would almost stall on takeoff and took quite a while to pick up speed, on landing they wouldn’t slow down. A bit like coasting down hill in 5th gear

A remarkable aircraft. Enjoyed the video very much.

Tht was a real nice and informative talk, thanks Frank ! Btw I knew for a long time that this aircraft was used to pickup agents, but i'm supprised by the shear size of it. it's almost as big as an AN2but a hundred times faster.

Excellent .Many thanks

Brilliant vid !

ouah les coups de palonnier!!! it's hot!! congratulations for posting.

Easily as beautiful as a Sptifire. Fascinating description, too.

Very informative. Thanks.

Great video! We have the life size model and found this useful for reference!

Thanks for posting. It and the Stinson Reliant look similar but appear to fly very differently according to this.

Very informative chat exposing some of the quirks which every plane must have.

Top man Frank, I know he was doing some flight testing for Airbus some time ago!

Most interesting and informative! Thanks for posting.

Great talk ! Going back to the day, just imagine flying at low level and navigating, at night, in poor weather 600-800 miles into occupied territory and finding the light signal from one recognition lamp operated by a Maquis in one farmer's field and then landing there - few visible ground references, no GPS, no navaids, no radio beacons and no inertial nav computers.

@theblytonian3906

4 жыл бұрын

While I take on board your point, let's not hyperbole get in the path of truth or patriotic mythology. More like a 270~320 nautical mile incursion e.g. Tours or Dijon, which in the first instance half of which would be over water holding a heading, and in 1942 before when Freya and Würzburg were range restricted and purpose before Mammut or Wasserman. Even had they been able to be detected or alerted by aural and visual detection, it's unlikely a precious NJG Bf 110 would be directed to try and visually find a proverbial needle in a haystack single aircraft hugging the ground. That said, whilst minimising risk of detection by sneaking in the night and by routing coincidentally avoiding low level AA, I concur with the issue of flying over occupied territory with no weather pre-observation, dependent upon DR & visual nav, although moonlit nights would be ideal to recognise significant features like rivers & towns. All air forces operating incursion at night in those pre-radar directed times were faced with the same kinds of issues, role dependent some with advantage i.e. UK Oboe & Gee, but with added complexities, e.g. icing, actual vs forecast WX and W/V.

@thedustofages

3 жыл бұрын

@@theblytonian3906 Also one must remember the landings and take offs in a foreign field that were often part of the flight

Wing shape reminds of the bird, the Nightjar

Very interesting talk. Thankyou. First went to the Shuttleworth in 1965, then with air cadets in a wintry 1969 and once since about 20 years ago. I'm not a pilot but did 'fly' in the loosest sense one of the exhibits when in the air cadets. The Slingsby T38 Grasshopper.....in/on which I hopped across the grass...funnily enough.

If you have never been to a Shuttleworth flying day do it soon ! Unique aeroplanes flying and not a Red Bull Extra in sight . Bliss!

the Finnish air force also used one, and also used the Blenheim

@finntastique3891

2 жыл бұрын

The Finnish Airforce had 12 Lysanders. During WWII the FAF used American, British, German, Italian, Dutch, French, Soviet, Czech and domestically produced aircraft in significant numbers. The amount of different aircraft types in active use during those years must be some kind of record - at least for a small nation.

What was the thinkingly having the exhaust ring in front of the engine? Would that not have heated the cooling air?

Anyone know if it is fitted with a lockable tail wheel ?

It's creating a big pitching moment (i.e. torque)

Poppet valves? Thought all Bristols were sleave valve. But what do I know?

Vintage British bush plane!

Just a suggestion. Would taxying with the prop in coarse help with engine cooling on the ground?

@paulbrookes5365

4 жыл бұрын

Probably not as you would have to use less throttle to stop it running away on the ground.

@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

2 жыл бұрын

You would need more power to maintain the idle rpm and to taxi, the airflow at very low speed would always be in a (relative) flatter spiral direction and at coarse the load would be too high. Take off attempts in coarse would be deadly. The propeller air load at low speed is like cycling up a hill, low gear is needed.

Didn't some of them have a rear machine gun mounted in the cockpit?.

Superb Lizzie thankyou . Ted Petter seldom gets the credit he deserves for this design unfortunately .

A most excellent talk from Mr Chapman especially about managing the low level go around trim danger. It really should have been fixed before the plane went into production but late 1930s re-armament was very urgent.

Expect the Storch didn't have so many 'gotchas', but then it wasn't a long-distance aeroplane, really.

Those aren't ailerons, kids!

A Fokker EIII couldn't do that, you need ailerons which the EIII didn't have, Immelmann was named in honour of Max Immelmann, but he never flew one.

Why are the wings shaped like that?

@favoriteblueshirt

4 жыл бұрын

Because they're not shaped like this. Sorry,xx

@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935

2 жыл бұрын

For improved visibility near the wing root, taper outboard is aerodynamically very efficient. It would be much more expensive than the wing of a Storch.

I understand those planes were used to fly people in & out of europe.

@jamesflynn1945

4 жыл бұрын

granskare no shit

Sounds like a tricky blighter to fly. Hets orf to the ww2 pilots (actually...hets orf to anyone who flies one of these)

The airplane Glenn Miller was flying in when he died. What a loss to the jazz world and the whole world in general. If you're in the mood, check out "In The Mood"

@tormead999

4 жыл бұрын

Agree that his tragic loss was huge, but he was flying in a C64 Norseman plane with an inexperienced pilot at the time of his death.

@kenhunt9434

4 жыл бұрын

Sorry, Glenn Miller was in a Noordyn Norseman

@nickjung7394

4 жыл бұрын

Wasn't his plane on the receiving end of some bombs jettisoned by a British bomber?

I'm really not a fan of how this plane looks. It looks someone took a normal plane, cut the wings off, and had someone else put wings back on as quickly as they could. It looks very wrong.

So fragile to handle!