Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By ak7274
#1527408
All 3 of the group are worth an honourable mention. The Condor, Emeraude and Jodel are three great aircraft for the money. All will do exactly what it says on the tin and each has it's own peculiar fan base. Let's not forget the Sipa and Minicab etc.
The French knew how to do it right in the 40's and 50's.
Just a very humble opinion from a guy in love with his French designed and built Aircraft.
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1527410
After the second World War, the French government ran competitions to design light aircraft, and through this attitude they created their light aircraft industry which still survives today.

Britain did the same thing in the 1920s and the result was the Gipsy Moth and it's variants, which were built all around the World and even in France.

Post war, flying was for the elite, the rich, as was car ownership, and in this way British industry was nobbled.
Think of it, Austin sent a team over to Germany to get a ruined car company known as Volkswagen going again, what if we did such a thing for ourselves?

Britain has always had the edge in technology, the thinking ability to make things.
It's a shame we sometimes have socialist ideas that are bread and butter but have little or no jam.
We need fun things like aeroplanes to sweeten our lives.

The Condor, though French by design, is one of the sweetest flying aeroplanes you can have.
The Emeraude could be argued to be slightly sweeter, but a bit delicate too.
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By oldbiggincfi
#1527531
Vic
You said there were some hairy moments regarding the maintenance of Tim Doyle's Condors.
I was not aware of anything to be concerned about .
Tim employed a full time engineer, Norman , who was overseen by Les Sanger.
Nothing passed Les' s eye .
Being that I taught Richard to fly I am interested in what your experiences were and in particular what on earth made you go and fly a Ralley ?
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By aerial
#1527558
I wanted to learn on Condors with Mr Doyle's outfit and called into the clubhouse. It was 1972. The proprietor was very offhand and didn't even bother to get out of his armchair. I suppose he thought the spotty seventeen year old wasn't serious.

I went to Air Touring instead and received a warm welcome from Colin Dyne and had all my license flying completed before my eighteenth birthday.

Oh and I did get to own a Condor share in later years. Damn fine aeroplane.
By oldbiggincfi
#1527571
Very unlikely that was Tim .
Probably Bob.
Pretty useless instructor with a chip on his shoulder.
Tim couldn't afford to lose the airfield fiver .
I came later.
Many of my students became instructors and went into the airlines.
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By pilotbarry
#1640973
A bit of a resurrection of this thread but having recently purchased a Condor and having owned a variety of aircraft over the years including two RVs (which I loved). I sold a Jodel 1051 expecting to give up flying. I then spent more time on Afors and the RSA petites annonces site than was normal. The addiction was still there, big time!
A local Condor was for sale but only just... not advertised. The owner contacted me, she knew I had sold my Jodel. It was looked at, not flown, purchased, insured and delivered in 6 hours.
As an aircraft it is overlooked, OK its not the prettiest (but mine is the prettiest Condor), its not the fastest but compares favourably with Cubs, Austers, Taylorcrafts, C120s. It is a 1960s aircraft, after all. Its got a 3 hour tank, my Jodel had three tanks with 7 hours range.
The handling is crisp, it gets off the ground quicker than my Jodel, lands shorter, climbs slower. Turbulence and thermals are things of the past, it just ignores them. Crosswind capability is better than the Jodel (IMHO) but the Jodel was good.
I don't have Andy Chadwick's lovely sliding canopy but I know a man who can mould them. I'm sure Andy can supply the drawings for the sliding bit and its a repeat mod so a dawdle. I wont be changing my canopy.

Chris Hall's photograph at the Rally.

Image
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By Sooty25
#1641084
@Genghis the Engineer , So how far have you got with the carbon fibre one you seemed so keen on, on page 1! :lol: We are waiting you know!
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1641096
Sooty25 wrote:@Genghis the Engineer , So how far have you got with the carbon fibre one you seemed so keen on, on page 1! :lol: We are waiting you know!

Nowhere at all, lovely idea, sadly reliant on rather more spare time than I seem to have in my life.

At the moment - I think I might go the whole hog and try and make it all-electric if I did.

G
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By Crash one
#1641115
Now we are getting somewhere! :D
Although I feel sorry for my Emeraude, pretty little thing that she is.
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