Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Harv
#1514003
I really liked the Twister when they first came out,

If that was configured as a twin seat then it would be great, being monocoque should take production cost down.

http://silence-aircraft.de/en/aircraft/

Having looked at the kit cost though of 34k € there's no wonder we haven't really seen any take up of these, too much for a plastic aircraft if you ask me.

Produce it for 15k as a kit that you build (and don't forget other costs, engine, permit etc) and they may sell some more.
By VicYoung
#1527260
The Condor ugly? Surely not. If you want ugly, look at the raffle give away shapes you see now. The lovely little Condor had proper wings and fuselage, a proper cockpit and was a proper little aircraft. I learned to fly on one in 1974 and it is STILL flying, having undergone several complete renovations and overhauls. I spotted it while doing a gliding course at Shenington some years back and the owner was intrigued that I flew it nearly 40 years ago, confirmed by my logbook entries. That's a testament to how these craft have lasted.

It was my first solo aircraft, and it taught me everything I still regard as basic seat of the pants flying skills. G-AWFN had a particularly unreliable rudder and it would ground loop in a breath if you didn't keep on top of the swing after landing. It was a delight in all other respects. In those days the standard first cross country was Biggin to Stapleford and back. I flew without a radio (just a map) and crossed the Thames just east of Tower Bridge, with a 747 the other side of the bridge in sight. In those days few training aircraft had any radios.

G-AWFN had a wonderful bakerlite joystick which was a pleasure to use. This Condor came in standard yellow and was leased by Tim Doyle (Oily Doyly) at the Essex Flying Club - Biggin Hill. It was by far the most characterful aeroplane on the field amongst the souless Cherokees and C150s, plus the Rallyes at Air Touring in which I eventually took my PPL general test (the Rallye's stick was so stiff pilots would say it was cemented to the floor).

Unfortunately Tim Doyle was not the most rigorous maintainer of his leased aircraft and I had a few hairy flights, hence the move to the Rallye for my license. But the Condor still hangs in my memory as equal to the Chipmunk the Doyles owned or leased, in which Richard, his warmly urbane son (now sadly deceased), used take me up for some delightful aerobatics.

So I won't hear a word against the Condor. It could, and did, take a lot of abuse and never gave any pressing cause for concern. I immensely enjoyed every flight in it. It is the equivalent to a wooden vs plastic sailing boat.

There are still many original Condors flying. Most of them have been rebuilt but as far as I know they are still essentially the same wood/fabric construction as they were decades ago. In those days a tail dragger was nothing special and did not require special training. One just coped with the way it was. It taught me rudder and stick control, sideslipping, spin recovery and cross wind approaches as perfectly normal facets of daily flying.

I only wish contemporary craft had not deviated so far away from the basic simplicity of the Condor-type of tail dragger. Its prettiness owed much to its simple shape and simple materials, all put together in a very effective way. I loved that little aeroplane.
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By gaznav
#1527332
Vic

I agree. I know there is a huge Jodel following out there, but I always thought that the Condor was better looking than its similar French-designed offering (ducks behind cover for incoming!).

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Gaz
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By gaznav
#1527344
The Condor could have been aerobatic but Norman Jones' Rollasons ran out of cash after doing the spin trials at Redhill. If I were allowed to, then I would have no concerns over simple loops, rolls and stall turns in a Condor. The main spar is supposed to be stronger than a CAP10 according to engineers I have spoken to.

Anyway, had my fill of aerobatics over the past 1/4 century for now, I just enjoy pottering about in a 51 year old (Condor) and 65 year old (Chippie) aircraft these days. IMHO, it would plain rude to treat one of these old girls like that!

Gaz :thumleft:
Last edited by gaznav on Wed Mar 29, 2017 11:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By mmcp42
#1527345
gaznav wrote:The Condor could have been aerobatic but Norman Jones' Rollasons ran out of cash after doing the spin trials at Redhill. If I were allowed to, then I would have no concerns over simple loops, rolls and stall turns in a Condor. The main spar is supposed to stronger than a CAP10 according to engineers I have spoken to.

Anyway, had my fill of aerobatics over the past 1/4 century for now, I just enjoy pottering about in a 51 year old (Condor) and 65 year old (Chippie) aircraft these days. IMHO, it would plain rude to treat one of these old girls like that!

Gaz :thumleft:

i think my learned colleagues are referring to the fact that the pictures appear to be upside down, or my monitor has fallen off its perch again :)
By Crash one
#1527353
Not a Condor but my Emeraude that I feel deserves a mention. French equivalent. Very similar, has been mistaken for a Condor and has allowed me to get away with an awful lot over the ten years I've had it.
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By mmcp42
#1527366
for those with monitors the right way up :)
(or their iPads upside down)
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(will remove if required ...)
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By rf3flyer
#1527380
A friend of mine had a Condor which he rebuilt several decades ago. It was finally retired last year after a landing accident, though it may yet be resurrected. Lovely handling though he reckoned the stall could be rather aerobatic. From personal experience the wake vortex is pretty strong.

Least attractive thing, for me, was the rather upright seating position which I found grew uncomfortable after a short while.

As to the Emeraude, possibly my favourite of these wooden, French two seaters, and I have a fond memory from a fly-in 4 or 5 decades ago, as a passenger in one, tail chasing another aircraft low level through the gaps between trees. Hooliganism at its finest! But how could anyone mistake an Emeraude for a Condor?
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1527384
The Condor was designed by Roger Druine, it is a French design and so is the Emeraude.

The Emeraude is lighter, and is the origin of the CAP10. If left outside the fabric may become the only thing to hold it together. Be careful, some were made using casein glue which is subject to failure in moisture.
I remember Oily Doylies Emeraude sitting outside, falling to pieces. The Condor beside it, G AYFF, survived this much better.

As for aerobatics in the Condor, I would be concerned about the mounting of the tailplane... But then when I think of the T67....

The Condor was easy and delightful in the barrel, the slow roll was very nice, and the loop good, I think 8)
Slow to below 60KIAS roll and pull through in a Split S and you lose five hundred feet and the speed rises to 105 KIAS I believe. Please do not ask me how I came upon this information.
One of my renters from Holland told me he looped my Condor....
I leased then bought a T67A for aerobatics, it wasn't as good, but it was legal.

I have been in some strange attitudes flying with people in the Condor. It is a strong aeroplane, and in my opinion it is the best training aeroplane, better than a Chipmunk dare I say... I learned in the Cessna 150 at Exeter, flew a Three Counties Cub, and through a mistake I flew a Blackbushe Aero Club Condor... The Condor was the personal Spitfire, a fun aeroplane in every sense, and I was hooked.
I determined that one day I'd set up a club to teach people to fly Condors, and I did!
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1527388
But how could anyone mistake an Emeraude for a Condor?


I landed at Limoges once in G AWEI and it confused them.
A chap taxied over in an Emeraude and asked me if it was a CAP10 :shock:

The Condor was painted with a red white and blue sunburst on its wings and tail at that time. It stood out.

I entertain the dream of buying back G ATAU and rebuilding it again.
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