North Weald Airfield

Epping Forest District Councilwww.eppingforestdc.gov.uk

SpiritThe

ofNorth Weald

The North Weald Airfield Newsletter | Issue 16 | April 2015

Salute to the Few – Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of BritainFor details of our 2015 Community Day see Page 16

Ab initio PPL training beginsat North Weald Page 5

Command & control duringthe Battle of Britain Page 6

Some interesting visitorsPages 12 & 13

The Aresti Catalogue definesmanoeuvres for aerobaticsPage 15

Trauma training enhancesAirfield fire cover Page 3

The first Battle of Britainflypast in 1945 Page 9

The consequences of aircraft accidents can be extremelyserious as we all know, however, providing our firefighterswith the skills and knowledge to deal with them is a wayof ensuring they achieve the best possible outcome for allinvolved. The Trauma and Emergency Response forFirefighters course, which is certificated by the RoyalCollege of Surgeons, is one that will certainly do that andis the most advanced first aid course available to nonhealthcare professionals.

Six of the Team including me have just completed the 3days of intense trauma training where we learnt manynew skills including the use of airways, oxygen, splints,torniquets and various extrication equipment.

We were assessed in terms of our theory knowledge andpractical skills including removing an injured casualtyfrom a light aircraft. We all passed thanks toour brilliant tutor, John Robinson, from

Medi-Pro Training. The next course is due shortly and ifthe rest of the Team enjoy it as much as me they willhave a fantastic learning experience.

I was also privileged, along with colleague Elliott Foster, to have a 5 day stay at the International Fire TrainingCollege on Teeside when we attended a Junior FireOfficers course. We both learnt a great deal aboutmanaging aviation incidents and different fire fightingtechniques. I’m pleased to say that we passed the

practical and theory assessments, which means wecan increase our level of fire cover when needed andtrain new firefighters. ■

Trauma responseAirfield Manager, Darren Goodey,describes our latest training...

Certificated!Ops Team members receive awards

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Investment in the continuingsuccess of the Airfield...We are pleased that aviation activities are thriving at NorthWeald. The Squadron is erecting new hangars and theengineers at Weald Aviation are working on some prestigiousrestoration projects.

The Operations Team has been busy too, helping to arrangefor the North Weald Flying Group to carry out ab initio PrivatePilot’s Licence training at the Airfield and enhancing our firstaid and fire cover with additional training and capabilities.

Kings Transport has also made a major investment byerecting Hangar 5a, which is occupied by Essex EmergencyServices’ ambulance servicing workshops.

All our regular activities are now getting underway for thesummer as well. Once again we have a full calendar ofevents. Please note that our Community Day is in July.

Darren GoodeyNorth Weald Airfield Manager

SpiritThe

ofNorth Weald

Airfield Public Event CalendarMaySunday 3 Essex Motor Cycle Show (Hangar 6 Apron)Sunday 3 Extreme Stunt ShowMonday 4 Extreme Stunt ShowSunday 10 Test & Tune – Runway 02/20 closed

JuneSunday 7 Test & Tune – Runway 02/20 closedSaturday 20 Air Britain Classic British Fly-inSunday 21 Air Britain Classic British Fly-inSunday 21 Bus Rally Saturday 27 Wings & Wheels – Runway 02/20 closedSunday 28 Wings & Wheels – Runway 02/20 closed

(For both days the Runway is available from 0800-0900 and 1800-1900)

JulySunday 5 Test & Tune – Runway 02/20 closedSunday 12 Airfield Community Day – Salute to the

Few (Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary)

Wednesday 15 Race for Life – Runway 02/20 closedfrom 1830

Sunday 19 Damn Yankees American Car Show Sunday 25 Test & Tune – Runway 02/20 closed

AugustSunday 2 Nostalgair (The Squadron)Sunday 9 Bikefest – Runway 02/20 closed

SeptemberSunday 20 Players Car Show (Hangar 6 Apron)

Events correct at time of going to press and subject to contract. Pleasecheck for latest update.

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Colin I’anson, James McDowall and Trevor Jago from theOps Team attended the EFDC Celebrating Success awardsceremony on Friday 20 March to receive their Institute ofLeadership & Management Level 3 Certificates from theCouncil Chairman Tony Boyce. The nine-month courseprovides useful practical management skills. ■

Race for Life...Ladies. It’s time to help beat cancerby taking part in Cancer ResearchUK’s Race for Life at North Weald.

Today, two in four people survive cancer. Cancer Research UK’s ambitionis to accelerate progress so that three in four people will survive cancerwithin the next 20 years.

There are the usual 5km and 10km courses. There is more information onlineat www.raceforlife.org if you want to run, walk, dance or simply sponsor.

Securing the casualty Fitting a cervical collar

Tom Carne / EFDC

For several years, Saxon Microlights has been the onlyorganisation on the AIrfield permitted to conduct ab initioflight training on a small scale. With the change in thePrivate Pilot’s Licence (PPL) training at unlicensedairfields, the Operations Team put forward a case to allowab initio training in larger General Aviation aircraft fromNorth Weald as part of our directive to generate moreincome from aviation activities.

After consultations, the EFDC Cabinet has now approvedthis training, which may now proceed with certainlimitations relating to noise abatement, the SaturdayMarket and other activities such as fast jet operationsand formation flying.

EFDC has granted a movements licence to the NorthWeald Flying Group (NWFG) so that it can carry outt PPLtraining on the Airfield from 1 April. It is a CAA ApprovedTraining Organisation (ATO) and its manuals, safetyprocedures and audit trails are already in place.

NWFG’s professionalism in setting up this ATO will serveas a benchmark for any other organisation which maywish to conduct training at North Weald.

The majority of the training will be carried out usingNWFG’s two-seat Cessna 152, G-LOMN (callsign Weald01), and Cessna 1502, G-NWFA (callsign Weald 02). ■

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Ab initio trainingat North WealdStudent pilots can now learn tofly at the Airfield ...

Over the past few months our programme of maintenancehas replaced worn-out sections of expansion joints at thenorthern end of the main runway, and carried our largepatch repairs to the tarmac surface at the southern end,plus resurfacing the potholes around the Market Apron.

We have also replaced many white and yellow lines fromthe Main Gate around the Market Apron. The work alsoincluded remarking the lead-in arrows on Runway 30 aswell as surface markings to discourage runway incursionsby visiting vehicles. ■

Our maintenanceis ongoing!Repairing the wear and tear onour runways and taxiways...

North Weald pilots will be affected by the introduction ofnew Class D controlled airspace around Southend Airport.This became operational on 2 April 2015. It includes areas

such as Hanningfield Reservoir, which is often used for pilottraining by local airfields such as ourselves and Stapleford.Pilots flying in and out of Rochester face particular problems

Class D does allow access on request to transiting GeneralAviation aircraft. It features a control zone (CTR) around theairport itself from surface up to 3,500ft, and a larger controlarea (CTA) from 1,500ft to 3,500ft. The airspace will bereviewed in six months and replaces the previous SouthendRadio Mandatory Zone. ■

Southend’s newcontrolled airspaceClass D airspace introduced...

© Civil Aviation Authority

(Anti-Aircraft Command)

The right place at the right timeHow Fighter Command countered the Luftwaffe raids during the Battleof Britain in 1940 with an unprecedented command and control system

large, gridded map with colour-coded direction arrows andmarker blocks displaying estimated numbers and height. Thecolour code was matched to a clock and changed every fiveminutes. It was therefore easy to see if a raid had beenmissed as it proceeded. RAF plots were differentiated byyellow flags with the squadron number on their markers.

The information was passed down to theGroup and Sector Operations Rooms forplotting in a similar way. To cover theprogress of raids inland, 1,400 Royal

Observer Corps (ROC) posts were set up.They were in telephone contact with their own

Operations Rooms to report any enemy aircraft inview. Sightings were forwarded to the local Fighter CommandSector Operations Room to keep the plot updated, and fromthere back up to the Group and Headquarters. North Weald’slocal ROC Operations Room was 4 Group HQ at Colchester.

The Sector Controllers (including North Weald) scrambledtheir fighters on orders from Group, directing them towardsthe enemy raids by radio, and bringing other squadrons toreadiness status. The Controllers used a simple code todirect their aircraft: Angels referred to altitude in thousandsof feet, Vector was an instruction to steer a particular course,Buster meant full throttle, Pancake was a recall to land andBogey an unidentified aircraft plot, for example.

High frequency direction finding equipment (D/F) was usedto monitor aircraft positions using their radio transmissions.This was known as Huff-Duff, and each Sector had three D/Fstations, which fed position reports through a dedicatedplotting table in the Sector Operations Room. The aircraft’sclockwork D/F transmitter was called Pipsqueak, and usedthe second channel of the TR9D radio. North Weald’s D/Fstations were based on the Airfield, at Sudbury and Steeple(south east of Maldon). They were manufactured by Marconi.

Later, RAF aircraft carried an IFF (Identification Friend orFoe) transponder, codename Parrot – hence the aviationterm Squawk – whose signal showed up as a stronger‘blip’ on the trace of the RDF display.

There were teething troubles, like the confusion which ledto the Battle of Barking Creek, where two of North Weald’s56 Squadron Hurricanes were accidentally shot down by 74Squadron Spitfires from Hornchurch. But the system provedto be effective and robust as controllers andplotters gradually gained experience.

It also relied on a sophisticated and extensivetelephone network. Even though the raids causedvery heavy damage to RAF airfields, GPO engineersmanaged to keep the system operational.

Most of the Operations Rooms were aboveground, and several were damagedduring the bombing raids. NorthWeald’s suffered a direct hit on 3 September. The controllers andplotters were relocated first toOngar, and later to Blake Hall.

Many of the RDF and OperationsRoom staff were women ofthe WAAF, who showedgreat fortitude andbravery under fire. ■

The RAF had worked throughout the 1930s on creatingan effective early warning system against air attack andways of bringing fighter aircraft into contact with raiders. Thewhole force had been restructured, and the newly-createdFighter Command divided into Groups, which were furthersub-divided into Sectors. Each Sector had two or threeairfields, each equipped with Hurricanes or Spitfires. NorthWeald was the main station for Sector E, 11 Group.

Radio Direction Finding (RDF), later known as Radar, was thekey to success. It resulted from research which demonstratedthat objects such as aircraft could reflect radio waves, and sousing transmissions to detect aircraft was indeed possible.

Robert Watson-Watt led the research, and a viable systemwas created at Bawdsey in Suffolk during the summer of1936. By the time war came, a network of RDF stationswas in place, operating on the 12-metre wavelength.

Located mainly along the south and east coasts at about 20 mile intervals, the tall Chain Home transmitter and receivermasts only covered out to sea, though cross-bearings couldbe taken from two stations for a more accurate position fix.

The higher the contact flew, the further it could be detected:at 13,000 feet the range was 80 miles and 50 miles at5,000 feet. The maximum range in good conditions wasaround 120 miles. RDF was not effective above 20,000 feetand below 5,000 feet. For low level coverage a second RDFsystem, Chain Home Low, was derived from naval 1.5-metrewavelength equipment. Its range was roughly 50 miles.

Reports of sightings on the cathode ray tubes were sent tothe Filter Room at Fighter Command Headquarters in BentleyPriory where they wereassessed and passed on to the Operations Room.The raids wereplotted on a

1940 Sector Operations Room at Duxford

A Royal Observer Corps post isdisplayed at the IWM Duxford

The diagram shows the command & control process during a raid

RAF 11 GroupRAF Uxbridge (Group HQ)Sector ERAF North Weald (Sector Operations Room)RAF Stapleford Tawney (Satellite)RAF Martlesham Heath (Forward Baseshared with Debden, F Sector)RAF Rochford (D Sector station shared asa Forward Base with Hornchurch )

Bundesarchiv

RDF trace showing transmitted signal strength on left and ‘blip’ contactat 60 miles on the range scale

German Dornier 17 bombers form up for a raid

Marker block with height and estimated number of aircraft

and coloured track arrows. The second marker shows an RAFsquadron denoted by a yellow ‘flag’

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Douglas Baderand the first Battleof Britain flypastThis historic event was led fromNorth Weald in September 1945...The first RAF commemorative flypast to mark Battle ofBritain Day took place on 15 September 1945. RAF NorthWeald was the central focus of this.

Group Captain Douglas Bader, who commanded the NorthWeald Fighter Command Sector, led the flypast with elevenof his colleagues in Spitfires, taking off from the Airfield infront of Lord Dowding and many other dignitaries. He wasflying his personal Spitfire RK917 coded DB, which laterserved with the South African Air Force.

The Operations Record Book of HQ RAF 11 Groupdescribed the event as follows: ’12 Spitfire IXs precededthe various formations, flying over the route some twominutes before the other Squadrons. These 12 aircraftwere piloted by G/C Bader, G/C Turner, G/C Carey, W/CTuck, W/C Crowley-Milling, W/C Lofts, W/C Ellis, W/CWells, W/C Drake….. followed by Mustangs, Tempests,Typhoons, Meteors, Mosquitoes and Beaufighters.’

Passing from North Weald the various elements of the flypast

followed the Spitfires in salute over St Paul’s Cathedral andthe centre of London, viewed by large crowds. Seventy otherRAF stations also held ‘At Home’ Days. ■

The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) can trace its roots to the First World War and the requirement for a warningsystem to bolster UK defences against bombing raids byZeppelins and later Gotha bombers. A system of around200 observation posts and observers was organised.Initially these posts were manned by British Armypersonnel, who were in turn replaced by Special (Police)Constables, and were coordinated on an area basis withtelephone communications provided between themselvesand the anti-aircraft defences.

In 1925, the RAF’s newly constituted Air Defence of Great Britain command led to the need for a parallel Raid Reporting System, with representatives from the AirMinistry, Home Office and the General Post Office. Thiswas to provide the visual detection, identification, trackingand reporting of aircraft over Great Britain, and was laterknown as the Observer Corps.

The Observer Corps performed sterling service during theBattle of Britain by tracking German raids inland as theChain Home radar stations only looked out to sea. TheObserver Corps was subsequently awarded the title ‘Royal’by King George VI in April 1941, in recognition of servicecarried out by its personnel during the Battle of Britain.

On 12 May 1945, when it was confirmed that theLuftwaffe had ceased combat operations, the ROC stooddown. In recognition of the contribution made by itspersonnel in the allied victory, the Air Ministry held amassed ROC rally and air display at RAF North Weald,from Saturday 23 to Monday 25 June 1945.

Over 1,800 ROC personnel were invited to attend, with atleast two observers representing their respective post orcentre. On Sunday 24 June, the parade formed into ahuge square and the new ROC Ensign was presented byLord Beatty, Under- Secretary of State for Air, anddedicated at a special service. The Ensign was borne byObserver Lieutenant Pollock VC, accompanied by ChiefObserver B J Phillipps and Observer C E Farrow.

Lord Beatty, on behalf of the Secretary of State, paid tributeto the unfailing devotion to duty which the Corps hadshown, and also "Charged every member, both male andfemale, to make it his or her duty to see that the honour,devotion to duty and efficiency of the Royal Observer Corpsremained second to none among His Majesty’s Services.”

The ROC then undertook their first ever uniformed march-past to the accompaniment of the RAF Band, Lord Beatty,taking the salute.

The very first post-war airshow in the UK began when foursquadrons of Mosquitoes, escorted by six squadrons ofMustang III and IV fighters, flew over at about 2,000 feet.These were followed by one of the new jet Meteors, a ShortStirling dropping supplies and a Halifax towing a Hamilcarglider, which landed. Next came three squadrons of CzechSpitfires (the Wing was based at North Weald in 1944), aDakota towing a Horsa glider, six more Meteors and a HawkerTempest. To finish, a Sikorsky Hoverfly R4B (the first helicopterused by British armed forces) displayed its capabilities.

There were many aircraft on static display as well, whichwere open for the ROC personnel to inspect. These includeda Mosquito, Lancaster, Flying Fortress, Liberator, Wellington,Warwick, Stirling, York, Beaufighter, Dakota and Walrusamphibian. These also took to the air for their own flypasts.

However, in a only a few months, the ROC was againcalled upon to meet the challenges posed by the ColdWar and the growing threat of nuclear attack. It wasfinally stood down in 1996. ■

North Weald Airfield M

useum

North Weald Airfield M

useum

North Weald Airfield M

useum

Douglas Bader waiting to start his personal Spitfire

North Weald Airfield M

useum

Douglas Bader and SirHugh Dowding

A job well done!The Royal Observer Corps Stand-down Parade and Airshowat North Weald in June 1945...

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The King's Head in North Weald has parts of its structuredating back nearly 450 years. The main building is of halfwood construction which dates back to the 17th century,and was originally built using old ships' timbers.

When the Airfield opened in 1916, the King’s Head wasused as a mess until other buildings were erected. Theclosest hostelry to RAF North Weald’s main gate, it was afavourite destination for thirsty airmen and officers alikeover the years that the RAF base was open.

Ye Olde King's Head in Chigwell village was built duringthe 17th century and used as a coaching inn. It was madefamous by Charles Dickens in Barnaby Rudge, where itfigures as the Maypole. From 1713 it was used for meetingsof the Court of Attachments of Waltham Forest. In the 1850sit was used by public authorities who banqueted at thepublic expense, and was famous for its pigeon pie.

The main part of the building is of three stories with atticsand cellars and exposed timber framing. Each upper storyoverhangs and there are four gables. The Chester Room onthe first floor has 17th century panelling.

The inn was a popular haunt of fighter pilots from Hornchurchand North Weald during World War 2, and was a specialfavourite of the American Eagle Squadrons.

It currently is the location of Sir Alan Sugar’s Turkishrestaurant Sheesh.

The Thatched House Hotel on Epping High Street wasfrequented by pilots from North Weald and became thepreferred destination for the Norwegians from 331 and 332Squadrons during their time at the Airfield from 1942 to1944. It is now a Grade II listed building.

The building is of two storeys with a roughcast front. It hasirregular sash windows and three sided bays. The tile andslate roofs date from the 18th century and earlier.

There is a gabled 19th century porch. The left hand three-window block dates from the late 18th century or early19th, and has a taller, slate hipped roof.

The Rainbow & Dove in Hastingwood dates back severalcenturies. Originally a farm, it was already in use as an innwhen Oliver Cromwell’s troops stopped there in 1645during the English Civil War.

It later housed teams of replacement horses for thestagecoaches travelling between London and Cambridge.The hostelry was named after the first known owners, afarming family called the Rainbows.

The hedge was subsequently trimmed into the shape of aDove, and so the name of the inn was changed. It was adiscreet destination for personnel from the Airfield duringWorld War 2. The barn was also used for dances duringthe 1940s.

The White Hart Inn at Moreton was popular with both theRAF and USAAF, being close to the airfields at North Weald,Willingale, Matching Green, Fairlop and Hornchurch.

The oldest mullions are known to predate 1460, and thereis a record of the various landlords dating back to 1649,when Henry Pinder held the licence. At its east end the firstfloor oversails and is supported on curved brackets. It hasbeen altered at various times over the years. The stablingstill exists too.

Up until its major renovation in 2000 it was split into sectionsconsisting of a parlour, small private rooms and a public bar.The bar had privacy doors, and customers would open aslot on the door to make their order.

The Eagle on Woodford Road, Snaresbrook was animportant 18th century coaching inn on the route fromLondon to Newmarket routing through Epping, and wasoriginally called the Spread Eagle.

It is Wanstead’s oldest surviving public house, and stillfeatures its decorative cast iron work around the balcony. Itis opposite a small stretch of water called the Eagle Pond.Inns have stood on the site since the 17th century.

Pictures survive showing 249 Squadron pilots drinkingthere during the Battle of Britain in 1940. It is now a Toby Carvery. ■

Some of the surviving localhostelries used by pilots andairmen who served at the Airfieldsince 1916...

Time for a beer!

The King’s Head, North Weald

Ye Olde King’s Head, Chigwell

Thatched House Hotel, Epping

Rainbow & Dove, Hastingwood

The Eagle, Woodford Road, Snaresbrook

The White Hart Inn. Moreton

The Royal Navy is in the process of taking over RAF AW101Merlin HC3 helicopters from 78 Squadron and 28 Squadronto replace its ageing Sea Kings for commando operations.These will subsequently be upgraded to Mark 4 standardfor use at sea. 846 Naval Air Squadron is now working upat RAF Benson before relocating to Yeovilton later this year.This will be followed later by 845 Naval Air Squadron.

On Tuesday 13 January one of these Merlins, callsignCommando 534, booked in for a session of circuits duringthe afternoon.The sun came out to give us some lovely light

for photographing this big helicopter, which has threeengines. It is a former Danish Air Force machine, transferredto the RAF in 2007, and can carry up to 45 troops.

The main image was chosen as one of the January Picturesof the Week by UK Airshow Review. ■

Merlin in the sunCommando 534 arrives from RAF Benson for circuit training...

Sworn in!Epping Air Cadets hold a specialparade at the Gate Guardian...Air Cadets from 414 (Epping & North Weald) Squadronmustered for a special parade at the Airfield Gate Guardianon Sunday 12 April. They were reaffirming their links withthe local RAFA branch and swearing in recent probationers.

Afterwards the cadets and their parents attended areception in the Tower where certificates and trophies were

awarded for achievements over the past year. Next year theSquadron will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. ■

Eric Hayward died in July 2011. This article is based oncorrespondence he had with Alan Allen of Kennet Aviation.

1312

The Yak 11 was a post-war trainer development of theRussian Yak 3 fighter, employing the same diamond shapedall-metal wing. The two-seater is powered by a 700 hpShvetsov ASh-21 seven-cylinder radial, giving a maximumspeed of 289 mph. Production in the Soviet Union amountedto 3,859 aircraft between 1947 and 1955. with a further707 licence-built by Let in Czechoslovakia as the C.11. Itcarried a single machine gun in the nose.

The type also served with other air forces, and many of thesurviving airframes today came from the Egyptian Air Force,which operated the Czech-built model.

G-BTZE visited us from Wycombe Air Park at Booker onTuesday 10 March. This aircraft is also a Czech C.11,which was once part of the Skoda Aerobatics Team andretains many of its original systems and instruments. Theaircraft gave us a nice low pass on departure.

Its colour scheme depicts one worn by a Russian-built Yak11 painted in a pseudo WWII VVS colours by aviation

students in the late 1940s for a Parade Day flight over RedSquare in Moscow. Erik Piilawski researched the scheme,colours and markings along with Steve Atkin from WarbirdColour Services, who is well known at North Weald for hiswork with the Hangar 11 Collection. (See Issue 4 of thisnewsletter for an article about his projects, which can bedownloaded from www.northwealdairfield.info) ■

Yak 11– the Sovietpost-war trainerRussian equivalent of the Harvard...

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The Short SC7 Skyvan is a 19-seat twin-engine turbopropused for freight and parachuting. It was popular in this rolebecause of the wide rear door allowing easy access to itswide, square-section fuselage. A total of 153 were built upto 1986. Skyvans served with the military of 23 countries.Two Argentinian examples were destroyed in the Falklands.

On Saturday 11 April, G-PIGY, a Skyvan operated the SkyvanDemo Team from Invicta Aviation arrived from Kortrijk inBelgium. Its crew were at North Weald to fly practice displaysto enable three pilots to gain display authorisations on type.The display routine included passes and short field take offsand landings. This was supervised by Dan Griffith.

G-PIGY is currently finished in an overall military green, andhas been used in the past to train British Army parachutists,operating out of Cotswold Airport (Kemble) and South Cerney.It will be an unusual addition to the airshow circuit. ■

Skyvan displayThe Skyvan Demo Team works upfor the airshow season...

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Pilots in competition aerobatics use a system of notations todesign and fly sequences of figures and manoeuvres. Since1964 this has been the Aresti Catalogue which was createdby Colonel José Luis Aresti Aguirre, the Spanish aerobaticace. Each figure in the catalogue is represented by lines,arrows, geometric shapes and numbers representing theprecise form of a manoeuvre to be flown.

The Catalogue broadly classifies manoeuvres intonumbered families. Families 1 to 8 depict basic figures,such as turns, loops and vertical lines. Family 9 depictsrotational elements that can be added to basic figures toincrease difficulty, change the direction of flight or invert theG-loading of the aircraft.

In Aresti notation, solid lines represent upright or positive-Gmanoeuvres and dashed lines represent inverted ornegative-G manoeuvres. These are sometimes drawn inred. Stalled wing manoeuvres such as spins and flick rollsare represented by triangles. Arrows represent rollingmanoeuvres, with numbers representing the extent andnumber of segments of the roll.

The Catalogue assigns each manoeuvre a CatalogueNumber, and Difficulty Factor, represented by the symbol K.When a basic figure is combined with one or more rollingelements, the resultant figure K is the sum of all thecomponent Ks. During an aerobatics competition judgesgrade the execution of each manoeuvre with a valuebetween 10 (perfect) and 0 (highly flawed). Each figure’sgrades are multiplied by its K and added up to give a totalraw score for the flight.

All aerobatic figures are judged in, and relative to, theaerobatic performance zone – which is known as The Box.This is nominally a 1,000 metre cube of air, with its lowerface at 100 metres above the ground and defined by twoland-based axes A and B. This is, however, effectively lesstall for any aerobatic class below Unlimited.

The A or main box axis is aligned with the competition wind(flight along this axis will by definition therefore be eitherinto wind or down wind). The B or cross box axis is alignedat 90° to the A axis. Judges sit in line with the B axis, but set back about 150 metres from the nearest edge ofthe box. This gives them the best vantage point to judgethe flights.

Any deviations of orientation of more than 5 degrees oneither axis are penalised by a downgrade of 1 point per 5degrees of error observed. ■

Today’s Unlimited Aerobatic Category aircraft arestressed to high levels of G and very manoeuvreable.At North Weald we have Extra 300s based with us, andother high performance types are regular visitors.

Extra 300The Extra 300 series was designed in Germany by WalterExtra during 1987. It has a welded steel tube fuselagecovered in aluminium panels and fabric. The wing has acarbon fibre composite spar and carbon composite skins. Asymmetrical airfoil, mounted with a zero angle of incidence,provides equal performance in both upright and invertedflight. It is powered by a fuel-injected Lycoming AEIO-540which produces 300 horsepower.

Two of the North Weald Extras are 300Ls with low mountedwings and a shorter fuselage. This version has beenproduced in greater numbers than any other model. The wingspan is also reduced from 26 ft 3 in to 24 ft 3 in. Improvedailerons boost the 300L’s roll rate to 400 degrees per second.The Extra 300 is stressed for ±10 G with one person onboard and ±8 G with two. We also have a more powerfulExtra 330XL with a Lycoming AEIO 580 B1A 315hp engine.

Sukhoi Su-29The Russian Sukhoi Su-29 was developed from the single-seat Su-26. The airframe makes extensive use of compositesand titanium for structural strength and lightness. It has ahigh tensile stainless-steel forward fuselage, while the rearfuselage, tail and the entire wing structure is composite. Theaircraft is cleared for +12/-10 G at maximum aerobaticweight. Five wings have been deliberately broken in tests.

The minimum that one has failed at was 23.5 G! The aircraftis powered by a 360 horsepower supercharged 9-cylinderVedenyev M14P radial engine. Uprated engines can also befitted, with an output of up to 460 horsepower.

Most of the aircraft operating in the UK are on the Hungarianregister for certification reasons. A frequent visitor to theAirfield is Su-29, HA-YAO, from Southend Airport.

XtremeAir XA42The XtremeAir XA42 is a more recent German design,which in its single-seat version, the XA41, has achievedgreat success in aerobatics championships worldwide. Theaircraft uses carbon fibre composites to achieve a verystrong airframe, capable of handling up to ±10 G.

With full-span ailerons it is has a phenomenal maximum rollrate of 450 degrees a second. It is powered by a 315hpLycoming AEIO 580 B1A engine, giving it a climb rate of3,200 feet a minute. Certified in 2011, it is the first all-composite aerobatic aircraft to achieve this milestone, andcurrently has a fatigue life of 6,000 hours. ■

Aresti notationsThe catalogue of competitionaerobatic manoeuvres ...

Normal Flight Inverted Flight

Knife Edge Flight Slow Roll

Inside Barrel Roll Outside Barrel Roll

4-Point Roll 1/2 Slow Roll

Inside Flick Roll Outside Flick Roll

Inside Spin Outside Spin

Loop Outside Loop

1/2 Loop, 1/2 RollClimbing

Stall Turn

Some common Aresti notations decoded

All aerobatic displays, such as this solo routine by Aerostar Phil Ansell inhis Yak 50, are made up of figures from the Aresti catalogue. Phil will beflying this aircraft at our Community Day

UnlimitedaerobaticsAircraft types that push theperformance limits ...

Sukhoi Su-29

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Extra 300L

Gene Willson will be displaying hisXtremeAir XA42 from Audley End atour Community Day in July

Entry £5 per person, including FREErides and entertainment all day in thechildren’s ‘Adventure Corner’Babies 12 months and under enter free

Have a great day withCombined Tickets forthe event and theEpping Ongar Railway

A great day out for all the family!

Salute to the Few

Sunday 12 July 2015

For more event information phone Weald Aviation on 01992 525 176 e-mail: office@emaviation.co.uk, The Squadron on 01992 524 510 orAirfield Operations on 01992 564 200. Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wealdaviationserviceswww.facebook.com/northwealdairfield

North Weald Airfield Community Daycommemorates the 75th Anniversary of

the Battle of Britain

THE BATTLE OF BRITAINTHE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATIONTHE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION

WI N G S

A

P P E A

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The Spirit of North Weald Newsletter is produced by the North Weald AirfieldOperations Team and distributed free of charge to Airfield tenants and usersand the local community. See us on www.facebook.com/northwealdairfield

Editor: Trevor Jago, Duty Officer NWA. Telephone 01992 564 200Previous issues can be downloaded in pdf format from www.northwealdairfield.infoPrinted by Jump Design & Print, SG12 8HG. Telephone 01920 319 111

Information correct at time of print.Aircraft subject to serviceability.

• BBMF Hurricane & Spitfire along with XtremeAir XA42 & Yak 50 aerobatics, P-51D Mustang, Gnats & Hunter displays

• Classic aircraft on static display• RAFA Parade & SunsetCeremony

• Helicopter pleasure flights • General Aviation fly-in• Historic Military Vehicles & Re-enactors

• Classic Car & Bike Show

• Community Arena, Stalls & Displays

• Licensed Bars & Food

Free parking Gates open 10.00 Arena displaysfrom 12.00