Excellent Afternoon Thursday 2nd

[Pat Blenkinsopp]

Neil, Paul
Brilliant to meet you both and I am really pleased you got the chance to fly ASXI. Judging by the silly fixed grins I think we can say it was a success.
I was especially pleased that we had such a fabulous afternoon and evening to get airbourne. Hmmm must try to address the heating issue. I think some sort of flap arrangement on the firewall where the heated cooling air passes by on its way to exit (EEEEEKKKKKKK.... not another mod request !!!!!!!)
Seriously chaps great to meet up and sorry Paul you had to dash off.
Neil you have done a seriously good job on your little jalopy. I cant wait to see it in the flesh so to speak.
To all the other Nipper enthusiasts. Lets have a bit of banter on this great new web site and also I think we ought to make the North Weald fly in next year somthing of a Nipper three line whip. It would be outstanding if we could get as many there as possible ( hmmm.. thinks.... a 15 ship fly by of Nippers.....)
Anyway. great afternoon. Do it again soon
Regards to all
Pat. ASXI

[G-NIPR]

Yes a great couple of hours for me.
THANKS VERY MUCH PAT!
Funny how these things happen, I had no idea until this morning that I would have enough time in Bristol to make this work.
Then when the alarm went off at 0500 I booted up the laptop to get Pats number off an e-mail.
Then did my work stuff, arrived at Filton and phoned. What a coincidence, Neil had arranged to meet Pat too!
So I get to meet Neil and Pat. Next step, text Dave Shrimpton as I drive to Sarum. Dave phones- yes I can get there in about 50 mins.
Now have ourselves a convoy!!!!
Took me a while to get to Sarum, stuck behind every ag. vehicle in Wiltshire.
But what a day, high pressure all over the country. 1036 QNH from dawn till dusk at Warton, and the same a couple of hundred miles south in Bristol.
Calm winds, endless viz. LOVELY!
Didn't get much time to view either LI or SI today, will try to make more time in future.
Can't wait for NIPR to be airworthy again.
Thanks again Gents, a real memory of a day!

Paul.

G-NIPR

Ps: Now I am back in the North of Scotland writing this. Surely I couldn't fit all that in one day?

[Neil Spooner]

Hi Pat,
Thank you very, very much for the opportunity to fly your Nipper, very generous and trusting.........I have to say I had forgotten just how lovely it is to fly a Nipper. A great day for me, and great to meet you, David and Paul. Look forward to meeting up again and having a chat, maybe in the company of a few beers!!
I am in the process of changing employers, and although eventually hope to be working 6 on 4 off (inc' travelling between home and Belfast City) will be busy training and relocating (not moving house tho') for a while, which makes it difficult to finish the Nipper....maybe flyable mid Dec'. That will make it about a year since I got it.
I have posted a pic' of G-AZBA assembled in my garage, shame about the carbuncle of a canopy tho'......waiting for a price inc' carriage now.
Thanks again Pat.
Neil ...........silly grin

[Neil Spooner]

Hi Guys,

All going well with the job, Sim went well and I have my final line check in a week, so am looking forward to feeling at home at Flybe in Belfast.

Ref' the canopy........I found a contact in the UK, Brian Stowe, who upon initial discussion was talking about £2-300 per canopy made off of a mould I was to create. Unfortunately during further discussions the price has now gone up to £8-900. Upon that basis it is a no go. On the Mecaplex front: Fred Hambly has sadly decided to sell his Nipper, and although he has not withdrawn his order for a canopy I cannot justify lumbering him with £850 (aprox) of canopy he doesn't need. So the order has dropped to 3 canopies, and at that price I cannot justify the cost.

I shall have to use the horrible carbunkle of a canopy until I decide wether to swallow the look of the Rematic canopy or come up with another supplier.

I have not done anything significant on the Nipper of late, I have spoken with Andy Draper who has okd the mod's, but I have still as yet to receive the paperwork!!

A very good friend of mine has funded the change of Registration of G-AZBA, the new reg' will be G-ONCS (my initials).

Take care all you Nippers, look forward to corresponding a bit more now the pressure is coming off, and defininately want to make the Nipper meet.

Neil

[Pat Blenkinsopp]

Greetings all and Neil
You mentioned getting the go ahead for mods and "am now awaitng the paperwork" .Tell me about it. Frankly I am fed up with the PFA and the delays in these mods I am now at week 19 for the installation of an oil cooler. My mate Richard (my inspector) has been waiting the same amount for a battery box mod on a Moraine Parasol (admittidly it involves a c of g issue)
Has anyone else out there in the Nipper ether had to wait as long ?
Neil, did you get the fuel drains yet ? and do we have a projected date for flight yet Do keep us posteed .
Ps I now have a share in a Vagabond so in stead of phoning him/her I can bring a friend.
Regerds to all
Pat ASXI

[Neil Spooner]

Hi Pat,
Firstly thankyou very much for the fuel drains.....I am terribly ashamed that I have not thanked you sooner. I have been changing jobs and now work for Flybe, so the last few weeks have been very difficult. The fuel drains are excellent, and will find their way onto the fuel tank eventually. Please remind me of the black sealant you use, I shall probably use some on the fuel tank level sensor I have yet to install. The eventual fuel tank will probably be one that is mounted just below the original. It would be very useful to have a reversible fuel pump for the the purposes of transfering the fuel from the main tank to the aux' during refueling, and back to the main during flight....any ideas. (I have thought about valves, but that starts getting very messy)
Mod's: I am on the cusp of loosing my rag with the PFA... my mod applications went in during mid April, I have supposedly got approval for the seat back and fin mod's, but have not yet received the paperwork, each time I speak to Andy in eng' he has to look under a whole load of paperwork that is not on top of mine! I am hopeful to have the actual papers soon, but keep being dissapointed. The next big hurdle is to get them to do the back up fuel pump and Leburg ignition system. I was hopeful that both these items would be cursory, but it seems like another excuse to delay doing anything with anything.Yes I am sick and tired of it all. The fuel pump I may well remove for the purposes of getting flying, the Leburg ignition is not in the same league.I thought that seeing as the Leburg had been used on so many types it would not be an issue. We shall see.
I have got the Registration G-ONCS (my initials) thanks to a very good friend of mine to go onto G-AZBA, so need to organise the painting of the Reg' soon.
The canopy has been another source of great frustration, I am really not happy with the shape of the Rematic (smaller) canopy, and would love to get an original shape one made, but the price keeps ending up in the £800+ league..... I have made a few contacts, but it still is a very expensive and tortuous route. I am still thinking of having a go myself...........!
My "other" home is now Belfast City, 6.5 days on 3.5 days off, so time on the Nipper is difficult. Still on the 146 as a contractor for the next year, unless something better comes up.
The flight in your Nipper still brings a smile........
Take care and look forward to chatting some time.
Neil

[Pat Blenkinsopp]

Nice one Neil
Dont forget ASXI is here if you need a fix on the way thru. Yes i am in agreement about the unacceptable delay thing. Richard,my inspector is pretty fumming as well. We shall make our feelings known to the PFA as it simply is NOT ON.
Any way have a great Chrimbo and new year. Great to hear about the new job. Well done
Regards Pat

[Neil Spooner]

Hi Pat,
Thanks for the offer.......I was really hoping to fly mine soon, but am still in the hands of the PFA. I don't think it will be this year now.
If you are near a computer put your feelings onto the PFA web forum, so far it seems I am the only one bitchin!
The Vagabond is great fun, rather exiting on a hard surface runway tho!
Hope you have a fab Xmas and a Nipping New Year.
Neil

[G-NIPR]

Hello Guys,
Hope you are all well.
Sorry I have been quiet of late, had the small matter of getting married, going on honeymoon and a few domestic problems!
Anyhow the good news is that G-NIPR is shaping up nicely, with the fuselage now covered.
Early new year should see it airworthy.
Bit worried about the mod approval times though!
I am driving south for Christmas tomorrow, bets wishes to you all.

Paul.

[David H]

Congratulations Paul!

On the periphery (as usual) but I posted on the PFA notice board about the Mini-Imp making a 'stealth' appearance on the Aircraft Type List as a 'one-off'. I sent the plans in during May and had heard absolutely nothing until I stumbled across this appearance - here's hoping I at least get my plans back.

I gave up a while ago (as many will probably know) on getting any kind of response about building a new Nipper...

[Neil Spooner]

Hi Guys,

In relation to getting mods approved in reasonable time.........I posted a memo on the PFA bulletin board about mod lead times to Graham Newby, although I was getting close to getting the fin and seat mods approved my post has seemed to create new enthusiasm into Andy Draper to get my mods signed off. You may want to add to my post on the same theme, I don't know that it will do any good, but it might wake someone up!!

Happy New Year to all. Have a happy safe and healthy New Year.

Neil