Scale Soaring UK

More likely at an aerotow. That is me in the background with my Cub, but not sure where. Pre 2010 for sure.

BC

Siege Cross...and, as I recall, he didn't fly it

An excellent and interesting subject. I work in the factory where it was built, on the airfield where it was flown. Back in the 60’s I used to regularly visit John Lankester-Parker who was Shorts Chief test pilot and did first flight (by the time I was visiting he had retired to run a country hotel at Workington, Suffolk). I still regularly meet with both his daughters, who are family friends. Lankester-Parker’s accumulated papers from Shorts now reside at the RAF Museum Hendon, but I don’t know if there is any documentation on this subject.

Although a nice looking glider it wasn’t successful due problems with flow separation at the wing root, as a result of the acute join angle of the low gull wing. Unfortunately that was never resolved.

Looking forward to seeing the plans, and maybe a future build subject.

Simon

That is a subject that I had never heard of. I can see the need for a wing root fairing but it will be interesting to see how the model flies. Maybe one for the future!

Cliff, you have done well digging out documentation, and the remains of the full size - sad to see it in that state, but to be honest I didn’t know it survived at all. I’m sure aircraft have been restored from worse condition, but it would be costly. I don’t think any the daughters will have any data to photos any more. There was a historical book on Shorts published last year I think (my mother has a copy and spoke to the author), but I don’t recall seeing anything on the Nimbus in there, and the only other photos are in the C H Barnes book on Shorts history, ‘Shorts aircraft since 1900’ - I assume you have already seen that.

Simon

simon_t - once you start looking, it is amazing what turns up and your friends hopefully may have information. Thanks for the name of the test pilot, I will add that in the Docs. Here is a photo taken on or around the first flight in 1946/7, maybe you can identify the test pilot

Here it is in the livery