Shorts Nimbus

[Barry_Cole]

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

BC

[chris williams]

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

[simon_t]

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

[Mark Erwood]

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!

[simon_t]

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

[VinceC]

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

[VinceC]

Here it is in the livery