Draco..

[Tins]

Anyone following Juan Browne will know of Draco. Maybe you've come across this aircraft elsewhere, an incredible STOL competitor which was crashed and totalled recently, fortunately with no fatality or even real injury. If so, the following might give you cheer..


https://youtu.be/dO8HQNsIYCw

[Homestar]

Yes, I subscribe to his channel and was speachless when he totalled it. Cudos to him for admitting it was 100% his fault. Can’t wait until he gets it back into the air again, it’s a unique aircraft.

[Tins]

Fascinating that people from diverse backgrounds follow the same things.

[Homestar]

I follow heaps of aircraft and flying channels - in another life I was a Pilot I think. I love the Engineering and the flying. 👍. Quote a few bush and back country Pilots have channels about their adventures - would be a great crowd to hang out with.

[Tins]

I follow heaps of aircraft and flying channels - in another life I was a Pilot I think. I love the Engineering and the flying. 👍. Quote a few bush and back country Pilots have channels about their adventures - would be a great crowd to hang out with.

I'm a bit older than you, and I remember books. A man I admire enormously, even though he died about 60 years ago, called Nevil Shute, wrote a book called An Old Captivity. As was the case in all Shute's books there was a romance, but the book was focussed on flying an aerial survey of some place in Greenland.... in 1937. What the pilot had to do, what he went through, the physical and mental cost of flying in those latitudes. It's bloody hard now, with heaters and camps and GPS. Imagine it then. Blows me away.

In case you think Shute was merely a writer, google him. He had a few strings to his bow that would surprise most.

[Homestar]

Ha ha - you’ll never believe this but I’m reading ‘No Highway’ by him at the moment. I’ve read it before, and others by him but not ‘An Old Captivity’ - will see if I can find a copy. 👍

Yep, quite a fellow - he was an Aeronautical Engineer and moved to Melbourne later in his life. 👍

My Dad put me onto him years ago, there are quite a few of his books still on the shelves at Mums place (Dad died a while back) - should see what is there.

[Tins]

Ha ha - you’ll never believe this but I’m reading ‘No Highway’ by him at the moment. I’ve read it before, and others by him but not ‘An Old Captivity’ - will see if I can find a copy. 👍

Yep, quite a fellow - he was an Aeronautical Engineer and moved to Melbourne later in his life. 👍

My Dad put me onto him years ago, there are quite a few of his books still on the shelves at Mums place (Dad died a while back) - should see what is there.

Like I said, you continue to surprise, Gav. No Highway is brilliant. Mr Honey... Elspeth. Marjorie Corder, Monica Teasedale, the Reindeer.. That was written, as my mom would say, post war. I would ask, which one? An Old Captivity was 'tween wars, in the narrow focus of British Subjects, which some of us were. Great book though.

Shute wrote a few books. He died of a heart attack somewhere in Mornington I believe. There is a street named after him in Berwick. In another book, "In The Wet", he mentions the old Casey airfield, named after Lord Casey, which is now a sportsground.

If you like that sort of thing then I'd recommend all of his books after maybe Lonely Road. Not bad, but a little immature, as Shute himself said in a preface to "What Happened to the Corbetts". I agree, but his writing in What Happened was good, so I keep it in my list.

But 'An Old Captivity' was when he started to become great. 'Landfall', which followed, is a truly great story about young love in a World War. It is one of my faves.

[p38arover]

By heck, that Draco is definitely STOL! I've not seen it before.

Re Shute, I think I've read all his books.

Have you read his autobiography, "Slide Rule"?

[Tins]

Have you read his autobiography, "Slide Rule"?

I sure have. Can't speak for Gav. Slide Rule would be an inspiration to someone with ambition. Kinda what I was saying about googling him. Bloke was a genius. The aircraft he designed were amazing.

Edit: Shute would have loved Draco..

[cripesamighty]

I am so very glad that 1) Juan got out ok, and 2) he is rebuilding Draco. I still can’t believe it got totalled though!

[JDNSW]

I sure have. Can't speak for Gav. Slide Rule would be an inspiration to someone with ambition. Kinda what I was saying about googling him. Bloke was a genius. The aircraft he designed were amazing.

Edit: Shute would have loved Draco..

Worth mentioning for those who grew up in the last fifty years - his first job title was "computer". He was one of those doing the stress calculations on R100 (Vickers' airship) - on paper, with (seven figure) log tables.

He was the founder and principal designer of the Airspeed aircraft company, builder of Britain's most advanced civil aircraft in the 1930s. And wrote under a pen name because he (probably correctly) thought that the board would think writing was an unsuitable occupation for their engineers!

[Tins]

Worth mentioning for those who grew up in the last fifty years - his first job title was "computer". He was one of those doing the stress calculations on R100 (Vickers' airship) - on paper, with (seven figure) log tables.

He was the founder and principal designer of the Airspeed aircraft company, builder of Britain's most advanced civil aircraft in the 1930s. And wrote under a pen name because he (probably correctly) thought that the board would think writing was an unsuitable occupation for their engineers!

He was one who pointed out to the Admiralty that THEIR airship, the R101, was far too heavy. They, like most bureaucracies, refused to listen. When they finally realised he was right their answer was to graft in another major section of gas envelope. The ensuing disaster and loss of life ended the British airship enterprise. This was sad for Shute ( OK, Norway ) because the ship he was involved with, the R100, was a success. The Airspeed thing came after that, of course, and aviation is better for it. His designs were beautiful and simple.

A very gifted man, who has given me some joy with his well written characters, and simple but brilliant stories.

[lebanon]

Would love to have an R/C Draco

[bob10]

Neville Shute, from 'A town like Alice ', ' On the Beach ', ' Requiem for a Wren', his books covered a broad range. Interesting are his comments about himself.


“I would divide the senior executives of the engineering world into two categories, the starters and the runners, the men with a creative instinct who can start a new venture and the men who can run it to make it show a profit. They are very seldom combined in the same person. … I was a starter and useless as a runner…”

[skidrov]

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

[Tins]

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

It's almost impossible to choose, but if I was forced I might agree... I love that book, BUT, then there is In The Wet, and The Far Country, and Beyond The Black Stump. What about The Chequer Board<?????

If you like love, then how about Pastoral, or Landfall?

Shute lived the war. His brother died in the horror of the trenches. And yet Shute wrote beauty. I love all his works. There is no way I can choose..., but if forced I would pick " An Old Captivity", simply because I know about dreams.

Nevil Shute was brilliant. I wish more people would read what he wrote.

[Tins]

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

Can you imagine, Kieth, in his cricket blazer, on a ship in the tropics? Who would play him?

Hollywood stuffed up Shute's book "No Highway", by renaming it " No Highway In The Sky", and casting James Stewart as Theodore Honey How does that work??.

I'll never understand Hollywood, especially not recently.

[Tins]

Can you imagine, Kieth, in his cricket blazer, on a ship in the tropics? Who would play him?

Hollywood stuffed up Shute's book "No Highway", by renaming it " No Highway In The Sky", and casting James Stewart as Theodore Honey How does that work??.

I'll never understand Hollywood, especially not recently.

Keith, perhaps...

[skidrov]

Can you imagine, Keith, in his cricket blazer, on a ship in the tropics? Who would play him?


Easy: Anthony Hopkins, slightly tuning his "Remains of the day" persona. Got a whole list, I need to get out more... [emoji12]

[JDNSW]

My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]

Yes!

[Old Farang]

Ha ha - you’ll never believe this but I’m reading ‘No Highway’ by him at the moment. I’ve read it before, and others by him but not ‘An Old Captivity’ - will see if I can find a copy. 👍

Yep, quite a fellow - he was an Aeronautical Engineer and moved to Melbourne later in his life. 👍

My Dad put me onto him years ago, there are quite a few of his books still on the shelves at Mums place (Dad died a while back) - should see what is there.
Most of his books are available on "bookdepository.com"

https://www.bookdepository.com/An-Old-Captivity-Nevil-Shute-Norway/9780099530121'redirected=true&utm_medium=Google&utm_campaign=Base6&utm_source=TH&utm_content=An-Old-Captivity&selectCurrency=THB&w=AF5NAU99TQL6TZA80TRR&pdg=pla-297612067635:kwd-297612067635:cmp-1348877931:adg-52577848925:crv-263364421172:pid-9780099530121:dev-c&gclid=CjwKCAjw3c_tBRA4EiwAICs8Ckek-xFLsZNBSEquoX4HYQSuIafl0S1-3yZwPGoqL5jU-4Sqq8LkgRoCBS4QAvD_BwE

http://www.nevilshute.org/Captivity%20Summary.php

[Blknight.aus]

I'm a bit older than you, and I remember books. A man I admire enormously, even though he died about 60 years ago, called Nevil Shute, wrote a book called An Old Captivity. As was the case in all Shute's books there was a romance, but the book was focussed on flying an aerial survey of some place in Greenland.... in 1937. What the pilot had to do, what he went through, the physical and mental cost of flying in those latitudes. It's bloody hard now, with heaters and camps and GPS. Imagine it then. Blows me away.

In case you think Shute was merely a writer, google him. He had a few strings to his bow that would surprise most.


Ha ha - you’ll never believe this but I’m reading ‘No Highway’ by him at the moment. I’ve read it before, and others by him but not ‘An Old Captivity’ - will see if I can find a copy. 👍

Yep, quite a fellow - he was an Aeronautical Engineer and moved to Melbourne later in his life. 👍

My Dad put me onto him years ago, there are quite a few of his books still on the shelves at Mums place (Dad died a while back) - should see what is there.


Like I said, you continue to surprise, Gav. No Highway is brilliant. Mr Honey... Elspeth. Marjorie Corder, Monica Teasedale, the Reindeer.. That was written, as my mom would say, post war. I would ask, which one? An Old Captivity was 'tween wars, in the narrow focus of British Subjects, which some of us were. Great book though.

Shute wrote a few books. He died of a heart attack somewhere in Mornington I believe. There is a street named after him in Berwick. In another book, "In The Wet", he mentions the old Casey airfield, named after Lord Casey, which is now a sportsground.

If you like that sort of thing then I'd recommend all of his books after maybe Lonely Road. Not bad, but a little immature, as Shute himself said in a preface to "What Happened to the Corbetts". I agree, but his writing in What Happened was good, so I keep it in my list.

But 'An Old Captivity' was when he started to become great. 'Landfall', which followed, is a truly great story about young love in a World War. It is one of my faves.


By heck, that Draco is definitely STOL! I've not seen it before.

Re Shute, I think I've read all his books.

Have you read his autobiography, "Slide Rule"?


He was one who pointed out to the Admiralty that THEIR airship, the R101, was far too heavy. They, like most bureaucracies, refused to listen. When they finally realised he was right their answer was to graft in another major section of gas envelope. The ensuing disaster and loss of life ended the British airship enterprise. This was sad for Shute ( OK, Norway ) because the ship he was involved with, the R100, was a success. The Airspeed thing came after that, of course, and aviation is better for it. His designs were beautiful and simple.

A very gifted man, who has given me some joy with his well written characters, and simple but brilliant stories.


Worth mentioning for those who grew up in the last fifty years - his first job title was "computer". He was one of those doing the stress calculations on R100 (Vickers' airship) - on paper, with (seven figure) log tables.

He was the founder and principal designer of the Airspeed aircraft company, builder of Britain's most advanced civil aircraft in the 1930s. And wrote under a pen name because he (probably correctly) thought that the board would think writing was an unsuitable occupation for their engineers!


Neville Shute, from 'A town like Alice ', ' On the Beach ', ' Requiem for a Wren', his books covered a broad range. Interesting are his comments about himself.


“I would divide the senior executives of the engineering world into two categories, the starters and the runners, the men with a creative instinct who can start a new venture and the men who can run it to make it show a profit. They are very seldom combined in the same person. … I was a starter and useless as a runner…”


My fave: Trustee from the Toolroom. I like to imagine it made into a movie, in glorious 50's Technicolor... [emoji41]


Yes!


Most of his books are available on "bookdepository.com"

https://www.bookdepository.com/An-Old-Captivity-Nevil-Shute-Norway/9780099530121'redirected=true&utm_medium=Google&utm_campaign=Base6&utm_source=TH&utm_content=An-Old-Captivity&selectCurrency=THB&w=AF5NAU99TQL6TZA80TRR&pdg=pla-297612067635:kwd-297612067635:cmp-1348877931:adg-52577848925:crv-263364421172:pid-9780099530121:dev-c&gclid=CjwKCAjw3c_tBRA4EiwAICs8Ckek-xFLsZNBSEquoX4HYQSuIafl0S1-3yZwPGoqL5jU-4Sqq8LkgRoCBS4QAvD_BwE

http://www.nevilshute.org/Captivity%20Summary.php






From the remnants of my weekend...

"screw you guys"........

I'll just have a quick read.....

I now have sore thumbs and need to reclean the protective screen on the E- reader.....

[JDNSW]

Do you mean to say that you didn't know Neville Shute? While not Australian, he emigrated in 1950, and died in Melbourne in 1960.

[Blknight.aus]

predates me...

[Tins]

Easy: Anthony Hopkins, slightly tuning his "Remains of the day" persona. Got a whole list, I need to get out more... [emoji12]

Could work. Maybe his role in Spotswood could help.

[Tins]

predates me....

Maybe I could read to you while you fix my cars... I have a good speaking voice, so we might both learn something...[bigwhistle]

[Tins]

Do you mean to say that you didn't know Neville Shute? While not Australian, he emigrated in 1950, and died in Melbourne in 1960.

Check your spelling, JD. It's Nevil, although no spell checker will believe it.

[Tins]

Ha ha - you’ll never believe this but I’m reading ‘No Highway’ by him at the moment. I’ve read it before, and others by him but not ‘An Old Captivity’ - will see if I can find a copy. 👍



If you PM me your address I'll LEND you my copies of a few... Some have fallen apart, sadly, well not really sadly, just through reading I guess. I don't recommend audio copies, as the readers are ****. Good readers are vital.

[jonesfam]

In my youth I read a book called something like "The Pied Piper."
Was that Nevil Shute? I was only about 15 & just getting into reading but it was an excellent book, great story.
Jonesfam

[bob10]

In my youth I read a book called something like "The Pied Piper."
Was that Nevil Shute? I was only about 15 & just getting into reading but it was an excellent book, great story.
Jonesfam

Yep., published 1942. A story of love and loss , and the loneliness of old age. Set at the beginning of WW2. One of his best.

[Homestar]

Mike is doing some amazing work on Scrappy at the moment - Draco will get resurrected after this. Scrappy has 500HP up front so needs quite a bit of mods almost everywhere else to cope. Going to be a killer build and aircraft all on its own. 👍


https://youtu.be/YCClc_C_Nfs


https://youtu.be/pBGY57ILDlQ

[Homestar]

Nice update on Draco here in the latest video. 👍


https://youtu.be/20SAhMkiqoI

[Tins]

Yep., published 1942. A story of love and loss , and the loneliness of old age. Set at the beginning of WW2. One of his best.

You forgot steadfastness and courage in the face of extreme adversity. Otherwise I could not agree more. But then, Shute had a genius most of us can never grasp. My favourite author ever.

[superquag]

Yep., published 1942. A story of love and loss , and the loneliness of old age. Set at the beginning of WW2. One of his best.


Pied Piper book by Nevil Shute (https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/pied-piper_nevil-shute/523641/'mkwid=heYWuUrg|dc&pcrid=77240706869719&pkw=thriftbooks&pmt=bb&slid=&product=&plc=&pgrid=1235851098199146&ptaid=dat-77240712317549:loc-9&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20%7C%20Dynamic%20Search%20Ad% 20Test&utm_term=thriftbooks&utm_content=heYWuUrg|dc|pcrid|77240706869719|pkw|t hriftbooks|pmt|bb|product||slid||pgrid|12358510981 99146|ptaid|dat-77240712317549:loc-9|&msclkid=d43c1132528a172f6e2e4f1c8a1e5ead#isbn=0307 474011&idiq=18339546)

and new...
Pied Piper : Nevil Shute Norway : 9780099530220 (https://www.bookdepository.com/Pied-Piper-Nevil-Shute-Norway/9780099530220)

[Homestar]

Not sure if anyone else is following Scrappy’s build - but he’s reached a milestone - He’s Alive!

Wings will be the next thing, then he’s almost ready for a test flight - this thing is going to be awesome.


https://youtu.be/0fUMXe13lfw

[JDNSW]

I suspect that is basically the same engine that was in the Comanche 400. I remember reading a test flight of one when it first came out. Following a normal start from its home base, started three times at landings away using external power, and after the fourth landing they came home by airline.

[ramblingboy42]

Interesting to read about Nevil Shute.

I read many of his books when I was young and have a few on my shelf.

Another author some of you might know , and would appreciate if you like Nevil Shute , is Richard Bach.

Probably start with Jonathon Livingstone Seagull.....do not watch the film....and go in your own direction from there.

[Homestar]

With Scrappy getting closer to completion, Mike has just announced he’s starting on Draco. Whole new build with 10 major improvements so he’s naming it Draco X. Going to be another interesting build. 😊👍


https://youtu.be/jX6ZwDcLACA

[Homestar]

Scrappy is almost finished, the engineering in the wings is incredible. If you’ve not seen the last few episodes on this, go check them out.


https://youtu.be/ks8R4kBmOhI