PILOT / OWNER - IAN REDSHAW,
INFO FROM IAN -
It's a 60% full size English Electric Wren, 20 ft span, 13ft long. Full size flies (just) at Old Warden. Built for a competition at Lympne in the 1920's, it won with a duration record for 1 gallon of fuel.
The model was built by Roy Salter, about 30 years ago, fully traditional structure. It was refurbed a few years ago, with alterations to make it more accurate and detailed. The full size was restricted to straights hops but it has just been recovered with modern fabric and the motor has had a tweak so it let's more of its 4 horses out of the stable ( I think thats the power of the full size)
powered by a DLE 111 twin,
Futaba radio.
38kg weight
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THE REAL WREN INFO -
Powerplant One 3 hp (2.25 kW) 398cc flat twin ABC motor-cycle engine
Wingspan 37 ft 0 in (11.3 m)
Length 24 ft 3 in (7.4 m)
Empty Weight 232 lb (105 kg)
Maximum Weight 420 lb (191 kg)
Maximum Speed 52 mph (83 km/h)
Range 87.5 miles (141 km) on one gallon of fuel
Fuel capacity 1 gallon (4.5 ltr)
Duration 1.5 hours
The real English Electric’s ultralight aircraft flew 87.5 miles on one gallon of fuel.
In 1922, the English Electric Company Chief Aircraft Designer, W. O. Manning, was exploring ways of flying an aircraft on the smallest amount of power.
In October that same year, he began preliminary design work on an 'ultralight aircraft' and on completion of the work, he offered to build the Air Ministry a prototype for just £600. They accepted, issuing an order calling for an training aircraft, capable of a 30-minute flight but of extremely lightweight specification.
Construction of the aircraft started on 5th February 1923, at English Electric’s Dick, Kerr Works in Preston, and was completed exactly two months later. It was designated as the ‘English Electric Wren’ and given the serial J6973. It had a wooden fuselage and wing structure with a traditional fabric covering, powered by a 3 hp 398cc ABC motor-cycle engine adapted for aircraft use.
The English Electric Wren first flew on the 5th April 1923, from Ashton Park in Preston. It was piloted by Sqn Ldr Maurice Wright of the Air Ministry, who made just three short flights. Three days later, he made a longer flight, this time from the sands at Lytham where the prototype 'performed well'.
However, its ailerons were found to be insensitive, due to the lack of torsional rigidity of the wing which was subsequently stiffened. On 14th June 1923, the English Electric Wren made a flight of over one hour duration, climbing to 2,350 ft and attaining a maximum speed of 52 mph. As a result, English Electric decided to put it into production as an 'easy to fly' and an 'economic aircraft', priced at £350.
The prototype appeared at the RAF Pageant at Hendon in June 1923, and again it flew very well, creating a great amount of interest. It was retained at RAF Hendon for a further week, before being handed over for its official handling trials to the Aeroplane Experimental Establishment (AEE) at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk.
Their report, dated 4th September 1923, noted a maximum level speed of 49 mph with a landing speed of approximately 25 mph. this confirmed the manufacturer’s figures, lending credence to the company’s claims.
Two production English Electric Wrens were entered for the competition: One aircraft flown by Sqn Ldr Maurice Wright (Competition No.3), the other being flown by Flt Lt Walter Longton (Competition No.4). The latter shared first place and the £1,500 prize by flying 87.5 miles on one gallon of fuel.
No.3 was placed on the civil register (G-EBNV) in April 1926 although it was withdrawn from service in 1929.
In 1924, Longton’s No.4 Wren was placed in the Science Museum in London where it remained on display for over 22-years, until it was returned to the English Electric Company at Preston for restoration. It remained in storage near its Lancashire birthplace until 1954 when a request was made by the Shuttleworth Trust for the aircraft to be donated, so it could undergo a rebuild to restore it to airworthy condition.
No. 3 had been examined but it was determined that it was beyond repair although some engine parts from were recovered and eventually used in the restoration of No.4. Initial inspection showed No.4’s timber to be in surprisingly good condition but definitely in need of repair. Some metal parts also needed replacing and the best parts from each engine, plus new pistons and new propeller were donated to the restoration.
The first flight of the restored No.4 aircraft was achieved by Peter Hillwood on 25th September 1956, where it reached a maximum altitude of 250 ft, engine power being the only limiting factor. Eventually, the aircraft was to reach an altitude of 1,200 ft in subsequent flights.
15 окт 2024
