What aircraft did I see?
Discussion
Last Saturday, just before midday. Heading from East to West over Northamptonshire. Old high wing single-engined monoplane with single tail. Seemed to be in a fairly dark livery and be a fair bit bigger than the usual Cessna size. Old engine note: I would guess WWII vintage. Flying incredibly slowly. Most prominent features were two long front undercarriage legs protuding down from under the nose, rather like a model plane. My first thought was Fieseler Storch: are they bigger than Cessnas? Is there anything else like that?
No Eric, it was much more slender than the tin Lizzy.
It may have been this heading towards Sywell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ulzD6TJlI
It may have been this heading towards Sywell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ulzD6TJlI
Having looked at some images, I'm now certain that it was a Storch. I didn't know there was one about, but it seems that the one on the above video is based at Old Warden which would explain the flight path over our town if he was indeed heading towards Sywell. Being a Storch would also explain why it was so slow.
There are quite a few Storches knocking about. They were built in France after the war, some with radial engines.
The Lysander was the British equivalent although it was a bigger aircraft overall. It could fly almost as slowly as the Storch - which why they were used for spy drops into France.
The Lysander was the British equivalent although it was a bigger aircraft overall. It could fly almost as slowly as the Storch - which why they were used for spy drops into France.
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