Posted by Bob Grimstead on Monday, July 15, 2019 @ 05:37 PM:
This was Mira Slovak's second Fournier, the one he flew across the Atlantic the second time, from west to east.
It was offered for sale by his widow, Ingrid:
http://sbeaver.com/cgi-bin/fournier/cutecast.pl?session=9pZC2HYg7mlN6JB4L1CSbAX7PP&forum=15&thread=1076
Bought a couple of years ago by friend and former Skyhawk member Mike Dentith and restored and re-assembled by Dave Bland, today it eventually flew again for the first time in many years.
As you can see, now appropriately registered as G-RFAD, it would have made more than one flight and there would be photos to prove it but they have had trouble with the radio which has to go back for a firmware update.
Standby for more information.
[Edit by Bob Grimstead on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 @ 05:10 AM]
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by SteveBeaver on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 @ 08:40 AM:
My brief review of Mira's biography can be found here: http://bucker.info/index.php/74-news/latest/1332-a-race-to-freedom-the-mira-slovak-story
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Saturday, July 20, 2019 @ 03:48 AM:
As a matter of interest there is some controversy as to the official identity of this RF4D. The British CAA list it as 4064, but that was the identity of Mira's first Fournier, the original N1700, which in May 1968 he flew across the Atlantic from east to west in the daily Mail transatlantic air race. He thus won a Daily Mail prize of £1,000 for being the smallest aeroplane to have done so. Flying on to his home base at Santa Paula, California, he unfortunately crashed that Fournier on the final turn when in formation with a couple of other aeroplanes. The Fournier was a complete write-off and Mira was very badly injured, being in a coma for several days.
While recovering in hospital Mira ordered a replacement and that was construction number 4115, N1700D. The following year, 1969, he flew that back from west to east across the Atlantic, after which it hung for nearly fifty years in the Seattle Museum of Flight.
However, some documentation recounts that the original 4064 was rebuilt, so that is the official identity of this aeroplane, although it's actually the second one.
For those of you who don't know the story, this is Mira's account of his first transatlantic crossing:
http://www.cfiamerica.com/Mira_Slovak-RF-4D-1700.html
And here is a newspaper cutting of Mira's second Atlantic crossing, which he made in this aeroplane:
http://www.cfiamerica.com/Atlantic-1700.html
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Friday, August 9, 2019 @ 01:21 PM:
I am very pleased to report that G-RFAD has now flown… about a fortnight ago I think. Yesterday I was honoured to be allowed to undertake the spinning and aerobatic trials for the issue of its Permit to Fly.
Of course it passed with flying colours.
The interesting thing is that we don't actually know whether this aeroplane has ever been spun or had flown aerobatics before, despite having been owned by Mira Slovak because of course it has a big modification at the wing root leading edge where additional fuel tanks were inserted.
I can report that it spins and recovers immaculately and flies the most delightful, classic Fournier aerobatics.
Dave Bland should rightly be proud of the work he has done on restoring this aeroplane, and Mike Dentith must be delighted to own it.
Here it is back on the ground with Dave's syndicate Lima Zulu for comparison.
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Saturday, August 10, 2019 @ 07:23 PM:
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Monday, August 12, 2019 @ 09:08 AM:
For any of you who might be interested, here are the G-RFAD YouTube clips:
Spinning — https://youtu.be/p8hcHHsG7Cs
Aerobatics — https://youtu.be/kSYHqdabLHc
Max G — https://youtu.be/_1kZ3JLIbKE
The aerobatics are (two of each): loops, quarter-clovers right, quarter-clovers left, barrel rolls right & left, aileron rollsright & left, stall turns (hammerheads) right & left.
There is of course a gradual height loss because the engine only produces 75% power up at 6,000 feet.
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Collin on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 @ 03:25 PM:
Hi,
I remember the first time I saw Mira's RF4 hanging in Museum of Flight thinking how great it would be to see it fly again and own one myself.
Collin
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Collin Gyenes
Posted by Collin on Thursday, August 29, 2019 @ 10:55 AM:
To see more Sportavia historical pictures from Peter Kuppers
http://cfiamerica.com/kuppers.html
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Collin Gyenes
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Sunday, September 1, 2019 @ 04:09 AM:
Thank you very much Collin for making available all that fascinating information.
I read as much of it as I could.
Imagine the frustration at crashing just eighteen feet short of his destination.
Happy flying, Bob
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by SteveBeaver on Sunday, September 1, 2019 @ 06:49 AM:
The accident report makes interesting (surprising?) reading:
https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=12801&key=0
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Sunday, September 1, 2019 @ 07:32 AM:
That is very interesting Steve.
At the Gap-Tallard get together Mira admitted that he hadn't been brought down by wind shear effects, as he had claimed at the time, but that he had been on the inside of a left turn formating on two other airplanes, one of which was photographing him, and simply flicked and spun into the ground.
I am not surprised that he was over the 390 kg nominal maximum weight for a Fournier RF4D, but presumably he had some kind of approval or waiver to operate at a higher weight because of his additional fuel tanks, HF set up etc. Given the fact that he probably had a fortnight's clothes, life jacket etc in the locker behind him, he may well have been out of the center of gravity envelope too. But that is the first time I have ever seen or heard mention of a fuel transfer issue.
Of course, after a long flight like that, you would not expect there to be much fuel left in his main tank. If the NTSB investigators saw only a gallon or so spilled on the ground they might have assumed he had run out of fuel, but of course even one gallon will take a Fournier a very long way.
That is all conjecture of course, but I guess it goes to show the old adage that an accident is rarely caused by one single factor, rather usually a whole bunch of issues combines together to cause it.
Take care out there guys, Bob
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by SteveBeaver on Sunday, September 1, 2019 @ 08:07 AM:
And the first link in that chain was most likely "Pilot exhaustion".
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Monday, September 2, 2019 @ 05:49 AM:
Yes indeed Steve, I hadn't thought of that. Also probably dehydration because it was a long, hot day.
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
Posted by Bob Grimstead on Monday, September 2, 2019 @ 05:52 AM:
Great news, just received...
This Fournier was justly awarded 'Best Classic Aircraft' at this weekend's (2019) LAA Rally, Sywell.
Well done Dave and Mike.
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Flying and displaying Fournier RF4Ds VH-HDO and G-AWGN, building replica RF6B G-RFGB and custodian of RF6B prototype F-BPXV
