The Air Affair: Jasper's Aircraft

Some aircraft you buy, fly, enjoy, then move on. I bought this 1940 Rearwin Skyranger in 2004 soon after we lost the Tiger, and regard her as 'A Keeper' - one to chug me around the skies as she and me enter our dotage. At sixty-nine years of age, I'm sure she'll last that long, too.

Built in Kansas City Kansas in late 1940, she is the second oldest Rearwin Skyranger in existence, and the oldest flying. Since the US had not at this stage entered the war, she is officially a pre-war aircraft, but is actually very modern, with all sorts of grown-up details like slots to keep the wing from stalling at low speed, and all sorts of ideas that are pretty standard even today. No electrics on this model, so hand start, but I've long ago stopped worrying about hand-swings. Lots of room in the cabin for the gentleman in a hat, and comfy, too. Good range of about 500 miles, but it will take you a while to get there - cruise is about 80 MPH, and climb not terrific on her little 75HP engine, the same one she was fitted with at the factory.

Economic, too, burning 16 litres per hour, and even less when I use her as a motor-glider, something she does very well with her low wing-loading and 28MPH stall. Very stable in flight with stick forces reasonably hard, which should ensure even the most ham-fisted of pilots won't take her somewhere she doesn't want to go. Fuselage is welded steel tube with the wings an intricately-built wooden lattice affair that is a beautiful thing to behold. She has also done only 1200 hrs since she left the factory, mostly in Texas.

Just recently I have taken her out of the air to try and slim here down a bit, as even though extensively rebuilt in 1986, she was covered and trimmed with little regard to weight, and every regard to finish - she won several prizes soon after rebuild. Factory weight was a claimed 760lbs, but 'GI tipped the scale at 915lbs. With the low horsepower on offer, performance didn't sparkle, and I operate out of a short strip. I am currently recovering her, replacing the interior aluminium trim with fabric and am updating the panel. She should be back in the air for her seventieth birthday (we hope).