We are, of course, referring to the Aircraft, all four of which are Stampe-Vertongen SV.4. The pilots, ages classified, are very much of a 'clue is in the title' persuasion - they're the Stampe Formation Display Team.
They're one of the UK's best loved and most experienced display teams, it's just that they've never brought their fleet of ingenious French biplanes here before. Designed in the 1930's as a training aircraft which would also be rather fun to go touring in, the Stampe was also made strong enough to do aerobatics with. Those of a certain age may remember the Rothmans display team in the early 1970's, those were Stampes. This lot, however, aren't in corporate colours, they don't even match, because they're doing it for fun in an aircraft which, like all French things, is a bit clever.
Here's an example. Other biplanes of this era were started by having someone brave go out the front and pull the propeller about to make the engine go. It was decided that this was note really a good use of manpower and so they decided to give the aircraft something we'd know as a starter motor. Because this aircraft is French, fitting some boring electric motor and being done with it is not de rigueur and so it does have a starter, an immensely complicated arrangement which uses compressed air to get things going. Not all of them, however, as some were fitted with the same engine as the Tiger Moth and they were, as a result, just a little bit less French, but no less fun.
So, once again, we have another Old Buckenham first, courtesy of some European nonagenarians. Again, not the pilots.
Comments