11 May 2011
A replica of a 1914 BE2c, known as the Biggles Biplane, flew again yesterday following six years of restoration.
The flight took place at Sywell Aerodrome and lasted just under 20 minutes, with the pilot, Matthew Boddington, reporting excellent handling characteristics and stability. A couple of minor snags such as an oil leak and a slightly over-rich mixture setting were noted, but as Matthew explained, the first flight is only the start of the flight test programme during which these issues should be fixed.
For Matthew, it was a particularly special moment. His late father Charles Boddington flew the aircraft on its maiden flight in March 1969 from the same airfield.
The Biggles Biplane was built at Sywell in 1969 for a film featuring Capt W E John’ fictional hero Biggles. The aircraft was also used in TV series such as BBC TV’s Wings, but crashed in the USA in 1977. The remains were ‘lost’ until discovered in 2005, in a barn in upstate New York. Owners Stephen Slater and Matthew Boddington acquired the remains and returned them to the Northamptonshire airfield which was its birthplace.
Once flight testing is completed, the aeroplane will appear at air shows across the UK.
<a href=”http://www.biggles-biplane.co.uk”>Click here for more</a>
