28 November 2022
A Bristol Scout pedal plane built by Mike Clews of the Joystick Club was handed over as a birthday present to Hector George White, the latest direct descendant of Sir George White, who founded the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (later the Bristol Aeroplane Company) in 1910.
The Joystick Club were at a Shuttleworth Air Display in October this year and met Sir George and Lady White, who were so impressed by the enthusiasm and delight on the children’s faces while pedalling the replica model planes that they immediately commissioned one for their grandson, Hector, son of Philip White.
The pedal plane was based on the superb airworthy Bristol Scout replica built by David Bremner, which is based at Old Warden.
Mike set to work, with his band of helpers, to build the aeroplane which features a detailed replica of the Le Rhone rotary engine created by Terry Kent.
Bristol Scout pedal plane with the full-size replica
The hand-over was held at the Aerospace Bristol museum, by arrangement with CEO Sally Cordwell, and young Hector was resplendent in his own set of flying overalls.
The event was attended by over forty of Mike’s fellow Joystick Club members, who had all travelled down in a former London Transport Red Routemaster bus, driven by owner David Pascal.
Mike Clews and the Joystick Club describe themselves as “a group of aviation nuts, mainly retired, but mostly members of the West London Aero Club at White Waltham Airfield”, started six years ago with the intention of enthusing youngsters about flying and aviation. Since then, they’ve been making pedal planes!
