G-ALUA

[poswolf]

going through old docs I found a list of "Warbirds UK"led by one that has always intrigued me, Zauenkoenig G-ALUA   Going through abpic and asking google shows an interesting little animal but I can find no  reference to Blackbushe.  Was it one of DA projects ?   Are  there pix at the Bushe ?  Incidentally Peter I am almost sure the list came from Roger

[flyboy]

poswolf,
The Zauenkoenig G-ALUA was based at Fairoaks for many years during the time the airfield was owned by Doug Arnold. I was very used to seeing it as I was the 'A/G controller' there then (pre AFIS!). A high wing and tail-plane single seat wooden aircraft it was of very lightweight but solid construction with a round fuselage and spindly undercarriage - couldn't be confused with any other type.
I believe it was designed and built as a basic trainer for the German Air Force but never went into production with only three or four being built. It was intended, I was told, that a pupil could be placed in it without having previous airborne experience and safely fly it.
I don't know if that was true but it was very slow in flight and caused concern to other pilots (and the A/G operator!) when in the circuit. I recall very large flaps and leading edge slats which were supposed to stop any stall. There was always some incident or other happening with it.
I remember seeing it roll down the apron unattended one day and into the hangar wall. On another occasion
it took off one day and in the tower I noticed it climb as usual very slowly. I looked down to fill in the log book and looking up again couldn't see it. Thinking it must still be below tree level I wasn't too concerned as it took ages to gain height but after a few minutes when it didn't appear I pressed the crash button. The fire crew found it bobbing up and down in the small stream just off the end of the runway to the west of the airport with the pilot sat on the wing top trying to attract their attention. Pilot OK, the wet but little damaged aircraft was hauled back onto dry land to fly another day.
I am almost certain that Doug Arnold never owned the aircraft either at Fairoaks or Blackbushe and I don't recall seeing it at the Bushe - but I may be wrong. I last heard that it was in Ireland but is probably in a museum by now. Stuart.

[BrenMac]

I logged it at Croydon in November 1957 but did not have a camera in those days! G-INFO has interesting details about ownership.

[rj]

I never saw 'LUA, before my time. It is now in the Berlin museum painted in its original wartime scheme. Although it doesn't appear in the logs I would not be suprised if it visited Blackbushe during it's stint at the RAE?

[poswolf]

Thanks gents, nice to know it still exists. I suppose it was as well DA never owned it. It looks so flimsy if he had sat in it let alone tried to fly it the result would have been pretty nasty

[PB]

Evening Poswolf,
Actually escaped from the fold today away from aviation stuff hence delay in replying to you.

Sadly I can offer no more ref G-ALUA, if it ever entered the POTD vaults its flown away again as I have no trace of such an elegant flying machine at Blackbushe.

Sorry I cannot help you further but I guess Stuart has filled in some of the blanks..

Regards
Peter

[captainbob]

'LUA lived at Eastleigh with the Hampshire Aeroplane Club late 50s early 60s. Read all about it in John Isaacs 'The Aeroplane Affair'.

Yes. it is now in Germany but I can't remember the registration just now. Should be easy to find . . .

Bob

[chevvron]

I seem to remember an article about 'UA in 'RAF Flying Review' in the early '60s. I think it was actually being operated by RAE in the late '40s/early '50s as part of the 'Enemy Aircraft' Flight, but as it was so slow, it was based at Fairoaks (still 'owned' by the RAF until'67) rather than Farnborough, presumably staying there after Doug Arnold bought the airfield.
The author of the article, one 'Nobby' Clark, did a series of articles in the magazine about unusual aircraft he had flown and this was one of them.
He said that in testing, they tried to induce a fully developed stall, but could never get both wings to stall together, rather one after the other so it would simply descend slowly rocking from side to side. In a slow flying 'contest' with an autogyro,the Zauenkoenig won!

[rocky14]

Re 'UA follow this link...www.britishpathe.com/video/slowest-aircraft