florence butler
master brummie
In Carl's programme last Sunday afternoon, he had a fellow on called Alfred Jenks promoting his book 'Aviation in Warwickshire Between the Wars'. This bought to mind a story told to me by my cousin some time ago.
His father, my uncle, Walter Wright, deceased, (or Samman - stepfathers name), of Small Heath, and his mate (name unknown), built a wooden replica of Frenchman Henri Mignet's Flying Flea airplane in one of their back gardens between 1934 - 1939. They followed instructions from a book Mignet produced for the amateur homebuild enthusiast. A number of fatal accidents occured however, and the Royal Aircraft Establishment in England and the French Air Ministry investigated the problems and made various modifications. Today there is a resurgence of interest with many being built all over the world). It is a super little plane.
Walter and his mate managed to get their Flying Flea airborne at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome where it gained an Airworthy certificate. But when the second world war was threatened, the craft was confiscated by the MOD.
As a child, my cousin remembered seeing a photo and article in the Birmingham Mail of Walter and his mate proudly displaying the finished Flying Flea and holding a bow saw and Stanley drill. Over time though, much to my cousins disappointment, the newspaper article and certificate have been lost.
I'm just wondering if this little story of yesteryear rings a bell with any of the Small Heath crowd. And does anyone have any idea, if at all, where the records are held re the aerodrome event or the certificates. And what happened to all those redundant Flying Fleas?
Any help would be really appreciated, Florence
Oh, by the way, Walter is not a descendent of the Wright brothers!
His father, my uncle, Walter Wright, deceased, (or Samman - stepfathers name), of Small Heath, and his mate (name unknown), built a wooden replica of Frenchman Henri Mignet's Flying Flea airplane in one of their back gardens between 1934 - 1939. They followed instructions from a book Mignet produced for the amateur homebuild enthusiast. A number of fatal accidents occured however, and the Royal Aircraft Establishment in England and the French Air Ministry investigated the problems and made various modifications. Today there is a resurgence of interest with many being built all over the world). It is a super little plane.
Walter and his mate managed to get their Flying Flea airborne at Castle Bromwich Aerodrome where it gained an Airworthy certificate. But when the second world war was threatened, the craft was confiscated by the MOD.
As a child, my cousin remembered seeing a photo and article in the Birmingham Mail of Walter and his mate proudly displaying the finished Flying Flea and holding a bow saw and Stanley drill. Over time though, much to my cousins disappointment, the newspaper article and certificate have been lost.
I'm just wondering if this little story of yesteryear rings a bell with any of the Small Heath crowd. And does anyone have any idea, if at all, where the records are held re the aerodrome event or the certificates. And what happened to all those redundant Flying Fleas?
Any help would be really appreciated, Florence
Oh, by the way, Walter is not a descendent of the Wright brothers!
