ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 233146
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| Date: | Monday 26 June 1950 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Saunders Roe W.14 Skeeter Mk 2 |
| Owner/operator: | Cierva Autogyro Company Ltd |
| Registration: | G-ALUF |
| MSN: | W.14/2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Eastleigh, Hampshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Eastleigh, Hampshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
The prototype Skeeter Mk.2, G-ALUF, was registered (C of R 12837/1) on 18 July 1949. Before making its first flight G-ALUF was exhibited statically at the SBAC Air Show at Farnborough in early September 1949.
It was first flown on October 20th, 1949, and incorporated several design changes, most important of which were: the employment of a 145hp Gipsy Major 10 engine, increased rotor diameter and a slightly longer tail boom of circular instead of triangular cross-section. The Mark 2 Skeeter was a noticeably larger aircraft and had a different appearance.
The second flight was on 15 November, 1949, with Alan Marsh at the controls. Early trials were in most ways satisfactory, but a problem emerged in the form of ground resonance at certain rotor and power settings. Though a great deal of time was devoted to finding a cure, none was forthcoming. This was to eventually prove the aircraft's undoing...
On 26 June 1950, whilst undergoing ground running tests at Eastleigh, G-ALUF shook itself to destruction. The vibration caused by ground resonance resulted in the airframe breaking up. The airframe effectively "shook itself to bits". Its registration was cancelled the same day, the given reason, noted by the ARB, being that it had been 'destroyed'
Sources:
1. Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917 Peter London
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ALUF.pdf
3. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=16715.0
4. http://all-aero.com/index.php/35-helicopters/copters/2358-cierva-w-14-saunders-roe-skeeter-aop-12
5. https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/MEV-10842303
6. http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/ah1900/cicuprod.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saunders-Roe_Skeeter#Development
8. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/53286
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Feb-2020 01:26 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 22-Feb-2020 01:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
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