Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Classic Aircraft 12/2011

Alex Henshaw Jnr unveiled newly-rebuilt Comper CLA7 Swift G-ACGL, once owned by his late father, at the RAF Museum Cosford on 3 November. The 35th of 41 examples built, the diminutive single-seat racer was the last British-registered Swift produced at Hooton Park, Cheshire and was purchased by Alex Henshaw Snr in June 1933. Flying one of seven Swifts competing at the King's Cup meeting at Hatfield the following month, 19-year-old Henshaw won the Siddeley Challenge Trophy race in 'CGL. After failing to reach Cairo to take part in the Oases Rally in December 1933 he sold the Swift three months later. Unlike most of the type G-ACGL was flown by a succession of owners including Arwork Ltd at Heston and David Lloyd at Castle Bromwich, concluding with Edmund Bradley at Kinver, South Staffordshire in 1939. Its certificate of airworthiness lapsed in March 1940 and it is believed to have been scrapped at Kinver in 1942. During the early 1960s it was reported that some parts survived including G-ACGL's wings and various small components. Ten years later they were acquired by Stan Brennan from Eric Holden, the manager at Castle Bromwich Airfield.

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