Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

We touched briefly on the lotus aircraft in another post (which I cant for the life of me find!) So I thought I would show you all this.

Colin Chapman's (spot his name just below the Capt seat window?) Piper Navajo. Piston Twin. Taken during a factory /Club lotus open weekend. Mrs B took the pic of me (late 20's) I was early into my flying career (Ink was still wet on the new PPL) and I was just drooling...

Fantastic weekend. Graham Arnold and others were in the same hotel in Norwich and we had some great chats.. He was a good guy. Memorable weekend..

Hope you enjoy the pic'....... Sorry if its the wrong way up....

Alex B...

I went to the 1978 show, Alex, where Ronnie Petterson was showing off the 79 (or maybe his old 78) around the track....just a couple of weeks before his fatal crash.

I saw the JPS plane coming in, and Graham ushering Colin along lines of Elans, Europas, Elites, Sevens ....and new generation cars. The look on his face said that he really didn't want to be there, and he certainly lived up to his reputation of only looking forwards, never backwards to his old products. A couple of brief chats with owners and he was gone.

But it was a great show, and I think that was the weekend that I discovered Green King ales!!

Mark

First law of wing walking: Never leave hold of what you've got until you've got hold of something else.

Lotus Aircraft:

G-BCOD registration here: http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?c ... gmark=BCOD

1974- 1979 http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-BCOD.pdf

Switch from Piper Navajo Chieftan to a Cessna Chancellor 414 here: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... iness.html

G-PRIX (serial# 414-A 0049) de-registered here: http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?c ... gmark=PRIX

1979- 1983 http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-PRIX.pdf

G-PRIX is now N414BW here: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=414BW

Spanner-Jim

alexblack13 wrote:Hope you enjoy the pic'....... Sorry if its the wrong way up....Alex B...

VTOL?

Cheers - Richard

P.S. Alex, you look the same as in your Avatar!

VTOL I doubt with a Navajo.. Never flew one. Handled the controls on one for a flight but I never claimed to have flown A ? until I had it solo..

Kind of Richard to imply I had aged well.. I wish! You are fibbing my man..But I do thank you anyway...

So no Helicopters showing up under Chapman's rule. The JPS (model) one then just a mock up? Perhaps the tobacco company? or did it not exist?

Interesting..

Alex..

Thanks to Jim also for his research.. But you did not find the Rotory wings...

Dont think they existed? Or did they?

Alex

Lotus also made one or two microlights with wrap around bodywork, in the late 1970s. I've got an article on it somewhere.

I also found this from a 1978 Club Lotus newspaper (they didn't do mags then) selling the Open Day that Mark and Alex refer to above.

Tim

Also from a Club Lotus newspaper...not sure of the date...1979?

Cheers - Richard

Nice aircraft!

Anyone any Idea as to what ratings CC held? You can't go far in the UK for eg without an IR (Instrument rating)

Did he have an ATPL or commercial ticket? Anyone know? Might be some details in one of the books on his life but to be honest I have not read up on him at all.

Those two planes are quite capable although I Can't tell if they are cleared for icing conditions as they are black! & so are deicing boots. Although I think I can just make out boots on the Navajo prop's They will be no doubt. You would also need good ratings to take full advantage of them but he no doubt would have a few Pro' pilots available to fly with him...?

Chapman was not a rule bender at all was he? Easy to break the law (and get yourself killed) in an airplane as one can't get stopped! One very famous driver bit the dust in an air-crash and I am sure it was down to ''pilot error''. So also was the recent helicopter crash with a brilliant rally driver 'in control'. Bend the rules at your peril...

Great pic's guys...

Hi Alex

Chapman got his wings when he did national service in the RAF after the war. He then piloted himself about Europe in the Lotus planes a good deal. Sometimes the flying duties were shared with Jack Brabham who also had his own plane.

One of the attractions of the move to Hethel for Chapman was the airfield next to the factory; alongside the generous grants Norfolk were prepared to offer in the mid sixties!

Tim

Forgot about this...worth another look...

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=46025

Cheers - Richard

ardee_selby wrote:Forgot about this...worth another look...

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=46025

Cheers - Richard

Me too! Thanks for the reminder. Why did they only partially paint the bodies before fitting the interior and engines?

Cheers

Robbie

Piper G- B "COD" (serial # 31-7405488) with new (California-correct, flying refrigerator) paint, sans passenger-windows: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wingsnstuff/5064969587/

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=42079

Spanner-Jim

That filled in a few blanks guys and a great bit of video too! Brilliant.

Also the pics above answered the question about de icing kit.. Note the black strips on the wings and tail fin etc leading edges? = De icing boots.

Happy days...

AB...

Alex,

Oh now I get it, you were referring to those type of boots...... all this time I thought you were talking about old-school De-Icers (Galore): http://www.smilinjackart.com/sales.htm

Spanner-Jim