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I dont remember seeing the Manuel Gnat, I would have been at that VGC rally. There was a photo of it in the VGC news with someone put a propeller near the front of it. I will have to ask around.
I have been getting on with my Minor this weekend.

Dave

Barbara Reed had some tie up with Russavia, before I was involved with Mike Russell / Russavia. My father met her. She was good at doing aircraft and glider fabric work.

Dave

HI - I just joined the forum to let you know I have just acquired several photos of Bill at Brooklands Museum where he worked and erected his restored Crested Wren glider. He also seems to have been involved with the German Rheinland glider.

He rebuilt his Wren in his first floor flat which he had to "launch" out of the building and lower to the ground

Hi Vince and welcome.

Information on Bill is woefully thin, I think its a mix of Bill's dislike of the limelight and his modesty (.. although many people have said he didn't suffer fools gladly too!) but for whatever reason you can't ignore his skill and tenacity.

I'm heading towards compiling a special 'folder' for Bill so I would appreciate any help you can offer in filling some of the many blanks.

Jenna

ps, any comments or suggestions on the glider models would be most welcome.

The Rhienland glider was done up by Mike Beach who then sold it to the Wasserkuppe museum in Germany. Bill Manuel did restore the Willow Wren many years ago before it was with Russavia. It was sold to Mike Beach after Mike Russell (Russavia) could not get backing for a national glider museum in Britain. Mike Beach restored part of the Wiilow Wren, my father was paid the restore the wings of it.

Dave

Jenna - If this thread is still active, see my website

www.scalesoaring.co.uk/VINTAGE/Documentation/Hawk/Hawk.html

I'm happy to leave threads open indefinitely as new researchers, historians and general readers always pop up and add a little more to the story.

Thanks for the link, I have used the website in the past for research but never come across this page, the extract from Aeromodeller is especially interesting.

I will hopefully be updating the aircraft threads soon as there has been a few titbits of information come my over the last year, plus I am keen to move the model plans along as they are no good to anyone sitting on my desk.

I've tried to put together a list of the aircraft built by Bill Manuel, and this is what I have come up with; any additions/corrections welcome:

Chanute-type hang glider, 1928
Biplane glider, 1929
Manuel Primary, May 1930
Manuel VI Primary, Sept 1930
Manuel VII Primary, 1931
Crested Wren (178/243), 1931
Willow Wren (162), 1932
Blue Wren (201), 1934
Kestrel (221), 1935
Gurney Grice Mosquito, c.1937
Skybike, 1962
Hawk (1778), 1972
Condor (2161), 1976
Gnat (2675), 1980
Ladybird (MJPB), 1984
Crested Wren, 1986

Plus several Wrens and Kestrels built by others

Thats a great list, certainly a few I dont have any documents for in there.... thanks.

The entry listed as 'Crested Wren, 1986' is this the rebuild (now at Brooklands) your referring too?

The Crested Wren built by Bill Manuel in 1986 was a non-flying reproduction of the original Wren. Not the same as the Willow Wren (162) now at Brooklands; I think it was last heard of stored in a barn in mid Wales.

I found this description of the "Skybike" in British Civil Aviation News, April 1962:
"Turning from the sublime to Fairoaks, Mr. Peter Campbell reports the emergence there of the "Skybike", designed and constructed by Mr. W. L. Manuel, of Chertsey. This comprises a conventional - if elderly - bicycle fitted with lightweight wheels, 25ft. span wings of sharp dihedral, and a box fuselage supporting an all-flying tail. It has a length of 15ft. and an empty weight of 130lb. with tyres inflated. The Skybike was constructed over a period of seven months, and is manually propelled by Mr. Manuel and a 4ft. propeller. It has not yet flown, but it is hoped that Fairoaks' downhill slope will help to rectify that omission before long."