Société Avions Jodel was a French company, started in the immediate post-World War Two period, by Édouard Joly and his son-in-law Jean Délémontez (hence the name 'Jodel'). Their first product, a tiny little single-seater, the Jodel D.9 Bébé, was followed by a spate of two and four seat touring and 'club' aircraft, all built from Sitka Spruce and plywood made from Gaboon (Aucoumea klaineana), a West African hardwood most prized for its lightness and ease of being worked. This has given rise to Jodel aircraft having a significant weight advantage over metal aircraft (and up to a 50% increase in range over comparable alloy aircraft) They were characterized by the outer third of the wings being designed with a noticeable amount of dihedral, which gave the aircraft their 'cranked wing' appearance.
The aircraft you see here is a very colourful example of the Jodel DR. 1050-M1 ‘Sicile Record’, taxying at the Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Cotswold Airport, Kemble. This four-seater is powered by a Continental Motors Corporation O-200A engine of 100 hp driving an EVRA D 11-28 propeller; this type of engine is used in the once-ubiquitous two seat Cessna 150. It is interesting to note that the Cessna 150 is a two-seater and the DR. 1050-M1 seats four - both on the same 100 hp engine! The aircraft was built in 1964, under licence by Centre Est Aéronautique, an aviation company under the direction of Pierre Robin and would likely have been fitted, originally, with a French Potez E420 engine of 105 hp. Despite its better performance, the E420 is a terrible engine as the coil ignition is unreliable and spare parts are almost impossible to find these days.
Jean Delemontez worked closely with Pierre Robin to produce a specific series of Jodel designs; the fuselage is covered with plywood, as are 2/3 of the wings - the outer portions being fabric covered. Interesting design features include the fact that there is a one-piece 'stabilator', rather than fixed tailplanes and elevators, and that access to the 40" wide cabin is gained via half-height 'car' doors. The prototype DR.1050-M1 ‘Sicile Record’ was originally constructed as a DR.100A in 1958, then converted to the later standard in 1962. The aircraft name commemorates the fact that Pierre Robin, flying a Jodel, won the Round Sicily Rally in 1964 at an average speed of 162mph – although the external door handles had been removed, and the door/fuselage gaps sealed with tape to reduce drag!
G-BAEE was once on the French Civil Register as F-BMGN until 1972, when it was taken onto the British Register. This pretty green and purple example is one of no less than 80 DR. 1050/1051 machines active in Britain, and is now owned by Mr Roderick Little of West Sussex. Long may he continue to enjoy flying with that certain Gallic flair!
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