Slingsby Perfect TX.3

I did my first solo at RAF Hawkinge in a T31 back in 1961. The glider in the background is a Prefect it looks like ser no WE982 if that's the case I got my Ccertificate in it in 1962. Believe it or not I still fly from Blackbushe at the age of 72.

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I was a CCF cadet (RAF Section) 1959-1961 and gained my A+B Certs at No 1 Gliding centre Hawkinge. We had a Flt Lt. King and a Sq Ldr Ridgeway as instructors. We had to have a minimum of 25 flights - 3 of which had to be solo - before we could graduate. I only had 23 (incl. solos) so Sq.Ldr Ridgeway took me up for a couple of joyrides. Aerobatics in a glider was quite something for a 15-yr old.---- Yes, I know 16 was the minimum age, but my OC told a little white lie as he altered my d.o.b.!! Fond memories from yesteryear.

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I have fond memories of my initial training on this aircraft back in 1959 at Kirton Linsey when I was with the ATC 195 Squadron based at Grimsby - actually did a couple of stall turns in one.
Now in my dotage retraining on K21's at LGC Dunstable - a world of difference, though they do have a T31 there and a T21 (Sedburg) - I had a ride in the latter a few days ago - it brought back old memories, lovely aircraft, so sedate and gentle.

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I crashed one on my first solo at RAF Sealand. I undershot the field and landed on the part that the week before had been long grass. But now it was full of freshly cut bales of grass. I got the nose between two stacks, and it had the same effect as catching an arrestor hook. The struts were damaged and the glider was taken out of service. But we had three damaged in two weeks because we were new to the field, having done all our flying up to then at what is now BEA Chester.

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Flew the Cadet at RAF Gaydon 1960's for my Gliding wings, winch launched did the whole gamut of ground duties too, Batsman with the hand signal bats wings level, tak up slack, all out lol. Sitting in the winch as cadets dropped the cable late and seeing it drop no wonder they had steel cages. Recovering gliders onto the trailers behind land rovers driven by staff cadets of VGS. Great stuff. Also remember a broken cable dragging my nose down and having to circle to try and coil the cable then land on the grass. One landing hit by a tail wind as I approached, gusted, and shot me forward landing on the cross track between the runway and the perimeter track bounced me back into the air,
and down again for a quick short landing. Instructor was Eddie Yates great ww2 pilot. One landing had to be made on the runway holding it onto the wheel until speed lost and then nose down onto the skid, and slowly as the wings dropped. Happy days.

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I instructed on the Kirby Cadet at Martlesham Heath for 4 years. It was a good trainer but required a really good thermal for soaring. We also had a German Prefect (closed cockpit) and the Sedburg side by side seater. Instructors had to fly a Tutor which had no instruments and took several seconds to respond to the controls. Winch launch.

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I am trying to buid one. Help!

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I built a flying model of this aircraft from a Keil-Kraft kit when I was about ten. I recall it flew quite well.

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Whatever happened to a picture of the T21b, 2 seater side by side trainer which I 1st passed my solo flight on at Nympsfield Gloucester and Bristol Gliding site about 1957. I'm sure that beast of an aircraft was a Slingsby with a "T" prefix.

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I was an apprentice dratsman at Slingsby Sailplanes in the 1950's and flew as front seat "Ballast" in the T-31 on series test flights with Allen Pratt as test pilot. Wonderfull days!
For more details about Slingsby aircraft see Martin Simmonds Book Slingsby Sailblanes

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HI,
I am trying to find pictures of the T31 at St Athan for an old friend that first learned to fly there.
He is trying to write his history and any help would be appreciated

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Aeromodeller of May 1952 has a useful article on RAF Training Gliders including 3-views ofthe Eden T Mk1, the Kirby Cadet Mk 1, 2 & 3, the Prefect Mk 1 and Sedbergh Mk 1. It can be found at 'Solid Model Memories' website.

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This Slingsby Glider is,I believe, a Slingsby Prefect, (not a Perfect which to my knowledge never existed). We had a Prefect in the Gliding Club at the RAF College, Cranwell.

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the photo does not match the Prefect description, though the glider in the back ground is a prefect. The one in the front of the picture is a Kirby Cadet MKIII. I should know I flew both in the air cadets [around 3000 launches on the MKIII] and a few stories to tell.

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As an ATC cadet I had the distinct pleasure of attending glider pilot training at #624 Gliding School at RAF Rufforth, mid /late 1950's. Former member of 59th Huddersfield Sqdn

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I spent many happy times in the T31 Kirby Cadet,A great glider to fly.

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My first flying experience was in a sedbergh at St. Athan.....on my sceond launch that day we did aerobatics. UNBELEIVABLE!!!!

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I confirm Mr Luck's i /d of these two gliders, though I would not have gone so far as to call the Prefect far from perfect - what aeroplane is? I met both of these gliders at 616 Gliding School at RAF Henlow, 918 in 1959 and 982 in 1961. I don't think they were there at the same time, so the photo is unlikely to be at Henlow.

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Actually, the one in the foreground looks an exact match for the Slingsby "Tutor" I flew in. The "Cadet" had a single cockpit as I recall however, memory fades....?

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There are a few errors here. The glider in the forefront is a Slingsby T31 Kirby Cadet Mk 3.

The one in the background is a Slingsby Prefect, not Perfect (far from it!)

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