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| The British Aircraft Co was founded in 1928 to build
a series of gliders, but in 1932 its designer and
managing director, C. H. Lowe Wylde, fitted a 600cc
Douglas motorcycle engine to the BAC VII tandem
two-seater to produce the Planette. Two more were
built, but during demonstration flights on 13 May
1933, Lowe Wylde was killed. After BAC was
acquired by Austrian sailplane pilot Robert Kronfeld,
he renamed it Kronfeld Ltd in 1936. Moving into
larger premises at Hanworth, Kronfeld then produced
33 modified Planette aircraft with a 23hp Douglas
Sprite engine, known as the Drone, before closing
down in 1937.
| Lionel Drew, e-mail, 10.09.2022 16:53 I was in the ATC at Banbury for five years 1948-1953 and we were given a BAC Drone which we took the wings off and pushed down the main road from Bloxham to Banbury. Our CO, Sqd Ldr Pat Cairns DFC, who served as a Pathfinder during WWII was going to fly it at RAF Upper Heyford but decided against it and just gave it a fast run along the runway. It was donated to the USAF and l remember seeing it being flown on TV. reply | | William Heber Percy, e-mail, 05.01.2022 09:18 My grandfather, John Heber Percy's Flying log records the following:
April 12, 1933 10.15~10.30AM Solo from Hanworth. BAC Drone (6 h.p. dongles) First fight in 'Planette.' reply |
| Dianne Wylde, e-mail, 18.10.2013 22:24 Nice to see my grandfather, C H Lowe-Wylde and to find more about him. reply | | peter, 02.03.2012 13:56 Apparently "Drone" was a misnomer. The noise from this little aircraft was very loud due to the proximity of the prop to the rear fuselage.
At one time one of these resided at Walsall ( Aldridge ) aerodrome (UK) now sadly long defunct. reply | |
| | laramie, 16.07.2007 21:22 It mite not fly fast reply |
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Do you have any comments?
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All the World's Rotorcraft |
Hello, I saw your comment about your grandfather's logbooks- I've just (again) seen his name as a Wing Commander (Flying, presumably) in 1941.
I'd be interested in communicating with you about his service- unlike some, a bit of Googling didn't turn up a potted summary, unless I've missed it.
(He has caught my eye in connection with Spitfire Mk.II "long range" operations- the one with the big tank bolted only to the port wing.)
Thank you,
bob
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