KiwiBiggles

Great to see another Kiwi here, Welcome!

Hi KiwiBiggles! I just noticed your name pop up as a new user and thought I'd introduce myself and welcome you as there's only a couple of administrators from NZ here. Take a look at the message below, and please message me if I can assist in anyway. Again, welcome! Glen 05:28, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

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EMME 1 project

Hi Bill, I found your article on aircraft designer John Frost today. I was wondering about your sources for the assertion that the Frost-Emmett Human Powered Aircraft flew after his death. As an engineering student at the University of Auckland I 'inherited' this aircraft as a project in 1984. It had been left to the Auckland branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society on Frost's death. According to my research notes from the time, the aircraft did make some inconclusive towed tests behind a car in 1978. And I myself flew it briefly (and terrifyingly) in 1984, again towed behind a car. To the best of my knowledge, it never made a free flight. Nor, unfortunately, was it ever likely to. With an empty weight of 50 kg, quite high drag, and a takeoff speed of 6.9 m/s, the power required for flight was nearly 2 hp. I didn't even try. The stability and control also left a lot to be desired. I am fairly sure that there was no further work done by the University after that. I left Auckland at the end of 1986, and am certain that no work was done in 1985 or 1986, and after that the emphasis of the aerodynamics section switched firmly to yachts. I would be intrigued to know of any other information or sources you may have. KiwiBiggles 10:18, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Hi, KiwiBiggles. Thank you for your note (above). You have clearly filled in the story which I originally uncovered from correspondence with Geoffrey Radcliffe and Tony Frost in 2000. Geoffrey was Jack's "best mate" and had written to me about the project even sending some extant photographs while Tony Frost was Jack's son and had inherited a good deal of the family lore. As you have corrected in the Wikipedia article, the actual testing involved "towed" rather than "free flight" experiments but due to the death of Jack Frost, no further work resulted and the experimental craft was eventually abandoned since the University of Auckland was not interested in pursuing the project. Its remains were sent in a box to the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland where I believe it still resides in storage. Tony who now volunteers at the museum had indicated that efforts to restore and display the EMME 1 have not been followed up although the last information I received was from 2005. Is it being restored as you state? The fact that the EMME 1 actually got into the air as the culmination of a fascinating list of aircraft that Frost had designed was the reason for its inclusion in the article. Thanks again for your letter. Bzuk 12:39 18 March 2007 (UTC).

An exciting opportunity to get involved!

As a member of the Aviation WikiProject or one of its subprojects, you may be interested in testing your skills in the Aviation Contest! I created this contest, not to pit editor against editor, but to promote article improvement and project participation and camraderie. Hopefully you will agree with its usefulness. Sign up here, read up on the rules here, and discuss the contest here. The first round of the contest may not start until September 1st-unless a large number of editors signup and are ready to compete immediately! Since this contest is just beginning, please give feedback here, or let me know what you think on my talkpage. - Trevor MacInnis ^contribs 05:02, 22 August 2009 (UTC)