Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

High-wing light touring monoplane

Power Plant:

One 108 kw (145 hp) Blackburn Cirrus Major 3 four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine

Specifications:

History:

Designed by R C Christophorides, the CH-3 and CH-4 series of light sport aircraft was initially developed at Heston in Greater London, UK, by the Chrislea Aircraft Company Ltd. The series was a development of the Chrislea LC-1 Airguard G-AFIN (c/n LC.1) produced prior to World War II.

The prototype Ace G-AHLG (c/n 100) made its first flight at Heston airport in September 1946. An attractive high-wing cabin monoplane, it was fabric covered over a welded steel tube fuselage, fitted with a tricycle undercarriage, and powered by a Lycoming engine. A unique feature of the design was control effected by way of a wheel mounted on a column protruding from the dashboard on a universal joint. Lateral movement of the wheel operated the ailerons in the normal way, but climbing and diving were achieved by moving the wheel and column up and down. Originally the prototype was fitted with a single tail, but this was soon altered to twin tails.

In 1947 the Company moved to Exeter in Devon where the first Series 2 Super Ace was built. It was flown in February 1948 with a Gipsy Major 10 engine. However, the method of control received some adverse criticism and production aircraft were fitted with conventional controls.

In August 1949 a new model appeared. The Skyjeep had a joystick and rudder bar control, a tailwheel undercarriage, and a Cirrus Major engine. Normally a four-seater, it had a removable top decking to the rear fuselage enabling it to be used as a light freighter, or it could carry a stretcher and an attendant. Three Skyjeeps and 28 Super Aces were built.

Four Super Aces were shipped to Australia for the Australian agent, Brown & Dureau Ltd of Melbourne, VIC but only three arrived. VH-BRP (c/n 101 – ex G-AKFD) was reported to be destroyed in a fire on the deck of the ship on which it was cargo at Port Said in Egypt on its way to Australia in May 1949.

VH-RBI (c/n 111 – ex VR-RBI, G-AKVC) was imported to Kuala Lumpur where it was registered VR-RBI. It was later shipped to Australia where it was rebuilt in Sydney in 1958 as VH-RBI to J K Callinan of Sydney, NSW. It was registered in December 1959 to M Leys of Gunnedah, NSW ownership being transferred to J R Robinson of Quilpie, QLD in 1961. It was blown over, badly damaged by a storm at Archerfield, QLD on 4 January 1967 and withdrawn from service.

VH-BRO (c/n 132) was test flown on 19 March 1949 and registered four days later. It then went to Minamere Station in QLD. On 20 July 1950 it was damaged in a forced landing on Bora Station. It eventually ended up at the Chewing Gum Air Field Museum at Tallabudgera on the Queensland Gold Coast but after the closure of that museum its eventual fate is not known.

VH-BAE (c/n 129) was originally shipped to New Zealand and was allotted registration ZK-ASJ, owned initially by the Southland Aero Club, then A M Fergusson, and later operated with Southern Scenic Air Services Ltd which used it for tourist flights from Queenstown over the New Zealand Alps. It was shipped to Australia where it was registered in December 1959 as VH-BAE to M Leys of Gunnedah. It ended up on display at Airworld Museum at Wangaratta, VIC and after the closure of the museum it was sold.

It is interesting to note the rear fuselage and tail of an unknown Chrislea were held for some years by Austerserve at Bankstown, NSW. It has been assumed this was the remains of the Super Ace VH-BRP salvaged after it was badly damaged by fire in Egypt.

Four examples of the Super Ace Series 2 were ordered for the New Zealand agents, Engineering Alliance Ltd, but the last two, c/ns 130 and 131, for which registrations ZK-ASK and ZK-ASL were reserved, were cancelled before construction of the airframes were completed in the United Kingdom. ZK-ASJ (c/n 129) is noted above. ZK-ASI (c/n 128) at one stage had the registration ZK-ASI painted on both the fuselage and on the tail. This machine was operated on non-scheduled services from Waipukurau from about December 1952, being used with Terry’s Radio Service. It was used extensively for aerial photographic work and aerial surveying and was also used to photograph Mount Ruapehu when it erupted. It has survived dismantled at Hood Aerodrome at Masterton and has been the subject of a long-term restoration by the Sport and Vintage Aviation Society.