2018 FAIRTHORPE GATHERING, August 5th, North Weald Aerodrome, Essex.

                                             
                                                 

This years Fairthorpe Gathering will be on Sunday 5th August at North Weald aerodrome in Essex, in the morning we will be on the airfield at the `Squadron` NAAFI` cafe, they are open from 8am, i gather they do a good English breakfast..........

To get to the NAAFI you enter by the main gate of the former Battle of Britain airfield and drive round about 50% of the airfield perimeter track, this is all still in excellent condition with no pot holes. They have kindly offered us the use of one of the wartime aircraft blast pens to park the Fairthorpes in so we should get some good pictures of the cars. Here is an aerial view of the airfield, the NAFFI is in front of the line of aircraft:-

http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/north-weald-north-weald-bassett/

Here is a link to the Squadren NAAFI:-

http://www.thesquadronbar.co.uk/

At 1pm we will convoy the Fairthorpes round the perimeter track to the original airfield entrance where the former Station gate house has been turned into a museum which covers the airfields history. People will have a chance to wander round the museum before we present the usual awards. I intend getting some video footage of the cars driving round the airfield, there are a number of Historic flyable aircraft based at North Weald, hopefully some may be active on the day we are there.

Link to the museum:-

http://www.nwamuseum.co.uk/index.htm

Electron Minor rebuilt engine, the running in continues.

Went out today in my Fairthorpe Electron Minor 789 ERO for the first time in 2018, the roads were finally dry so less road salt being thrown around under the car. I wore one of my Christmas presents, a nice warm beanie hat with the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club logo on it but i left my finger less gloves in the workshop, my fingers had nearly dropped off after the 40 mile run!
 We have finally bitten the bullet after many years of excuses not to get one and bought a Sat Nav, i am taking the Fairthorpe down to Le Mans again this year and trying to find your way round France in the dark whilst reading a map and driving is no longer part of the `adventure`!
So i drilled a hole inside the glovebox and mounted the cigarette lighter, just got to wire it in now.
For anyone interested in the Beanie hats they are available through the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club
www.fairthorpescc.com

Modified Fairthorpe Atom in print 1960

Here is an interesting picture of a modified Fairthorpe Atom, this looks like one of the original Mk1 cars with the `interesting` body styling..................
The car has had a set of cycle type mudguards fitted and the headlamps have been recessed into the bonnet area instead of being bolted on top of it. The car was presumably already off the road at this point as it appears to have no windscreen fitted to it. The picture was superimposed onto the beach scene for the article on beach combing written by Squadren leader A.T Ryland and published in the Summer 1960 edition of the RAF St Athan magazine. The scans were kindly sent to me by John Jarrett, at present none of the original Atom`s are known to exist, is there still one out there tucked away somewhere?

Fairthorpe Atom Major.................Now we`re cooking!

I am sure you cannot fail to be impressed by this natty period modification found on the Major, courtesy of one Mr Sainsbury.

The mechanical fuel pump on the engine had been disconnected and this electric pump installed by cutting a hole in the floor behind the passenger seat and covering it with an old Sainsbury cooking oil can with one side cut out of it. This has allegedly been approved by the FIA despite protests from Tescos.................. 

The large battery behind the drivers seat is also non standard, there is a recessed battery box on the upper level behind where the battery is seen here.