At the same Speed Week, so with the bike in pretty much the same tune, Dave Matson averaged 210 MPH with no fairing, and 225 with a fairing, although Dave’s was not a full fairing like B&W.
Grandsden is just down the road from me its a titchy little airfield. I keep meaning to take my Flash down there for a photo shoot I think it was there in the winter of 49 when they were testing the first Flashes. Oil drums blazing for a bit of heat, for sure they would not have done it in 48 that was the worst winter for the UK and made 63 look like picnic weather. Of course nowadays it never snows properly a slight dusting and you would think the worlds ending
Yes, Grandsden is right I believe. For Speed is Expensive we interviewed John Griffiths, one of the last factory hands still with us. He recalled Ted Davis road-testing the engine in slave frame.
David L
Here is the best view of Grandsden airfield taken about 2008 unfortunately although all Bedfordshire bomber airfields were the subject of air photos in 1945 at the end of the war Gransden was just off the photo area I guess it was too small
You can see the original air strip grassed over its just 20 miles from old Stevenage up the A1
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