Alvis

Afraid not, I asked my other half and he said what it was so I searched for a picture and it was obviously what it was. Can’t find anything about it in the newspapers, though, but Alvis did have a test track at Baginton, so could well be there.

Best guess is that it just happened to be outside the Alvis hangar when photographed. The glider was designed by Fred Slingsby. From Wikipedia… Slingsby designed and built both a tandem and a side-by-side prototype glider to meet this need. This later design became the Slingsby T.21B Sedbergh. Other gliders followed (see Slingsby Aviation) until the company was merged into the Vickers Group during late 1969. Fred Slingsby was awarded the Paul Tissander Diploma by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in 1957.

Coventry Gliding club were advertising the use of a Slingsby 2 seater in the 1950’s. Their first equipment was lent by the Leicester Gliding Club, but the first one they bought was a twin seater, so there is a chance that this was it. They later had to move to Husbands Bosworth when the airport became too busy.

Hi Anne Have you been able to find any association between Coventry Gliding Club and Alvis?

Sorry, Mick, I have searched through the newspapers and have not come across anything. Coventry Gliding Club are still going and they have a Facebook page. Perhaps someone could contact them and send a copy of the picture to see if they recognise anything. They have a few b&w pictures so they may be interested in the history. I will have another look when I get time.

I don't believe there is a connection other than the photo was taken with the Alvis hangar at Coventry Airport in the background. The Coventry Aeroplane Club had the hangar next door at the time and may have shared that with the gliding club.

Very tentative but just come across this from February 1954 CET. Activity at the aerodrome at present includes flying by Dunlop and Alvis who have establishments there. It is used by there Coventry Aeroplane Club and the Coventry Gliding Club and in the summer there will be scheduled air services to the Isle of Man and possibly to the Channel Islands. So they would probably just be as close neighbours in business. I did see a notice of a funeral of someone from the flying club that was attended by a representative of Alvis. Can anyone recognise the car in the picture towing the glider, is it an Alvis?

Hi Anne, I think that is a Morris Oxford or Austin Cambridge

Mick, you are right with the Austin. It’s probably one of the larger engined models, maybe an A55 or A60

So who leased the other half??

Hi Anne, dont forget there is the possibility that no one did. The corporation may have kept it for themselves.

I agree Mick. The Alvis hangar is apparently now the Alvair hangar. There is a picture on an Baginton Airport history page that shows it in 1964 with the Alvis sign on it.

A site about the History of Coventry Airport says the gliding club gliders were stored in the Alvis shed.

You are all extraordinary. That is all.

Some a lot more than others, Ben