Replica racers revealed

A round-up of historic aircraft display and restoration news

- Peter R March and Paul Fiddian

New build Comper Swift G-ECDT assembled outdoors for the first time in February 2020

Steve Jones, a very busy aerobatic and warbird display pilot, hopes to be appearing on the airshow scene in the not-too-distant future flying the ‘between the wars’ vintage DH71 Tiger Moth and Comper Swift replicas he is building at his home-workshop near Lechlade, Gloucestershire. A retired airline pilot, Steve started competitive flying in 1994 and was British Aerobatic Champion two years later. He joined Paul Bonhomme in the Sukhoi Duo (now the Red Bull Matadors) and gives high energy solo aerobatic displays in his Sbach 300. Steve started flying warbirds in 2006 and has gone on to display most of the significant WWII types, including the Spitfire, Thunderbolt, Buchón and Blenheim.

the DH71 replica in Steve’s workshop after it arrived from Durley in 2016

With all this active flying, how has he become so deeply involved in vintage aircraft construction? Steve explains: “In the remarkable period from 1919 until 1939, the UK produced a bewildering collection of new aircraft designs. Many were poor, lots were terrible while some of them were quite good. It is sad that only a tiny part of that amazing knowledge pool survives today. My two aircraft are not originals but maybe I can do a bit to show what things were like back then.”

the DH71’s cowlings – Chris Baglin’s ‘work of art’