Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire

sosam117 Sun Feb 18, 2024 7:40 am

Just received an email from my friend in Australia (Allan Lacock) that his hobby shed burnt down.

Here is his email and a reply to what might have started the fire?

From: Allan and Elaine Laycock
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2024 1:15 AM
To: 'Greg Lance'
Cc: 'Frederick Burman' ; 'Glen Newbown' ; 'Dave Bailey' ; 'Grant and Mary' ; 'Joy McInerney' ; 'Maris Dislers' ; 'Jack Hiner #2' ; gjpoolesr487@gmail.com ; 'Mike Myers' ; 'Mike McIntyre'
Subject: RE: News

Hi guys,
We think a rodent and a power lead did it all.

Regards,
Allan
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Greg Lance [mailto:glance0405@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, 18 February 2024 6:06 PM
To: Allan and Elaine Laycock
Cc: Frederick Burman; Glen Newbown; Dave Bailey; Grant and Mary; Joy McInerney; Maris Dislers; Jack Hiner #2; gjpoolesr487@gmail.com; Mike Myers; Mike McIntyre
Subject: Re: News

Bugger. Any idea of the cause.

Greg
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On Sun, Feb 18, 2024, 4:01 PM Allan and Elaine Laycock wrote:

Hi guys,

I have some sad news – my sheds burnt completely down last night around mid- night. Nothing had been able to be saved. This will curtail me somewhat and for some time methinks.

There is nothing to be done in case you were motivated to assist. I will keep you posted about progress etc.

regards,

Allan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is a shame.
Allan had many of Gordon Bufford's engines, Cox engines, some Jaguar and Lynx and Oliver Tiger diesels.
I gave him the 3 Jaguars, Lynx and Tiger diesels to him just this last Christmas because of he liked diesel engines and for me getting diesel fuel was getting harder to find here in the Unites States.

Allan also had some great looking planes to:
Two he just finished in November of last year.

the 1st one is The Super Simplex:
American updated version of the Simplex by Paul Pelican called a Super Simplex. Polyhedral and narrower chord seems to be the main difference to the well- known Simplex. About the same specs but this one has a Gordon Burford Deezil with OS .10 throttle with orange Micafilm.

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire Img_6111

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire Img_6110

The 2nd one is a design from some English company in the late 1940’s called Skyleada and the model is a Bantam:
About 50” and 2 lbs with an MK-17 Russian bb rear intake diesel with an Enya .09 throttle. It is covered in yellow Micafilm.
This was a plane was from a CO2 plan in an 80’s Aeromodeller magazine that Allan enlarged to about the size of the original.

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire Img_6113

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire Img_6112

It's sad to know that all of his engines and gorgeous planes and building was burnt down. (by a rodent?)
I hope he can find and maybe recover something from tis tragedy?

sosam117 Sun Feb 18, 2024 10:03 am

I have photos of one of Allan's planes that has a Cox 049 with throttle control -- which I sent him in 2020 (pandemic)

I'll post it for him for next month's Cox engine of the month as the plane has been destroyed. Sad

It is a 44-inch span of a Vic Smeed's design of the Cardinal with a Cox 049 with throttle control.

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire 021_4410

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire 022_4410

balogh Sun Feb 18, 2024 10:06 am

This is really really heartbreaking..those beautiful planes have all gone up in smoke...my sympathy to your friend!

I also have my man-cave where I store all my COX stuff and planes shared with our condensing gas furnace, and even though that is a completely closed device, I often wonder what would happen with my toys in case the furnace explodes...

rsv1cox Sun Feb 18, 2024 12:26 pm

Living in the middle of a forrest it's fire that worries me the most. But city dwellers are not immune. Just a couple of days ago a house blew up in Sterling Virginia killing a firefighter and injuring several. Underground propane tank leaking so it's just not natural gas.

If it happens to me, I'm well insured. While a lot of my collection is special, especially my home builts I would just dust myself off and start all over again

My house is all electric except for a small propane fed fireplace used only when the power goes out. You smell gas, open every window and door and get the heck out of there.

sosam117 Sun Feb 18, 2024 1:18 pm

Allan did give one reply that the one ornithopter that he cherishes was/is in the house and is ok.

Aussie's (Allan) seems to have a positive attitude.

Good friend lost everything in his shop ----Fire 000a_p10

getback Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:19 am

Oh man that's terrible , at least he has a somewhat good attitude about it even though am sure he is heart broken . Hope fully he can save some of the engine anyway . Beautiful planes too !

rdw777 Mon Feb 19, 2024 7:55 am

Very sorry for your friend’s loss, Many cherished things difficult or impossible to replace…..Glad he and his “ornithopter” are OK and with good attitude Very Happy

….. Hopefully he’ll rebuild and continue the joy of flight…

Robert

Oldenginerod Tue Feb 20, 2024 3:07 am

Man, always sad for a fellow Aussie (who loves Burford engines) to hear about the loss of a bunch of Aussie Taipans etc. These weren't made in anywhere near the quantities of engines from the USA & UK so their loss is far more heavily felt.

sosam117 Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:05 am

Oldenginerod wrote:Man, always sad for a fellow Aussie (who loves Burford engines) to hear about the loss of a bunch of Aussie Taipans etc. These weren't made in anywhere near the quantities of engines from the USA & UK so their loss is far more heavily felt.

Allan lives at MacGregor ACT 2515 Australia

Below is his last model he built just last month --- a GEEF 250
A kit (from BMJR) I sent him, along with the Enya .049-II with throttle and muffler included in the kit box. (for Christmas)
(that was in the shed when it went up).

He was able to fly it about two weeks ago. Smile