Tuesday, June 21st, 2022, at Magery Cross Airstrip.
Majery Cross airstrip is a microlight field that is very hard to find. It is little more than a field in someone's back garden. Ideal for the Top Rudder, which is little more than a wing with an engine and a seat slung below it. In this short flight, I point out (nearly demonstrate) some of the hazards of take-off and landing.
See for yourself:
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Majery Cross Airstrip
I can find almost no information about Majery Cross Airstrip. When I first came across the airstrip in Volume 14 of Neil Birch's Farm Strips, I thought it must be an imaginary place. It is only accessible to STOL microlights and even then, only to very good pilots. There is a house at one end, and high-voltage electricity pylons at the other end. Worse, the strips are barely 150M in length. I did find it located on the map at http://www.ukairfields.org.uk/maps.html.
If you enjoy flying microlight aircraft, Majery Cross may be the ultimate landing challenge.
Volume 14 of Neil's Farm Strips is available free here.
Local Landmarks
Immediately to the north is the A38, the main road connection from Plymouth to the M5. Behind it is the town of Ivybridge. And behind Ivybridge, you can see Dartmoor.
The Aircraft
An ultralight like no other, the Top Rudder Solo 103 is the ultimate in recreational aviation — a beautifully balanced aircraft that's sporty and responsive, with exceptional short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) performance and an open-air cockpit that makes free roaming and low-altitude fly-overs a true joy.
Available in kit form and fully built, the Top Ruder can be bought for less than $30,000.
In the sim, it is available in the Market.
Specifications
- Empty Weight - 254 lb.
- Gross Weight - 550 lb.
- Length - 17.5 ft.
- Wing Span - 28.4 ft.
- Wing Area - 122 ft2
- Wing Load Limits @gross weight: 4.0
- Design Load Limits @gross Weight: +4/-2
- Stall Speed - 24 mph
- Cruise Speed - 50 mph
- Take off Distance - 350 ft.
- Landing Distance - 300 ft.
- Fuel Capacity - 5 gal.
- Endurance - 2 hrs.
- Range - 50-100 miles
Do you have narrated YouTube videos of simulator flights from Cornwall airfields? Send me a link or post it in the comments. I'll add those I like to this site.