Specialists In Contemporary Photographs and Moving Images of Historical Aircraft
Home News Current Projects Online Store Stories Photo & Video Downloads Subscribe Links About Us	20 October 2009 This weeks HAFU news is: EVENT: World War One Aircraft Display Day - 14 ANovemberpril 2009 Lochead Quasar - New Video HAFU Quick Links ---------------------------------------------------------- Just a short update this time around to let you know that we're still alive and kicking and producing some good material. The really good news is that starting in the first quarter of 2010 we should be starting to release the first of our new major DVD projects, and we expect to release upwards of four new disks in the coming 12 months. 95% of the footage on these disks has not been seen before, so watch this space, we've got lots of goodies coming your way soon. Regards, Allan Udy & Alex Mitchell   ------------------------------------------------------------------ Remembrance Day World War 1 Air Show - 14th November 2009 One of the first airshow displays of the new season will be the Remembrance Day show being run at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton (New Zealand) on Saturday 14th November. This will be the third display day held at Hood by The Vintage Aviator and it is expected that this will be the best one yet. The show will feature mock dogfights and handling displays with original WW1 aircraft, along with free vintage vehicle rides, food and beverage stalls and a full running commentary during the displays. Adults: $20 Youth/Child: $10 Under 5 yrs: FREE Family pass: $50 Gates Open: 12:00 pm Vehicle Rides: 1:00pm - 2:30pm Airshow 2:30pm - 5:00pm Back To Top ------------------------------------------------------------------ Lochead Quasar - High Definition video Click here to see the video on YouTube. We've released our first High Definition video on YouTube - an introduction to the Quasar - a radical motorcycle design from the late 1960's! The concept of the Quasar was first mapped out in 1968 by Malcom Newell and Ken Leaman when they met up in Scotland on holiday. The design is unlike any standard motorcycle design in that the rider sits low inside the machine rather than astride it, and this design concept quickly gained the technical term Feet Forward based on the riding position. Prototype work lasted through the early 1970s and it was not until 1976 that the first production Quasar was sold. Production was sporadic at best, with Wilson Brothers producing an initial batch of six bikes, followed by Romarsh. John Malfoy of Romarsh oversaw the production of a further ten vehicles. Meanwhile, Malcolm Newell, arguably the father of the design, struck off on his own and produced a small number of Quasars from his cottage. While production numbers are hazy at best, its probable that the figure did not exceed 30. This Quasar is a replica and was designed and built by Dave Lochead in New Zealand. Dave explains: "As a schoolboy, a few of my friends would buy Superbike magazine and lust after the latest Italian, English, and occasionally Japanese motorcycles featured." "But I was blown away with the articles on Malcolm Newell and his Quasar and Phasar designs and vowed that one day I would own one. Sadly production was so limited, and Quasars changed hands so rarely, I wasn't able to buy an original so I decided I'd build one." "I didnt have acess to any factory drawings until late in the construction, so I designed the frame myself based on the few photographs I could find on the internet and in books. Naturally this ended up being a little hit and miss as I made several modifications to the frame and forks to improve strength, decrease frame flex and improve handling" "I designed the bodywork directy onto plywood sheet using photographs as a reference, and glued it all toghether, and gave the bodywork two layers of fibreglass and resin. The more complex shapes were carved from foam and glassed." "The end result is a very distinctive and effective motorcycle, and one that I am very pleased with. The riding technique takes a lot of getting used to as the Quasar doesn't take rider lean and steering inputs like a normal motorcycle, and effectively the rider has to learn a whole new set of techniques to ride it. That being said, once it is mastered, the Quasars speed and handling comes as a large shock to standard motorcycle riders when they encounter it." While the Quasar represents a motorcycle evolutionary dead end, it remains the most widely recognised feet forward design 30 years after the last example was built. Since Dave is the latest person to construct and ride a Quasar, we leave the final comment to him: "It is a shame the Quasar never took off as many motorcycle riders, if they ignore their prejudices, would find a Quasar a very effective, fun way of experiencing two wheels -- distinctive, very comfortable, fast and practical -- and I love it....." Back To Top     ------------------------------------------------------------------ EVENT: Other Events On the AeroHub Calendar For other smaller events around the country in the comming months, also check out the Coming Events page at the AeroHub site: http://www.aerohub.co.nz/?page_id=13 Back To Top ------------------------------------------------------------------- Quick HAFU Links YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/HAFUVideo Movie Downloads: http://www.aviationfilm.com/shop/dlmovies/index.shtml Collectors Cards: http://www.aviationfilm.com/shop/cards/index.shtml Board & Miniatures Games: http://www.aviationfilm.com/shop/games/index.shtml Back To Top ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you no longer wish to receive these periodic newsletters, follow the link below to go to our website, and click the Unsubscribe link to send us a message. 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