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Description
One of the highlights of Saturday evening's air display was an aircraft that is actually far from new to the Shuttleworth Collection. In fact, she has been with the collection for something close to forty years. So why was this so special then? Well the answer to this question is answered by the photograph above.

Built for the 1923 Lympne Light Aircraft Trials, which I highly recommend doing some reading into, the English Electric Wren is an extremely under-powered aeroplane. In fact her ABC flat twin motorcycle engine puts out no more than 8hp. Over the years that Shuttleworth have operated her, due to her severe lack of power, and particularly with her being not far off a century old, her engine was just not up to taking her aloft for any more than a hop up the airfield. Shuttleworth would even help propel her into the sky with a bungee rope too. Well over the last couple of seasons, the engineers finally decided to do something about this. She has had a complete overhaul and reskin, and most significantly, her engine has been finally worked on to the point that she can actually handle full circuits of the aerodrome.

It was a pleasure to finally see this wonderful old aeroplane take to the sky in the way she was always designed. Forty years in the making, but worth the wait.

Description
One of the highlights of Saturday evening's air display was an aircraft that is actually far from new to the Shuttleworth Collection. In fact, she has been with the collection for something close to forty years. So why was this so special then? Well the answer to this question is answered by the photograph above.

Built for the 1923 Lympne Light Aircraft Trials, which I highly recommend doing some reading into, the English Electric Wren is an extremely under-powered aeroplane. In fact her ABC flat twin motorcycle engine puts out no more than 8hp. Over the years that Shuttleworth have operated her, due to her severe lack of power, and particularly with her being not far off a century old, her engine was just not up to taking her aloft for any more than a hop up the airfield. Shuttleworth would even help propel her into the sky with a bungee rope too. Well over the last couple of seasons, the engineers finally decided to do something about this. She has had a complete overhaul and reskin, and most significantly, her engine has been finally worked on to the point that she can actually handle full circuits of the aerodrome.

It was a pleasure to finally see this wonderful old aeroplane take to the sky in the way she was always designed. Forty years in the making, but worth the wait.