Newsletter dated October 2008

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To freshen up your memories, here is the entry of Jay Hogg again of last month: Here are some suggestions for contributions from our readers:

• Which book got you "hooked" on Shute and why did it have that affect?
• Which book did you like the best and why ?
• When you give Shute books to non-Shute readers, which one do you like to start them with ? (I never start them with On the Beach)
• Who are some of your favorite Shute characters ?
• What do you do to promote Shute in this day and age ?

Gadepalli Subrahmanyam (email: subrahmanyamg1@rediffmail.com) is the first to respond

I remember, I started my interest with a Readers' Digest condensed version of On the Beach. My real love for his books starte with A Town Like Alice, and it was a non-return jpurney of abiding interest. Even now, I prefer introducing new readers, with that book.

For me every book of Nevil Shute, is a masterpiece and the interesting fact is that each time you read his book, you will find it more refreshing.

Who follows ?

John Bond, (who looking at his email address is from South Africa) has been browsing our web site and wrote the following:

Nice site

I used to collect books on old aircraft and I had a pile of mimmiographed engineering training manuals (Envoy/Oxford I think) from Air Speed 1934 complete with notes in the margin. They appear to have dated from the war (after Neville Shute left Airspeed) but the author was one Mr N S Norway. Pity I didn't know who he was. I exchanged them for some more interesting but probably less valuable service literature on the Wright Whirlwind 250 engine.

In his novels, Mr Norway/Shute always seems so approachable yet in his aircraft and commercial dealings, the reverse seems apparent. It was always Mr Norway by his equal and Sir from his subordinates (or silence if they were junior). He also seemed to be VERY class conscious. It's fascinating to see a man from two totally different perspectives and see such a divergence in character. What is also interesting is that in both aviation and in literature, he's regarded as an intellectual giant yet he is most humble when discussing his intellect.

In Aeronautics, he wasn't a de Haveland, Camm, Tank or Willie Messerschmitt but h e had a vastly wider range of skills.

Kind Regards from Kwa Dukuza

John Bond

Hello!

I'm writing from Vienna/Austria.

Having come into contact with NSN's books through the British Council Library in Vienna back in 1962 I can say, I still love to take one or the other from my shelve (I have all there is, including an american release, and Vinland as well as Julian Smith's biography) to sit down and read it over again.

The reason I'm writing is, I recently found two pictures of the same Bellanca CH300 ON FLOATS - taken at the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa/Rockcliffe (caption: CF-ATN, built 1929, re-engined 1945, retired 1964).They can be found at www.airliners.net/photo/Bellanca-CH-300-Pacemaker/0107249/L/" and
www.airliners.net/photo/Bellanca-CH-300-Pacemaker/0559365/L/" so, although here the engine cowling is missing and a "new" engine is rigged, at least the float plane character is shown.

Further surfing the net I found this
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac3/Airline/Star%20Airlines%20Bellanca%20CH-300.html - four pictures, two of them on floats , one even with the cowling and orange paint.

I hope, readers will be satisfied with the information.

Best regards

Peter Bernfeld

In 1943 and 1944 Nevil Shute was in charge of a DMWD project to develop and test a pilotless rocket-propelled aircraft which was designed to be launched from a landing craft and lay a smoke screen over invasion beaches. The aircraft were called Swallows and some 24 of them were made and tested in trials both on land and from landing craft on the Beaulieu River in Hampshire.

I have ordered a package for making a 1/10th scale model of the Swallow. The package comprises plans and some other items such as a moulded nose cone and aluminium struts. The model is made from balsa which is not included.

The finished model will have a wingspan of about 22 inches (558 mm). with a similar length. My idea is that the finished model would make a suitable exhibit to go into the Nevil Shute Exhibition at the Yorkshire Air Museum in the UK.

I'm not a model maker myself hence this request for any volunteers who would like to make take this on.

I would provide the items and photographs of the real Swallow, with a colour scheme etc. So if you would like to take on this project do get in touch with me.

Many thanks

John.