Do you know this very nice old bird from the Belgian Air Force? Only a few pilots are still flying this great aircraft. Skycontrol had the privilege to meet Mr Danny Cabooter, Chairman of the Antwerp Stampe Center, and the pleasure to enjoy a flight onboard a SV.4. We had arranged to meet on Sunday 17 June at the military airfield of Brasschaat. Around 4 pm Danny Cabooter and his colleague Peter arrived onboard two beautiful SV.4s.  After a chat and a short briefing it was time for us to take on board these nice old birds. What an exciting experience and also a unique chance for some air to air photography.

 

A word of history…
The Stampe & Vertongen SV.4 (also known as the Stampe SV.4 or just Stampe) is a Belgian two-seat trainer/tourer biplane designed and built in the early 1930s by Stampe & Vertongen in Antwerp.

The first model was the SV.4A an advanced aerobatic trainer followed by the SV.4B with redesigned wings and the 130 hp/97 kW de Havilland Gipsy Major. Only 35 aircraft were built before the company was closed during the Second World War. The company was briefly revived after the war to build more SV.4. After the war the successor company Stampe & Renard built a further 65. The SV 4 enjoyed such a reputation as trainer and aerobatic aircraft, that a licence-built version the SV.4C was built in France by SNCAN and in Algeria by Atelier Industriel de l’Aéronautique d’Alger building a combined total of 850 aircraft.

The Stampe & Vertongen Museum
Old aircraft can be visited at the Stampe & Vertongen Museum located on the Deurne Airport.

This Museum officially opened its doors in May 2001, as a private initiative, run by people who have a warm hart for aviation and aeroplanes. The museum does not get any subsidies and relies on visitors for its income.

The main objective of the Stampe & Vertongen Museum is to maintain the heritage of the only Belgian airplane that got international fame: the Stampe & Vertongen or simply the SV.1; SV.2; SV.3;SV.4 and SV.5. The SV.4 was renowned  across the borders of our little nation. The SV.4 is still flying in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA and South-Africa.

Besides showing planes and telling their histories, the museum also uses photographic and other didactic material for telling you the history of aviation in Antwerp, its airport and its aircraft factory: Stampe & Vertongen.

Feel like flying in a SV.4?
The Antwerp Stampe Center offers you the opportunity to see the city of Antwerp from the skies, onboard an SV.4. Flights can be organized on simple request to the Antwerp Stampe Center - Tel: +32-3-663.22.42.

The Antwerp Stampe Center is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm.

Source: Skycontrol - Digital Eyecatcher
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