Unidentified Slingsby T.45 glider at Sutton Bank.

On an unknown date during late-1957 this prototype glider flew into telephone wires near Sutton Bank. The glider suspended itself from the telephone wires and on seeing it perched there Mr Fred Slingsby named the glider the "Swallow". Slingsby's test pilot is believed to have escaped without injury. John Reussner then rebuilt this prototype and it later carried the BGA registration BGA865 from October 1965. It was later modified and re-named the Reussner "Swift". It was later re-modified and in August 1960 it was given a new BGA registration of BGA966. BGA966 later crashed at Netheravon on 24th November 1963 after the then pilot suffered a heart attack in the air and died. The wreckage was again re-built by John Reussner and sold but then written off on 1st April 1978 following another accident.

Test Pilot - Mr John Carne Reussner. Uninjured.

John Reussner was born on 13th August 1923. He worked as a draughtsman and designer but became a director and general manager of Slingsby Sailplanes. He later worked for Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd at Brough and died in the Beverley area in 1974.

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