Recollections of the Silk Scott by Colin Heath

I was intrigued that former Scott racer, Colin Heath’s name had come up as a subsequent owner for both the ‘prototype’ racing Silk Scott

Silk Scott prototype
Silk Scott prototype
and ‘FNT’, the Silk Scott racer owned by John Farrar and co-developed with Alan Noakes and Barry Tin(g)ley. See Alan’s memories here.
I wondered whether this could be true.. did he really own both of these machines and what was the story?
Alan Noakes with FNT Silk Scott (1971/2)
Alan Noakes with FNT Silk Scott (1971/2)

Colin came to visit me a few months ago, as his daughter lives in the same town as I do, and upon seeing the picture of the white Silk Scott prototype on my wall noted that he’d owned it, having bought it from George Silk himself.
Only this week, Dave Whiteside contacted me to say that he’d bought it from Colin and that it was now in Sweden.

I thought I’d email Colin to ask about FNT, and he sent me a piece that he’d written for ‘Yowl’, the journal of the Scott Owners Club in 2005 but never sent to be published.

See the PDF 18. The Missing Silk Copy.

A wonderful insight into the work that people were putting into Scott engines at the time and the results!

Colin also sent me a couple of photos too, one of FNT’s engine and one of Alan Noakes taking off.

FNT engine
FNT engine
Alan Noakes opening FNT up!
Alan Noakes opening FNT up!

many thanks Colin.

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