Canadian Beaufighter finally under cover

Hi Cees,

I thought it was, but I will ask Dave Ablett who was in charge of the engines, what the problem was if it was not used.
Deryck

We searched the World for Hercules Mk XVI engines for the Halifax in case we needed to replace one, fortunately we were able to ‘sort’ the ones that were from the aircraft. We did discover one Mk XVI at the Smithsonian Museum with whom we started half-hearted negotiations. But they came to nothing, although they admitted that the engine did not mean too much to the Americans. The other potential source was SkySport Engineering, near Bedford, in England where they are building a Beau to fly. They seem to have collected all the correct parts but are not releasing any until they have proved they do not need them. Tim Moore asked us to stop our ‘shopping around’ activity as we were driving up the cost of authentic engines! Deryck

Deryck,

What happend to the Halifax gearbox and propeller I collected from the farm in southern Holland and delivered it to 57Rescue for later transportation to Trenton? At first I was told that Trenton had received the parts and were used on NA337 but later I found out that they weren’t. Any idea?

Cheers

Cees

We searched the World for Hercules Mk XVI engines for the Halifax in case we needed to replace one, fortunately we were able to ‘sort’ the ones that were from the aircraft. We did discover one Mk XVI at the Smithsonian Museum with whom we started half-hearted negotiations. But they came to nothing, although they admitted that the engine did not mean too much to the Americans. The other potential source was SkySport Engineering, near Bedford, in England where they are building a Beau to fly. They seem to have collected all the correct parts but are not releasing any until they have proved they do not need them. Tim Moore asked us to stop our ‘shopping around’ activity as we were driving up the cost of authentic engines! Deryck

Thanks Peter!

pics here…..

RD867

Any chance of a pic or 2 on here?

Cheers
FF

Hi Steve T. Sorry to hear it won’t fly but glad it will be preserved. A far better future than the scrapmans torch.

Hi Camlobe–

Not to pop your bubble…but CAvM does not fly its aircraft; RD867 will not fly again (unless CAvM decides to part with it, which is very unlikely indeed).

I had another idea for making an interim display of that Beau while Hercules of the correct variant were sought: quite a few times I floated the admittedly offbeat notion of molding two mockup Merlin cowls from CAvM’s Lancaster and making RD867 a “temporary Mk.II”. Those cowlings were very similar if not nearly identical. But of course CAvM has much else awaiting attention (and scarce enough funding), so that the Beau has yet to make the top of the list…though she’d be top of many FP forumites’ list, I don’t doubt.

None of which takes away from my absolute delight that RD867 is at long last out of the weather! Splendid news.

Cheers

S.

In the utopian world, correct era engines would certainly be desireable. And with the timescale required to restore the aircraft to airworthy status – please tell me the intention is to make her airworthy – it would be feasable to obtain a couple. But, of course, if the original mark of engines are not forthcomeing, then later, further developed marks would be hard to spot under the cowling rings. And it would sound right. And it would be flying. Ah, yes, it would be flying….

I can remember looking at TFC’s Beau a number of years back, cockpit almost done and two postwar engines earmarked and thought ‘who cares, at least it will be flying’.

Still waiting patiently to see and hear one flying.

bang goes that idea….

Peter – when the price was enquired they said it was 15K plus a late Hercules engine in exchange. I have a feeling it might still be there.

really…? where david we would love one for our engine collection

Ho ho Peter, 😮

Only for use on multi-engined aircraft (such as LW170) not to be collecting dust in the corner of a museum.

Cheers

Cees

really…? where david we would love one for our engine collection

There are wartime Hercules engines about and I am sure if the Canadian’s put their minds to it them could get a couple of nice examples quite readily.

They haven’t got any engines so it might take a while ! To their credit they want the correct marks of Hercules for her and not some postwar units.

That will be a big problem then, the early Hercs are very scarce, even the static examples. Some are on display at the IWM or RAFM but they will never let them go (or you should make them an offer they can’t refuse).

Mmm Pete Vacher got a Merlin III on a seven year loan from the RAFM museum, must be his charme.

Cees

I can’t express what I’m feeling right now.

The Beau is the one main aircraft from WWII that I want to see, but haven’t. (There are a few others, but that’s the top of my list)

It is good to see her inside, at last

Not the only ones wanting those i guess David 😀

They haven’t got any engines so it might take a while ! To their credit they want the correct marks of Hercules for her and not some postwar units.

It will be nicer to see her complete with props and engines once more…