Some thing you don't see very often

….. and some people complain that they haven’t enough to do!

I hope to restore it in the future. But first I must finish of my 1937 Slingsby Kirby Kite 1, Then Hawkridge Dagling glider and two classic motor bikes !

Dave

Thank you, Dave. And what is the future for the fuselage in your photo?

The Martin Monoplane got its flying surfaces from the Clarke Cheetah. Which had DH53 Hummingbird flying surfaces, but which one I do not know. The Cheetah got damaged so a new fuselage was built in 1937. This is the fuselage seen in the photo. Mike Russell had the Martin Monoplane and removed the flying surfaces and a Hummingbird fuselage was built. This Hummingbird is now at the De Havilland museumat London Colney.

Dave

So which fuselage is it? And is it going to stay a Martin Monoplane or reverse itself into back into being a Humming Bird? And are the flying surfaces, rudder and its Cherub engine extant – or is the fuselage, fin and undercarriage all that now remains?

I understand the original DH.53 provenance fuselage suffered a broken back in consequence of a forced landing near Rickmansworth in 1937. I don’t know what happened to that fuselage but a new fuselage was built by Airwork at Heston that year before yet another forced landing, at Meir in 1938, put an end to its career. It is recorded that the remains went into store in the Stoke area, where they stayed for decades. I last heard of those in the Rickmansworth area in the late seventies. Can you continue the story, Dave – and do you intend to give it a happy ending?

Yes the ply fell off after about a mile from where I picked the Martin up. I went back twice to look for it but couldn’t find it. Not knowing where it had come off. It came off near the Henlow approach. Lucky Colin found and it was Mark Miller who identified it. So thanks every one who got the emails to me.

Dave

Yes the ply is back with the fuselage now.

Dave

Come on Dave, come clean! 😉

FB

It caused a bit of a panic, too. A panel from the fuselage must have come off the trailer when it was being moved, causing speculation at Henlow that it had fallen from a flying aircraft since it was found on the road in line with the approach to the runway. See the following e-mail exchange:

From: Colin Church
Sent: 10 January 2018 21:32
To: HLW-Airfield Manager (Nicholson, Gavin Flt Lt)
Subject: Fwd: Debris on road

Subject: Debris on road

Hello,
I found this piece of plywood on the A507 underneath short final 26, I’m pretty shore it belongs to an aircraft arriving or departing Henlow!! It’s a little bit damaged but could be reused or perhaps as a pattern for its replacement. I’m staying at Henlow Lakes until next Wednesday, if you know the owner please pass on my email and if they wish to collect it I’d be happy to arrange collection.
Many thanks,
Colin.

So what does a Luton Martin Monoplane look like then? Interesting find. For restoration?