Any current Fairey Firefly restorations in the UK?

When the Failsworth yard existed some of the Firefly engines were extracted to aid the restoration of another type ……yes you have guessed it – Spitfire! Had the yard been full of Spitfires then I expect all the airframes would have been recovered for return to flight. Here is an extract from a 2004 thread about that yard in which the engine deal done with the yard owner was mentioned. The removal of the Fireflies’ power plants can’t have helped their attraction as possible projects in their own right.

“I fronted a group purchase of about six Griffon 74’s still attached and cowled to Fireflies. She was just ‘impossible’ to deal with at a business level. She was paranoid that she was being cheated. The going rate for the parts would be agreed then it would double the next day and then it would double again the day after that. She was three times more expensive than Marine Salvage at Portsmouth, noted Griffon and Merlin engine dealers. They wern’t Spitfire engines but they were a source of common parts. There was great risk of internal corrosion.She preferred to see everything go at scrap price than think that she had sold cheaply and others were going to profit by it. A very strange lady or maybe very very astute. The group including, Spencer Flack, bit the bullet, winced and paid. I have got some photographs somewhere taken July 1979
Mark”

There seems to be a fair number out there.

Any reason why the type hasn’t been popular as a flyer with UK owners?
Odd to see a UK type with more flying in the US than UK.

The operating costs can’t be much different than a Spitfire….

Not sexy enough or not as impressive for “bragging rights”?

One of the Ethiopian examples (the trainer) moved on to France where it was photographed stored in dismantled condition in a hangar, unless it has moved on again recently.

There is was appears to be a pretty accurate summary of surviving Fireflies here:
http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=463

Tim

I seem to remember that there were several Fireflies reported as being for sale on the African continent quite a few years ago (Kenya?), though due to fading memory, senility or even both, I cannot remember the details, though I do seem to remember a black & white photograph taken from a low angle!

Ethiopia and Eritrea. Two went to Canada and two seemed to go to South Africa.

I seem to remember that there were several Fireflies reported as being for sale on the African continent quite a few years ago (Kenya?), though due to fading memory, senility or even both, I cannot remember the details, though I do seem to remember a black & white photograph taken from a low angle!

Also, I assume that the Firefly being restored at Duxford, is one of the two yellow examples that came from Scandinavia and wonder what has happened to the second?

The second example is at the Aviodrome in Holland as mentioned in post 7, was swapped for a Spitfire IIRC.

I seem to remember that there were several Fireflies reported as being for sale on the African continent quite a few years ago (Kenya?), though due to fading memory, senility or even both, I cannot remember the details, though I do seem to remember a black & white photograph taken from a low angle!

Also, I assume that the Firefly being restored at Duxford, is one of the two yellow examples that came from Scandinavia and wonder what has happened to the second?

Noticed these wrecksites,

http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/scotland/fairey-firefly-wb336-beinn-uraraidh/

http://www.edwardboyle.com/photos/1755.jpg

Indeed, Ok so not only the UK but worldwide.

The restoration of a former Svensk Flygtjänst Firefly has recently been completed in Denmark without much fanfare:http://www.flymuseum.dk/nyhedsarkiv/431-firefly-629-i-udstillingen

Looks Good 🙂

The restoration of a former Svensk Flygtjänst Firefly has recently been completed in Denmark without much fanfare:http://www.flymuseum.dk/nyhedsarkiv/431-firefly-629-i-udstillingen

Thanks chaps,
Good to see the Duxford Firefly being worked on. The one at the Aviodrome is slowy rotting away in deep storage. Don’t see that one ever getting much needed love and care from either the Aviodrome or the NMM Soesterberg.

Saw a partial fuselage on display at MOSI manchester.

That example which was on loan moved on and deteriorated but is now one of the components at Newton Abbot.

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The wings of the Duxford one being worked on

As the title says.
Any of the former Failsworth scrapyard fuselages being reconstructed?
Cees

I visited the Failsworth yard when a number of FIreflies were still present.

The major components of several Frieflies, including at least two ex Failsworth examples, are reportedly stored at Newton Abbot for incorporation into a composite static restoration.

Old Forum thread is here: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?78715-Firefly-Manchester-Air-amp-Space-Museum

Saw a partial fuselage on display at MOSI manchester.

I thought John Romains one is now on long term rstoration back to flight at Duxford? It has been there as long as I can remember but I am sure I heard work has started