Taking thsi one out of the P-40 thread, seems to be a little mystery here. This was supposed to go to the RAF Museum in swap for one or more Spitfires.
Pacific Wrecks notes that Pacific Fighters/Precision Aerospace swapped it with a Spitfire in 2009 (http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/a-20/43-9436.html), however the RAF Acquisitions and Disposals committer rpeort here (http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/freedom_of_information/A_and_D_Meeting_summaries/October_to_December_2012_A_and_D_Committee.pdf) notes that this exchange did not take place.
So presumably 43-9436 is still in Oz and we should stop expecting her to turn up at Hendon?
Note RW393, noted as being one of the airframes for swapping, is now at Hendon as the sit-in Spitfire
By: DaveF68 - 10th January 2016 at 21:21
Wonderful though those Boston shots are, they still light years away from ‘Big Nig’ as seen here at Wangaratta in October 2013.
At that time the project and exchange had stalled, principally due to the Griffiths family tragedies but also the complex exchanges and deliverables that could not be fulfilled to secure vital parts to complete the Havoc/Boston.
The RAF Museum stretched and stretched the time scale to try and facilitate the deal and separately professional project management was also offered from the UK to complete the project…but it was not to be.
Mark
Thanks Mark
By: Arabella-Cox - 10th January 2016 at 10:02
Hi Adrian you would be most welcome, it was intended to be a bit OD sneaky advertising but all for a good cause!
By: adrian_gray - 9th January 2016 at 20:26
We have some remains of Z2186 here at the Wings Museum including a section of lower rear fuselage with remains of the roundles
Interesting (I can see that I really ought to visit your museum!) – judging by the photos from 1981, that must have been recovered quite early. Eddie Doylerush’s book has a picture of the ATC recovering the centre section, wonder where that finished up?
Adrian
By: Arabella-Cox - 9th January 2016 at 14:13
The engine was sold about 7 or 8 years ago (it turned), the undercarriage unit we have at the musem, this has been restored and I believe a previous owner used to have it fully operating on a hand pump in his garage!! We have 80% of a Boston/Havoc which is on diplay in the museum but other sections are in storage due to space limitations (it’s a big aircraft) we were at one point collecting parts to go with our Russian recovered example. The “Wings” Boston is probably at the current time the most complete Boston in the UK but I am not sure what they have in Norfolk though, I know Steve has a complete nose section which he has restored over many years.
By: Rob68 - 9th January 2016 at 13:54
I visited a guy in Hinckley years ago (Flypast organised an air minded weekend or similiar) who major components in his house, engine, wheels etc and huge parts in his back garden all i think from Loughborough, any idea where that all went?
By: Arabella-Cox - 9th January 2016 at 13:49
We have some remains of Z2186 here at the Wings Museum including a section of lower rear fuselage with remains of the roundles, I also think we might have that exhaust and air intake seen in Ian’s post (link above) as it came from the same source in Liecester.
It would be great to see a complete Boston in the UK, I believe Steve sold a lot of his Boston parts so he could concentrate on the cockpit??? which is looking amazing.
By: adrian_gray - 9th January 2016 at 12:46
Ooh, thanks for posting those, Taff! I’ve not seen one of both wings before.
What I should probably have said in the post above is that I’ve seen a photo since of the wing I saw there (1994), the one with the undercarriage attached, being stored in a hangar somewhere. Possibly on an older thread here, but I’ve yet to find it…
Adrian
ETA: On searching the forum I see that I have seen those pics before, so thank you for reminding us of their existence!
And here’s a post from ian with the current location:
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?74925-High-Ground-Wrecks&p=2183004#post2183004
By: Mark12 - 9th January 2016 at 12:44
Wonderful though those Boston shots are, they still light years away from ‘Big Nig’ as seen here at Wangaratta in October 2013.
At that time the project and exchange had stalled, principally due to the Griffiths family tragedies but also the complex exchanges and deliverables that could not be fulfilled to secure vital parts to complete the Havoc/Boston.
The RAF Museum stretched and stretched the time scale to try and facilitate the deal and separately professional project management was also offered from the UK to complete the project…but it was not to be.
Mark
By: TAFFEVANS - 9th January 2016 at 12:04
Here are the wings & engines of Z2186 in situ on Carnedd Dafydd Apr ’81
By: adrian_gray - 9th January 2016 at 00:41
I can’t, but I’m damn sure that I’ve seen a photo of the wing somewhere, that I recognised as the same wing, and can I find it…
Adrian
By: DaveF68 - 9th January 2016 at 00:04
As a side line, I found a comment online that Z2186’s wing, rather than being scrapped, ended up at Norwich. Can anyone confirm that?
By: Bruce - 8th January 2016 at 20:21
Tony, I think you are on the wrong thread!
By: snafu - 8th January 2016 at 19:21
Maybe it is me but isn’t TonyT a little off topic…?
By: TonyT - 8th January 2016 at 19:03
The VC10’s were wrecks, the crew were paid a lot of money to ferry them and they earned every penny of it. The corrosion in them was terrible, they were rotten, the RAF stored them in bags but didn’t put any dehumidifiers in them to save money, even though the engineering officer on the ground pressed for them, when I we went to rob bits off one the cabin had its own Eco system and was like walking into a tropical rainforest, when they pulled up the floors they found about 3 plus foot of water around the spars..
And remember they replaced everything with airworthy items for the ferry flights…
Vulcan ferry…. No chance.
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 8th January 2016 at 18:32
I suppose that RAF report is 2 years old now….
Yup.
Nice to see our swap for the RP is mentioned though 🙂
By: DaveF68 - 8th January 2016 at 17:54
The UK A-20 is absolutely – absolutely – stunning.
Don’t write off the Vincent yet 😉
TT
I suppose that RAF report is 2 years old now….
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 8th January 2016 at 17:40
The UK A-20 is absolutely – absolutely – stunning.
Don’t write off the Vincent yet 😉
TT
By: DaveF68 - 8th January 2016 at 17:30
Yes, Steve (not Ray) Milnthorpe’s project is much more, now, than just a nose section. His track record with another aircraft is encouraging.
Be good to see, especially after the sad tale of Z2186.
I’d be pleased to see a DB7/A20 of any sort in the UK, although I agree they should be in original markings rather than ‘fake’ ones. A composite airframe is another matter!
By: Arabella-Cox - 8th January 2016 at 17:21
Is Ray Milnthorpes’s nosesection connected (hypothetically speaking) with the substantial sections imported from Oz years ago?
Cees
Yes, Steve (not Ray) Milnthorpe’s project is much more, now, than just a nose section. His track record with another aircraft is encouraging.
By: Supermarine305 - 8th January 2016 at 15:42
I was under the impression that Big Nig was somewhat a time capsule. Digging a little research up on it, it was been stripped to provide spares for other Havocs before its was itself restored.
I change my mind. What a shame. Would have been great to bring it to the RAFM and painted as an RAF machine. (Too much to ask for a Boulton-Paul 12-gun nose or even a Turbinlight to be fitted. But I can dream) 🙂
My objection was born on the belief that its was a machine that had been restored after being discovered near intact and I had assumed that it would then count as one of the most original A-20s out there. Under that impression I thought it would be a shame for it to be shown at a museum it has no connection to fro an air force it never served under.
I am cheered by news of this rebuild Tangmere has hightlighted.
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January 8, 2016 at 1:25 pm