Memory jogged by a current thread by Avion Ancien regarding an aeroplane wreck near an old airfield, I am reminded of a story told to me around 20 years ago by a chap who went looking for a Monospar wreck.
The aircraft had taken off from South Cerney many years before and had an engine fail after take-off. The pilot put it down off the airfield boundary and it ended up near a wood. My informant had, years after the event, followed up a rumour of some aircraft remains and found it still lying there. It had merely been shoved into the wood by the farmer, was overgrown and forgotten.
I had a half-hearted look around 10-15 years back but didn’t have a clue where to start and was not about to go round knocking on every farm door for miles around asking if such a wreck existed on their land. I’m wondering if it is still there, wherever it lies.
If it does it’ll be not much more than a pile of rusted tubes and wires but the engines and cowlings may still exist.
Food for thought, if nowt else.
Anon.
By: Canberra Geoff - 22nd February 2018 at 10:27
On the Western side. Directly opposite the lane which takes you down to the SLG bungalow is a large field, beyond which is Barnsley Wold wood. The Western edge of this wood is Barnsley Warren, a site of SSSI. If you look on Google Maps in theory it is easy to spot a number of large trees in the open on the Northern extremities, on of which is the Oak tree. In practice the area is quite overgrown now.
By: Ossington - 21st February 2018 at 19:56
Whereabouts is this tree in relation to the SLG please?
By: Canberra Geoff - 21st February 2018 at 17:24
Clearly out my loft today, I have come across the few artefacts I picked up 30 years ago at Barnsley Wold. Photo attached. Shame that the rest of the wreckage seems to have gone.[ATTACH=CONF[ATTACH=CONFIG]259101
By: Arabella-Cox - 18th February 2018 at 16:40
While we are on the topic of the Monospar, can any one find me a photograph of Monospar ST25 VP-KCB (ex G-ADNN) ?
By: TwinOtter23 - 18th February 2018 at 16:26
The museum team in Helsingør have been extremely helpful in answering questions and providing photographs to aid the Monospar restoration work on VH-UTH at Newark – this normally involved getting out an access platform to go up to their Monospar; their help is much appreciated! 🙂
By: Archer - 18th February 2018 at 15:46
Here’s my photo from 2009:
DSC_3967_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
By: wieesso - 17th February 2018 at 16:54
OY-DAZ Monospar in Helsingør
http://www.zone-redningskorpset.dk/hotel/zonen/zoneweb.nsf/docs/3532bbc103315ae5c1256d0c007c075d
By: Kenneth - 16th February 2018 at 19:52
As far as I known, the Danish Monospar is no longer at Egeskov (nonetheless worth a visit) but in Helsingør, north of Copenhagen. I was an active member in the Danish Aviation Historical Society in Copenhagen in the early Eighties and followed its restoration there at close range. It was restored single-handedly by a former shop foreman of Skandinavisk Aero Industri A/S of KZ-aircraft fame), Ove Alexandersen, and to a very, very high standard. The one in New Zealand perished around this time; FlyPast had an article on it just before it happened.
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th February 2018 at 19:51
Seem to recall one of the Pobjoy Niagaras from ZK-AFF (G-AEJW) was on display in MOTAT Auckland when I was there back in 1997.
By: George - 16th February 2018 at 19:30
Thanks David/Planemike.
The Egeskov Museum certainly looks interesting, – as does the Newark example which shows good progress on their restoration.
I suspect that there might be remnants of others around, but will wait to see if anyone has information.
It was a very good looking plane for its day.
Thanks again.
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th February 2018 at 18:39
I know of no others. The Billund Aviation Museum closed some while back, it is now in the museum at Egeskov Castle.
http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/Blogvorm/egeskov-veteranbiludstilling/
By: David Burke - 16th February 2018 at 18:36
Yes your correct -used to be an example in New Zealand but it wad destroyed in a fire
By: George - 16th February 2018 at 18:06
Am I right in saying that there are two examples left?
Wikipedia seems to think there is just one!
1. OY-DAZ in Denmark (Billund Aviation Museum).
2. VH-UTH UK (Newark Air Museum).
Any others out there?
By: Canberra Geoff - 21st April 2015 at 22:08
The oak tree is actually on Barnsley Wold. We did an initial recce in a C152 from Staverton-early 1986 I think and the tree stood out very well.
Same trip we did a low level run over a scrapyard in Crudwell rumoured to have a Whirlwind helicopter in situ, but saw nothing. Happy days.
By: DaveF68 - 20th April 2015 at 11:02
I have only just discovered this thread, hence the late reply.
The aircraft in question is indeed G-AHBK-impressed as K8308 and used by the EA Flight at Collyweston during the war.
Minor point, but K8308 wasn’t an impressment, but was bought by the Air Ministry in 1936 (along with K8307) – it only entered the civil register post war.
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th April 2015 at 23:09
I have only just discovered this thread, hence the late reply.
The aircraft in question is indeed G-AHBK-impressed as K8308 and used by the EA Flight at Collyweston during the war. It was on a trip from Fairoaks to South Marston when it crashed in June 1947. It must have been some way north of track.
I visited the site around 30 years ago and there was a pile of rusted tubing and wreckage at the base of a very large oak tree in the middle of the wold. No sign of engines or undercarriage though.
I know this to be the right aircraft as I still have an underwing inspection panel with GAL inspectors stamp (interestingly marked ST10) and a section of cowling rail plus a stainless steel three way valve which I picked up at the time.
I did revisit the site a few years back but many years of growth has made it impossible to relocate the tree-the tubing may still be there.
Kind of fascinating as I used to live just down the road and must have walked through that wood a good half dozen times when exploring the old SLG and never spotted a pile of tubing. Shall have to keep my eyes open next time I’m home.
By: topspeed - 19th April 2015 at 19:37
topspeed – there’s a couple of photographs of the restoration progress on a ST12 in here!
Cool that is with retractable landing gear. :applause:
By: TwinOtter23 - 19th April 2015 at 09:56
It was a beautiful plane;
topspeed – there’s a couple of photographs of the restoration progress on a ST12 in here!
By: topspeed - 19th April 2015 at 07:16
It was a beautiful plane; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Aircraft_Monospar
By: Canberra Geoff - 4th April 2015 at 16:59
I have only just discovered this thread, hence the late reply.
The aircraft in question is indeed G-AHBK-impressed as K8308 and used by the EA Flight at Collyweston during the war. It was on a trip from Fairoaks to South Marston when it crashed in June 1947. It must have been some way north of track.
I visited the site around 30 years ago and there was a pile of rusted tubing and wreckage at the base of a very large oak tree in the middle of the wold. No sign of engines or undercarriage though.
I know this to be the right aircraft as I still have an underwing inspection panel with GAL inspectors stamp (interestingly marked ST10) and a section of cowling rail plus a stainless steel three way valve which I picked up at the time.
I did revisit the site a few years back but many years of growth has made it impossible to relocate the tree-the tubing may still be there.
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