OFMC SE5a

It is a great pity that the remaining airrcraft from the Arnold collection are hidden away but Doug Arnold did seem to be renowned for the reclusive nature of his aircraft.

He’d have hated the internet!

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Incidentally, the Shuttleworth aircraft also flew with a Replica Plans 7/8th scale version a looooong time ago, too.

There is a scale one that usually appears at Scottish Airshows, a lovely example.

BACK TO THE SE5a/e

Wasn’t this aircraft bought by some guy in the states, he also bought a Camel as well ?.
I’m sure I’ve seen them advertized for sale “£1,000,000+ each” in the past year or 2.

As for David, he always seemed to be far more interested in tanks & artillery than aircraft, I remember when he started up one of his tanks in the hangar at Biggin Hill, he nearly crashed it through the wall ! :D.

Bob T.

re;

I thought TFC got the P47 off the same owner and it was in the States? There should be a P40 and a P38 in there as well?

One or other of the Spitfires was supposed to have made it Stateside (NH238, I seem to recall), but I’m guessing that’s not really the case.

re;

dont know about Greenham Common but the MOD wanted to take back Bentwaters but the cost of converting it to UK power over ruled it.

I think the P47G is a good idea as to the condition of the air frames.

How much money must have been spent moving the air frames from Biggin Hill to North Weald to America and now greenham. It would make more sense to display them in a museum where a potential buyer could see them.

My understanding is that it was supposedly under “government care” whilst awaiting disposal and that “contract maintenance” was possibly undertaken at this time… Perhaps the cabling etc needed to be stripped out for replacement (placement?) somewhere else. I imagine the “contract” vehicles probably were the type you describe so wonderfully;)

Roobarb – You obviously know a great deal more about the situation than I do. I didn’t know that the aircraft and storage facility were owned by the same person and assumed that, as they had been built as protection from nuclear attack, they would have some kind of climatic control and air filter systems but it seems any saleable parts of any climate systems they may have had were removed, probably by one of those mobile campanologists often seen driving open back Transits.

So what is meant to still be stored out of interest?

The SE5a/e looks great. It just looks like it means business – that boxy fuselage, that pugnacious cowl. I’d have an SE5a over a Camel or a SPAD any day of the week! 🙂

Sad to think of this gorgeous and rare machine stuck in whatever sort of storage. Hopefully it will see the light of day, and some light under its wheels, in the near future. I had a few good looks at the machine when it was at Dux, and it oozed character and charisma. The huge brass mag switch was very impressive!

As the bunkers are owned by the same person as the SE5e, I would not imagine there’s too much problem on the storage front, though a plan to commercially rent the site for external car storage fell foul of planners over access issues. I understand the bunkers were somewhat vandalised and unofficially stripped out before they were bought by the present owner and as such I very much doubt the “climate control” (if there ever was any) you speak of would be working as I was told most of the wiring for the buildings got nicked!

Beautiful aircraft. I remember seeing a pic of it in flight with the Shuttleworth example a long time ago.

That would have been 31 May 1987 (doesn’t seem possible it was that long ago) the same day as I took the static picture.
Sadly I didn’t get a picture of the pair together but I do remember that when they were side by side on the ground the SE-5E didn’t look quite right. After a while it dawned that being a new restoration it had pristine cowling panels with none of the small dings and other patina that come from years of flying so it had yet to reacquire that “character” that the well used Shuttleworth aircraft have.

It is a great pity that the remaining airrcraft from the Arnold collection are hidden away but Doug Arnold did seem to be renowned for the reclusive nature of his aircraft. At the end of the day it is the owners choice but surely it would be less expensive to have them displayed somewhere rather than have them hidden in a bunker which must have expensive climatic control equipment which needs to be run and maintained.

re;

sadly its David Arnolds a/c and he can do what he likes with it. Personaly if I inherited a collection of airworthy a/c I would operate them, sell them or at least loan them to collections but thats just my opinion.

Which a/c does he still have?

What the owner wants, I suppose?

There’s still a Spitfire IX at Greenham, as far as I’m aware, too…

if it’s the Patrick Lindsay example didn’t it go to Doug Arnold and is still reputedly stored in one of the bunkers at Greenham Common

Why would it be stored in a bunker? :confused:

Beautiful aircraft. I remember seeing a pic of it in flight with the Shuttleworth example a long time ago.

Incidentally, the Shuttleworth aircraft also flew with a Replica Plans 7/8th scale version a looooong time ago, too.

I think that must have been B4863 / G-BLXT. I think it was ex Wing and Wheels Museum in the USA and according to the commentator at Old Warden it was meant to be returning to the USA soon after it displayed there so I am surprised to learn that it is still in the UK..

Old Warden 31 May 1987 and a successful attempt to get the engine started.

and Cranfield on 5 July 1987 which must have been the PFA Rally.

Apologies for the dust but these were a quick scan and upload.

Yes

I was about to say, was it not the Patrick Lindsay one?

I thought it went Stateside, but my info is probably waaaay off.

if it’s the Patrick Lindsay example didn’t it go to Doug Arnold and is still reputedly stored in one of the bunkers at Greenham Common