Adopting a (Grunau) Baby

Having noted with interest the efforts of Fournier Boy and EricMunk over the past year or two, a suitable project just appeared….

I broke every rule in the glider acquiring book, having expressed interest, sight unseen, in a Grunau Baby which had been sitting in a trailer for about ten years!

Having now got it into the light of day and washed the muck off for a full inspection of the structure, it looks surprisingly good. Even the glue joints have all (so far) passed muster. A couple of small fabric repairs and some titivating and what was down as a next winter project could be flying even sooner.

I am now happily piecing together the history. DWF was apparently one of six gliders built in 1946(ish) at RNAS Fleetlands by Lt Cmdr John Sproule from parts brought from North Germany on the deck of a Navy destroyer.

Certainly the wings are German in origin as they have NSFK (Hitler Youth Gliding Korps) stamps on the woodwork and it seems the fuselage was built to the Grunau design in the UK, with a larger rudder from a Slingsby Kite.

I also understand that it may have flown with a FAA serial VW743. It was operated by the Royal Navy GSA until the 1960s.

Does anyone have any memories or photographs of the beastie in its earlier days?