Avian's & Widgeon being restored in UK

IIRC – there were 3 Wallace fuselage frames recovered, which I assume all went to the RAFM; plus the wing sections from the Bucks / Berks area!

One of the Wallace fuselages is pictured in a new Album that has been added to the Gallery page of the museum website.

Hi TwinOtter23

Just looked it up, I believe it was infact the PV3 which flew over Everest, it was however, basically a modified Wallace.

Many thanks are owed to the late N. Franklin & others at Newark, for their efforts in saving the remains of the Wallace “or was it Wallace’s ?”, as well as the skills of Skysport who rebuilt it for the RAF museum.

I don’t believe that any original parts have yet been incorperated into the replica built by Skysport, or at least I couldn’t see any the last time I was drooling over it at Shuttleworth.

Bob. T

Wallace – IIRC using some remains left over from the RAFM restoration, which was based on the Cranwell fuselages recovered by the founders of Newark Air Museum in the mid 1960s!

Hi Rog

I had forgotten about the Westland “can’t recall type” at Shuttleworth, it’s not a Wapiti “pity” but a replica of the aircraft which flew over Everest, it was being built for a documentary that never happened.

As for the DH 88 repro at Derby, it is in my oppinion a repro, whilst some others consider it a restoration.
I believe that the remains of an original DH 88 tail section along with seats & some other metal parts, were brought back from Portugal in the 70’s, & a project was started around these items, however most of these original parts were then destroyed in a fire before anything could be incorperated into the build, the owner then sold the part built repro fuselage etc along with a few original metal fittings, to Ken Fern who then built more of the fuselage structure etc before selling it to the group at Derby.
There are now very few original DH 88 parts in the build “probably less that 1%”. It’s not as though they started with a large amount of the original airframe in the first place & then had to replace most of it due to it’s condition “like they had to with the Mew Gull”.

I have a couple of original struts from a Sopwith Snipe that have the aircrafts serial number on them, if I build my Snipe around them, & add a few original instruments etc, it would probable contain a larger percentage of an original aircraft than the DH 88 at Derby does, would you then consider it to be a restoration or a repro ?, if you consider it to be a restoration then it’s historical value “as well as it’s monetary one” increases dramatically, I however believe that it will be a reproduction that incorperates a few original parts “if it ever gets to be more than a few boxes of bits under my bed lol”. :diablo:

Everybody has their own oppinions, & whatever people consider it to be “repro or original”, it will be a most welcome addition to the airshow scene. 😀

Bob. T

There is the suspended (that’s halted not hung 🙂 ) Westland Wapiti at Shuttleworths and the (partial ?) replica Boeing 314 in Ireland.

Not sure the folks at Derby will like your description of their DH88 as “repro” ?

Roger Smith.

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Unfortunately not intended to be flying replica’s but instead museum full scale mock-ups, the Qantas Founders Museum have active plans to create a full size mockup of the DH-86 Express, and even more impressive is a Shorts Empire! Flying Boat!

Regards

Mark Pilkington

There’s also one being built in Scotland, there was a photo in last month’s Flypast or Aeroplane showing a large hull piece, Strathclyde aviation society? Or similar

DH Dragon G-ACET was being rebuilt a few years ago. But I havent heard how its getting on lately.

Dave

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Unfortunately not intended to be flying replica’s but instead museum full scale mock-ups, the Qantas Founders Museum have active plans to create a full size mockup of the DH-86 Express, and even more impressive is a Shorts Empire! Flying Boat!

Regards

Mark Pilkington