Playground aeroplanes!

In 1971, one of the last Sabres in the USAF inventory, a F-86H of the Maryland ANG (complete with Vietnam style paint), was given to a nearby state school for the mentally handicapped as a playground item.
The local aviation college stripped the engine and other bit.
It has a happy ending, a few years later it was rescued and taken to either the Castle or March museum in california.

But here’s a weird memory…
As a kid (1960s) I recall seeing a photo in a newspaper of a large flying boat being towed down a street of a large American city enroute to a playground…it may have been a Martin PBM.
Anyone know it?

And I recall reading that the Kennedys had an L-5 as a playground toy. Anyone else hear that?

Of those aircraft in the original list, G-EBIY is, perhaps, the most interesting. However it ‘disappeared off the radar’ about 50 years ago. It is one of the two Westland Woodpigeon IIs. Originally it was built for the 1924 Lympne trials. ‘British Civil Aircraft Registers since 1919’ (Dave Peel) records it as wfu on 8.9.30. ‘British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972′ (A.J.Jackson) records that in 1930 it was in the ownership of Miss Cecile O’Brien and that it was in Bowers’ Scrapyard, Ferrybridge, Yorkshire in 1949. W&R (1st edition – 1961) says that it was with Ferrybridge Salvage Co. Ltd., Great North Road, until 1950, when it was purchased by a local owner as a plaything for his children. There the trail goes cold. No reference is made to it in subsequent editions of W&R and I have not been able to trace any other subsequent reference to it. Attached is a rather poor image of G-EBIY(as appears in Jackson’s invaluable reference work). Has anyone any idea of what became of this aircraft?

Ah well, it doesn’t look as if there is going to be anyone who is able to say – ” back in the early fifties, I was driving up the A1 and, just north of Pontefract, I happened to cast a glance to the left and saw this old biplane frame sitting atop of a pile of old cars…..” or ” I went to school with this lad who lived near Castleford and he told me that his dad had bought him an old aeroplane to play in – it was a wood something – and he invited me to go to his house to play on it, the following Saturday, but then my uncle had a spare ticket for the Featherstone Rovers game that day and so….”. But then life’s like that, isn’t it!

Only just come across this thread. In answer to this query the a/c mentioned was actually Airspeed Consul G-AIKR which later went to Canada and is now in New Zealand.

I know I should modify the thread title to zombie thread but not sure how to do that – sorry!

Tim

Well, my guess was close – Anson and Consul. But no-one has, I note, been able to shed any light on the fate of G-EBIY despite the passage of the best part of 18 months. Come on you lot out there – you must try harder!

Zombie thread

I wish I could, but apart from the fact that it was retired ex RAF, probably white and blue, not very big and in quite good condition, no.

Remembering what I had for breakfast is a problem these days.

Only just come across this thread. In answer to this query the a/c mentioned was actually Airspeed Consul G-AIKR which later went to Canada and is now in New Zealand.

I know I should modify the thread title to zombie thread but not sure how to do that – sorry!

BTW – here’s a link to a picture of the aircraft in transit by road: http://www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/a288d110.jpg

Tim

Well oddly enough that’s what I thought too. I didn’t have the nerve to say so as I didn’t know when they were wfu’d. I wonder if anybody at Woburn (Duke of Bedford for example?) might remember. http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/images/smilies/biggrin.gif
😀

I wish I could, but apart from the fact that it was retired ex RAF, probably white and blue, not very big and in quite good condition, no.

Remembering what I had for breakfast is a problem these days.

I know the feeling! But was it fixed wing or rotary; monoplane or biplane; how many engines did it have? It sounds a little like an ex RAF Transport Command Avro C.19. But that’s only a guess based upon very limited information!

It was probably WG661. I have been unable to trace what became of it. Any ideas, anyone? Can you remember what was the other aircraft there, RedRedWine, as W&R only makes reference to the Dragonfly being there until c.1971.

I wish I could, but apart from the fact that it was retired ex RAF, probably white and blue, not very big and in quite good condition, no.

Remembering what I had for breakfast is a problem these days.

There is a pole mounted F86 Sabre within the school at the former Bitburg airbase in Germany, that I found on one of my travels.

Very vague memories of a Dragonfly at Woburn Abbey c1965? I remember being upset because it was in such a dreadful state even though I was only 10. There was another aircraft in better condition, I think.

It was probably WG661. I have been unable to trace what became of it. Any ideas, anyone? Can you remember what was the other aircraft there, RedRedWine, as W&R only makes reference to the Dragonfly being there until c.1971.

Very vague memories of a Dragonfly at Woburn Abbey c1965? I remember being upset because it was in such a dreadful state even though I was only 10. There was another aircraft in better condition, I think.

Seen a few years ago now but my 8 year old daughter tells me it is still there 🙂

Just put the Hispano Suiza engine and doped Irish linen back in place and you must have an original S.K.A. Foldpolfraym Spielplatz Model 9!

The Meerhof Spit. Restored to flying condition in S.A. some years ago.

Yes. MA793 now resident in Brazil as a museum piece but in flying condition.

Mark

There I was, flying my PR Canberra over the children’s hospital at Hartbeespoort Dam when I saw some kind of aircraft in the play area…so I took this shot.

The Meerhof Spit. Restored to flying condition in S.A. some years ago.

Seen a few years ago now but my 8 year old daughter tells me it is still there 🙂

Noted in the Osprey Color series books on the F-86 stored in the desert . Very likely to have been snapped up by the F-86 drone program in the mid 1980’s.

Would be interesting to know the reference – IIRC Flight Sytems used Sabre 5 and 6s for their QF-86 program, rather than the 4 so it may only have been for spares

G-EBIY

Of those aircraft in the original list, G-EBIY is, perhaps, the most interesting. However it ‘disappeared off the radar’ about 50 years ago. It is one of the two Westland Woodpigeon IIs. Originally it was built for the 1924 Lympne trials. ‘British Civil Aircraft Registers since 1919’ (Dave Peel) records it as wfu on 8.9.30. ‘British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972′ (A.J.Jackson) records that in 1930 it was in the ownership of Miss Cecile O’Brien and that it was in Bowers’ Scrapyard, Ferrybridge, Yorkshire in 1949. W&R (1st edition – 1961) says that it was with Ferybridge Salvage Co. Ltd., Great North Road, until 1950, when it was purchased by a local owner as a plaything for his children. There the trail goes cold. No reference is made to it in subsequent editions of W&R and I have not been able to trace any other subsequent reference to it. Attached is a rather poor image of G-EBIY(as appears in Jackson’s invaluable reference work). Has anyone any idea of what became of this aircraft?

G-ATBF

I saw it at Duxford when it was there for the auction and it was definately not filled with concrete.

Photograph at duxford on this link

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37743

There I was, flying my PR Canberra over the children’s hospital at Hartbeespoort Dam when I saw some kind of aircraft in the play area…so I took this shot.

[QUOTE=cestrian;1156655]And Vampire T.11 WZ505 that didn’t last long after the ‘little dears’ got their hands on it,in a school playground at Bramhall,Cheshire in 1976
QUOTE]

scrapped in leeds 1977….

Scrapped March 8th 1993 remains to a yard near Heworth and soon completely scrapped

Thanks Dave. What a waste. Was it ever offered to anyone…. there’s a certain museum not far away….:D