Aircraft Cockpit Sections/Instrument Panel Projects

Watson’s Stone

Hi – Re the Stone scrap yard – not been for several years & doubt much is left worth having – word of warning though – an “enthusiast” trying to remove an item from the bottom of one of the many precarious piles of scrap there, dislodged the lot & was trapped – they got him out, but he died in hospital – since than the owner had definitely not welcomed visitors – don’t recall the JP cockpit – may have been there, but must have been hidden or too smashed to recognise – the lightning was a totally bear shell – was in a crate when it arrived! Anyone know what happened to all those lovelly search lights thay had at £60 each! 😮 desperately wanted one but lived with parents at time & no chance of sneaking it in the back door! same happened with a complete Hercules power egg for £40 – got the room now, but nothing seems to be around any more 🙁

Im trying to find out where in Stone Watsons is. When I find out ill pop along, in my oiliest overalls and take a digicamera.

If I see anything interesting ill try the old “ill give you £xx for it now and then it will be out of your yard and out of your way” line.

Or the “they are making it illegal to scrap aircraft due to the radiation so you may as well give it me” line, although im not sure that will work.

Tim

How close is “ooh so close”?

Your county, maybe 20 or so miles ?

Is the yard owner welcoming ?

Tim, i’m hundreds of miles away. You’ll just have to (Quote) “Get out there” and ask.

Please take a camera, very little money (act like your dis-interested or any price will rocket up), and cover yourself liberally in ‘Dog-off’ or similar anti-Alsation product 😀

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Yes, im about 20 minutes from Stone, I pass though there very regularly. On the A34, on the south side of Stone (If I remember right) theres a petrol station and garage with a HUGE aero tyre propped up against a hedge. Its been there since time and memorial. The garage owner does not know what aircraft its from but thinks its from a Lancaster, which sounds right giving the size of it. It has the “block” type tread pattern. If I get chance ill post a pic on the forum.

The JP in Longton is the one I described, Dresden is the next district along and I think I may have confused the two. Unless theres two JPs!

Watsons sounds very interesting. Is the yard owner welcoming to visitors?

How close is “ooh so close”?

Tim

Paul,

Yes, its a private collection. I’ll email you direct with chapter & verse (& photo’s) if you dont mind plz.

Cheers…….

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Hi Dave T

Thanks for the update, and yes i would be very interested to see more shots of XN632, as much out of general interest than as a possible parts source.

The ‘infamous’ description of the JP’s owner, does that mean the JP and the rest of the collection are generally out of bounds ?
If you think it’s worth a try, i would like to get in touch with Graham so if you want to drop me his contact detail, on a PM if you like ?

Many thanks again, and you certainly hit a bargain there !

Wow a cheap JP! I bet they dont come up for that price very often! The scrap value would be far in excess of that. Tim

Tim,

That MOD disposal was by sealed tender or ‘bid’. My price was a cheeky £500, and for commercial scrappers from say…. the Stock yard, it wouldn’t be worth the trip down.

I bid, nobody else did and by default i win. 😀

The other airframe there was pole mounted Hunter XF509, which naturally attracted more attention and fetched £3K+. It was purchased by Humbrol/Airfix complete with its pole and now resides outside their factory in Marfleet, Hull.

If your near a place called Stone, there is a scrapyard called Watsons which according to W&R 19 holds the cockpit of JP XN550 plus a noseless Lightning fuselage.

Also a garage called ‘Motor Clinic’ in Longton have JP XM425. I dunno the geography of the area but maybe its the same one.

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Thanks for the replies. Im finding this a very informative and helpful thread.

Anyhow, yes, I purchased XN632 from RAF Chivenor when it closed for a mere £500 (including the engine)

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Wow a cheap JP! I bet they dont come up for that price very often! The scrap value would be far in excess of that. I live in Stoke-On-Trent. Theres an area of Stoke called Dresden (not to be confused with the other one) and ontop of a garage theres a JP parked there. I dont know the number of it, but maybe someone here is familiar with it? I have only recently moved here from Birmingham, I think when I get chance ill pop in and have a chat with the owner…. aslong as hes not too fed up of people asking about it. It sticks out a bit!

Tim

Hi DaveT

Much more supportive direction on your thread, which is what younger, or at least newer arrivals need to maintain and nurture their interest, whilst so many choose their way with flight-sims in their back bedrooms.

Slightly off topic now, the photographs of JP 8352M you posted, my hopefully incorrect records show this aircraft (XN632) no longer exists, or at least not in civvy street.If you have it, can you give us a narrative on the move detail at the time i.e. where,when ,where to etc., and any indication as to the aircrafts eventual fate, or otherwise ?

RF9
XS186 CREW

Aha hello Paul,

I think you mean to substitute the word “thread” for “post” perhaps ? As it was Peter who launched this thread on its merry way…..

Anyhow, yes, I purchased XN632 from RAF Chivenor when it closed for a mere £500 (including the engine)

And as i learnt my mettle on JP’s, i soon had it apart with help from Andy H’ (nee HMS Vulture on here) and a guy called Phil Chalk from the Shackleton group who maintain the CAF example.

Touching on moving an acquistion, as some of us know, a JayPee doesn’t break down fuselage wise, so the cost’s of the artic’ plus flat-bed with HIAB were a bargain 75 golden lager tokens including diesel costs !

Just over 8 months later, i advertised it in Flypast classifieds, and it was purchased by and is still resident with infamous spud farmer and aircraft collector… Mr Graham Revill of Birlingham, Pershore, Worcs’.

I haven’t visited that collection for some time, so i can’t comment on its current condition or any of the others.

The other photo shows the nose section of Hunter T.7 PH-NLH during its journey from Hertfordshire to Devon courtesy of Barry (Lightning) Pover’s trailer which it fitted a treat 😀

I have more photo’s of XN632 if you think it may hold some parts that may be of use, and Graham’s contact details, but the folks at North Weald didn’t think there was much of use, not even the brakes.

Cheers……

Hi DaveT

Much more supportive direction on your thread, which is what younger, or at least newer arrivals need to maintain and nurture their interest, whilst so many choose their way with flight-sims in their back bedrooms.

Slightly off topic now, the photographs of JP 8352M you posted, my hopefully incorrect records show this aircraft (XN632) no longer exists, or at least not in civvy street.If you have it, can you give us a narrative on the move detail at the time i.e. where,when ,where to etc., and any indication as to the aircrafts eventual fate, or otherwise ?

RF9
XS186 CREW

Some of the members of this forum seem to treat ownership and restoration of a cockpit section as a kind of “club” that only a few are entitled to become a member of.

Ollie- theyre not airfix kits? I didnt know that, did you?

Tim,

Yes indeed, The International Cockpit Club caters for just such owners and people who want to own.

But your are entitled to join and it is free to do so. Why not register yourself on the new forum they’ve just had installed ?

In fact guys, why not give us a rough clue whereabouts you are ? You never know, the guy up the street may be a cockpiteer !!

Far fetched ? Not really, RLangham found out the other day that up his road in Leicester, was ~only~ Richard Nutt Esq, with several tons of Douglas Boston crammed in his garage 😮

Even the vendors previously mentioned ‘advertise’ on ICC, and it really is International. Feel free to browse the Gallery section for cockpiteers oversea’s.

An Airfix kit it isn’t, but it certainly is a big ‘kit’ of parts, and from the previous airframes mentioned the asking prices range from a mere £400 up to £4,500.

At the end of the day, you’ll get what you pay for. For example, Adrian’s new Sea Harrier ZH807 was for sale at approx £1,500 if i recall correctly.

Now, i dont know anything about drum kit prices, or indeed the final price agreed, but i’ll put a photo below of the condition of the interior. BUT…. now is the best time to acquire a SHAR, as soon the scrappys, dealers and aerojumble stalls will be full of parts, and leaving it another 10+ years will only make the job harder.

But because he’s now a cockpiteer and one of only a few to owner a Harrier, AND the first to own a SHAR 2 cockpit…. i will do my level best to help him using my contacts.

Dont be disspondant or put off, i’m sure people mean well, its just that taking that initial acquistion step needs careful thinking & planning, such as transport, fuel costs, how to load/unload etc, etc… (example photo’s below).

Once done, you should find people very helpful with parts, advice etc…. as you’ll have a cockpit that has moved from the harsh world of the scrappy into the warm safe haven of the garage, hence preservation 😀

The late Nick Grace summed it up very aptly when he said…. we are not owners, merely keepers of such aircraft during our lifetime…. or words to that effect.

I sincerely hope that this post has been of help…?

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Fish management?!

:eek

Some rather patronising remarks on this thread, methinks.

I am aware that it will be alot of work and it will be alot more challenging than a radio model, but i like that. I like a challenge and whant a long term project.

I was aware they where not airfix kits. I have got beyond airfix kits. Im into big radio models now. I do some plastic modelling, but afvs and also some ships.

So where does this fit into the bigger scheme of things Ollie, you’re not only advocating renovating a cockpit section, but also travelling the world, taking your PPL and studying managing fish, all of which takes time and more importantly money.

I am led to believe, but stand to be corrected, that rebuilding or renovating anything from a cockpit section to a whole aircraft is a lot more involved than your average radio controlled model aircraft, can I politely suggest that you get real.

I was aware they where not airfix kits. I have got beyond airfix kits. Im into big radio models now. I do some plastic modelling, but afvs and also some ships.

lanky and ollie

Grow up will you, these things are not Airfix kits. It takes some serious dedication and back-breaking engineering to make a good presentable cockpit section no matter what the aircraft – in some cases it takes years.

Please, no more of the patronising posts. Ollie and I may be new to this forum, but this doesnt mean that regular users of this forum can take it in turns to snipe at us. You were new to this forum once too.

I am fully aware that a cockpit section is not something you restore in ten minutes and does indeed take lots of time, effort and money.

Yes, we have been shown a selection of cockpits that are for sale, but I for one am not going to just buy the first one I see. I need to find out more about this area before making an educated decision. Thats why im posting here to start with, for advice.

Ollie and I are aircraft enthusasts, like yourselves. Some of the members of this forum seem to treat ownership and restoration of a cockpit section as a kind of “club” that only a few are entitled to become a member of.

Ollie- theyre not airfix kits? I didnt know that, did you?

Ross / Les,

I woudn’t worry too much about it…. all the available cockpits and sources where to get them have been pointed out already, along with condition, price etc…

Jet Provosts, Sea Harriers, Canberra’s, a Shackleton, a Puma, a Venom, a Chipmunk, a Harrier GR5, an Hs125, an Andover (and on, and on……)

As i said, you can only lead a horse to water, you cant make him drink it no matter how much he complains he’s thirsty.

If i had a cockpit for everytime someone shouted [B]”waaa… i wanna cockpit NOW !”[/B]…. heck i’d have more than Rocketeer 😀

And to coin Dave Burke’s phrase, here’s a little festive ‘toon to finish with (as i think this “i want” subject is nearly done to death now)…….

Ollie,

I’ve been following this thread and feel the fustration of Dave T, Les B and others.

Lots out there ranging from shells to almost complete.

While you were ignoring Dave Ts advice on ICC you also ignored the 11 Jet Provosts highlighted on this site only 2 weeks ago:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=51364

As you say yourself, you need to get out and look.

Thats what I and every other cockpit owner did.

Regards
Ross

Unfortunately, not as yet. He sold one of his Drum Kits to buy it!!! It’s just a case of gradually obtaining the parts as funds allow. First on the list will either be a nose cone or a canopy to keep out the weather if he needs to move the cockpit outdoors. It is currently stored at his workplace!!

Steve