AST Hamble Instructional Airframes

Regarding Tiger Moth G-ALWS, i noted this at Strathallan during July 1990, ex-Perth. It was the frame only and was stored in a very small hut belonging to the “Strathallan Aircraft Society”. I have a photo which i will scan at some point and post but it’s not very good!

I would be interested to know how the Auster Club positively identified her as TJ398. I had the other MK.V frame from Perth with data plate – I really must try and correlate her to an identity .Robert did you ever see the brass construction plate on the frame of ‘TJ398’ ?

The frame was stripped back to the bare metal and there were no plates of any kind. Just the holes where they may have been rivitted on. When it was at Perth it had been repainted many times. It may well have been recovered there also or perhaps at Hamble before my time. I “picked TJ398” as the most likely of the possible identities in the mid 70’s my exact memories about how I came to that conclusion are long gone. Air Britain records were certainly examined and I may have been able to account for the other Mk5’s that Airwork had used. I wasnt aware that anyone had confirmed its identity. I drew up the original colour schem from some Charles E Brown flying shots. For some reason when it was painted the D Day stripes that I had drawn on the upper wing surfaces were never added. Karl has looked after it well since the APSS had to move it from East Fortude (due to Concorde)

Second pic from bottom. Great website this btw – well worth a browse –

http://www.dhc-2.com/Scone_Selection.html

At last , I was beginning to think I imagined it!

I would be interested to know how the Auster Club positively identified her as TJ398. I had the other MK.V frame from Perth with data plate – I really must try and correlate her to an identity .Robert did you ever see the brass construction plate on the frame of ‘TJ398’ ?

Can someone please explain what was the ‘two headed Tiger’ referred to above or, better still, post a hyperlink to an image of it?

Second pic from bottom. Great website this btw – well worth a browse –

http://www.dhc-2.com/Scone_Selection.html

The fate of the Austers at Perth still fascinates ! The prototype AOP.6 still eludes -I would very much like to confirm that the Museum of Army Flying example is the machine its reputed to be . It came from Perth when they had the last disposals. There was an article in an early FlyPast -it would be good to have a look again at it with the benefit of the internet. I owned the anonymous sectioned frame -I have the plate number which revealed it as a late build MK.5 . It would be nice to put all the identities to bed as ‘TJ398’ needs confirming.

I have just been told TJ398 has just left or is just leaving the UK for Canada.

The fate of the Austers at Perth still fascinates ! The prototype AOP.6 still eludes -I would very much like to confirm that the Museum of Army Flying example is the machine its reputed to be . It came from Perth when they had the last disposals. There was an article in an early FlyPast -it would be good to have a look again at it with the benefit of the internet. I owned the anonymous sectioned frame -I have the plate number which revealed it as a late build MK.5 . It would be nice to put all the identities to bed as ‘TJ398’ needs confirming.

Out of interest was the brass plate checked about the pilot’s door for an identity or was that gone?

Nothing was located.
The fuselage was fabricked to resemble the window shape of a civil machine and the rear roof was partly ply.

Superb to see that pic of ‘G-ALES’ =well done
just a thought, i wonder if it was the Hamble ‘G-ILES’ with a humorous tilt toward the Scottish weather?

Returning to the subject of the ‘two headed’ Tiger. inevitably it raises the question – why? Does anyone know?

The same thought occured to me. It could have been used for ground running being more stable than a fuselage on its own but not both engines at the same time surely and moving it about looks difficult as it would only want to roll in one direction. That only leaves engine maintenance/servicing instruction which could have taken place at both ends at the same time.

Richard

Out of interest was the brass plate checked about the pilot’s door for an identity or was that gone?

This is the aircraft that became “TJ398”, wings were scrapped shortly after the fuselage was moved a full rebuild took place with new wings, full recover and repaint, with dummy engine. Vandals had attacked the fuselage also between the photo and the actual move.
When at Scone and perhaps at Hamble, it had been used for practising fabric recovering and painting and no previous identity was located in the layers of paint.