Australian Beaufort nose reconstruction project

Thank you, David.

One thing that really strikes me is that the glasshouse was part of an aeroplane that flew quite a number of combat missions. To think that under and behind this very structure, sat young men who experienced operational flying, is very sobering. Who were the men who flew in Saucy Sue? Did they return home or lose their lives later in the war? How old were they? So much to ponder.

David, you’re spot-on; the amount of original material will be substantial, and it wasn’t an anonymous machine that was kept out of harm’s way. It’ll stand as a tribute to those who served. Like your own project, those who served are commemorated. As we know, the human story gives these machines value and meaning; which makes aeroplanes more than just chunks of metal or wood and fabric.

The local history museum will be a very appropriate home, as a number of RAAF combat veterans came from this small town, and the Beauforts were known in the district.

Interesting thing about the glasshouse section is that it was purchased from Wagga, twenty-five miles away, where a large number of Beauforts were scrapped. These sections were snapped up by people who grew tomatoes under them for years. This one ended up at the local tip, and was rescued by an old stoner, who dragged it home so he could grow marijuana under it! Turns out it was no good, as the plants grew too big. Apparently this is not ideal, so it became a garden ornament until I found it and it was given to me. And now I’ll become part of a nose section once more.

Pics to follow; thank you all for your interest and thoughts.

Cheers,
Matt

I’ve been slowly working on the rebuild of an Australian DAP Beaufort nose rebuild for eventual inclusion in a local history museum in southern New South Wales, Australia.

Starting with a nose glazing section recovered locally, from one of the many aircraft scrapped nearby after WW2, I’ve traced the history of the section involved, being a 7 Squadron combat veteran. Other components have been located throughout NSW and Victoria. I have access to the restored and unrestored nose sections held by the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin, which have been very handy in establishing fine detail placement and measurements. A jig is being fabricated to aid the reconstruction. I’m fortunate in having access to facilities where I can have replacement perspex blown.

There’s not much to see at the moment, but I’ll post pics as the project moves forward. Boxes of parts don’t make for exciting photos. Here’s a pic of the numbered glazing section when I acquired it.

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And a picture of the aircraft from which this section came, A9-131, Saucy Sue.

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I’m on the lookout to acquire or purchase any suitable nose section components that may help bring this project to completion, for display as part of the story commemorating the role of people from the Riverina district of NSW in the Second World War and beyond. I can be contacted here or by private message. Thank you.

Cheers,
Matt

This is an excellent project Matt. It will be wonderful to reconstruct this rare nose section, especially as you have plenty of original structure to start with, plus its identity.

I look forward to following your progress.

Thank you, chaps.

I’ve long thought that the Beaufort hasn’t been given the recognition it deserves, especially given that the story of those who built, maintained, and flew Beauforts is a noble one. The challenges involved in getting them into service in Australia is a story in itself, and I hope that my little project helps to add to our knowledge of what people achieved all those years ago. I’ll update this thread as work progresses.

Cheers,
Matt

Good luck Matt, any Beaufort project is a winner with me. Wish they were better represented in the UK, as far as I know there’s only one at RAFM Hendon.
There’s a new Bristol Museum being built at the moment, that would be the ideal place for one!

Thanks for posting Matt.
Really cool project for sure.
I look forward to any updates.

Andy