Beaufighter G-DINT(Zombie thread 2005)

I mean that’s where (too much / most of) the warbird money goes. Into (re)building another P-51D. Booooring. Nothing against a bunch of P-51Ds, but there’s a lot more interesting types out there too.

Yes I think it does, as its all part of the history of the preservation scene, however I do support your point regarding having a Battle flying on the circuit. From an enthusiasts point of view it would be great to see, but I wonder how much of a draw it would be to the average man in the street.

I am sure a Beaufighter roaring low overhead would attract many, however as was previously said, with vintage aeroplanes that fly, one want’s to see the investment at least maintained if not increasing. They cost a packet just in insurance/inspections and hangarage and that is without a blade turning.

Well does it really matter who and when???

Yes I think it does, as its all part of the history of the preservation scene, however I do support your point regarding having a Battle flying on the circuit. From an enthusiasts point of view it would be great to see, but I wonder how much of a draw it would be to the average man in the street.

The money to be gained from air display appearances is miniscule in comparison to the cost of rebuild and yearly operating costs.
The true value is in the ‘investment’ of the type -it might not entirely cover costs but in the long run the return on capital invested in reasonable.

I thought it was Guy Black (Aero Vintage) who did the deal??? The Battle moved to Duxford after Mr Church was killed.

Well does it really matter who and when?? The fact remains it was swopped for yet another MKIX Spitfire. Anyone visiting a UK airshow would think that it was only Spits and Spit pilots that were fighting during WW2, god knows how many Battle pilots and crews were lost or are still around today.
I PERSONALLY would love to have seen that Fairey Battle flying as a tribute to those forgotten crews who were, through no fault of there own, given such totally inadequate equipment and basically sent to there deaths without a decent fighting chance.

I realise that todays operaters of warbirds do so with more than a passing eye on money generated from airshows etc to help with the enormous running costs of said aircraft, but what would you rather see; yet another airshow formation of Spitfires (lovely as they are), or a lone Defiant, Battle, Walrus or Beaufighter etc…?

Nah. I mean that’s where (too much / most of) the warbird money goes. Into (re)building another P-51D. Booooring. Nothing against a bunch of P-51Ds, but there’s a lot more interesting types out there too.

I agree, but you need to have one flying to inspire the masses and that is the problem – to the best of my knowledge none that exist are in flying condition. I seem to remember that at least one “rebuild to flying” was underway in Australia, haven’t heard much about it lately. I love Beaufighters and would prefer one to a P51 any day (then I love DC2/DC3’s as well)

Too many planes and too little money!!!!

I thought it was Guy Black (Aero Vintage) who did the deal??? The Battle moved to Duxford after Mr Church was killed.

I concur.

Mark

I personally was very dissapointed when the late Charles Church swopped a (what i am led to believe) very potentially airworthy Fairey Battle with a museum in Belgium for a MkIX Spit.

I thought it was Guy Black (Aero Vintage) who did the deal??? The Battle moved to Duxford after Mr Church was killed.

Skysport have the correct mark of Hercules for G-DINT. To fit the later type i.e ex Hastings 216 units is not straightforward as the later marks are quite different in terms of the back end. There isn’t a shortage of late marks of Hercules engines

I’m slightly confused (nothing different there then) but I thought TFC were struggling to find the right mark of Hercules engine for the Beaufighter? Apparently the available engines need some rework to the oil tank to meet the requirement. I only ask as, on a recent visit to Enstone, one of the engines for the ill-fated Bristol Freighter that had the accident there is sitting in the hangar on a sling. I bet it would have gone it could have been fitted to the Beaufighter.

Ah – now je comprend – and for that matter, totally agree. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a Beau saunter on by? 😎

Wouldn’t it just. It’d be worth the price of an airshow ticket just to se one taxi in my view. If it happened at Duxford I’d waive my senior concession on the agreement that the difference was donated to the operator towards the running costs.

As for the Beaufighter – there is a reasonable supply of Hercules 216 bits so I don’t really know if keeping one in the air would be that difficult. Certification is the expensive and time consuming bit.

Well i am only repeating what a TFC member told me, ironically as he was working on the Beau..!

Hercules spares

i have a friend working on tfc,s Beaufighter and they are looking for spares so if you know of any let me know

The Battle would have been an intersting prospect in the air but the reality is that an airworthy Battle would be worth in monetary terms a fraction of what a Spitfire is. Therefore it ended up in a museum – the market dictated.

As for the Beaufighter – there is a reasonable supply of Hercules 216 bits so I don’t really know if keeping one in the air would be that difficult. Certification is the expensive and time consuming bit.

I think as the fighter collection has found the problem is not necessarily one of restoring a Beaufighter, but finding enough spares to keep it in the air for a worthwhile period of time.
I personally was very dissapointed when the late Charles Church swopped a (what i am led to believe) very potentially airworthy Fairey Battle with a museum in Belgium for a MkIX Spit.
I can still remember the Battle outside at Dx, part restored and suffering from the elements. And to think of how many brave souls went to war in one of those against far superior opposition, knowing full well that there was a good chance of them not returning, what a fitting tribute to them a flyer would be…

Ah, a previous life (the HP57 bit that is)

Pity that these unique and beautiful aircraft don’t generate enough interest to change hands and have the restoration continued. SkySport at least made it into a complete fuselage instead of just a part of the fuselage, do they have a set of wings to go with it?

Cheers

Cees

Can we please have these zombie threads marked as such if theyre being resurrected?

A shot from Halton that I took late 1950’s

Mark

There is film of that being run as an apprentice training aid, with instruments and controls in the hut behind, on one of the “Royal Air Force – The Unseen Films” DVDs.

YAK 11 and i have been racking our brains but we remembered their names – the Stennard Brothers – Derek and Richard!

Me brain dont ‘alf ‘urt…

Close, but no cigar! Derek, Steven and Robert Stennett.

NFI as of this time last year when I last saw it – believe it remains in long term storage at Hatch.

TT