Boulton Paul Museum, Wolverhampton

The Barracuda bits (One u/c leg, one seat) are still there, and presumably going to Cosford with everything else. Obviously the Fleet Air Arm Museum would be a better choice, though they already have 11 u/c legs if I remember correctly. The seat is off the Whernside Barracuda though, and they have most of that.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton have a strong interest in the heritage of Boulton Paul Norwich. And also more importantly covered display areas.

But just a suggestion mind.

Rob

I can see how the wooden replicas would be a challenge, and agree that EK would be a good call. I wonder how much it would cost to rent one of the surviving old buildings at Mousehold (assuming any were suitable)? Be nice to see the BP Museum restored to life there. Well, it’s a nice dream that Norwich’s aviation heritage would be remembered! 😉

Good luck with keeping the Overstrand mobile.

What happened to the Fairey Barracuda bits that were on display at the museum?

re;

East Kirkby would be an ideal home for The Defiant, with them defending Lincolnshire from Kirton Lindsey?

Most Museums would have to put a real aircraft outside into the weather in order to make way for one of them, and I should add that if they are benchmark exhibits and they are a registered museum, they are not even allowed to do that, even if they wanted to. The Overstrand is trailer mounted, and some of us want to keep it as a mobile exhibit to keep promoting the Association.

As the three FSMs (P.6, Defiant, Balliol) have wooden frames, they cannot be displayed outside, because they would deteriorate very quickly. This has always been the problem in relocating them. Most Museums would have to put a real aircraft outside into the weather in order to make way for one of them.

With it being named after a Norfolk village, and dating from the time when Boulton & Paul built aircraft at Norwich, it seems a shame that it could end up festering in a locked store when it could possibly go on display at the City Of Norwich Aviation museum, based at the airfield that replaced the one where the originals were built. Being honest, CNAM would be a very appropriate location for the whole collection (if they could fit them in) considering the history of the company.

The Overstrand nose will have a public outing at the Easter Wings & Wheels at Halfpenny Green (31st March/1st April) if anyone wishes to see it. It might be its last ever public outing unless those of us who want to stop it going into store at Cosford have our way.

Same here Diverscout,really interested in that aircraft,are they `extinct`? the first aircraft to have a powered turret?I used to go to Overstrand on holiday ( or near there).

The one I’m most interested in is the Overstrand – as I spent many years in the village it was named after I developed a slight obsession with the lumbering beast.

The three FSM’s (P.6/Defiant/Balliol) are going to Cosford before the end of the month, though they are still being dismantled. They are apparently going in hangar 2, though this is not certain, and there is some hope that they will be in the static for the Airshow, though as the Museum and the Airshow do not always see eye to eye, this is also not certain.

Can’t help but think that the Defiant replica and the effort that went into it deserves a better fate than just ‘going into store’.

The Jet Provost and the Camberra nose are privately owned and will be moving off site very shortly as all the exhibits are suppose to be off site by the end of March.

The Cadet Mk2 has already gone to Keevil and should move to the Glider Herritage collection at Lasham in July.

The green Biplane Replica (Type is escaping me) is going on display at Cosford whilst the Balliol and Defiant replica are going into store.

As this closed at the end of last year, does anyone know where the replicas and aircraft have gone?

Destined for Cosford and most likely into store, probably Stafford. Although some of the exhibits were privately owned.

Planemike