Bristol Beauforts

this is from http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/surveynews.htm

Graham Kilsby of the Bristol Heritage Collection in Tennessee has announced that a Beaufort rebuild project is just about to start. Several Beaufort sections, recovered from Papa New Guinea in the 1970’s, have been stored at Chino in California for the past few decades. Transportation of the sections to Tennessee has started, with a forward fuselage, rear fuselage and tail section being trucked the 2,600 miles across the USA on 21st March. The sections arrived at Stripmasters Inc. of Nashville on 25th March. Here they will be identified, photographed etc., before being cleaned by beed blasting, and also blasting with dry ice, a relatively new method that removes the old paint and years of surface corrosion without actually harming the metal.

From there, the sections will be taken to Hassel Field, Clifton, Tennessee home of the new BHC restoration shop to join the Lysander and the Swordfish, where the various sections will be set in jigs prior to the long restoration.

As the sections are from Australian-built Mk VIII Beauforts, they had Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines, which makes it a little easier to find engines and parts in the US. The Mk.I’s built in the UK were the sole users of the Bristol Taurus, and it is thought that none survive.

In April the main large wing centre section and outer wing sections will be moved in from California and the same process applied, before starting on moving the Bolingbroke sections into Tennessee. Bristol Heritage Collection is a 501(c)3 tax exempt charity as recognised by the IRS and any help in the form of donations or pledges, especially from Australians in the
US would be warmly welcomed.

Just out of intrest where is the one being built in the USA the Beufort that is?

I don’t have a PPL, but I’d certainly get one just for the opportunity of joining your ‘squadron’.:)

Originally posted by RadarArchive
Just one Mossie?!? I’m sorry, Moggy, but I fear your dreams disappoint! 😀

I’m a man of simple tastes and small aspirations.

I also have a bad memory. The formation is escorted by a complete squadron of Westland Whirlwind replicas, produced by my own company as the ultimate GA toy for moderately wealthy PPLs who fancy a twin that’s a little different from the usual run of Seneca and big Cessnas 😉

In fact, I’m not just orry, but even sorry! Ooops!

Originally posted by Moggy C
Close, but my dream adds a Mossie, Wellington, Whitley and Hampden.

Moggy 🙂

Just one Mossie?!? I’m orry, Moggy, but I fear your dreams disappoint! 😀

I must have been dreaming of the Dutch one at Elvington this summer ! Quick get her in the paintbay and get some 320 Squadron markings on her!

Close, but my dream adds a Mossie, Wellington, Whitley and Hampden.

Moggy 🙂

Now here’s a nice dream for you Moggy: how about a formation flypast by a restored Blenheim, a Herc-engined Beaufighter, a Merlin-engined Beaufighter and a Beaufort? I’d pay a lot of money to see that.!:D

Unfortunately, I don’t have the sort of millions of quid required to acutally see a dream like that become reality. Pity!:(

I’d just like to see any British designed and built RAF WW2 twin-piston combat type flying in the UK.

At the moment we have none.

(I’m excluding the Anson as it ruins a perfectly good argument otherwise)

Moggy

Originally posted by David Burke
Like a Mitchell????

B*gg*r!

Moggy

lol i wish i had the ££. When im bit older i would like to buy a stearman, and work my way up the ladder. But considering im not in my 20s yet i have a little way to go! 🙂

What has happened to the TFCS b-25? has that been sold?

Like a Mitchell????

Graeme – From memory there is one Beaufort surviving that is U.K built (T9952) from recollection – all the rest are Australian built
i.e Twin Wasp powered.
As for restoring it – simple go to the bank and withdraw £1 million and that should see you most of the way there.

I’d just like to see any RAF WW2 twin-piston combat type flying in the UK.

At the moment we have none.

(I’m excluding the Anson as it ruins a perfectly good argument otherwise)

Moggy