CockpitFest Planning June 2006

Relightflynn9

During this Coronavirus period my Grandma sent a an old photo of WP255 which my Grandfather used to fly when he has in the RAF. 

i was wondering whether you had any more information / pictures?

Thanks, 

Ed

David, Just the instrument panel for the hornet or the rest of it as well ? Tony ,what planning !! seriously though, do you know anyone else with spitfire related “stuff” that might be forced ,sorry encouraged to display at cockpit fest; I did speak to Bill O sullivan a few weeks ago and he said he liked the idea of a spitfire related theme ,but conceded that cockpit wise ,it might be a bit thin ,but panels, seats, windscreen assy’s, controls etc there would be much more potential. What say you?

I will be bringing parts from my project, and planning a Science Museum esque type display on a smaller scale…with your Spit nearby or a s acentre piece? Others welcome to join in!! 🙂

Cockpit-fest 2006

Hi Stuart

Just the basic Hornet panel this year…It’s a logistical thing!
I now have a growing collection of shaped wooden parts, but no-where near assembled. None of which looks like a cockpit yet either. I’m aiming for the 2007 event for a more substantial display.

Besides, I thought that showing a few more panels wouldn’t go amiss, and may encourage others to do the same too. It would be nice to be part of a line up as I have previously mentioned aswell.

David, Just the instrument panel for the hornet or the rest of it as well ? Tony ,what planning !! seriously though, do you know anyone else with spitfire related “stuff” that might be forced ,sorry encouraged to display at cockpit fest; I did speak to Bill O sullivan a few weeks ago and he said he liked the idea of a spitfire related theme ,but conceded that cockpit wise ,it might be a bit thin ,but panels, seats, windscreen assy’s, controls etc there would be much more potential. What say you?

Hi all

I will be exhibiting two de Havilland instrument panels this year in the interiors category only. Would anyone be interested in bringing along other de Havilland instrument panel types to show a line up?

I would like to display:

Hornet F.1 instrument panel.
Vampire FB.5, instrument panel from VZ193.

Does anyone have one for a Moth, Rapide, Mosquito, Chipmunk, Vampire T.11, Venom, Sea Venom, etc? This could make an interesting mini-theme for the interiors section?

David, as discussed I should be able to arrange a Vampire T.11 and Mosquito B.35 if all goes to plan. There’s a fair bit of work to be done yet but I should have something to bring along. 🙂

Well done Dave…..my planning is in final stages now!

Cockpitfest 2006 – interiors

Hi all

I will be exhibiting two de Havilland instrument panels this year in the interiors category only. Would anyone be interested in bringing along other de Havilland instrument panel types to show a line up?

I would like to display:

Hornet F.1 instrument panel.
Vampire FB.5, instrument panel from VZ193.

Does anyone have one for a Moth, Rapide, Mosquito, Chipmunk, Vampire T.11, Venom, Sea Venom, etc? This could make an interesting mini-theme for the interiors section?

I am thinking about doing a Spitfire display….hopefully with the help of Stuart G and others….it would be centred around ‘Spitfire – The Legend’, a bit like a Christmas Carol tribute to the Spitty…past present and future and what makes it such a legend. Obviously using cockpit stuff and supporting displays…..and focussing on what the public think!

Nice to see some new stuff but the statement is not strictly true as David Burke’s Buccaneer was a visitor in 2002.

If you scroll down on the link below there is an update about Cockpit-Fest 2006 on the Newark Air Museum website.

http://www.newarkairmuseum.co.uk/news.cfm

Slightly off thread so apologies, would any cockpit owners be interested in showing their cockpits at a small aviation event, and would you allow the public to sit in them?
With yourselves watching of course!
Pm’s are fine for replies, thanks.
Alan

Depends on where, when and how far!
I consider CockpitFest as one of my ‘holidays’ hence dont mind forking out substantial amounts to get there etc. It is also a fantastic social event for the go-getters in this hobby….speaking of which, I hope that the Forum’s Shack cockpit buying group can chalk up a ‘People’s Cockpit’ success at CockpitFest!! 🙂

Slightly off thread so apologies, would any cockpit owners be interested in showing their cockpits at a small aviation event, and would you allow the public to sit in them?
With yourselves watching of course!
Pm’s are fine for replies, thanks.
Alan

Both photographs taken by my own fair hand !

For those who are’nt familiar with the pic, WP255 was the third tier in the pile of Vampire fuselage pods, the 20mm cannon barrel holders plainly visible in the upturned aircraft below.

For reference the yard also held several mainwheels & tyres that were found to be Short Stirling (not saved), probable Firefly main firewall bulkheads,still with catapult hooks attached (not saved), various Hawker parts including a Typhoon control column (saved),Spitfire anti-freeze tanks (saved) and all manner of other parts (not saved).All now under several thousand tons of rubbish and soil.

Sorry, off thread !

Paul,

Yes indeed, didn’t realise you were its saviour though. I guess that slipped the current owners mind ?

You’ll recognise this pic as well then…..?

DaveT

A bit more on the attached pic above.

The pod shown is Vampire NF10 WP255 which i bought from a scrapyard in the early 80’s, when i was a young man !
It was one of about nine pods that were laying in a Bingley scrapyard, and Alan Allen saved another less complete example, which is now displayed, restored, and to a very good standard at London Colney, with it’s early type framed canopy retrofitted as part of the project.
WP255 is under long term restoration, at AeroVenture in Doncaster.It is the only example of an NF10 with a bubble type canopy in existance.

The other seven were bulldozed into oblivion, and the site is now a landfill.

These are the last examples in the UK of the first RAF jet night fighter.

At the time of the almost last minute rescue, lots of aircraft enthusiasts scoffed.I wonder how much of a folly these rescues and restorations will be regarded as 50 years from now.
Having seen the results of dedicated aircraft enthusiasts work on these aircraft i don’t regret a minute of it, and would always give 100% support to any serious aircraft custodian, regardless of the condition of an aircraft they started with.

I guess that you didn’t notice my “Work in progress” Hornet cockpit project at Newark 2005? Maybe this was due to being in the new Hangar away from the main display area. As a preference, I would prefer to join the main group of cockpits this year, albeit under a fetching gazebo type tent. I am also preparing some display boards with photographs, drawings, and contact details….

Dave,

No, on the contrary, i noticed your stunning project and it is usually discussed whenever i see Andy from Newton Abbott, whom of course you know.

However, using yours as an example, i think there’s a world of difference twixt the Hornet, and the generic example of a manky cockpit shown below.

Hypothetically if a newcomer brought such a cockpit along, especially a wooden DH type, would they be ridiculed or encouraged ?

As i said, with a few small exceptions, you dont see such newly acquired ‘starter’ cockpits, and i wondered why :confused:

Dave T: “I’ve just reviewed the photo gallery on ICC for the last 4 years, and aside from Tonys Hurricane, Naylans stuff and Stuarts Spitfire, i cant see any other ‘work in progress’ or ‘starter’ or ‘just acquired’ cockpits featured.”

Hello Dave T

I guess that you didn’t notice my “Work in progress” Hornet cockpit project at Newark 2005? Maybe this was due to being in the new Hangar away from the main display area. As a preference, I would prefer to join the main group of cockpits this year, albeit under a fetching gazebo type tent. I am also preparing some display boards with photographs, drawings, and contact details.

I believe that Cockpit-fest is the event for physically promoting your project to the public, as most spend much of their lives in the garage or restoration workshop away from view. It is only the minority that are actually under the umbrella of a museum, and will eventually see the light of day upon completion. Yes, it is not cheap to transport aircraft cockpits around, and when you consider that it is a whole weekend used up too, there is a big investement in time, but I think it is a small outlay in comparison to meeting interested members of the public, and other project owners.

We should all be greatful that a major museum and national magazine are providing us with a forum to exhibit our projects. There will always be conflicts over when to have an event, whether with sporting or holiday fixtures, especially in June, but I would much rather have it when it is, rather than 200 pairs of muddy feet go through each exhibit! May I suggest reveiwing the successes and perceived failures of previous events, and just working up a list of lessons learnt from which to create the 2006 event from.

I will be lending my support to the event for as many years as it will run, and I hope to encourage others to do so too.

Dave T, the 2003 event was the poorest event in terms of attendance but still enjoyable; 2004 was better; r.e attendance and positioning 2005 was a good turn out and brilliant weather but the site was efectively split in two. Both Bill Fern and Nayland Moore regularily bring “work in progress cockpits”, David Collins Hornet project is also in that catagory. I personally think that “work in progress” cockpits are more interesting as they give you the option of exhibiting a different cockpit every year (always assuming that progress is made!).It’s true some people have come one year and never again, I don’t know any of these people personally, so I cant ask them, but one exhibitor who has attended for a couple of years has intiimated that he might not attend this year on grounds of transport costs (I hope he changes his mind). however I don’t think anyone has felt unwelcome ; my first attendance was 2002 and I didn’t know anyone there, but the lure of free food and all the (free) beer you can drink was too strong!! not to mention the Flypast goody bag ,and all the cockpits of the aircraft at Newark are open free to the exhibitors as well. My advice is take a chance ..I did. 682al , don’t get me wrong ,I thoroughly enjoyed 2005, but the positioning was not good ; plus the fact that if substantial numbers of exhibitors were to turn up ,they couldn’t be accommodated in that location.

I have been to every Aeroboot and Cockpit-Fest and as I understand the situation the events have evolved after input from the cockpit owners, the sponsor, Bill O’Sullivan and the museum.

Up until 2003 I understood that the Aeroboot was a separate event to Cockpit-Fest. The events were combined in 2004 to make a single large event with public access arrangements changed to reflect the opening of the new hangar at the museum.

For the event last year I understand that some of the issues that arose in 2004 were addressed in association with the sponsors and this resulted in the revised layout for the event. Also some cockpit owners wanted to display on concrete and others on the grass.

I would expect that this type of issue could be addressed with the organisers, has anyone raised them with Bill O’Sullivan or with the museum?

Having been to the museum recently hangar 2 was pretty full and there were some aircraft parked in the area described by Stuart Gowan, perhaps the whole layout might be changed this year.

As for the success of the event in 2004 there were 19 cockpits listed in the Flypast write-up and in 2005 at the event the Flypast voting slip numbers went up to 25, so I guess more attended in 2005. The Wrecks and Relics listing showed only 9 cockpits there in 2003 so things seem to have improved over the last three events.

I understand that visitor numbers have remained about the same; hopefully the World Cup won’t affect the event this year.

It is a fact of life that what ever is done it will not suit someone. With other venues now copying the event something must be being done right.

As for the theme the Chipmunk seems a good one, perhaps the museum could be asked to display their restoration project.

I agree with stuart gowans, in that I thought the 2005 event was markedly inferior to 2004, where there was a very good turn out (AND very high standards of workmanship on display.) The 2005 event seemed disjointed and lacklustre by comparison (not meaning to criticise the effort put in by those attending).

I failed to spot the space issues referred to by TwinOtter23, and would have thought that any such problems could be avoided with a little extra thought – after all, the area around the new hangar is huge and more than sufficient for exhibits and stalls.

But at the end of the day, the organisers have the right to set what rules they deem appropriate – and it’s for the exhibitor to decide whether he wants to fit in with them, or not.