Data plate: What would 5mil build you today?

I think it would take more than GBP5mil to build a DH91, Felixstowe or restore a Wellington. Personally, from my very limited replica-building experience!

Depends on how much work could be carried out by volunteers etc. If you were to hand the job over to a professional restoration company, paying them at least £60 + VAT per hour, and whatever they add on the price of any original parts they obtain on your behalf, then yes it may well come to well over 5 million.

Bob T.

I suppose a Wellington bomber is out of the price range.

Maybe not as the MkII was Merlin powered and the MKIV Twin Wasp powered so engines would not be an issue which is why many aircraft become too costly to restore (everything is relative of coarse). A coastal command Wellington would be a fitting spend.

I think it would take more than GBP5mil to build a DH91, Felixstowe or restore a Wellington. Personally, from my very limited replica-building experience!

I would have to spend my 5m on getting a Typhoon in the air !
A lot of that would be building a new sabre of course.

Just imagine seeing a Typhoon on a high speed pass at Duxford………….

Jules

SOOOOO many to choose from “have you finally won the lottery then ? lol”.

HP O/400.
DH 91 Albatross.
HP V/1500.
Supermarine Southampton.
Felixstowe F5.
Bristol Bombay.
HP Heyford.
HP Hampden.
Gotha GIV.
Wellington.
Gloster IV Seaplane.
Miles Satyre.
Parnall Panther.
Short 184.
Airco DH10.
etc etc etc etc.

Bob T.

Give the dosh to Tim Moore so that he can achieve his long held ambition to replicate the Napier Heston Racer and find out if it really could have taken back the world speed record in 1940.

Buy that Beaufighter off the guy at Duxford before it’s left to rot.

Hi Cees – see the attached link

http://www.assaultglidertrust.co.uk/gallery/Horsa_Move.html

I think they just need bolting together at the transport joint, once the final destination has been determined. Hope they sort out the cockpit glazing before it goes on show though.

Thanks Simon for the link,
Didn’t know it was finished. Has been a while since I last looked at the progress. Great project. Shows what can be done.
Cees

I’m not saying anything, I just copied directly from CAP562 which is (for the moment) the official text on the subject.

FB

Hi Fournier Boy,

Thks for the info, so basically what you are saying is if you have the data plate and a chunk of original fuselage then a restoration to airworthy is feasible,
if you have the money, and can reconstruct/acquire the missing bits, etc.

Brgds
Stuart

HP O/400

or a

Halifax BVI

and a

Victor B2

Just to show the Avro boys a thing or two about real bombers.

I’ve inspected this collection of parts last year, and actually think it would have been cheaper to build a Master. All of the primary structure is wood, and if this is put into the hands of a specialist woodworking team (of which I can think of a couple in the Uk alone) this would be a realistic prospect to see it flying again.

Hopefully these substantial remains can be re-built into a complete airframe again one day.

This sounds quite exciting, has there been anything article wise written about this potential project. I must admit I knew nothing about this one. Great news.

From the CAA:

There is no set minimum amount of the original aircraft required to allow the project to be considered a restoration. However, there must be something recognisable from the aircraft for it to be classed as original, normally primary structure and generally from the fuselage, even if these parts are subsequently replaced.

The aircraft’s data plate will be key in establishing its original identity. Where this is no longer available evidence from historians or published material can be used and a replacement data plate made. This should include the serial number and manufacturer. We will check that a restoration has not previously been approved for the same airframe identity.

And, if I remember rightly, there’s only a couple of wee bits of K5054 around.

Anyway, if we can’t have a repro of K5054 (discounting Clive DuCros’ wooden version), then I’ll settle on a Stuka instead.

There was going to be a Master I built circa twenty years ago. However the prospective builder weighed up cost vs potential return and bought a Spitfire instead.

I’ve inspected this collection of parts last year, and actually think it would have been cheaper to build a Master. All of the primary structure is wood, and if this is put into the hands of a specialist woodworking team (of which I can think of a couple in the Uk alone) this would be a realistic prospect to see it flying again.

Hopefully these substantial remains can be re-built into a complete airframe again one day.

From the CAA:

There is no set minimum amount of the original aircraft required to allow the project to be considered a restoration. However, there must be something recognisable from the aircraft for it to be classed as original, normally primary structure and generally from the fuselage, even if these parts are subsequently replaced.

The aircraft’s data plate will be key in establishing its original identity. Where this is no longer available evidence from historians or published material can be used and a replacement data plate made. This should include the serial number and manufacturer. We will check that a restoration has not previously been approved for the same airframe identity.

Question,
Apart from the data plate, what %age of an a/c would be needed to reconstruct to meet CAA requirements?

For example, how much of the original structure was incorporated in the rebuild of the Dunkirk Spit and what approximately did that cost?

Stuart

I would purchase a frame for the plate then spend the rest on wine, women and song, by the time I’d spent the cash and sobered up I would have forgotten all about the plate… :very_drunk:

.

There was going to be a Master I built circa twenty years ago. However the prospective builder weighed up cost vs potential return and bought a Spitfire instead.

Miles Master 1 for me, realistic now there are a few more flying Kestrels. Failing that I like the idea of a Battle.

Yes totally agree with you on that choice.

+1 jeepman!!;)