De Havilland Gipsy Six's etc Left Flying…?

Gull Six.

I don’t know the facts, but without the motor installed, it means they’d have to have rigged something up to bolt the airscrew to anyway.
I was very sorry to see this rare and very original a/c leave the UK, but it’s in one of the most appropriate places that it can be for Kiwi’s to celebrate a national figure. My heart wants to see it fly, but my brain tells me it’s safer there…!
It’s a funny thing, but there seems to be, relatively-speaking, more old pre-war British civil a/c down-under, and there’s ‘nowt wrong wi’ that :). They certainly have a better climate for aviation.
That photo does raise one interesting query though. I wonder if that Gull had a starter fitted pre-war….? They were not brilliant, and were usually omitted to save weight when racing etc. I suspect it was fitted during the war when it was impressed, or post-war when the a/c returned to the Civil Register.
Does anyone have any nice detailed photos of her pre-war..?

Is that a safe presumption to make? If it is decided to hang the Gull in an airport terminal in a position in which, I understand, it’s not easily viewed, why not extract the engine first? Presumably no-one can see that it’s not there, the airline passengers probably don’t care and it makes suspension easier and less expensive! But if the engine on display at MoTaT has been extracted from Jean Batten’s Gull, then it’s a funny old world in which the engine warrants exhibition in a national museum whereas the airframe itself serves, at best, as little more than a minor diversion for delayed airline passengers!

?

I presume that this is a spare Six that went with the a/c, rather than them actually removing it from the Gull before it was hung-up….?

Out of interest, the ex-G-ADPR Gipsy Six on display in its perspex case at MoTAT. Photograph taken today.
(No sign of the reputed Pobjoy though! Maybe that one is stored).

If you are including non-flying then that makes one hell of a difference.

Jean Batten’s Gull G-ADPR / ZK-DPR is on display at Auckland International, and the Six from it is in a glass case in the new hangar at MoTAT.

Philip Burn’s Proctor ZK-AQK is at Rangitata Island.

Thanks for that. The original post was asking for flying – and any likely to be flying within a reasonable time – i.e. – on active rebuild to fly.
Sadly, I can’t see G-ADPR ever flying again. However, I would include the Comet replica, as I know that that is very much active.

If you are including non-flying then that makes one hell of a difference.

Jean Batten’s Gull G-ADPR / ZK-DPR is on display at Auckland International, and the Six from it is in a glass case in the new hangar at MoTAT.

Philip Burn’s Proctor ZK-AQK is at Rangitata Island.

Hang on folks, I thought the original question was about Flying Gipsy Six series engines. Most of those mentioned arent flying currently or I would have mentioned them myself. If we are aiming for non flying I can probably throw another 10 or 15 in the mix.

The US has/had NX89DH (G-ADDD), X7454 (NR695) and N8053 (G-ALGE) which was destroyed in 1979. All are/were Rapides.

Thanks for the update. NZ looks like about 17 then – the engines have been breeding down there…! Anyone any ideas on Oz, the U.S. etc? 🙂

Update on Proctors.
I have ARP and the remains of APH plus 2 spare engines
John Geary has AQJ and AVW
Sport and vintage have AQZ
Phillip Burns has???
Guy Clapshaw has DPR
Dominie/Rapides include AHS,AKY, AKU,SWR, AKS plus VH-BGP and DH88 under restoration

Which are your QII and QIII’s.

Just a rough guess of what is in NZ, which may mean I will miss one or two. This would be currently airworthy although there are probably another 5 or 6 that are close-ish.

3 x Rapide / Dominie
3 x Proctor (MkI and MkV)
1 x Fokker DVII replica
1 x Pfalz DIII replica

Thanks for that. Another eleven at least…! I hadn’t factored-in those replicas..:)

Gipsy Queens.

‘I’m including Six, Six Series II, QII & QIII. (I’m not including Q30 or later.)’ 🙂

Which are your QII and QIII’s.

Just a rough guess of what is in NZ, which may mean I will miss one or two. This would be currently airworthy although there are probably another 5 or 6 that are close-ish.

3 x Rapide / Dominie
3 x Proctor (MkI and MkV)
1 x Fokker DVII replica
1 x Pfalz DIII replica

Gipsy Queens.

Can’t think of any currently flying in NZ.

There are at least three Proctors and a Rapide I believe…:)

Thanks TC. I’m look forward to seeing your machines running. 🙂 I didn’t make it to Noth Weald sadly.
UK-wise, the CAA list a variety of machines, but of course quite a few are not airworthy and may not even have any prospect of flying in the foreseeable future, but I’m including them anyway as they are still on the Register. I’m looking at around a ten-year horizon. G-INFO lists for the UK population;-

Rapides;- 12, – 24 motors.
Comet;- 2 – 4 motors.
Proctors;- 6 listed (Are all yours on the list TC..?).
Vega;- 2.
Q6;- 1 – 2 motors.
Gull;- 0.
Mew;- 2.
Miles HSS;- 1.
Miles M3B;- 0.

Total 41.

This suggests that, worldwide, the number is more like 60-70. Lets see what comes out in the wash…!
I realise that there may be more engines stored, but I’m more interested in how many are going to be required to be kept airworthy. My knowledge on Miles a/c is very basic, :confused: so I might have missed a Six-powered type (such as the M3B onwards). If I’ve missed any other Six-powered a/c someone tell me please….:)

Does anyone in other countries have any numbers..?

Can’t think of any currently flying in NZ.

Queen 2’s

We have four Queen 2’s at Great Oakley (with one now away on zero time rebuild for Proctor 3 KEX). Although none are “airworthy” yet, three if not four are earmarked for return to flight use.