De Havilland Museum

Resurrection?

Just to let you see what we started with and where we are now with the Heron

Excellent, lovely museum and i can’t wait to go again

Redux

I have resurrected this thread, purely to add some pictures of the Heron with much of the repaint having been done by the team. I thought it appropriate, as there are pictures of it before it started to go blue once again!

The colour scheme is that of G-AOTI when in service with Rolls Royce not long after delivery. The light blue is a bit green, but we matched it to an existing piece on the airframe. It is a lovely colour however!

It also serves to spur on those who have to look after airliners out in the open! We have a dedicated team of between 2 and 6 who look after the Heron and the Doves, and who work 2-3 days a week, every week on the aircraft. Thank heavens we have them!

Enjoy!

Bruce

All pictures courtesy of Brian Kern 🙂

Looks like i’m coming tomorrow now, can’t wait!

dhfan

You are quite right – the current scheme is not at all appropriate!

The short nacelles are indeed still there. We took the flap ram covers off, and were amazed to find they had just been faired over with the nacelle extensions!

Bruce

Wonderful!
Shame they can’t see the light of day again. Not an option as it would obviously damage the airframe to remove the fairings but it would be nice to see what it originally looked like.

Darren,

Chippy is going well – we fitted the engine at the weekend, and I am currently painting the cowlings. One wing is ready to fit – the other is a little way behind.

I am currently on the scrounge for engine bay parts; so if anyone has any, then do let me know!

Bruce

Excellent, it sounds as if things are moving along well. I will try and pay another visit soon, and see her in the flesh.

dhfan

You are quite right – the current scheme is not at all appropriate!

The short nacelles are indeed still there. We took the flap ram covers off, and were amazed to find they had just been faired over with the nacelle extensions!

Bruce

Darren,

Chippy is going well – we fitted the engine at the weekend, and I am currently painting the cowlings. One wing is ready to fit – the other is a little way behind.

I am currently on the scrounge for engine bay parts; so if anyone has any, then do let me know!

Bruce

I doubt W4050 ever had the long nacelles with E0234 markings.

Bruce, I’ve looked although not recently. Are there any signs of the original short nacelles?

Great museum – proper aeroplanes. 🙂

It does. Thanks!

(were you at the museum on 9th August by the way?)

Hows that Chipmunk coming along Bruce?

Yes, the 125 has been one of those jobs. I hate to say it, but I took little pleasure in its restoration, as it was in poor condition, and not something I could bring back to life. Although it has a reasonable coat of paint now, it still needs a fair bit of work. Engine cowls are on my to do list, and I am hoping to get at least one set done this winter. I also have the rudder to refit.

The Heron now sports a white top, and will soon have a blue lower portion. It will also be in Rolls Royce colours.

E0234 is the manufacturers number for the prototype, and has been on there since the 50th anniversary in 1990. It was thought appropriate as the overall yellow colour scheme was not on the aircraft for long. When it is restored, it will be in brown/green camouflage, with yellow undersides, and will be back to W4050 as it is more appropriate.

Hope this helps!

Bruce

Indeed the Heron did look a bit pale to me 😀

A few more from me, and a few questions as well: is there any chance of the Dh125 getting a few engines in the future? Somehow the Mosquito prototype looks better without engines than the 125 does in my opinion! Also I was wondering what the story was behind the E0234 markings on the prototype? I always knew her as W4050 and was quite surprised not to see those markings when I went around the hangar in a clockwise direction (I found them later of course 😉 ).

I’ll stop posting photos now, don’t want to spoil it for Rlangham.

Good, glad you enjoyed it. The pan outside is a little untidy at present, whilst the Heron is being painted, but we are otherwise fairly well presented!

Nice shot of the prototype – somewhat denuded at present, but we are making slow progress on her!

Bruce

Finally had a chance to visit a few weeks ago, indeed you can walk through the Horsa fuselage. Somehow I had only expected the Mossies and one or two other aircraft, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the collection to be a bit more substantial than that! I had a great time there, enjoy your visit!

i went last year and thoroughly enjoyed my visit, i got some exellent pics of most of the exibits and will be going back next year,

all the best,

Greg

Cheers for your reply, i’m looking forward to going, my dad likes Mosquitoes so hopefully he’ll enjoy it, after all he is the one driving me down to London and back! Can you go inside the Horsa fuselage?

Yes, at least one! 🙂

Whats it like – I’ll leave that for you to decide.

How is the Mosquito 6 getting on. Very well, but slow, like all these things. It will be a few more years before it becomes a complete entity again!

As you’re coming, I’d better have a tidy up!

Bruce