Dead Magister at Southend

Having read my post again what I meant to say was that I have a lot of admiration for those with the time, money, skills and dedication to rebuild aircraft from basket cases.
Think that reads a bit better and apologies if I offended anyone.

WJ244 is right to point out that things were very different 40 years ago.

My father was a member of a small team from the East Anglian Aviation Society who attempted to rebuild G-AKPF to an airworthy condition. The reality was, of course, the team failed to achieve their aim. While KPF was in a better condition than IDF in the photo, it did result in an almost total rebuild with many of the parts having to be made by the group from scratch.

Added to this, the group could only attempt the rebuild every Sunday morning in a large garden workshed in Steeple Morden – so unsurprisingly progress was slow and members came and went, my father being one of a handful who were there for the duration of the group’s attempt. As WJ244 states, information was not free as it is today and the group were really on their own for the venture – I can remember only one trip to get parts and that was a part exchange with the Shuttleworth Collection and trawling through their sheds.

Ultimately, politics did for the venture – for a decade or so anyway when others took it on more successfully. While the loss of these aircraft is a shame, it was very different back then.

Interesting to see another poor aircraft burnt as the easiest way of “getting rid of that old rubbish”.Stan

It is a shame that so many old aircraft got burnt but you have to remember that times have changed.
In those days it wasn’t too hard to acquire another rough Magister which could be restored to static condition as few people were prepared to invest money in curing the glue problems associated with many old wooden aeroplanes which, even after restoration were worth very little money.
The wings of IDF were so rotten that the ply disintegrated as we touched it and the fuselage was completely broken in half and a short section behind the cockpit was completely missing. In those days – 45 plus years ago – no preservation group would have considered it to be a viable restoration partly due to a lack of facilities to carry out a full restoration and partly because there were many projects around which could be acquired cheaply that needed a lot less work. We should also remember that with no internet there was less exchange of information and expertise between groups to help with any restoration and the chances of acquiring drawings were very small.
I admire anyone who has the time money and dedication to rescue “basket cases” such as the aircraft you own. Sorry but I don’t have any leads on Magister parts. All I managed to recue from IDF was a small piece of faric from the cockpit area which I still treasure as one of the few souvenirs of the time I spent as a teenager at the Southend museum.

This one.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-harbour-news/2850887/Old-Fox-flies-again

Which Fox Moth Stan?

Moggy

Magisters

Interesting to see another poor aircraft burnt as the easiest way of “getting rid of that old rubbish”.
I currently own, in flying order, a DH 84A Dragon, a DH 83C Fox Moth and a DH 94 Moth Minor, all of which only just avoided the fire treatment at some time of their lives, and am working on a Gemini and a Messenger which also would have gone the same way. I have the mortal remains of the second Magister prototype and if any of you out there in preservation land know of any Maggy parts that will assist in getting her back in the air ,I would be most grateful to hear from you.

Stan

Yes, the photo was taken when all of the “museum” aircraft were parked near the railway.

For the record here is what she looked like when complete as seen at Cambridge on 7th July 1951.

Tony

That is definitely the remains of G-AIDF which having, been repainted by BHAM, was left with no tie downs. A gale blew up and the Magister was all but destroyed and damaged Proctor NP339/ G-AOBW (also just repainted)along the way.
The remains were taken to the Historic Aircraft Museum compound and a plan was mooted for the junior section of the voluteers to restore her but we had our work cut out getting the presentable aircraft ready for the museum opening and the Magister proved to be very rotten so she was eventually burnt to tidy up the place ready for the opening.
The photo was obviously taken when the museum aircraft were parked over near the end of the main runway by the railway line.

Banupa…..

Most likely candidate is G-AIDF c/n 1766 P6411 registered 28 Nov 46. Wrecked by gale at Southend 5 Sept 67. Wonder if one of the Southend “locals” can confirm?

Planemike