Feggans-Brown Gate-guardians

Of course Feggans Brown had already built the FSMs for the TV series “A Piece of Cake”. I’m aware of the following:

———- Spitfire cockpit, prepared for the TV but not used, now with Alan Partington in Catford

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That cockpit is odd. It was built bottomless with the canopy sealed with aquarium sealant anf plumbing fittings on the bulkheads at each end. The original idea was to invert, slowly fill it with water, and film the occupant of one the aircraft that failed to fly under a river bridge drowing. The filming never took place. The cockoit was also about three inches too wide, not a problem until you try to fit correct sized mock up frames and instrument panel. It went on loan to an ATC squadron as a project but, as is so often the case, a change in OC meant that no work was carried out.

R&@#$$£%h?.><* @@@! I posted an answer around 9am-ish this morning and it isn’t here!

The serials, as Scotavia says, are for tracking BUT also they give some items (historic or otherwise) an identity.
For example the only serial that Alcock and Brown’s Vimy has is BAPC 51, it having no military or civil registration. The same with a number of Mignet Pou-Du-Ciels that were under construction when the design suffered from CoA certification withdrawal, so they were left without registration until listed by the BAPC. It gave anonymous airframes, ie those found in barns or behind hangars hidden in the long grass, an identity, as well as the full scale (although not necessarily accurate) models and replicas, since they rarely keep the same (false) serial from construction.
There were a few anomalies initially, such as half scale museum models, but that can be forgiven since the normal civil register also suffered one or two weird ones – is that manhole cover preserved, anyone?

British aircraft preservation council.

Originally was but changed to British Aviation Preservation Council several years ago to reflect the wider subject matter such as support equipment and airfields etc

As you suggested,tracking . Otherwise any reference would become long winded ” That Hurricane which used to be at the Siddal auction rooms,then Upton camp marked USW but dont think its the same one that was displayed at Earls Court in the same markings,they were both replicas “
Also in the early days of aviation several flyers had no identity, home builders also produced all sorts of craft some never flew and it can take time for the real identity to be re discovered on some airframes so a BAPC serial helps track.

Thanks…but why the serials?

British aircraft preservation council.

What does “BAPC” stand for?
I assume a council of some sort, if so why would they serial FSMs…just so those interested can keep track of them?

Of course Feggans Brown had already built the FSMs for the TV series “A Piece of Cake”. I’m aware of the following:

BAPC.202 Spitfire MA467ended up at Maes Artro Leisure Park, by Llanbedr. On e-bay 2006 and not heard of since
BAPC.209 Spitfire MJ751 FJ-N now at the Niagara Falls Museum
BAPC.283 Spitfire, serial not known, now in store in the Isle of Man, previously seen at Jurby
———- Spitfire cockpit, prepared for the TV but not used, now with Alan Partington in Catford

From their build date of 1990, I suspect that Spitfire BAPC.206/MH486 and Hurricane BAPC.205/Z3427 at Hendon might also be Feggans Brown products, but am waiting confirmation or otherwise.

As I understand it TDL and GB Replicas moulds are one and the same, taken (from memory) from a Belgian museum Spitfire.

Were the TDL moulds the same ones or are they the ones that were taken from the Italian Museum Spitfire? They are certainly different from the ones used on the GB replicas.

good work keeping these records…mention of a typo reminds me of the hundreds of times that the press refers to hand gliders.