Everyone knows that TD-240 was first registered in England in 1959 to Woods of Colchester Ltd. and operated from Wormingford. In 1963 G-APUB was transferred to Miss J.M.Breeden, Cranfield who operated Air Cruise Ltd. and executive charter concern. In 1963 G-APUB was transferred to Shell Aircraft Ltd. London at Heathrow. In 1969 G-APUB was gifted to Sir Douglas Bader by Shell when he retired from Shell. Bader made his last flight in G-APUB on June 4, 1979 and soon afterward lost his medical. In September 1981 TD-240 was transferred to a dealer and sold in the USA as N2620U.
After being stored in a hanger in Southern California for almost 20 years G-APUB was back in the sky as of December of 2002. After having both engines overhauled, two brand new props, new fuel cells, a Cleveland brake conversion and an updated panel among many other things it was flown across the United states to Virginia. It has since been sitting in a hanger in Virginia since February 2003. It now has had the antennas replaced and rewired. The seats have been replaced with leather. The old generators have been removed and are being updated with alternators and new wing bolts.
It will soon be time for new paint. It has not been painted since Bader owned it. You can still read the G-APUB on the wing, it had been painted over, but he paint has worn off. We are trying to come up with a new more attractive paint scheme. I’m looking for ideas or suggestions for the new paint color and scheme. TD-240 is a very nice low time aeroplane with only 2450 total time on the airframe. I’m sure she has many additional years of flying left since being stored in such a dry climate for so many years.
Attached Photos are:
Landing at Corona California Dec 1,2002
Para Aviation Corona California
Leaving California
New Mexico looking at Mexico
Texarcana, Arkansas fuel stop
Looking for Chattanoga, Tennesse over the clouds
Birmingham, Alabama fuel stop
Leaving Birmingham International
Virginia Hanger February 2003
By: Newforest - 5th May 2010 at 08:36
Three posts ın four mınutes ıs not ethıcal, collect your thoughts!:D
By: WebPilot - 3rd May 2010 at 20:18
Why on earth not?
In conversational English…the term is very common.
I believe the term is “whoosh”.
By: WebPilot - 3rd May 2010 at 20:17
On a serious note, I agree with some of the previous comments, to whit that I would most like to see G-APUB in the scheme associated with that of her most illustrious pilot.
By: WebPilot - 3rd May 2010 at 20:14
I’m informed that G-STORK was actually a Fairey Barracuda with an imaginary undercarriage modification.
By: TwinOtter23 - 3rd May 2010 at 18:49
It was prompted by a piece about “unseen images of the Battle of Britain” in the DM where the old chestnut about DB’s collision was repeated. I just wrote in to tell the “other” story and to unashamedly (!) plug the book, of course.:D
No problem the piece actually said “In my book Bader’s Last Fight (Grubb Street, 2007) I investigate ……”
By: galdri - 3rd May 2010 at 17:58
Not seen the film “Reach for the Sky” about Bader then J.B ;):D:D
It is a direct quote from the movie and goes:
Never, NEVER, call it a plane, it´s an Aeroplane :p
By: J Boyle - 3rd May 2010 at 17:00
Never, never call it a ‘plane……..:)
Rod.
Why on earth not?
In conversational English…the term is very common.
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd May 2010 at 16:43
Thanks TO!
No….its more use to the recycling system than to me but thanks for the offer.
It was prompted by a piece about “unseen images of the Battle of Britain” in the DM where the old chestnut about DB’s collision was repeated. I just wrote in to tell the “other” story and to unashamedly (!) plug the book, of course.:D
By: TwinOtter23 - 3rd May 2010 at 14:03
It was published on Tuesday 27th April – I can rescue it from the recyling bin if you want.
Nice ‘mention’ of your book “Bader’s Last Fight” but I wasn’t certain of why it had been sent in!! :confused:
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st May 2010 at 21:53
Blimey T.O!
Did they actually publish it?
Not being a DM reader I didn’t see it.
Perhaps I can claim my readers letter prize. A weekend at the Stork Hotel.
By: TwinOtter23 - 1st May 2010 at 21:23
:diablo: Will it be in the letters page of the Daily Mail? 😀
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st May 2010 at 20:47
Well….since you started it!!
I believe that he flew a similar aircraft, registered G-STORK, on his clandestine flights to and from Germany and Liverpool between 1941 and 1945.
There…thats got that out of the way! 🙂
By: avion ancien - 1st May 2010 at 20:12
Anyone feel a Stork Hotel moment coming on!
By: SierraEchoFred - 1st May 2010 at 13:55
Höganäs (ESMH), Sweden, June 11 1968 – Douglas Bader has just arrived in G-APUB.
See also http://www.hoganas.se/fotoarkiv/ViewOne.aspx?id=4034
By: horsemoney - 1st May 2010 at 13:16
I would very much like to see it repainted in the same colors and scheme it had when Bader flew it. My boyfriend owns it and he wants to change it. He would also like to trade it for a Baron or Cessna 310, something that can carry additional passengers. Since its a nice economical twin, I would hate to see it end up at a flight school somewhere. Maybe someday someone in the UK will be interested in taking it back home where it belongs.
By: REF - 1st May 2010 at 12:43
A beautiful plane, thank you so much for sharing the photos.
By: Whiskey Magna - 1st May 2010 at 12:22
Quote:-Nice plane. I’ve always liked Travel Airs….
Never, never call it a ‘plane……..:)
Rod.
By: Newforest - 1st May 2010 at 11:46
Great news on a hıstorıc machıne. Hope ıt doesn’t stay ın the hangAr too long!:)
By: Merlinmagic - 1st May 2010 at 11:23
As a kid I used to spend summer hols in Lagos, Nigeria and am pretty certain this was the aircraft that used to fly out there as the name ‘Woods of Colchester’ sticks very much in my memory. I am sure my late father used to drink with the pilot at one of the clubs in Lagos.
Is it possible it used to fly that distance and if so I wonder what route it used?
MM
By: J Boyle - 1st May 2010 at 04:47
Nice plane. I’ve always liked Travel Airs….
For what it’s worth…it’s your plane and dollars…:D:D:D
My suggestion for a paint scheme…
The stock Beech scheme for that year…or the Bader scheme….(possibly/probably the same???)
Here in the Northwest, I see a lot of vintage/classic GA aircraft in their original 50s-60s paint schemes…they look great. I’ve seen some really neat paint & polished Cessnas, nice Aero Commanders, even a few Apaches and Aztecs. At our local GA field, there is even a circa 1950-55 Bonanza in a original (optional) all paint scheme. In a recent book on the history of Twin Bonanzas, there is quite a section on restored planes…appearently restoring GA planes with old schemes is getting to be big thing.
It’s a classic…celebrate that fact instead of making it look like some starlet with too much make-up. 😀
That would be better, IMHO, instead of painting up in a current scheme that might look dated in a few years.
To be to the point…everyone knows Travel Airs are long out of production, no sense in trying to make it look like a new Baron or Bonanza.
I’m finishing the restoration of a 1963 luxury GT car, I’d love to find a circa 63 plane in its original scheme to photograph it with.
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April 30, 2010 at 6:32 pm