Gnat XR537

The can burners may have to be replaced, so it had to be stripped back down again. A pity, but we have to follow the party line on what the CAA want.

Not nice to see it sawn in half, but there again, all planes have to have it down at one time or another.

That’s a real shame XR537, I thought is was progressing so well, your guy’s at Dehav must be heartbroken to have to strip her down again when she was so nearly ready to fly

… We all know that given half a chance, our illustrious Britishness-identity-bashing luvvies in the cabinet (and their army of faceless wonders) would grab any opportunity to get the red pen out.

… 537 will be flown to help promote the RAF’s heritage and that of the British aircraft industry – the days when we could build a jet or two.

Finally, why is it that this country is so damn good at self-bashing anything constructive??? :confused: This jet could have (easily) been sent to US for spares and then we’d have no end of harping on here about nobody in the UK being bothered about saving our jet heritage.
Yet, as soon as we do something positive to reverse that trend, we get all sorts of inane comments about special RAF privilege, yadda, yadda, yap, yap, nag….

Just be thankful you’ll get to see one of these superb jets back in the air, be it in ‘official’ 70s decals or not – and if it is (with the RAF’s blessing).. it might just help reverse this apathy about restoring a bit of pride into what was once a bluddy good (and proud) nation of aircraft designers, builders, flyers and engineers… and still is, in some quarters!

Amen! Huzzah!!

I do wish more people felt like this.

I wish you guys the very best in getting her back into the skies, and applaud your efforts to promote our heritage – and get a more than a few quid into charitable causes along the way. I’m sure you won’t mind me saying “That’s very British of you sir!”

Roy.

Still ongoing

I thought there might be problems, as I have been in constant touch with G-NATY’s owners awaiting an official launch date. Suddenly it’s all gone very quiet!:( I don’t understand why this one is having problems when G-MOUR, G-RORI and others don’t? Can anyone explain?:confused:

The can burners may have to be replaced, so it had to be stripped back down again. A pity, but we have to follow the party line on what the CAA want.

Not nice to see it sawn in half, but there again, all planes have to have it down at one time or another.

I thought there might be problems, as I have been in constant touch with G-NATY’s owners awaiting an official launch date. Suddenly it’s all gone very quiet!:( I don’t understand why this one is having problems when G-MOUR, G-RORI and others don’t? Can anyone explain?:confused:

as the engine is out albert I’m gonna take a wild guess and say a problem with the engine perhaps? shame, it sounded great when she last ran up! could it be my previous information has come true, I hope not:(

I thought there might be problems, as I have been in constant touch with G-NATY’s owners awaiting an official launch date. Suddenly it’s all gone very quiet!:( I don’t understand why this one is having problems when G-MOUR, G-RORI and others don’t? Can anyone explain?:confused:

Sneaky Peek In the De Hav Hanger

looks like the prophecy has come true! managed to sneak into Bournemouth Museum before they shut shop for the Christmas Period and I was greeted to a festive but very forlorn scene in the engineering hanger. Poor old XR537 sans engine, sans tail, on jacks with what must be a dismantled engine wrapped up beside her.

Towing the party line XR537? Good to know your guys at De Hav won’t have to pull that beautiful old girl apart! I wasn’t at any of the above, I decided to become one of the may ‘spotters’ at the museum for the day. Glad I did G-CVIX doing a run and break over the museum :diablo: nothing comes close. 😀

Like the posts enourmously, especially the bit about,

“Just be thankful you’ll get to see one of these superb jets back in the air, be it in ‘official’ 70s decals or not – and if it is (with the RAF’s blessing).. it might just help reverse this apathy about restoring a bit of pride into what was once a bluddy good (and proud) nation of aircraft designers, builders, flyers and engineers… and still is, in some quarters!

Possibly, with serious malice aforethought ect ect, you might like to team up one afternoon and pathfind for XH558 to drop a few buckets of instant sunshine on all the doubters and annoraks that have said so much for so long that it could not be done.

Complete rumour

Yes, RAFAT excelled themselves once more along the seafront – a very good tight display and some very well-received returns to EGHH for the onlookers, following both Bournemouth and Eastbourne sorties.

As the 537, sounds like more of the silly rumour mill in action… was this rumour from along the beachfront (I doubt it) or at the BIC event, or at FRA’s Families Day event???

We are simply working with the CAA to make sure that we fulfil their requirements on all aspects of the plane, but, we believe that she is now ready to go.

The engine only has 86 hours on it, do I doubt very much if it will be a ‘replace’ instruction!

However, the rules state that she can’t fly until the governing authority stamps her permit, so we are happy to work to the requirements of our colleagues in the CAA until they are satisfied – which we believe will be very soon.

XR537

XR537 whats the big fuss going on at the moment? I was down Bournemouth today to see the sparrows do their thing and there was a vicious rumour going round that the C.A.A. (C.omplete, A.rs****e, Authority) want your guys a De Hav’s to either remove the engine for inspection or replace it all together! Any substance to the rumour or is it just hot jetpipe gas? 😮

The plan is to have her in the Aviation Museum hangar at Hurn, but as a flying exhibit, like the majority of aircraft there. She will (hopefullly) be flying fairly regularly.

That way, museum visitors can see her on the ground, and get to see her taxi out for her flights on a regular basis.

We are also looking at putting together an exhibition room about her history (and that of the Gnat generally), the Arrows and formation aerobatics in general, and the restoration project in words and pictures.

It will make Bournemouth Aviation Museum pretty unique to have such an exhibit and info centre. 🙂

But, most importantly, her exhibit stand will not say “This plane used to fly with the RAF…”, but rather “XR537 now flies as a display aircraft, following a restoration project, after many years of service in the RAF…” 😀

…and we won’t need the Airfix sachet of hangar dust to sprinkle on her newly-painted wings…

Sounds good hope all goes to plan.Caint wait to see her Flying coming down to Dorset next week and in three weeks time hope to make it to the Bournemouth Aviation Museum:)

James

Flying exhibit

The plan is to have her in the Aviation Museum hangar at Hurn, but as a flying exhibit, like the majority of aircraft there. She will (hopefullly) be flying fairly regularly.

That way, museum visitors can see her on the ground, and get to see her taxi out for her flights on a regular basis.

We are also looking at putting together an exhibition room about her history (and that of the Gnat generally), the Arrows and formation aerobatics in general, and the restoration project in words and pictures.

It will make Bournemouth Aviation Museum pretty unique to have such an exhibit and info centre. 🙂

But, most importantly, her exhibit stand will not say “This plane used to fly with the RAF…”, but rather “XR537 now flies as a display aircraft, following a restoration project, after many years of service in the RAF…” 😀

…and we won’t need the Airfix sachet of hangar dust to sprinkle on her newly-painted wings…

She’s all nut-and-bolted together… just awaiting her permit from the chaps at the CAA.

Slipper tanks went on and were tested fine, weight’s all balanced, RAF approval for her decals, etc… so all’s well in the hangar.

Will post her photo the day her wheels leave 26 @ EGHH. 😀

Thats good news cheers for update 😎 Will she be based at Hurn?

James

Waiting for the man

She’s all nut-and-bolted together… just awaiting her permit from the chaps at the CAA.

Slipper tanks went on and were tested fine, weight’s all balanced, RAF approval for her decals, etc… so all’s well in the hangar.

Will post her photo the day her wheels leave 26 @ EGHH. 😀

Hi all Just wondering whats the lastest news on XR537 (G-NATY):D

JAmes

Now, that’s funny!

Come on NATY, get it right. I bet you were to busy playing with girls at school to notice that the original bulbs were made by the British Organic Lighting Lens Organisation of Knebworth, Stevenage ( you work out the acronym ). Tut, this complete lack of research leads me to conclude that you jet boys are to busy counting your millions to worry about doing the job right, if you cant be bothered then there’s hundreds of wedged up playboys like you out there willing to do the job right, come on put some effort in! 😉 😀

ROFLMAO 😀

And as to changing the lightbulbs…. we are earnestly seeking out the Edisson Bulb Company in the States, to see if they still make the originals… 😀

Come on NATY, get it right. I bet you were to busy playing with girls at school to notice that the original bulbs were made by the British Organic Lighting Lens Organisation of Knebworth, Stevenage ( you work out the acronym ). Tut, this complete lack of research leads me to conclude that you jet boys are to busy counting your millions to worry about doing the job right, if you cant be bothered then there’s hundreds of wedged up playboys like you out there willing to do the job right, come on put some effort in! 😉 😀

I hope the bolts used to attach the slippers were to Hawker Siddely( :confused: ) standard and not modern spec. We cant have the purists moaning can we?! 😉
Seriuosly I can’t wait to see it fly ,I do have a soft spot for the Gnat, even if I am not sure of its manufacturers spelling!
Cheers, Alan.

Yes, we woke up some former machinist who used to work at Folland’s Hamble factory, and asked him to cut a gross of the bolts, designed to the exact same blueprints, with hand-carved threads and fitted with a spanner from the original Folland toolkits. :p

Double-checked that the slippers didn’t need any decals, and then breathed a sigh of relief…although I am sure that some pigmentation purist will come down with a spectographic analyser to ensure that the exact tone, pantone code and light diffraction and resonance standard of the Signal Red paint on the slippers matches the plane …. even though they were painted by he same company, using the same mix and applied in the same method.

We might even go back to hand-cranking the fuel in – to complete the authenticity – after all, who needs these new fangled bowsers with fast-delivery pumps when you can easily spend an hour or two refuelling between air show schedules?? 😉

And as to changing the lightbulbs…. we are earnestly seeking out the Edison Bulb Company in the States, to see if they still make the originals… 😀

There has to be a place at the Kemble show for this aircraft………..t’would be a fitting return if I’m not mistaken???

I hope the bolts used to attach the slippers were to Hawker Siddely( :confused: ) standard and not modern spec. We cant have the purists moaning can we?! 😉
Seriuosly I can’t wait to see it fly ,I do have a soft spot for the Gnat, even if I am not sure of its manufacturers spelling!
Cheers, Alan.