Inside Wroughton

The Connie will not move, let alone fly. Last year I was talking to a member of staff at Wroughton, and suggesting how great it would be to see it towed out into the sunshine for photography etc.

However, I was led to believe that the bottom of the fuselage has suffered from very extensive corrosion, ( a legacy of its cargo days) and the ubiquitous H&S regulations now preclude it from even turning a wheel, lest it should fold up into a heap of exfoliated aluminium!

Living very close to Wroughton, I was very lucky to photograph the entire collection outside during the mid-80s and knew the late John Bagley well, as I did his successor, Ross Sharp. Both being enthusiasts, they used to let me know when the aircraft were moved outside for any reason. I managed all the fleet except the Gugnunc and the RAE Folland Gnat. After Ross left, I asked if the Gnat could be moved outside for photography and the, then, curator quoted me £125.00 to have it moved about 10ft from one side of the hangar door outside! Excuses like, ‘we have to captialise on such things’ and we’ll have to pay extra staff to do that’, made ‘too difficult’ become the order of the day and the museum is so tight, they won’t do anything for nothing!
Incidently, the DC-3 flew in under its own steam from Ireland and has been the subject of tail-wheel mount corrosion, so it couldn’t be moved for a long time. Did you know this is the oldest surviving DC-3, one of United Airline’s first? Restore it in United Airlines colours….you’re joking? Even when offered free labour, they wouldn’t pay for the paint!

Anyway, here are four of the inmates making a very rare outside appearance for my camera:

N7777G L-749 Constellation
G-ALXT Dragon Rapide
G-APWY Piaggio P.166
EI-AYO DC-3

Enjoy!

Here are a couple of pics of the Connie being dismantled at Dublin.

You can just see the outline of Mick Jagger’s lips appearing on the cheatline under the cockpit windows. She was used to carry the Rolling Stones’ instruments on an Australian tour the year before.

Great shot- even in that state, she is still a real beauty.

I think the Connie’s nine year sojurn in the very salty outdoor at Dublin (only six miles from the sea) did a lot of damage to the fuselage. I remember a late uncle of mine who was a technical instructor with Aer Lingus at the time telling me around 1978/79 that you could wipe aluminium powder off the underside of the fuselage with your hand.

here it is… (sorry, dodgy scan of old print)

The Connie is not in the best possible condition for sure. She was used to carry livestock and its the animal urine that has done hte vast majority of the damage…

Lockheed did approach the Science Museum a number of years ago with the offer of restoration (to flight) but the paybakc was a number of flying hours for Lockheed before she was returned.

The offer was turned down.. it was contrary to the Museum’s philosophy and Lockheed looked elsewhere.

Sadly she has not had extensive work since..just stabilisation work to help prevent further deterioration.

Both Wroughton and Kensington are treasure troves…

The BD-5 should be back at Wroughton as the Spitfire exhibition has taken over the space..

Some more pics of the Connie & others from Feb last year can be found here.
http://www.pistonenvy.com/photography/aircraft/aircraft.html

I heard a number of years back that they can’t even walk inside the Connie as the corrosion is so bad. They couldn’t guarantee the floor would hold the weight of a person…

Are we looking at just a matter of time before she collapses in on herself?

I think the Connie’s nine year sojurn in the very salty outdoor at Dublin (only six miles from the sea) did a lot of damage to the fuselage. I remember a late uncle of mine who was a technical instructor with Aer Lingus at the time telling me around 1978/79 that you could wipe aluminium powder off the underside of the fuselage with your hand.

The Connie will not move, let alone fly. Last year I was talking to a member of staff at Wroughton, and suggesting how great it would be to see it towed out into the sunshine for photography etc.

However, I was led to believe that the bottom of the fuselage has suffered from very extensive corrosion, ( a legacy of its cargo days) and the ubiquitous H&S regulations now preclude it from even turning a wheel, lest it should fold up into a heap of exfoliated aluminium!

Worth pointing out that much of the aircraft collection at Wroughton was built up by the late John Bagley.

The Constellation last flew in the Spring of 1974. It carried out a meat charter flight from Dublin to Libya and back. It then had engine problems and was grounded awaiting a replacement. I well remember being at the airport in March/April 1974 listening to the Connie being given an engine test. However, it never flew again. The owners did a runner leaving the plane abandoned to its fate. It was pushed around the apron for the next nine years, eventually being taken by low-loader top Dublin docks and then being ferried to Liverpool where it made its final journey bu road to Wroughton.

Yep the electra is on show at South Kensington – never been to Wroughton but managed to get to South Ken about a year ago – the discovery hall is AMAZING…its like someone has set out the nations toybox….Stephensons Rocket, Bluebird, Electra, Pup (i think) and thats before you get to the FLIGHT hall – I have to say, many people denegrate our national Museums but many have really raised their game – the Brit Museum, Nat History and Science Museums IMHO being a few of them…

TT

It’s an Avro 504 in the discovery hall, visited with the school for some launch of a big telescope (really important in the scientific world, but i just went for the planes!). That Electra is really something, the flight gallery is fantastic too with the early Spitfire and Hurricane, both veterans of the Battle of Britain i think. Hmmm i think a visit there soon is needed

Yep I totally agree TT. Kensington is one of London’s ‘must do’ activities IMHO.

Wroughton was yesterday celebrating opening a new vistor centre too and is making a move to more ‘open day’ events next year, maybe even on the first Sunday of each month. I just can’t wait to have a look to see what’s in the other hangars!

Yep the electra is on show at South Kensington – never been to Wroughton but managed to get to South Ken about a year ago – the discovery hall is AMAZING…its like someone has set out the nations toybox….Stephensons Rocket, Bluebird, Electra, Pup (i think) and thats before you get to the FLIGHT hall – I have to say, many people denegrate our national Museums but many have really raised their game – the Brit Museum, Nat History and Science Museums IMHO being a few of them…

TT

I stand corrected!

Certainly though the Boeing came in under her own steam, I think together with a Lockheed Electra. At the time I think that the Boeing was the oldest aeroplane to make a transatlantic flight – although I guess Henry Labouchere later ‘trumped’ that when he flew the DH Dragonfly across??

The Connie came in by road and certainly wasn’t airworthy! She was going to be a star
in the next series of ‘Airline’ or whatever it was called back in the 1980’s.

Yes, it was called ‘Airline’, a subject of much discussion recently on this forum (which see).

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The Connie came in by road and certainly wasn’t airworthy! She was going to be a star
in the next series of ‘Airline’ or whatever it was called back in the 1980’s.