I read, with interest, the thread concerning airframes in scrapyards. The photos were fascinating! However when I was young, equally interesting things were to be found lurking in the brambles (and the nettles, long grass, bushes and suchlike) on many a country airfield. Those were the days when superannuated aeroplanes were pushed behind the hangars to expire gracefully! I regret to say that I have more memories of such than photographs. But, in the hope of initiating a thread that might fascinate me as much as others, I am attaching photographs of the Mitchell that sat in the grass at Shoreham for ages and the Auster frames that gathered dust on the periphery of White Waltham for many a year. Hopefully others will add their memories – or better still their photographs – of other airframes that gradually disappeared beneath the brambles before succumbing to the passage of time (or vandals or the scrapman) or metamorphosing into presevation! My breath is baited whilst I wait!
By: avion ancien - 14th November 2007 at 21:09
Jodel D.112
This one is not lurking in the brambles but on eBay.fr. Judging from what is to be seen on the fin, presumably it is Jodel D.112 F-BNZB or F-BNZO. Apparently it is in the Marne (Département 51) and the starting price is 200 Euros (but there is a reserve). Maybe of interest to someone out there with a penchant for old Jodels?
By: avion ancien - 19th October 2007 at 18:31
Now that’s curious! I have just looked in my photo albums and found a photo which I took of the same Gemini, in exactly the same place, at Biggin Hill the following month in 1975. I will try to find the time to scan and upload it. It must have been a busy day for me as I have photos taken on that same day at Redhill and Manston (Austers, Proctors and suchlike). Ah, such memories!
Here’s the photo, taken at Biggin Hill on 26 June 1975.
By: avion ancien - 18th October 2007 at 20:45
Almost in the bushes, Gemini ‘JTH, probably no longer with us?
Now that’s curious! I have just looked in my photo albums and found a photo which I took of the same Gemini, in exactly the same place, at Biggin Hill the following month in 1975. I will try to find the time to scan and upload it. It must have been a busy day for me as I have photos taken on that same day at Redhill and Manston (Austers, Proctors and suchlike). Ah, such memories!
By: Newforest - 18th October 2007 at 16:20
Almost in the bushes, Gemini ‘JTH, probably no longer with us?
By: avion ancien - 14th October 2007 at 20:35
Ju 52/3m
Strictly speaking, not ‘lurking in the brambles’ but ‘lurked in the brambles’. As I was reading ‘The Captured Luftwaffe’ by Kenneth West, I came across a photograph (page 61) of the fuselage of a captured Ju 52/3m, in its original Luftwaffe camouflage scheme, described as being in the Woodley area 1945-1948. The photograph suggests that it was well and truly in the brambles – or are they trees growing up around it! Anyhow, does anyone know the identity of the aircraft and its fate?
By: WJ244 - 29th September 2007 at 15:16
Hope these two from Biggin Hill are of interest.
The area behind the Surrey and Kent Flying Club hangar and over towards Air Touring Services used to be a haven for derelict aircraft.
The Beagle is B218 G-ASMK taken in May 1974. I think the Dove G-ARTS was over towards the area where the civil tower used to be and I assume I took it the same day.
By: WJ244 - 29th September 2007 at 14:56
It’s N7614C(44-31171)ex Jeff Hawke. it was used in 1970 to film BOAC Boeing 747 G-AWNB over the Atlantic. It sat at Luton Airport from 12.07.1970 then to Dublin on 07.07.1973. It was ferried to Prestwick on 08.12.1973 and finally to Shoreham on 04.04.1974 apparently owing £1,242 in accrued parking fees. It was flown by Brian Hopkins of Miles-Dufon Ltd said to be owned by Anthony Isaacs for camera ship use. It was subject of a High court case over parking fee dispute. It was donated to Duxford in 1976 and had a nose wheel donated from the Southend museum B-25,due to sea air corrision.
This is the B-25 suspended from the American museum roof at Duxford.
Am I right in understanding from the above that N7614C had a nosewheel swap at Duxford. If so this is the second time it has used the nose leg from the Southend Mitchell.
N7614C originally came to the UK to film air to air shots of a BOAC Boeing 747 for BOAC publicity film. During filming the Mitchell had a noseleg problem and borrowed the noseleg from N9089Z/HD368 at Southend for a while. At that time N9089Z was painted in RAF colours at Southend but still had the camera nose from her last job as Camera Ship for The War Lover and 633 Squadron. In return for the loan of the nose leg 9089Z acquired another more authentic nose.
As a teenager I was a volunteer at the Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend and sometimes helped out Stan and David Brett who were the driving force behind the restoration of 9089Z. When we got her into the museum compound she was home to entire squadrons of starlings and Stan and David reskinned a good deal of the underside of the wings where the birds nests had corroded everything away from the inside. It was a thankless task particularly as much of the work was done in the winter and with no power tools. It is a shame the old lady landed up in such a bad way again.
Her problem has always been that her mainspar was cut when she was moved to Southend from Biggin Hill. Appparently the spar bolts refused to move so the foreman of the Aviation Traders crew who dismantled her is allegedly the man who made the decision to cut the spar. Once the spar was cut she became pretty undesirable as the prospects of a return to the air at any point in the future were reduced to pretty much nill.
I saw her at North Weald a few years ago and the inside looked gutted. The new owners have an uphill struggle and I wish them all the best.
Somewhere I have a photo of her at Biggin before the BHAM acquired her. when I can find it I will gladly post it if anyone is interested.
This is my first post so hope it is of interest to someone out there.
By: avion ancien - 26th September 2007 at 17:15
O.K., hang on, I’ve been out all day. My last guess is Rennes, Saint Jacques airport, but this one had its wings on last time it was seen!:confused:
No again! But seeing that no-one else knows and/or is interested, I won’t prolong matters. This Caravelle was F-BHRI. I understand that it was preserved at La Roche sur Yon until about 1997 when it was transferred to Coulonges sur l’Autize, in Deux-Sèvres, where I photographed it last Monday. The rear half of the fuselage emerges from the back wall of ‘Le Retro’ nightclub (whether the remainder is inside and on the other side of the wall, I don’t know – visits to nightclubs are no longer quite my thing!). Earlier this year, I think, I read in the local daily paper that the nightclub owner had died. Whilst I don’t know, based on a daytime visit the nightclub does not give the impression of being in operation still. So I suspect that this Caravelle’s lease on life may now be limited. Hence my comment about the scrappie!
By: Newforest - 25th September 2007 at 23:05
O.K., hang on, I’ve been out all day. My last guess is Rennes, Saint Jacques airport, but this one had its wings on last time it was seen!:confused:
By: avion ancien - 25th September 2007 at 22:35
Nope! You were closer first time – right country, but wrong side. This one is certainly on our side of the pond!
C’mon, it’s really not that difficult!
By: avion ancien - 25th September 2007 at 09:43
Satolas, Lyons’ St. Exupery Intl?
No forget that one, how about Pima Community College Aviation Tech. Center at Tucson?
Nope! You were closer first time – right country, but wrong side. This one is certainly on our side of the pond!
By: Newforest - 24th September 2007 at 23:53
This one’s not yet quite lurking in the brambles – but it is likely soon to be unless the scrappie gets to it first! Ten years after its arrival at this location, this Caravelle has lost its livery and is distinctly down at heel nowadays. I wonder how long it will take before someone on the forum can identify its location and former registration mark!
Satolas, Lyons’ St. Exupery Intl?
No forget that one, how about Pima Community College Aviation Tech. Center at Tucson?
By: avion ancien - 24th September 2007 at 19:23
Caravelle
This one’s not yet quite lurking in the brambles – but it is likely soon to be unless the scrappie gets to it first! Ten years after its arrival at this location, this Caravelle has lost its livery and is distinctly down at heel nowadays. I wonder how long it will take before someone on the forum can identify its location and former registration mark!
By: avion ancien - 2nd September 2007 at 23:00
I’m a member of the McAully group and I have made the members aware of this thread.
I have had a response from Andrew Lake, who has conducted a lot of research, about the group for our 50th anniversary celebrations this year.
Apparently the Magister was the focus of the playground for many years, until a change of headmaster, who considered it unsafe, had it removed. I have been given the name of another member who has photographs and press cuttings from the time.
Joe
Do you know when and to where the airframe was removed? Can you put me in touch with the other member of the McAully Flying Group who has the photos and press cuttings concerning G-AIZK at Little Snoring Primary School? I suspect that he and those would be of immense help to me in my researches. Do send me a PM if you would prefer.
By: Hurrifan - 2nd September 2007 at 22:35
There was a derelict Argosy sitting there in 1975- and a 2 seat Meteor. I think I also remember an engineless Varsity sitting on its tail….
and another childhood mystery solved!!!! 😀
Definitely wasn’t the Argosy …It must have been the Varsity as i seem to remember a relatively bulbous rounded fuselage !….fat isnt PC is it?
seem to rember that there was a small no through road that allowed you to get relatively close to it but this was then closed off as the troubles got worse.
Thanks for the info !
By: 25deg south - 2nd September 2007 at 19:16
Having talked to a couisn who is similarily interested in historic aircraft he reminded me that in the late sixties/early seventies a large tail dragger RAF transport was sitting near the boundary of what is now Belfast international/RAF Aldergrove.
Think it may have been a Hasting but neither of us can remember if it was 2 or 4 engined…anyone know what it was and where it ended up? it sat there for ages..
There was a derelict Argosy sitting there in 1975- and a 2 seat Meteor. I think I also remember an engineless Varsity sitting on its tail….
By: Mark12 - 2nd September 2007 at 18:10
An unexpected find on a cycling spotting trip to Luton Airport in 1958 – this Hoverfly behind one of the sheds, lurking. Adjacent was the Hunting Percival P.74 Jet Helicopter XX889 being cut up by a local scrap man. He kindly severed one of the control columns for me, which I duly strapped to my crossbar. I donated it to Newark Air Museum…I wonder if it is still there.
Mark
By: Joe Petroni - 2nd September 2007 at 17:44
Little Snoring Magister
Thanks Roger. But I wonder whether this has muddied the waters further still!
If the photo in the press cutting was taken in 1964, the piece would have been “old news” if the Magister had gone to Little Snoring Primary School in 1960. So I wonder whether, in fact, it was G-AIZK that was “scrapped at Little Snoring in 1963” and that the reality of the situation was that it was withdrawn at Little Snoring in 1963, the engine was removed and the frame was transferred to the school the following year. If so that would make it seem unlikely that it got there ‘under its own steam’ – and it still doesn’t explain the apparent Newcastle connection! Anyhow, I wonder if the school has a website and/or e-mail address in order that enquiries can be made there?
I’m a member of the McAully group and I have made the members aware of this thread.
I have had a response from Andrew Lake, who has conducted a lot of research, about the group for our 50th anniversary celebrations this year.
Apparently the Magister was the focus of the playground for many years, until a change of headmaster, who considered it unsafe, had it removed. I have been given the name of another member who has photographs and press cuttings from the time.
By: Hurrifan - 2nd September 2007 at 01:18
Must have been in the brambles at the end !
Having talked to a couisn who is similarily interested in historic aircraft he reminded me that in the late sixties/early seventies a large tail dragger RAF transport was sitting near the boundary of what is now Belfast international/RAF Aldergrove.
Think it may have been a Hasting but neither of us can remember if it was 2 or 4 engined…anyone know what it was and where it ended up? it sat there for ages..
By: avion ancien - 1st September 2007 at 17:19
I hope I did not give the impression I had the slightest idea what I was talking about! My muse that it was delivered by air was only prompted by its rather collapsed and terminal countenance, looking as if it may have made a spectacular and probably unplanned arrival.
However, infact seeing as it has no engine, no fin, missing screen etc, the prop is not bent, I would guess it was a derelict airframe with most various bits tacked on, such as the top cowling.
On the theme of school playing fields, during WW2 Dr Challoners school in Amersham used to have a tatty old Hawker Hart for the CCF to play with.
It lived on the playing field, and one day was spotted by a scud-running Beaufighter which obviously thought it had located an airfield, dropped wheels and flaps, and lined up for approach ! Thankfully it went round at the last moment.
As to the Hawk Trainer, it just goes to show how it is possible for a jocular remark to evolve into an urban myth! As to the Amersham Hart, what became of that?
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August 13, 2007 at 9:06 pm