Pilatus P.2 G-BJAX

The P-2 fuselage at Booker was, I’m pretty sure, a mock-up used for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

What actually happened to G-BJAX.
I saw it at a few places during the 1980s including Duxford, Mildenhall, West Malling and North Weald.
Why did it get broken up for spares, and is any parts of it around to day.
Wasn’t there a P2 fuselage at Booker outside PPS hanger at entrance to the museum when there, and which one was that.

Be my guest! Bend the thread away! I got the answer I was looking for regarding the badge for 6eme Escadrille (although, do you think I can find a nice hi-res picture of the badge anywhere!) Happy to see lots of pictures of pretty and shiny P.2s….I like them as much as I like Piston Provosts 🙂 …oh! and Arado Ar-96s. Now there’s a type I would like to see fly.

Best regards;
Steve

Steve – if you go to https://www.facebook.com/swissairforcebadgeswissspotter/ and look for a message dated 17Oct16 you will find an image that may help a little.

Talk of the P-2 and John Watts is very nostalgic. I see that I flew in G-BJAX with John on 14May88 on a local from North Weald after that year’s Fighter Meet in formation with DC-3s G-AMCA and PH-DDA and again with Chris Diggens from West Malling to Duxford on 29Aug88. The first attempt ended in a precautionary landing back at ‘Malling with suspected smoke in the cockpit and then a successful transit to Duxford. I also flew twice with John Watts in P-2 G-BONE/U-142 on the evening of 25Jun85 when he was practising a synchro pair display for The Fighter Meet with Paul Warren Wilson in G-BJAX out of North Weald. Let’s just say they had a lot of fun!

Back to G-BJAX and Meier Motors – I seem to recall a post on this forum some time ago to the effect that it was not a rebuild project but it was being used for parts.

Hi Michael;

Many thanks for the photos of the Ar-96. That’s a lovely restoration there. I should make it a mission to go and visit Berlin and see this beauty in the flesh. I don’t know why, but I’ve always liked the lines of the Ar-96….lovely looking aeroplane!

Thanks again!
Best regards;
Steve

Right you are. And a very “modern” one for a trainer regarding the start of the design in 1936, and first flight in 1938. Fully metal, retracting gear. Not that usual in the mid – late 1930´s. BTW Czechoslovakia (Avia and Letov) built them well into the 1950´s, as did the French with their SIPA variants. (No survivor there either, DTMB has some (minor) parts of the crashed one (ex-Salis collection) on a shelf. IIRC it was an accident due to being unable to recover from a flat spin.)

Michael

Hi Michael;

Many thanks for the photos of the Ar-96. That’s a lovely restoration there. I should make it a mission to go and visit Berlin and see this beauty in the flesh. I don’t know why, but I’ve always liked the lines of the Ar-96….lovely looking aeroplane!

Thanks again!
Best regards;
Steve

I forgot to post 2 pics I took of P.2 D-ETAB in 2015.

Michael

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Be my guest! Bend the thread away! I got the answer I was looking for regarding the badge for 6eme Escadrille (although, do you think I can find a nice hi-res picture of the badge anywhere!) Happy to see lots of pictures of pretty and shiny P.2s….I like them as much as I like Piston Provosts 🙂 …oh! and Arado Ar-96s. Now there’s a type I would like to see fly.

Best regards;
Steve

Can´t help with an airworthy Arado 96 (I´d love to see one flying too). But with pics of one of the 2 static restored ones (or under restoration? in case of the Norwegian one). IIRC there are only parts of a wreck of a 3. example Flugwerk wanted to use as template for a recreation (the project never really got started). The one in the pics is the one at Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, photos taken in 2011. BTW Arado 96 and Pilatus P.2 have the same engine, Argus constant speed prop assembly and even the same engine mount IIRC. So firewall forward they are (nearly) identical. Enjoy the pics,
Michael
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…oh! and Arado Ar-96s. Now there’s a type I would like to see fly.

Best regards;
Steve

Almost, but not quite….
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Be my guest! Bend the thread away! I got the answer I was looking for regarding the badge for 6eme Escadrille (although, do you think I can find a nice hi-res picture of the badge anywhere!) Happy to see lots of pictures of pretty and shiny P.2s….I like them as much as I like Piston Provosts 🙂 …oh! and Arado Ar-96s. Now there’s a type I would like to see fly.

Best regards;
Steve

I agree that the P2 looks good in any scheme, but my favourite is about as simple as they come. I took it on home ground at Geneva Classics 2009, all nice and polished. I hope you don’t mind me bending the thread.

Meanwhile, here is a Pilatus P-2 with a photo credit….

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Well, maybe not entirely – though, in her defence, she told me to spend the money on a Porsche 911 instead…….

Unfortunately my wife announced shortly afterwards she was expecting our first child so the moment passed!

Surely you can’t blame her entirely for this!

G-ANPK;

Thank you for the clarification. I found the photo on a google search as is. I’ve removed the photo as you have included links to the original, credited image.

Many thanks!
Steve

The photo was taken by a friend of mine ,Derek Heley, and it has been cropped to remove his name from the bottom of the photo.
It was taken at RAF Marham on 09/04/1983

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?q=g-bjax&f=_all&exact=1&type=&registration=&operator=&code_number=&construction_number=&airport=&country=&photographer=&date_taken=&airshow=&military_unit=&information=&exact=1&search_type=simple

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?q=g-bjax&f=_all&exact=1&type=&registration=&operator=&code_number=&construction_number=&airport=&country=&photographer=&date_taken=&airshow=&military_unit=&information=&exact=1&search_type=simple

G-ANPK

I watched John Watts flying a superb impromptu display at Parham, home of the 390thBG. Superb flying, such a loss

Lovely aeroplane; I flew in G-BLKZ from Duxford in the late 90s (with a view to buying a share in her). A charismatic, smooth and beautifully harmonised aeroplane, and, IMHO, nicer to fly than the T-6…Unfortunately my wife announced shortly afterwards she was expecting our first child so the moment passed!

The P2 is one of those aircraft that for me just looks right in any scheme. I also remember the late John Watts who became something of a maestro in displaying the Pilatus. A very approachable guy who was killed in a night time Tornado collision at a young age.

Rob

Not related to the thread, but to G-BJAX:
Her end or a future project of her resurrection?
A pic I took of her fuselage on 20.07.2014 at Bremgarten, MeierMotors facilities:
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Michael

David! You’re a star! Many thanks for the information on the badge. I can do some digging and knock up a decal for it now. Hope you enjoyed the flights in BJAX…I’m not jealous at all!

Rob: Yes! I spotted that rather nice Leyland too!

Best regards;
Steve