Pilatus P-2 Questions

Pilatus P2

Hello Everyone,
I am in process of reassembling N5241M ( Ex G-BONE) here in central texas. there is more information on it on WIX. It has not flown since it left GB about 8 years ago. we have run the engine and performed the first taxi test. Tomorow is fixing one more hydraulic leak, then next week weight and balance, finish items and we are ready to go for the CofA.
The undercarriage is from a Me-109, as are various cockpit items. Ground running the Argus is lots of fun, i hope to report of flight characteristics soon!
Cheers
Simon

Pilatus use the later style 109 U/C legs and quite few other 109 parts
Matt

I think it is true. One of the stories I heard was that a Bf109 restoration (maybe Black 6) had utilised the gear legs from a P-2 as they were similar, if not identical.

Dunno how true that story is, though.

P-2 landing gear & that of the 109?

I was once told that the Swiss company Pilatus used the landing gear legs of the 109 for its P-2.
Is this true or false.
Of course the gear retracted in a different direction but that would be easy to adjust as would be the angle, etc.

The salvage was aquired by ARC and the aircraft was brought to DX by low loader by the former owner. After a period of external storage a spares recovery session was carried out and all the interesting bits such as rudder pedals, systems components, undercarriage, wheels, brakes etc were stripped out for possible re-use or onward trading. All that remains is an empty hulk and a now delaminating wing. The aircraft was writted off by the undercarriage being ripped out of the wing and terminally damaging the wooden box structure and laminations, and that was apart from the fire damage. I found it was an “interesting” aircraft to maintain and the ground runs of the engine were always “exciting”…;)

I feel slightly better hearing she was a write off before the vandals got to her. But its still a pity that this lovely aircraft type is now so rare in the UK.

Judging by the cost of an Argus replacement – that somewhat helped in the beyond economical repair accessment too!

I wonder if anything now exists of G-BLKZ that could make a potential project after the thugs got hold of it or was she scrapped? .

The salvage was aquired by ARC and the aircraft was brought to DX by low loader by the former owner. After a period of external storage a spares recovery session was carried out and all the interesting bits such as rudder pedals, systems components, undercarriage, wheels, brakes etc were stripped out for possible re-use or onward trading. All that remains is an empty hulk and a now delaminating wing. The aircraft was writted off by the undercarriage being ripped out of the wing and terminally damaging the wooden box structure and laminations, and that was apart from the fire damage. I found it was an “interesting” aircraft to maintain and the ground runs of the engine were always “exciting”…;)

No, I think I was thinking of G-BJAX, which was mentioned on the other thread. But yeah, G-BONE would make five if my list is correct.

There was a fourth one, as well, which I can see in my head but the reg. I cannot think of for the life of me

Are you thinking of G-BONE? A quick google shows that it was transferred to the USA as N5241M.

Thanks David thats a pity, but exactly what I expected too.

The Pilatus P-2 G-BLKZ is at Duxford . The fire damage was quite localized . It
wouldn’t really be a viable machine to rebuild on a commercial basis.

Thanks for the information so far everyone, I had not seen that old thread before , It seems from that until recently they had a very good survival rate considering the amount manufactured.

I wonder if anything now exists of G-BLKZ that could make a potential project after the thugs got hold of it or was she scrapped? . Mind you looking at the prices quoted in that thread would it make economic sense?.

Its funny really when I think of the P-2 as a film star as a Luftwaffe fighter, As I remember as a child before I knew much about the history being so confused at airshows as to why the Germans had 2 seater aircraft like the P-2 and Me108 compared to our sleek fighters such as the Spitfire.

This thread has some (if outdated) info regarding the P2.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=70442&highlight=Pilatus+P2

T J

Up until recent years we had (I think) three/four P-2s flying in the UK:

G-PTWO
G-BLKZ
G-CJCI

There was a fourth one, as well, which I can see in my head but the reg. I cannot think of for the life of me! 🙁 Something tells me it was owned by the OFMC and used in the film Hope and Glory.

All of which were, at some point or other, painted in spurious Luftwaffe camouflage for film or airshows (‘BLKZ, for instance, was used in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as a “Messerschmitt”)

I would say that the number of flyers worldwide is pretty small (there were only about 70-odd built, I think). G-PTWO is the only one still flying in the UK after ‘CJCI was sold and ‘BLKZ force-landed, only to be set on fire by a group of yobs! 🙁 Not sure what the damage was (think the wings had it worst) but it would take a lot to get airborne again.

And spinner vanes also used on the FW189,on recent thread 🙂

Does the free running spinner serve any purpose on the type?

IIRC, it’s part of an automatic propeller blade pitch control. The faster the aircraft flies, the faster the spinner is turned by the vanes on the spinner, and a related mechanism moves the blades towards course (high angle of attack) pitch for cruise configuration. Also found on some Arado and Czech aircraft (Aero 45/145, I think).