Quiz – what is this?

enjoy !

location: Glatton

source:

http://www.457thbombgroup.org/Visitors/BBV.HTML

Martin

What a very sad state of affairs. Something better should have happened to these parts…

Richard

Albemarle scrap!

Doesn’t a substantial amount of remains for the forward fuselages of a couple of these guys still exist somewhere? I’m sure I have read that on these pages before. Does anyone have photographs of these remains, or at least a detailed description of what they are?

Cheers, R.

The now defunct Pennine Aviation Museum took a large amount of Albemarle remains recovered from the quarry, already mentioned in the scrapyard photos thread, by the RAF – the parts were in store at Hendon I believe & with the loss of storage space at the time were in danger of being scrapped. The parts consisted of two artic trailer loads of tubular steel airframe remains- mainly wingspar, which were then stored in the open at a commercial garage premises belonging to one of PAM’s members. The cockpit sections were stainless steel tubing (to stop compass deviation?) so were easily seperated from the pile & two cockpit frames were reassembled – don’t get too exited – the Albemrle was built around a basic tubular frame then encased in a aluminium shell – these a/c were burnt before being bulldozed into the quarry – so only the inner frame was left.

When PAM folded, the collection was sold off or donated & no one seemed interested in the Albemarle bits – the wing spar sections were huge & taking up valuable room at a site that was trying to run a commercial business – the result I believe was that they ended up scrapped 🙁 The cockpit section went to the former chairman Mr Stansfield & I believe he still has them (or at least on of them) in storage, though now again dissassembled – I have seen wanted ads from time to time for parts posted by him, but cannot confirm that any progress has been made towards restoration.

Doesn’t a substantial amount of remains for the forward fuselages of a couple of these guys still exist somewhere? I’m sure I have read that on these pages before. Does anyone have photographs of these remains, or at least a detailed description of what they are?

Cheers,
R.

Wasn’t it eather underpowered? (Like the Bota) which could lead to obselecance and a high accident rate?

ISTR that the Albemarle had an awful accident record. Can somebody tell us why this type in particular?

Hi PL & MikeJ,
I was doing some research in 1989 on first flights of 1939, and the Albermarle was quoted there. My refs are packed and my recall long gone, but I’m reasonably happy it was corroborated in a couple of places. It might be worth bearing in mind that several 1939 types took a while to reach fruition – the HP Halifax and the Fw190 both first flew in ’39, but took several years to be debugged and reach service. The loss of a prototype (like the Firefly and Fairey TSR) will put back a program a long way; so the logic stacks up well enough. Sorry no chaper and verse, but I hope it helps!
Cheers

Dzienkuje, Mike, my main point is that you can’t always believe what you read on the Web! I know there are errors in Putnams too, but does anyone here on the Forum have more details on the alleged 1939 first flight (and a quotable source)?

Mike, I would take issue with you on post #12; my authoritative source “The British Bomber since 1914” (Putnam) states that there were 2 Albemarle prototypes, P1360 and P1361, the former being the first to fly, on 20 March 1940 at Hamble, pilot Flt Lt Charles Hughes.
Since this could affect the Albemarle details in my massive “First flights” project I would be very pleased to have more detailes of that alleged first flight in 1939, such as serial, date, pilot, venue, etc. etc.
It’s nice to be back, by the way, I have been working very hard (actually earning money!) for the last few weeks!

Blow me, I read this thread yesterday and lo and behold I switch on the telly this morning and catch an episode of “Gladiators of World War II” which happens to be about the Waffen SS. And what pops up to illustrate part of the D-Day landings? A clip of an Albermarle taking off with a Horsa in tow! Spooky or what? 😀

By coincidence, I have just seen announced that Valom Models of the Czech Republic will soon be issuing an injection moulded kit of the Albemarle in 1/72 scale which will no doubt please quite a few WWII aircraft modellers out there!

And should the final pit end up as a rectangular shaped hole approx. 59 ft. 11 ins long by 77 ft. wide, then I’ll be delighted. Good luck and if you want an extra shoveller, let me know!

I hope not – we dug one about that size for the Time Team dig – English Nature were not amused I fear 🙁 As for the nosewheel – we are getting a very strong magnetometer reading between the two “engine” craters – could be the nose gear, but more pobably a mass of twisted stainless steel tubing from Abingdon!

Now that looks interesting.

That engine has all ‘the attitude’ of still being attached to something larger.

It has not been tilted by the propeller as it was buried.

Mark

Was it not the first (potential) warplane designed and built in Britain with a nosewheel?
In fact I am hard pushed to think of another design prior to it, that went into production (was the Bell Airacobra earlier?) and saw action.
Prepared to be wrong, though.

Flood

Test pit for one of this years proposed digs

And should the final pit end up as a rectangular shaped hole approx. 59 ft. 11 ins long by 77 ft. wide, then I’ll be delighted. Good luck and if you want an extra shoveller, let me know!

Will it fly at Legends ? 😀 😀 😀

AW41 Albemarle

Could soon be a few more bits preserved!

Test pit for one of this years proposed digs 😀

Interesting. I wonder how you trap a fir tree? 😀

LMAO !

you ‘fellers’ know this one ? includes some info on the Russian aircraft…

http://www.raf38group.org/albemarleindex

Martin

Maybe there’s a few more bits for 682al in the Russian tundra?

I’ve mentioned this in another thread but I seem to recall an edition of Flight International from the late 1950’s printed a photo (or mention of) an Albemarle being used by fir trappers in Northern Russia.

Who knows what may be lying on some abandoned airstrip?

Cheers Mike,

Maybe there’s a few more bits for 682al in the Russian tundra?