RAFM Cosford – 11Nov09

Yes the LVG seen in the photo flying whilst with the Shuttleworth Collection IS the same machine currently residing in the Beetham Centre at Cosford.

I think I’m right in saying it was one of the WW1 machines that formed the Nash Collection and was loaned to Shuttleworth over 40 years ago. However the Nash Collection (which included the LVG) was transferred/gifted to the RAFMuseum. I think there was negotiation over a delayed transfer enabling it to continue flying.

I have a particular affinity for this aeroplane. As a teenager in the early 1960s I spent holidays camping at Old Warden helping out. The late Bert Etheridge was restoring the LVG back to flying condition and I put a few temporary staples into the lower fuselage ply skinning when it was glued into place :):) happy days.

Roger Smith

Would be good to see one as havent seen her since she left Old Warden

Just a quick Question, Would the RAFM ever part with any of its exhibits? i mean for the right amount of £££ and possibly an aircraft in return?

(just rather like the idea of an airworthy ME410 alongside Black 6 :diablo: )

Yes they would Ben, just as long as you have a Whirlwind 1 to swap with them.!:D

i seem to remember a photo of something that looked like it in the …. preservation centre at cosford, though im probably mistaken

Yep thats the old girl

Luftverkehrsgesellschaft – LVG CVI?

This one?

the LVG is a German WW1 aircraft which used to fly at Shuttleworth Collection. i cant remember what the letter stand for.

LVG?

Does anyone have any pics of the LVG as it is now?

Just a quick Question, Would the RAFM ever part with any of its exhibits? i mean for the right amount of £££ and possibly an aircraft in return?

(just rather like the idea of an airworthy ME410 alongside Black 6 :diablo: )

Any pics of the Hampden restoration, or is that part closed off to the public?

Cees

Cees – the Hampden was dead centre in the hangar on view for everybody to see, along with the Dolphin, LVG, Battle, Prentice and a big boat.

It was difficult to see progress from the previous open day – although presumably progress there must have been. It was very illuminating speaking to people about the half and half restoration though………….

The Battle was also still underway. i can’t imagine that it has taken nearly a year to repair the damage caused by the careless transport. So what else are they doing to it………

I was at St Athan in the early ’50s and I remember them ground running them.

As to the clipped props I was told that an overenthusiastic fitter allowed the tail to get up and the props hit the ground!

Can anyone add the actual details?

I remember another suggested answer to this from some years back, however I have no idea if it is true or not. The answer then was that they were deliberately clipped to prevent it ever being flown. Is there not another ex St Athan German machine suffering a similar fate?

Any pics of the Hampden restoration, or is that part closed off to the public?

Cees

I was at St Athan in the early ’50s and I remember them ground running them.

As to the clipped props I was told that an overenthusiastic fitter allowed the tail to get up and the props hit the ground!

Can anyone add the actual details?

Great pics Si, thanks for posting. And before anyone asks… no it won’t be at legends.!

First of all, apologies to Brian for creeping into this thread, lovely photos as per usual!

Tony, thanks particularly for the SWAG blog link I had not seen that one before. I remember one of the coolant lines blowing off during the first run of the day at the At Home day one year. Needless to say that was it for that year!

Can’t remember the reason for cutting the props, but as Cees says it ws probably standard practice to bring everything back into balance. Either that or find a new blade!

Here are a couple of photos of her running:

[ATTACH]178955[/ATTACH][ATTACH]178956[/ATTACH][ATTACH]178957[/ATTACH]

Good times!

I’m sure it wouldn’t take too much to get these aircraft running again. Think it would be a crowd puller!

Cheers

Si

it’s such a shame that the luftwaffe birds are in a neglegted state, they are such a far cry from how they should be and are living reminders of the ‘bad old days’. Maybe one day they will get the proper restoration they deserve

I would not say they are in bad nick, here is my folder with 34 large Hi Res images of the 410 in it, showing her as she is today.

http://skonk.net/main.php?g2_itemId=126

At least they survive to this day, otherwise none would be left. I believe it was standard procedure to crop the blades when one was unservicable.
Cees

it’s such a shame that the luftwaffe birds are in a neglegted state, they are such a far cry from how they should be and are living reminders of the ‘bad old days’. Maybe one day they will get the proper restoration they deserve

Hi Peter

I believe the props were cropped in the 80’s (problems with one or two blades, so the rest had the same treatment) The paint scheme was last done in 90>91 so not original, I believe the Horst Wessel markings are spurious.

If anyone has photos or video of this or the 190 running, I would be most interested.

TonyT, were you there in the late 80’s? Do you have a copy of the sound recordings?

I have photos of one of the runs, do I need a photobucket account or similar to post them?

Cheers

Si

Sorry I do not have a copy, they were recorded in 1976 for the record, I have seen links to it before. I was at the end of my Mechs course so we were roped in to getting them all out for the runs and assisting with them………. props appear cropped in pics below whilst at Saints.

Video..I wish.

There are stills of them being ran around the time here

http://members.lycos.co.uk/rafstathan/

http://ciapoldiescorner.blogspot.com/2009/01/100503-focke-achgelis-fa.html