Scrapyard Photos; Any More?

Ken – Tim’s Beaufighter (G-DINT) is indeed the former Halton rig.It travelled to Henlow for storage on behalf of the RAFM. From here Tim acquired it and subsequently added a former Australian rear end to the project which is what you probably saw at Hatch . Hope that helps.

I think they’re one and the same. I saw it at Halton 27/5/66 just as WV-703 lovingly presents, with no evident ident. W&R 3, 5/68, has it as: “Mention should perhaps be made of the piece of Beaufighter (forward fuselage, mainplane centre section and engines) which is attached to a hut.” Around 1969 I changed my log entry of “Beaufighter fwd.fuse+wings to engines” to “RP151/Buckmaster” sourced from (one of the enthusiast Newsletters). W&R 6, 1978, declines to recognise anything at Hatch or Halton, but at Henlow has “Beaufighter TF.X, large pieces, ex Portugal”. W&R 11, 1988, has, at Hatch: “Beaufighter TF.X ex-Henlow, Halton. Arrived 12/87”. My log notes that “RP151” was later “identified” at Hatch as Beaufighter I X7688/3858M. W&R14,1994 has it thus, now G-DINT “ex Halton” (no mention of Henlow).

Hatch was open 9/7/2005 and in the shed were bits from more than one airframe. Help!

WV-903 #680: The rig was actually a Buckmaster I, RP151. In 1987 Skysport at Hatch took it, to be consumed into G-DINT, rebuilding (slowly) as a Beaufighter.

I think you might be mistaken about the test rig as it was a Beaufighter Mk.1 X7688. Buckmaster RP151 was at Halton at the same time though, according to some photos posted by Mark12 some time ago link. However, I am curious as to your implication about RP151 … does some of it survive, and if so, what parts?

Cheers,
Richard

WV-903 #680: The rig was actually a Buckmaster I, RP151. In 1987 Skysport at Hatch took it, to be consumed into G-DINT, rebuilding (slowly) as a Beaufighter.

Some more pictures of the Morotai Graveyard (pitu & Wama airfields) can be found here: http://www.oldcmp.net/amlacgy.html

Lots of other interesting pictures at the Aircraft section.

Tillerman.

[QUOTE=Good Vibs;1223585]

The mother of all scrapyards: Kingman Army Airfield (Ca 1946).

Selling/scrapping surplus war assets.

* BT-13 $450
* P-38 $1,250
* AT-6 $1,500
* A-26 $2,000
* P-51 $3,500
* B-25 $8,250
* B-17 $13,750
* B-24 $13,750
* B-32 $32,500

The stunt pilot Paul Mantz bought 475 aircraft (from trainers to bombers) for a cool $55.000

Hi,
Someone correct me if I am wrong but I remember the story that Paul Mantz bought the war surplus aircraft “as they were”. They were all fully tanked up with fuel and ready to go. He sold the fuel for more than he paid for the aircraft. Then he sold off the engines, parts, spark plugs,wheels, etc from the ones he did not keep and sold what was left for scrap.A very good business for him at the time. The aircraft he kept he used for his movie business in southern California.
Good Vibs

[

Thats the story i heard anyway, and it makes sense too.

I actually found the the “Bill of sale” (a copy of it) for the Paul Mantz sale somewhere, its a pretty impressive list. I have it on PDF so if anyone wants a copy (just to cry over) drop me a pm and i’ll mail a copy.

Date = 19/2 1946.

Actual price = $55,425.68 “CASH IN HAND” (They didn’t trust those Hollywood flyers).

Location = Bearey field (Municipal airport), Stillwater Oklahoma.

The sale included “all appurtenances attached to or installed”. Which could also mean fuel. I have heard about many post-war sales, acquired by farmers purely for the fuel. If i remember corrently, some of those “Farm-birds” later became actual flying warbirds, as they were found across the US (or other nations).

It also notes that there is NO “warrenties whatsoever”

Wow Factor

WOW !!!! AND WOW !!! Again, These pictures are aamaaazzing !! Is that Swift Fus. WK 214 still in existence ? And those Balliols just waiting to be collected,( I’ll get the transit Flat Bed out. ) Are any of those saved at all ?

They would keep a few more Cockpiteers happy.

When I joined RAF Halton as an Aircraft Apprentice in 1958 ( 88th ) the Airframe workshop had just cleared all the Swift Maintenance Airframes out and Hunters moved inside. These Swifts were piled up on the grass verges all around the parking area for a while then subsequently moved down to the Airfield and piled up there, then scrapped later. I loved wandering around those things looking at all the Sqdn. markings on them.

Inside the Workshop , we did our basic Airframe first rigging and assembling on about 6 Percival Prentices ,which were thrown out in 1959-60 and replaced with Piston Engined Provosts. I missed seeing the Prentis’s scrapped as I’d left Halton by then.

The RAF Halton Airfields in that year of 1958 was a preservationists dream. When I first saw the place as a young lad of 17, I could not keep away, every Weekend I would go down at least once and wander around. No Guards, no Barriers ( except the one you lifted up and walked under ) , No body there at all, the place was deserted, As you walked in you came to a Spitfire outside the first Hangar, which I would sit in for a while, then move over to,I think 4 Mosquitoes that were being scrapped, I had a lot of bits and pieces out of the C/pits, ( long gone ) but even then this was sacrilege to me and I wished I could save them, ( I couldn’t-they were scrapped shortly after ) The Comet flown in by John Cunningham had yet to arrive, but looking past the “Moss-es”,– over by the far hedge there were about 4 Single seat Meteors, which were all in ground running and taxying condition.

Pilots on Ground tours there would fire them up and taxy them around for us youngsters to marshall , during the Airfields Section of Apprentice Training and when they got bored with it all, they’d take the Meteor on a full bore taxi Run right down the length of Airfield and back, bouncing over the grass bumps. One pilot actually lifted his Meteor 10 feet into the air throttled back the engines and landed after covering a hundred yds. or so. We thought it was brilliant of course but really it was very risky, If the centre of gravity had been aft. at all it all could have gone terribly wrong. ( Imagine a pilot doing that at Brunty nowadays in one of those Lightnings. Elf and Safety -wot ! )

Next to 2nd Hanger was this wonderful Rig made up for U/T Engine Fitters to learn and test their Radial Engine Ground running knowledge and skills.
A Bristol Beaufighter was mounted on RSJ’s sunk into the ground, the outer wings and rear fuselage removed but still she stood on her U/Cart and a wooden hut built on to the Cockpit with all the Engine controls ( extra large sizes ) fitted up on the front hut wall inside, in fact the hut was set out like a school classroom and regular engine runs took place during the working week for the Engine Fitter Apprentices. I did get to sit in there a couple of times during the Ground runs and it was a wonderful experience.

To the far side of 2 Hanger was this massive dump of Aircraft, Meteors, more Swifts and god knows what else, all piled up in a big heap with a quite complete light brown coloured Bristol Brigand perched on the top. This fascinated me but it was far too dangerous to attempt to climb up there and get inside, even I realised that.

Looking at that pic ( above ) of the Balliol in the pond, reminded me that there was a pond on other side of the road opposite the Airfield gates and with some more Apprentices we found 2 submerged drop-tanks in there near the edge, we dragged them out, cleaned them up and found they were in good condition, so we made a raft up with them and all through the summer of 58 we spent paddling around on this pond and fishing, cos . the pond was choc-a-bloc with fish, including lots of small Pike, that we took up to the canal and let them go as we caught them. From what I remember, these tanks appeared to have come off a WW2 Fighter Aircraft, wing tip tanks, but hey, we are talking about 50 yrs. ago now and I’m not so sure. By Summers end, me and a mate took out plugs and pushed the tanks out to watch them sink out of sight in that pond. I wonder If they are still there and even if the pond is still there, I’m sure other stuff was in dumped in too. ( any one live near. there ? )

Thats what memories your pics. bring back. I do have one or 2 of Halton, black and whitepics. Box Brownie type and when I find them, I’ll post up here.

Wonderful stuff, I now realize how lucky I was to witness all this side of Aviation.

I imagine that lightning cockpit would be snapped up really quick nowadays,,

Just rediscovered these photos….J. Shackleton’s yard at Siddal, Halifax, about 1976

W&R 5 gives the following info : the Whirlwind is HAS7 XG597 (ex Warton), two Meteor T7s listed WL413 & WL468, plus numerous Lightning F1 & F3s (mainly ex Leconfield)

They are incredible pictures Cestrian, all those dumped Balliols, some appearing to still have their Merlin engines still installed. I take it that is a Sea Venom fusalage in with the Sea Hornet remains? Shame about the Swift aswel. You wouldn’t think that all these types were languishing in a scrappies into the late ’70s, early ’80s.

Thanks Cestrain for sharing these photos with us. Its amazing to think that a Sea Hornet wing survived in the UK until December 1980! I can imagine though as 50% of its structure is wood, and 50% aluminium (the underside shown), that it wasn’t in particularly good shape by then.

This was a Sea Hornet PR.22 I believe. A 1970’s edition of Wrecks and Relics has the full serial I believe: VZxxx.

The Fifth edition lists this as VZ66? this is the only reference I can find to a serial in any of the editions I have.

Paul Mantz & $55,000

[QUOTE=Mondariz;1221405]The mother of all scrapyards: Kingman Army Airfield (Ca 1946).

Selling/scrapping surplus war assets.

* BT-13 $450
* P-38 $1,250
* AT-6 $1,500
* A-26 $2,000
* P-51 $3,500
* B-25 $8,250
* B-17 $13,750
* B-24 $13,750
* B-32 $32,500

The stunt pilot Paul Mantz bought 475 aircraft (from trainers to bombers) for a cool $55.000

Hi,
Someone correct me if I am wrong but I remember the story that Paul Mantz bought the war surplus aircraft “as they were”. They were all fully tanked up with fuel and ready to go. He sold the fuel for more than he paid for the aircraft. Then he sold off the engines, parts, spark plugs,wheels, etc from the ones he did not keep and sold what was left for scrap.A very good business for him at the time. The aircraft he kept he used for his movie business in southern California.
Good Vibs

[

L&S, yes some real corkers on the current 71 MU RAF Bicester thread – which you started!:confused:

Yes they’re interesting pics. But they just show the Beverleys, sort of standing around!

I’d be fascinated to discover just how they dismantled the beasts en-masse.

I suspect, none too subtly!!

Sandhurst

IS, #617 (!) Skylines (Aircraft Components) Ltd. For 3/10/62 I can add:
Harvards: FX256 (P), KF386, KF388 (O-J, 6FTS), KF435 N-G. VZ442 Meteor F.8, AAEE; Meteor F.R.9,208 Sqd MEAF (stencil: Desert Equipment) my feeble log has this as WD791, which is wrong; WH169 Meteor T.7, RAFC (cr.26/9/60).
RN EZ259 became G-BMJW; FX442 to Hawkinge Mus; KF435 cockpit to Swindon; KF487 to DX, spares.

19/9/70: no log of any residual Harvard bits. (Doesn’t mean all gone). WP250 Vampire N.F.10. Went on to Baxterley; scr.Tamworth.

L&S, yes some real corkers on the current 71 MU RAF Bicester thread – which you started!:confused:

Fascinating thread this. Just used up my whole lunch hour, then some, working through it!

Anyone got any pics of things like the Beverleys being ‘reduced to produce’ at Bicester?

Thanks Cestrain for sharing these photos with us. Its amazing to think that a Sea Hornet wing survived in the UK until December 1980! I can imagine though as 50% of its structure is wood, and 50% aluminium (the underside shown), that it wasn’t in particularly good shape by then.

This was a Sea Hornet PR.22 I believe. A 1970’s edition of Wrecks and Relics has the full serial I believe: VZxxx.

The Dakota was indeed at Manchester Ringway and was pictured in 74 or 75. I recall nipping under the fence and having a nosey inside.
Nowadays I think..what if the fire brigade had done an exercise whilst we were inside? Toast I think! The things you did when you were younger!

Someone, a few months ago, was asking about the aircraft at Toussus. The only photo I have was a poor one which has been unprofessionally zoomed and lightened by myself to create…
It was pictured in ’78 I think.

David

I will follow the forum rules, but material released under Creative Commons have no stipulation about credit. When i post my own pictures on Flickr, or Wikimedia, its for people to use as they please (non-profit), they can change it, cut it, or print it out and burn it. Thats simply the license i use.

BTW for other posters I can say that Webshats have a direct HTML link you can copy, that way you don’t even need to host it, it simply links to the webshot picture. That way people get their credit and nobody is violating anything.

If theres no ownership visible as a watermark or a cred it on or under the photo then it is true how do you post the credit then. But if on flicker the photos are posted under a username of say for instance Joem2, then you should use that name as a credit for the photo’s.