Sea Hornet in Australia/ Blonde moment outcome

Hornet Guru Here….!

Hello all

I was a little slow seeing this thread!! Nice picture of the Australian Hornet.

The Hornet project in Scotland is no more. So that just leaves mine, i guess?

Current Project status so far is: Museum static fuselage project – built as per the original as a new build.

1) All relevant drawings/AP’s/production line and component photo’s collected.
2) All known (UK located) parts sourced, or promised.
3) Bulkhead construction started Jan’04. Placed in storage on completion.
4) I’m helping to arrange the Hornet pilots 50th anniversary reunion for May 2005. Possibly up to 40 ex-hornet pilots to attend. The date is 50 years from the a/c leaving RAF service. I will be providing a cockpit internal mockup as a centre piece. Venue TBA, but probably near London – see aviation press nearer the time.
5) My colleuge is looking to aquire the canadian wing, and some engines.
6) Possible squadron print of hornet RAF/RNAS to be produced and signed by ex-pilots at re-union for fund raising for the event.
7) Investigating setting up “DeHavilland Hornet Project” website. A lot of people have expressed an interest in seeing one, to follow my progress.

That is a real shame. I guess the wooden construction and the coming of the jet age didn’t really ensure longevity (also like the Mossie) 🙁

There is someone trying to make a replica from bits and pieces found on various UK dumps, but I don’t think it is going to fly. And there are bits in Canada (there are some threads somewhere on here, but sine the search facility seems to be a bit hit and very much miss at the moment…).
As to a flying replica…How much money you got?
Great looking aircraft but, on the whole, lost to the past.

Flood.

I think a flying Hornet is a little too much to ask for.

There are however a at least two projects ongoing to get a static example. One is in Scotland and the other in the Southern part of the UK. Exact status of either project is unknown to me, but I seem to remember some talks about joining them to gether.

There is a Hornet guru lurking somewhere among us, hope he sees this thread 😀

Gotta ask….

I personally believe that the DH Hornet (& Sea Hornet) is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever made.

Is there any chance that one would/could ever be flown again, whether replica or genuine article ?

…or is it too much to hope for..?? 🙁

TT213.
21/8/47 ARDU Culham. 12/10/47 CS(A) Hatfield. 7/11/47 prepared for tropical trials. 21/2/48 RAAF Port Cook for tropical trials, scheduled to last 12 months. Allocated A83-1. Despatched to 47MU. 11/6/48 arrived 1AD, asembled and TOC (RAN). 10/9/48 ARDU Laverton, Victoria, and flown to Darwin. 13-14/12/49 aircraft returned to Laverton via Mallala, Alice Springs,and Oodnadatta, SA, for hot weather performance trials. 3/1/50 loan extended to 2/7/50 including trials at Woomera. Loan extended to 23/7/51. 16/8/50 stripped down inspection by DH Australia. 17/1/51 prepared for shipment to UK. 2/4/51 DH Hatfield. 2/1/52 flown to Airwork, Gatwick, for reconditioning. 7/52 TOC FAA at Abbotsinch. Later to Airwork FRU, St Davids – coded 421/BY. 26/5/53 to Airwork FRU, Hurn as 421/BQ. 1/55 declared surplus, although still flying. 1957 with AHU Lossiemouth.
Taken from Air Britains The Hornet File.

Flood.