I was speaking to a gentleman at the Henstridge Fly-In on Saturday who was interested in Stearmans (Stearmens?) and he was desperate to find out the true identity of an example that was imported into the UK in the early 1990s.
He served his engineering apprenticeship with a company at Bournemouth circa (cant remember the name, but it had a lot of A’s in it!) 1990-1992 and remembers a container arriving from the States which contained a Boeing Stearman Kaydet within. He assisted with the re-assembly of this trainer and would like to know of its true identity and whereabouts today. From what he can remember it was painted in US Navy markings and carried the number 361 (I think) on its side. He believes that it carried a British registration for a while before it returned to the States a few years later.
Is there anyone out there, that lives in the Bournemouth area that remembers such an aeroplane there, or do we have a Stearman expert amongst our midst that can tell me what the airframe was?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Best wishes,
Martin
By: T6flyer - 1st September 2006 at 23:58
Was that US mail colors or is it plain red?
T J
The US Mail painted example is N4596N which is owned by David Gilmour and based at a strip in East Sussex.
Martin
By: Yak 11 Fan - 1st September 2006 at 09:27
Plain dark red with the registration and the Stearman script in yellow. I have a photo at home I can post if nobody beats me to it.
By: T J Johansen - 1st September 2006 at 09:23
Was that US mail colors or is it plain red?
T J
By: Yak 11 Fan - 1st September 2006 at 08:52
Yes, last seen based on a private strip to the south of Norwich owned by Peter Hoffman
By: T J Johansen - 1st September 2006 at 06:52
On the subject of Stearmans. I remember an article in Flypast several years ago which detailed a company rebuilding the type (Avis?). There were photos in that article of a nice red a/c (possibly N regd.). Is this example still flying in the UK?
T J
By: John Kerr - 31st August 2006 at 14:08
ID
A little more research revealed the following: Year of construction 1943 as B75N1, N2S-3, construction number 75-7598, military serial number 7994.
By: T6flyer - 31st August 2006 at 13:42
T6 Flyer
The Stearman in question was registered G-ELAN and was owned by a Mr D J Ashley of London. It very badly damaged in a crash at Rendcombe on 27.12.91.
The damaged airframe was returned to the USA and was subsequently rebuilt and is currently registered as N68994 to an company at Ocala FL. Like many Stearman restorations the amount of original airframe left in the rebuild may be questionable.
Moggy C- To my knowledge this aircraft did not have any connections with Jim Avis
Phil
Phil,
I cant thank you enough. I tried all the spotter forums and couldnt come up with anything at all. The gentleman will be very interested to know of the details.
Best wishes,
Martin
By: Moggy C - 31st August 2006 at 11:08
Jim was a really likeable bloke and did some wonderful work with the Stearman. It was such a pity it all ended as it did.
Moggy
By: G-APDK - 31st August 2006 at 09:14
T6 Flyer
The Stearman in question was registered G-ELAN and was owned by a Mr D J Ashley of London. It very badly damaged in a crash at Rendcombe on 27.12.91.
The damaged airframe was returned to the USA and was subsequently rebuilt and is currently registered as N68994 to an company at Ocala FL. Like many Stearman restorations the amount of original airframe left in the rebuild may be questionable.
Moggy C- To my knowledge this aircraft did not have any connections with Jim Avis
Phil
By: Moggy C - 31st August 2006 at 00:03
Would this be about the time of Jim Avis and Eastern Stearman, the Swanton Morley based Stearman restoring outfit that all ended in tears (or rather, in prison)?
Moggy
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August 30, 2006 at 9:59 pm