Take a look at this!!

RE: Take a look at this!!

Don’t worry Steve,she was actually pretty well concealed most of the time,so she was actually quite easy to miss.I’m not sure I’d have noticed her either if I hadn’t seen a news article in Flypast about her.The Golden Apple SilverStar was in bits in the hangar at the time,and the Zero was stored behind all the odds and ends from the T33,with a couple of tarpaulins thrown in for good measure.The Zero was apparently missing various bits such as undercarriage parts and it never had an engine with it,which explains why she was never assembled.

RE: Take a look at this!!

Thanks for that Ant. The lower one is the one I was thinking of, although I still can’t imagine how on earth I missed the Zero in the OFMC hangar. Dear Santa, for christmas I would like some new powers of observation…

RE: Take a look at this!!

It was that metalic blue /green paint on the inside that jogged my memory and made me think it was the one from Duxford.Does any one know more about the progress of it at fighter rebuilders?

RE: Take a look at this!!

Hi Steve,
The OFMC machine was never assembled while it was at Duxford.It used to be stored off to one side in the OFMC hangar behind various bits n’ pieces of thier Canadair Silver Star.I’ve posted a pic of it below,along with the IWM’s wreck which is awaiting some attention.
Attachments:

RE: Take a look at this!!

>In 1997 there was a Russian rebuilt airframe in the OFMC
>hanger, this later went to Fighter Rebuilders for
>vcompletion for an American owner.

Well… not often I’m lost for words, but that’s done it. I had no idea that had been there. Does anyone have any shots of it while it was with OFMC?

RE: Take a look at this!!

In 1997 there was a Russian rebuilt airframe in the OFMC hanger, this later went to Fighter Rebuilders for vcompletion for an American owner. The one which is at Duxford now is an airframe recovered from the jungle and bought by IWM in 98 or 99 from memory, for static restoration. So in the space of 5 years Duxford has seen 2 Zero’s.

The aircraft in question here was started by the Blayd Corporation in Canada and there were a couple of good articles on the construction in Warbirds Worldwide.

RE: Take a look at this!!

The Zero remains at Duxford are still there, tucked away in the conservation hangar near the CASA 2111. As I understand it, it’s for a static rebuild only.

RE: Take a look at this!!

This airplane was built primarily in Canada by the Blayd Corp. . They manufactured enough parts for 3 a/c …I think only 3, I could be wrong. Gerry Beck from Tri-State Aviation and his crew completed this, the supposed first machine at his base in the midwest U.S.. Gerry is best known for his Mustang scratch building capabilities, and is very well known “over here”. He is also building a P-51A replica which is at least 50% completed, as noted on the MustangsMustangs site.

Jim Harley

RE: Take a look at this!!

Hi Sparky,
I shouldn’t think this is the machine that was with OFMC as that was a later model.This machine has apparently been scratchbuilt rather than being a restoration of an original,rather like FlugWerke and thier 190’s.I’m pretty certain the fuselage frame in the background is a T6 Harvard/Texan,which made me wonder if this was some sort of T6-based Zero lookalike,but it doesn’t appear to be.

RE: Take a look at this!!

By the way what is the fusalage in the background?

RE: Take a look at this!!

Would this be a Russian replica. I think there were sections of airframe in hanger 3 at Duxford a couple of years ago could it be that one?