What Has Slipped Through Your Fingers…..

That would not be off either a Me109 or Me110 would it, complete 3 blader with the props slightly bent back with little salt corrosion. I will see if i can get some pics of it when it was together as found in the local scrappy, I was said to be dragged up by a fishing trawler a few miles south of Portland, the hub i think went to help out on a 109 project but i have one of the blades

Thats the one !! I have a pic of it in the boatyard somewhere.

Mmmm! Well for starters there was an almost complete Austin K2 ambulance at RAF Hemswell which I bought, but it was robbed of spares before I could effect a recovery of the vehicle. I also missed a Willys MB Jeep in 1985 for £2000 when they were selling for £2,500-£3000.:mad::mad:

Aviation-wise, also in 1985, the greatest missed opportunity was a medal group (D.F.C. & Aircrew Europe Star included) log books, & dozens of photo’s of a pilot which took in his whole RAF career from the 1930’s to the 1960’s.

The asking price at the time- a mere £350 for the lot.:(:(:(

Daz, if that’s the faux Spitfire in France it hardly slipped through your fingers.

Daz, if that’s the faux Spitfire in France it hardly slipped through your fingers.

?? another random pointless post robbo :rolleyes:

When they first retired the SR71’s the local Recycler rag had rudders going for $500 each….. 🙁

Having started my collecting years right at the end of “the golden scrap era”, then I’d have to say loads of things slipped through my fingers due to lack of cash and above all, lack of storage facilities.

I always say that had I been able to start collecting ten years sooner, then my collection really would have been something special (it’s not too bad as it is).

On a more mundane level, I remember viewing a table top at an aerojumble at North Weald. It took me a few moments to recognise the black rubber oxygen mask as being a P-type, one of the rarer of the wartime masks. it was a good one, too.

I made the mistake of leaving the mask on the table while fumbling around in my wallet for the fiver asking price. Just as I reached for it, another hand appeared from behind me and snatched the mask away.*

Lesson learned: if you want it, grab it before someone else gets a chance!

*And I bet you’re on this forum somewhere!

?? another random pointless post robbo :rolleyes:

From you, yes.

just after the war my Dad was returning from a trip up North with his empty Lorry. Seeing a sign “wood for sale” he stopped and investigated. A redundant ROC hut was being demolished, and off to the side of the wood pile were dozens of wartime a/c models from Sunderlands to Bloem und Voss types.They were going to be burnt so he was given the lot, and they all ended up in our attic. They were all solid wood and painted matte black. Years later,when I became interested in aviation, I climbed into the loft, thinking I’d get them down and identify them. There they all were, just vague outline silhouettes in the 45 years accumulation of black dust that had blown under the eaves from the local gasworks. But not a single model remained…..

From you, yes.

Robbo you do come a cross as a numpty and childish. Is it because its snowing your not allowed out to play

Bombsaway, since you don’t know the details perhaps you’ll refrain from posting white noise? You wear your ignorance like a badge of honour.

My point was that something’s hardly slipped through your fingers if you make no effort to organise collection and when a friend (sadly no longer with us) organises a lorry, you have no notion of the transport costs nor any way of even splitting the bill on a shared ownership basis (considering he was going to store it and provide workshop space and tools as well). This wasn’t a “nearly was”, it’s a “never was”. So yes, I do question the “slipped through the fingers” status of this and it’s hardly surprising that the post has now disappeared.

Well, since I removed it, you can stop bitching about it then, can’t you?

In Reference to the original thread poster (FIDO I think), can he tell me what constitutes a “simple Erk” please? I’m quoting your first paragraph.

I had an R2800 cylinder from a Black Widow from a dig in the 80’s. Had to leave it behind when we moved home. 🙁

In Reference to the original thread poster (FIDO I think), can he tell me what constitutes a “simple Erk” please? I’m quoting your first paragraph.

With regards to the above.The gentleman in question was not aircrew but just an aircraft rigger.Who simply went on this unfortunate air test.

FIDO

When I was a kid in 1969, I used to go to an Army Surplus shop with my Dad, I remember looking up and seeing about 11 silver helmets in a line on a shelf.

They were RAF MK1A’S!!! Should have bought the lot, wish I could go back in time to that shop, Riddeys in Coventry – anyone remember it?

With regards to the above.The gentleman in question was not aircrew but just an aircraft rigger.Who simply went on this unfortunate air test.

FIDO

“Just” a rigger. As in “Just” a pilot??? Or “Just” a bloke with no distinction because he did his job without recognition, unlike Wing Commander X, who bagged Jerries and got his name in all the papers?

I dislike the lack of recognition that the engineering side of the war got in comparison to the flyboys. It seems that you ought to wander around at a historic aircaft workshop FIDO so that you can see the work that goes on. Without the “simple erk (or) rigger” etc, we’d be looking at sheets of expensive metal stacked in a hangar.

Cheers,

C6 (Engineer and Pilot)( but not simple).

In 2000 I thought I’d bought a privately owned Hunter that was in open store at DX. IIRC the a/c was externally complete but there was little left of the instruments or electrical systems. Through a third party the agreed price was £600.

When it came to exchanging said cash for the F700 the deal was off. The a/c continued to languish at DX. It was moved over to the fire dump (DX’s way of saying pay for your parking fees or the bird gets it) and then many months later disappeared somewhere up north.

Its a shame really as I’d rather fancied painting it in the Black Arrows scheme. I can’t recall the serial so have no way of finding out if she still exists.

“Just” a rigger. As in “Just” a pilot??? Or “Just” a bloke with no distinction because he did his job without recognition, unlike Wing Commander X, who bagged Jerries and got his name in all the papers?

I dislike the lack of recognition that the engineering side of the war got in comparison to the flyboys. It seems that you ought to wander around at a historic aircaft workshop FIDO so that you can see the work that goes on. Without the “simple erk (or) rigger” etc, we’d be looking at sheets of expensive metal stacked in a hangar.

Cheers,

C6 (Engineer and Pilot)( but not simple).

These were the dealers words not mine my!, as this in his eyes helped reduce the price from his perspective.
I wont waste time answering the rest of your post as i find it quite insulting.

FIDO

My uncle had a van load of parachute seat packs all 1940 dated, this was in the early eighties. He said he’d keep them for me until I visited. I arrived a week later to drop my mother at his house, as arranged to visit him and he’d taken them to the dump, that day!. I went to try and retrive them and managed to get three!. The rest had been buried never to be seen again. Sickening. 🙁

When I was a kid in 1969, I used to go to an Army Surplus shop with my Dad, I remember looking up and seeing about 11 silver helmets in a line on a shelf.

They were RAF MK1A’S!!! Should have bought the lot, wish I could go back in time to that shop, Riddeys in Coventry – anyone remember it?

“Ah yes I remember it well…” as Maurice Chevalier sang
Riddy’s (I don’t think there was a ‘e’ in the name) would have been on Foleshill Road near junction with Eagle Street at that time – what an Aladdin’s Cave !!

1969 would have been not long after I bought a pair of Hurricane wheels/tyres from them – 10 bob each IIRC. I was an apprentice at nearby Dunlop and was able to look up the AH No. to find out what they were off before buying for the Midland Aircraft Preservation Society (of which I was Secretary).

Sorry, nostalgic recollection over.

Roger Smith.

Roger, even going back 20 years it is amazing what was still available andshortly after discarded as junk…