By: Rabie - 16th February 2002 at 20:51
RE: Who was that group?
its really shitty what happen to all of kent. the counci land a load of othrs have taken over west amling airfileld, they now ant to clos rocjester. therre is no detling, croydon, graesend, etc, etc. very little left. manston, lydd and biggin hill have a future.
some links and pics of airport
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/mus/uk/l-m/medway-aps.htm
http://www.stigle.co.uk/air/mapsl/maps.htm
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Medway Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) Limited, is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. It started as an Aircraft Preservation Group, which Lewis Deal formed, in 1977, as part of the Medway Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
The Group began by rescuing those sadly neglected aircraft, which used to stand guard, in all weathers, outside RAF stations. The first was the RAF Manston Spitfire, which was restored at Rochester Airport, and is now beautifully housed back at Manston, where it is the second most popular public attraction in Thanet. The Ministry of Defence soon realized that such gate guardians throughout the country had great potential value and ordered them all to be housed indoors for restoration. As a result, many of these priceless aircraft are now either flying or are on static exhibition, a happy development triggered by Lewis Deal and his small team.
The Group’s success did, however, pose a problem. When restored, such aircraft began to acquire six-figure values for their owners, way beyond the financial competence of the local Branch of The Royal Aeronautical Society. Accordingly, in 1988, Lewis and I, and fellow Branch members, formed MAPS Limited.
MAPS has since preserved many aircraft at Rochester Airport. Today the principal customer is the Royal Air Force Museum, which has honored MAPS by allowing it to take whole aircraft from its wonderful collection, for preservation at Rochester Airport. Only Medway has this privilege. The most recently restored is the Mk 1 Spitfire, the oldest in the world, one of the few to enter service before NW2. It is now on public display at Hendon, along with a Mk V Spitfire, also preserved by MAPS, advertising Medway to visitors from all over the world.
MAPS preserves aircraft for public benefit and also restores them to their original condition, as required for historical accuracy, involving much research. All members are volunteers, whose work, worth six figures in a typical project, makes many restorations affordable, which would otherwise not be available to the public.
To date the company has completed, for flight or public exhibition, a Gloster Meteor Mk IV, Republic Thunderstreak F-84F, Piper Tripacer PA22, Northrop Drone, Fairchild Argus, R-R Merlin engines Mk 20, 35 and 500, Daimler Benz 603, Junkers Jumo 003 and Bristol Hercules XII engines, parts of the four-engine Short Sunderland and Stirling aircraft, Spitfires Mk XVI, PR Mk Xl, Mk Vb and Mk 1, and two Hurricanes, Mk lie, and is currently undertaking a Short Sherpa (fuselage), Tempest (wing) and a Sycamore, the first air-sea rescue helicopter.
At its Rochester Airport premises, the company encourages public interest in preservation work and in the handing-over of important aircraft, in which the Mayor and other dignitaries participate. The company is keen to devolve skills to younger people and has hosted school parties and young people on work experience.
An ambition, so far unfulfilled, is to site an Aviation Heritage Centre at the Airport, near the Maidstone Road, to give access without the public having to cross active runways. This would exhibit historic Short Brothers aircraft, typical of Medways heritage, and allow people to see preservation work being earned out.
Enquiries to: Lewis E Deal, Managing Director, MAPS Limited.
Rochester Airport. Chatham .Kent.ME5 9SD.
Written by: Malcolm F Moulton BSc Eng C Eng FRAOS, Chairman,
MAPS Limited, 5 April 2001
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rabie :9
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By: dezz - 16th February 2002 at 17:55
RE: Who was that group?
I dont know where is going to or if they are going to do a 109,i hope so, i did find rochester airfield’s web site, have a look. the more people that support them the better, it may stop the money grabbing council from building a “scince park” on it, or more likley i think houses, though i bet they wont admitt to it! this building on old airfields really annoys me, has anyone been to west malling latley? or even worse hawkinge , of all the places they have to build why there?? sureley it must have some memorial status..
sorry rant over
anyway here is the link
By: SADSACK - 16th February 2002 at 15:42
RE: Who was that group?
Any idea where its destined? And are they still up for doing the 109e?
By: dezz - 15th February 2002 at 22:07
RE: Who was that group?
I was up there a few week’s ago, having a nose around, they are a friendly bunch, and they do a very good job. i snaped this pic of them working on the helicopter, i am sure they won’t mind me posting it.
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By: Rabie - 15th February 2002 at 12:44
RE: Who was that group?
yup the rapide flights are great (that where i have tkane my only ever flight from).
i must go up there to nose about sometime
rabie :9
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By: YakRider - 15th February 2002 at 12:12
RE: Who was that group?
I saw the Spit while they were working on it. You could get up really close and have a good look inside – excellent workmanship.
When I was there last for a fly-in they organised the day the planning inspector had his visit, I had a look at the Tempest wing. Apparently the next project is a helicopter.
Rochester Airport are holding their Wings and Wheels Day on 16 June. In the past these have been great, with loads of things to see, though no flying display as such, being more of a GA event.
I’ve been told that ‘Big Beautiful Doll’ is hoping to be there again this year as it is based just down the road. Rob flew in his P51 last year along with Martin Sergeant in his Spitfire (sadly no longer with us). There will be Rapide flights as well, weather permitting.
MAPS would definitely be open, so a visit would help Rochester Airport in its fight to stay open and be an interesting day out as well.
Another Spitfire was in store in the back of the hangar last year – one of those recovered from Burma – dismantled and in pretty tatty shape, but obviously enough as a starter kit for a rebuild. I believe it had been moved from Biggin Hill, but I don’t know if it’s still there or not.
By: SADSACK - 14th February 2002 at 18:02
RE: Who was that group?
Yeah, pity shes not displayed so you can appreciate the work done on her. With her gun bays open, with a pilot in pre war white flying coveralls would really give that 1939 look. Instead she will be perched on a revolving plynth with a Eurofighter stuck overhead. Euch!
By: Rabie - 14th February 2002 at 17:53
RE: Who was that group?
>
>I’m getting a bit confused here, I thought you were talking
>about Shoreham airport being shut down. I assume you mean
>Spitfire K9942 being put back to MK1a from a MK5 composite?
i’m talking about rochester irport, the evil medway council wants to close it but a lotta opposition
i dunno actual marks
rabie :9
By: SADSACK - 14th February 2002 at 17:51
RE: Who was that group?
I’m getting a bit confused here, I thought you were talking about Shoreham airport being shut down. I assume you mean Spitfire K9942 being put back to MK1a from a MK5 composite?
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th February 2002 at 17:50
RE: Who was that group?
Rabie, that sounds like K9942, which they returnd to the ‘early’ Mk 1 configuration, right down to the bead on a stick gunsight. I saw her in RAFM Hendon a couple of months ago, and they’ve done a superb job on her, second only to the Bulldog in there.
By: Rabie - 14th February 2002 at 17:49
RE: Who was that group?
its in some raf musem, it was in the time a while back
rabie :9
By: SADSACK - 14th February 2002 at 17:45
RE: Who was that group?
How did they get on?
By: Rabie - 14th February 2002 at 17:42
RE: Who was that group?
” If this is the outfit at Rochester they were working on a Tempest wing last time I was there.
Superb workmanship and very friendly chaps too.”
thats them. they had an open day at the airport cos our stupid council wants to clos it and put a busness park there (arseholes).
rabie :9
By: SADSACK - 14th February 2002 at 17:41
RE: Who was that group?
It could be that one that was recovered from France. Which means its a flyer. I thought airframe assemblies were working on that one. You say this ones owned by the RAF?
By: Rabie - 14th February 2002 at 17:39
RE: Who was that group?
i dunno exctly as i ain’t up on pits and this was a year ago.
i know it was early numbers and it ahd been upgrade after it crajshed on the south coast somehwere
rabie :9
By: SADSACK - 14th February 2002 at 17:35
RE: Who was that group?
I didnt think there were any Mk3s built. A PR4 conversion would be good. Whats happening to it? Do you think the RAF museums other 2 Spits will be restored to the same condition?
Whats the history of this MK3/2?
By: Moggy C - 14th February 2002 at 17:30
RE: Who was that group?
If this is the outfit at Rochester they were working on a Tempest wing last time I was there.
Superb workmanship and very friendly chaps too.
Moggy C
By: Rabie - 14th February 2002 at 17:22
RE: Who was that group?
it was a plane from RAF gravesend that was upgraded to a mk3 or something, but raf wnated an early Mk so took it back to mk2 .
i think that what it was
rabie :9
By: SADSACK - 14th February 2002 at 17:11
RE: Who was that group?
A MK2 what? Spitifre?
By: Rabie - 14th February 2002 at 17:06
RE: Who was that group?
MAPS is just round the corner from me (chatham kent – im like a mile away).
they were doing up a mkII last time i was up there but that got sent to whatever raf musem it was going to. great laod of guys in a little shed.
MAPS = medway aircrfat preservation soceity
rabie :9
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February 14, 2002 at 5:01 pm