According to a message on Air Britain Information Exchange, this Varsity was espied today dismantled (minus cockpit) at Booker. It was reported to be in transit , moving tomorrow to a location near to Leicester for scrap and that the cockpit is still at East Grinstead – if so possibly that element is due for preservation. If all is correctly reported then it’s a shame more could not be preserved – perhaps its condition and/or lack of tail surfaces might have sealed its fate.

[QUOTE=cdp206;1151517]………. a real surprise was SX336……….

I saw the Seafire displayed at the Moth Rally at Woburn around mid-day today too – it’s nice it’s doing the circuit.

In view of what Dave Poile recently explained here about this aircraft, I am surprised to see that Silver Lady is still mentioned on the latest news element of the website advertising the Elvington airshow. The other airshow sites have removed all reference to it.

Perhaps Elvington know something different, but I suspect no-one has shared this thread with them to alert them to check it out further. They’re even showing an illustration of the B-25 – hope no-one goes all the way there just to see it, only to find they’re disappointed. Sadly they don’t give an email address but if anyone here knows the organisers it might be worth giving them a heads up?

So it looks as if what I saw in the 1960s were the mortal remains of G-AHKL and G-AKEM. I wonder what became of those? Burnt, I suspect, having regard to their wooden construction! C’est la vie des avions anciens!

Non – c’est la mort!;)

The final owner of both of these Gemini was a Robert B Damon (‘HKL from 29/3/65 and ‘KEM from 10/4/65). Their registrations were cancelled as withdrawn from use (reportedly at Lympne) ‘HKL on 15/2/66 and ‘KEM on 24/3/65 – the latter was scrapped on site by 1967.

I have looked at the fates of all other Gemini and no others were reported as having been withdrawn or dumped at Lympne, so it is likely those are the two examples you saw.

Highly detailed histories of all Gemini appear in the series of articles “Gemini The Whole Truth” in the journal “Archive” . A picture of ‘KEM (at Kidlington when it was still flying, appears in one of the articles.).

Hope this helps.

Tim

VH-CJS (former G-ALZL) still has the fixed undercarriage, although the undercarriage is currently removed. When I went to the museum a couple of days ago, the aircraft was in exactly the same position and condition as it appears in this photo:
[url]http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1050789/%5B/url ………….

The poor old girl looks as if she has an ice pack on her head – must be the affects of the sun:rolleyes:

Hi TJ,

………………….

Incidentally, here in Perth, Western Australia, we have the prototype Heron VH-CJS at the Aviation Heritage Museum, in the Perth suburb of Bull Creek. I visited there a couple of days ago. ……………..

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Wonderful to know it’s still hanging on to life – I well recall seeing it as G-ALZL with Executive Air Engineering for maintenance when Coventry was the Heron capitol of the World. ‘LZL appeared in many different schemes and identities when it used to be leased out.

On your thread title don’t you mean 28 July not 28 Aug?