Cypherus:
“What the superior man seeks is in himself. What the mean man seeks is in others.” Confucius. 😉

Vidir,

Here’s the promised picture – taken in June 1971 at Toussus. I’ve eMailed you with a high res copy.

Regards
Tim

I am looking for any information on Dragon Rapide s/n 6844…………….Rebuild has just started in Akureyri, Iceland to airworthy status. Any information, pictures, etc relating to her history in UK or France will be greatly appreciated. Vidir

Hi Vidir,

I have a colour slide I took of this machine at Toussus-le-Noble – when I find it I’ll post it – or if you prefer I’ll send you a scan if you PM me with your eMail address. It may be a while before I can track my picture down.

In the meantime, details of the aircraft’s history (gleaned from Air-Britain’s Rapide book) is:
” c/n 6844. RAF serial NR756. Taken on Charge 18 Maintenence Unit 19.1.45; transferred to Fleet Air Arm 24.10.45; Evanton 24.10.45; 781 Squadron, Lee-on-Solent 3.48 to 9.48; Aircraft Holding Unit Stretton 1.49; Struck of Charge 21.2.55; sold to Federated Fruit Company, Speke 2.55; sale became subject of a court martial; registered G-AOAO 22.3.55 to R J Gates trading as Federeated Fruit Company, Speke and delivered 3.55; registered t2.8.55 to Hants & Sussex Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth; registration cancelled 4.1.56 as sold in France but Certificate of Airworthiness issued 5.1.56; registered F-BHGR 28.1.56 to SFASA, Toussus-le-Noble, transferred to Biscarosse 1957, La Ferte-Gaucher 3.59, Biscarosse 1959; registered to CN de Parachutisme de Biscarrosse 1963; to Chalon 10.69; registered 1970 to Interclubs de Para de Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, Dijon; registered7.71 to Jacques Noari, Toussus; CofA expired 26.10.71; registration cancelled 5.74; to Jacques Noari, Toussus; CofA expired 26.10.71; registration cancelled 5.74; to Jean Salis, stored Etampes and then La Ferte-Alais; No further trace.”
Until now – great news of its restoration prospects!
Regards
Tim

I have no personal experience of this facility but by searching the web I found the attached:
http://www.air-service-berlin.de/?page=49-1-0-1-1-2-3&lang=2

I have a slide of this machine I believe that I took after it was initially demobbed into private hands and still had its serial on the wings but a decidedly non military scheme on the fuselage – I’ll PM you when I find it.
Tim

Finally found the slide I was thinking of (first photo) but my memory was playing tricks – the strangely painted machine I photographed at a caravan park / nursery near Bristol all those years ago was XK421. I believe it was an ex GI machine and that after it finished as an orange coloured gate guard it acted as a spares source for another restoration and the frame went to Doncaster. I assume it’s one and the same as the frame I saw (ironically) at Eggesford last Autumn (photo 2), obtained from Doncaster.

Obviously capacity problems as they wont display- Martin please PM me your eMail address and I’ll post them to you personally as attachments.
Regards
Tim

It is unlikely 😉 that anybody was shooting digital in the 1940s.
I would assume that what you are actually looking for is high-res scans?
Or do you prefer good quality prints?
Moggy
I haven’t got any, just clarifying. 🙂

Moggy – I know yours was a light-hearted comment ……….but degree of photo resolution is not exclusive to digital. To be fair to Phillip, in film technology slow films resolve more lines of detail per millimetre. In addition the appearance of sharpness is enhanced by contrast which builds up more quickly in slow film. So slow film has a greater faculty for showing fine detail. You will, therefore, find HIGH(er) RES PICTURES when slow film was used.:)

A good starting point would be for him to contact the renowned Beaver guru Neil Aird who runs the Beaver Tails website. Neil lists on his site every Beaver constructed along with illustrations and histories. He’s a very knowledgable and helpful guy.
I’ve got some photos I took of the Beaver in question when it was in store but they’re not accessible right now. Neil’s website has a full history of the machine and pictures – look at the following link direct to this airframe’s details:
http://www.dhc-2.com/id504.htm