They’ll be like headless chickens

If you couldn’t see the funny side you’d cry – please click on my picture to read text:

It’s the Airspeed Ambassador that was used as an engine testbed and is seen in the photo sporting RR turbines in place of the usual piston engines. Someone made a valiant attempt to get this particular Ambo preserved but sadly the project fell though and she was scrapped. The sole Ambassador in the world now resides hangared at Duxford in the midst of a very long restoration to static display condition. Rather than for its positive role in post-war British civil aviation, the type of aircraft is sadly remembered more for the fact that it was the make of airliner involved in the Munich air disaster which took the lives of famous footballers.

Albert,
Air-Britain did publish a book many years ago that included a production list and individual histories – indeed I have a copy plus the relevant update. It’s been out of print for a long time and so now greatly out of date.

One present day A-B member is a renowned Auster guru and has a superb knowledge and records of individual aircraft so there is researched / collated data out there. It may be we are speaking of the same person.

Ozter,
As I am an A-B member I would be prepared to raise an enquiry for you about your aircraft on the A-B members only Information Exchange if you wish, to see if that expert could furnish you with relevant info. If so please PM me with your contact details.

Was the original shot at Wymeswold?

Dragon Rapide G-ALBC from Elmdon in June 1962. Although I had been really into aviation since the late 1950s this first flight seemed to focus me onto older aircraft – the Rapide being such a gentleman’s carriage evoking the atmosphere of the 30s. I recall the fascination with being able to look down into the cooling towers of the Hams Hall power station. I also remember my parents reading in the local paper 18 months after that flight, that the very same aeroplane had crashed into a hill at Edale, Derbyshire. The picture of the mangled remains of the airframe made me realise that flying had its risks as well as its pleasures – but it never put me off and hundreds of types later I still get a thrill from flying.

Atmospheric indeed – but looked to me as if Proctor is in the distance on the RIGHT hand edge?