Personally I never fly an open cockpit without a Bonedome on and it saved my live once . Many enthusiasts criticise and say, it doesn’t look right. Tough, it’s my head and I only have one. Most people I know now wear some form of hard helmet while flying warbird or vintage open type a/c and personally those that wear only a leather helmet, for the look! Are fools !
Sadly I have friends who may still be heard had they been wearing a hard hat !!

Albatros was sold to Jerry Yagen, Camel is still there in storage which is a shame as it should be flying, it was built for the film “Biggles Sweeps The Skies” by Slingsbys.
The Red Fokker Triplane was Robin Bowes’s which used to Winter at The FAAM, this was sadly lost in a fatal accident in 1996.
I visited the FAAM last year and found their WW1 exhibits very poor, not sure if things have improved.

A very sad and totally avoidable accident. For those familiar with ‘Wind In The Wires’ by Duncan Grinnell-Milne it’s a stark reinforcement of the lesson learned when the BE2 crashed at Shoreham. Don’t try to turn back.

And of course you were there and know the full facts of what happened To make this comment ??

Stopped off at Sywell today as I was passing and they seem to be clearing an area next to the museum site. They had a JCB and tractor trailer in removing a layer of top soil and had surveyors gear out. Any body have any info. Thanks

And why by chance do you need to know ??

After a little time browsing the internet, I now see that there is/was another S.E.5A replica which purported to be G-AVOU. On the Aerodrome forum it is said that:

‘[in] the December 1995 edition of the Barton Aerodrome News Letter, entitled Trim Tab on page three there is an article stating that a group called “The Macclesfield Historical Aviators” have aquired a SlingsbY T.56 Se5A replica, built in 1967……’

in response to which another poster said:

‘I have researched this airframe further, the aircraft concerned was privately constructed in Pontefract, and was ficticously painted “A4850” to represent G-AVOU/EI-ARI. The airframe therefore has no connection with the genuine Slingsby T.56 product, and can be discounted from relevence in this thread’.

I presume that the aeroplane which is to be restored to the UK civil register is the genuine G-AVOU. Has this returned to the UK from the USA? It seems that this is where it was at least until a few years ago – having been, I believe, part of the tangled web that was to be the fate of a number of the former Irish registered WW1 replica film aircraft. But if that tale’s to be told, it’s better done by someone with a more intimate knowledge of it than I have.

The Aircraft concerned is indeed the genuine Slingsby Type 56 SE5 Replica S/N 1591. G-AVOU/EI-ARI/ N908AC.
its is number 2 of 6 built in 1967 for the film Darling Lili, although based on the Curry Wot for structural purposes it is not a Curry Wot, many items being bigger than the Wot.

Its full story will I’m sure appear in a well known Magazine in due course 🙂

As someone who has researched these aeroplanes for years i can also confirm that the other A/C that was the last time i looked hanging in Bygone times near Pontefract is indeed nothing to do with the original 6 built by Slingsby.

Just one of interest -:
G-AVOU 1591 REPLICA SE5A NEW 01/06 Restoration

G-ANPK

Jeez you Carnt keep anything quite these days can you 😉