It’s a great rebuild,(lot’s of refurbished original bits) but it’s a Vickers product, not Westland….

It is a brilliant achievement, and the first time I’ve been hanging on every post for the last week. Trust me to leave the country when all the interesting stuff is happening.
Hey Stan – you’ve done your bit as well for NZ aviation restorations – one of the group of unsung heroes quietly beavering away……..in fact, thats a younger you in my avatar…..

Dave Philips flew the first flight… had problems with the ASI and landed at Auckland with the Trojan in close formation calling airspeeds… spent a couple of hours on the ground and has just returned back to Auckland with Keith Skilling at the helm… departed again for Ardmore…

Mk III and Mk IV prototypes had Griffons……

Gee, Stan’s starting to look a bit grey on it……..

Nice to see the Yokosuka D4Y. I’m pretty sure that it will only be static, but does it have an original Japanese engine? If so which one and is it functional or static only? Was this a D4Y1 restored as a D4Y3, and is the main difference between the two the engine, or is there more to it?

As said – to be taxied with an 1830 up front. Yes, it was a D4Y1 and I think the engine and nose was the main difference. As there was virtually nothing forward of the firewall left, the decision to rebuild as a Y3 was fairly easy. It still retains most of it’s bullet holes, apparently…….

If you want replica, you’ll have to go and see the Vintage Aviator’s lovely examples in New Zealand (as well as an original). The Biggles machine is lovely though, and conveys the atmosphere of that early period of aviation.

Oh yes, the latest replica from TVA (other than a second Albatross DVa), is a superb RE8, which was in the air yesterday!

I am at present overhauling the (all metal) rudder for Glyn Powells own mossie and the Ex Lambeth Road example, along with its cut off wing and tailplane’ have been assessed and are in very good condition with only a few discernable voids near the nose and much of the origional structure may well be used.

Stan – how is Glyn’s plane progressing? It’s kind of hard to figure out where exactly he’s at, from the net….