Ali,

I’ve left it 12 hrs to cool off my reply on your link post to Elliot.

Have you noticed the last line of the Q&A reply to the diver asking about Moray Firth Defiants?

Ross McNeill

Murky waters here.

For aircraft there is no legal term “War Grave” it is common usage for either a Protected Place or Controlled Place under the Protection of Military Remains Act.

All aircraft remains under military service within British Inland or Coastal Waters automatically come under the act regardless of whether or not they contain human remains. It is an offence under the Act to disturb, remove or enter unless in the possession of a Licence issued by the relevant authority, in this case the MoD.

The Act further applies this offence to International waters to deeds carried out by British Citizens.

The only defence for disturbance allowed by the act is accidental discovery.

So if you wish to keep the MoD Plods from the door its a case of only “look and film” aircraft wrecks. Licences are rare since they are usually refused on either human remains or presence of ordinance and since this aircraft was on gunnery training….

A far more legal target for you Magnetometer/Tow Fish/Bottom Profiler is the scuttled lend lease gear in Largs Bay or off Burgh Island since scuttling removes the right to ownership by the UK/US.

Regards
Ross

PRU Spit

The details from Coastal Command Losses on the Spit are:

17/10/40
PRU
Spitfire I
P9384
F/O M N Hesketh
Ferry from Heston

Missing between Heston and Wick. Possibly crashed into Foyers Bay.

Apart from this the others are:

Wellington N2980
Stranraer K7295
Oxford BG546
Mosquito MM244 (abandoned in the vicinity)

The Defiant was not lost into Loch Ness but into the Moray Firth. A search of Diver Wreck Q & A will give details.

Regards
Ross

Spoke to Cosford about 171 just after Xmas 2005.

The external paint work was to freshened up ready for hanging in the new hall with roll out proposed as early May.

The curator sent some internal photos of the pilot starboard console for my comparison with 175. They show a structure that is mostly complete with only a few lightly damaged areas at the hands of the trainee fairies and smokies during it’s time as an “M” airframe.

As far as I could tell the fit was prior RWR and UA60 Intercomm switch box making it pre 1974 (175 is post 74).

The interior seemed to be scheduled for basic cleaning only and no major restoration intended.

Regards
Ross

Hi Kev,

Nice to know that you were onboard.

I was working on the Canberra and stopped to watch the Rapide doing a 180 degree turn over Bewdley.

Regards
Ross

Thanks for the replies gents.

Dave tried ICC for Wanted Mk10 Autopilot parts but had no replies so decided to widen the broadcast. I’ll drop you an email on 174/175 later.

Peter I’d already trawled through the 20 or so instrument pages but must have missed the pages for trim/autopilot course selector. Which page are they on?

Bruce. Sent you an email with the best description I have.

Regards
Ross

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BAC Lightning 53-671/ZF579 (mjr)
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Boeing B-17 Cockpit section-reproduction
Boeing B-17 Radio room-reproduction
Consolidated B-24 Cockpit section-reproduction
de Havilland Hornet F.MK.1 Cockpit/Forward fuselage – reproduction (dcollins103)
de Havilland Vampire FB.MK.5 Cockpit – VZ193 (dcollins103)
de Havilland Vampire T. Mk 11 XD599 (Texantomcat)
English Electric Canberra PR.9 Nose/cockpit XH175 (RossMcNeill)
Handley Page Halifax B Mk III cockpit reproduction (HP57)
Hawker Hurricane (Rocketeer)
Hawker Hunter F1 Nose/cockpit (Rocketeer)
Hawker Hunter F2 Nose/cockpit (Rocketeer)
Hawker Hunter F6 Nose/cockpit (Rocketeer)
Hawker Typhoon Cockpit (Rocketeer)
Miles Messenger M.2a G-AKIN (Rocketeer)
North American AT-6-D-1-NT Texan G-TOMC (Texantomcat)
Supermarine Spitfire Cockpit (Rocketeer)
Supermarine Swift F7 Nose/cockpit (Rocketeer)