FirebexMany thanks one and all who have contributed to my search.
Many thanks in particular to Merlin Peter I know where my little Nord is and she is still surviving.Hopefully before long I will have her back in my posession so one day when I try to gather up the missin gbits I can restart the project
FirebexThat one doesn`t look like a wreck to me. I know who has one painted like this, it is probably the same one, but I wouldn`t describe it as a wreck. If you e-mail or PM me Mike I will give you his details.
Pete
Hi Pete will PM for details but it is the right aircraft I did a lot of cosmetic work to make it presentable.It was G-BAYV ex F-OTAN6. I have since discovered it migrated to By Gone Time near Chorley in 1998 but it has seemed to have dropped off the planet since.Apparantly I have been told it sat in their car park for a couple of years with a tarpaulin over it pretty much like the HE111/Casa111 fuselage from the B of B Film did until Mr Waterhouse and co purchased it. Did someone buy it or was it scrapped I woul dlike to know ?.
FirebexThe Noraplha used to turn up at airshows in the early 80’s as part of the display staged by the friends of Biggin Hill, it was always painted as a crashed Me109.
The team leader was Peter Smith, the last I heard was that Peter had moved down to Hawkinge, I’m not certain but I believe he did help out at the museum there.
septic.
I know that part I worked with Peter for many years on Great Warbirds for Ellie.We had the aircraft up at Manchester Barton in the 1990’s but Peter came up to collect it. I moved around a bit after that and lost contact with Peter and also the aircraft would like to know the where abouts of both if some kind person could PM with Peters current contact.
But would like to find the Nord if fit still survives as the aircraft has great sentimental value as my late other half worked on it with me.
FirebexTell me more. Whilst I don’t know of any Noralphas looking for a home, I know of a Norecrin in France that could do with rescuing!
Sorry the Norecrin does not have the structure I need but tell me more anyway I may be interested.
FirebexIf you guys get stuck for anything tools etc just give a shout we are down near Ripon.We also have access to trailers of various sizes towable by 4×4 etc.
Mike
FirebexTrident
We are in North Yorkshire just down the road. if we can help give us a shout or private mail with details etc
Mike
FirebexWith pleasure survivors in the UK..
G-ARPH T1 Cockpit only East fortune
G-ARPP T1 Cockpit only Solway Aviation Museum at Carlisle Airport.
G-AVFB T2 Complete Duxford
G-AVFH T2 Forward fuselage DH heritage Trust London colney
G-AVFM T2 Cockpit only (privatley owned)
G-AWZI T3 Cockpit only (privatley owned) FAST Museum
G-AWZJ T3 Forward fuselage Dumfries and Galloway
G-AWZK T3 Complete Manchester
G-AWZM T3 Complete Wroughton
G-AWZU T3 Cockpit (privatley owned)Teesside residents
G-ARPO T1 Complete
G-AVFJ T2 Forward fuselage
G-AWZS T3 CompleteBelfast Airport
G-AVFE T2 Complete
Any erros feel free to update,as this is off the top of my head..
G-ARPI Cockpit section in trailer mounted simulator based in North Yorkshire
fully working screens the lot.Just been sold on ebay to guy in
London ?. My Friend Howard owns/owned it until Wednesday
FirebexThere is in existance a Rear fuselage of a shackleton from behind the bombay to tail in the south west believe it or not it is in use as a glider trailer.There is also rumoured to be the centre section and bombay lurking about for it.
We followed it up recently as someone is working on a Lancaster cockpit and he thought it was Lincoln and therefore a bit nearer to his project.The Shackleton having a completely different cross section to its relatives.
Sadly at present the guy wont sell his fuselage trailer. !!!!!
FirebexIts going to be something at Elvington when one of the last flights comes in I remember being at Woodford and we had XV147 and 148 on the line the comrods someone nicknamed them and the heavily modified Comet we had also cant for the life of me remember its serial.then seeing the first of the HS801 true Nimrods flying xv226 and 227 amongst others then seeing the first of the AEW conversions on the line before moving to new pastures.
Cant remember the chase aircraft we used at the time for them I know that whilst we underwent the Victor tanker conversions we had the rasberry ripple scheme Javelin from the RAE as chase cant remembe rif it did the work for Nimrod also. I do remember some of the first trials with underwing stores and the sight of dummy ordanance bouncing down the runway as it came adrift from test mounts.
Nearly as big a sight as the first of the converted Victors ligning up on the runway 4 days before the airshow and blowing about 20 square metres of tarmac away from the cross runway intersection (Big OOPS).
What has or is happening to the Nimrod fuselages the RAF transport around for shows.I think they had two but one of them may actualy have been one of the comets with dummy fairings. Over to those who may know ?.
FirebexIt has appeared in local press and in a release from the RAF Nimrod XV250 is flying into Elvington 13th April.There intention is to keep it live and taxiable.
FirebexA gentleman and a scholar I knew someone must have the leads to pictures.
Shame none of the pond at the front with the nose sections in. I know a lot of stuff departed to various places the other mill was at the back of Droylsden town centre abot 1/4 mile from where I moved to even tryin gto shimmy up the wall or limbo under the gate did not help to try and see what was in.
Long time ago but I think the lady was actualy called Miss Daniels and I do recall that some deals where done but some really strange conditions including even though you spend a fortune and restore the aircraft it was never yours.
I can confirm the Manchester Air and space museum aircraft was Colin Waterworths.
I dont recal seeing Hornet stuff so perhaps it had gone by the time I went there.But that view as you crested the hill of the pond in front full of early shackleton nose sections.
FirebexLA546 and 564
Hi
You tell me but when we went in with Naps and our own guys we found some bits not very big I am not sure but think the small bit we had with tail hook on might have been from one of them but as Mark/Peter points out it was a long time ago.Can only assume that when they got chopped and disposed of some of the stuff got mixed and ended up in different places.
We did not expect to find early stuff from Woodford in the yard but it was.
Stuff seems to turn up where you least expect to find it stuff is still turning up in scrap yards around europe even today.
Glad at Least Mark/Peter now remembers who I am I thought I had dreamt it all.
FirebexSeafires from warrington
If you look carefully at the photo a gentleman has kindly reproduced
you will note the rear fusleage is missing it was sectioned lengthways these where the first two bits found along with the tail end of another that went into my parents garage in Stockport.Mr Arnold over a period of time unearthed various parts and remains including the rest of SX336 that was only feet away in the pile but could have been miles for all you could see but when he found it a very large piece came up as the photo shows.
I dont wish to arguew with anyone but please get facts correct and dont throw out insults until you know who you are exchanging words with I was there and introduced Peter to the Brierly family !!!!.
When I moved over to Droylsden I also dealt with a lot of people and a certain lady who had taken over the running of Unimetals from her late father (a Miss Daniels if over 30 years of rust in the brain cells serves me right
FirebexSeafires
I am sorry that Mr Arnold Suffers now from Amnesia
he wont recall coming to my mothers house to collect the upper rear fuselage of I think it was SX336 and the tail end of another that was in the workshops that I recall still had a tail hook.
He had tea with my father and stopped over before going back to Luton,we took him to the yard and introduced him to the old man and his son and let Peter get on with his dealings as we had no interest in the Seafires bits as we had other projects on at the time.About 9 I think I went back to Luton a few weks later to visit Peter and look at his project.
As our group were members of the embryo bapc our guys got the low down on the yard and members from our group (SAP) and members from NAPS went into the yard and investigated.
The yard was behind the old bus garage on the roundabout and you had to drive down the side of the garage as if you where going into it to get into the yard.The stuff in the yard was from Stretton,Burtonwood and some stuff from Woodford including the remains of the prototype Avro Athena and in fact I rescued the cockpit canopies (I wish I still had them today).
I have known Peter Arnold for a very long time and last saw him and spoke to him at Merlins over Malta. As one of the engineering staff (I just act as agent and consultant these days)and the main engineer on the rebuild of EN199 I have had many dealings with Peter even over EN199’s wings that he purchased before we found the rest of the aircraft and started the rebuild but he was unwilling to sell them back to us.
Perhaps I have dreamt it all.Perhaps I dream every morning when I walk into our workshops and see Spitfires and Tiger Moths and all sorts of aircraft bits.
Perhaps I dreamt standing on the rear deck of the French Naval research ship La’roche and watching them lift MB293 out of the Med.or stripping MB293 down in the workshops.
If I pinch myself hard I might wake up.Perhaps if someone pinched you hard you may stop suggesting people are dreaming !!!!.
FirebexAce, hope it all goes well for you!!!
I had rumours of one going to CWJ? and somewhere that elvington might be having one?
Elvingtons aircraft XV250 arrives am 13th April
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