Phantom PhixerSorry I should use the term “parked” which you may have come across whilst working for your former employer. 🙂
My mate Moller has a few flying cars which he says could be ready “soon”. Fancy one? 😉
Not yet my former employer BR. But happily counting down the days with an ever expanding grin on my face.
Im looking forward to the day I can say (like yourself) I escaped. 😀
Yep ask Moller to put me down for one please. Any idea on the colour and trim options yet? 😉
Phantom PhixerWeaning the world off fossil fuel will take some time and if supply ran out before that could take place, we would all go back 200 years to steam power. So not only would aircraft from any era be grounded, so would our cars etc.
The likelihood will be that 100LL AVGAS is withdrawn on environmental grounds, this being especially likely given now few commercial operators rely on it within Europe and so objections will be in the minority. Most small, normally-aspirated aero piston engines are capable of running without lead too, with the exception of a large portion of GA consumption is consumed by a disproportionate amount of larger engines.
Therefore we may go the way of Sweden. If you want to read about unleaded AVGAS from Sweden and their AVGAS product for warbirds, then read on here
Grounded cars? Were do you get these flying car contraptions you talk of from Blue Robin? I want one. :diablo:
Phantom PhixerSome more progress
The engine control duct is now finished and everything is riveted together (and fits!:) ). In the first pic it’s fitted tot the pilot chassis which will be the pilot’s floor where all the controls etc. are fitted. This is the heart of the Halifax cockpit. With the instrument panel in the general area it’s beginning to look like something familiar.
Cheers
Cees
Looking great Cees. Are you sure your going to paint it?
In many ways it seems a shame to hide such wonderful craftmanship.
Phantom PhixerThanks Phantom.
Yes those are the markings I was referring to. Will keep an ear to the ground about viscount parts for you..
Cheers Peter,
You may regret saying that as once the wants list has been compiled you may find a copy waiting in your inbox 😮
Phantom PhixerPeter,
Im assuming your referring to the red and blue arrow shapes around the nose/cockpit area?
Its the scheme of her second operator Air Inter. She was originally ordered as part of a batch of aircraft that went to Air France. Following her service with that carrier she was sold to the then french domestic carrier Air Inter wheer she was painted in the house colours of her new operator. She was in fact to be the first Air France Viscount to be passed to Air Inter.
The original Air Inter markings were kept when she passed to her next owners Air Service Training at Perth. Used as an instructional airframe AST only changed the titles along the upper fuselage and added their crest on the tail.
When you stand next to the fuselage you can just make out where the Air Service Training text was through the dirt thats accumulated on her.
Have a look in the history and the gallery section on http://www.viscount35association.com (sorry couldnt resist a plug) and you will see what Im referrring to and you can see how the colour scheme evolved over the years.
Phantom PhixerI wasn’t aware that the BBMF allowed it’s fighters to do loops. So wouldn’t that mean its not P7350 ? :confused:
Phantom PhixerMany thanks for the identification of the mysterious Viscount seen from Dragon Rapide G-AJGJ in April!
Nothing mysterious about our Viscount Papa Lima :diablo:
Nice picture by the way, thank you for sharing. Ive not seen any of her from the sky before.
Phantom PhixerYour right there John. Like your Brit our Viscount will be ready when she is ready. Weve got a few targets we want to achieve within certain time periods but if they dont happen they dont happen and we keep plugging away till they are acheived.
Cheers for the comments Bex. Remember though it wasnt just me that achieved this. A lot of people gave time to make sure that she finally arrived.
Phantom PhixerAh but in our defence at least yours has been taken apart at transport joints – ours was never meant to come apart into so many bits 😀 :diablo:
If it was anybody else Jon I would say they were back tracking but as its you I will say yes you have a valid point. :rolleyes:
Been serious (only for a moment mind) yes our Vicky should be a lot easier to put back together than the Brit. I did wonder when I first saw the pics if yours was meant to have been dismantled into quite so many parts.
Phantom PhixerBet we have our Brit together first though!! :p 😀
Good to see she has finally arrived and getting some TLC.
Jon
Ha ha but youve had a head start though Jon.
In my eyes thats a slightly unfair bet or is that the only way you win them? :diablo:
Phantom PhixerCheers Ben,
Certainly one in the eye for all those that said she will never arrive at Coventry :diablo:
Phantom PhixerCertainly is nice to see her home at last Peter and cheers for the message of support 😀
First up is to finish the museum project we are involved with then work starts proper on her. Already we have started washing her down as there is a lot of dirt and fungi on her especially on the white painted parts of the airframe.
But……………the good news is we are not finding anything bad underneath the grime and what we are finding is showing us that we have infact got something very original and rather special to restore.
If people are interested we are more than happy to post regular updates on how she progresses through her restoration.
Phantom PhixerViscount C/n 35 F-BGNR “Victoria Lynne”.
Well we are a little confused how not one of you managed to see our girl on her travels up the the motorway network but its nice to be able to confirm this news for ourselves. Finally on the evening of Thursday 6th September Viscount C/n 35, F-BGNR “Victoria Lynne” passed through the gates of her new home at the Midland Air Museum.
The move of the aircraft was sponsored by A.E Beckett & Sons Ltd a farming company near Birmingham, who Rob’s father worked for over a number of years until he retired. We asked Simon Beckett the managing Director if he would sponsor the move (it was a bit of a long shot as farming has nothing to do with Viscounts) and to our surprise he said yes. He thought it was fantastic that he could give something back to the son of one of his former employees. Top bloke thank you Simon. http://www.beckettsfarm.co.uk
The operation to move the Viscount was spread over two days. Day one saw the team load the wings onto a low loader which was then left over night at the edge of the airstrip at Hatch. Day two saw the fuselage been loaded onto a second low loader before we then set of in convoy up to Coventry Upon arriving at Coventry the airframe was then unloaded. Sounds easy when its put like this doesn’t it.
Due to a few problems loading the fuselage the airframe left Hatch a little later than planned and didn’t arrive at Coventry until about 6ish. The fuselage was unloaded first followed by the wings, a task that was finally completed late in the night. The lead contractor in the move Allums Plant Hire, who were providing the trailer to transport the wings and also the lifting gear didn’t leave site approx 11.30-45pm.
A big thank you to the guys at Allum Plant Hire. I’m terribly British and not normally one to plug a company that we have paid for but these guys were amazing. We ran out of paid time with them at approx 7.30pm. Yet they stayed unpaid until the job was done. Cheers Glen and Ian you were worth your weight in gold. Thanks to office bound people, I’m going to miss our conversations, and in the last two days my phone has never seemed so silent. :p
Victoria Lynne is now on public display at the Midland Air Museum albeit in a dismantled state. The plane is to do some minor work over the coming months so that we can reassemble her in the spring of 2008 at which point it is hoped that the interior of the aircraft will be open for public inspection.
Loads of people to thank which have made this happen, special thanks of course to A.E Beckett & Sons Ltd for sponsoring the move and also to the Midland Air Museum for allowing us to locate the Viscount at the museum. A big thank you also to the museum volunteers who gave up their time freely and without question to help move the aircraft. You know who you are guys and you wont ever believe how grateful we are.
The full story of the move can be read on our website http://WWW.Viscount35association.com which is now up and running (finally 😀 ) along with a few pics. More pics will be put in the gallery over the coming days. But I’ve put a few pics below as a taster. Enjoy.
I know LesB is waiting to post some pictures of her at the museum so fire away old chap.
Pic 1 Is the fuselage been pulled out of its home on site at Hatch on Day 1
Pic 2 We stopped in a layby approx 6 miles out of our departure point to ensure the straps hadn’t come undone and to meet up with our 2nd Hi-ab
Pic 3 The wings on the move
All pics courtesy of Craig Martin our photographer for the move. Cheers fella.
Phantom PhixerWere these anything to do with the collection which were at Bruntingthorpe in the early-mid 90s?
Dont think so Rich. I think the aircraft you mention were the aircraft of Sandy Topen. Def remember seeing his Suez striped Venom at Brunty.
Phantom PhixerI believe it was announced recently they have now have an out of service date as 2015.
Sign In
