Supermarine305A quick look on Wings Palette threw up this image:
No clues on the origin of this picture or its accuracy but it is shown as sky. I do think that Yellow undersides were restricted to trainers (but the yellow went halfway up the sides), (impressed aircraft????) and prototypes (and the latter would have the circled ‘P’ on the fuselage).
I hope that helps.
P.S Whilst I was doing my search I uncovered this old thread. Hope it might be useful in getting some details in your model. Also post #14 has another picture of N3638
Supermarine305Could the embargo be to do with an upcoming book deal ‘BP Defiant – The official Walkaround’ (or somesuch). Of which a portion of the sales would go to the museum?
Just chucking an idea about, not actually trying to justify the photography embargo – which does suck.
In any case I do look forward to seeing the Defiant post-restoration. I seem to recall that there was a little snafu regarding the delivery of the Battle back to the RAFM (not the fault of the restorers as I seem to remember).
Supermarine305Very nice! Are there any originals left?
Regards
No, alas.
I am not sure there are any French twins remaining from WWII. (This is where i hope someone steps in and proves me wrong).
Would be nice is the Musee de l’Air could have their own copy of an important and not too bad plane.
Supermarine305Beermat, Mike, Firebex, el al.
This is my last post on this subject. I think I might come across as rude if I didn’t reply in some way to the replies of the projects members and the points they raised. They are much appreciated.
Thank you all for explaining the situation in regards to the website more fully. I hadn’t actually considered using AW’s actual archived works or even those of other companies (to my shame I had overlooked words to that effect on Matty’s post #32).
Nevertheless I am pleased that some of the criticisms are being taken on board in making the website a more welcoming and informative place and I wish the project every success in its aims.
Supermarine305I feel this is getting put of hand and becoming a diversion to the original intention of the thread. What I offer here is is my opinion and critique of the website of the Whirlwind Fighter Project. I wish the project and all involved every success and if anyone disagrees with what I say now I’d like to point out criticism is not attack.
Matty and Robert, the points I raised are aimed directly and soley at the accessibility of the Whirlwind website. I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I do not have an issue about how the project is run. In fact I know little about how it is run which is why I won’t comment on that.
What I am worried about is that the closed nature of the website as it currently stands is a turn-off for prospective supporters and interested individuals. Most vistors aren’t going to be ‘hardcore’ aviation enthusiasts with the kind of interest in that particular type of aircraft to register without more information on the project. They might come to the page, see the paucity of info and assume the project is static (and I am aware the news page is open to all). Most people visiting that site will have a general interest in aviation and I suspect that most of those people wouldn’t bother to register in any case and just opt to check in for updates now and again. And that doesn’t really matter.
How many people who donated to keep XH558 in the air can name both the other V bombers? Or tell the difference between a Vulcan B.1 and B.2? It doesn’t matter, its their support that does. In fact if you go to Vulcantothesky.org an unregistered visitor has pretty much inhindered access to nearly every page on the website. Its this ready access I would like to see with The Whitewind Fighter Project.
As I said before I would never have registered with Keys if I couldn’t read the forums beforehand (in fact it was a picture of a BMW 801TJ power egg in Cranwell in the late 60’s that piqued my interet enough to want to ask what had happened to it). And that is the same with every other website I am registered with.
I do not understand why the gallery, videos, contact info (I presume that this isn’t personal phone/email) and library are all closed off to non-members. Nor why they cannot view the forums to read (but not comment on as that should be members only to prevent spam) the various threads. These are the things that will arouse more interest in the project.
I must add again that I have no issues with the layout of the website itself. In fact I feel bad about typing this because I am aware that there is a huge amount of time and effort all freely given to the aim of rebuilding a Whirlwind and I feel like I am pissing on peoples’ shoes. I just wish, for the project’s sake, that the website wasn’t such a wall.
Supermarine305Hi All,
It is well worth registering for the info ….photos, plans,etc.
…. no pain ….. no gain …..
I can see the need for registering due to the type of documents available.I have received no spam from the site and as I recall I only used my e mail and a password to register.
There are many sites I have registered with on the net and the return I get for registering far exceeds that actual process.
http://www.whirlwindfighterproject.org/
Maybe the only hope we have of ever getting a 1:1 scale whirlwind
good luck to the team
cheers
Jerry
The point is we are not doubting that the Whirlwind Fighter project site isn’t a good site. It is well laid out and looks professional. There is nothing about the website I want changed look-wise, I just wish more of it was accessible for casual perusal. Currently the website fails in its main job: To inform and inspire the widest possible audience.
The issue is that it actually leaves you with very little indication of what is going on about the project within unless you sign up. Now this will put off a lot of casual visitors, because: A; signing up is hassle and involves another password that needs to be remebered. B; It is easy to get the impression, mistakenly I might add, that there is nothing on the site at all worth signing up if most links you click on lead to a log-on page.
(Or you can just look at the comments about the accessibilty from aviation enthusiasts interested enough to have sighed up to a aviation forum.)
I want the Whirlwind project to be successful. I’ll even push the boat out not very far by claiming everyone here does. But its success depends on public support and that website is a big, big part of gaining it. However as it currently stands it isn’t very welcoming or informative about what is going on with the project and people who might have been tempted in joining in -giving support or donations- are turned away. Website owners have to work on the assumption that most people visiting a website aren’t actually going to bother signing up for anything; lurkers far outnumber contributers. But that doesn’t mean lukers aren’t able to give their support.
And though your information on what does on in the website is most welcome, BrewerJerry, most people aren’t going to have access to that insider information.
tl;dr: Keep the look of the site the same. Just increase accessibity to the whole site to all visitors. Limit membership privilages to being able to comment (and post) onto the site.
The website is selling (not in a literal sense) its wares. And to do that the customers must be able to see what they are buying into. Currently they can barely do that.
Supermarine305Beermat. I think the issue is that as it currently stands some of the most important parts of the website for tempting people to actually register are blocked off to casual visitors. Like the gallery, videos, library and forum. And it is those people will want to keep coming back to see.
The gallery would be very interesting to see but currently I have no idea if its is any good, therefore why should I join? Same with the forums, or library, or videos. I wouldn’t have joined this forum if I had no idea of its contents, the discussions and arguments contained within.
As others have said, the current situation is a turn-off.
Perhaps, that like on this forum, the ability to comment is restricted to members only, but that the site itself in its entirety -with the exception of the members’ only area (surely as it stands most of the side is members only)- is open to any interested visitor.
Supermarine305How about a museum dedicated to civil aviation in the UK? Acting perhaps as an umbrella organisation for the various groups maintaining our civil avaition heritage, bringing the wide variety of aircraft they represent under one roof and perhaps provide a mean to prevent another ‘Cosford Cull’.
I am not against the idea of museums providing replicas for the public to interact with, or to fill gaps in their portolio, but I am not sure about the idea of a museum with just replicas.
Supermarine305Interesting stuff, shame they carnt tell the difference between a Camel and a Pup though;)
You know the drill: Every WWI Brit fighter is a Camel like every WWII fighter is a Spit. Its all Fokkers and Messerschmitts for the Hun respectively.
Shame The Mail don’t know the correct year the first powered flight took place either.
Supermarine305That site did link to another story about the unsung exploits of Albert Göring and his resistance activites. A relevent side note on a warbird forum for being about Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring’s brother.
Supermarine305Ungainly beautiful. Let’s build it.
Supermarine305Taken from Paul’s link:
“Then the men want to flush the machine free to hold small parts and then cut off the wings,” says an army spokesman.
I wonder whether that is an entirely good idea……….
Quite barbaric actually. The Norwegians managed to lift a sunken plane without lopping the wings off. And it was a much larger type too.
Supermarine305Out of interest, what happend to the Bloch? (A 174/5(?) judging by the photo).
Might not get the blood racing like a Spit but its a vastly more rare aircraft.
Supermarine305Does anybody know how many if any complete He 115´s are around (I mean complete planes)?
Michael
No. Only sunken wrecks. This is the only he 115 that has been recovered, though perhaps others can be as well. Its unlikely that you’ll find a better preserved aircraft that’s spent close to 70 years under water.
This is an exceptionally well preserved airframe and congratulations to the team for such a successful recovery.
The following link is about another known he 115 that was discovered at Haltenbank in 1985. http://www.nuav.net/haltenbank.html
Does anyone know what Sola’s long term plan for this plane. Will it be preserved as is or restored?
Edit:
This site says one other.
http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/
Plus some components.
http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/Luftwaffe/relics/Relics%20Heinkel.htm
Had forgotten about that one. Haven’t seen any pictures regarding it or any more info other than what’s on PAA.
Supermarine305Very intriguing. I for one have never heard of this outfit, nor the aircraft coming to NZ. I’ll put out some feelers and see what comes out of it 🙂
Thank you. I’d love to hear whatever your feelers can unearth. Good luck 🙂
I, for one, am very glad they are out of PNG. I don’t think they would’ve survived otherwise….
And despite what Pacific Wrecks says, the recoveries were legit.
I am in two minds about this: Papua New Guinea does deserve to have its WWII history preserved on its own soil like any country. But with the corrupt PNG Museum bureaucracy that seems willing to sell its assets -and who is to say its not just to reputable collectors and not scrap merchents too- and an inability, both financially and motivationally, to preserve those relics I do have agree with you.
I do think this might lurch towards a thread diversion and the rights and wrongs of aircraft recovery in PNG are worthy of a thread all in itself (preferably lined with shuttle heat shields) :D.
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