If the Centraurus scenario doesn’t work out, the Tempest II is the perfect candidate for a R3350 swap as it also has a four blader propellor. I know it is not authentic below the cowls, but that could make the aircraft taking to the skies sooner, and the change is less obvious.

Cees

Bump

I would think that such a magnificent project deserves a bit more attention. Especially involving a type as rare as the Tiffy. What a great achievement.

Cheers

Cees

It is very expensive for what is left of it. Cees thanks for clearing up about the missing brake lever. Kind of neat and rare with it being a co-pilot wheel!

Peter,

Well, not only is this the co-pilot’s wheel, but so is mine (before I modified it with a set of Hastings brake levers, as the partnumbers are identical that is wholly justified) as well as cockpit PN323 at the IWM which is also a co-pilot’s control wheel but fitted at the pilot’s position.

This is not a definitive assumption though but as my C Mk VIII manual and other photographs show the difference very clearly, I take it for granted until proven otherwise.

Cheers

Cees

Fact: this is a Halifax control wheel, no doubt about it. But looking at the brake levers, this is a co-pilot’s handwheel which was fitted optionally during training at Heavy Conversion Units (HCU) or used on the later C Mk III’s and Haltons. The pic also shows the handwheel upside down but who’s nitpicking.

The starting price however is IMHO ridiculously high. The person who is the winner in the end gets a handwheel with brake levers and just the topsection of the column. What can you do with it?

Well you can keep it as it is and have a very expensive (though nice) object in your collection or if it is to be used (Ian and Peter, are you reading this?) then only the handwheel and brakelevers can be used. It would be cheaper to hunt for a Hastings controlwheel and brakelevers as these are (almost) identical and relatively easier to find.

Whoever want this control wheel, I wish him/her every succes but it will mean that a holiday this year will have to postponed.

Just my opinion of course

Cheers

Cees

Mathieu,

It looks like it hasn’t been outside much. Could be that it was removed from a crashed Stiring and stored in a barn. Or it could have been jettisoned when the aircraft went down and found by someone and taken away.

This is all pure speculation though. I have sent you a pm as the Stirling Project is very interested in contacting your friend and perhaps they can find out which Stirling it is. It could have been a Stirling on a minelaying or special operations executive mission.

The numbers you are referring to are construction/partnumbers and are useless to establish the identity of the aircraft. They can only be useful if there are two aircraft involved which are built in different factories, then the number can identify in which factory it was built.

Cheers

Cees