A daily update can be found here:

http://www.wkdankbaar.nl/

Cheers

Cees

Any leads on a landing light dipping lever?

Cheers

Cees

Scrapped probably

Cees

Having the day off really helps.

Couldn’t wait and fitted the throttle box trunk to the engine control duct and fitted the throttle box on that. So the whole unit is almost ready apart from some top hat section stringer bits that need to be fitted for strenght. At this speed I will have to make a sturdier base to place the whole unit on otherwise its too heavy.

Cheers

Cees

They have indeed started as of this week. Together with this Hampden recovery they will recover what’s left of a Liberator. It will all take about ten weeks. I hope to visit the site soon.

Cheers

Cees

Christmas came early today!
Picked this up this afternoon. To say I am pleased is an understatement.

A HUGE thanks to 682Al 🙂 🙂 😉 , whose help was fundamental in the successful reconstruction of this throttle box. No, it’s not an original (as those are rarer than hen’s teeth) but who will notice.
With the pilot’s seat almost finished the project is getting a great boost.
This again proves what the forum can do to help.

Thanks to all involved.:o

Cheers

Cees

Peter,

That’s the problem nowadays. If a replica is built that is supposed to be looking like a warbird, in no time the “replica” dissapears and it’s made into something it isn’t. Thunder Mustang ——> Mustang, oh dear a real one crashed etc etc. Press makes news headlines.

Such as the Mk 26 Spitfire, the Thunder Mustang, The WAR-replica’s of the Corsair, P40 etc. You name it.

There was also a replica Mustang to full size with a turboprop engine up front with the possibility of fitting a Merlin?

Cheers

Cees

Cees,

You have to get this in to a July 1979 context. I had flown up to Manchester with Spencer Flack, he bottom left of image, to finalise a difficult negotiation with the Unimetals management. Not easy.

Spencer was endeavouring to make a bulk purchase of the Fireflies purely for the Griffon 74 engines to part service a number of Mk XIV and XVIII Spitfires, most recently imported from India and this he did. This was high risk on an unknown condition for a high price. Dave Zeuchal was the favoured engine builder at that time.

The engines were unceremoniously gas-axed out, the residue of the Firefly airframes being scrapped or given away. Gene Fisher in the US had some parts I recall.

It would not be the same today.

Mark

Hi Mark,

No problem, of course it’s not possible to compare the present day movement against the past. Just wondering what happened to this large number of Firefly cockpitsections compared to the few that have survived to this day.
In those days (I think, you have more experience with this) wrecks in this condition were considered scrap. These days anything can be used for a reconstruction/rebuild. This shows the development of the warbird movement in the UK (and the world for that matter).
I knew from one of the first FlyPasts I bought (March 1983) that Dave Zeuschel rebuilt the Griffon for G-FIRE. Now I understand the logistics needed for an important part of that project.

Thanks.

Cees