i just was pondering, will we EVER see a whirlwind helicopter grace the skies of britain ever again, or are they in the history books for ever,??
just seems to me there are alot of airframes about, and as far as i am aware non will ever fly in the UK, is there a big safety problem with them??, or is it no ones got around to it yet ??
i just cant for the life of me think of one thats flying ? or at least airworthy ?
Merkle – The Whirlwind on the dump at Colerne isn’t a Whirlwind HAS.7 It is the mortal remains of the first production Whirlwind HAS.1 XA862 . It was spares recovered a couple of years ago and the cockpit is at Aeroventure.
Ahh, I wont be going for that one then 😀
I got the Info from Wrecks a relics, regarding its number, so it was a stab in the dark,
thanks all the same for the help, 😉
photos
Any photo’s ?
.
will get some tonight, when i get home from work,
problem is whenever i try to download photos on here it NEVER works,
and i just dont know what it is i am doing wrong, will try later though.
if not, i can send Via e-mail if anyone needs them !!:D
And yet again :D, Anyone got photos of XK911, at Colerne, (whirlwind ) ex everett aero, Is it still there , on its side, :confused:
instrument panel,
Talking of Parts,
Does any one have a Westland Whirlwind/Sikorsky S55 Instrument panel ?
I got quite a few bits a bobs from a T11 Vampire which i could swap,
namely flap control box, panels, Oxygen bits a bobs, door, Will make out a list tonight for anyone who is interested,
also got a large airframe panel from a lightning,Phantom, and a few other odds a sods
at least i can make a panel up, and with the abundance of whirlwinds one day i might be able to buy one of the scrap ones from a paintball park,
Has anyone any photos of the one on its side at RAF Colerne ??
Cheers
cc:)
The Alvis Leonides (both single and double row) are quite refined engines and not strictly speaking copies of the P&W engine. The basis of an engine being both valuable and rare is pretty much linked to the number in use .
ahh well, I suppose ive been looking for years , so a few more wont harm me,
there is never a quick fix in this game, something will come along one day 🙂
I might try Barry Parkhouse, he might have something,
Its amazing how things have changed in the past few years, is it me but they seem to have flown by, in the mid 90s when my kids were small, and we struggled for pretty much everything there were quite a few engines about, I was offered a Hercules (bristol) at Flowers yard for £250, all them years ago,
but yet again, Council flat with no garden, I couldnt take it, yet again never had the 250 anyway, he did give me a horsa glider wheel for free though,after i worked so hard to get it :D.
I guess you all wonder what does this Merkle want ??? chasing this a that ,
well to tell you the truth, any project that is resonably managable in size, be it small cockpit, or engine, but if its a engine, i will want to get it running,
I know of a Gypsy in a peat bog, But this land is owned by the nature people, and i dont think they would allow diggers in to get it, a 1968 incident with a chipmunk, all bailed out so no fatalities,
But i am sure they would not allow a recovery, there funny even about people WALKING in that area.
and the farmer ,well he is the sort who would get his shot gun out 😀
The Gnome engine has a higher value than a Leonides which was fitted to the Whirlwind HAS.7 amongst others. The Wright Cyclone powered Whirlwinds are now incredibly rare in the U.K and I doubt you will find one with an available engine.
Well ive learned something today !!, I never realised Whirlwinds were powered by the Gnome !! 🙂
ahh, ****** so someones beat me to it 🙁
Years ago,:(
Is there ANY type of Piston engine out there that ISNT extremely hard to find ???.
Or should i start thnking about Morris Minors, ??, as a engine project , 🙂
dont fancy one of these then?
http://www.everettaero.com/gnome.html
:diablo:
i would have thought a gnome would be easier to come by than any of the old alvis engines, though the very early marks were powered by a wright cyclone… depends where you’re prepared to go to get one i suppose 🙂
ahh,
I thought it was the Wessex that was powered by the Gnome, Besides its a Gas turbine engine, and i know little about them, nice thought though,
yes the sikorsky S55 was powered by a Cyclone, (that would be a dream!!:D)
and the westland version powered by the Alvis, which from what i have been told is pretty much a copy of the american engine,
only reason i was chasing one was it seemed Whirlwinds are in abundance, and pretty much a forlorn bird, most paintball parks have them, if i had the room i would have a whole one, and it was a PISTON engine i was after, i would not mind any type, I would have thought the most common were these tpes, and maybe the Gypsy engine, But with lots of Tiggy Moth and Chipmunks flying, I imagine a Gypsy engine having quite a high Premium,
Merlins and powerplants of that size ,price wise are extremely expensive, and even the RR Metoer tank engine will cost a minimum of 2K , and the rest, I am left with very little options .
The one whirlwind in Portishead is actually a Sikorsky built S55, ex Danish airforce, but she is in a real mess, luminous green now by all acounts for all the shots fired at her , 😉
Heritage ?
I fully agree with you Philip,
I drives me to tears sometimes, I dont know how we have become so consumed by greed in this country,just look at the stockmarket greedy pigs as the papers called it,
I know why they want to knock the buildings down, its simple, Where they might get 100K ish each, for say 4 flats in the old Building, They can flatten it, and build 10 new Terraced low cost houses on it, selling at more like £175K,
Your right GREED,
PLEASE, read my post on the Aviation heritage page , it shows like you, where i live too, is just the same,
link is http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=84585
I did TRY and stop a Very rare Bunker from being demolished , I was even in the local paper withthe county Chief Archaeologist, and a MP, to try and save it, But because it was not protected, as soon as the developer took wind of us trying to save it, A week later it was Flattened,
it was one of only 2 left in the country, a Pillbox, with a Bofors Mount on the top.
Ive come to the point where I realise ,I am Powerless to stop the rot, and sadly Most people these days dont have a clue, or care for that matter, too busy watching “Big Bruvver “
its a sad state of affairs we live in today, I know you cant keep everything, But at least let us keep something,
and of course, Councils a Govt LOVE military and old industrial sites, Because they are all classed as “Brown Field sites” its easier for them than to even think of building on Green sites, :rolleyes:
Correct.
well if thats the case,he’s done a wonderful job, !!, 😀
I wonder if he saw that Le Rhone engine on Milweb for sale, a few days ago ??
The engine is a IO 320 lycoming, the guns were made by Paul and they ARE capable of being fired with the use of propane:diablo: Not sure what the CAA would have to say about that though:rolleyes:
Now I am Confused :confused::confused:,
the Lycoming is a Flat horizontal engine, not a radial or Rotary , so that must mean those cylinders protruding from under the Cowl are false ones ???
Heritage ?
I agree, It is a good thing to preserve our heritage, But over the years ,especailly in the south west, I have found the Museums, Council, and archaeologists are more concerned with saving ancient history than, modern history,
Most of the aviation collections are small private run museums, gangs of people who have worked hard to save all they can,
But how many of these Museums, have been for a better word, Closed down due to redevelopment etc, and when have the local authorities jumped in to save them, Look at the Gloster collection, or the Jet age Museum, or Bournmouth museum, there are many who have been forced to shut there doors, indefinately, truth is in this day and age i feel it is almost UN-PC as it is modern history and worst of all Military, there seems to be more on Arts than old Enginneering, i feel even the Lotto commision arent interested really,
yet if they found the remains of a 17th century slave ship or a museum of slavery etc it would be supported, just the political climate i think and what is fashionable, I wonder in future years, if we look back ,we realise just what important heritage we have lost over the years to developement.
Where I live is a very ancient dock, it has been here since roman times, and they have systematically destroyed anything here related to our old industry ,the cranes are gone, Sheds, bunkers, railway history, all wiped out, Just to build this massive housing estate ,it is now filled with “Modern art statues, nothing that relates to its rich industrial past, instead we have silver Spheres, Poles with names on which are suppoed to represent “The Waves”
Giant Copper Nails over 7 ft tall, in a park, to represent our industrial heritage, (on the old Nail factory site) all bought a made at Extreme cost to the tax payer, The people of portishead, have bemoaned this from the start ,But it falls on deaf ears of Our politically correct ,Luvvy council every time,worst of all, they developed the dock,destroyed the “Public” slipway, so now you have to pay to use a boat lift, and minimum of 2K a year to keep a boat there, the infuriating thing about this is hundreds of years ago, the Dock was Given to the People of portishead, and it is a PUBLIC wharf, yet Big Bussiness has moved in and can charge high rates to stay there, and any boat that does not fit in with there “Type” gets moved out, as all they want in there is White Sunseeker types, they want a mini Rich Marbella type port, when we used to have a old lifeboat, industrial ships, fishing ship, all sorts of types, Now it looks like some sort of Model Boat Tinsel town, its sad because it was such a diverse little dockland,and it has been taken from the Parish , and only really used by the rich, I live right next to it, Ive personally allways wanted a little boat, and would have kept it in the Public wharf, But now it does not exist, and me and a boat, well it will never happen, because i cant afford the 2K a year to keep it there,
the same with bristol dock, the old industrial Museum, from what i can see is pulled down, and they are replacing it with one of these “Glass Palaces” which is not in keeping with That lovely stretch of industrial heritage along the Quay ,with its little steam engine, Boats, and cranes, I just dont understand what they are up too?? .
Councils have done more damage than what any german airforce could do, I feel personally, this is a era like the sixties, where they can build as many monstrositys they wish, only for the future generations to realise what a mess they have made of it ,
I am sure too, weston super mare airfield is close to being built on too, it is owned by a major developer,there are so many that have gone in these past FEW years,
is it just me ??, or is this a sign of the times ??:(
Ok OK if it REALLY had to be ONE only !
wads of cash, (like NO i aint got it,LOL) but if i did, well,:D
santa please bring me , Errr
a full size canberra ,
Gotha Bomber, Javelin, Hunter,Silvaire,Piper colt,B36 Peacemaker,Dornier 17z,
Ilyushin 10 ,Mig 15 , Rata, Beech stagger wing, Fokker DVII, Fok Dr1,Se5a,Re8
/BE2C ,Bristol Bulldog, Hawker Hart,, ahh the list is endless, But i am Not greedy :diablo: even a Bleriot 😀
well i suppose if it had to be ONE plane, it would have to be the De-havilland DH Albatross, 4 engined aircraft, it just ipitemises that Golden Age of flying,
Just sheer Beauty , and classic lines, and the Customers, Exquisite Comfort ,
even a glass of champers would be laid on for them, it would be the “Orient Express of the Air ” Sheer Opulance ;):D
Nice to see the German women could more that serve huge beers 😀
I used to work with a guy, who had a rivet-gun like that (in the 1990’s). Big darn thing.
Yeh an they got Nice Big JUGS to serve em in :diablo:,
who needs playboy magazine ,when the forum shows us REAL woman like in these piccys :D:diablo:
Oh, noooooo.
Your not a sinner who puts wallpaper onto plasterboard are thee jimlaaaad!
Leaving the problem of removal to the next person. It’s a sin is that.
Yeh LOTS of LOVELY WOODCHIP paper !!:diablo:, even the cielings too, :dev2:
Oh, noooooo.
Your not a sinner who puts wallpaper onto plasterboard are thee jimlaaaad!
Leaving the problem of removal to the next person. It’s a sin is that.
Yeh LOTS of LOVELY WOODCHIP paper !!:diablo:, even the cielings too, :dev2: