WJ244The bit I found most worrying was as follows:-
“Meanwhile it is understood Wilkinson Eyre has separately been asked to look at a masterplan for the wider Hendon site.”
I hadn’t visited Cosford for many years but made a visit in February and was amazed at how cramped the new “landmark” building was. It seemed impossible to get a proper view of any of the exhibits.
I’m with the functionality brigade. Let’s have a very big shed and get as much under cover as possible and, as others have said, use dioramas to convey an impression of what it must have been like to be on an airfield during the Battle of Britain. This would be far more educational and, with the right sound effects and presentation, far more entertaining for the non-enthusiast visitor than a landmark building where the architecture often seems to take precedence over the suitability of the building for the presentation and preservation of the items displayed within.
WJ244Sorry only just got back here. How about Madon Hanriot HD7 Plus – Thats half an HD14 plus some other bits and pieces.
WJ244Well done, WJ244. It demonstrates that perseverance produces rewards!
To be honest it didn’t take long. I just put in a search for French tailess aircraft and after 10 mins or so of hunting around I found it lurking on the site which I put in the link. I just got lucky with the search terms and was glad to be of help. Must admit I haven’t had a chance to have a proper look at the site yet.
WJ244It had to be out there somewhere
http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/flying%20wings/europe_interwar.htm
WJ244The last U.K owner of the Mosquito was the Strathallen Collection and I recall no problems with access or the warmth of welcome at the collection .
Sorry must be the wrong Mosquito. I was thinking of one that resided in Hampshire for a while and having read other posts here it was Mr Arnold. I never actually met the man but his reputation preceeded him. He did bring a lot of very interesting aircraft to the UK but, for whatever reason, they were never very accessible to enthusiasts and the promises of a museum never came about – a great shame.
WJ244The display was perhaps a bit subdued but as they belong to the RAF Museum the pilots were probably reluctant to push them hard particularly as they wouldn’t be that familiar with the airfield. It was certainly worth the trip for what could well turn out to be a once in a lifetime display.
WJ244The last UK owner of the Mosquito wasn’t exactly known for keeping his aiircraft flying for long or for welcoming enthusiasts with open arms. The Sunderland proved to be a huge moneypit when owned by Edward Hulton. UK operators must have had the option to buy both of them at the time but were either outbid or weren’t interested. As others have said there is no guarantee that either of them would have remained constantly airworthy in the UK particularly the Sunderland.
They are currently safe and under cover with an owner who clearly loves historic aviation and does restore his aircraft to fly again – not such a bad outcome.
I haven’t met Kermit Weeks but, from the comments made here, it would be a wonderful world if all other warbird collectors were so approachable and made their collection as accessible as he has.
WJ244And let’s not forget Shackleton WR963 with a long suffering team that continue the unequal battle with an old aeroplane kept outside and the British climate.
WJ244I do think there is a perception among some people that because he has money everything can be done in minutes rather than years almost as if money buys you a magic wand that makes every wish come true immediately. I have never been fortunate enough to meet Kermit Weeks but when you remember the huge setbacks he has suffered thanks to hurricanes and other misfortunes and I am sure many other millionaires who have decided enough was enough, taken the insurance money (assuming there was insurance money) and walked away whereas he has bounced back often with improved facilities. He has been a major asset to the preservation scene – I just wish I could afford the trip to see his collection.
WJ244I believe that G-ADXS “The Fleeing Fly” moved around a bit after Southend closed. Seems to ring a bell that Stan and David Brett looked after her at Andrewsfield in the early days of Rebel Air Museum and I think she moved on to the Thameside Aviation Museum at Tibury Fort where the damp got to the glue and the top wing folded. There is a picture on the web from 2009 of her with The Real Aeroplane Company hung from the roof at Breighton so I assume she is still there.
If you search the web for Pou Du Ciel G-ADXS you will also find a picture of her at Staverton with Skyfame in the late 60’s and also a rather grainy pic of her on display in Storeys Garage in Alexandra Street, Southend in 1961. I remember my dad driving past when I was about 6 years old and telling me to look out for the aeroplane in the garage.
WJ244The railway line has proved quite popular with airliners over the years usually with far more expensive results!
WJ244It is impossible to say that a scrutineer would definitely have seen the problem but there was mention of a fatigue crack in or around one of the screws so that must increase the probability that it would have been noticed.
F1 are trying to level the playing field in terms of restricting testing to reduce the performance advantage gained by the better financed teams who can afford to pay for more testing. F1 is definitely not cutting corners in terms of safety. All monocoques have to undergo a crash test and any major redesign needs a further crash test. If you can’t afford to pay for the monocoque for the crash test and for any retest if the monocoque doesn’t pass first time you can’t go racing.
There was a lot of publicity not so long ago over CAA reservations about unrecorded and or unapproved mods on warbirds flown here and as a result many were grounded pending clarification of their staus even though many of the mods had been done years ago often way before the aircraft were acquired by their current owners. It seems quite reasonable that the mods made to unlimited racers should be documented and checked in the same way and the onus should be on the race teams to show that the mods have been properly engineered and won’t jeopardise the structural strength or controlability of the aircraft. Admittedly it probably isn’t an easy thing to police but it is a reasonable and appropriate step to take after such a tragic accident. We can’t avoid what has already happened but we can learn and take sensible, but not overly restrictive precautions in future.
Incidentally if you doubt the thoroughness of scrutineers I once competed in a motorcycle trial which involved travelling about a quarter mile on public roads to get from the only available parking area to the land where the sections were laid out. The bike was taxed and insured but was rarely used on the road. The scrutineer refused to pass my bike as fit to compete because the speedometer drive seized when he turned the front wheel to check it and he wouldn’t let me push the bike the quarter mile either so I had to forfeit my entry fee and couldn’t compete. The decision was a bit harsh in view of the distance involved but it does show how thorough a good scrutineer can be..
WJ244I have wanted to go to Reno ever since I saw a picture of the black and yellow checkered Mustang Miss Bardhal in a magazine around 45 years ago but unfortunately I haven’t made it yet.
If I ever manage to go I accept that there is a risk of accidents due to overstretched engines deciding to call it a day – that is something that happens in any kind of racing. On the other hand I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect that the aircraft participating in the races have been checked to ensure that they are structurally safe to operate within their projected flight envelope.
In Formula One the cars are scrutineered at every meeting and modifications are tested either during test sessions or during free practice when there are few spectators. Most modified parts have also been tested in the wind tunnel long before they appear at the circuit so they are known to be structurally sound before they are ever put on the car. Obviously the budget isn’t available to carry out wind tunnel tests on unlimited racers but there should be a requirement to carry out flight tests of any modifications before the aeroplane competes at a public event.
I have read a lot about the philosphy behind the design of Galloping Ghost. The aim was to reduce drag to the point where they could run competitively with the engine at a lower power setting than most unlimiteds currently use with the intention of cutting operating costs by increasing engine life and increasing safety by reducing the risk of engine failure. The reports suggest that the aerodynamic changes acheived this aim. I suspect the mods to the elevator balances were made to make the aircraft more responsive to control inputs but this must carry some risk of overstressing the airframe as it must make it easier for the pilot to over control. It is very sad that the main reason for the accident appears to be that four small screws / bolts weren’t checked properly and I am still amazed that this wasn’t spotted on a preflight check and also believe that it would have been noticed by an independent scrutineer.
We are not talking here about safety measures which dilute the spectacle but about safety measures which aren’t too much more than those which any pilot usually makes before any flight.
WJ244The crew had obviously spent an awful lot of time and money re-engineering Galloping Ghost and from photos Galloping Ghost looked to be a beautifully presented, well built and well maintained aircraft so it seems almost inconceivable that the problems with the trim tab screws weren’t noticed and rectified.
There is always an element of the unknown with an unlimited racer as they are pushing the boundaries to find that little extra speed but I can remember incidents in the past including a re-engined Yak which allegedly landed up with a twisted fuselage due to the torque from the new engine / prop combination and a previous P-51 crash where there was criticism of the build quality / engineering so I am surprised that there wasn’t already some kind of regulation / scrutineering to make sure that aircraft were structurally sound and safe to run at race speeds and a requirement for flight testing of any modifications prior to a race. I suspect that it has always been taken for granted that no pilot would fly an aircraft that they considered to be unsafe and that any problems would be found on the usual pre-flight inspection but in this case the pilot and crew missed something basic that might just have been found during a scrutineers check.
In the UK you won’t get any race car anywhere near a starting grid without going through scrutineering to ensure the car is safe to run and also complies with the regulations for it’s class so why should air racers, which have the potential to injure a lot more spectators than a race car, be any different.
I am sure no one wants to see the unlimiteds strangled by over restrictive rules but at the same time the safety of everyone on the airfield on race day should be paramount.
WJ244Unfortunately I don’t have room to store the magazines but was hoping for a favour from someone who has copies.
Probably sometime in 1967 Tony Osborne launched the British Historic Aircraft Museum initially at Biggin Hill. I know that he ran adverts in Control Column including an infamous advert where he falsely claimed that his newly set up museum would also include Lancaster NX611 and the other aircraft that belonged to HAPS. I believe the advert actually listed an inventory including the HAPS airframes. I understand that it was as a result of this advert that Mr Osborne was asked to vacate Biggin Hill and made the move to Southend.
Having been involved in the Southend museum a little later in it’s life I am trying to put together as much info as I can about BHAM / HAM and would like scans of any of the adverts that Tony Osborne placed in Control Column.
If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.
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