Hi AM,

I must admit if asked to picture a 1950s simulator I would not have envisaged anything quite so impressive as the Stratocruiser one! It does make sense that a simulator should be an accurate representation of the aircraft though. I’d forgotten the Comet column came in from the side.

AM, is there any possibility of your Redifon yoke being from one of their DH Comet simulators? I have to be honest and say that this isn’t a subject I know much about and I’m only guessing based on the shape of the yoke alone.

The Squadron/Signal book on the Buffalo in Action has lots of photos and line drawings of the various canopies but doesn’t have a canopy exactly as shown in your pictures, Propstrike.

Very early 1934, dhfan. The prototype DH86 flew on 14th January that year. The Gipsy Six (“the latest type of de Havilland engine”) was reviewed in Flight magazine of the 25th January.

I have been looking through my old Scottish Air News and Scotland Scanned issues as both have info on the contents of the Arbroath dump over the years. I’ve only come across one Sea Hawk coded E on the fin and that was WM939. However, that’s not the aircraft marked Radioactive and coded 82? which is a different aircraft altogether. It took me quite some time to spot it but the starboard wing is missing from that one and therefore no underside wing serial would be visible in your other photo. They are two separate aircraft.

Haven’t managed to find a Sea Hawk at Arbroath with a code starting 82 yet!

Hi Jim – I’m not sure this is really of much help or adds anything to what you already know but a couple of Flight magazines published in Oct 1919 give the following information –

“W. of Hove Park at S.E. corner of W. Blatchington” and “the new aerodrome at West Blatchington Farm which consists of about 50 acres is being fenced round and hangars are being erected”

I suspect, as AA said in his original post, the hangars were of the Bessoneau type and not permanent?

Thanks for reviving this old thread Mark. It has been interesting to read and with some great old photos. Well done on identifying the Moth with the headrest!

How very sad! I really feel for the volunteers who carried out the restoration – it must be heart-breaking for them after all their hard work.