The Q.6 was originally moved from Redhill to Duxford – where indoor accomodation had been offered – by a team from MARTSU lead by a Lt. Leeves (with a smidgen of help from MAPS members) over four days concluding with reassembly on 7th April, 1974. 1st pic shows fuselage and centre section being seperated at Redhill.
Eventually the IWM had better use for their hangarage and ‘FFD had to go – outside initially. MAM (the name had changed by now) members moved her to Sutton Coldfield on 29th September, 1979. The 2nd pic shows her loaded (on two trailers) and ready to leave. Doug Blencowe and his immaculate “owned from new” Range Rover did a lot of trailer work for us and became known, of course, as ‘Doug the tug’. After moving ‘FFD he began to wonder – the trailer and Q.6 fuselage unhitched itself whilst at speed on a Bedfordshire road. They ended up in a roadside ditch – mercifully undamaged.
Bob Mitchell and MAM were, then, on good terms (although we never got the Zwicky bowser back!) and wanted to add ‘FFD to his collection. Anyway he provided temporary covered accomodation while she was sold (not to him) and ‘Doug the tug’ then towed her to the new owner in the Isle of Man.
I, like many others, am looking forward to seeing her in the air.
Roger Smith.
PS Doug’s Range Rover is now an exhibit in Coventry’s superb Transport Museum.
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