I took the photograph (mentioned in a post above) of the Pixie 111 G-EBJG that was published in Wrecks & Relics 16th edition. I took that shot in Nov 1997. The picture (the original slide of which I can’t lay my hands on just now) depicted the fuselage and tailplane and you could see the various cowlings placed on the ground in front of it. The aircraft was then (and still is) in their Robbin hangar. Although now it is relegated out of view behind the more glamourous but far less rare Sea Harrier.
I attach for your enjoyment here a scan of another slide of G-EBJG which I took earlier, back in 1988. It was then stored in a brick building which had no windows and was adjacent to the Museum’s old location on the site. A while later I recall that the Pixie’s rudder appeared on display for a while upstairs in their new hangar – but it’s no longer there and I wonder if it can be located now.
The store in which I took the attached photo contained a number of interesting machines, including the Messenger (now moved on). It also held components of the Wheeler Slymph G-ABOI (built (I think in Iraq) by Alan Wheeler, the one time doyen of the Shuttleworth collection. It never flew). I say components – well what I was shown comprised no more than remnants such as wheels plus (literally) a tea chest of small components / bits of wood. I recall seeing a photo in Control Column of ‘BOI taken in woods at Old Warden. It was then sitting on its wheels and comprised a complete but fabric-less fuselage minus engine. I fear the Slymph is beyond resurrection – but the Pixie deserves better. It is a fascinating example of one of the Lympne trials aircraft and interesting in having flown in both monoplane and biplane configuration. The MAPS subsequent MAM must be congratulated on keeping the remains under cover all these years. As, however, it doesn’t seem to fit with MAM’s primary themes and it needs very specialist woodworking and associated skills to properly restore, maybe it could be released or swapped to enable someone with relevant will and resources to bring it back to at least static glory?
The picture attached shows the inverted fuselage with tailplane and elevators stacked against it. The picture was taken using flash as it was pitch black in there! Enjoy.
Ahh the old Lairage. The Museum was able to include this ex Airport Cattle Lairage in it’s rental of it’s museum site off Coventry Council. The building was a reasonable size but never in good condition and whilst not offering the best of cover for it’s contents it was the best we could afford.
Also seen in Consul’s photo: as he says the Pixie fuselage is inverted – you can see the two undercarraige legs pointing up and the rear piece of fuselage is poked into the main section. Behind is one wing off the Crossley Tom Thumb and one of two R.E.8 propellors the Museum has (most R.E.8 s were built by Coventry firms). In the foreground are, I think, the two wings from Luton Minor, G-BAPC. These were obtained from Scotland and I have always thought from the first Minor (G-AEPD) although have never been able to prove this. These were sold (to Nigel Ponsford??) during the clearance of the Lairage on it’s loss when the Museum moved onto the present site.
Roger Smith.
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