how much of the Parnall Pixie survives? could it be rebuilt to static/flying? and does anyone have a picture of her? Steve.

Steve,

There is about 80% of the fuselage. This is from firewall to just behind the rear cockpit(including undercarraige legs), then about a 3 ft. gap, then the rear part still ‘joined’ to the front by the control cables. All the tail surfaces survive and I think the axle did (the wheels went onto Desmond St. Cyrien’s Pup, G-APUP). Both halves of the engine cowl survive.
Of the wings there was just one (or both?) aileron, one fuselage to wing ‘V’ strut and quite a lot of pieces of main spar. We found, and purchased, the oil tank for it some years after first acquiring her.

It was always hoped ‘BJG would be rebuilt to fly but, as David Burke says, I would think what is left would primarily act as a pattern.

I have lots of photos but all attempts thus far to post pics here have been unsuccessful. There is a photo in the “preservation Pioneers” article about MAPS in that other monthly aeroplane magazine showing the fuselage of the Pixie with a group of us in our younger days (including G-ORDY in his college/uni scarf).

Roger Smith.

This sounds remarkably like some reference to the Midland Air Museum.

The MAM owns the remains of Parnall Pixie III, G-EBJG, which were donated to the (then) Midland Aircraft Preservation Society by Stratford upon Avon farmer James Rowe in August, 1967. It’s history is fairly well documented and as far as I am aware this aeroplane has never had any connection with the Shuttleworth Collection.

However the MAM do have on loan from Shuttleworth a Bleriot XI replica. Originally constructed (by RAF Apprentices it is thought) for a Royal Tournament. There is a presumption that this was the 1959 Royal tournament (the 50th anniversary of Bleriot’s channel flight) can anyone confirm? Not sure when it went to Old warden but it was, I believe, used as background material in “Those Magnificent Men…” and put on loan to the Midland Aircraft Preservation Society c. 1970.

MAPS/MAM have always been Coventry-based and the city firm of Humber Ltd built Bleriot XIs under licence and, also, a modified version of the Anzani 3 cylinder engine. So, with the addition of an original Humber engine, the Bleriot XI replica (BAPC 9) was turned into a 1909 Humber Monoplane replica.

After a somewhat nomadic life (including a spell on display with Concorde at Yeovilton and hanging in the terminal at Birmingham Airport) it went to form a principal exhibit in the “Wings Over Coventry” gallery in the Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre at MAM, Coventry Airport.

Roger Smith.

Very large power driven circular saw…… 😉

I feel that denigrates sectors of the preservation movement.
When given a very tight time constraint (“move it by X or you can’t have it”), lack of skilled manpower (taking/replacing the wing of a Lightning is a skilled job), lack of money to employ someone to dismantle/re-erect, working outdoors then, I believe, resorting to a “very large power driven circular saw” is justified.
A large number of preserved Lightnings could be moved ONLY by sawing the outer wings off. If that action hadn’t been taken they would not be around for us to enjoy looking at.
I trust you do enjoy looking at all Lightnings not just those that have been moved “properley”

Roger Smith.

I’d like to see one next to a Canberra – where their roles similar?

Roger Smith.

It’ll be more difficult to close them.
Roger Smith.

They gonna take the gun turrets off HMS Belfast?

Roger Smith.