Proctor VH-AHYI guess that you mean the one in the image below – not my image and I hope the photographer (who I know) won’t don’t mind me putting it up on the web. I think it furthers interest in Percival aircraft.
The text with the image was as follows:
“This exact replica has been built by Hawker restorations for inclusion at the RAF Hendon museum, to be displayed alongside the papers and memrobilia from the late and great Alex Henshaw. She conforms to the exact 30’s Cape record configuration, and the re build was overseen by Alex up to a month before he passed on.
The inside of the cockpit is painted dark grey, exactly as Alex said he remembered it. Nose, and engine cowels plus spats all made in house, beaten from aluminium sheet, a work of art. There is no engine fitted, instead a dummy panel behind the intake opening, with a Gipsy cylinder head mounted to the face, suitably aged and splashed with oil to add to the authenticity!”
JDK – see replicas can be good in museums
Is there the manfacture’s drawings about, it would be great to see a flying replica in Australia!
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYNah. I mean that’s where (too much / most of) the warbird money goes. Into (re)building another P-51D. Booooring. Nothing against a bunch of P-51Ds, but there’s a lot more interesting types out there too.
I agree, but you need to have one flying to inspire the masses and that is the problem – to the best of my knowledge none that exist are in flying condition. I seem to remember that at least one “rebuild to flying” was underway in Australia, haven’t heard much about it lately. I love Beaufighters and would prefer one to a P51 any day (then I love DC2/DC3’s as well)
Too many planes and too little money!!!!
Proctor VH-AHYHere is some images someone emailed me from the Auther Butler Flyin at Tooraweenah
The email also said:
“Are there any drawings out in the ether of the Mew Gull ?
I note that there is a company in great britain who market drawings and a
metal parts kit of the comper swift”
interested to know the answer to the question about the Mew Gull
Proctor VH-AHYSee if you can source the original drawings, I know that in the early 1980’s when I wanted spar drawings I was able to get them from DH.
A close-up photo with a scale might help you, its not very complex and should be easily made.
Proctor VH-AHYThe Tr-pacer was Pipers answer to Cessna all-metal tricycle aeroplanes in the early 1950’s. Poor old England struggled on with the Auster for years later and lost its market share of the light aeroplane segment – Ahhh… Auster – The good old “Steel Aeroplane”, I want a Mk3 done up as original (Military)
Very nice photo and such blue sky, here in Queensland, Australia our blue sky is a bit washed out due to the stronger sunlight.
Proctor VH-AHYAlso you stated that you think museums are leaving aircraft to rot
Not my term, I said corrode (and when pushed) I gave examples to support my case, futher I acknowledged that people were doing their best to prevent it but went on to say it was an uphill battle unless the aeroplanes were under cover and suggested a way to do it. Beaufighter or DC2 – hard to say which would be my favourate, I love them both hence my concern.
It’s as crashing as someone who comes up and tells you your aircraft’s scheme’s wrong and you are a ‘murderer’ for risking lives with your old crate.
Now who is being ham fisted, with two of my close friends getting killed in aeroplane crashes a few weeks back (Barry on the Sunday, Shane on the following day)
QAM faces a lot of tough problems, but are clearly doing a great job, I’d suggest in terms of getting aircraft under cover, properly displayed and restored. I’m sure the same issues came up in your and Dick’s discussions.
Dick saw what had been achieved at Watts Bridge and by QVAG and became a regular attendee at the QVAG/AFM “Festival of Flight”. When we founded Watts Bridge Airfield, we offered QAM a home there, however events at the time made Caloundra seem more attractive. I still think QAM should be at Watts Bridge for its long term success, but that is a debatable point
Drop me a PM next time you are down here in civilisation, away from those bananas, and I’d be delighted to buy you a cold one. I’m sure it’ll be a more enjoyable debate when at the bar. 😉
Lived in Melbourne for a year (1972) but decided to put my watch forward a 100 years and go back to Queensland. Didn’t go back to Victoria again for 35 years so guess win’t be going there again in this life.
However if you should be up in the Sunshine State where we straighten bananas send me a PM and we can get together, Better still come up next August and attend the “Festival of Flight” and see more vintage aeroplanes in one spot than are contained in Moorabbin and Pt Cook combined and they all fly I have attached images of but a fet of the interesting aeroplanes that attended the one a month back
Cheers,
Proctor VH-AHYNice Aeroplane and the subject of the debate above
Proctor VH-AHYJDK et al
Don’t shoot the messenger, both Pt Cook and Mooirabbin are good museums, just used as examples. I made the same comments about Queensland Air Museum to Dick Hitchins (when he was alive) . Dick subsequently became a friend and we had many hours of conversation about the problems experienced with air museums.
I have followed the history of QAM since the 1970’s and was invited to the official opening of their museum at Caloundra. I do know what’s involved and I am able to pass informed comment and I will leave it at that.
Proctor VH-AHYSorry Moorabbin but this is an example of what I am saying, however I understand very well why it is ocuring. Further its not sad reflection on what you folks are attempting to do but the problems are bigger than the resources with the external stored aeroplanes
Proctor VH-AHYThe “A” model herc is looking very sad at Pt cook and speaking as someone involved in the aviation industry since 1969 and heavily in restoring aircraft since 1976 I know what I saw. see attached illustration as just a sample of what was evident and one of the staff members at the museum confirmed it is an uphill battle.
Mark, did I talk to you at Moorabbin a couple of weeks ago.
I commend those who do the hard yards at museums like Pt Cook and Moorabin, however external storage is a slowly losing battle. I always have a look in the wheel bays that is a place where the problems are often evident.
This is turning into a debate about aeroplane museums in Melbourne, rather than as I had intended it (as the starter of the thread) why don’t museums sell one of the valuable aeroplanes so that they can get their collection under cover and we would then have a chance that the aeroplanes in external storage will stand a chance at being around in reasonable condition in 30 years.
To the guys at Moorabbin, I saw you working on the Cat and keep up the good work, I admire you!
Proctor VH-AHYPaul
The museum was interesting and certainly the results of hard work were evident, however so was the fact that it is an uphill battle with the outdoor exhibits.
Sometimes it takes an outsider to state the obvious and that is those outdoor exibits will continue to deteriorate unless they are placed under cover.
Likewise it is obvious that the Museums should not take on any other BIG things that they can’t put under cover. Its a catch 22 I realise, but sometimes one needs to be hard nosed.
I am guessing but I think that that Beafighter would fetch $1,000,000. Imagine a BIG hangar on an airfield and the hangar had access to the runways.
All the outdoor exhibits could be put under cover and interesting exhibits could be flown in and placed on exhibit for a month or two to give the museum a changing face.
Proctor VH-AHYNever thought that the spruce used in England during WW2 was Canadian – never really considered it as being other that from Europe somewhere, likewise I haven’t considered that the spruce I purchase from Spruce ‘n’ Speciality in the USA (or is it the USSA – United Socialist States of America now that the have spent all that tax payers money buying banks) was sourced from Canada.
It seems the more you change, the more it stays the same, I think its called convergance.
As Tango Charlie says preserve what can be used. I know that when I sit in the seat of my former RAAF Tiger Moth (VH-JRS was A17-300), I wonder who during WW2 sat in that seat and learnt to fly and what happened to them.
Proctor VH-AHYNew wood and new glue and back to flying – what a great idea!!
Put a fibreglass replica in a museum in its place – they look very real these days. Fellow in New Zealand is making very nice new wood fuselages, but you need the metal fittings.
Proctor VH-AHYGooday
Percival Gull 6 at the “Festival of Flight” at Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield, Queensland, Australia (end of August 2008). We also have a Gull 4 however it wasn’t at this years event. The engine in a Gull 6 is a Gipsy 6 (as opposed to the Gipsy Queen 2 in a Proctor). This is a beautifully restored aircraft (by Nick, Greg and Peter Challinor, Mothcair, Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia)
cheers
Proctor VH-AHYAs I have heard it told (On a DVD about the battle of Brittian – very pro the British) the Germans first bombed London by accident and a retalitary raid was made on a major German city (Berlin, I think). This surpositly was to let the Germans know that Britian could respond in kind. Problem was that the raid caused Germany to bomb London and thus escalate the situation.
I think there are some facts out there and they do not always line up with what the victors tell.
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