The noise would be no worse than the A19.

Its the structural integrety of the airframe, the fact that the whole thing needs re-wiring, half of the hydraulic components are missing, alot of the electrical system is missing. Sorry, but that aircraft is beyond running without serious structural restoration first. Its not about a sence of adventure, its about being realistic with the resources you have…

IF by some miracle you do get an engine running, point the tail towards that small hill… I’m bloomin’ freezing…..

apparently anywhere within 15 miles of the Space centre road is good enough. Cocoa Beach or Titusville. You won’t get on the island. Expect to hold your position for at least six hours to get a good view….. I got to T – 4 seconds before it was cancelled………

Mr. Spoon’s space rocket from 1970s/80s kids epic, Button Moon. That, the Millenium Falcon and the Klingon Bird of Prey from the Kirk era films… The Aliens Drop Ship was pretty cool too

I’d have thought you’d be better off with a small thrust producing engine rather than an apu or AAPP. A PT6 could be adapted quite easily to produce thrust rather than using up its energy on a turbine, as could a Gnome. Both would be easier to regulate than an APU which is designed to run at a fixed RPM

Never noticed that before! Is it the same on ex-blue steel aircraft? I have an idea but I’ll let your best mate Chox have a go first…. 😀

Flare chute is still in situe, and used to drop poppies and occasionally ashes apparently. Refurbished during the last major service.

Several years ago, I found an Air Raid Spotters Guide in an antiques shop in Sandwich, Kent. Having parted with some cash just for the novelty of owning it, I took it back to RAF Cosford where I was stationed. I estimated that the book was a late 1944 edition based on references to aircraft types. There was a postscript in the back (hand written) which proclaimed the book to have been given as a present by a Flight Engineer of an unknown Halifax Squadron from Leconfield. The note highlighted the sad fact that the Flight Engineer had been killed on ops soon after he sent the book to his nephew. I thought no more of it.

A few months later, I was posted. To Leconfield… I found myself taking the book back to the place it had been bought in 1944, and serving in the RAF at the same station as the book’s first owner, Bill Ralph. I took it upon myself to research what happened to him. Luckily, Bill Norman’s excellent book on 640 Sqn held all of the answers. Bill Ralph was killed with all but one of his crew over Witten in 1945. A direct flak hit blew the bottom out of the nose of the aircraft. They were the last operational loss of 640 Sqn, and one of their most experienced crews.

I have tried to trace the surviving family members of P/O William Ralph, but to no avail.

EDIT: Moved back to Newcastle a few years ago to teach aircraft engineering. One of the first students through the door was William Ralph…….