Very very sad to hear this. Joy I got to know through our Percival Proctor rebuild, our machine was the very Proctor she checked out on type April 29th 1944 with the late training officer Denis Lead at Barton EFTS (near Luton long since returned to agriculture) not to be confused with Manchester Barton.

I am in touch with Nicholas his son who has provided me with copies of his fathers log books, in total he logged over 81 hours in Proctor LZ791 on training flights

My fervent hope had been for Joy to once again fly in 791 seventy years or so since she last flew this very aeroplane, for Joy to add another 30 minutes P2 to her log book, sadly not to be. RIP Joy it was a pleasure knowing you, your spirit will fly with us in 791. LZ791 will soon fly in her original ATA wartime markings with a small brass plaque on board commemorating Joy’s and the aircraft’s association with the ATA.

This old chestnut rears its weary head yet again. Look which ever way you want to look at it this is undeniably a Spitfire. As I mentioned on here once before the late Tommy Sopwith in his life saw the Sopwith Triplane new build, constructed to original plans. So impressed, he personally gave it the next consecutive production number, the last one having been built at the factory in 1918. It was thus classified as a late build Triplane.

Were the great R J Mitchell around today I wonder what he would make of this thread. I am certain and sure as night follows day he would be delighted, and see it as a Spitfire, new build, data plate rebuild, restoration what ever you like.

In regards to originality, our Proctor 111 has retained 85 to 90% of its original Canadian spruce in its re build, but all new ply throughout. We have deviated from original factory build spec by using Aerodux glue throughout not the original casein glue.
Who in their right minds would use casein today when so much better is available. We have also covered the airframe in Diatex much lighter then grade A Irish cotton and a life time covering thank you. Again who wants to be recovering the airframe
again in 10-15 years time. Shock horror the paint we will soon be applying will be a modern two pack. At the end we will have a Proctor rebuilt to modern standards, with some modern materials but still a Proctor. Oh by the way we have substituted the Gipsy Queen 2 engine for a Lycoming 360 six cylinder horizontally opposed. Engine cowls need a lot of modification, sounds like a Cherokee six but hey who cares!!!

Well that’s settled the ‘contest’ for the building name….

Not quite complete. A rather nice Spitfire silhouette still to be affixed with contrail underline below the lettering. Unfortunately part of the underline was slightly damaged in transit, so being remade and installed early part next week.

What a shame the old cross runway no longer exists.

Moggy

Funny you mention that Moggy. With the strength of the wind today and such is the size of the huge flat grass parking area for visitors we made a decision.

A couple of pilots were concerned with the crosswind and asked if the y could use the far side of the parking area that had been mown flat. I paced this out and up the the 09/27 runway we have 460 metres of flat grass.
A Jodel used it first and with the wind sock pointing horizontally and exactly down the (runway) he was off in less then 150 metres climbing steeply.

He was followed by a Renegade, then a Cessna 150 (not mine) and finally by the magnificent Percival Vega Gull which was off in less then 300 metres. We are now looking at re opening this area as the new crosswind runway
subject to Rougham Farm Estates approval, so watch this space.

Thanks to all who flew in over the two days, for a first event in nearly ten years it was great success and heartening to see nearly 60 GA types parked in the sunshine. Next year, bigger and better
with overnight camping, BBQ, beer tent and other attractions.

A replica then. Sadly I can’t receive Facebook via ‘work’ internet, but will have a look later. Nevertheless it’s great to see another Spitfire creation, whatever its provenance (or lack thereof).

Its a Spitfire for gawds sake, don’t think you will hear many complaining. I will travel to see it any day, what an absolute beaut!

We are in the first steps of prepping GAF Canberra A84-226 to be moved some 500 kms from Wagga to our Museum.

Today one of the guys removing panels found this awesome bit of graffiti. There is also hand written signatures by those who had done courses on the Canberra during its time as an instructional frame. We will preserve all this of course.

My curiosity was raised by this – was it a common practice to leave ones mark in the aircraft they worked on or flew? I found all sorts of original pencil markings in the Beaufighter but nothing quite like Richo here !

Pic of the Canberra as well – has one RR Avon and one CAC Avon. Now to find a copy of Monster moves that has not been dubbed into Spanish so we can work out some finer points !!

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Canberra A84-226

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When we stripped the port wooden wing of our Proctor we found a workers signature on the spar face along with 1942 build date. Next to it and pushed deep into a groove between two compression struts was a 1936 silver sixpence! No way this could have git there other then intentionally, someone put it there for good luck. It certainly worked as the aircraft remained barn stored in Sweden for nearly fifty years until we found it and returned her home one of only 8 survivors world wide of the 352 built

Thanks for sharing those photos ‘Mark’. Do you know the ID of the Spitfire?
IIRC, the prentice was blue and white – does anyone know its fate?
Ed

Brilliant to see Hornchurch post war. I guess it wasn’t long after this that the airfield was closed and the bulldozers moved in to remove all trace of this historic RAF airfield. Unless you were in the know there is nothing apart from aviation related and aircraft named roads to tell one what went on here before.