This appears to be an attemp to recreat the sale of Tom Maloney’s Strikemasters G-UNNY and G-BXFP last year to a South African film company. Both aircraft left the UK bound for Malta, whilst there some maintance was carried out and G-UNNY was repainted from her Botswana Air Force colours and given the Ivory Coast reg TU-VRA. By March this year both aircraft were do to be delivered to the Air Force of the Ivory Coast, the South African film company was a spoof. As UK Government and Customs are involve with the case I do not know if the Strikemasters were delivered or impounded at Malta, nor if any legal action is impending for Tom Maloney. Photos of both aircraft air on airlines.net.

DOUGHNUT

When (if) the RNHF receive their third Swordfish it may be very tempting to sell one to generate funds for the restoration of another type.

Q1. How much would an airworthy Swordfish fetch on the open market and would there be any potential buyers within the UK?

Q2. What type could be added to the Flight? I would like to see a Firefly. I would guess that there is a certain spares holding at Yeovilton, so what about a new restorable airframe.

DOUGHNUT

Surely the idea of an ‘owners club’ taking over the DA is a good one. Assuming the group has the resourses to coordinate the nessecary paper work and to apoint engineers with the correct experiance. The CAA should accept that companies such as ArCo have more current expericance of the Blenheim than say BAE.

Do DA still apply to unique and sole survivors, such as the Shuttleworth Gladiator ?

DOUGHNUT

The Dutch DC-4 was in the UK in July for the Fairford airshow, it had only recently returned from South Africa at that time. I did no know that it was intending to return to SA. I am sure Roger will be able to fill us in as to its current location. Whilst talking DC-4’s what if any maintence as been carried out on the two DC’s at North Weald, it must be neally 12 months since they arrived. Can we assum that the Berlin Airlift movie has been shelved ? If so what happens to the aircraft, surely another UK winter will not help there condition. Did Aces High buy these two aircraft or were they leased from owners in the USA, if so when (of if) will they want them back.

DOUGHNUT

If your still interested in working in 1:72 scale try Aeroclub, they do excellent vacform spitfire canopies, which I guess would be easy to cut and display open, also check out their other white metal detail bits. Be warned that the RAF personnel set is moulded in a very soft ‘polythene’ type material, this is both differicult to cut, lacks detail and will not accept paint. the best 1:72 figures are with the Airfix airfield vehicle sets, or maybe try the model railway suppliers for figures. The Airfix Stirling has a excellent bomb tractor which would look good.

DOUGHNUT

Mike Currill wrote
“The answer is NO!!!, if they don’t consider the Vulcan historically significant (their words) I can’t imagine they would give any money for a taxiing example any more than they would for a flying one”

With the greatest respect I think you are wrong. Although no preservation group has yet recieved money towards a aircraft restoration programme, several railways groups have received money towards such projects to restore to steam and run locos on private lines. I do not know how they achieved this, but would like to find out how.
The main problem with restoring a aircraft to fly will always be the hugh cost of maintaining and opperating such a expensive beast, OK steam trains need opperating funds but this can be generated by carrying passengers, the CAA will not allow this to happen with preserved aircraft. Also every incident involving an historic plane always recieves an high profile, and often leads to death or injury, this is unacceptable to the Lottery.
Unfortunatly the bad feeling generated when the TVOC funding as refused has lead to a very negetive attitude between aviation groups and the Lottery. Maybe if the TVOC had set its sights a little lower ie had asked for lottery cash to fund a hangar and investment programme we may all be able to enjoy the sight and sound of a live Vulcan at Bruntingthorpe on a regular basis and with a long term future.
Although the Lottery likes big headline grabbing projects I feel more smaller projects should benefit .

DOUGHNUT

The answer should be yes, especially if the project involves a construction project. The Lottery are very keen on ‘bricks and mortar’ because it can see a return for its money, it also means that the Lottery team can control and audit the flow of money. The money is also dirrected to a third party, ie the construction company and not the applicant so the risk of fraud can be reduce.
(I have worked on such Lottery funded construction projects)

But the BIG promblem is shared funding. The Lottery will only commit funding if the applicant has already got at least half of the required budget, and preliminary costs such as design and planning permission would have to have been recieved, and paid for before the Lottery will confirm funding.

If I remember correctly a recent Flypast carried a good artical on the Newark Hangar bid.

DOUGHNUT

Regarding RAF Digby, what happened to the Meteor that was located just inside the main gate? During the mid eightes I made several attempts to photogragh the aircraft, a silver T7 I think, with no success.

DOUGHNUT