Sorry but that’s just not true, it’s just the only one most cockpit owners can be bothered to attend.

There is, or was an annual event at or near Hooton Park. I’ve never been to that one so I can’t comment on it.

There is the event at Damyns Hall where they are very keen to attract cockpit owners, they’ll even pay petrol costs, but only two or three cockpit owners seem able to get off their backsides and go there. I can see there might be a problem with distance for some but this will be less of a problem for others. If a tank owner can spend hundreds of pounds and take two or three days each way to get there and back why can’t we put in a little effort. This could be a complementary event to cockpitfest but spread the word to a much wider audience. I don’t know the figures for Newark but at Damyns Hall it’s nearly 20,000 people and going by experience last year they’re all respectful of the cockpits. They don’t have baked potato and free beer but the beer is cheap and the entertainment, free and exclusive to exhibitors, is outstanding.

The hobby/movement needs more exposure, Newark is good for the North, Damyns Hall is good for the south.

Actually I would happily support Damyns Hall and other events aswell as Newark, as they are much closer to home but it has not been possible owing to diary clashes to date.

I have supported 4 reunion events at Salisbury Hall, as well as 8 Newarks over the past 10 years.

I’m sure I speak for many saying It’s nothing to do with “not being bothered”.

A big thankyou to Bill, Howard, Colin, Ken, and all of Newark museum team. Once again you have put on a superb weekend, despite Saturday’s rain. The evening get-together seemed all the more jovial accordingly, amoung friends.

Congratulations to all of the other winners, and thankyou to those who voted for the Hornet. The standard and variety continues to grow. Every display shows merit. It must be impossible to judge!

See you all next year.

[QUOTE=Wyvernfan;2229439]Still loads to do but the instrument panels are in, although the BFP needs a top mount to help position it a little better. And thanks to the eagle eyed Versuch I’ve managed to acquire the correct gauge for the fuel pressure and this has been added. The GGS and E2A compass are shown only temporarily fitted in their respective positions for effect.
I shall add another post on here shortly with a list of items I need to help complete this stage of things.

I’ve also decided that due to work and other time restraints the project sadly won’t make Cockpitfest this year, although I will be attending as a paying visitor. But I fully intend to take it next year – for a particularly significant reason 🙂

Rob [ATTACH=CONFIG]237785[/ATTACH][QUOTE]

Superb Rob.

This is coming on really well.

See you at Newark…. Bring the good weather! 🙂

I did wonder if the Hornet was one of the “aircraft still on the secret list” mentioned at the end of the quote in my previous post.

Photographed the fuselage mould at the DH museum less than 2 weeks back –

What you are looking at here is (from left to right) –

LH nose mould – from front angle bulkhead to the main spar.

LH centre section mould – from main spar, bulkhead 2 to bulkhead 3.

RH nose mould – from front angle bulkhead to the main spar.

I’m pleased to see they have cut the grass around it. It was looking pretty over-grown around this exhibit for a few years.

. Dc103, did they do Hornet stuff? Given the sawdust in your blood, how hard will it be to get the concrete Hornet fuselage former at the DH Museum and make up a fuselage? :-))

I don’t know if Wrighton’s did other fuselages? The only production line photo’s I have seen showing Hornet fuselage woodwork under construction, appear to be in a large hangar, which could be at Hatfield between 1944-45.

I have seen Vampire wooden fuselage halves being constructed in smaller workshops though, so it would make sense for suppliers such as Wrightons continuing to make components for DH post-war. With Hatfield turning over much of its production space to types such as the Dove and Comet post-war, it would make sense for them keep the dirtier jobs in supplier companies, while retaining the final assembly in the main factories.

As for your idea about the concrete mould: I looked at using this about 15 years ago, and although it is a nice relic of the original production process, it is incomplete and not useable without extensive repair. This would only detract from its originality.

I’ve got all the necessary drawings to re-construct a Hornet from scratch, including the co-ordinates for the fuselage moulds. Throw enough money and time at it, and I could produce a wooden fuselage mould the same as Glyn Powell has done with the Mosquito in NZ.

The difference between the types though, is that enough parts and interest in the Mosquito exist to justify a potential investors input – there is not for the Hornet.

Would love to see a photo if you have one DC?

Tim – cheers Mate. Any progress on the Martinet that you can share?

Rob

E-mail sent 🙂

[QUOTE=Wyvernfan;2224371]A rare Saturday afternoon off from work gave me the chance to finish fitting out the instrument panels. Very time consuming I can tell you.
And on the subject of which I’m on the look-out for two of these 0 to 6 LB pressure gauges (ignore the homemade metal blank) if anyone has any?

Rob[QUOTE]

Nice panels Rob,

given the central Blind Flying Panel is a known size to most folk, it really shows how wide the Wyvern cockpit is in comparison.

What’s the next step for you with this?