.
Last year someone was advising online that they had ownership or salvage rights to this airframe was offering it for donation to any museum wishing to recover it, subject to its remoteness? it would seem an ideal example for recovery and eventual return for static display in the UK as no survivors exist in its country of origin? seems “reasonably intact and straight” other than missing port U/C leg, both engines/cowls/props and nose cargo doors (although in the attached photo it appears both of those are lying in the water on either side of the aircraft?), and some skins removed from the upper surface of the wing centre-section (fuel tank bays?).
An important type, the first british/post-war heavy air transport aircraft in both Military and civil service?
I believe engines and other parts survive from the crash of C-FDFC, in 1996 in the UK (or C-FTPA in Canada or the two at Dwen Airmotive in NZ?) that might help complete this if ever recovered to the UK?
Surely an opprtunity worth investigation? (joint effort between IWM and Duxford Aviation Society??)
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/search116.htm
It was damaged beyond repair after the undercarriage sank through the ice. Upon landing the port landing gear broke through the ice and the aircraft fell on its wing, bending the spars and crushing the sides of the fuselage….
The remains were later hauled onto the shore and stripped for parts. It was then left there on the shore.
quote]In Dec.2007 I received following email:
“The salvage rights for the Beaverlodge Bristol 170 have been secured from Air Canada (AC is the successor firm to Pacific Western Airlines). I am trying to find a museum or preservation group who would be willing to recover and restore the plane.
Unfortunately, several Canadian museums have begged off due to the anticipated high costs.
I also reached out to the people at the Bristol Aero Collection but that may not fly as they were already finalizing arrangements for a Bristol fuselage in Australia.
If you know any museum people..??? [/quote]
regards
Mark Pilkington
Flyer
the aircraft you refer to is in my list above as:
7. Bleriot monoplane s/n unk, imported by T Reynolds Sept 1914, donated to Defence Dept, became CFS-6, mostly used for ground instruction.
CFS-6 was its Central Flying School aircraft number (ie No.6) it was acquired in late 1914 and disposed of sometime after 1917 and in keeping with the other aircraft delivered and in use prior to it in 1914, its unlikely it carried any markings.
Maurice Farman Shorthorn CFS-20, purchased in 1917 and disposed of in 1919 carried its CFS number on its tri-color rudder and also repeated its number on the nose as did a number of the later aircraft, however the early aircraft such as CFS-1 to CFS-5 (2x BE2a, 1x Bristol Boxkite and 2x Deperdussin) were all operating in 1914 as “plain” finished with no tri-color fin flashes or “CFS” numbers.
If you have a photo of a Bleriot with an Australian Flag, this is more likely to be:
3. Bleriot XI s/n unk, imported by Gaston Cugnet as Bleriot company demonstrator in September 1910, named “Australia” by Australian Prime Minister, flown at Altona Victoria, crashed at MCG, shipped to Queensland for static display in March 1911.
Although the photo above of it flying at the MCG after its “naming” does not show any obvious markings associated with that event?
I myself have not seen any photos of any with markings in Australia, and I am unsure any Bleriot’s would have carried markings in Australia, other than names or “personalisations” as their use pre-date any formal aircraft registrations existing in Australia, other than the “CFS” numbers.
Regards
Mark Pilkington
In 1909, a Melbourne man Lawrence Marshall was one of 21 competitors in the 5000 pound Australian Government competition to build and fly an aircraft for military purposes.
Marshall built a tractor biplane 30′ long with a wing span of 32′ resembling early Avro construction, it was built in a shed adjacent to the Grand View hotel in Fairfield.
The Marshall 1912 Tractor Biplane fitted with the later JAP V4 Engine.
The engine was a flat four aircooled design built locally in Melbourne by Aubrey Lock in High Street Armidale, (and now in the collection of the Museum of Victoria – and loaned to Nowra, the second oldest Australian designed aircraft engine – after the Tilley used by Duigan).
Flights were attempted in 1911 but the aircraft would not leave the ground and the engine suffered numerous blown pots.
Marshall was injured in a subsequent nose over on the ground breaking his arm.
Marshall imported a JAP 1910 V4 Engine (similar to that used by A V Roe) and made his first successful hop on the 18th of February 1912, however it ended in another crash.
On the 14 of April 1912, three successful flights were achieved, the best achieving a height of 30 feet and covering 500 yards, this nearly 2 years after Duigans’ successful flights in 1910.
In the intervening years 12 other locally built aircraft had been commenced to compete for the competition, with just 4 others succeeding to be flown or attempted to fly.
P-Woodward – Botany Bay 19 /11/1910 – 8 minute flight crashing into the bay
LJR Jones – 20/02/1911 – crashed on takeoff- first successful fight 4/06/1911
J Duigan 17/02/1912 – tractor biplane flown at Ivanhoe but later crashed
LJR Jones – 3/03/1912 lightweight monoplane tested at Emu Plains
In an attempt to recover the finance invested in the aircraft to win the 5000 pound prize he offered a demonstration flight at the Northcote Oval at 2 schillings a head, on the 3rd of June 1912, a crowd of 1000 paid entry to the oval with a further 5000 outside. Unfortunately he could not start the engine and a near riot broke-out, with the police stepping in to halt his further attempts to start the engine and his creditors siezing the aircraft for auction.
His home had been mortgaged and foreclosed, and it took Marshall 12 years to pay off the debts, he died in 1966 at the age of 82.
The 1910 JAP V4 Engine imported by Marshall in 1911, and used in his successful flights in 1912 is today in the collection of, and on display in the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin, the only surviving remains of the Marshall 1912 Tractor Biplane.
Regards
Mark Pilkington
The original is largely intact, although currently stored with wings dis-assembled from tail and canard, it was recovered in rubberised canvas when donated to the museum in 1920, it is being conserved rather than “restored” for display in 2010.
The project team has been given direct access to the original in storage to create accurate construction drawings.
Other photos of the original in storage are accessible from the website
http://duigancentenaryofflight.org.au/
regards
Mark Pilkington
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