Rob,

We use Vegimite as a citizenship test for immigrants to weed out sleeper cells smiles, for those who dont like it vegimite is pure torture, those of us born here are injected with some at birth and therefore are immune to its taste and actually like it.

I am pleased at least recoveries in the Solomons are proceeding, I know there is a lot of baggage regarding the recent PNG recoveries and National Museum dealings, most recently relating to Swamp Ghost, however I think most of us are all in agreement that while the pacific islands have saved these remaining wrecks through isolation, ongoing exposure to the elements and local scrap driving will remove most of them from viable recovery and restoration within the next decade.

The recovery and restoration of rare (and in many cases extinct) Japanese aircraft has been the “unfinished business” from the Darby/Armstrong recoveries for Tallicet in the 70’s, we have seen the population of P40’s, P39’s and Bostons swelled through those recoveries from a handful of survivors to effective production lines of restorations of these three types, hopefully these current recoveries will do the same for these Japanese types beyond the current “Tony” projects.

In relation to Justin Taylon, I think we shouldnt be too hard, he is entitled to his opinion and position on these issues, he is still a heritage activist, just with a different view on the world. In some ways leaving some of the wrecks insitu undisturbed, or recovered but conserved in their unrestored state in the local communities or countries would be a valuable heritage outcome for future generations, however there is no security currently in these crash sites from environmental or scrapping damage, and where the airframes are unique last survivors they are certainly worth trying to recover rather than to be left to rot away.

Unfortunately all of these pacific nations have fundamental social and economic issues far more pressing than the preservation of wartime wreckage, and in many cases the central governments have no real control over the destruction of wrecks by local individuals and land owners.

All we can hope for is that the current Solomons recoveries are successful, and considered successful and beneficial by the locals as well, and may re-open recoveries from PNG in the longer term.

regards

Mark Pilkington

It is not a RAAF Roundal but more likely a marking applied to a RAF aircraft visiting Australia, these are typically applied near the nose of an aircraft.

The background colour appears to be dayglo?

Possibly then a former WRE or RAE aircraft that had been operated in Australia / Woomera?

There were a number of English Canberra’s used at Wommera as remote controlled targets, however these were typically painted “all white”

Regards

Mark Pilkington

The marvels of “google”

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49846

27th October 2005, 13:38
ChiefofFairies
Rank 5 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Helpston, Peterborough
Posts: 36

The Cranfield Lincoln was PW932 – the 3rd prototype. My interest is in the first prototype, PW925 which was at Halton.

I think the year of the fire was 1947, but that could be + 3 years

Allan

http://www.antikbuch24.de/buchdetails_4310646.html?partnerID=Neubuch24

regards

Mark Pilkington

So, if all the Aussie museums pool their parts, how much would still be missing from a complete aircraft?

RF342 is largely a “complete” survivor other than main undercarriage and engines which were removed during its time in the ownership of Doug Arnold following its sale from the Southend Museum where it had flown into in 1967.

However having said that, its Cockpit/Nose was sold off seperately from Aces High with the remainder being sold to the Imperial Aviation Group, and so while the Australian Lincoln Project at the Australian National Aviation Museum is currently completely based on RF342, a former RAF, Avro built B2, it is without a cockpit/nose section as the original has remained in the UK as per comments above.

Seperately an original Australian built cockpit/nose from GAF mark 30 RAAF A73-27 is preserved in the Camden Aviation Museum, however it is unlikely that this cockpit will be fitted to RF342 and other cockpit outcomes are being explored including a replica cockpit, perhaps based on a mark 31.

Undercarriage legs etc survive in Australia and it is expected that the eventual restoration will be 90% based on RF342 but with a replica cockpit/nose section.

This will be a long term project and such issues will be resolved along the way, however there is sufficient remains of RF342 to deliver a complete static display outcome in the longer term.

regards

Mark Pilkington

From Oct 06 FlyPast list the following:-

All B.2s

RF342 – Major sections in storage near Doncaster Nose section reported at Greenham Common

RF398 – RAF Museum Cosford -preserved

RF530 – Upper rear fuse section converted to glider trailer, Dunstable, Beds

RE351/B004 – Buenos Aires

B016 – Villa Reynolds Argentina as ‘B017’

A73-27 – Nose only,Camden Museum of Aviation, Narellen, Australia

A73-44 – Tail Section only,RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Australia

A73-? – Rear Fuse only, Sid Beck Collection, Cairns, Queensland Australia

Martin

hello Graham,

RF342 has been acquired and relocated downunder to the Australian National Aviation Museum http://aarg.com.au/Lincoln.htm

(The nose of RF342 currently remains in the UK.)

A73-27 cockpit at Camden is not strickly a B2 but an Australian GAF built Mark 30 (based on the B2)

I am not sure of the accuracy of the information above from Martin regarding A73-44, I understand the RAAF Museum recovered the turret/tail section from the Mk 31 wreck of A73-64 at Mt Superbus Qld.

(Mark 31 is Australian GAF built, long nose Maritime Recon version.)

I suspect the rear fuselage at the Sid Beck Collection may also be from that same wreck? A73-64?

anyone have photos of either?

http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/ozcrashes/superbus.htm

regards

Mark Pilkington