My experience of asbestos in aircraft is somewhat earlier than the time period that Carrie Newall is researching but perhaps . similar uses of the material may have continued after 1945. The Beaufighter cabin and cannon heating ducting were asbestos insulated, the work was sub-contracted to Bells Asbestos and Engineering of Slough .
Bells also supplied asbestos insulation to the aircraft industry for engine and cabin bulkheads,to what degree of hazard this variety of material was rated I do not know but it was certainly white in colour.
Hope this helps in your research Carrie.

Bloodhound Missile

The Bristol Aero Collection holds two Bristol Ferranti Bloodhound Missiles a Mk 1 and a Mk 2 with Launchers, not on display at this time since the Collection is in process of moving from Kemble, hopefully to a permanent home at Filton.

brisfite41

Stirlings LJ975 and LJ995

Have now located my copy of ” Rivenhall The History of an Essex Airfield” by B A Stait and it has a full side of LJ995, also grainy, credited to A Murrie.
Also of possible interest the book includes a paragraph describing the demise of LJ995 crashing after take-off at Lanham Green, fortunately W/C Drax the pilot and his crew scrambled clear with only minor injuries, lucky, Bushwacker was bombed up with 24 500 pounders !

brisfite41

AVRO ANSON CRASH PHOTO

Ansons were certainly shipped to Canada in 1941, some came from the many hundreds of RAF and RN machines that were repaired and rebuilt at Western Airways at Weston Airport from 1940 on.

One Anson, recorded as K8750, left the shops in early ’41 bound for Canada but sadly was lost on March 24 when the SS Horda was sunk in the Atlantic by U-97.

Thames Heinkel 111 Engine

Every indication is that it was an H series aircraft but to add to the confusion, or create it, “The Blitz Then and Now”, gives other details.
“Heinkel 111 H4 6985 damaged by fighters during bombing attack on London. Bombs dumped in the Thames during further attacks from Sqd Ldr E A McNab No1 (RCAF) Sqd, Sub Ltn Blake of No 19 Sqd, PO H C Baker 41 Sqd, POs AC Cochrane and P A Mortimer of No 257 Sqd and Sgt E M C Prchal of No 310Sqd ! Forced landed below high water mark at Asplens Head Foulness 3PM. Lt Streubel and Fw H Schwarz captured unhurt. Fw Marenbach, Fw K Potenberg and Gefr E Domes captured wounded . Aircraft 1H+iH a write-off.”. I,m not surprised about that and wonder how the crew managed tostay alive with six fighters pouring 303 into them, and I wonder, were the successful pilots each credited with 1/6th of a victory ?
Heres hoping someone comes up with the right details for you (and for me ).

Best wishes brisfite41

Beaufighter blown up

T4800 a Fairey built MkIc ND-C of 236 Squadron was the Beau flown by Flt/Lt Gatward in June 1942 to leave tricolores over the Champs Elysees, this aeroplane, with a different crew, spun into the mouth Humber Estuary 6.2.43 and it too was also subject, at a much later date, to the attention of the RN Disposal team.

The wreck was featured in the aviation press think it was Fly Past !

BEAUFIGHTER FUSELAGES STANDARD MOTORS

Hi Roger,
Can offer you much information regarding Standard Motors Beaufighters and confirm that the three sections i.e. Front and Rear Fuselage and stern-frame were built at Canley have good pictures of the fuselages as delivered.
I worked at the Weston factory and also visited Canley in 1944 and saw Mosquito and Meteor sections on the production line.
I have a copy of the Minutes of the Weston Factory which gives details of some of the happenings at Standards, and also something that may not be generally known, that but for the intervention of certain individuals and organisations the Beaufighter assembly would have been at Oakley Wood Barford Warwick and not Weston.
Incidentally Chris Butt and I are well known to each other, he gave me considerable help with the book” Weston-super-Mare and the Aeroplane”
and I think between us we can answer some of the queries Ted Johnson