Scarecrow

A little tip – NEVER appologise for sharing info – what would have happened if we hadn’t heard – You would be a hero !!!

Thankyou for taking the time to post about it – wasn’t it fantastic and historic as well – A real time capsule as they often say these days – I do hope the restoration people get it preserved and the corrosion neutralised as soon as possible before they start restoring her. Very important to prevent corrosion ASAP.

Kindest regards
John P

Hi Dave

The Beaufort was a moderately sucessful aircraft at the best of times wherever it served and in whatever version and it is true that there was trouble with early production issues with Aussie aircraft including a very deadly problem with the empenage (caused by the mis specification of material in a washer apparently) which resulted in the deaths of a number of crews until a test pilot found the cause.

The US engines were in fact a good idea and gave the Aussie version better reliability and performance. The real downfall of the Beaufort was the availability of the Beaufighter which was better suited to a number of roles undertaken by the Beaufort – particularly as a torpedo bomber and attack aircraft. The plentiful supply of US bombers such as the A20, B25 and B26 and A26 also spelt the end for the Beaufort – in the long run there was not much to pick between the UK and aussie Beaufort.

Regards
John P

Hi All yes James and I had a great time slaving over hot cameras for you lot and I have been slaving over a hot computer ever since and a lot of them are now at Webshots as a result. Here may be found
Queensland Air Museum
The Beaufort
The TBM “factory on the Gold Coast
Mothcair at Murwillimbah
Archerfield (Soon ) Etc
http://community.webshots.com/user/setter126007

Enjoy

Regards
John P

And rember Tweed heads are better than one!!!

Hi Beaufighter VI

Would love to catch up whilst you are downunder – are you going to Queensland at all if not we could catch up at Murrays or something – Will PM you.

David

You may be aware that the moorabin Beau used to run an engine for a few years but not since it was put under cover. I believe there is a problem even with finding enough servicable Prop blades to make both engines run so that is a real issues everywhere.

Good engineering will triumph in the end and I am sure we will see a Beau fly one day soon and I hope it will be with three blades etc but I will just be happy to see it fly – Steve would/will be so proud ……..

Regards
John P

Hi All

All the beaufort restoration Pics are up here now at
http://community.webshots.com/user/setter126007

Kindest regards
john P

You know if you are in a car accident – you can see it coming but you just can’t stop it happening – kind of like rising to the Bait here about the Blen/ Beaufighter/Beaufort stuff.

David

The engineering challenges in putting together either a Beaufort or Beaufighter are just about equal – The guy here rebuilding the Beaufort is one of the Guys who recovered the Duxford Beaufighter and he is pretty much an authority on both types – OK the engines are a problem but the airframes are far more complex . Consider this –

1) The Beaufighter is easier to reference as there are examples around to reference – at least 5. There are no reference complete Beauforts. The Hendon thing is little more than a static hulk.

2) There are less materials of good quality to restore a Beaufort – eg the mainspars had to be repaired and there are none in any decent condition to replace them

3) Many years of work on both types and gathering parts and information says you are nuts to undertake either but the scale of lunacy is about equal. The engines haven’t really been tackled yet so both aircraft are pretty much at a similar stage and having watched both through their reconstruction I think I would call it a dead heat.

4) Ralph has in the same time rebuilt parts of several Boomerangs and three complete Beaufort Forward fuselage/cockpits as well as major work on the AWM Beaufort.

I think therefore it is very ill advised to state that one or other of these aircraft is easier than another – it is a nonsense argument that has no positive outcome and casts unfortunate shadows on what are both magnificant projects – forget the competion just love the work.

Regards
John P

I suspect – unfortunately that you are correct about the Ashes at least – I am one of the cynics that suggest a team rebuild / wilderness years is ahead – fortunately I have been predicting that for many years and I am always proven wrong- Anyway well played you deserved it – Beaufighters – well if we could get a few together being rebuilt I suspect it could happen fairly quickly and you can have yours back and we can finally do one for us – Still I was at the Beaufort on Friday and it is looking very niceso at least we will have that flying in the future – never thought a Beaufort would beat a Beaufighter back into the air.

Regards
John p

Merlin

The post more related to a couple of points about ODs experiance and aircraft ownership. Also my observations of his operations.

I am also supportive of the way he flies and operates his aircraft. I don’t really want to get into the nicities of A26 flying as I AM NOT AT ALL QUAL to speak in detail on that subject. OD has his own opinions and he speaks for himself on those.

Regards
John P