setterHi Guys
Did a little quantity exercise – I reckon we can get the East Fortune Beau static in 3 years and airworthy in 5 – standing start and no bulldust. It would have to come to Brisbane and be done by the Beaufort crew – So lets see if it’s worth the effort or if they are full of it. Naturally it would be a paid exercise but nothing like UK rates. On the other hand it could always go on the market ?
John
setterPlus 10 for administrative inerta ………………….. Well it’s not a Concorde you know and nobody wants to visit a Beauwatsit ………. Do you reckon we can get one of those Space shuffle thingys reg…….
John p
setterWell said Mark
I’m just on my way to look at something if you know what I mean!
I think your idea is great and I think Woomera is an ideal facility – we need to start construction on buildings as soon as possible because once everybody sees the intrinsic good sense we will be flooded with airframes – Woomera 2006 International Warbird spectacular should be something to witness
Well done John P
setterHi
Time to be a little titchy here…..
I reckon the best chance the UK Beaus have of ever flying is to send them downunder from whence most of them came in any case.
We have the expertise and experiance (eg The beaufort soon to fly- within 3 years I would say) We don’t have the insurance or beuracratic issues as badly in the UK and it could visit for Leg ends or whatever – Before everyone starts howling do you want it sitting in a hanger or do you want it done !
The same goes for the Skysport project and mark my words it’s only a matter of time before one or both of these Beaus winds up in a NZ or Aussie shop for completion and that WOULD be something at Wanaka !!!!.
You Know it makes sense so get on with it I say!!!!
Regards
John P
setterHi
Essentially this is an engineering project
Time +money = delivery
In other words
The end timing/result could be achieved in two years if the effort was expended – but real world factors are important like all the other work/projects in the hanger – it all depends on priorities – I would hope it would be before 8 more years but he could well be right based on progress so far and the other projects in the mix. Things tend to move on towards the end of a project as the tempo rises
Regards
John P
setterHi Rlangham
The Rt Hon Robbo – Member for the folically challenged – is correct and I have a particular interest in the machine so I visit it from Aus where a lot of it came from as often as I can. Suffice to say that the main areas of concern with any Beau restoration are the props and engine – to cut a long story short the correct ones for a Beau don’t exist in airworthy form – Compromises will have to be made or very clever engineering done and I believe these guys have that well in hand – ask them they are very plesant chaps and yes they let me wander around and answered my questions so if you are polite and interested it is my experiance you will get the access you are after. There have been many posts about this aircraft on here and WIX so if you run a search you should find those as well – very informative .
Regards
John P
setterWell
I want to bag the Fort as well
As a bizare twist some of the chaps on this forum and I visited the Vincent/Vilderbeast in New Zedlund recently (Subrinsky) and what a monster it is> Whilst there it was pointed out that this monster single engined obsolescent in WW11 aircraft could carry more people and a higher bomb load than a B17!!! and did on several Rugby game visits around NZ.
Forts were designed to be self defensive and that accounts for the load/crew/ weight issues – most others were more role orientated thus more suited a pure bombers. Also to be fair Lancs etc bombed at night an B17s were daylight raiders and a lot easier targets – a bit apples and oranges really as a comparison. I would also point out that evolution is everthing and that the shortcomings of the B17 were well known thats why the B29 was invented folks and it was a bit more sucessful than any UK constructed late war evolution of the Lanc etc (Lincoln) .
my two bobs worth anyway
John P
setterHi Old son
Well no problem – Setter productions needs to store a VHS copy off site (Copyright infringement if we don’t say it that way!!) So Good Sir your address so you can store my extra copy at your place>
Thanks
John
setterAndy
When I pop over no wimp tunnel for you lad I want to see you swim the bugger and theeeen you can buy me a nice frog lunch and I will buy you a nice bootfull of cheap frog booze which we will both kid ourselves is better than a Nice Aussie Nue san Wagga Wagga – people Poo Poo Ausie wines but at least we can all take the **** out of the Kiwis wines – it’s only fair !!!
Regards
John
setterHi Stormbird
I got it recorded in HDTV which I am now burning to DVD – if you are good santa will bring you one early!!
Not of course that I would ever do such a thing!!!
The color footage at the start of the DAP Beau 21s flying over the sea etc was I think very rare footage of operations out of 2 OCU Or OTU at Williamtown NSW. The rockets are being fired at Seal Rock off Williamtown and I once visited there and it was covered with corroded spent rockets and cannon rounds
As you say great footage
John
setterHi ANZAC day is over I am reflecting a little on it. I know this will be unpopular and will probably get my post banished but it has to be said
Australians are now in another war – not of our making and at the behest of our political masters for better or worse. We are now defending the Japanese against the Iraqi “Terrorists” – funny old world.
My Grand father Robert Benetts was a AIF sergeant and served at Gallopli and later in Egypt – he was luckily uninjured and was able to come home and be my Grandfather – he didn’t talk much except to say that he thought the Germans and Turks were fine soldiers and it was a tough war which he never wanted to repeat.
My Father Norm Parker was a Corporal in the 2/2nd Commandos and went to war on Timor and spent 3 years trapped there being an insurgent and a real pain in the backside to the Japanese – It is interesting to note that to his dying day he hated the Japanese – wouldn’t even buy a Japanese radio – because of what he had seen and endured on Timor. Now the Japanese are largely denying in their textbooks etc that most of this happened – at least they are not willing to face it – it is culturally difficult for them to live with the shame.
Well it must be an interesting exercise for the Aussies defending these blokes when their country refuses to acknowledge history etc. It is the Australian way to forgive but acknowledgement must be part of that. The Chinese are also having a problem with this at the moment – good on em I say – more guts than our polies – “who do not wish to take sides” Well Mr Howard (Aus PM) my dad took sides and so did the Timorese defending and dying for the Aussies and the least you could do is make the #$$%^&& s acknowledge it so we can forgive them and move on but no – political fence sitting is the major contribution we make to the fabric of the planet these days and ensuring George and Haliburton get the oil and we get a cushy Free trade deal as our 30 peices of silver. We even have the hide to screw the Timorese over oil rights on their border – the poorest country in the world. I am glad Norm is dead and isn’t seeing this
I am not proud of Vietnam , nor Iraq nor this current mess but at least people can respect the people we are putting in harms way and allocate the responsability where it belongs – the polies. I am however bloody proud of the troops who fight in these conflicts The soldiers lot is to do what he is told but it is our responsability to see to it that the polies don’t abuse that trust and only put people in harms way for a higher purpose. Remember that every time you vote.
Regards
John
setter“Vietnam, I assume, Dave. And Australia and New Zealand have indeed often had PBI (poor bloody infantry) in the same mess since; however the point was also the re-use of the name ANZAC.”
Pinched from the AWM site:-‘The following year the Australian government’s concern grew to the point where it felt that, if Australia were involved in the conflict, its presence should be both strong and identifiable. In March 1966 the government announced the dispatch of a taskforce to replace 1 RAR, consisting of two battalions and support services (including a RAAF squadron of Iroquois helicopters), to be based at Nui Dat, Phouc Tuy province. Unlike 1 RAR, the taskforce was assigned its own area of operations and included conscripts who had been called up under the National Service Scheme, introduced in 1964. All nine battalions of RAR served in the taskforce at one time or another before it was withdrawn in 1971; at the height of Australian involvement it numbered some 8,500 troops. A third RAAF squadron (of Canberra jet bombers) was also committed in 1967, and destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy joined US patrols off the North Vietnamese coast. The Navy also contributed a clearance diving team, and a helicopter detachment that operated with the US Army from October 1967.”
Dave and James – It’s (still is) a Province – because Australia wanted a degree of autonomy in operations ( we were finally starting to learn?) and we deployed there and were responsable for keeping it as secure as possible – it was a good example of “winning hearts and minds” which has always been a hallmark ever since of Australian operations and I can say with some pride that we are still to this day welcome there.
Regards
John P
setterTo
Nat H from Detroit
John S from Newport Beach
Phil R from Boise
and especially Duanne M from Flagstaff without whom I wouldn’t be here.
Rest in Peace and thanks
John
setterThanks Andy
Did you know that the bubbles in beer keep your corn flakes at the top of the Bowl – I didn’t till just now.
John
setterHi Melve
You’ve been soloing for years – I keep telling you – ITS MORE FUN WITH A WOMAN!!!- I hope you didn’t leave any nasty stains in the nice new plane – When are you going to fly it on your own ?
Seriously Melve you are now at a place you must have been dreaming of for many years – independant and in your own aircraft which you rebuilt. Fantastic news
Kindest regards
John P
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