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By: - 4th June 2012 at 17:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Right...lets have a look at this Hawker thing before we get too excited.....Henley eh!!! nothing too difficult then....just virtually extinct..but not quite !!!!
Any one got some plans and some spare aliminium sheets ??
By: - 4th June 2012 at 17:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Who's got the data plate????:diablo:
By: - 4th June 2012 at 21:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Drawings still exist for the Henley....from memory do I remember seeing a picture where Hawker used a Henley to test either the Sabre or Vulture installations before the relevant airframes were ready? something to do with testing cooling? I am pretty sure there is a photograph in one christopher thomas/shores book.
By: - 4th June 2012 at 23:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hurricane wings.....so that’s not a problem. ;)
Anyway who’s calling it a Target-Tug.....the Henley was a Dive-Bomber! :diablo:
By: - 5th June 2012 at 01:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ungainly beautiful. Let's build it.
By: - 5th June 2012 at 18:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A dive-bomber that saw service as a target tug... not as a dive-bomber! :)
Rob
By: - 5th June 2012 at 18:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
While you're searching spare parts, a little sentimental background?
Recuperating with grandparents in Bude in August 1940, managed to get airborne in a Henley, towing for the AA guns on Cleeve Camp to the north.
It was not until after our marriage in 1948 that I learned from my Wife that she had been a driver for that Battery. All those years missed!!
= Tim
By: - 5th June 2012 at 19:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Recuperating with grandparents in Bude in August 1940, managed to get airborne in a Henley, towing for the AA guns on Cleeve Camp to the north.
Fascinating Tim, rarely get to hear about RAF Cleave, the various Flights of 1 AACU, and their Henleys that were oprated from there (& briefly Trebelzue/St Mawgan), let alone hear from someone who flew from there.:)
By: - 5th June 2012 at 19:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
[QUOTE=DaveR;1898003]Drawings still exist for the Henley
What sort of drawings I wonder? general arrangement in a book or the full monty showing each part with dimensions, radius,rivets,bolts, etc etc.
By: - 5th June 2012 at 19:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Tim,
Even the AACU at Cleave was not a quiet place in Aug 1940 for your recuperation.
Shortages of aircraft limited the number of shoots, engine failure to L3311 on the 13th, L3436 had a ground incident with a Blenheim on the same day, Ju88s bombed the aerodrome at 09.15 hrs on the 26th damaging L3282 and L3253 with shrapnel.
Later that day another single German aircraft was driven off by AA fire from the battery.
ORB pages for No.1 ACCU, D flight attached (content copyright TNA).
As to Henley drawings - quite a few of the Hurricane production sheets are also noted as Henley.
Regards
Ross
By: - 5th June 2012 at 21:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RAF Cleave in 1940 was dangerous indeed, as was the Henley. Pictured is L.3245 of No.1 A.A.C.U. 'D' Flight lost on the 01.04.1940 and whilst she ditched only 50 yds from the shore both Pilot Officer Matherson and LAC Robinson drowned in heavy seas. (Credit Bill Young Collection)
Whilst later on the second photo details shrapnel damage to an unidentified No.2 A.A.C.U. 'C' Flight Battle in early '41 Bill Coombes points out the damage.
Kind regards,
Tim
By: - 5th June 2012 at 21:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Nice photos Tim. Have you ever come across anything to do with the Henley, in the way of parts etc?
Rob
By: - 5th June 2012 at 21:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i know where one crashed into a mountain in North/West Wales. theres a few tiny bits to be found in amonst the rock and heather.
By: - 5th June 2012 at 22:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hello Rob,
Unfortunately not, except for some rather twisted remains protruding from a slowly recovering crater caused by the loss of a 'B' Flight Henley from Carew! (the serial number escapes me for the mo)
Cleave must have one of the longest serving connection with the Henley, No.639 Sqn struggling on with them until disbandment in '45 - the allotted Martinets failing to materialise........
Kind regards,
Tim
By: - 6th June 2012 at 08:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes - Cleave. Had it thus, then changed it!
Was it where Goonhilly now is?
By: - 6th June 2012 at 10:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Rumours of various aircraft "inc Henleys" bulldozed into holes at Penrhose.
Apart from the drawings for the Hurricane that were also used for the Henley, are there any ones still around that are specifically for the Henley ?.
Bob T.
By: - 6th June 2012 at 10:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Almost Tim! The government listening post of GCHQ Morwenstow with its large dishes is right on Cleave.
The similar satellite station of Goonhilly is near the old RAF Predannack, down on the Lizard.
Some of old RAF Cleave is still explorable with concrete defence and gun positions still visible.
Would love to see other pictures you may have.
Other Tim, great images there, I've seen the one of the Henley on the beach before, but hadn't realised that it had such a sad outcome.
By: - 6th June 2012 at 10:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ah, GCHQ - thanks. Was looking at it on Google Map.
More diversion - Wife recalls a Sergeant from her Battery attempting a rescue from a ditched aircraft.
By: - 6th June 2012 at 22:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Tim, do you have any recollections of what it was like to fly the Henley?
By: - 7th June 2012 at 08:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Vaguely that it was heavier than the Hurricane - but don't hold me to that.
More concerned about the drogue being so CLOSE to my tail!!
Here's one of a chum towing in the Hurri.
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By: Wyvernfan - 4th June 2012 at 17:03
It was mentioned somewhere how good it would be to recreate a Henley target tug as a project, instead of another more obvious choice. So i thought, lets start a thread to hear about / see any original parts of the type that are known to be still around.
To get the ball rolling the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton have this wing section on display.
Rob