Home needed for dH Drover

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

It's not really a matter of shame. - it's a matter of museums looking at what is significant and what is
lesser. So yes museums can take on too much or have an unclear direction . Whether that entirely happened during your tenure Bruce is unclear- I would suggest that Vampire T.11s and Doves became multiples before you .

None of which is massively bad - however museums are often run by enthusiasts which doesn't always allow for a clear direction .

Regards the Drover - it fits at very few places in the U.K - whether it's unfortunate or not people are always going to associate it with a natural fit into London Colney. !

Let's hope it doesn't become ebay coffee tables .

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 80

This may be of interest. Sales brochure from the Southend museum in 1983:

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

It's a great sales brochure containing some eclectic items.
Still not entirely sure why Doug Arnold bought the Drover !

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 8,464

Ironically, Stuart Howe was bidding for it that day, for the DH museum.

Times change.

Member for

9 years 11 months

Posts: 44

Great news everyone. The Drover will be going to Staverton at the Jet Age Museum

Member for

16 years

Posts: 451

Perhaps they'll take on the CL44 from Bournemouth!

Member for

15 years

Posts: 1,712

Glad you've found a home for it Nad, I saw it a few years back when I'd called by to see Barry. What other projects are you doing, anything to airworthy?

Member for

9 years 11 months

Posts: 44

At the moment we are well in to having Gannet XL500 flying this year and then it will be on to building a Sea Prince to airworthy condition.

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

Well done to the Jet Age team, as another (together with the Leeming Javelin) airframe is saved from scrapping.

Rob

Member for

12 years 3 months

Posts: 299

[ATTACH=CONFIG]235268[/ATTACH] Great to see that it has been saved, it has been lucky to survive this far and not without a lot of effort by a lot of people. Hopefully now it can be restored to good condition.

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

It needs to go undercover -I had the opportunity to inspect it at Lasham and it was getting quite fragile - its not as heavily constructed as a Dove.

Member for

15 years

Posts: 1,712

At the moment we are well in to having Gannet XL500 flying this year and then it will be on to building a Sea Prince to airworthy condition.

Thanks Nad, I can see that you've got a lot on indeed. Good luck with them both.

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Regardless of there being some still in Australia etc, it needs to be saved pure and simple, the "there is one left elsewhere" etc thinking is probably why a lot of breeds attained the " there is none left anywhere' status

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 5,999

Totally agree, 100% !

Rob

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

great news.

Great news everyone. The Drover will be going to Staverton at the Jet Age Museum

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

It needs to go undercover -I had the opportunity to inspect it at Lasham and it was getting quite fragile - its not as heavily constructed as a Dove.
That probably accounts for the 2000 pounds difference in gross take off weight.

Member for

13 years

Posts: 422

At a slight tangent, has a Drover ever been flown in Britain or indeed in Europe? I suppose that the best bet would be if one was brought over for a SBAC Farnbrough Show during the '50s.

Well done Jet Age Museum. A '50s civilian type could well provide public interest adding variety to the collection, particularly with the Royal Flying Doctor Service type connection to provide a talking point. Clearly an established museum's 'pile of scrap' is a young dynamic museum's 'exhibit worth restoring'. Perhaps the Jet Age Museum might do well, although I know they have built up restoration expertise on fighter types, to chat with SAHG at Speke who have recent experience restoring their Prince, as there are similarities eg '50s civilian small passenger cabin type, sat unloved outside for years etc.

Added later on 'edit': Seems that I (and possibly others) were misled by the 'user name' of the member posting the information that the future of the Drover has been secured. My apologies to the Museum and the actual new owner on my presumption, the correct details provided a few posts further down.

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 8,847

No. I believe the subject of our thread is the only example ever to have 'escaped' from down under. I also believe the type has never flown outside the country of its construction, unless you know better?!

Member for

14 years 11 months

Posts: 1,755

No. I believe the subject of our thread is the only example ever to have 'escaped' from down under. I also believe the type has never flown outside the country of its construction, unless you know better?!

Fiji. New Zealand. New Hebrides. There's also the two other UK Drovers, although they never left Oz.

Member for

13 years

Posts: 422

Ericmunk, do you mean 'two others' or 'the only the two'. I ask that, as I am only aware of G-ALLK and G-APXX - and on checking, these two are the only Drovers to come up on a search of the CAA GINFO register site.

For those curious, G-ALLK c/no. 5003 (or 0003), was registered to de Havilland at Hatfield, with 'paper' dates of registration 31.3.49 and cancellation 16.10.50 - entered in the 'destroyed or permanently withdrawn from use' column! I have it simply as 'remained in Australia as VH-EBQ', which was indeed the case. A photo and full history of this aircraft: http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/QantasFleet/VH-EBQ.html

With the benefit of the internet (it is a long time since I first researched the background for VH-EAS/G-APXX in the early 80s) I find that VH-EAZ is correct for this aircraft from an authoritative Australian site. See http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austcl/QantasFleet/VH-EAZ(2).html for a photo and airframe history with explanation of the re-registration from a Qantas historian. I've gone back to page 1 and altered my 'potted' history of this aircraft to incorporate the new information. Interestingly the CAA registration document for G-APXX of 1960 states 5014 as being formerly VH-EAS. All a little confusing.