Hawker Heron G-EBYC

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Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

Is there any evidence to support A.J.Jackson's assertion that G-EBYC was 'in store at Minster Lovell in 1966'? BAe Systems says that it is believed to have been stored in the Hawker flight shed at Brooklands until the outbreak of WW2 but asserts that 'although its ultimate [fate] is unclear, the Hawker Heron no longer survives'. I haven't found anything else on the subject.

Original post

Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 674

No, the refrence by AJ is the only one I have ever seen. We will never know if this was just a rumor, or he had solid evidence? Minster Lovell is not a large place and seems to have no relevance in aviation ?

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 1,216

RAF Akerman Street, named after the Roman Road it sits astride of, is located only two miles from Minster Lovell in a North Easterly direction, the airfield closed operationally in 1947 but its buildings may have been used for storage until a later date.
An airfield named after an ancient road rather than the nearest Town/Village/City is unusual, perhaps it was known as Minster Lovell airfield by those who had to find it on a map.
http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/air...treet-crawley/

Richard

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

A storage facility may not necessarily have had an airfield connection.

What I find strange is that A.J.Jackson should assert that this aeroplane was in existence as late as 1966 if there was no evidence to support the assertion - and that if there was evidence to support the assertion, I haven't been able to find any other mention of this. Surely Jackson would not have been the only person privy to this information - and even if this should have been so, would not the mention of the existence of the aeroplane have led to others making enquiries concerning it and subsequently publicising the results of those?

My copy of 'British Civil Aircraft 1919 - 1972' dates from 1988 and is the revised second edition. It would be interesting to know whether the assertion of the existence of the Heron in 1966 is also made in the unrevised (1973) second edition and what mention, if any, is made in the first (1959) edition. Does anyone have these and so can say? Furthermore, is anything mentioned on the subject in 'Hawker Aircraft since 1920' (Francis Mason)(1991)?

Member for

18 years 3 months

Posts: 887

AJJ 1st Ed. 1960: "colllided with car, King's Cup, Hendon 20/7/28, scrapped 1/30". FK Mason, Hawker,1991:struck off Register 1/30, "said to have been stored in the corner of Hawker's flight shed at Brooklands until the outbreak of (WW2)".

Member for

15 years 2 months

Posts: 674

Interesting so AJJ got some info in the early 60's that changed his mind? Do we know how much damage occurred at Hendon? You would think that was quite well documented?

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

Thank you, Alertken. It looks as if you have a library to be envied. However the mystery persists and I can't perceive a way to demystify it.

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

This might help, FR.

Flight 26 july 1928:

'Next to go was Flt.-Lt. Bulman on the Hawker" Heron " (Bristol " Jupiter VI "), but unfortunately, whilst taxying up to the starting line, the " Heron " ran full tilt into a car standing out on the 'drome (why, we cannot understand), with serious results to the " Heron's " airscrew and leading edge (and the car).'

There is a photograph of the collision to be seen at https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1928/1928%20-%200694.html?search=hawker%20heron.