Beaufighter to Fly!

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Member for

15 years 10 months

Posts: 36

To be honest I was expecting someone on here to say "ah yes that one, out of a freighter, that ended up with ............

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 30

The Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin Victoria have a complete Beaufighter Mk 21 and spares and the closed to public Museum at Camden NSW also have a complete Beaufighter Mk 21 and spares , have you thought of approaching them ? There aircraft will never run or fly but the engines may be fit for rebuild , swap some restored for static engines for these?

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 554

Over the years have visited both Museums. When Harold Thomas was alive he was most helpful with our project.

Have crawled all over the Moorabbin aircraft, naturally they want to keep their a/c intact.

Other helpful guys have been Robert at HARS where we recently acquired gun bay doors, the Museum at Darwin where we obtained pattern flying controls and engine cowlings. Like HARS we also obtained a large amount of engine spares from SafeAir who used to overhaul the Bristol Freighter Engines.

Keep the thoughts coming.

 

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,183

I'm assuming anything in the bushes at Enstone, where I think big lumps of the Bristol Freighter are still in a heap, has long since been either removed or has turned to Daz? 

(unlikely to be helpful, I know, but who knows what ideas might come from stuff)

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Member for

11 years 2 months

Posts: 3,650

Hi All,

 Here's another well outside the box idea, Would any ditched Baeu's be useful ? i.e for sourcing parts that could be patterned or restored if not to corroded ?   I am thinking along the lines of known ditched aircraft with not classed as a war grave, more importantly into surface water in lakes that could possibly hold off corrosion longer than salt water ?

Geoff.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,000

This avenue has probably already been explored, but there used to be a Hercules (seem to remember it was a wartime type with collector ring) on display at Tangmere. It was a pristine engine on a stand and used to have it's own room near the reception desk. This was probably 15+ years ago and it wasn't there on my last visit about five years ago.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 554

As with all restorations it depends on money and manpower as well as obtaining parts. In addition both projects will have a different focus and timeline determined by external influences.

The TFC focus lately has been on obtaining engine accessories and manuals to allow for their overhaul.

This weekend sees the assessment of what modifications will be required to fit original cowlings and air intake to later engines, this will also apply to the Australian aircraft.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 7,025

Thank you for answering and good luck :) 

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 554

Can anybody help locate FB drawings for the Beaufighter? In this series are to be found drawings for the power unit.

I do not have a British manual listing them but do have a manual for the BD43A which was the designation for the Australian built Beaufighter. It would appear that the Australian drawings were given an alternate reference. i.e. FB101128 Panel Cowl No. 1 (See A19/11190)

A good start would be FB97939 which is the drawing for the engine cowling.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 554

Merry Christmas to All from the Beaufighter gang.

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Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 159

I have a short film of your Beaufighter on You Tube where I've asked for anybody with any possible info or leads on spares etc to assist with your rebuild. A comment has been added there as follows:-

"Eirlys Happs 

https://www.internalfire.com/ have a bristol hercules engine in store. they may have documents as well"

The weblink takes you to a museum website which has contact details.

Best wishes,

 

Steve.