Replicas and reproductions

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Member for

17 years

Posts: 1,656

Ovcer the years there have been some pretty superb replica and reproduction airframes of long extinct types gracing both our museums and skies. My question is this: What is being built now, and what's next? What would you like to see flying or static? Pipedreams welcome, but also a bit of reality too please. A few examples, just off the top of my head:

Static - YAM's Halifax
Airworthy - Vickers Vimy
In progress - DH Hornet
What I want to see - Whirlwind (The fighter, not the helecopter)

Original post

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 1,001

A Sterling or Manchester would be very nice to see.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 872

Stirling in a museum would have to be top of my list of statics.

Wellington, Hawker typhoon/Tempest would love to see in the air along with the Mossie again.

Brian.

Member for

17 years 4 months

Posts: 1,060

Stirling in a museum would have to be top of my list of statics.

Wellington, Hawker typhoon/Tempest would love to see in the air along with the Mossie again.

Brian.

Ok not being in the know but wasnt there a Mossie flying, why isnt there one now? Bex

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,000

Hi Bex,
The regularly-flown Mossie was BAe's T.Mk.III RR299, which was very sadly lost in a fatal accident at the Barton Airshow in 1996. The other officially airworthy Mossie was Kermit Weeks' Mk.35 RS712, which hasn't flown for a number of years and is currently on loan and on display at the EAA Museum.

Thankfully,there are currently two Mossies under airworthy restoration, one being Bob Jens' B.35 VR796, a former aerial survey platform with Spartan Air Services, and the second is Jerry Yagen's FB.26 (Canadian-built FB.6) KA114, which will be practically a brand new airframe when completed. All the woodwork on Jerry's aircraft will be new built, and the project is already in its advanced stages.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,183

Because the one most recently airworthy, after the tragic loss of BAE's example, is owned by Kermit Weeks who has just too many toys to fly them all.

I hope I don't sound too disrespectful, IIRC the man himself has said that.

Adrian

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17 years 4 months

Posts: 1,060

thanks for that gents :D Bex

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 840

I thought there was already a pair of Tempests been restored to flying condition in the UK?

A Tiffie would be nice though. A nice paired display with the modern day name sake aka Eurofighter.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 307

The Real Aeroplane Company are currently building two Sopwith Pups which will incorporate numerous original bits including engines - few years from flying yet though. There's also an SE5a being built on site to airworthy status by a private individual which is also rumoured to include some original parts.

My faves have to be the US air-racers, the late Jim Wright's much missed Howard Hughes H-1 Racer, Tom Wathen's LT Meteor and Comet, Kermit Week's Gee Bee's etc.

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 761

In pipedream territory, I'd like to see a few more inter-war types around; Siskin, Wapiti and the like. Unfortunately these are not a big enough attraction for the expense to be justified, as I believe Richard Fairey found out with his Flycatcher replica a few years back. At least that can now be seen at Yeovilton, IIRC.

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,508

This would be an interesting one to see if and when......

Website here http://www.imperial-airways.com/Hp42_project_information.html but not sure how recent the news updates are.

I was also going to mention this, which I was looking forward to. A few years ago, there was a stand actively promoting this at air shows, but it's all gone rather quiet. Perhaps reality has set in and they have realised the logistics and cost make it prohibitive?:confused:

Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 1,494

....not entirely in context, but I would like to see the Bristol Brigand TF.1 fully restored, making new wings, undercarriage, fitting engines, etc. and on display. This is the sole surviving fuselage, and really could do with being complete once again.

Does this share wings, undercarriage, with the Beaufighter, Beaufort, Blenheim, Bolingbroke series?

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 2,757

I agree, a Brigand would be fantastic - I remember reading/hearing that as part of the agreement from the scrapyard where the fuselage came from, that it has to remain in the condition it's in?

I'd love to see a Handley Page Heyford, possibly the weirdest looking RAF aircraft ever and quite attractive at the same time (to me it looks like someone's built a Vickers Vimy but attached the fuselage under the upper wing instead

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 413

Anything Imperial Airways would be nice, as virtually nothing except for a few DH Dragon/Rapides, Fox Moths and perhaps the odd Short Scion restoration project, survives from the formative years of British air transportation.

Practically one of the smaller wooden interwar airliners would be great, and should be possible; perhaps a DH34, Airspeed Ferry or Armstrong Whitworth Argossy (which from memory I think was wooden). After all there have been two flying Vimy replicas to my knowledge, which must have presented similar engineering chalenges.

Steve.

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,114

....not entirely in context, but I would like to see the Bristol Brigand TF.1 fully restored, making new wings, undercarriage, fitting engines, etc. and on display. This is the sole surviving fuselage, and really could do with being complete once again.

Does this share wings, undercarriage, with the Beaufighter, Beaufort, Blenheim, Bolingbroke series?

Wings based on Beaufighter (which were also based on Beaufort) but all three have different engines and engine installations so some mods required I dare say.

Good choice.

Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 1,494

Rlangham, XN923

The Brigand would be a realistic prospect to make a part restoration, part reproduction (using other donor Bristol parts), but you will have to look elsewhere for someone to do it..... my hands are a little full at present! :) :) :) ;)

Member for

20 years

Posts: 4,561

Part timer! :p

TT

p.s.

Martin - the two Tempests are being restored by Tempest Two Ltd by Gerry Cooper (I think at Sandtoft) if you search the forum you'll find quite a bit on them - also the IL-2 that they are doing for the RAF Museum ..yum (they have a Harvard too - well actually a Harvard two-bee :) )

TT

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

Regarding the HP42, I think I read that the driving force was the late Mike Russell ( Russavia at Duxford et al) .

Since his sad demise, the project seems to have gone on hold. But if anyone can come up with FOUR new Jupiter engines............

Member for

17 years

Posts: 1,656

Regarding the HP42, I think I read that the driving force was the late Mike Russell ( Russavia at Duxford et al) .

Since his sad demise, the project seems to have gone on hold. But if anyone can come up with FOUR new Jupiter engines............

How far advaced was this project? Had any wood/metal been cut? Are there no other engines which could be a substitute for the Jupiters? - I know they were distictive engines and particularly un-cowled on the HP42....

If a Westland Whirlwind (Fighter, NOT helecopter) was to be built from scratch, would it be possible in theory to fit merlins (with a modified cooling arrangement) instead of the rather rare Perigrines?

Imagine the looks of the labour government if some fool said ' TSR2 return to flight'......