Westland Wyvern Project Thread.

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16 years 5 months

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Hey that looks familiar :cool:, and i admire your optimism David. But one step at a time :D

Rob

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20 years 5 months

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Wasn´t there a Wyvern centre section at Tangmere ten+ years ago? No chance to get your hands on that I suppose?

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16 years 5 months

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That'll be the rear fuselage of VZ795, James, last seen in Norfolk several years ago.

Although reputed to of been scrapped I'd love to know if it survived anywhere.

Rob

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Scrapped? I hope not. I remember being amazed at the size of the thing when I saw it. Not a small aircraft!
It´d be a real bonus if you could find it.

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17 years 7 months

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Sadly I remember it, and I fondled it, when I saw it it was hidden away and was lucky to see it, then it moved elsewhere and the tale ends

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20 years 5 months

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Yes it was hidden under a tarp round the back somewhere, or?

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Can't remember now, but I remember the colour of it very well, and the markings on it, they asked if I wanted it, but I couldn't have got it in my Ford Orion, and I was on a day trip.

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Wyvern

Always interested to hear of other surviving Wyvern parts, and a return visit to the Norfolk And Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton meant i could take a closer look at the incomplete port main flap section that is held by the museum.

Many thanks to the chairman and museum volunteer for lifting it out and giving me access (Wyvern photo credit Andy Davey - Air Britain).

Rob

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The fuselage section at Tangmere was something that I was involved in recovering in the 1970s. Unfortunately, somebody at Tangmere Museum decided that it was 'scrap' and allowed it to be taken away by a third party who expressed an interest although the museum (which I was then involved with) had no authority to dispose of it. A great many other items were thrown away at the same time, some of which were on loan from other individuals.

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20 years 3 months

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Always interested to hear of other surviving Wyvern parts, and a return visit to the Norfolk And Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton meant i could take a closer look at the incomplete port main flap section that is held by the museum.

Many thanks to the chairman and museum volunteer for lifting it out and giving me access (Wyvern photo credit Andy Davey - Air Britain).

Rob

I'm glad you got a good look at this flap section. When I saw it last year it looked in pretty good condition.

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 490

The fuselage section at Tangmere was something that I was involved in recovering in the 1970s. Unfortunately, somebody at Tangmere Museum decided that it was 'scrap' and allowed it to be taken away by a third party who expressed an interest although the museum (which I was then involved with) had no authority to dispose of it. A great many other items were thrown away at the same time, some of which were on loan from other individuals.

I was offered the Me109 as "you can take that old rubbish away". Should have gone and got a trailer!

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I'm glad you got a good look at this flap section. When I saw it last year it looked in pretty good condition.

Thanks David. Despite its obvious crash / recovery damage the metalwork is still in excellent condition.

I also noticed that Flixton have another impressive Wyvern related exhibit, this being a bomb loading trolley of almost identical spec (apart from the rear wheel attachment points) to that used by Wyvern squadrons during the 1950's.

Rob

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16 years 7 months

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Hello Rob,

How are both the Wyvern and Sturgeon coming along any recent progress?

Kind regards,

Tim

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17 years 10 months

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I was offered the Me109 as "you can take that old rubbish away". Should have gone and got a trailer!

That was probably the oldest '109' airframe in existence at the time and belonged to Robs Lamplough. It was a typical attitude of the Tangmere regime during that period. Dumb ex forces personal who couldn't tell the difference between a priceless relic and a dustbin....they eventually dug up one of their own at Hove and then added bits from everywhere to make it look better.

God only knows how many precious items were 'scrapped' by them in the past, and how many of the same have slipped through their fingers ever since.

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20 years 5 months

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That was probably the oldest '109' airframe in existence at the time and belonged to Robs Lamplough.

Happily under restoration to fly now, at Meier Motors, which is nothing short of miraculous considering the horrible shape it was in.

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Please can we not turn this into a Tangmere museum bashing thread. Whats done is done, and opinions and grievances by individuals have already been aired on other threads.

Hello Rob,

How are both the Wyvern and Sturgeon coming along any recent progress?

Kind regards,

Tim

Hi Tim,

Thanks for asking. The BFP is coming along nicely although i'll wait until i have a bit more in place before posting a pic. I've also made a start on a mock up of the starboard control panel that runs alongside the pilot, and items are being sourced to help this along. But as i've been busy with work and other aviation related commitments lately, together with an impending change in personal circumstances as discussed by email - possibly by the end of the year, i'm reluctant to start anything else at the moment.

The Sturgeon remains pretty much as you saw it in June.

Rob

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Wyvern

Had chance to position and fit the instruments that i already have onto the BFP mock up today. So its just the turn and slip and gyro compass needed to complete it, the holes for which will be cut as and when.
The difference in cockpit instruments used and their positions between the RR Eagle powered TF.1 and AS Python S.4 can be appreciated in the two views.

Rob

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Member for

16 years 7 months

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Rob,

Excellent progress, well done, it really looks the part.

Regards,

Tim

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16 years 5 months

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Thanks for your enthusiasm, Tim. Must admit its a good feeling seeing them coming together !

Rob

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20 years 9 months

Posts: 252

Panel looks stunning - can't wait to see it in the flesh.

Congrats.

J