Aeroplane Monthly 1993-04
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M.Oakey - Grapevine
Sunderland G-BJHS at Calshot Spit, where it is being prepared for its flight to its new home in Florida. Parked next to it is Tony Allen’s DHC Beaver floatplane G-DHCB.
Autokraft recently completed the meticulous airworthy restoration of Hawker Hurricane XII BE417 - test flights are expected soon.
The most grievous loss in the Canadian Warplane Heritage fire on February 15, 1993 was Hawker Hurricane "P3069", seen here airborne in 1984.
Solid British engineering: the crank and conrod assembly of the Tempest’s Bristol Centaurus radial engine about to be sent away for X-ray examination.
Autokraft’s Tempest, MW763, under restoration at Brooklands on January 31, 1993.
Unrestored Tempest MV401, still largely as discovered in India.
Ron Mitchell’s Canberra WJ680/G-BURM touches down at Duxford, its new engineering base, in the wintry gloom of February 18. 1993.
Federal Express pilot Ed Storo’s recently-completed Bristol F.2B Fighter replica aloft over Tennessee. Closely following the original drawings with the exception of the fuselage, which is of welded steel tube, the aircraft weights 1,550lb, some 200lb less than the original. Storo tells Grapevine that it "flies like a real Bristol: HEAVEEEY on the ailerons - ugh. Lands so sweet, though!".
Airborne! The first of Herb Tischler’s four Grumman F3F replicas made its maiden flight from Fort Worth on February 1, 1993. Powered by a 1,050 h.p. Wright Cyclone R-1820-50 in place of the original’s 950 h.p. Cyclone R-1820-22, N20RW flew for a trouble-free 30min. Upon landing, the test pilot told Tischler "Don’t change a thing". Numbers two and three have also flown, with only minor tweaks needed, and No 4 is on the way - so the decks will soon be cleared for Tischler’s next project, first revealed in last September’s Grapevine: five twin-jet Messerschmitt Me 262s.
Coming together: restoration of the Science Museum's D.H.84 Dragon G-ACIT is nearing completion at Skysport Engineering’s workshops in Bedfordshire.