WORLD AVIATION MUSEUMS - Mod post 16/05

[l.garey]

re Al Mahatta, Sharjah

To SU-GCM: The museum at Sharjah is an interesting place, but its contents are not what they seem to be. I described tham at:
l.garey - RAF Sharjah, Al Mahatta Museum

The old Imperial Airways resthouse, dating from 1932, still exists in the middle of Sharjah. Apart from a number of miscellaneous aviation-related items, four aircraft are on display in a hall next to the old control tower. They purport to be four of Gulf Aviation's original aircraft, according to the accompanying notices. At first glance a DC3, a Dove and a Heron, indeed, could have been genuine, but an Anson labelled as a Mark I, but obviously a much newer one, is suspicious.

In fact, Heron "G-ANFE" is actually constructor's number 14072, a Heron 2 originally owned by West African Airways Corporation, as VR-NAQ. It was then registered G-ARKU with Overseas Aviation Ltd. In 1961 it was transferred to the Royal Navy, and converted to a Sea Heron C20 (XR443). Withdrawn from use in 1989 it was sold as G-ORSJ, later changed to G-ODLG. Sold again in 1993 it became VH-NJP with Heron Airlines in Australia. It was acquired for the museum and painted to represent G-ANFE in 2003. There is a constructor's number on a plate just behind the co-pilot's head "14072", and also a hand-written "NJP" on the captain's roof

The Anson "G-AKVW" is ex TX183, built at Yeadon in 1946. It was with Bomber Command Communications Flight at Booker, then Abingdon Station Flight, before moving on to No.1 ANS at Hullavington. It went later to Shawbury, and A&AEE Boscombe Down where its service career finished in 1968. It was then sold to the Shuttleworth Trust, who were planning on a restoration programme, but that never came to fruition. It was registered G-BSMF. The flaps are half lowered, so you can see identity plates on both sides. It is quite clearly marked as "Type no 652A" and Mk XXI on one side and Mk 21 on the other! The flaps carry the dates 22/10/48 on one side and 9/1/51 on the other! Maybe the flaps were taken from a Mk 21, and fitted to this C19 airframe. There is, of course, no way it could be a Mark I, which is a completely different aircraft!

Dove 6 "G-AJPR" was built in 1956; its constructor's number is 04469. It was on the Italian register as I-TONY and then became G-ARDE.

The DC3 "G-AMZZ" has a tiny label on the roof between the pilots "C-GCXE". Otherwise, I could not find any identification plates. In the undercarriage bays there are "RCAF" labels. The aircraft is actually constructor's number 12254, a C47A delivered to the USAF as 42-92452 and almost immediately passed on to the RAF at Montreal as FZ669. It served with the RAF in Canada until 1946 when it was officially passed to the RCAF. Pensioned off 1976, it became C-GCXE with Aero Trades Western. Cancelled from the Canadian register in 1977, it next appeared on the Dominican register as HI-502. Re-registered as N688EA in 1993.

The nose and cockpit of Comet R2 XK655 were added to the collection in 2008. It was the first production Comet 2 (G-AMXA) making its first flight in 1953. It was the first to go to the Royal Air Force. In 1955 it was modified at Marshalls of Cambridge to the Mk R2 electronic intelligence gathering (ELINT) version, and was based in Cyprus with 51 Squadron. It patrolled with experimental surveillance and radar equipment, frequently being detached to Sharjah. When retired from flying it was sold to the Strathallan collection in Scotland. On landing at Strathallan it damaged the undercarriage, but was repaired for static display. When the StrathallanMuseum closed in 1990 it was scrapped with only the cockpit section surviving. It was put on the roof at GatwickAirport in 1995. After spending about 10 years outside it was restored again before shipping to the Al Mahatta Museum as the first jet airliner to land at Sharjah.


Laurence