Fairey Battle restoration progress

[beamender99]

A remarkable restoration of one of the world's rarest aircraft, a Fairey Battle, is nearing completion in Rochester.

A video clip

BBC NEWS | England | Rare aircraft restored (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7630410.stm)

[Dr Jekyll]

Three crew but only 2 parachutes! Is that right?

[mr fish]

having seen her type in many old b/w pics, it comes as a surprise just how much wing she has!!

[Wod]

Might refocus some overdue attention on the precursor to the Battle Of Britain.

Do they intend to fly it, or simply reconstruct?

[acmi48]

fields here in my part of the world (ardennes) would be littered with bits of these a/c -most of which were cannon fodder for the luftwaffe in may 1940

a hurricane changed into an overweight bomber...

[diesel addict]

A Fairey 'Hurricane' eh???

The light bomber 'version' of the Hurricane was the 'Henley'

It might be nearer the truth to say that the 'Fulmar' was the fighter version of the 'Battle' ........

Chuckles, retrieves anorak and takes off....

[JW411]

It might be of interest to the younger members of pprune to know that this Fairey Battle came from a crash site in Iceland. It was fetched home to Brize Norton by one of my 53 Squadron colleagues in the back of his Belfast in 1972.

Some bits also came from some wreckage found on Larkhill range on Salisbury Plain that had been lying there in the grass since 19-canteen. I cannot be sure but I think the Iceland wreckage had severe fire damage to the centre section and the Salisbury Plain wrecks made up the difference.

53 Squadron moved many historic aircraft including a Hurricane westbound to the NASM in Washington and a Spitfire to Oz. A Stranraer flying boat from British Columbia and a Seagull V (Walrus) from Oz went in the opposite direction. Both of the latter can be seen in the RAF Museum.

[rolling20]

Its about time the Government gave a VC to rear gunner Leading Aircraftman Lawrence Reynolds, who did not share the VC award to Garland and Gray for the attack on the Meuse Bridges on May 12th 1940
Why it was awarded to two crew members and not the whole crew, I shall never understand!!!

[Adrianh]

Hi,
Just researching some info on the Battle. It appears that the ministry decided that as the rear gunner was not in a decision making position he was not eligible for an award.
I would have thought his decision to join the crew for what was considered a suicide mission was enough, plus he was responsible for defending the aircraft from attack with woefully inadequate armament.

Adrian

[MReyn24050]

According to this month's Aeroplane Monthly, the Fairey Battle L.5343, left Rochester Airport on October 20th after 2 and half years restoration but was sadly damaged on the way to Hendon. Unfortunately the haulage contractors employed by the RAF Museum to transport it made a very poor job of securing the aircraft. Considerable damage was caused on the trip to Hendon. The Battle has now gone to RAF Museum Cosford for repairs.

[kluge]

Oh don't spoil it.......I don't get the magazine delivered in HK until way after its published in the UK.

I doesn't come with the free CDs either - of which I don't know why.

Still my fave magazine though, aside from the Economist.

[Brian Abraham]

The Battle saw a fair bit of service in Australia and one is undergoing restoration in Adelaide, fear it will be a very slow process though (static display).

[DucatiST4]

Some pics of the transport arangements are here including my comments (as Rockhopper)

Fairey Battle L5343 (http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2430)

[FAStoat]

Whatever happened to 51 MU at Bicester?In my day,these were the guys responsible for delivering RAF Museum Exhibits?At least they were meant to do it without wrecking the Aeroplane concerned.Except perhaps the Ex Indian Liberator,that had been flown here!!That idiot who ran the RAF Museum,who had been last seen as a Librarian at Cranwell,ordered that No one would be able to fly it again,so 51 Mu chopped it at the Main Spar,and Transported it that way,although then,it would have been possible to fly it in ,a la Beverley-but thats now gone for ever!!That wrecking of the Liberator caused many problems later,when trying to get very rare spares from the Indian Air Force,they looked very sideways at the possiblilty of such are items being destroyed and gash rebiult to be looked upon by an unknowing public!!!There were in fact several UK based Pilots quite competent to fly the Liberator-Jeff Hawke,Don Bullock,Neil Williams,and Keith Sissons ,to name but a few from those days;If they wanted a serving officer,then Jacko Jackson,but loads of the old Ferry Pilots could have done it.Look at what Mike Collet gets in the Air,even if "Satan" has to get a go.There was an excuse from the said Ex Librarian,who stated that there were tyre problems that would makethe flight a safety problem!In fact Don Bullock arranged with the Boss of Mildenhall at the time,413 Tactical Air Wing Col Drogo,to have flown in to UK a complete set of Liberator Wheels and Tyres,courtesy of the Confederate Air Force.This was rejected by MR Tanner!!!!!The main Spar was duly chopped to get the Aeroplane on a Queen Mary.