Tiger Moth G-APFU

[stevef]

I'm just having a clear out and found a black & white photo of G-APFU that I took at Exeter, sometime in the late '60s. Difficult to tell but it could be in a silver or light grey finish. G-INFO shows it as 'Destroyed' on 17/3/69 and there have been several owners since according to the CAA's G-INFO website. Anyway, if anyone has logged any 1960s time in it, drop me a PM and I'll send them the photograph.

[treadigraph]

Apparently it came to grief at Denham on 26/1/68.

See at the time it was owned by the well-known Tony Cheshire who taught Brian Lecomber to fly.

[TimL]

Steve

I flew G-APFU a number of times, including my first solo on 22 April 1960, when I did my RAF Flying Scholarship with the Surrey & Kent Flying Club at Biggin Hill. I'll send you PM as well.

-- TimL

[stevef]

Thanks, Tredders! It must have been quite a prang to write a Tiger Moth off, I knew an old hand, sadly gone now, who thought nothing of rebuilding them after a major accident. I wonder what state it's in now, to have been moved on through six owners since the crash.
Tim: I've replied to your PM.

[SWBKCB]

It was re-built, lots of post-69 photo's in an all red scheme. Most recent I've found is 2018 at Henstridge. Permit to fly expired in 2019, still registered to an owner local to Henstridge.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/beechhawker/25902173517/

[Planemike]

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/search?registration=G-APFU&date_taken=&information=&tag_fields=%5B%5D

[treadigraph]

Here's a snippet from its history in AB's Tiger Moth production list (https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf):

regd 10.11.64 to Anthony James Cheshire, Croydon; op by The Biplane Club, Biggin Hill (later Denham). Crashed following engine failure on take off Denham 26.12.68. Regn cld 17.3.69 as destroyed. To Agricultural Aviation Ltd by 8.70 for rebuild at Horsham St Faith. To Fred J Terry, Beaconsfield .74. To Martyn Coward, Westbury, Bristol. Roaded to Walkeridge Farm 8.10.78. Regd 9.4.79 to Martyn Ruscombe Coward & Derek Martyn White, Bristol. Reflown 24.8.79 after rebuild at Walkeridge Farm; CofA renewed 31.8.79.

Presumably Walkeridge Farm means Cliff Lovell did the rebuild.

It also seems to suggest the current inactivity is a protracted overhaul; Tigers are a speciality at Henstridge as I recall!

[stevef]

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1960x2000/gapfu_2_bde9268d032e95c6348957acb9cfbbac98f0c0db.jpg



Here's a copy of the original photo. I'm still trying to clean up the image with photo editing software but not having much luck so far because of the limited sky/upper mainplane contrast.

[DownWest]

The mention by treadigraph of Agricultural Aviation Ltd took me back a bit. I worked for them just before that as ground crew. Bit surprised at them buying a DH 82a, as they were flying Cessna Agwagons and an AgCat. They were a 'one man band' with Roy Slark running everything. I moved on to Arrow Air Services fairly quickly...