There are people that complain about the entrance charges for Shuttleworth's air displays at Old Warden and the cry of 'same old, same old', but there have been many changes there over the years and one day that aircraft you have been patiently waiting to get 'the perfect shot of' may be gone or repainted. Shuttleworth are aware that they need to refresh their collection with repaints and the occasional buying and selling of certain aircraft to keep the punters coming in these hard times. I have to admit that I have good shots of everything there and am reluctant to return until something changes...and the next change will be the arrival of the Grumman Wildcat, which I eaglerly await. Meanwhile, I thought some of the young whippersnapper digital wizzkids would like to see what they may have missed over the years when some of us were taking exposure meter readings, buying expensive Kodachrome slide films, focussing and framing our shots to capture the Shuttleworth gems in days gone. I first visited Old Warden on 16th October 1965 and was a teenage schoolboy, yet arrived in style in the back of a friend of my father's Austin Healey sportcar. It was cold, grey and overcast (nothing changed there!) but I was greeted by a rough field with cow pats in it and apparently they just cleared the field of cows on flying days to convert it to an airfield, but the cows (or was it sheep?) were important to keep the grass down. I was only taking b/w photos then with my father's Agfa camera with 2 1/4" square negs on roll film, which were pretty poor and not worth putting up here. However, I returned two years later in 1967, to mean business with a 35mm Braun Paxette camera and a whole roll (36 shots) of Kodachrome II film.
The first aircraft to greet you inside the gate were Spitfire PR.II,PL983 and Sea Hurricane Z7015, both of which seemed destined to remain static exhibits for ever.
The Spitfire, as you know, was sold and restored to airworthy condition, only to sadly claim the life of Martin Sargeant when it crashed in France.
When I first saw the Sea Hurricane it was in a strange glossy two-tone brown(I think?) camouflage, but for some reason I don't have ashot of it in that colour and the next time I saw it, it had been repainted in the colours shown here in 1970. Incidentally the tail hook had been removed and stored, making it look like a standard RAF Hurricane I guess.
In 1967, the Avro 504K had a dark green fuselage and was given the serial 'E3404'. Note the 'crowd barrier' comprised a single rope and check out all the period cars in the car park.
In those days, the Tomit was in Hawker's company colours of dark blue and gold and registered G-AFTA
Seen in April 1968 is Jean Batten's Percival Gull, G-ADPR, since sold and now hanging in Auckland Airport's terminal, New Zealand
In 1968, Shuttleworth also acquired Anson C.19, TX183, formerly with the A&AEE Handling Squadron at Boscombe Down.
They bizzarly fenced it off half way down the fuselage so you could look inside but go no further forward.
The Anson was later sold as it was deteriorating being permantly outside, but has now been fully restored as a Gulf Aviation airliner in the Gulf Aviation museum at Sharjah.
Who can remermber the Gladiator when it was serialled 'K8032' with 72 Squadron markings?
...or when the Sopwith Pup was brown and serialled N5180?
..or when the Bristol Fighter was silver
...the loss of the Cierva C.30A Autogiro, sold to the USA and which which now hangs in Kermit Weeks hangar in Florida
Note the Gladiator behind has now had a repaint and wears its correct serial L8032
It must have been a shock when the RAF Museum asked for the LVG to be returned, as it had been on 'permanent' loan. It was wonderful to see a genuine WW1 aircraft kept flying, alas no more!
..the Hind in Royal Afghan Air Force colours
...and the Tutor when it was yellow
The next aircraft to emerge from a rebuild and repaint will possibly be the SE-5A. During the late '60s and '70s, I thought it
looked great with code letters and blue/white wheel bosses, but purists complained it wasn't accurate, so they were removed.
Lost Shuttleworth
Lost Shuttleworth
Adrian
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
Nice photos, brings back some great memories of going to Old Warden every month with my dad. The only thing I don't remember from these is the Tomtit when it was blue.
Good times, thanks for making me remember them and some great days with my dad.
Good times, thanks for making me remember them and some great days with my dad.
Regards, Ken
-
- Posts: 1027
- Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 7:09 pm
- Location: The Peoples' Replublic of Croydonia
- Contact:
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
AMB wrote:The next aircraft to emerge from a rebuild and repaint will possibly be the SE-5A. During the late '60s and '70s, I thought it
looked great with code letters and blue/white wheel bosses, but purists complained it wasn't accurate, so they were removed.
Adrian, didn't you notice that the SE5a had been restored in 2006/2007? The next aeroplane out of the workshop is likely to be the Avro 504k.
Here's how it looks now
Shuttleworth Collection Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a - Sir John Allison by shuttleworthpix, on Flickr
Shuttleworth Collection Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a - Sir John Allison by shuttleworthpix, on Flickr
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
Rob Leigh wrote:AMB wrote:The next aircraft to emerge from a rebuild and repaint will possibly be the SE-5A. During the late '60s and '70s, I thought it
looked great with code letters and blue/white wheel bosses, but purists complained it wasn't accurate, so they were removed.
Adrian, didn't you notice that the SE5a had been restored in 2006/2007? The next aeroplane out of the workshop is likely to be the Avro 504k.
Thanks for that Rob. As there was no change in colours or markings, I guess it must have sneaked out 'under the radar'. Any idea what colours the Avro 504K will wear when she emerges?
Adrian
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
A really interesting post, thanks for taking the time to put it up
Cheers,
Chris
Chris
-
- Posts: 1027
- Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 7:09 pm
- Location: The Peoples' Replublic of Croydonia
- Contact:
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
AMB wrote:Thanks for that Rob. As there was no change in colours or markings, I guess it must have sneaked out 'under the radar'. Any idea what colours the Avro 504K will wear when she emerges?
Adrian, if you look back through your archive you'll see that there was a change in markings.
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
Great pictures Adrian. Thanks for showing us those.
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
Great pictures Adrian. Thanks for showing us those.
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
AMB wrote: Who can remermber the Gladiator when it was serialled 'K8032' with 72 Squadron markings?
I can! In fact I've got a Kodachrome of her in those makings taken at Farnborough in 1962!
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP
Re: Lost Shuttleworth
AlexC wrote:AMB wrote: Who can remermber the Gladiator when it was serialled 'K8032' with 72 Squadron markings?
I can! In fact I've got a Kodachrome of her in those makings taken at Farnborough in 1962!
So can I, I even have some old 126 slides of it.
Regards, Ken