The first restoration was G-ADDD which is a DH 89A Rapide for Jerry Yagen of Virginia Beach. This is spectacularly painted up in the Guards colours of the Prince of Wales flight. This is the second Avspecs restoration for Jerry Yagen, the first being Curtis P 40E 41-35927 which first flew in April 2003 and went on to win Grand Champion warbird at Sun'N'Fun 2004 and the Silver Wrench Award for the best fighter at Oshkosh, also in 2004.
And hidden deeper in the hangar you can make out the shape of a Mosquito! This restoration is a product of the woodworking skills of Glyn Powell who over many years has made up male fuselage plugs for Mosquito fuselages - a monumental project in itself, and Avspecs. This aircraft is also being completed for Jerry Yagen and is expected to fly in late 2010/early 2011. When completed this will be the only airworthy Mosquito in the world. There is a much better photo of the Mosquito in the February 2010 edition of New Zealand Aviation News.
Thanks Sir M. Dave Wise in the UK provides the following on "G-ADDD" correcting my previous post on the subject:
ReplyDeleteYou are correct with your investigation, this is N89DH - 6709 -
> HG724
>
> Hope to be flying in a couple of weeks and then on display at
> Warbirds over Wanaka at Easter before dismantling and shipping to
> the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach.
From ABIX:
ReplyDeletec/n 6709 Toc as HG724 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 18 MU 18.3.44.
To CRD at De Havilland Acft Co Ltd 4.2.45.
To 5 MU 21.2.47.
Sold 25.8.47 to Newman Aircraft Ltd.
Regd G-AKPA (CofR 12113) 12.1.48 to Newman Aircraft Co Ltd t/a Newman Airways, Croydon. CofA 9919 issued 25.6.48.
Regd 16.3.51 to The Midland Metal Spinning Co Ltd, Wolverhampton.
Sold 17.5.62 and regn cld 8.6.62 as sold in Eire.
Regd EI-AML 15.6.62 to FJ Connolly t/a Aer Turas.
Regd 11.9.62 to Aer Turas Teoranta, Dublin.
Regn cld 19.6.64 as sold in France.
Regd F-BLHZ 2.2.65 to Aero Club de Lorraine, Luneville.
Regd .68 to Centre Ecole Regional de Parachutisme Sportif de Nancy-Lorraine, Nancy.
Regn cld 27.11.72 as sold to USA.
Reportedly imported by Geert Frank, East Kingston, NH.
Regd N89DH 1.73 to Doyle W Cotton & WF Watson, Tulsa OK and painted in RAF c/s.
[Reported as painted in USAAC c/s as X7454 – but see c/n 6794/VT-ASQ].
CofA issued 2.7.82.
Sold at auction 3.10.87 to Robert Hood (for $75,000).
Regd 12.1.90 to Robert C Hood, Carthage, MO.
Sold 23.4.07 & regd 14.5.07 to Training Services Inc, t/a Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Virginia Beach, VA.
Thanks very much Peter, awesome coverage on the subject.
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few flying hours in this airplane when it was N89DH What a great flying machine.My friend Bill Watson checked me out in it when I took over his flying position when he retired. His checkout was to leave the cockpit while airborne walk back and sit next to me saying "you should go up front and fly it" I di and when it was time to land he said "go ahead and land " after that I flew it many hours. Jim Dross Tulsa, OK.
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few flying hours in this airplane when it was N89DH What a great flying machine.My friend Bill Watson checked me out in it when I took over his flying position when he retired. His checkout was to leave the cockpit while airborne walk back and sit next to me saying "you should go up front and fly it" I di and when it was time to land he said "go ahead and land " after that I flew it many hours. Jim Dross Tulsa, OK.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim.
ReplyDeleteNice tale.
Lovely machines eh.
Cheers