Warbird Information Exchange

Hey John, glad to here Pete's doing well!! Will the aircraft be salvagable in the respect of making it flyable again? Pete's just darn lucky he is such a good pilot and managed the failure wisely!

Dave

Glad to hear it's no worse for the pilot.

However major/minor the damage is, I don't think it's likely to get rebuilt in the USA, the de Havilland construction not being a popular one there. I don't think a Vampire has ever been fully rebuilt /repaired or restored in the USA - anyone?


From Stewart Wilson's 'Vampire, Macchi and Iroquois in Australian Service', p26;
"...during 1955 and 1956. At around the same time, many aircraft (both new build Mk.31s and converted ones) were also given the necessary internal fittings to allow the instillation of target towing equipment, there was an update of radio equipment and - importantly - ejection seats were fitted. Photographic evidence suggests that some of the surviving unconverted F.30s were also fitted with ejection seats."

The RAAF Museum's single seater has a ej seat:

http://airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/exhib ... ampire.htm



Judy Pay's ex-Royal Rhodesian Air Force two seater has ejection seats IIRC, while the single seater under static restoration does not.

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Talked to a warbird parts dealer in Canada who was friends w/ the pilot. He said the engine failed at 3500' or somwhere thereabouts, and the pilot got the plane down on the grass, hit a bump and the plane was 10' in the air then hit again and broke the plane's back. That's what I heard, if it's wrong go yell at my friend..

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Thanks for the correction James. You never stop learning!

I have very little on the Nene engined Vampire; most of my references concern the Goblin engined aircraft. Any idea what type seat was fitted to the Mk 31?

Going back to the accident aircraft for a moment - No-one anywhere has completely rebuilt a Vampire; in nearly all cases, they have just continued flying after being retired from service. One or two have been subject to extensive servicing, the most notable being in Australia, but have never been subject to a full restoration in the manner of P51's and Spitfires.

This one needs a new pod, and presumably, a new engine at the very least. Hard to see it being done when the intrinsic value is so low.

Shame.



Bruce

I certainly am always learning. I was only aware of the seat after a close look at the RAAF Museum's machine recently for CMR's forthcoming kit:
http://www.cmrmodels.co.uk/page/futuremodels.html


No, I don't. I'd presume Martin Baker. I could've checked yesterday, but I won't be in for a while yet. I'll see what I can find out.

Sadly I agree regarding the chances of a rebuild, driven, as you say, by the low value and technical 'difference' rather than complexity, say against an Iskra or L-39.

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

So what is this Vampire? Most listings have it as a T.55, Ryan and the assumption is it's an F Mk.3. Confused...

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

thanks Bruce

you are correct, the RRAF aircraft I was referring to is a FB9, the ejection seat and instrument panel came from a site where one has been mounted on a pole, and we were provided the items by the aircraft owner and advised they were from the FB9? The panel is clearly from the FB9 and we assumed the ejection seat was too?

Regards

Mark Pilkington

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20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

FYI.

The Vampire that crashed at Rochester, NY was NOT N172LA and was NOT owned by Genesee Warbirds.

It was a single seater owned by Al Rubin of Wings of Flight, Inc. (N6878D) and flown by his pilot Peter Treichler. The aircraft was destroyed, or if you prefer, very badly damaged beyond resonable financial repair. It was a tragic loss to the jet warbird community, as at the time it was the oldest flying classic jet. However, it would have been de-throned by the Planes of Fame 1943 Bell Aerocomet which is almost ready to fly. I understand the aircraft wreckage was taken back to Markam, Ontario where it is in an airplane junkyard.

The Genesee Warbirds de Havilland Vampire N172LA is a two seat version (ex-Indian air force) and is in flying condition today. I am sure it will be on the air show circuit next year. see the museum webpage at www.geneseewarbirds.org for more info. If your interested in flying in the Vampire, call the museum.

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