Fly Past

May 2018 FLYPAST 107

From The Ashes

A

s the living memory of World

War Two begins to fade,

it is perhaps all the more

important to enlighten, educate

and illustrate. The challenge of

aircraft restoration, the task of

physically putting the original

machinery before the faces of new

generations, only becomes greater

with every passing year. Spares

become fewer, original sources

for projects become harder to find

and are in poorer condition. The

entire business of rebuilding old

aircraft has never been simple or

inexpensive, and one thing’s for

sure, it’s not about to become less

complex or cheaper.

Given these harsh realities,

it would be easy to assume the

future is bleak – and yet, due to

the determination, talent and

passion of certain individuals –

there is much to look forward to.

In this country alone, we are likely

to see two de Havilland

Mosquitos

fly again, the first to do so since

the tragic loss of RR299 in 1996.

At the same time, the diligent

team at the Lincolnshire Aviation

Heritage Centre is leaving no

stone unturned in its bid to return

Avro Lancaster Just Jane to the

skies.

Finally, in a quiet corner of East

Sussex, another no less amazing

return-to-flight is under way at

Uckfield. As most RAF enthusiasts

will know, the unmistakable

Hawker Typhoon was a vital asset

to the Allies as attempts were

made to force the Germans out

of occupied Europe in the critical

period after D-Day. Flying ground

attack sorties, Typhoon units

wreaked havoc upon German

armour – the consequences,

though devastating for the enemy,

may well have shortened the war.

Some 666 Typhoon pilots died

during the course of the type’s

service, 151 paying the ultimate

price in the Normandy conflict.

Despite the fighter’s importance,

and the bravery of

the

men that flew them, no Typhoon

has flown since 1947. With the

war over, the robust Hawker had

done its work and was effectively

consigned to history. The Uckfield-

based project, run by registered

charity the Hawker Typhoon

Preservation Group (HTPG), is set

to add a once unlikely postscript

to the story. Possibly as early as

2024 – the 80th anniversary of

D-Day – Typhoon Mk.Ib RB396

will lift off again, powered by a

genuine Napier Sabre IIa, the

engine the type was equipped with

during the war. It will be a sight

and sound not witnessed for more

than 70 years.

Full circle

RB396 was test flown by Flt

Lt Laurence ‘Pinkie’ Stark

on November 9, 1944 and

subsequently accepted by the

RAF. Initially delivered to the

RAF’s No.51 Maintenance Unit

at Lichfield, Staffordshire, in

November 1944, the ‘Tiffy’ (as the

type was nicknamed) was flown

to Westhampnett in West Sussex

by the ATA’s Ana Leska-Daab on

December 9, 1944.

It was

Mosquitos

service, 151 paying the ultimate

price in the Normandy conflict.

Despite the fighter’s importance,

and the bravery of

the

at Lichfield, Staffordshire, in

November 1944, the ‘Tiffy’ (as the

type was nicknamed) was flown

to Westhampnett in West Sussex

by the ATA’s Ana Leska-Daab on

December 9, 1944.

It was

May 2018FLYPAST 107

Phoenix

No Hawker Typhoon has fl own since 1947. Steve Beebee visits a project

that’s aiming to restore and fl y a unique survivor

Parts recovered from the cockpit of Roy

Worthington’s Typhoon (MN252). These

will be incorporated into RB396.

The remnants of RB396’s original colour

scheme can be seen on the fuselage.

ALL STEVE BEEBEE UNLESS NOTED

‘Warbird RB396’ by Neil Hipkiss GAvA

depicts Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib RB396 in

action over Normandy. Also see page 108.

COURTESY NEIL HIPKISS-GAvA