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Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 07:30
by PeteP
A small collection of DH Dragon Rapides from the Michael Harries Collection, all copyright the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Trust.
G-AHGD at Shoreham, 24 June 1979 and still on the UK register.
G-AIDL at Shoreham, May 1979 and, as far as I know, still going strong with Air Atlantique.
G-AKNN at Biggin Hill, 4 April 1963, withdrawn from use August 1969.
G-APSD at Shoreham, August 1963, just 11 months before its demise. Scrapped, July 1964!
Pete
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 07:34
by cstorey
Lovely, Pete. Still one of the most beautiful aircraft ever made, and the virst aeroplane I ever went in , in about 1949.
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 07:44
by PeteP
Goodness, that was a quick response, Chris. Are you like me and can't sleep-in these days?
PP
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 11:46
by DaveB
Oh deary me.. I feel my paint box opening again!

A Flying Jack Rapide!! What a
Splendid sight
Lovely Pete. Thanks a zillion

Colour phots of this old girl are not in an abundance
ATB
DaveB :tab:
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 12:09
by Garry Russell
Nice Pete
Is 'HGD 1979 as it was painted like that for 25 years of BEA CI in 1971 and by the mid seventies it was ion British Airways livery......so eithere a repaint or a misdate????
Might be a repaint as I don't recall it being that all blue underneath in BEA but maybe???
Interesting :think:
Garry
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 14:56
by PeteP
Garry Russell wrote:so eithere a repaint or a misdate????
Hi Garry,
Michael changed from Ektachrome to bog-standard, pre-paid Kodachrome in the mid-70s. The advantage of this is that the card slide mounts are stamped with a processing date. On the two shots of GD, the stamp is "JUL 79" so the date of 24 June 1979 is probably correct. A repaint for some reson, then?
Pete
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 14:58
by PeteP
DaveB wrote: A Flying Jack Rapide!! What a
Splendid sight
I had a feeling you'd enjoy these Rapides, Dave. Just a pity there aren't any more. :-(
PP
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 15:42
by Garry Russell
Hi Pete
I think it is a repaint and the blue is from it's BA paint time.
Perhaps the owners had a fondness for that and repainted it :think:
Sorry Dave B.
I saw it at the time of the celebrations and tried to ignore it as I found it looked a bit out of place
But sure it was in the FJ green
Garry
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 15:46
by DaveB
FJ green.. BA blue.. both work for me mate. I was looking forward to getting this one painted up for VA use but on checking our registrations.. the only one out of those 4 we have is AIDL and I have her in AA already

Never mind.. I might change the reg of my personal Rapide to GD and fly at my own expense!
ATB
DaveB :tab:
Re: Here be Dragons...
Posted: 21 Apr 2008, 15:52
by Garry Russell
Hi Dave
She wasn't in BEA service like that at all....privately owned and painted up and it toured the stations sponsored by BEA.
Could have it based somewhere giving pleasure flights
Garry