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  • Percival Provost T51/T53

    Can any one help with the identification of these two old girls. Taken at the Bal in 1981.
    Attached Files

  • #2
    Can any one help with the identification of these two old girls. Taken at the Bal in 1981.
    yup one nded up with the SEAE in waterford and is now in Dromrod in County leitrim.

    I helped dismantle it and move it in 1896...184 the other one was left on the dump. We also took a vampire and a vampire pod around the same time. Have some photos some where will post it up over xmas.

    can't find an exact working link but this is it



    this works but site seems to be under construction...but the aircraft are all there.

    Last edited by hptmurphy; 18 December 2007, 23:26.
    Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

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    • #3
      Excellent link yooklid! Thanks!

      Test pilot, picture is of two Hunting Percival Provosts on the scrap heap. 181 was scrapped and 184 now in the Cavan Leitrim collection at Dromod.........
      some pics.....

      Under restoration in 2003
      and...
      Behind the recently reassembled Chipmunk 173, looking a bit more intact with her cowling back on
      Last edited by Jetjock; 19 December 2007, 00:09.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Jetjock View Post
        Excellent link yooklid! Thanks!

        Test pilot, picture is of two Hunting Percival Provosts on the scrap heap. 181 was scrapped and 184 now in the Cavan Leitrim collection at Dromod.........
        some pics.....

        Under restoration in 2003
        and...
        Behind the recently reassembled Chipmunk 173, looking a bit more intact with her cowling back on
        Murph, Jetlock,

        Thank you for the link to the pics. I'm 'gob smacked' . To see the transformation is unbeliveable! From the pic in the scrap yard, one would think that it would be a total waste of time to attempt restoration here. Wonderfull ! What collection is that in Dromad?

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        • #5
          The Cavan and Leitrim Railway Museum at Dromod have some ex-IAC aircraft in their posession. They were sourced from the group Murph was involved with.
          Great to see them looking so well. Must take a trip up there in the near future.


          Murph, sorry didnt see your earlier post identifying the aircrft!

          Comment


          • #6
            We had re built it on arrival at waterford but the winscreens were peppered with small arms bullt holes.

            Interesting to note the Irish Provosts were the only ones armed for gunnery training.

            The matkings were unusual as they carried the new type boss over the old type and when it could be visibly seen.

            The SEAE group was taken over by Philip Bedford and had amassed a great deal of other avaition artifacts . I used to love heading of on those foraging trips with George Harvey.

            The Historical knowledge he has of Irish Aviation was truly unbelieveable. the man devoted his whole life to Irish Aviation and was never formally recognised for it.

            We rebuilt several aircraft to very presentable display status with many trades men who had a love of machinery and no practicle knowlege of Aeronautical engineering.

            How things got done was sometime incredible in itself.

            One saturday we borrowed an ESB truck witha HIAB unit and lifted the four engines into place as the R3350s weighed some where in the region of 2.5 tons apiece,

            Geaorge drew the BCal lion on the tail free hand and I painted the upper fuselage and wings with rollers on brush handles. I learned to weld, paint, rivet, work with sheet metal, bits of engineering, carpet laying and various other tasks while in these peoples company.

            It was a brilliant way to spend my years from 16 to about 21 and even after I left Waterford I would travel to give a dig out when I could.

            Learned so much from life through the people I worked with and all of us were doing it free of charge.

            I often wonder how did I mange given I was a various times working, in the Slua Muiri. joined the NS, moved on , took a job at the airport, got married and still manged to get on with some museum work through it all.

            The good old days.
            Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi hptm,
              I totally agree with your posting re George Harvey. He is one super chap. I was delighted to see him again at the Aviation Fair last month and had a great chat with him. You all did fantastic work at that time and only for you those aircraft would have been lost forever. I always regretted that I lived so far away at the time and was unable to be more supportive.
              By the way Provost 181 was not scrapped at Baldonnel as listed in an earlier posting. It went to England to Alan House for spares, who restored Provost 178.

              Could you please PM me George's address I cannot locate it in my files.
              Regards
              Tony K

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              • #8
                Check your pms and thanks for the kind words
                Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks for that hptm,
                  Tony K

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hey hptmurphy. Those weren't bullet holes. A few apprentices tried to "see" how bird proof the windscreens were. So their choice of ammunition was a two pound ball pein hammer with a long handle for extra leverage. I didn't see them doing the damage but was told from a very reliable source at the time.

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                    • #11
                      Thanks again, Guys. Great Posts!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi Tony
                        I happened to be there when both A.House (great name...must have right fun filling out forms!) and Phil Bedford arrived in the Don to retrieve the Provosts.I managed to get involved and help both parties in a little way......honourable mention must also be given to Jim Davis and Freddie Parkes, of the Don, who kept 183 in running order, when there was no benefit in it for them.....incidentally, there were individuals in the Don who were very against the Provost leaving to go to "Civvies"......Just read your article on the Gladiators in FII magazine; very informative and excellent as usual..........Murph, as a cav-head, you'd appreciate that only the Cav(Unimog) and the Don operated the Browning (in the Provost) machine gun in those days.
                        regards
                        GttC

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by GoneToTheCanner View Post
                          Hi Tony
                          .Just read your article on the Gladiators in FII magazine; very informative and excellent as usual..........
                          Just read it myself...excellent work Mr Kearns!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by GoneToTheCanner View Post
                            Hi Tony
                            I happened to be there when both A.House (great name...must have right fun filling out forms!) and Phil Bedford arrived in the Don to retrieve the Provosts.I managed to get involved and help both parties in a little way......honourable mention must also be given to Jim Davis and Freddie Parkes, of the Don, who kept 183 in running order, when there was no benefit in it for them.....incidentally, there were individuals in the Don who were very against the Provost leaving to go to "Civvies"......Just read your article on the Gladiators in FII magazine; very informative and excellent as usual..........
                            GttC
                            Hi GttC,
                            I too was present when Provost 181 was loaded on to that dodgy trailer for Alan House and I too ( evn though a civie) did not want to see aircraft going, especially overseas. I was also present when Provost 183 was handed over to the Airport Museum and see attached pics including Freddie on the wing and Ken Byrne in the cockpit. Can you name all present?
                            In the second pic is that Ulick Daly with Bobbie Gallagher and Joe Kavanagh?
                            Thanks to you and Jetjock for your kind words regarding my article in flying In Ireland, I think that you must agree that it was considerably enhanced by Filip Servits excellent artwork!
                            Tony K
                            Attached Files

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                            • #15
                              Definitly some berets acting as heli pads in that last one!

                              Great photos though!
                              Meh.

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