Playground Aircraft

[seabee1526]

This breaks all the rules; a Mark 14 Spitfire seen some years ago in a childrens playground in Thailand. I believe this airframe has since been removed for restoration.

Didn't they get this from some airfield in Burma? I think the story goes...after the war a number of Spitfire's were buried...

[Keith Gaff]

This breaks all the rules; a Mark 14 Spitfire seen some years ago in a childrens playground in Thailand. I believe this airframe has since been removed for restoration.

Didn't they get this from some airfield in Burma? I think the story goes...after the war a number of Spitfire's were buried...

.....and I'm the Easter Bunny. For God's sake don't say things like that. Before you know it some nuff nuff will post it as proof positive of the aircraft's existence. The whole Burma Spitfire nonsense sounds like an over active imagination matched to a lot of wishful thinking. Even if they are there and if they are recovered (some very BIG ifs) their condition is likely to make this piece of junk look airworthy.

[Wildchild]

.....and I'm the Easter Bunny. For God's sake don't say things like that. Before you know it some nuff nuff will post it as proof positive of the aircraft's existence. The whole Burma Spitfire nonsense sounds like an over active imagination matched to a lot of wishful thinking. Even if they are there and if they are recovered (some very BIG ifs) their condition is likely to make this piece of junk look airworthy.

Bold words there... espcailly since we have a few guys here on the site working for the recovery team.....

[Steve T]

That Thai hulk reminds me a great deal of the Mk.XIV project at VWoC...and if any of these, even in this condition, come out of the earth at any of the three Burmese sites, the expedition will have been more than worthwhile. Much has been done with even less, and the VWoC XIV will be a stunner someday!

I remain very skeptical about the Burma Spits, but then I and many others chose to be skeptical about the supposed complete P-38 entombed in ice in Greenland, too...it can be soooo much fun being proven wrong...

S.

[Keith Gaff]

Hello Wildchild,

All that's needed to convince this unbelieving soul is a photograph. Got one ????

[Noha307]

This is making out to be a very interesting thread indeed.

Looks like I spoke too soon...

Can we stay on topic? Pretty pleeeeeeease?

[Keith Gaff]

Because you said pretty please here's another interesting pic. This was taken around 1998 at the State of Victoria's Education Camp at Somers on the Victorian coast. This is DeHavilland Vampire T35 A79-819. Little is known of its service career. In 1970 it was designated as an instructional airframe and by 1980 it was allocated for display at the cadets mess at RAAF Base Point Cook. It's doubtful if it was ever delivered to Point Cook. In 1985 it was sold to the Education Department Camp at Somers in very good condition. It didn't take too long for the little darlings to kick the hell out of it. In 1998 it was acquired by the Moorabbin Air Museum as a source of spares for their Vampire T 35. The remains were then disposed of to a private collector. I took part in the recovery expedition and while the metal components were in surprisingly good condition considering the camps proximity to the sea the wooden pod was trashed.

[Keith Gaff]

This is not a warbird but interesting nonetheless. Vickers Viscount VH-TVR was originally built for the Cuban state airline CUBANA and is thought to have served as the personal transport for Fidel Castro. While on an overseas flight it was seized for non payment of debts. It was eventually sold to Trans Australia Airlines with which it served until the late 1960's. It was retired and donated to the Moorabbin Air Museum which leased it to a childrens amusement park in the south east suburbs of Melbourne known as Wobbies World. Hence the Wobbies Airlines titles. When Wobbies World closed the aircraft was transported to the Moorabbin Air Museum ( a saga in itself) where it remains on display today. It is the only complete Viscount to survive in Australia.

[Keith Gaff]

Here's another playground aircraft; this time an ex Royal New Zealand Air Force Harvard at a playground in New Zealand, time and location unknown. I'm willing to bet that it's not there now.

[nzjet]

Here's another playground aircraft; this time an ex Royal New Zealand Air Force Harvard at a playground in New Zealand, time and location unknown. I'm willing to bet that it's not there now.

I hope you dont want to bet to much because it still is.

[avenger2504]

Here's another playground aircraft; this time an ex Royal New Zealand Air Force Harvard at a playground in New Zealand, time and location unknown. I'm willing to bet that it's not there now.

I hope you dont want to bet to much because it still is.

Taken in October last year.


Yes that's my car and trailer load in the foreground! I own the damaged Auster(pars source for mine) and a friend owns the upside down Tomahawk fuselage.
And the Harvard? Still there and due to come down for a tidyup.

[Keith Gaff]

I'm amazed someone hasn't made an offer on that Harvard.

[bdk]

I'm guessing there isn't much left of value in the cockpit!

[Zac Yates]

And she was still there on Saturday! Pahiatua, on the way south to Masterton.

[p51]

Just think of how many kids over the years have imagined themselves bailing out of a striken T-6 while playing on that...