Here's something I thought I would never see. Two gorgeous airworthy replicas at Old Warden yesterday. Both aircraft were  built by The Vintage Aviator Ltd (NZ) for the RAF Museum at Hendon. They are flying this season before being put on static display. The weather was awful, dark with low black cloud but it brightened up a little for them to perform.

The RE.8 flown by Gene De Marco, production manager of TVAL
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and the Albatros D.Va flown by the legendary Kermit Weeks.
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The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL) reverse engineered and constructed the air cooled RAF4a engine in the RE.8, the only one currently operating in the world. The Albatros incorporates an original Mercedes DIII engine from the RAF Museum’s collection. More information here --> http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/news/snipe-albatross-re-8-unveiled-by-raf-museum/

What a fantastic experience. We also saw the static Sopwith Snipe. Well worth the trip. ;)

Good morning Doug... :)

Wonderful set... ;)

What I would not do to be able to fly the RE 8 for a hour or so...well actually think I am getting too old for that anyways...but can still dream... :)     ;)

This is our last long weekend of the summer here and a gorgeous one it is, weather wise...

We have spent most of it at the flying club or the old homestead, going back today to do a few circuits in the C185 Amphibian before our lad puts her on wheel/skis.

He will be away several months so has to get at that early.

Again Doug it is awesome to see and hear those World War One Aircraft no matter whether they were Allied or Axis and thanks again for the set... ;)

Wow! Some great shots.

Word on the street is that Kermit had to surrender his chequebook before he was allowed access to the airfield! ;) ;D

Gutted to have missed it yesterday, but had another event booked before they announced the Harry Tate and the Albatros. ::)

Great shots Hagar. ;)

I was hoping the RE.8 would stay down under with the BE.2 though.

Hopefully one day TVAL do an Eindecker to go with the Nieuport 11 replica we have down here.


Quote:

They are flying this season before being put on static display.

That's a shame but I guess the English Weather wouldn't have been any good for them anyway.

Thanks for the comments.


andy190 wrote on Sep 4^th, 2012 at 12:09am:

Great shots Hagar. ;) I was hoping the RE.8 would stay down under with the BE.2 though. Hopefully one day TVAL do an Eindecker to go with the Nieuport 11 replica we have down here. Quote: They are flying this season before being put on static display. That's a shame but I guess the English Weather wouldn't have been any good for them anyway.

It is a shame but I don't think it has anything to do with our weather which I'm told is very much like the New Zealand climate. More like RAF Museum policy as the aircraft were built for them. At least we were given the opportunity of seeing & hearing them in the air before they're hidden away in a dusty museum.

The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden operates a lot of very rare original airworthy aircraft that are all housed in special hangars when not flying & lovingly tended. It's a living museum rather than a dead one. http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttleworth-collection/aircraft.asp

One thing, now that TVAL has built one RE.8 I suppose it would be a lot easier to do another one.

Those are fantastic shots Doug. Ironically the naff weather just accentuates the beauty of the aircraft and their paint schemes 8-)
Thanks for sharing ;)

Great shot well done ;D

Hagar wrote on Sep 4^th, 2012 at 2:26am:

One thing, now that TVAL has built one RE.8 I suppose it would be a lot easier to do another one.

Engine's tend to be the problem - genuine articles are in short supply. What you'd need to do is find a non-airworthy example to swap with the RE8 bound for Hendon.

C wrote on Sep 4^th, 2012 at 2:10pm:

Hagar wrote on Sep 4th, 2012 at 2:26am: One thing, now that TVAL has built one RE.8 I suppose it would be a lot easier to do another one. Engine's tend to be the problem - genuine articles are in short supply. What you'd need to do is find a non-airworthy example to swap with the RE8 bound for Hendon.

According to the TVAL website the RAF4a engine for the RE.8 was built from scratch using an original as a pattern. Details & photos here --> http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects/engines/raf4a-engine/raf-4a-engine

It would have made sense to manufacture enough parts for more than one engine while they were about it.

Hagar wrote on Sep 4^th, 2012 at 2:33pm:

It would have made sense to manufacture enough parts for more than one engine while they were about it.

Economically, certainly! :)

I hadn't realised the engine was a reproduction too. I'd thought it was an original supplied by RAFM. :)