Simviation Forum - A sad sight

May 29^th, 2005 at 9:33am

Hagar Offline
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When I arrived at Shoreham yesterday I was surprised to find this sorry sight in full view.

G-ARRM, the prototype Beagle 206. Very different now to when I saw it proudly rolled out in its gleaming 'Beagle Bronze' livery back in 1961. I fondly remember the many private displays we were treated to when "Pee Wee" Judge, Beagle's chief test pilot, put it through its paces in those exciting days. His party trick was a low-level roll in front of the control tower with one engine cut & the prop feathered. Wouldn't be allowed now & I wish I'd had a camera to record it. He demonstrated it at Farnborough the same year & I found this photo of what it looked like then.

The last I heard RRM was on display at the Bristol Aero Collection. http://aeroflt.users.netlink.co.uk/mus/uk/1-b/bristolaerocoll.htm
I assume she's been brought back home to Shoreham for the Miles/Beagle reunion meeting next month. I would have thought they could have given the old girl a coat of paint. That Beagle Bronze looks more like rust now. A very sad sight indeed & says it all about the demise of the British Aviation industry.

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Reply #1 - May 29^th, 2005 at 9:39am

C Offline
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Sad sight Doug - you'd think they'd be able to sell that with its history...

Check your PMs for worse Basset news Doug...

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Reply #2 - May 29^th, 2005 at 9:49am

Flying Trucker Ex Member

Hopefully she will be restored by some group or organization Doug.
It is sad indeed to see an aircraft left like that.
Sad

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

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Reply #3 - May 29^th, 2005 at 11:15am

chomp_rock Offline
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How much is it? I'll buy it!

LOL... not...

AMD Athlon 64 3700+&&GeForce FX5200 256Mb&&1GB DDR400 DC&&Seagate 500Gb SATA-300 HDD&&Windows XP Professional X64 Edition&&&&That's right, I'm now using an AMD! I decided to give them another try and they kicked the pants off of my P4 3.4!

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Reply #4 - May 29^th, 2005 at 11:19am

|| Andy || Offline
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How much is it? I'll buy it!

LOL... not...

I would....

Cheeper to fly it, if its got a history..

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Reply #5 - May 29^th, 2005 at 11:24am

Hagar Offline
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Spares would be almost impossible to come by now. The best we can hope for is a proper restoration to static display condition. Even that will be expensive & require a long period of hard work by dedicated volunteers.

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Reply #6 - May 29^th, 2005 at 1:55pm

ozzy72 Offline
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That is tragic Sad

It truely speaks volumes about the state of British aviation Embarrassed

There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!

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Reply #7 - May 29^th, 2005 at 5:38pm

Politically Incorrect Offline
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Looks like it is from Tennessee Roll Eyes

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Reply #8 - May 30^th, 2005 at 10:30am

beaky Offline
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Reply #9 - May 30^th, 2005 at 11:43am

edzmen Offline
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Quote:

That is tragic Sad

It truely speaks volumes about the state of British aviation Embarrassed

How does one shabby plane sum up the whole state of British aviation????
I agree that its a crime to scrap or dump prototypes, but
there have been thousands of prototype aircraft scrapped or left to rot since WW1, and that’s not just a crime exclusive to the UK. Take the US or Canada for example.
It happened all the time during WW2 and the years following, and you could hardly say the UK Aero Industry was in decline then could you???!

It strikes me that there seems to be a very negative state of mind about British aviation among some Brits on this forum.
Yes sure, our Aviation industry is not what it used to be because of Global change and costs- but were still doing a damn fine job as part of European Aviation Groups.
Smaller nations can no longer afford to stand alone as large aircraft producers and we need to work together.

Yes, there are a lot of things that could be made better within aviation in the UK, but it will never improve as long as we delight in putting ourselves down all the time instead of taking positive steps in progression!!!

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Reply #10 - May 30^th, 2005 at 12:06pm

Hagar Offline
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How does one shabby plane sum up the whole state of British aviation????

Unfortunately when Beagle Aircraft Ltd folded in 1969 the hopes of the British light aviation industry went with it. The talented workforce at Shoreham was split up & many of those people left the industry for good. Many of these people were my friends. Similar things were happening at aircraft manufacturing plants all over the country at the time. I look on that prototype as a symbol of the mismanagement & misguided government policies of the period that also saw the decline of the industry as a whole.

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Reply #11 - May 30^th, 2005 at 12:51pm

C Offline
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Summed up entirely by a chap at an interview at BAE Systems, whilst commenting on wanting to work in the aviation industry

Quote:

"We're a SYSTEMS company as well you know

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