Dora Wings 1/72 Percival Proctor 3

[Acklington]

Following on from the WIP thread, it's finished, but not without some difficulty. The exact colour is something of a mystery, there is a colour photo of it on the internet, but it doesn't help much, looking like a faded shade of PRU blue. So I just went with my notebook description from 1966 i.e. "medium blue". I found a tin of "Revell" number 50 which seems to do the trick. Also my later 1968 photo shows a light faded colour. These are the two photos, both taken by me at RAF Ouston;

G-AIHD (DX241), WD332 no engine, RAF Ouston, 4 Jan 66 by Philip Pain, on Flickr
G-AIHD (DX241), WN948, RAF Ouston, 15 Aug 68 by Philip Pain, on Flickr

The other difficulty is that I somehow cracked the windscreen, presumably applying too much pressure when gluing. I then tried to find how to buy spare parts from 'Dora Wings' in Czech land, but I'm getting nowhere. So the crack remains for now, disguised with some black paint.

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (2) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (9) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (12) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (14) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (15) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (17) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (22) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (25) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

G-AIHD, Airwork manager Knox, RAF Ouston, c 1962 (28) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

At RAF Ouston this Proctor was owned by Mr T.G.Knox, the Airwork Ltd manager responsible (as a civilian contractor) for maintaining the RAF Chipmunks. It was wfu in September 1963 but continued to languish in the back of the main hangar for a few more years. By 1968 it had been given to the RAF Firemen to burn on the fireground. However, I never realised until researching this week, what an interesting history it had. Built in 1942 as an RAF radio trainer with the serial DX241, it was demobbed and converted for the civil register as G-AIHD in September 1946. Its first owner was the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation Ltd, possibly operating on air taxi and joy-ride work out of Blackpool. It served with LAC throughout the period of the Berlin Airlift 1948-9, and while there is no record that it participated, it seems to have been the favourite mount of LAC's Chief Pilot and Operation Manager, Squadron Leader W.I."Wally" Lashbrook DFC, AFC, DFM, and it was he who organised the legendary participation of 24 of LAC's Halifax freighters in the Airlift. He commuted regularly between Bovingdon and Wunstorf in Germany, and may have used this Proctor to do so?

In any event this Proctor became his favoured mount in subsequent air races, and his first success with it was on 22 August 1950. He flew it in the Air League Challenge Cup at Sherburn-in-Elmet but was unplaced. He then flew it later the same day to Yeadon and won the Yorkshire Aeroplane Cup Trophy Race at an average speed of 161.5 mph. He also entered the Proctor in the Daily Express Air Race at Hurn on 20 September 1950, beating the only Halifax ever to air race, G-AKEC (averaging 267 mph at sea level!), but losing out to some stiff competition including Jeffery Quill in a Spitfire F.22. On 11-12 July 1952 Lashbrook entered the Proctor in the National Air Races at Woolsington, competing in the Kemsley Challenge Trophy, but again losing out to some illustrious competitors including Group Captain John Cunningham in a Vampire FB.9 WR211. The prizes were presented by Field Marshall Montgomery. On another occasion at Sandown on 18 June 1950, Lashbrook had raced the Proctor against others including Peter Townsend in Hurricane G-AMAU/PZ865 (also painted bright blue overall). Lashbrook gave up flying in 1953, but the Proctor was still racing in April 1959, being seen as race '66' at Oxford.

Also of note in the Woolsington air races, was a Mr.T.G.Knox, flying Proctor G-AMBS to win the Kings Cup Handicap Race. He subsequently became the final owner of Proctor G-AIHD. Knox also won the Air League Challenge Cup Trophy Race on 20 August 1955, this time flying Proctor 3 G-ALCK which is now preserved at Duxford as LZ766.

Lashbrook deserves a book in his own right, and suffice to mention that he also flew 29 bombing raids over Germany in Halifaxes; managed to crash land a shot-up 35 Squadron Halifax near Tollerton in complete darkness with minor crew injuries; led the first airbourne para raid 'Operation Colossus' in Whitleys to destroy an aqueduct in southern Italy; was shot down in a Halifax in 1943 over the French Belgian border, but escaped through the French resistance 'Comet' escape line over the Pyrenees to Gibraltar, helping to bottle the Champagne harvest on the way; was a close friend with fellow 1930's Aircraftsman "Ross", later Lawrence of Arabia; and lived to the age of 104, collecting an MBE on the way for sports services the the Ayshire Army Cadet Force.

Proctor G-AIHD was sold by LAC in June 1953, and subsequently became part of Airwork Ltd's fleet, and in 1956 was based at Sunderland/Usworth with fellow Proctor 3 G-ALCK. G-AIHD is also known to have appeared at air displays including RAF Acklington B of B Display on 20 September 1958, and Coventry on 15 July 1961.

I'm really pleased to have brought this forgotten Proctor 'back to life', so to speak.

[John Aero]

Great work, and a great story brings the model to life.

 

John

[Paul J]

Great to see this. Need to get on with mine once I have time again. Like the Chipmunk very much too!

[Baldy]

Beautifully built and finished and an interesting history too. Shame to see it on the fire dump.

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Fantastic!!!!

Great build!

Cheers

[keefr22]

4 hours ago, Acklington said:

I then tried to find how to buy spare parts from 'Dora Wings' in Czech land, but I'm getting nowhere.

 

Isn't 'Dora' a member on here?

 

That is a really beautiful little Proctor, lovely job!

 

Keith

 

Edit - 'Dora Wings' posted in RFI recently;

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235049034-percival-proctor-mkiii-148-dora-wings/&tab=comments#comment-3235913

 

Might be worth trying a PMabout your 'screen?

[stevehnz]

A lovely build there Philip, you've done the old girl proud. The colour really suits it well.

Steve.

[RMCS]

Cracking scheme 

[Dazey]

12 hours ago, RMCS said:

Cracking scheme 

No pun intended, I hope.

 

Lovely Percival Proctor!

 

Regards,

David

[Acklington]

Many thanks for the comments, much appreciated. I do feel inclined to do another civil one, if I can find a suitably colourful scheme. Perhaps my namesake 'Buster' Paine's all-red G-AHNA, or G-ALCK sister aircraft to G-AIHD at Sunderland.

 

There is one update to the story of G-AIHD, I have just been contacted by a former Air Cadet who was on summer camp at RAF Ouston in August 1967. They found G-AIHD being dismantled in the hangar, and he picked up a hose pipe clip from the floor. This 'souvenir' is still one of his cherished possessions.

[Fastcat]

Hi Acklington,

                              Beautiful model. Having a connection to the aircraft shows in the quality of the build.

 

Dora Wings have a Facebook page with a message section too:Linky

 

They claim to reply "within hours" and seem a very helpful and modeller friendly company. Give it a try, you've nothing to lose.

 

Dave

[Spitfire31]

A wonderful model, further enhanced by the fabulous story of Sqn Ldr Lashbrook. He must have been quite a character…

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Ninian]

Great to to see a Percival. But more interested to see 388 in the background - Looked up my father's log book and he was a passenger in this plane in 1960 at RAF Ouston!

Both great models.