airspeed Oxford Help

By: ALBERT ROSS - 15th December 2005 at 19:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

A quick 'Google' search on Airspeed Oxford images produced this.

By: JDK - 15th December 2005 at 22:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

You can have a batch of picture I took of the IWM machine as it started (and later was in) its restoration. Don't have any panel drawings to hand, I'll see what I can rustle up. Off out at the moment, so it'll have to wait. e-mail me if I've not got back to you by this time tomorrow!

By: Dave Homewood - 15th December 2005 at 23:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Peter,

If it helps, the RNZAF Museum at Wigram is restoring an Oxford, and the Ashburton Aviation Museum, a little further south, is restoring a full cockpit. So they probably have drawings. Their contact details are to be found on this site here
http://www.warbirds.co.nz/sites.htm

Another place to try, also on that site, is the Croydon Aircraft Company at Mandeville as they're also restoring an Oxford. And of course there's the Subritzky family who're reassembling their absolutely original kitset form Oxford. At least one of these groups has to have drawings. I hope this helps.

By: DragonflyDH90 - 16th December 2005 at 20:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I think I should be able to hunt out the Oxford panel drawing for you. Ive got it at work somewhere. Ill see what I can sort out.

By: JDK - 17th December 2005 at 00:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Hi Peter,
Here's a selection of shots I took when the restoration of the ex-Skyfame Oxbox had just started; the cockpit is relatively unchanged, both from it's Smith's / Skyfame days, and I believe its original configuration.

I can send high res version if you are interested; pic 128 is about head on, and while not a drawing should help with dimensioning.

Dragonfly - if you do manage to dig out some stuff for Peter, I'd be most interested as well.

Dave's comments are right on the money, I also have a photo of the cockpit interior of the Canadian Aviation Museum's Oxford / Courier, which I'll try and find for interior variation info.

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By: ALBERT ROSS - 18th December 2005 at 19:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

James,

Thanks from me for posting those interior shots! Seems like yesterday that I flew in this actual aircraft 37 years ago from Staverton. The cockpit looks just the same as I remember it.

By: Eddie - 18th December 2005 at 19:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

James - what's the current situation of the CAM Courier? When I went a few years ago, I seem to remember it was in storage, pending being shipped somewhere (New Zealand perhaps?) for restoration. Did that plan fall through?

By: Dave Homewood - 18th December 2005 at 21:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Thanks for the excellent photos James. I am seriously considering scratchbuilding a 1/32nd scale Oxford, and such details will be a huge help. Sadly I cannot find drawings that have many sections. If anyone has accurate sectioned drawings that couls assist a sratchbuild of an Oxford, I'd love to hear from you please.

By: Merlinmagic - 18th December 2005 at 22:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Could anyone tell me when the last Oxford flew?

By: JDK - 18th December 2005 at 22:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Albert can.

It would have been the one I provided the photos of above, which last flew in Skyfame's hands - 1970s?

I don't think there were any others flying by that period.

By: Dave Homewood - 18th December 2005 at 22:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Didn't Singapore Airlines, or one of the Middle Eastern airlines (Gulf Air?) have one flying in the 1990's?

By: Dave Homewood - 18th December 2005 at 22:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Photos of an Oxford flying in 1969
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/221555/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/221554/M/

By: Merlinmagic - 18th December 2005 at 22:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Thanks Dave. What a shame it now lies silent.

MM

By: ALBERT ROSS - 18th December 2005 at 22:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Albert can.

It would have been the one I provided the photos of above, which last flew in Skyfame's hands - 1970s?

I don't think there were any others flying by that period.

The Duxford Oxford was the last one to fly, making its last flight (I think) in 1972 and was delivered by road from Staverton to Duxford in March 1978.

Up to ten Oxfords are known in Museums or collections around the world, although only 6 are complete. Preserved examples are found at the , RAF Museum (UK), Imperial War Museum - Duxford (UK),Musée de l'Armée et d'Histoire Militaire (Belgium), with Singapore Airlines at Changi and at the South African Air Force Museum/Port Elizabeth Friends. There is also a wreck which has been recovered from Windwhistle, Auckland, NZ - for sale through Warbirdsite.com. It is not known if any former Fleet Air Arm aircraft have survived.
South African Air Force Museum, Port Elizabeth Friends Airspeed Oxford ED290/G-AITF is currently being restored to taxying condition.

By: ALBERT ROSS - 18th December 2005 at 23:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Didn't Singapore Airlines, or one of the Middle Eastern airlines (Gulf Air?) have one flying in the 1990's?

Dave,
I think you're confused between the two. Singapore Airlines shipped Oxford R6029/G-AJLR to Singapore from the UK in Nov.86 and restored it as the first first aircraft operated by Malayan Airways, masquerading as Consul 'VR-SCO'. It is now in the Science Centre in Singapore and certainly not airworthy. Gulf Air have a museum in Bahrein with an Anson, not Oxford.

By: Dave Homewood - 19th December 2005 at 07:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Is the Singapore Airlines one not at Mandeville, New Zealand any more then? Ryan? Or is this another one?

Yes, I was thinking of the Gulf Air Anson, sorry, the memory was blurring over on that one.

As for your list of Oxfords you've missed the example at the RNZAF Museum, Wigram which is being restored from a Canadian example using parts from RNZAF examples. Also the Subritzky family have a complete, immaculate absolutely wartime one which they're reassembling at Dairy Flat in NZ.

There was the remains of another Oxford sold recently on TradeMe.co.nz as a restoration project kitset, and there's another agin in an Australian museum sourced from NZ, in kitset form.

I'd like to know more about the Windwhistle one please - I've never heard of that place, and I have lived in Auckland. Maybe a country district in Auckland province?

By: Dave Homewood - 19th December 2005 at 07:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

In fact, you'd no doubt find this thread from my forum interesting about surviving Oxbox's in NZ, which was sparked by that TradeMe one

http://rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Wartime&thread=1124411605&page=1

Just remembered also the Wigram one was a Consul, formerly and Oxford, and will be an Oxford again very soon.

Here is another thread you might enjoy a look at
http://rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Wartime&thread=1128490330&page=1

By: DragonflyDH90 - 19th December 2005 at 07:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

The Singapore Oxford is currently under restoration at Croydon Aircraft Company in Mandeville NZ (although it has halted presently until Singapore Airlines finalise what they want to do, well find out more in the New Year), as Dave mentioned. And the Oxford parts collection sold on Tradme was the same machine on warbirdsite.com, Im not sure who it has gone to but hopefully it will help in someones work.

By: Dave T - 19th December 2005 at 10:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

.........Strangely enough all of our oxford wrecks are missing the right hand side panels...?!

Peter,

Just for info' the Oxford's brought back to the UK where also missing their panels.......

(Photo source Mark Evans/MWM)
.

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