NASAM Blog Special
Arrival of Chipmunk WB627
WB627 – Journey to Flixton
On a pleasant day in early November, three museum volunteers set off in the chairman’s car with a 16′ trailer on the back. Their target was Dulwich College in South London.
Driving with a large trailer changes the characteristics of a vehicle, so Steve was forced to drive rather below the speed limit as the empty trailer was bouncing around nicely!
The drive went well, although I can recommend against taking anything, let alone a large trailer, along the A205 South Circular. After what seemed like every shopping precinct had been passed, the SatNav announced that we were almost there. Time for What Three Words to get us to the correct gate. After a couple of false turns, we arrived, and Scott, our contact, was waiting to open the gate.
We drove in and realised that whilst this was within the corner of the college grounds, it was a very muddy corner. After parking in three inches of muddy water, we saw the Chipmunk in the undergrowth beside the railway line. Attempts to move it by the three of us and Scott managed about an inch! New plan needed! We hooked up one end of a strop to the wing mount, the other to the car tow hitch, and pulled it out with the car, slowly.
Once out, we lined it up with the trailer and clipped the ramps to the back of the trailer. Scott found two grounds staff to assist, and we easily pulled the fuselage onto the trailer. The strop was then used for its original intended purpose, to secure the fuselage to the trailer. Another was added and a third for good measure, and it was as a part of the trailer. The trailer was re-hitched to the car and off we went.
Off initially being along the A205 again, attracting far more attention now than before. Stopping for petrol, I had to assure the cashier that I wasn’t planning to restore it to flight but rather as a museum exhibit.
Back at the museum, a few hours later, several volunteers had kindly stayed on and now numbering eight, we soon had it off the trailer and on stands in the workshop.
Now the interesting bit starts; the engineers will begin to restore her to display condition, and then we can possibly get a flight simulator kit inside and allow visitors to access the cockpit. That won’t be this year though.
As a footnote, my log book shows that I enjoyed an Air Experience Flight in this aircraft from Cambridge in February 1981 as an Air Scout Leader on one of our troops’ regular visits. Halcyon days.
Steve B
(Photos) WB627 – Journey to Flixton
[Thanks here for this batch of photos go to Steve and Lottie – PS]
WB627 – In the Workshop
The sad Chipmunk fuselage is now in the workshop, waiting for TLC to happen. First though, I have to build a cradle to bring it to a workable height. Fun awaits.
John S
(Photos) WB627 in the Workshop
[Photo from John S – PS]
WB627 in Service
You may well have noticed that WB627 currently looks a little different from the photo at the start of this blog article. WB627 appears in a number of publications, but my thanks go to Don Hewins, who gave his permission for the use of this photo which appears to be the original used on the Air Britain (ABPIC) website.
ABPIC is the digital photographic library run by Air-Britain and details of the entry are below.
Pete S
Information from ABPIC
De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T10, WB627 / C1/0069, Royal Air Force
- Registration: WB627
- Construction Number: C1/0069
- Code Number: N
- Military Unit: 5 AEF
- Model: De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T10
- Operator: Royal Air Force
- Airport: RAF Mildenhall (MHZ / EGUN), UK – England
- Photographer: Don Hewins
- Date Taken: 25/05/1985
This aircraft became a ground instruction machine and moved to Dulwich College CCF – reported there in December 2010 in Air Britain News of January 2011. Seen dumped outside by railway track on 15/12/2019.
[Rescued by the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in November 2023 – PS]
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