A model plane made out of a real plane

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billpe
Warrant Officer 2nd Class
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Location: The bowels of Kent

A model plane made out of a real plane

Post by billpe »

So I was photographing my Leo and saw in the back ground 3 models made by my grandfather. A Sunderland and a Whitley made from brass and a Hurricane made from perspex. All my by my grandfather during his time in the RAF, during the war.

These are rather unique for a few reasons. The materials come from the actual aircraft themselves. He was a triage nurse in the RAF, firstly with Bomber Command and then the 2nd Tactical Airforce. His job was to crawl inside of crash landed aircraft and stabilise the injured crews while they were cut out, hence he had plenty of access to written off airframes. I never asked how he got enough brass, or melted it down and cast it. I assume they were bullet casings from 0.303s. The Sunderland I know was made why he was posted to the Shetland Islands but I'm not sure about the others.

Either way, I doubt he took them without asking, he did 30 years in the Police after the war and was about the most morally upstanding person I ever met. He even handed his driving license back to the DVLA himself when his sight started to go. He passed away in 2008, at the age of 87.

Sadly there was also a Spitfire but my grandmother, in a bout of dementia, did something with that one and we were never sure what.
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ALPHA
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Posts: 10963
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:06 am

Re: A model plane made out of a real plane

Post by ALPHA »

billpe wrote:So I was photographing my Leo and saw in the back ground 3 models made by my grandfather. A Sunderland and a Whitley made from brass and a Hurricane made from perspex. All my by my grandfather during his time in the RAF, during the war.

These are rather unique for a few reasons. The materials come from the actual aircraft themselves. He was a triage nurse in the RAF, firstly with Bomber Command and then the 2nd Tactical Airforce. His job was to crawl inside of crash landed aircraft and stabilise the injured crews while they were cut out, hence he had plenty of access to written off airframes. I never asked how he got enough brass, or melted it down and cast it. I assume they were bullet casings from 0.303s. The Sunderland I know was made why he was posted to the Shetland Islands but I'm not sure about the others.

Either way, I doubt he took them without asking, he did 30 years in the Police after the war and was about the most morally upstanding person I ever met. He even handed his driving license back to the DVLA himself when his sight started to go. He passed away in 2008, at the age of 87.

Sadly there was also a Spitfire but my grandmother, in a bout of dementia, did something with that one and we were never sure what.
Very cool Bill.... Modelling is in your blood... your grandfather had hands of a craftsman... the spitfire.... canopy material ?

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billpe
Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Posts: 1144
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:59 pm
Location: The bowels of Kent

Re: A model plane made out of a real plane

Post by billpe »

Yes, but not sure from what aircraft sadly. He probably told me a long time ago but I've forgotten.
ALPHA
Major-General
Posts: 10963
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 1:06 am

Re: A model plane made out of a real plane

Post by ALPHA »

billpe wrote:Yes, but not sure from what aircraft sadly. He probably told me a long time ago but I've forgotten.
Understood Bill.... they are all still nice pieces of your history...the kind of stuff that stirs memories ...and inspire more ;)

Thanks for sharing them :thumbup:

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Tdodge34
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Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 8:47 pm
Location: Basingstoke, Hampshire

Re: A model plane made out of a real plane

Post by Tdodge34 »

New to the forum so only just seen this post!

I have a model of a Spitfire made from plane material somewhere, it was made by my grandmother.

She worked at Westland in Yeovil building spitfires she worked as a 'Foreman', most of the workers were women, but the foreman were all men 'except her' must have done something right

I will try to find th model and post a photo
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