MEDWAY AIRCRAFT PRESERVATION SOCIETY Ltd
We restore and preserve historic aircraft and artefacts for public display.
Patron: Her Majesty The Queen
Earlier Media News from Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Ltd
Display of two aircraft at MASPL
Wednesday 20th June 2018 saw two different aircraft emerge from the workshop of MAPSL. Currently being worked on side by side are the Pobjoy-Short S.16 Scion II Floatplane, G-AEZF and more recently Spitfire LF Mk XVI RW388, known as ‘the Stoke-on-Trent Spitfire’. Both were on show to the media at Rochester Airport, the home of MAPSL, for very different reasons.
In the case of the Short Scion, being just one of three remaining examples of the type, work has been undertaken to restore this unique aircraft to static condition. With very little of the original aircraft to hand, engineers at MAPSL have manufactured the parts as near as possible to the limited drawings found. Supported by a generous grant from The Rochester Bridge Trust, an organisation responsible for the maintenance and well-being of the three bridges over the River Medway together with a grant system for local enterprises, the fuselage is in the middle stages of covering whilst the starboard wing is receiving work on the leading edge. Very little remained of the port wing which will have to be virtually rebuilt. Work is also on-going on to create two floats using the one on loan from the Ulster Museum as a pattern whilst the various parts of the Pobjoy engines that were discovered have enabled a replica to be built. The project is seen to be another two years before Rochester Airport will have a permanent memorial to the great aircraft manufacturing company of Short Brothers.
Although somewhat restricted by room in the workshop, progress has been made on the fuselage of the Spitfire with the Packard Merlin 266 looking pristine sitting on its cradle. The engine bearers have been non-destructive tested (NDT) and passed allowing them to be repainted ready to go back on the fuselage. Consideration is being given for the wings to be bead-blasted which will give a far quicker return than hand stripping. However with the aircraft having suffered several incidents whilst in service after which it served as a gate guardian at RAF Benson and RAF Andover it was essential that the wings, once completed, would not present a problem being fitted back to the fuselage. Hence in addition to showing the Spitfire to the media, a satisfactory trial fit was completed at the same time.
Once work on the Spitfire is completed it will return to the Stoke-on-Trent Museum as a memorial to its designer, Reginald J Mitchell who was born and educated in North Staffordshire. Those wishing to view work in progress can visit the MAPS workshop on Monday, Wednesday or Sunday mornings from 09.30hrs till 12.00. Donations would be welcomed to assist in the restoration of both aircraft.
Robin J Brooks. PR Director-MAPS www.mapsl.co.uk
Supermarine Spitfire RW 388
Spitfire Mark XIV RW388 was donated to the city of Stoke-on-Trent in 1972 by the RAF in memory of its designer, Reginald Mitchell, who was born and educated in North Staffordshire. This was a low altitude fighter with clipped wings and powered by a Packard Merlin 266 engine.
RW388 was one of a batch of 1,500 Spitfire 16s manufactured at Castle Bromwich in 1945, too late to see any war service. First taken on charge by No. 6 MU at RAF Brize Norton on July 18, 1945 a month later it was issued to No. 667 Squadron where it sustained Category Ac damage in a flying accident. Taken to No. 411 Repair and Salvage Unit on December 30 for repair, in 1946 it was sent to High Ercall for storage before returning to RAF Brize Norton on January 12, 1949. By 1951 RW388 had been allocated to No. 612 Squadron where it remained for 6 months before going to the Fighter Command Control and Reporting School. Receiving a Category 3R damage this was its last flight before it was used as a display aircraft, a gate guardian at RAF Benson and RAF Andover finishing up as a showpiece at the Royal Tournament and Edinburgh Military Tattoo. In 1972 the Spitfire was presented to the City of Stoke-on-Trent by Air Chief Marshall Sir Neil Wheeler where it was originally housed under a glass structure before moving to the city museum.
RW388 will undergo refurbishment in the hands of the volunteers of MAPSL.
Robin J Brooks. PR Director – MAPSL www.mapsl.com.uk
Presentation by ASDA
On 13th February 2017, Leonie Samways presented MAPSL with a cheque for £200 on behalf of the supermarket Asda. The money was donated via a scheme known as ‘The Green Coin Scheme’ in which customers are given a token to place in their chosen charity container box.
The scheme runs every three months with the basis being that customers nominate a charity or local organisation to receive the money. Leonie had just been appointed to the job of ‘Community Champion’ saying that "this is Asda’s way of giving something back to the local community".
MAPS is a not-for-profit company employing a volunteer workforce currently restoring a Rochester based Short Scion aircraft. The board of the company would like to personally thank Leonie and all the staff at Asda for their generosity.
Robin J Brooks – Publicity Officer