About time for another visit to Cosford. Worth the trip just to see this. It is viewing for free - but optional donation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...estoration.html

"He's had his wake-up call!"

I'm just amazed that out of 1,500 built this is the best surviving example. I mean I know this was early type and that bye and large they were shot down left right and centre, but even so you'd think that a few complete examples would have survived in some junta airforce somewhere much like the 109's in the Spanish air force in the 60's.

I visited this about a week ago, there unfortunately wasn't much that I could see.

The main parts are inside a large green house style tent, constantly being sprayed with a liquid. Although the tent is clear, due to the heat (I presume) it was all fogged up, so only a few patches were visible.

There were some staff to ask questions, but I was running out of time to view the rest of the aircraft.

There were some people cleaning up some of the parts on a table, with some photos and information about the project.

It's interesting, but not worth a visit just for the Do17.

Well, the DO17 was obsolete before the war even ended. Slow, badly armed, light bombload. I can't imagine why any post war air force would have wanted it.
But if the fact the 1500 were built, and none survive, how about this? 18,000 B-24's were produced. More than any other American airplane....ever.
The Collingsworth Foundation owns the only flyable example. If you want to count the Liberator owned by The Commemorative Air Force (used to be The Confederate Air Force), which was actually built as a C-87 which was the transport version, than that makes two. Two out of 18,000 airplanes.
See a lot of P-47's around. 15,000 built. Now THOSE numbers amaze me.

A surprisingly small amount need be salvaged from an original find for the finished article to be termed restored, as opposed to built up from scratch. This project is subject to a programme of conservation, for the immediate future at least and may well stay that way - only as a conserved wreck.

Reading of Fudge's visit, it looks as though I would probably be expecting too much to see the remains as presented in the Mail pictures.

Four Do17s were still flying with the Finns after WWII with the last survivors being scrapped in 1948 and 1952.

It seems I only took two photos of the wreck. They came out better than I had remembered. It's still interesting, but I feel it's not worth a Visit just for the wreck itself. There is a flight sim event on October 19th in one of the Hangers, maybe that would also interest you?

Fudge,

Thanks for those extra shots. Very good pictures - to me at any rate!

It is the wreck's Battle of Britain association that I find so compelling and would be quite happy to take the 2 hour trip. That doesn't mean I wouldn't take the opportunity to refresh my memory as to the other exhibits.

The German glider-bomb technology is particularly fascinating. It's been 25 years since my last visit but no less interesting today, I'm sure.

If your last time was 25 years ago you owe to yourself to go Old Dux. The cold war hanger is awesome.

Thanks TW! I knew you lived somewhere fairly close to Cosford as you had mentioned it before. Now on my list of things-to-do!

Oh, your last visit was before I was even born :O . Definitely worth a Visit then. There is a Harrier there now as well. A lot has probably changed in the last 25 years, more than just a new wreck.

My brother was there in '57 on a six-month training course. When we visited Cosford in '88 I was reminded of the inevitable passing of time. I had recorded many visiting aircraft at RAF Duxford during the years I was there over fifty years ago, including the one I first flew in: An RAF Valetta which was being used for radar calibration when 64 Squadron was converting from Meteor NF12/14s to Javelin FAW7s in 1958.

Thirty years later and identifiable by its serial, it lay at the side of a hangar at Cosford, minus wings and tailplane.

Reading about RAF Rochford/Southend during the war and it seems that at least three Do17's actually landed safely at the base with wheels down after being shot up.
Makes you wonder what happened to these, surely they weren't scrapped?

Would love to actually go and see it. Too far for just that though.

As for keeping Do17s, no one thought about any historic preservation during the war. The Do17 was for the most part retired from front line service by 1942 and the need for aircraft grade parts by Germany during the war meant that almost all of the were melted down and reused. The allies wouldn't keep an obsolete bomber, with minimal part availablity for any reason, especially in 1940.

We are lucky to see this one. The chances of finding an intact Do17 was remote, just like finding a fully intact JU86, G3M Nell or Bloch MB 200. These 1935 designs were quickly surpassed and disappeared.

That overhead shot makes you realise how small the Do17 was for a multi crew twin, tiny.

Scrapping of historically important stuff went on into the 1950s. As an example Guy Gibson's dams Lancaster survived in a hangar till the early 50s when it was broken up for scrap.... Horrendous. A few things were kept by the actions of individuals, the Mosquito prototype W4050 still exits, irc it was ordered for destruction but someone towed it out to a secluded corner of the airfield instead.

Dropped in to have a gander as was on my way back from Shrewsbury.
Not worth a dedicated visit as one cannot really see anything through the misted poly tunnel sides due to the current process.

Had to restrain myself when walking back through the halls on hearing a young teacher tell her group by the Spit that 'this is the plane that won the Battle of Britain'. Me and another chap of similar age made eye contact with quizzical brows raised.

I once acutely embarrassed my fambly once at Duxford by putting right a teacher at some length as regards the use of the coloured sections on the clock in the ops room.
I descend into old fartage.

That teacher should have herself been escorted by someone in the know!

I was with a group walking around the Imperial War Museum in the early seventies, before part of it moved to Duxford.

As we loitered around the Me163, one of them remarked that the tiny impellor on the nose (which actually drove an electric generator to back up the limited battery for the radio, Revi gunsight, cannon circuits and several other things) was an emergency propeller which powered the aircraft when the rocket fuel ran out.

I didn't even bother.

I am kicking myself for not having a look on Saturday when I was there fore the flight sim show -it didn't even occur to me at the time ! but as I only live 15 minutes away it's no biggy.

As for the misinformation another classic is the JU87s fitting screamers to the bombs when they were actually fitted to the undercarriage.

The flight sim event was pretty good. I had a look at the Do17 again and they have spruced the area up a tad as well as added a TV display (was off when I looked) and some info boards. There was also more parts in the tents.

I'm surprised that no one was flying Do17's on their machines at the event, at least I didn't see any there.

It seemed to be limited to the software they were selling. I saw a guy get told off for firing up an FSX plane when all they wanted was their own stuff on show-fair enough.

It was when I saw the Chillblast stuff playing FSX at maximum looking stunning and without a single stutter that I realised how much my gear needs updating!

It was a good event but there wasn't a great deal to see but I did get a go with Oculus Rift which was interesting!