Clyde / Fairey Surveying C-47

[Captain Pugwash]

yes it's me again asking for possible info. nearly finished my mark 2 version of Aer Lingus ( Dark green top version ) Dc3. i have been looking through the old internet for possible easy next projects. having selected a few english versions that would fit within cbfs va, i now ask if anyone might have further info on the aircraft G-ALWC belonging to Clyde ( photo's of a rather sad looking aircraft ) . also another link to her former self, working for Fairey Surveying.
any other bits and bobs would be great . ie photo's
i knew once the art of repainting was cracked it would be my downfall still lots to do and many restarts and frustrations, but worth it in the end.

[Trev Clark]

I cannot help but think that in this day and age, the Surveying of Faireys would mean something a little different.....or perhaps not :lazy: Sorry cannot help with info, but it sounds an interesting project

[AllanL]

Can't imagine why I would like one of these! However looking at the forlorn piccies on airliners.net, the one obvious problem is going to be the perennial one of reversing the tail text on one side, assuming that you will be doing this for the default DC-3 and not the MAAM one.

[Garry Russell]

As Alan points ot the texturing on the default makes it pointless.

Also there are body mods with camera ports whic tbh would result in a nonedescript livery on the wrong model.

But is you type in G-ALWC in the search some pics do come up

Garry

[ianstorrie]

Hello Captain Pugwash,
Your question is quite old now but if you are still interested in G-ALWC I can help a little. My father flew Whiskey Charlie for about 20 years, I used to clean it as a 15 year old. I have some photos, one with it low level (about 20 feet) with a feathered prop at the annual air show and one on the ramp at White Waltham in about 1960. If your interested I also have some amazing first hand stories. My father died three years ago, but one of the other regular Fairey pilots is still alive, 83 but still acting like a 16 year old. Last time I saw him we were talking about hand swinging. He told me how they were surveying in the Iranian desert Desert, early 60's they took virtually everything with them, 6 months worth of film, everything to process and print, spare avionics, spare engine, hoist to replace the engine etc but they had only taken one starter. This they had already replaced so had no spare. The job was nearly over and they wanted to get home, the starter burnt out. The only way to start it was to hand swing - yes, a Dakota. I doubt that has been done elsewhere? They made a pouch, attached a rope to it, slipped it over one blade and five of them pulled for all they were worth. It started, and didnt tangle! They got home. Faireys had many aircraft including 2 other Daks, 2 rapides, 3 doves, 2 islanders, an Anson, a B80 and more I could look up. I only ever got to fly the Doves (I now fly a Starduster). Whiskey Charlie has the camera windows in the port door for oblique photography, she had astrodome for star shots - I could never fathom how they navigated aroud the world like that, she was also fitted for some time with a ridiculous magnetometer for geophysical survey although this was later fitted to the Dove G-AKSS. WC did have a towable magnetometer for some time (looks like a small bomb on a wire) when not deployed this was pulled in and locked to the underside of the aircraft. You guessed it, on many occasions they were believed to carrying a bomb and one time quarantined to a far corner of a South African Airfield, arrested etc etc. I will bore you with one more fact, after its survey days with Fairely and later Clyde (Clyde bought Faireys and then some clever chap invented satelittes and remote sensing so the proper survey work dried up fast), but before she was abandoned at Tolouse, WC did about three years fyling for the RAE at Farnborough. My Dad flew for them every day and many nights. They did a lot of instrument tests for the MRCA - Tornado in its development, one such test required them to climb to 22,000 off the north of Jersey and do an extended vertical dive. He dreaded that and was white for a week. (They also did extended weightlessness testing, dont think he liked that either. And yes a Dak can get to 22,000 if it has supercharged P & W's and not much else. I have gone on too long, just makes me sad to see those photos at Tolouse!! If you see this good luck with whatever your project is.
Cheers Ian

[Garry Russell]

Hello Ian

Welcome to the Forum

NIce first post

Thanks

Out of interest I have a pic of a Silver City Bristol Superfreighter at Cherbourg being started in the manner you described above....looks dicey.

Another method.....perhaps not on with tail draggers, was used by Canada Fours that could not be started.

Full bore down the runway to windmill start the offending unit then back to the ramp to collect the pax

Garry

[Captain Pugwash]

thanks for the info ian, i was looking at this aircraft as a possible repaint some time ago. i know that this model had extra parts fitted, that are not on the Maam model. but at the time i was trying to fill the missing british section of the repaint section for this model. i have since stopped painting the DC3 due to some rather blunt words directed at me ( not from this site ). after a while i would like to finish the project i started, so i would love to get hold of any photo's that you might be able to send to me. this would help greatly in getting the correct lines . the only photo's i could get were rather poor and showing a very sad looking aircraft.
as an x sailor ( salty sea stories ) i read stories and real life experiences with much interest and never get tired of them so feel free to pass along. you have a reader here.

[TSR2]

Hi Ian, and welcome aboard!

What a fantastic story. Its wonderful to hear storys from men and women who have hands on involvement in aviation. Thanks for sharing, and feel free to share more!

[DaveB]

Concur with the above.. what an entrance!

Welcome aboard Ian ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[ianstorrie]

Thanks all for your kind comments, when I can fathom out what on earth you lot actually do, I'll try to post something more appropriate. I'll even check spelling and grammar before I send next time!
Ian :flying: