Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2005 9:22:22 GMT 10
Sounds like a foriegn order from Amberley Air Base. or possibly built by someone retired from the aviation industry.
Maybe the roof has been salvaged from a aircraft wreck and the rest of the van has been built around it.
Cant wait for the pictures.
Reddo
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2005 22:04:58 GMT 10
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Post by Roehm3108 on Nov 14, 2005 18:21:50 GMT 10
Looking forward to hearing the story JBJ!!! Ray
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Post by cobber on Nov 16, 2005 6:24:32 GMT 10
Crikey JBJ, As Reddo guessed--a foreign order eh?. I wonder what happened to the inside fittings, it’s going to be quite a job getting hold of replacements of just the right era,1939. You wouldn’t be able to buy ‘em, they would have to be made up from bits and pieces, just like the van was. Would be an interesting project--for somebody really dedicated. Keep them pictures coming, and the history. Cobber.
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Post by fixvans on Nov 16, 2005 14:14:12 GMT 10
Hi everybody, the van was built in 1954 by a local; Jim Flatterly. The plane that it was built from was a Fairy Battle, these planes were used at Evans Head for gunner practice. The door in the van is the landing flap, the floor is the skin of one of the wings. Jim used a variety of other panels to finish the van. All the solid rivets were hammered by hand resulting in alot of complaints from the neighbours. He used equiptment at the airbase to roll and form the aliminium. Even the interior was aliminium. He also used 1928 overland stub axles and wheels. it was built this way so it was light enough not to need brakes fitted. HIs son told me it was polished enough so that he could comb his hair in it! Jim cant wait to see again as he said he's often thought about what happened to it.
The fella i bought it off was the second owner, he stripped the interior out as he was going to make a trailer out of it. i asked him if he would swap if for a trailer, a kindly agreed.
then i had to try to find a trailer cheep! a person came into the workshop looking for a wind out window. i told him he could have the one out of my old bondi for a box of beer. two weeks later, a fella i had working for me asked me if i wanted an old trailer; i offered him the box of beer, he agreed and now i own the caravan.
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