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Post by supermanc2008 on Jul 7, 2019 15:09:19 GMT
Hi
Have just read an article in Autumn 2004 Archive (A Complete History of an Avro 504 ?). At the end it mentions a possible book about the above for publication by Air Britain. After all this time it obviously has not been published. How close did it come to publication as it would have been a good read, especially in the format of the Bulldog, Dove and Drover books.
Kind regards
John Taylor (02803)
PS The caption to the photo at the top of page 2001/116 must be wrong. It says ''E4359 takes off from Alexandra Park Manchester, against a suitably industrial background'' I don't know what airfield it is but it is not Alexandra Park which would have been almost rural then. In fact much of the old airfield is still open space as playing fields, surrounded by houses built in the 20's/30's
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Post by tonydoyle on Jul 9, 2019 15:43:33 GMT
Didn't Avros have a factory in Trafford Park at that time, perhaps flying off to Alexandra Park which I remember covered in prefabs on my way to school.
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Post by nigeldingley on Jul 9, 2019 18:00:56 GMT
John, We'd like to do a book on the Avro 504, but as with so many projects we don't have an author. Might you be interested in taking on this subject?
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Post by supermanc2008 on Jul 9, 2019 18:13:51 GMT
Hello Nigel
I.m afraid it would be one of the shortest books ever published by Air-Britain, 2 covers, and a few blank pages !!!
Kind regards
John Taylor
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Post by supermanc2008 on Jul 9, 2019 18:40:48 GMT
Hello Tony. Yes, I remember the prefabs as well, but I think there were only 2 rows next to Princess Parkway. Avro's did have some sheds at Trafford Park, but this closed by the end of 1918. In the mid 50's if we were energetic, we would walk through Alexandra Park on the way to Maine Road and also go on the bus down Princess Parkway on spotting trips to Ringway, and the area did not look 'industrial'. Avro's main factory then was at Newton Heath and some flying did take place there. Looking at the picture again, it could have been taking off from the Newton Heath factory. Below (hopefully ) is a picture of Alexandra Park and it does look rural Kind regards John commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexandra_Park_Aerodrome_1923.jpg
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Post by tonydoyle on Jul 10, 2019 8:55:58 GMT
John
I would guess that that photo was put on the internet by Alan Scholefield who got me into aviation in 1949. I never understood why Alexandra park airfield was so named, I used to cross Alex Park to school from Princess Road and that was some way from the site of the airfield which was more Whalley Range?
Tony
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Post by supermanc2008 on Jul 10, 2019 15:19:02 GMT
Hi Tony.
I would agree about Alan as he is described as a retired finance director and he was finance director at Pillkington Glass.
The railway line between Wilbraham Road and Mauldeth Road was the old Great Central line to London (I think). and the station on Alexandra Road was Alexandra Park. The military had a habit of naming some airfields after the nearest railway station, hence Alexandra Park Aerodrome which was almost next door . The station changed name to Wilbraham Road in 1923, the year the aerodrome closed. It could only have been around half a mile between park and station. Incidentely, the line has reopened as part part of the Manchester tram network, though the station is called Withington Road, so must be on Withington Road and is not the old station.
I used to live near Brookes Bar, just into Old Trafford until I got married, so why Maine Road, my Dad was a blue !!
As Bernard Martin says its nice to reminisce.
Kind regards
John
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