We are urgently seeking volunteers to help rebuild the Hurricane wings and the Fury aircraft, with or without experience as training will be given.
When the Hurricane and Fury restoration is complete, approximately 7 years, we have been negotiating with the CEO (Alan Winn) and the Committee at the Brooklands Museum to have these aircraft in the CBFS/Rogers Gallery in their Vimy or new hangar which has been built on the site. It gives me the reassurance that the aircraft will be displayed in a manner that we have negotiated together with other criteria that has been discussed. It makes me happy that, at last, we have found an organization that is true to their word and so helpful in the process in getting us forward, unlike other premier museums that are full of hot air. As far as we are concerned, the Brooklands Museum and CBFS have made a contract – regardless of change of management – and agreed by Brooklands to have these displayed upon completion.
We are opening our facility to visitors on Sunday 26 August 2018 between 10.00am and 5.30pm in conjunction with the Children in Need show at Little Gransden. There will also be military vehicles, classic cars and vintage aircraft flying throughout the day. There will be an information and museum section dedicated to 85 and 43 Squadrons together with other audio visuals running throughout the day. Refreshments will be available. Please telephone Paul Rogers on 07703 832099 or alternatively email to book your visit whether a group or an individual. Booking is necessary to enable proper co-ordination for this event. However, tickets will also be available on the day from the CBFS marquee.
These vehicles are available for parties, weddings, filming, corporate events, hen and stag parties, school proms, any promotional work etc.
The jeep is a M-38 Ford Willy full restored to working condition and insured. The interior is fully fitted out with working radio, with M1 and M50.
The army lorry belongs to a friend of ours who restores military vehicles. It is a 1938 six-wheeler with front cover of canvas for the cab. All original, fine example of the vehicle.
2018
Membership steadily increases throughout 2018. We have now completed the tail plane and the wheel house assembly on the Hurricane which will be fitted in due course. The running boards are now being permanently fitted. The right wing has now been fitted and the inter-spars are now being made. The last cockpit cowling panel and landing lamp assemblies are in the final stages of completion.
As you can see by the images below, the reserve tank and early front and side screen with support brackets have been fitted to the Hurricane along with the top A2 panel and original header tank.
The Fury is progressing nicely. We’ve just made up the two engine side cowlings and also top of the nosing cover. All the bracing wires and anti-vibration pads are in place as is the rudder and wiring. The firewall and the gun cockpit firewall are now in place along with the two manual brownings on their mounts. The seat and seat adjuster have now been permanently fitted. The Kestrel engine is finished and ready to be fitted in the engine bay. Most of the bottom and top wing spars are now ready to be fitted and the wing bridge to be assembled.
Paul still continues with his lectures throughout the year.
On the 21 July, a party of volunteers from CBFS visited the Brooklands Museum and found it very interesting. They were given a talk on the history of the Brooklands Hurricane and the Director General of CBFS was treated to a private inspection of the whole site by Andy. However, we would like to thank David and Steve for their hospitality, however we were disappointed not to meet the management of the museum.
2017
The Hawker Fury is now in place and was on display at our Open Day in August. We have just recently refitted the instrument panel into the cockpit. This is a standard RAF instrument panel for the bi-plane. We have just fitted the primer pump and the firewall is nearly finished, awaiting fitting. The radiator has now been fitted and a rudder has been finished. Skinning of the front engine cowls and nosing are in progress. The bracing wires and anti-vibration washer are in the process of being fitted. The seat has now been permanently fitted with the adjuster. The front and rear gun mounts have now been completed, along with the associated half-moon panel. Most of the wing spars have been put together.
The wheel house panels and assemblies are almost finished and are ready to be fitted.
Lecture time is almost upon us with 3 lectures during 2018.
We have made steady progress on the control tube for the Hurricane. Most of the control wires, plus adjusters, have been made for the Fury and the Hurricane. All fuel tanks are now finished for the Hurricane and covered in the fabric, ready to be fitted.
All of the fair lead and block mounting plates for the control wires are almost complete. Wing spars for the other wing are now in place. the complete tail plane, with elevators, is nearly finished, ready to be fitted. The radiator cowling has also been finished. We have just taken delivery of the all-in-one side and front screen. The front screen and surrounding assembly is nearly complete. The Kestrel engine is also finished ready to be fitted in the engine frame. The front windscreen and assembly has been painted and permanently fitted on the Hurricane. The hydraulic selector box and control arms are now fitted. The hydraulic pump and brackets are ready to be fitted, along with the de-icer box and brackets (all original).
2014
With reference to the new book, Hurricane Survivors (in which we are included) it is rather inaccurate.
Membership is on the increase, which is encouraging.
The rudder is now complete and ready to be fitted.
We are in the process of finishing off the control wires and have also finished the blast tubes for the brownings. We are in the process of making nosing ribs for the wing.
We will soon be fitting the remaining three instruments in the instrument panel which will make that complete. The wheel house panel work is nearing completion. The oil tank and adjacent fillet panel has now been fitted. We are hoping to extend the workshop size so that we can work on the wings properly.
The Artists Guild visited the workshop in June along with other
organizations throughout the year.
We have just started to restore the three tail planes and also removing the elevator control tubes/ribs ready to refurbish the whole assembly.
The radiator scoop has now been finished and ready for fitting to the brackets.
The right-hand side quarter panels and fillet panels plus oil tank nosing, tank cover and front clips are now in place. All the woodwork on the Hurricane is now completed and painted.
The main early windscreen and surrounding clips/stays are now on the way to be fitted (see photo on workshop page).
Blast tubes for the replica brownings are also ready to be fitted.
We are also carrying on with the last remaining cockpit cowlings which we are making.
Membership has continued to grow this year which is very encouraging. The 2014 AGM will take place at the end of November.
Progress on the Hawker Fury continues as we have nearly finished the engine frame. Most of the woodwork is now complete apart from the two hatches which cover the radio equipment. The rear inspection panel is fitted around with the fasteners and we are now making inroads with the rudder assembly. We will shortly be refitting the instrument panel complete with the appropriate instruments. The engine for the bi-plane is near completion and will be fitted in the summer of 2016. We also have the Watts propellor for the bi-plane and the attachment assembly.
The Watts propellor hub has now been delivered ready for mounting with the engine later on. The Hurricane will be moved round slightly so we can accommodate the right-hand side wing assembly, ready for the interspar to be fitted.
2013
We had a good attendance at the AGM in November 2013. Membership is on the increase again with several new younger members.
In the November 2013 issue of FlyPast there was a small update on our Hawker Fury project. Most of the woodwork is now finished, the rear fin has been fitted and the rear inspection hatch/surround is nearing completion. Our engine frame is now ready to assemble and instrument panel is now being fitted out with instruments and labels. Control grip and control mechanism will be fitted along with cable connections in due course.
We are making progress in finishing off the Kestrel engine. We are in the process of fitting the RT hatches. The fin is now in place plus the rear inspection hatches. The engine frame is three-quarters finished.
We have been concentrating on the main centre section fuel tanks – 33 gallon. These are now ready to be covered in fabric. We are now positioning the tank mounts onto the main framework. You will see these in the new pictures on the workshop pages.
We are now firming up the cowling rails and fasteners for the panels to be secured to.
One of our new members has started to make the wheel house panel work for under the centre section.
It was nice to see that we often get war time veterans visiting us. They are always full of interesting and historical facts about their time in the Royal Air Force (see picture left). He flew L1639 across London to another squadron.
Our 2013 Open Day was another complete success. I would especially like to thank Dick and Maureen and their friends for their support and energy in selling the Open Day tickets throughout the day. Many thanks to all the other volunteers that worked on the day and behind the scenes in preparation for the event. A personal thanks to all the people that worked in the CBFS marquee – Scott, Steve, Simon and his wife, Phil and Sonia.
We have been working on the nose oil tank which is now on its way to being fitted.
We have had some young University members that are proving very valuable to the project.
The Griffon engine – note the new rocker cover, freshly painted and a new set of older style exhausts with the engine mount alongside.
Getting back to the Merlin for the Hurricane, this will go in to Vintec at Little Gransden to have its checks done properly and also test the engine in a running condition, ready to put into the aircraft. Paul at Vintec is taking on this project for us.
Recently we have been refurbishing the port and starboard 33 gallon wing tanks, ready for covering in the sealing sheets followed by labelling and fabric. The tanks are now ready to be labelled and fitted into the centre section.
One or two other cockpit panels and the rolled quarter panel are in the process of being made.
This is the type of aircraft that Townsend’s flew at 43 Squadron during the 1930s.
Thomas Gower Studios has kindly painted a typical set of pictures of 85 Squadron Battle of France scenes at Seclan, Abbeyville and Lille which are available on our Open Day and other events throughout. These are brilliant paintings and will be available as a limited edition to help fund our restoration work.
PLEASE NOTE: Paul can be contacted at the Workshop on 07703 832099.
Membership and Constitution
Cambridge Bomber and Fighter Society (CBFS) was formed by several aviation enthusiasts. Its aim is to restore and perpetuate the advancement of aviation preservation in the UK. We are mainly concerned with fighter aircraft at present: the rebuild of our very early Hurricane and Fury will be a tribute to 85 and 43 Squadrons and especially to Squadron Leader Peter Townsend. We are currently looking for volunteers (male or female) with or without mechanical/ engineering backgrounds (great enthusiasm is all that’s needed), to assist with restoring and refinishing components.
We have two workshops – one at Little Gransden, the other in the Warboys area. Work on both the Hurricane and Fury takes place in either workshop.
In each workshop, our Constitution is displayed concerning policy and membership.
Aviation Heritage UK
Mr Brian Dixon, Membership Secretary, Tel: 0191 259 9800
85 Squadron Association
Ian Moreland, Tel: 01263 512608
Membership to Cambridge Bomber and Fighter Society is available to any individual (male or female) with a keen interest in aviation (and who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty)!