WIX Archives

More on the Imperial aircraft

Posted by Tony on Fri Nov 30, 2001 08:46:48 AM

In reply top NOT a warbird, but very nice anyway. posted by MGM on Fri Nov 30, 2001 07:46:40 AM


http://www.imperial-airways.com/Aircraft_page_1.html



: In Aeroplane Monthly this month is a large article on the
: Handley Page HP.42.
:
: Tony and me were talking about these aeroplanes a couple o
: f weeks back, and our desire to see a reconstruction of on
: e, hopefully to fly.
:
: There's an intriguing bit on the disappearance of one in M
: arch 1940.
: It was G-AAGX "Hannibal", and went missing on a flight fro
: m Karachi to Alexandria.
: Last report of it's position was over the Gulf Of Oman, bu
: t it and the passengers and crew have never been seen or h
: eard of since.
: It has long been considered that it must have gone down in
: the Gulf, although there were reports after the war of th
: e "skeleton" of a large aircraft seen somewhere on the coa
: st, but never confirmed.
:
: Of course with all good aircraft mysteries there is a "con
: spiracy theory" attached to it. (what's a conspiracy theor
: y ?)
:
: One of the passengers was a VIP Government official, with
: the usual important papers.
: One theory is that it may have got shot down, but also tha
: t it suffered structural failure.
:
: The most intriguing bit though, is that the man, Charles B
: utt, who made recent enquiries as to it's disappearance, w
: as "warned off" by the UK Government Agency he consulted.
:
: Curiouser and curiouser said Tony's friend the little blon
: de one...........
:
:
: There was also a bit on the possibilities of building a ne
: w one, which should get Tony excited, and apparently there
: have been quite a lot of enquiries over the years about i
: t.
: One recently, which has now gone a bit quiet, was the appr
: oach by a Middle Eastern prince to several restorers via a
: n intermediary, with the view to building a flying reprodu
: ction.
:
: Now.....I don't know his real name, but I think I know exa
: ctly where I can find this mysterious prince.......if it i
: s actually the right prince of course......
:
: Yes Tony, it is the one I coincidentally happened to menti
: on to you at 1.00am this morning !
:
: And if I'm not wrong, access to this prince may just make
: it easier to go looking round places like Masirah etc.....
: .....and I have already started things off on the right fo
: ot with him earlier due to the respect I showed to him and
: his people............much more civilised than flashing s
: uitcases full of cash around........
:
: Trouble is ,I'm none too keen, personally, to go searching
: that particular area right now for anything........
:
: I don't of course know if there is any connection between
: the disappearance of Hannibal........and a Middle Eastern
: prince wanting to build one...........
:
: TTFN
: Mick
:
: PS- Tony......if you haven't bought Aeroplane yet........g
: o out and buy a copy......!
:
:

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