WIX Archives

Ex Failsworth Fireflies

Posted by Mick on Sat Mar 23, 2002 03:06:09 PM

Seven Firefly front cockpit fuselage sections complete with Griffons and cowlings were taken to another scrapyard at Salford, Manchester after the closure of Failsworth in 1981.

They were VT376, VT378, VT409, VT475, WB298, WD918, plus one other unidentified.

They were put up for auction and a US powerboat concern apparently bought most of them for the Griffons, and at least one complete cockpit section was bought by the CWH in Canada. Some Griffons and Merlins (from Balliols)were said to have gone to British collectors as well.

Anyone know what went where, and where they are now, especially the cockpits from the ones that had their Griffons taken to the USA ?

I know that NEAM at Sunderland have the front end of WD889 and the rear end of VT409, and that WB440 was on display at Manchester for some time, is it still there ?
And is WB440 the same one that Colin Waterworth had up for sale recently, and has it sold yet, or does he have another one ?
Also is WB440 the unidentified seventh cockpit section from Salford ?

It would be sad to think that all those cockpits were eventually scrapped after the Griffons were taken for bloody powerboats.

Mick

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