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In 2000 rumours of the remains of several DH9 First World War bomber aircraft hidden away in the elephant stables of the Maharaja’s Palace in Bikaner, Rajasthan, reached the ears of historic aircraft owner and restorer Guy Black. Incredibly, the rumours turned out to be true, and Andy Saunders travelled to India twice to purchase, dismantle, pack, and ship the aircraft back to the UK. The process was something of an Indiana Jones type adventure, fraught with all sorts of challenges and unexpected hurdles.Andy was closely associated with the restoration of both aircraft, right up to the first flight of the aircraft (E8894) at Duxford in May 2019. Previously, the other restored DH9 was presented to the Imperial War Museums at Duxford where it is currently on
display, albeit that this is a static example DH9 E8894 is the only flying example of a DH9 in the world and is also the only flying bomber aircraft from the First World War.
The two restorations/reconstructions took almost 20 years to complete, and Andy also covers the technical, technological, materials, engineering and logistics challenges that this astonishing project entailed.
Copies of Guy Black’s book on the recovery and restoration of the aircraft will be available at the talk.
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Event Venue
Great War Huts, Brook Farm Camp,Bury St. Edmunds, Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
Tickets
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