What plane is this tail wheel off?

[dowtylad]

Evening all,

I recently found a tail wheel from what I believe is a WW2 plane however I am having trouble working out which plane it is actually from.

The plates have Serial number PP158700, DRG number 5371-2 (I believe from research that this is the AHO or AH number), and also M23L14 on the leg.

The tyre is Dunlop 3.00.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Many thanks,

 

[Airframes]

The strut and yoke look a bit like a Mosquito's, but the wheel and tyre don't look quite right for that, especially as the Mossie normally had a anti-shimmy tyre, with a central groove.
Somone might identify it from the numbers though.

 

[dowtylad]

The strut and yoke look a bit like a Mosquito's, but the wheel and tyre don't look quite right for that, especially as the Mossie normally had a anti-shimmy tyre, with a central groove.
Somone might identify it from the numbers though.

Thanks Airframes...a quick Google search later and it does indeed look like a Mosquito's, although I am not sure what the extra section reaching down towards the ground is as Mosquito doesn't appear to have one. I also found someone who said the Mosquito tail wheel is the same as the Vampire Nose Wheel, but again it doesn't look quite there. This is proving an interesting challenge though...

 

[Airframes]

That extension, with the 'holes' in it, is for attaching a towing beam, to allow towing by a tractor. The Mossie had an extension, and I think it had the towing eyes, but I'd have to check.
When mounted on the aircraft, the 'extension'would b almost horizontal, with a slight downward angle.

 

[GrauGeist]

The tire size of 3.00 is pretty small, the Mossy had a tire size of 8.00-5 and the Vampire was 6.50-5.5

For comparison, the Lancaster's tail wheel had a 12.50-10 tire.

Look for something the size of a Chipmunk (which had a 3.00 tire size)

 

[Crimea_River]

Not a Mosquito. This is a Mossie tail wheel.

 

[Airframes]

Yep, I checked the Mossie, and the Vampire. There are similarities, but not the same. The wheel itself looks similar to that on the Spitfire and Hurricane, but the leg, damper and yoke aren't the same.

 

[dowtylad]

Going by wheel size, I found the Merlin Magister and Percival Proctor, but I can't find any pictures of their wheels up close.

 

[GrauGeist]

Have a look at the tail wheel of the Shuttleworth's collection Miles M.14 Magister (G-AJRS)

I don't have a good close-up of the tailwheel, but from the photos I have seen, it looks to be a close match.

 

[Airframes]

I think you've nailed it Dave. Here's a couple of ropey pics of the IWM, Duxford example. Sorry for the 'soft focus', my hands were too stiff to hold the camera properly at the time !

 

[dowtylad]

That looks almost identical so I reckon we may have solved it. Thank you guys. Now to work out what to do with it...do we reckon this is fairly rare and desirable/interesting or is it run of the mill?

 

[fubar57]

Nice one Dave.

Geo

 

[GrauGeist]

That looks almost identical so I reckon we may have solved it. Thank you guys. Now to work out what to do with it...do we reckon this is fairly rare and desirable/interesting or is it run of the mill?

Well, it's pretty much up to you...the "Maggie" was popular after the war in the civilian world but keep in mind that RAF and FAA pilots trained in this aircraft, so it has it's place in history.

If you could dig down a little deeper and find out where this came from (spare parts at a supply depot, a crash site, an old scrapped airframe, etc) then perhaps you could narrow down the aircraft it came from.

There may be an air club that's trying to restore one or even a museum may have interest.

Or you could keep it and show it off to your friends...

 

[Airframes]

I agree. Although perhaps not 'rare' in the true sense, it's not exactly common either. Back in my youth, in the late 1950's to 1960's, there were quite a number of ex-RAF Magisters on the civil register, along with the civilian version, the Hawk Trainer. By the mid 1980', this has dwindled, to maybe seeing two or three at the annual Popular Flying Association Rally, held then at Cranfield.
I don't know how many are currently airworthy, but it can't be more than a handful, if that, with a few in museums. It was an unsung, but very important aircraft in RAF history, being a primary trainer, along side the much more well-known Tiger Moth, with virtually every RAF pilot doing his initial training on this type, at least in the UK.
The 'Maggie' also played a part in what was almost one of the most audacious escapes, by Luftwaffe PoW's, shot down in the BoB, when two of them 'borrowed' a Magister from an airfield in Cumbria, intending to fly back to France, but turned back over the Wash when short of fuel, landing in Norfolk.
As a piece of aviation history, it has its place, and is valuable if only for its historic background, but as pointed out, it may be just the piece someone is looking for to fit to a restoration, although depending on condition, it might only be suitable for a static restoration.
Not as 'glamourous' as a Spitfire tail wheel assembly perhaps, but still worth having.

 

[Rocketeer]

The PP stands for Philip and Powis.....I.e. miles!

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Tony !
So almost certain to be from a Magister.