Last surviving and restored 1932 Fairey Gordon Interwar Ex RAF biplane Bomber
For Sale/ Trade/ Expression of Interest
We are proud to announce the completion and now ready for sale after 6 years of painstaking work, Fairey Gordon serial # K2759 and NZ629
Having acted as a volunteer in the Aviation Section at the Museum of Transport and Technology here in Auckland, New Zealand for over a decade, I heard of the Gordons salvage, so I went on a search that has given me a wonderful and life changing adventure.
It is what I would describe as a True Barn Find as can be seen in the attached info booklet as well as in the progress photographs that explain what has been achieved to date.
Both Port Upper and lower wings with originally, flaps and ailerons, tailplane, elevator and rudder now have fabric on one surface with dope, paint and roundels finished.
The fuselage Port side is also covered
The fuselage has been completely laced with fabric and new aluminum panels made and I have left the Starboard side untouched as it was the least damaged and also tells the crash story.
All original leather of the pilots’ seat as well as cockpit parapet survives and has been carefully treated and could be installed.
The original forward firing Vickers gun mount was never removed, and the rear gunners mount has been adapted very effectively from a Swordfish one.
A Vickers and Lewis machine gun are available in the sale.
The floatation bags within the rear fuselage under the fin are mostly there even though at some time someone has cut some material from the middle I assume for their girlfriend to find use of the silk?
The propeller is free spinning on a static hub, it has bent tips and some hunter has shot itbut it is the original and so far as we know the only survivor.
The top center section still has the cables stowed that were used for hoisting the aircraft onto ships and there are many fittings such as the catapult attachments that make a case that this airframe was possibly meant to be on FAA Seal.
The aircraft served firstly in England, then Sudan, Egypt and I also have a reference of Iraq, then it was shipped to NZ at the outbreak of WW2 as what would fairly be called an obsolete trainer, where it crashed in dense bush, both pilots surviving.
NZ 629's remains were found, the RNZAF discovered and salvaged the engine, guns and gauges leaving the wreckage hanging in the trees. In 1972 the wreckage was rediscovered and airlifted out by helicopter, there after being stored untouched in a shipping container
I managed to arrange the static restoration of 2 Jaguar engines that powered Siskin Fighters from a Canadian Aviation Museum where I could keep the better of the two, and this allowed the project to become viable.
