Original (ish) Percival Mew Gull taking to the air - Old Warden Sep 2023
This racing aircraft from the 1930s was at one time (from 1936) most famously owned by Alex Henshaw a wealthy young man who indulged in air racing and record setting. In 1939, he flew this aircraft from England to Cape Town (and back) taking about 40 hours in each direction. During WW2, Henshaw was Chief Test Pilot for Spitfires, flying up to 20 newly-built machines every day - it is estimated he personally flew 10% of all of the 20,000 Spitfires ever built.
The Mew Gull in the picture has had an adventurous life, being rebuilt, crashing (twice written off), and rebuilt again, several times. At one time dismantled for static display and allowed to rot, and then recovered and rebuilt yet again. I believe it now looks as it did when Henshaw owned it - but it has such a convoluted history of redesign and reconstruction it is hard for me to be sure, hence my calling it 'original-ish' It certainly flies well and gives a very energetic display. Now owned by the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, England.
Original (ish) Percival Mew Gull taking to the air - Old Warden Sep 2023
This racing aircraft from the 1930s was at one time (from 1936) most famously owned by Alex Henshaw a wealthy young man who indulged in air racing and record setting. In 1939, he flew this aircraft from England to Cape Town (and back) taking about 40 hours in each direction. During WW2, Henshaw was Chief Test Pilot for Spitfires, flying up to 20 newly-built machines every day - it is estimated he personally flew 10% of all of the 20,000 Spitfires ever built.
The Mew Gull in the picture has had an adventurous life, being rebuilt, crashing (twice written off), and rebuilt again, several times. At one time dismantled for static display and allowed to rot, and then recovered and rebuilt yet again. I believe it now looks as it did when Henshaw owned it - but it has such a convoluted history of redesign and reconstruction it is hard for me to be sure, hence my calling it 'original-ish' It certainly flies well and gives a very energetic display. Now owned by the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, England.