Farley Fruitbat build

[rickshaw]

You may have seen the discussion about the Farley Fruitbat?   Here is the challenge - build one based on the brief descriptions in that thread.  Each person to contribute their vision of what the Fruitbat looked like! 

[PR19_Kit]

I better check on my store of black paint.......... 

I'm not sure Aeroclub still do their lovely white metal Fruitbat seat adjuster handles though, both the Mk1  and the Mk2 types of course.

[rickshaw]

I better check on my store of black paint.......... 

I'm not sure Aeroclub still do their lovely white metal Fruitbat seat adjuster handles though, both the Mk1  and the Mk2 types of course.

It's the little details that count, Kit... 

[Rheged]

There's a description in Nicolas Montserrat's   book "Three Corvettes" about the problems of identifying aircraft in patchy cloud or poor light from the pitching and rolling bridge of an escort vessel.   He mentions a high/low wing mono-biplane with two to four engines and blurred markings.  Could this have been the prototype Fruitbat?

[PR19_Kit]

It depends on the Mark of Fruitbat. The production versions encompassed ALL of those descriptions and if you include the 27 odd prototype and development aircraft there were many other possible configurations as well.

When Airfix considered adding the Fruitbat to its range back in the 70s they had plans to produce kits of every Mark but found that it would take up their entire production capacity for a year just to bring it to market.

[crudebuteffective]

I think the aircraft that group captain hannibal mcflange used to circumnavigate gibraltar in in 1979 is the only interesting colours to do a fruitbat in

its a tragedy that gallant officer disappeared in his attempt ( the official inquiry concluded he ran out of fuel) and called of the search last week

[PR19_Kit]

I think the aircraft that group captain hannibal mcflange used to circumnavigate gibraltar in in 1979 is the only interesting colours to do a fruitbat in

its a tragedy that gallant officer disappeared in his attempt ( the official inquiry concluded he ran out of fuel) and called of the search last week

There was that sighting of a periscope off Europa Point during the flight which started rumours that the Soviets were so intent on getting hold of a Mk 23 Fruitbat that they somehow caused the Group Captain to ditch and both him and the Fruitbat were spirited aboard in some way.

However sonar records showed no trace of any submarine in the vicinity at the time, Soviet or otherwise.

[tigercat]

The variant spotted by Monsieur Monserrat ,May have been the very rare French maritime reconnaissance version known as the Chauvre Souris de fruit de mer or Sea Fruitbat in English . Their was no previous record of it flying successfully despite a rumoured   connection to the famous French test pilot Xavier, Jean Paul,George, Sonnerie , Antoine, phillipe, espece de  renard,  chagrin-de-poulet disappearance under mysterious circumstances while trying to fly the highly experimental vertical helicopter which is commemorated at le Moulin rouge.  He had just written his famous book Semi Collone et le Prince avec les grand oreilles qui parle avec les abres.   

A gripping tale which sees his Gallic hero abandon his monolith mine and join forces with a Welsh druid Prince.

[rickshaw]

While this is all grist to the mill, what we need to see is some models being built!