In 2000, quite by chance, aircraft restorer Guy Black of Aero Vintage located the hulks of at least two Airco DH9 bombers in a remote part of India
hidden away in what had been a Maharaja’s elephant stable at his palace in Bikaner, Rajasthan. They were truly remarkable finds, and extremely rare examples of a near-extinct and important WWI aircraft type
none of which had survived in Britain.
Recognising their importance to the UK’s aviation heritage, and excited by the challenge of restoration, Guy set about negotiating their purchase and returning them back to England.
His colleague and author, Andy Saunders journeyed twice to India to complete the transaction and dismantle and pack them
a process not without massive difficulties and challenges. Now one of them will fly again! Here the whole intriguing story is told
fully illustrated step-by-step
from discovery to recovery, through to research, restoration, re-construction and first flight, all in fascinating, meticulous detail.
Also covered is the account of the restoration of the first DH9 to be completed, now housed as a non-flying exhibit at the IWM Duxford.
AUTHOR: Guy Black is the owner of Retrotec Ltd, an aircraft restoration company. His interest in restoration came after serving an apprenticeship with Westlake & Co.; a company world famous for their expertise in piston-engine technology. After initially setting up a company dedicated to restoring historic racing cars, Guy alongside Angus Spencer-Nairn began collecting historic military aircraft. This collection became Historic Aircraft Collection Ltd and is now one of the largest private collection of military aircraft in Europe today. Some of the aircraft that Guy and Retrotec have restored in the past years are displayed in museums worldwide including the RAF Museum, Imperial War Museum, the USAAF Museum and the National Aviation Museum in Canada.
Full colour throughout with over 150 photos and drawings
