Other Pilcher Aircraft
The 'Original' Pilcher Hawk located at East Lothian Museum
has been moved into storage.
It is no longer on display. This is the only Pilcher aircraft containing any original parts,
the rest are all reproductions.
Ex Science Museum Reproduction Pilcher 'Hawk' (BAPC57). Commissioned by the
Science Museum in 1930, this glider was built by Martin Millar, Edinburgh. It was
displayed at South Kensington until the 1990's when it fell into disrepair. It was rebuilt
in 2003 by Eric Littledike and is now on display in the Air Space Museum at Duxford.
The Reproduction Hawk at Stanford
Hall is now displayed suspended from the ceiling of the craft shop.
It was originally built by apprentices of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft,
Coventry, in 1957-58.
Reproduction Mk3 Pilcher Bat constructed by Eric Littledike, now installed in Hangar 7
in the
Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden.
with lowered wing tips this was the final version of the Bat.
This glider was also displayed at the RAeS centenary of powered flight celebrations in October 2008.
See also http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/wiki/Image:Im090617SC-Pi-627.jpg
A Mk2 Bat has been constructed by Spirit Aero Systems and RAeS Prestwick branch led by Quentin Wilson. This glider is currently in storage awaiting opening of the new Riverside Museum of Transport in Glasgow where it will be on display when the museum opens in the early summer of 2011.
http://www.ayrshirescotlandbusinessnews.com/2007/12/spirit-aerosystems-prestwick-present.html
The powered triplane was Pilcher's most ambitious project, but sadly due to an engine
failure during testing, Pilcher, had to resort to flying his Hawk glider
for a demonstration
to some dignitaries at Stanford Hall in October in 1899. Percy subsequently
was fatally
injured and the triplane was never flown. This reproduction was commissioned by the
BBC for a program on 'Horizon' televised in December 2003. It was built
with support
from Cranfield College, and flown by Dr Bill Brooks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2003/percypilcher.shtml
The Aircraft is now on display at Shuttleworth.