Another plane on Canvey was the Monty’s Mono Bar & Teas this photo is from the Hartfield Family. Graham Stevens believes the building on the left is the Bay Club. Is it the same plane mentioned by Dowd in his Canvey Cyclopedia :-
- ‘Joyflights’ in an aeroplane came in the form of a modified Avro 504K whose rotary engine had been replaced by a post-war radial engine. In the early 1930s it took off from a site which is now Furtherwick Park School; when its flying days were over the fuselage was supposedly used as a tea-room – rather cramped, one would imagine.
Monty’s Mono Bar & Teas – Graham Stevens believes the building to the left is probably the Bay Club
In correspondence I have located dated 1932 between the Clark Estate and the Dominion Amusements there was a ‘Captive Plane’ on a site at Lubbin’s which they wanted fenced. There was some controversy with the council because they had wanted to place this aeroplane on their park site but had been refused by Clark Estates. It is not clear what they mean by captive plane whether it is some ride or an actual plane which was no longer air worthy. The plane in this picture is fenced. Any ideas?
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Hi
The tea room plane is an American Ford Tri motor first produced in 1925 and a virtual copy of the Junkers J 52. We can see that all three engines have been removed and the propellors replaced. There is no question of it flying from Canvey as its take off run was the best part of a mile. I’m intrigued as to who brought it to the island, and I’ll let you know if I find anything.
Regards Sparrow
The aircraft is an Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy, a type that came into service about 1925/26. One crash landed on Canvey about 1934 so it is likely that it is that aircraft.
Hello Phillip The Argosy did crash land as you say but it is not the aircraft in the picture. Google armstrong whitworth argosy and you will see that it is a biplane and has a comletely different taul and wingplan. Regards Sparrow.
Sparrow is right, it is a Ford Trimotor. It was a copy of the Fokker F.VII, though, not the Junkers Ju52 which quite apart from being a low-wing monoplane didn’t fly until 1930.
Hello Nick Thanks for the correction. You are right about the Fokker design but I’m determined to find out how it was brought to Canvey and by Who Regards Sparrow
Hi all, We have a photo of the Argosy and a bit of narrative on the site in George Chambers’ section. It must have landed in the(then) fields to the east of Furtherwick Rd.
The aircraft is not a Ford. The Fords had corrugated sides similar to the Junkers Ju52. It could well be a Fokker, as some of their trimotors had a similar fuselage.
The most likely candidate is an Avro 10. Imperial Airways operated 6 of them during the late 20’s/early 30’s. This was a licence built Fokker F.VIIa/3m. Following a fatal accident involving one of these aircraft in the US in 1931 they were withdrawn from service.
Not an Argosy then? The ford also had corrogated sides although of much more ribs per inch. Regards Sparrow
It is the Fokker F.VIIb/3m c/s 4917. Build for British Air Ministry for RAF. (reg. J7986) Gloster built the special Monospar S.T.2 wing.
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