'Biggles Biplane' - Replica BE2c made for cancelled 'Biggles' movie.
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Sadly the "Biggles Biplane" suffered a major accident after this was filmed, on the 2nd of September 2020 while taking part in a Great War Display Team practice. Pilot Matthew Boddington suffered some serious injuries but thankfully is reported to be recovering well at home.
As yet the extent of the damage to the BE2 has not been reported. The operators have said that "no matter what she WILL be rebuilt and she will fly again. What ever it takes".
History of the aircraft:-
The aircraft was built in 1969 at Sywell, UK as a film replica. It was designed to look and fly in an identical manner to the original BE2c. It was commissioned by Universal Studios for a movie, 'Biggles Sweeps the Skies', based on the books by Captain W.E. Johns.
As there was no original, airworthy BE2c in the world, Sywell-based engineer Charles Boddington took up the task of creating the flying replica. Helped by his brother David and a team of local engineers, he had only 13 weeks to design, build and test fly the aircraft, before it was due to be sent to Algeria for filming in the Sahara desert. Although the BE2c was completed on time, other replica aircraft commissioned by Universal Studios were not. By the time the others were completed and ready to be shipped out, it was the hottest time of the year in North Africa and the aircraft could not be safely flown in the extreme desert heat.
This, combined with funding issues, caused the movie to be cancelled. In 1970 'Biggles Biplane' was sent to the USA and sold. Charles Boddington never saw the aircraft again, as he was sadly killed in September 1970 in a flying accident during the making of the film 'Von Richthofen and Brown'/'The Red Baron'.
On 14th June 1977 the aircraft was severely damaged in a flying accident in Wisconsin, USA when the pilot lost control and the aeroplane spun into the ground from 500 feet. The pilot was fortunate only to sustain a broken leg, but the aircraft was thought to be beyond repair. It was later bought by Tiger Moth owner Bill King for spares.
In 2004, Sywell based Tiger Moth owner Chris Parker visited Bill King while on vacation. Recognising the remains he told Charles Boddington's son, Matthew Boddington and a deal was done to purchase the remains.
The aircraft returned to Sywell Aerodrome and, in a workshop next door to where it had originally been made 40 years before, it was rebuilt and restored by new owners, Matthew Boddington and Steve Slater, to airworthy condition once more.
In May 2011 the 'Biggles Biplane', as it has come to be known, returned to the skies 42 years after it last flew at Sywell and 34 years after being wrecked in the crash in the USA.
This lovely machine has been a regular on the display circuit and a regular participant in The Great War Display Team’s displays since then. Hopefully it will be repaired and return to the skies where it belongs at some time in the near future.
Filmed at the Shuttleworth Drive-In Family Airshow 2020.
A more detailed article about the rebuild can be read here:- http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/sywell-aerodrome-magazine-2011-56-biggles-biplane.php
Video and Audio content is
Copyright © High Flight
This video and audio material may not be reproduced in any form (except as the videos Youtube embedded video option on any other website), without written permission.
As yet the extent of the damage to the BE2 has not been reported. The operators have said that "no matter what she WILL be rebuilt and she will fly again. What ever it takes".
History of the aircraft:-
The aircraft was built in 1969 at Sywell, UK as a film replica. It was designed to look and fly in an identical manner to the original BE2c. It was commissioned by Universal Studios for a movie, 'Biggles Sweeps the Skies', based on the books by Captain W.E. Johns.
As there was no original, airworthy BE2c in the world, Sywell-based engineer Charles Boddington took up the task of creating the flying replica. Helped by his brother David and a team of local engineers, he had only 13 weeks to design, build and test fly the aircraft, before it was due to be sent to Algeria for filming in the Sahara desert. Although the BE2c was completed on time, other replica aircraft commissioned by Universal Studios were not. By the time the others were completed and ready to be shipped out, it was the hottest time of the year in North Africa and the aircraft could not be safely flown in the extreme desert heat.
This, combined with funding issues, caused the movie to be cancelled. In 1970 'Biggles Biplane' was sent to the USA and sold. Charles Boddington never saw the aircraft again, as he was sadly killed in September 1970 in a flying accident during the making of the film 'Von Richthofen and Brown'/'The Red Baron'.
On 14th June 1977 the aircraft was severely damaged in a flying accident in Wisconsin, USA when the pilot lost control and the aeroplane spun into the ground from 500 feet. The pilot was fortunate only to sustain a broken leg, but the aircraft was thought to be beyond repair. It was later bought by Tiger Moth owner Bill King for spares.
In 2004, Sywell based Tiger Moth owner Chris Parker visited Bill King while on vacation. Recognising the remains he told Charles Boddington's son, Matthew Boddington and a deal was done to purchase the remains.
The aircraft returned to Sywell Aerodrome and, in a workshop next door to where it had originally been made 40 years before, it was rebuilt and restored by new owners, Matthew Boddington and Steve Slater, to airworthy condition once more.
In May 2011 the 'Biggles Biplane', as it has come to be known, returned to the skies 42 years after it last flew at Sywell and 34 years after being wrecked in the crash in the USA.
This lovely machine has been a regular on the display circuit and a regular participant in The Great War Display Team’s displays since then. Hopefully it will be repaired and return to the skies where it belongs at some time in the near future.
Filmed at the Shuttleworth Drive-In Family Airshow 2020.
A more detailed article about the rebuild can be read here:- http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/sywell-aerodrome-magazine-2011-56-biggles-biplane.php
Video and Audio content is
Copyright © High Flight
This video and audio material may not be reproduced in any form (except as the videos Youtube embedded video option on any other website), without written permission.
