Piston Provost T.1
WV499/ G-BZRF
WV499 at RAF St. Athan
WV499 before restoration work began
History
In the early 1950’s, a new advanced trainer was produced in numbers for the RAF. The first prototype flew with a Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah successfully but this was later upgraded to a more powerful 550hp Alvis Leonides. The piston Provost is much larger than the DH Chipmunk and more noticeably had a side by side seating arrangement. It was used not only as a trainer but also a ground attack aircraft overseas.
WV499, pictured here, was an early airframe and served with 1 FTS at Linton-on-Ouse. The aeroplane was then transferred to RAF Shawbury where she was used for air traffic control work and she was repainted in the markings she bears today. After this she was retired from flying duties and became an instructional airframe at RAF St. Athan where she is pictured.
The Provost was then displayed as a museum piece in her original RAF colours. The bottom photo shows a rather sorry looking Provost before she was acquired by the Somerset Aeroplane Company in 2006.
Restoration
Out of the 461 Percival Provosts that were built, sadly only a handful now remain. We at The Somerset Aeroplane Company have been restoring this particular example for the past 15 years. The airframe was originally acquired to serve as a spares package for our other Piston Provost WV453. However, a decision was made shortly after purchasing to concentrate our efforts into WV499.
Unlike most historic aeroplanes, WV499 was found to be in excellent condition. This was probably a result of her relatively short flying career and the care she received whilst being an instructional airframe. She has been painstakingly restored to the highest standard; all components have been stripped, inspected, overhauled and refitted along with all other non-destructive testing. The aircraft has been resprayed and is now nearing the final stages of her restoration. The Leonides engine and propellor have been dismantled and are currently going through a rebuild. During this process we have amassed possibly the world’s largest collection of engine and airframe spares to ensure that WV499 will have many more years of flying in the public eye.
We hope to have the Provost flying in the Summer of 2023 and you can track our progress via this website and our social media platforms.
