An aircraft hulk at Stansted, 1960: Avro Tudor

Image: © Stefan Czapski Taken: 27 Jul 1960

This Tudor seems to have come to rest some distance to the north and west of the main Aviation Traders' dump on the west side of the aerodrome. The image is one of the best-lit that I took that day, and I suspect it was one of the first, before cloud thickened. I clearly remember going on board one of the Tudors, and as G-AHNM was lying on its belly, my guess is that this was the one. The words 'Super Trader' appear on the plane's fin and rudder. The name was an attempt to re-brand the Avro Tudor, which was regarded with suspicion after two aircraft (in separate incidents) disappeared over the Atlantic. On the back of the print from which I scanned this image, I'd noted that the name 'Cirrus' could still be made out on the plane's nose. But cloud that day was cumulus rather than cirrus - it was very warm and muggy. I like the way that the foreground of umbellifers and rough grass (no longer green) confirms the date in late July.

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