For several years I have been trying to find an appropriate way of getting back into my beloved sport of aviation. As a first thought I purchased in about 2022 the plans to build a Taylor Titch and began building ribs for the tailplane. However I realised that there was a very strong possibility that I, being about 6’2″, may not comfortably fit into it. This stalled the project.
A friend at Caboolture, Kim Jones, suggested a variety of other planes that I could build but they just did not quite appeal strongly enough so the search continued (with I must admit, a rather limited budget).
Then late in 2025 the Caboolture Warplane Museum found that they would lose their premises with nowhere to go. The museum had an interesting little aeroplane which did not really fit with their theme – a Taylor Monoplane – that had been used for kids to sit in and imagine they were flying. I wondered what would happen to it when they closed their doors for the last time.
I spoke with Kim about it and he simply said he was sure we could get it together and restore it but could I fit in it? Interesting question which I had of course to answer. One evening I borrowed the key to the museum hangar and squeezed into the Monoplane. No luck. However on examination I found a secondary seat had been fitted which came out very easily. Result – a comfortable little tiny aeroplane that I could well imagine being airborn in.
Kim spoke with Ross (museum president) and was promised the aeroplane if we wanted it. I also spoke with Ross on Wednesday 25th March as everything else from the museum was disappearing to various homes. He said it was available at no cost but that Kim had first refusal and must speak to either him or Stewart (?) on the following day, Thursday. On that day, Thursday 26th March Kim and I went over to see Stewart and became the new owners of the Little Taylor Monoplane – as long as we collected by Tuesday 3rd March.
On Monday 2nd of March I realised I would not be available on the Tuesday so Scotty Burgess and I nipped in and collected the fuselage and both wings. There are a couple of photos of it both in the museum hangar waiting its future and alongside other aircraft in the BAM hangar. On Tuesday as the space was required in BAM, Scotty, Brendan, Julian and Speedy kindly took the monoplane over to Speedy’s hangar where it would live for a while whilst being restored – thanks to good old Speedy.
So, it looks like a little Taylor Monoplane owned us (Kim and me) will be flying again. However it is going to be a long road as there seems to be no paperwork available for it although we have ascertained that it was registered at one time (when it last flew) as VH-EKB and has a build number of Q5.
My dear wife, Liz has named it Monty.
Monty will never be a real speedster but I think we will have a lot of fun doing the best we can to give him the right character.