Phantom XV498 ( XV500 ) Scrapped ?

What a waste…

What a bloody shame 🙁 No doubt more bureaucratic bullsh1t 😡

Although the cockpit was was taken off complete, damage was done in the process and seats etc were removed. Even in this state I asked if I could save it on someone elses behalf, but this was flatly turned down.
Most of the bits are in a scrappies in Ogmore Vale.

I would guess the clock is ticking for the Brampton Phantom too….

so nothing saved??

Not even the cockpit was saved??

A very sad sight, I loved seeing the Phantom as I went into work.
I asked why it had to be chopped, the reason I got was it had no relevance to where it was kept, I then asked why it couldnt be moved to east camp gate where it would be appreciated and was told that the wings wouldn’t fold for transportation.
Me thinks its to do with the wder Phantom UK cull!

I was detached there a while back, here’s a couple of pics I took. The scale of the place was mind blowing. At the time they were converting some of the F4’s stored there to be unmanned targets.

The conversions are done at Mojave so I get to see them flying about quite often…..

….& in a rather brilliant display of irony, the company doing the conversions is BAe…;)

& they’re not allowed to employ Ex Pats Brits at the place…:mad:

I hope not:( .

If you want to see scrapped Phantoms there is a great thread in modern military of scrapyards (as well as one on here somewhere).

curlyboy

Back to the Phantom shall we.

Are there any photos of her being taken apart anywhere?

All to familiar is it not, the echo of the ongoing castration of the UK aircraft industry by Uncle Sam, ‘Doffs Cap and Wretches In Same’ But a contract is just that and the small print says it all,

Sadly the Uk will continue in this rut untill our government finally learns to tell the White House to get stuffed and rebuilds it’s aircraft manufacturing base once again. ‘Hastily studies small print to establish the dollar value that comment is about to cost me’.

You need to review UK aviation history as written by Brits themselves.
I suggest anything by Bill Gunston. Chapeter are devoted to the sunbect in “Plane Speaking” published in 1991 by Patrict Stephen. Ltd.
It wasn’t the US that gutted the UK industry, it was various Labour governments who saw US aircraft as a cheaper way to equip the RAF.
UK leadership did not think there was goingto be any sort of future war…so why bother to develop warplanes?
And remember Duncan Sandy’s infamous white paper of 1957?
The Phantom was offered as a replacement for the cancelled P.1154…and the Sentry was bought after the cancellation of the Nimrod AEW.
The TSR 2 was to be replaced by the F-111 and in the end, even that was cancelled….if your theory is correct, the “White House” didn’t seem to have much influence.:rolleyes:
On the commercial side, the cancellation of the V.1000 airliner opened the door for the less capable original size 707s and DC-8s to take t he lead in long range commercial jets.

Was the US willing to sell some airplanes…yes, of course. The same way the the UK was willing to sell aircraft to the US…the Canberra is the most famous case but an order for Jetstreams was cancelled after the F-111 cancellation becase it was part of an offset deal.

To suggest the “White House” or the US as a whole had anything to do with the destruction of the UK industry is fanciful at best.

The victor was a favorite of the RAF – how many of them are left?

back to the topic! The Phantom at Boulmer is in safe hands and promised toa museum when the RAF have finished with her.

Also, the Phantom at Leeming is in a hangar out of the rain. Talks are ongoing to have her saved.

Bex – when they were scrapping Phantoms at Wattisham the engine feet were cut out of the fuselage and stenciled with the aircraft serial number
so Whitehall could verify they were ‘dead’ . It was down to the way they were funded – nothing ‘Moulder and Scully’ about it!

Thanks David, was just thinking out loud and kinda hoping I was right 😉 Bex

Maybe a case of not what you know but who you know in the case of the OFMC example?

Bex – when they were scrapping Phantoms at Wattisham the engine feet were cut out of the fuselage and stenciled with the aircraft serial number
so Whitehall could verify they were ‘dead’ . It was down to the way they were funded – nothing ‘Moulder and Scully’ about it!
Curley – the former OFMC escaped – how remains to be seen ! Realisticall
y th CAA would have said no the moment the paperwork arrived on the desk!

Saying all of that the one anomoly would be the OFMC’s FGR mk2 XV474 as she is privately owned and was also going to be flown at one one point!!!

Or did the man in the ministry have too many in the bar on one lunch time?

curlyboy

A theory

I have a theory folks, see what u think of it:

If the RAF like an aircraft, they bend over backwards to help, Vulcans Lightnings Canberras for example flown into the nearest airfields for their new owners but if they didnt like an aircraft like the Phantom, they scrapped them so quick it was virtually impossible to get one.

Thoughts anyone?

Bex

Candy – You mentioned the war!

OK, I give up. Cant be doing this moving goalposts thing all the time.

Anyone want to talk about the Phantom being scrapped at St Athan ?

Maybe not but there was no likelyhood of the German’s occupying Britain post the Battle of Britain – the Hurricanes and Spitfires were not bought by lend – lease.

While not be-littling the BoB and the sterling efforts of all British and Commomwealth land, sea and airforces culminating in the 8th armys successes in North Africa, are you seriously suggesting that the UK would have prevailed if it was not for initially Lend Lease and then the USA,s joining into WW2.

As I mentioned in my previous reply, I do not want to get political here. I thought I would just mention that a Phantom was being scrapped 😉

Lets keep it on topic!

Guys please lets keep on topic and not stray….:rolleyes: