Andrews Field (6/5/7) Kent Spitfire & Tiger Moths

Yes great pictures Richard, when i popped in there a few weeks ago i was treated to just Cessnas and Pipers, so you done well.

Brilliant shots there good to see our spitfire out and about.

James

Mystere

Attached is the email I received from Andrewsfield today.
At last something is going to be done.
Geoff.

Adrian
The Rebel Air Museum moved to Earls Colne after it left Andrewsfield. After a spell at EC the facility there was required by the leisure centre and much of the material went into store at various locations in Essex.

The driving force behind the RAM (Mr Brett) I believe died a few years ago, so what happened to many of the artifacts I am not sure. The tail section of the Marauder is currently stored in one of the hangars at Earls Colne, having reappeared (to me anyway) there in 2005.

Phil

The position with the Andrewsfield machine is not the fault of the Americans – it needs resolving and a clearing away from the site.

Is it not?
Its not the impression I was given by its former custodian some years ago.

The Mysteres along with T-33’s and F-100’s were funded by th U.S . There fore when thye were retired from service they were flown to Sculthorpe and into U.S ownership. A number were scrapped before a couple of museums approached the Americans to preserve some. This is why they are now scattered arounf the countryside in various states of repair. The position with the Andrewsfield machine is not the fault of the Americans – it needs resolving and a clearing away from the site.

From speaking to some of the people at Andrews Field, there were supposed to be a few more Tiger Moths arriving but it was too windy so a number of them cancelled.

Link to photo of a Dassault MD-454 Mystere IVA in US Air Force colours on Airliners net. it says These Mysteres were funded by the MAP program, what is MAP?

The Spitty and possibly the Moths were there as a prelude to flying over Woods Rolls Royce garage at Gt Easton as it was their annual open day, the Lancaster performed at lunchtime.
By coincidence, I drove past Andrewsfield at 7:00 this morning when I took Uncle George back to Stansted for his flight to Hungary, I was telling them all about the story of the Mystere and it’s US ownership, don’t know whether they believed me, it’s such a ridiculous story.
For AG’s info, it was all part of a lend lease/ financial deal with the French Government after the war, in other words, the US paid for the Mysteres development and therefore felt they owned it, so on retirement it became US property, they obviously were dying to place it in USAF service.
Could the next person to visit, could be me, slide the cockpit fully shut please.

I suspect that the Mystere is actually owned by the USAF Museum, which would complicate matters. No doubt someone (JDK perhaps?) can explain why the USAF owns a load of French aircraft around the place – I cannot remember the logic myself.

I was about 9 when I visited the Rebel Air Museum at Andrewsfield and it was pouring, so the dead snake made more impression than the presence or absence of the Mystere! However it must have been there for the biggest part of 25 years, so it is a small wonder that it isn’t a heap of oxide now. A year or two ago someone on here was planning to give it a polish – I wonder if that happened?

Does anyone know what happened to the Rebel Air Museum’s collection after it closed at Earl’s Colne? Apart from anything else, their Marauder rear fuselage surely was an artefact worth preserving.

Adrian

EDIT – by the way, I am very jealous of Ref for seeing a Spitfire there! Thanks for posting the pics – even if they have made into a green-eyed monster!

Mystere Restoration??

I saw the Mystere last year, and apart from the odd bird’s nest it looks like it could be restored for static exhibition. Anyone out there who might be interested? According to the Andrewsfield flying instructor it has been abandoned after closure of museum at Earls Colne.
Regards from
Geoff.