Meteor for sale

Least they are doing it the right way…

The Gloster Meteor NF.14 with RAF serial number WS726 was removed from Royton ATC in 2022 to be moved to a private collection in Essex:

https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/20060156.meteor-military-plane-le…

If Elf and Safety had seen some of our working practices when the volunteers worked on the Mitchell and Lincoln at Southend in the 70s they would have been apoplectic.
I also remember the ex Channel Airways engineers that worked at the museum for a while putting me inside Anson VL348 when it was on jacks so that we could undo some of the bolts holding the centre section to the fuselage for the move to Newark. Once all the bolts were out they just told me to shuffle backwards a bit and a large hole in the floor appeared in front of me as they dropped the jacks from under the centre section. Don’t think that would be regarded as safe working now but I never came to any harm. 

A sister ship Blue? It’s not like you haven’t got the experience 

I’ll get my coat…

John

Exactly what he ^ said. 

Very early in the WS788 project one of the chaps involved with the upkeep of 726 contacted me, and very kindly copied the entire NF.14 Vol.1 manual for us, an invaluable tome we still use every week on the jet. He did tell me at the time that work to keep the jet looking well had ground to a halt, due to lack of funding from the RAF, permissions to work on the jet being denied by the ATC/RAF powers that be citing ‘elf and safety, and it was his feeling that they were running the jet down with a view to disposing of her. Sadly, it appears he was proved correct. I just hope she finds a good home…

The auction details say that the undercarriage is present and that the aircraft is hooked up to a hydraulic system which will operate the u/c, flaps etc.

I should think that one of the reasons it has fallen into disrepair is health and safety regulations.
In the old days you got a bunch of cadets together with a few ladders and painted the squadron gate guard. Now you would need a proper health and safety assessment, probably scaffolding and all sorts of precautions to work with paint stripper and paints which means the project isn’t viable for an ATC squadron with very limited funds.  

Bit of a project now, no engines, no undercart by the look of it but on the bright side lots of heavy bits out the way so easier to transport if you can get those wing bolts off.

Nice looking aeroplane the Meteor, good luck with the sale but I bet its not far off its value to be honest

Hi All, 

Accompanying article:- https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/93443…

 It is always sad to see photos of statics of aircraft in such poor condition, especially when it’s custodians have lavished care and attention on it in the past (Ref above) before whatever calamity has taken place to let the airframe get in such a state.

The bottom picture taken by Erwin Alexander and his Flicker has some cracking shots of other disused aircraft etc. page:- https://www.flickr.com/photos/erwinalexander/

When the aircraft was first starting to deteriorate visibly and new funding was lacking why didn’t somebody step in ?   Or at the very least start the disposal/sale process instead of letting it get to the point of the 2019 picture ?

You know I always thought that cadet forces no matter what branch of the armed services are represented were always taken care of in the way of being given money.     Along with the premise that they also organise events to contribute to wards these types of projects and that some companies even donate whatever to get the job done a sign of the times I suppose ? looks like I am completely wrong.

Seems to me though if the governments can offer millions on vanity projects around the world,  they could just as easily fund a bit of paint etc. etc.  to at least tidy up these sad looking airframes.

If not give directly at least the government could offer local firms tax exemptions/breaks for making donations these causes.

Geoff.