I found the mortal remains of Saab Lansen G-BMSG yesterday, the ex-Cranfield aircraft. It’s in a back street scrapyard in Willenhall, not in Rosehill as quoted in Wrecks and Relics, and it is not destined to be a gate guard as it has been cut up. According to the guys in the yard, it’s all there but only the cockpit is ‘accessible’, placed upside down on a high rack. The seat and panels are said to be still in, and the instruments have been removed and stored in the office, but how complete, I do not know. The nosewheel is fitted, and pointed to the sky. The one big problem from it being a useful and unique (To GB) cockpit project is the broken canopy.
If there are any serious enquiries about the aircraft I will make contact with the Yard’s owner. How about Newark ? It would make a nice addition to your Saab collection, and a resident Cockpitfest exhibit.
Sorry, I do not have a photos, as I did not have a camera with me when I came across it, quite by accident, and anyway I do not know how to put them on the Forum if I did take some.
By: David Burke - 30th November 2013 at 22:39
It passed through a few hands all with the intention of returning her to the air and at one stage it did receive quite a lot of attention. Unfortunately the ‘dismantling’ to move her to the scrapyard job effectively killed her!
By: SADSACK - 29th November 2013 at 21:14
What a waste. Presumably somebody intended to fly it, what with putting her on the civil register?
I wonder how much it costs to recovers Migs etc. I recall seeing Mig21s in farmers fields when I went through Poland…
By: David Burke - 29th November 2013 at 18:14
Its getting close to the stage where its passed caring about! Its time was before it was butchered at Cranfield.
By: Wulfie - 29th November 2013 at 17:01
I talked to the yard manager today, and apparently they want to keep it as an ‘ornament’. As they originally planned to have the whole aircraft as an ornament at their Rosehill Yard, and then chose to cut it up to move it, as they ran out of room, and stuck it in their Ann Street yard, I don’t hold out much hope for it. The cockpit is still upside down on top of a rack, under which is a bay full of cable. The canopy is broken, though apparently all the instrument panels are inside. They still have the wings, and have another ‘plan’ to cut off the outer half of them and have them on display inside their offices. The yard manager thought it was Russian, which indicates the level of interest they have for it.
By: Wulfie - 2nd November 2013 at 19:09
When I can during working hours, I’ll make contact with the yard owner and get some more details, and try to remember to take a camera. I know it has little connection with British Aviation apart from the engine, the instruments and other bits, but it would be a pity to see it join the piles of scrap beneath it. After all, are we only to preserve things in GB which are relevant to GB ? If so we had better scrap the Viggen and Draken, and J-29, and a whole host of other aircraft.
By: David Burke - 2nd November 2013 at 10:22
There is no overpowering reason to preserve what remains of the Lansen in the U.K . Arguably none of the SAAB range of jet aircraft have played a significant role in British aviation -the J-29 at Coventry possibly being technically the most interesting of the lot.
By: TwinOtter23 - 2nd November 2013 at 09:55
……. How about Newark ? It would make a nice addition to your Saab collection, and a resident Cockpitfest exhibit.
I’ll flag it up Wulfie, but I suspect that the cockpit canopy situation may be perceived as an issue – IIRC sometime in the past NAM had a ‘nibble’ for the complete airframe but was unsuccessful, which may also be off putting!
Interesting that another Saab items has come up at this time, I’m currently communicating with someone in Sweden about Viggens and some possible service information regarding 918 – ironically it may have suffered a lightning strike during its service career, which necessitated a significant fix to its electrics.
By: hunterxf382 - 2nd November 2013 at 08:54
Looks like the yard themselves posted in this thread about it if you wish to contact them on this forum:
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?107533-XS458-pic-and-news-on-G-BMSG/page2
Member is “Car Sticker”
PS: To Wulfie, regarding your location info – W&R got it partly right if you look at the location on Google maps 😉 It’s virtually on my doorstep, so I might have to pay a visit 🙂
By: RichyD - 2nd November 2013 at 08:51
Hi, anymore details? Any idea how much they are looking for it?
Regards
Richard.
By: curator - 2nd November 2013 at 08:28
hi wulfie i would be interested in it if you could give me the yards contact details that would be good.yours curator australia.
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November 2, 2013 at 8:08 am