Hunter Nearly There !

Well done Ben and team! Am working on some bits for her at the moment!

ATB

TT

A wonderful restoration in a relatively short time! Superb effort by all involved. I for one would love to see some more pics.

Back to the Hunter, she looks magnificent. Well done to all involved! 🙂

The P.1B is still stored down at Stowmarket on the farm. From all reports she is dry and safe. The whole process of her disposal is another of those RAF museum head scratch moments ! It could quite happily have been retained by the RAFM and put on loan with a colllection but it didnt happen.

RAF Museum doesn’t think like that, they’re attitude is we have a Hunter already, don’t need another 1. Look at the Lightning they had, that P1.B should’ve gone to Cosford but no, it wasn’t a genuine RAF Lightning so they binned it for an F6. You wait & see what happens to the E101 prototype when a Merlin becomes available. & I bet the P-40 will go once the genuine wreck in the desert is recovered.

So what will happen to P1.B XA847 then? Is it still on a farm near Stowmarket? If it is, then it hasn’t got very far to travel in order to be looked after by better means. I was rather shocked to discover that instead of being put with the other test airframes at Cosford, it went to somebody that didn’t have the means to present it in a decent manner. Doesn’t the RAF Museum have any process of making sure items go to a respectful owner?

Hope to get to see the collection at Wattisham one day.

Luckily a chance telephone call to Maggie Aggiss at Wattisham found a group with the interest and vision to save her. There is no finer feeling than to see the former Black Arrows pilots paying pilgrimage to her !

Is there going to be an official unveiling with the ex Black Arrow pilots in attendance?[/QUOTE]

I’ll second that – at least a photocall for this beauty?

The cockpit is complete and she has her engine fitted. Regards the Phantom -Wattisham saved without doubt the best example available from Brampton.

Looks superb, if you could just rescue the Phantom and bring that home to Wattisham.

How complete is the Hunter ? Does it still have an engine, and how
about the cockpit ?

Apologies, you’re right.
I guess the P.1B was seen as too close to a Development Batch aircraft to take on, but it does seem pretty poor show as to what happened with the P.1B.
I seem to remember it on display at a Farnborough show in the 1990s.

Luckily a chance telephone call to Maggie Aggiss at Wattisham found a group with the interest and vision to save her. There is no finer feeling than to see the former Black Arrows pilots paying pilgrimage to her ![/QUOTE]

Is there going to be an official unveiling with the ex Black Arrow pilots in attendance?

In fairness P.1B XG337 is at Cosford along with P.1A WG760.

That’s not the P.1B that was the 1st Lightning to break Mach 2 though, which was the 1 at Hendon & last I heard was somewhere in Southampton.

The Black Arrows Hunters all went onto operational squadrons post use with them. Therefore they tell the history of the Hunter as a type both as an aerobatic machine and a ‘blooded’ combat aircraft.
Its difficult for the RAFM to choose a machine due to a certain part of its history -for example should they have a SAR Wessex on display when a regular squadron example might well have seen use in Northern Ireland or any other flash point around the world.
Regards XG194 -I contacted a number of museums in an attempt to get her preserved. Most recognised her contribution to RAF history -however none were willing to invest the money,time and determination to get her saved. Included in those museums were collections that had Danish Hunters with little UK history.
Believe me in the last few years of her life at North Luffenham the pace of damage to her had accelerated to the degree of her ejection seat being removed -damage to the side of the cockpit and sundry other pieces being removed.
Luckily a chance telephone call to Maggie Aggiss at Wattisham found a group with the interest and vision to save her. There is no finer feeling than to see the former Black Arrows pilots paying pilgrimage to her !

The existing P40 isnt a very good example; I would change it if it were me! I dont see why RAFM would choose a Black Arrows Hunter over an operational (squadron) example.

Bruce

Look at the Lightning they had, that P1.B should’ve gone to Cosford but no, it wasn’t a genuine RAF Lightning so they binned it for an F6.

In fairness P.1B XG337 is at Cosford along with P.1A WG760.

Lovely – fond memories of those displays at Farnborough on the old black and white TV when I was a kid.

RAF Museum doesn’t think like that, they’re attitude is we have a Hunter already, don’t need another 1. Look at the Lightning they had, that P1.B should’ve gone to Cosford but no, it wasn’t a genuine RAF Lightning so they binned it for an F6. You wait & see what happens to the E101 prototype when a Merlin becomes available. & I bet the P-40 will go once the genuine wreck in the desert is recovered.

I am stunned at the work that has gone into this, a real ‘Phoenix from ashes’ story! Fantastic work! The RAF Museum should be ashamed that they did not identify this aircraft earlier as this should be at Hendon. There was one other genuine former ‘Black Arrows’ Hunter in the UK right up to the early 90s. This was XE653 that was used as a ground instructional airframe at Scampton and actually painted in the same authentic Black Arrows scheme, so obviously it’s heritage had been recognised. Instead of keeping this one for the RAF Museum, what did the MoD do? Why sell it to Thunder City in South Africa!!!! Thank goodness that XG194 has been saved!

Thanks.

Static display Alan