Sywell Aviation Museum's new Airframe…official gen!

Sywell Aviation Museum – The Day of the Hunter!

On the 2nd August 2012 Sywell Aviation Museum took delivery of its first complete airframe. Hawker Hunter F.2 WN904. This machine is the only complete F.2 variant of this successful British jet left worldwide. Built in 1953 she saw squadron service exclusively with 257 Squadron at Wattisham. By 1958 she had retired and in the 1960s was transferred via various organisations to the nascent Imperial War Museum, Duxford where she was displayed prior to her transfer as a gate guardian to RAF Waterbeach. Cambs. Returned to Duxford in 1997/98 for a spruce up she again took up guard duties at the base. With the army leaving Waterbeach this year,the site is to close and be turned into housing. Initially on loan from the IWM the Hunter has a rosy future at Sywell and is in excellent overall condition. She wears 1 Sqn and 56 Sqn markingsand at present there are no plans to change these until a future repaint at the Museum. The Museum commented ‘ we are absolutely over the moon that we were able to secure our first airframe for Sywell. We are incredibly grateful to the staff at IWM Duxford who have simply been amazing – especially John Delaney, Emily Dodd and Jon White – we also must thank the lads from Welch’s Specialist Movements who did an great job in transporting her safely to us. The Hunter means a huge amount to us – and her arrival is a terrific compliment to the Museum!’. The Museum is very keen to secure some photographs of her in service – if you can help, please get in touch!

The Hunter will of course be available for viewing at the forthcoming Sywell Airshow on the 19th August 2012. For more information on the Museum please see http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/museum.php, email [email]sywellaviationmuseum@gmail.com[/email] or call Ben Brown on 07968061708.

I will leave Mr Burke to add his photos mainly cos I is crap at taking them and well, he isnt!

TT