Looking for UK based Nord 1203 Norecrin

I’d say that I’m surprised how little further deterioration in condition appears to have been suffered by G-BHXJ over the fourteen plus years since it was last mentioned here. Compare that to F-BBKX on the outskirts of Poitiers (photograph below also dating from 2008).

Nord this week.  Looking at bit rough in this drone footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqZDNF_5fsk&ab_channel=MavisTheDrone

Noralpha

Ok, it’s not a Norecrin but a Noralpha and its not in the UK but in France – but it’s beautiful, nonetheless. So here’s an image of F-AZVV – one of the two Niort based Noralphas – taken yesterday. Having regard to all the ground tests to which it was being subjected, maybe it was its start of season ‘shakedown’ flight. Still it was a privilege to watch it taxiing across the grass from the old hangars to the runway and watching it fly ‘touch and go’ circuits. Maybe next time the other Noralpha, F-AZYV, will be up and about!

G-BHXJ 1986
‘…now displayed at Camp Hill Activity Centre Carthorpe Yorks on an island in a lake in a crash scene.’
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1038365/

GE 54°14’4.38″N, 1°32’27.74″W

Can it really be said of any vintage aeroplane that it is “damaged beyond repair” (q.v. the A-B website page) at least without the word ‘economical’ being inserted after ‘beyond’? The second image does not suggest that she is no more than a crumpled piece of metal. It does seem a shame that a fine French aeroplane, now at least 60 years old, should be stuck on an artificial island as, presumably, some sort of novelty visitor attraction. Couldn’t they have found one of the numerous Spitfire replicas to dump there instead (says he, ducking below the parapet!). Anyhow does anyone have an image which shows her condition today, sitting in the open air surounded by water? I would hazard a guess that it is worse than when she arrived there and that it will not improve with the passage of time. Given enough time, presumably she will become one for the scrappy!

G-BHXJ 1986
‘…now displayed at Camp Hill Activity Centre Carthorpe Yorks on an island in a lake in a crash scene.’
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1038365/

GE 54°14’4.38″N, 1°32’27.74″W

Two of the UK registered examples do however survive as grounded relics i.e. G-BHXJ believe still at Camp Hill Activity Centre at Cathorpe in Yorkshire (Tel 01845 567788) and the other G-BEDB at Chirk (ex airstrip) near Oswetry – where John Pearce has several Rapides stored. I’m not sure of the current status of these Norecrin airframes – I seem to recall that the Chirk one at least may now have moved on.

It seems that there are none in the G reg.

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=searchnoresult

There has been 3 registred, but all were de-registered around 1991.