30 years since the Falklands conflict, Any bits out there?

Weren’t there a few Pumas that were taken, no idea if they would have been used or ended up as hangar queens? Or did they all get destroyed?

The ex-Argentine Coastguard Puma was eventually rebuilt as an HC1 as ZE449, and joined the RAF in 2001 (after being used as a ground instruction airframe for several years). Served in Iraq amongst other places. Badly damaged in a crash in 2009.

The ex-Argentine Chinook was also used for ground instruction purposes (Loadmaster training was one IIRC) before rear parts of it were used in the rebuild of ZA704. (It had been given an RAF serial (ZH257) in anticipation of a full rebuild at one stage.) IIRC the fuselage is still used at Odiham for GI.

In addition to the ex-Argentine A109s used for 25 years by the AAC, a couple of other ex-Argentine aircraft were then ‘reused’ for various purposes (which also fit into the ‘thread about ex-Museum airframes being re-used).

The comopsite MB339 at one stage at Yeovilton was given to Rolls Royce for intergration trials as part of the submission for the US JPATS contest. It’s authentic colour scheme was replaced by a red and white one. I beleive RR Heritage Trust at Derby has it now.

Huey AE-406 is used as a ground trainer at Valley, having been at MAF at Middle Wallop at one stage. Never seen a pic of it since it left MW.

In the IWM Photo collection – search under Falklands – several pics of crashed aircraft lying around…

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=falklands&items_per_page=10&page=1&submit=

We had an OC Ops at Mawgan who was on that ‘infamous’ Vulcan flight to Rio, his reciting of events was very interesting!

I bet it was. Once I met former NavW on XM597, Dave Castle, he gave a pretty interesting wee spiel on the raid. Fascinating stuff.

April 2nd will be the 30th anniversary of this conflict. It got me wondering if there are any Aviation bits out there in collectorland ? Harrier GR1 etc.

Show and Tell ?

Hi TA,

Have a look at the Doncaster AeroVenture’s website!!! www.aeroventure.org ,on there is a Falkland’s War Exhibition heading & on the exhibit’s listing, where you’ll find Falkland’s veterans Gazelle XX411, Seaking XV677, two Scouts, A Wessex sent down as a replacement for one of those lost & for AFV fans a Centurion BARV.

Along with this is a nice display of artifacts etc in the Hangar, plus other representitive aircraft types i.e. Vulcan & Nimrod cockpits & a Harrier GR3.

I hope this helps

Regards Rad.

Sitting on the cliffs above Plymouth Sound watching Harriers doing touch & goes on the ramp at the back of the Atlantic Conveyor….

Filling the freight containers on either side of the decks with civgas and avgas, no smoking call when pipe system was tested, but no one mentioned welding which was still happening lol… Believe one ruptured in bay of biscay and flooded the decks in petrol, other ones went later..
Lot of stuff loaded out at sea as if it had gone bang it would have took the port with it.

Yup
Odious cleared up a lot of inventories with its sinking…. Plus as a Civi ship it had a bar, guys were cashing cheques on way south and enjoying the bar…. When it sank so did the cheques 😀

And being part of the MoD “loss problem”.
Everything that couldn’t be accounted for on the Falkland Is was said to have “gone down with the Atlantic Conveyor”. I defy any Stores Officer to deny this! And I can give chapter, verse, and line, for some of the more blatant. You think I’m joking? Makes fiddling Met Office Stores vouchers look like child’s play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Resmoroh

There are plenty of items in the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the Atmy Air Corps Museum.

I was surprised when I was taken to the Museum of Army Flying’s deep store on Middle Wallop camp, the floor was covered in Blackburn Bombadier parts and Chipmunk control locks had been breeding in the dark but what amazed me most were the pile of Pucara parts and weapons pods. Some of the parts were the bits that had fallen off the two Pucara that the museum had on display outdoors, before the were disposed of (because bits were falling off), whilst others parts like rocket pods and airframe parts were as the day they came off the boat back from the Falklands. The museum has an ex Argentinian Huey on display and it also has another ex Argentinian helicopter in store but the Director of Special Forces won’t let it go on public display:mad:

Ahhhh that long ago, remember it as it was yesterday, seeing my mates off to war and seeing them back.

Sitting on the cliffs above Plymouth Sound watching Harriers doing touch & goes on the ramp at the back of the Atlantic Conveyor….

Yeah, plenty,
But none that you’d believe!
Resmoroh

Also one of the G-Wagons is at Cosford near the Pucara that came back in the captured Chinook. 18 used it in RAFG as the Sqn runabout, I seem to remember Mercedes wanted it back as Argentina hadn’t paid for it, but we’re referred to Argentina for payment.