Buccaneer to fly again in the UK….

Call me whatever you will, but was this thread not about XX885/G-HHAA? 😡

I do like the way that threads get turned into something that totally misses the point!!

They were the six that were kept for whatever reason, It wasn’t four as previously mentioned.

XT896, XT897,XT910,XV433,XV469 and XV487 were held in store until August 95.

all in store at 27MU until scrapped….. 8/95 😡 😡 😡 😡

😡

XT896, XT897,XT910,XV433,XV469 and XV487 were held in store until August 95.

I remember seeing all the engines laying outside one of the hangars at wattisham late in 92 when i went there to load XT907 ready for its journey to Chattenden in Kent. There were six phantoms at Shawbury until late august 95 when they were scrapped.

Well, the F4 that OFMC got, was active for a while after being delivered, in that is was reported that Mark H had taken her for a ‘walk’ around the DX taxiways on a few occasions, so if true I doubt that one had her mounts chopped.

Wasn’t there supposidly 4 x F4’s ‘in-store’ for possible future use as high speed target work by BAe after they had chopped the 3 x Lightnings..???
Or was that another of those fancifull yearnings of the rumour mill… 😀

I did say, a few K & M models escaped the mounting chop, OFMC’s being one of them..

I don’t think the JUK’s suffered the same fate because the Waddington one was complete with engines last time I saw it, probabley gone now???…..

I think the “4 in store” is a myth, would that it were true..I think I have traced the fates of all the M’s, K’s and Juk’s.

there were a number of Tiger’s and Firebirds at Conninsby but most have now been chopped or moved, Leaming’s have gone bar one allocated to a museum, Leuchars still has a couple including Black Mike, a very nice K model and there are still a number of gate guards about plus the firedump residents and range targets if any of them still exist.

regards the BAC111’s… that is what I was told at the time, I did say I was sceptical..
😡 😡 😡

I have video footage of Mark taking sis down the runway in the F4.

Did a hangar tour there July 03 and it was their intention to have her fly again even then, CAA permitting. Sadly I think Mark Hannas death hit the plans, but lets hope that they come to fruition.

The same situation exists with the Sukhoi. They’ll need CAA type approval for that as well. Its on the plan, but to the CAA its an unknown quantity. AFAIK she hasnt flown yet with HAA.

One of the best flybys i’ve ever seen was by a Bucc, barrel rolled at 100 ft along the centreline of the runway at Teesside many years ago…. sigh

Pls bear in mind these photos are 2 years old.

Phil.

I don’t believe the SU-22 has ever flown in HHA ownership and I don’t forsee her flying for a while.

For info on the HHA S-22 see http://www.hunterteam.com/sukoi-22-M4_tech_specs.htm

The website doesn’t make it clear whether or not the aircraft has flown with them since it was delivered in 1999, but seeing as they advertise it as available for defence simulations etc. with 10 hardpoints and supersonic capability, I would have thought it was able to fly. HHA point out that as it was surplus to German airforce requirements after reunification, it was stored in airworthy condition for some time making it their youngest airframe and the one with the fewest flying hours.

Sadly it doesn’t look like it’s available for airshow displays at the moment at any rate. I emailed HHA and they got back to me very promptly, so if you wanted to know if the S-22 was flying, when and where etc. I imagine they would let you know.

Matt

Phil – where are you – as a former FGR2 cockpiter (first in the UK?) can you enlighten?

TT

The aircraft scrapped at Wattisham certainly had their engine mounts cut out and verified by Whitehall. The funding issue for the Phantom programme is the cause of the ‘difficulties’ that museums had in trying to acquire examples. However that shouldn’t apply to the post Falklands ‘J’s that were acquired. There are certainly a small number of cockpits around but in all fairness once the cockpit has been ‘amputated’ I don’t really think they fall within the Ministry’s scope! There are plenty of other Phantoms around the world which are easily available on the market to anyone who wants them – it’s long over due that the Ministry gets a grip of the problem and lets the remainder go to museums that can look after them inside.

Err what Chinese BAC-111 fleet?

I remember trying to buy a F-4 cockpit from the MOD disposal people at the time and being told that under the CFE arms reduction treaty, disposal of F-4s could only take place to designated scrap dealers.

We all probably remember the sad destruction of the tiger painted F-4 🙁 and there were stories at that time that cockpits that had escaped the net were being recalled.

China had a licence to build afterburning Speys so unless they didn’t want them, there wasn’t a lot of point in removing the burners.

Constraints applied by US were…

1] had to be sold to another air arm
2] retained on MOD property
3] delivered to “Official” museums.. so Bruntingthorpe can’t have one.
4] scrapped….

However I do believe a couple have slipped the net but not sure, if so good luck to their new owners, and don’t tell the yanks, we lost one because someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut.

Am reliably informed by a friend at RAF Waddington, that his team personally cut the engine mountings out of all but 2 or 3 of the RAF’s F4 K’s and M’s that were till in one peice in the mid ’90’s…. also majority of the RR Speys were sold to China (know thats true cause I saw 93 of them in a hangar down south awaiting shipping some years ago) reputedly (minus burners) for their BAC111 fleet, ‘though that sounds a bit far fetched to me, even for the Chinese.

😡

Chinese 1-11’s? Not sure if any ever went there. Tridents are a different matter though.

J man

Well, the F4 that OFMC got, was active for a while after being delivered, in that is was reported that Mark H had taken her for a ‘walk’ around the DX taxiways on a few occasions, so if true I doubt that one had her mounts chopped.

Wasn’t there supposidly 4 x F4’s ‘in-store’ for possible future use as high speed target work by BAe after they had chopped the 3 x Lightnings..???
Or was that another of those fancifull yearnings of the rumour mill… 😀

On a similar note are there any ex-RAF F4’s out there that could be put back in the sky and operated in a similar manner – ie a revenue earner. I recall the US placed certain constraints on the use of F4s after the RAF had used them… any ideas?

Constraints applied by US were…

1] had to be sold to another air arm
2] retained on MOD property
3] delivered to “Official” museums.. so Bruntingthorpe can’t have one.
4] scrapped….

However I do believe a couple have slipped the net but not sure, if so good luck to their new owners, and don’t tell the yanks, we lost one because someone couldn’t keep their mouth shut.

Am reliably informed by a friend at RAF Waddington, that his team personally cut the engine mountings out of all but 2 or 3 of the RAF’s F4 K’s and M’s that were till in one peice in the mid ’90’s…. also majority of the RR Speys were sold to China (know thats true cause I saw 93 of them in a hangar down south awaiting shipping some years ago) reputedly (minus burners) for their BAC111 fleet, ‘though that sounds a bit far fetched to me, even for the Chinese.

😡

On a similar note are there any ex-RAF F4’s out there that could be put back in the sky and operated in a similar manner – ie a revenue earner. I recall the US placed certain constraints on the use of F4s after the RAF had used them… any ideas?

I don’t believe the SU-22 has ever flown in HHA ownership and I don’t forsee her flying for a while.

Hawker Hunter Aviation operate Hunters, a Sukhoi S22 and now the Bucc to participate in training with the RAF and others, to save the cost of using modern aircraft. Thay also do airshow appearances – a Bucc flying UK airshows would be very welcome…

How often do these aircraft fly from Scampton? Love to see the SU22 in the air, I have only ever seen one of their Hunters. Presumably they depart out to the ranges for their threat simulation work with the RAF.