Charlwood Harrier Wrecks

damn you caught me 😮 already seen that, kind of looking for something you can power up, so you can actually feel it alive. i have this mentality that all ex military aircraft should be saved no matter what the cost, they have all served the country, and many meet a rotten fate.

watch this space, i intend to own my own museum one day, with an example of every ex Raf aircraft since the cold war in it! 😀

Just an idea…….

…on a lighter note, i was just wondering how these companies come by these airframes, i mean is it something they are contracted to do? and do they buy them as scrap value?

…how much do they sell them for, im sure my mother can clear some space for one on the back field

Ben,

Me thinks your itching to have something yourself… correct ?

Why not try a Chippax….

http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZmickQ5f4QQssPageNameZSTRKQ3aMEWAQ3aMESOI

😀

The problem with the “urban explorers” is that their actions are not done in isolation and could encourage others to do the same with potentialy disasterous consequences. I fail to see any justification to enter private property just because you want a look at something. I also fail to see any justification in the “it’s left to rot so we should do it” argument. There may be many reasons why it is not open to the public – health & safety is the first obvious point.

A friend of mine has a vintage sports car that is slowly rotting because he bought it but doesn’t have the time to restore it at the moment – not sure if he would be too chuffed if someone broke into his garage to alert the world to this injustice. If it’s not yours leave it alone!

i fail to see the difference, your house is off limits until you invite someone in, the lock on your front door is to stop people from gaining entry when they haven’t been invited. so, the people who have used boltcutters at long marston, are essentially the same as the sort of people who would use sledgehammers for example, to gain access to someones house via via a locked front door. it matters not wether these people take anything it is still gaining entry via unlawful means to someone elses property!

on a lighter note, i was just wondering how these companies come by these airframes, i mean is it something they are contracted to do? and do they buy them as scrap value?

Nashio – my perception of fences and locks is that it’s there to safeguard someone’s property. For instance I have a front door lock – it’s not to keep everyone out – just those that don’t ask to come in!

Tillerman – the reality is that there is a contact number for the collection.
It’s not a matter that the aircraft are off limits – indeed the urban explorers are not actually getting into an area which is off limits – they are just entering without permission thats all.

isn’t that generally the same thing? when i met one of the owners he had told me that boltcutters have been used on the padlock on the gate more than once. generally padlocked gates and 8 foot high fences topped with barbed wire means that an area is off limit doesn’t it?

Tillerman – the reality is that there is a contact number for the collection.
It’s not a matter that the aircraft are off limits – indeed the urban explorers are not actually getting into an area which is off limits – they are just entering without permission thats all.

hmm good point

Pardon my ignorance, but who are the b@stard@s here, actually? The people who own this ‘museum’ and let it rot into oblivion, or the people who take pictures there? Is climbing over the fence, looking around (I know, I know, it’s not legal) and take pictures so that we can see what is is rotting there in the weeds worse than denying enthusiasts access to have a look in exchange for a small fee which can secure the maintenance for these aircraft? Won’t we all walk around there for a few hours and breathe the atmosphere this forgotten museum has? I would!
I understand from several forums and publications that the owner won’t let anyone come near the aircraft, just for playing the game ‘I’ve got something you want and you can’t have it because it’s mine’. I don’t understand that attitude. But I think the pictures are great. Just remember: take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footsteps.

Tillerman.

when i first joined this forum, it was to find out more about the long marston collection. though my phonecall to one of the owners, didnt go quite as well as i had planned, i have actually met the chap who owns the meteor and the sea prince. and for matters that i am not going to go into, he did not want to do anything with these aircraft. they are his, lawfully as are all the rest of the aircraft in that compound the property of their owners. i for one am glad that at least for some short time they dont end up on the scrapheap, if indeed it seems that that is they way that they are going to go. i will be the first on site with a massive loan to buy every single one! i only wish i could do more to help, but i dont agree with people messing about with these aircraft, though being a teenager i fully understand the impulse to do so, as i have felt it many a time having been there to look at them quite often 🙁 the problem is that rarely do these people take just photographs, the lightning at binbrook is a prime example. a piece of her ended up on ebay not so long ago!

and shoot any of the bug9ers that came near

Pardon my ignorance, but who are the b@stard@s here, actually? The people who own this ‘museum’ and let it rot into oblivion, or the people who take pictures there? Is climbing over the fence, looking around (I know, I know, it’s not legal) and take pictures so that we can see what is is rotting there in the weeds worse than denying enthusiasts access to have a look in exchange for a small fee which can secure the maintenance for these aircraft? Won’t we all walk around there for a few hours and breathe the atmosphere this forgotten museum has? I would!
I understand from several forums and publications that the owner won’t let anyone come near the aircraft, just for playing the game ‘I’ve got something you want and you can’t have it because it’s mine’. I don’t understand that attitude. But I think the pictures are great. Just remember: take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footsteps.

Tillerman.

b8rstards, unfortunately due to being at university at the moment i can’t but if i could, i would camp at long marston and shoot any of the bug9ers that came near! i feel very strongly about the marston collection, and it is my fervent hope that they may see a brighter future!

as for the urban exporers getting into that yard, thats where ive seen these harriers before! again the whole camping and shooting theme springs to mind, having said that i wish i had the money to buy one, they can’t be that expensive can they???

cheers for the links 🙂

Ben

Ben,

I recall at least one thread where those urban explorer ‘people’ had ‘gained entry’ to the yard and posted photo’s on there own forum.

EDIT: Here you go…..

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=43840&

And i see they’ve been back to Long Marston, this time at night ~and~ have gained entry to the main workshop !!! 😮

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=23720

.

yeah, thats what sparked my interest 🙂 its always good to have more than one picture to look at, I am a nosy s0d though. thanks for the heads up though

Ben

http://www.demobbed.org.uk/ has pics on there at Charlwood showing one complete-ish SHAR ZE698. The others look stripped of spares

Have you checked out the Demobbed pages Ben?

if you do get close to them, could you possibly take some pictures? would be interesting to see what they are like 🙂

cheers

ben

There are a couple of complete SHARs which can be seen on Google earth, just on the western edge of Charlwood village. Also looks like an F4 fuselage there too. May have a look next week during my lunch hour.

how much do they sell them for, im sure my mother can clear some space for one on the back field 😀

Ben,

no offence taken, apologies if the reply was a little terse.
I was simply stating the facts. We would have loved to have received any of those airframes, however they are a commercial organisation after all. Plus with the problmes we have with the local council it may have made the situation more difficult.
I can also confirm that the “Jaguar” we have XX734 came from Aerospace Logistics. We were offered XX121 about 18 month ago, that offer has now been withdrawn. I have no idea why, again I assume that the company has decided to get more money for it. The Faygate yard does indeed belong them.

Peter Mills

The answer is simple, they are not linked to Gatwick Aviation Museum.

Most of the “Harrier Wrecks” are actually owned by a spares recovery company which just happens to be located in Charlwood.

The museum only has one airframe XV751 which is on display.

Peter Mills

sorry peter no offence intended, it was more out of hope for their survival that i considered/ hoped that they may be linked to GAM.

ben

I didnt realise that the former USAFE base at Bentwaters was being used to store and dismantle aircraft (see Jaguar section)
Good find that website, never seen it before.

I have a feeling the Faygate site is owned by aerospace logistics as well.

There are two very knackered harriers at fagate and a jaguar fuselage last time I looked, at charlwood there was two sea harriers and a jaguar that I saw.