Cold War Equivalent of the BBMF

I have the following reservations regarding the above list

Sorry to be so negsative, but past expeience gives me a jaundiced view

I never said it would be easy…:D

But since this as clearly a fantasy…I certainly don’t expect the RAF to open up its cheque book…I thought I’d make my list one with a bit more reality than some…
No clearly extinct types, or types like the Shack and Lightning the CAA seems to a bad opinion of.

Yes, I know there aren’t any airworthy Comets at the present time, but if the RAF wanted one bad enough, I’m sure there could be. After all look what an underfunded private group did with a Vulcan. Wouldn’t some critical spares come from the Nimrod fleet?

Likewise, with blades and other spares from the U.S., a Whirlwind is just a factor of money. I’d wager you could get one into the air for 100,000 pounds.

I’d guess any Harrier and Canberra projects would fall between these two examples in terms of cost and difficulty.

If you apply the same make up of the BBMF i.e. iconic bomber and fighter types of the period, then you are probably looking at a Vulcan, with Lightnings and Hunters of various marks.

Though ideally of course it would be one of everything!

Jon

Flying Canberra;

http://www.bywat.co.uk/canframes.html

Cold War memorial

My list would include…
trying to keep it down to a manageable few, so my criteria would be along the lines of public recognition…and airframes that are easily available.

Vulcan
Comet
Canberra
Metor
Hunter
Harrier
Whirlwind or Wessex…in recognition of their rescue work.

I have the following reservations regarding the above list

Vulcan
With the problems faced in getting XH558 in the air, are there any other Vulcans that are readily restorable to Flight Status. If so would the bean counters approve the necessary expenditure in the light of the problems experienced by “Vulcan tio the Sky”

Comet
Following the outcry when the last Comet “Canopus” was retired, nothing was achieved, and she passed into oblivion. Are there any more Comets that are remotely available to fly again

Canberra
I am not familiar with the number of Canberras that are operating on “Permits to Fly” or what is available for restoration to Flght Status

Hunter
There must be a few Hunters available

Meteor
There are several Meteors around, mainly NF variants, but an airworthy F8 would be a godsend

Harrier GR1/3
Apart from a Harrier being restored in the US. I cannot recall any other airworthy Harrier. It would probably be prohibitive to convert a pilot with non Harrier experience onto the type, and the pool of qualified pilots would slowly dry up on the rundown of the Task Force Harrie

Wessex/Whirlwind
An interesting inclusion but the more newsworthy Whirlwind is to all intents and pur[posesd extinct, so it would have to be a Wessex

All the foregoing presupposes that the necessary infrastructure to support this this project exists, but I fear that the bean counters will have their say, and as in previous occasions,and the heritage of the British Aircraft Industry will be buried.

Sorry to be so negsative, but past expeience gives me a jaundiced view

Cold war

Dear Curly Boy,
if you had seen the ops room chart on soviet submarine dispositions around the UK (or the USA for that matter)in the early 60s you might reconsider your words.It may look like posturing to you but it was serious business for those who flew every day.It was a battle,to combat the soviets who would love to have turned the rest of Europe red .dont forget that!! I also would love to see a shackelton airborne in the UK along with the restored Vulcan!!

The RAF wouldn’t have to involve the CAA if it was operated as a military aircraft.

In reality could they all be operated as military aircraft and leave the civvies out of it?

Memorial Flights

But for me i would rather have a cold war Royal Navy Memorial Flight.. far more interesting.;):p

To paraphrase Ms Mandy Rice-Davies “Well you would, wouldn’t you”

(especially if you work for the Grey Funnel Line)

The RAF wouldn’t have to involve the CAA if it was operated as a military aircraft.

A near perfect selection but I think a Lightning would need to be added to make it complete.

I gave it serious consideration…it’s a unique all-British aircraft.
But in the end, I figured the RAF would acquiesce to the CAA.

My list would include…
trying to keep it down to a manageable few, so my criteria would be along the lines of public recognition…and airframes that are easily available.

Vulcan
Comet
Canberra
Metor
Hunter
Harrier
Whirlwind or Wessex…in recognition of their rescue work.

A near perfect selection but I think a Lightning would need to be added to make it complete.

My list would include…
trying to keep it down to a manageable few, so my criteria would be along the lines of public recognition…and airframes that are easily available.

Vulcan
Comet
Canberra
Metor
Hunter
Harrier
Whirlwind or Wessex…in recognition of their rescue work.

Some might say Harrier GR.3

Victor, Vulcan or Shackleton AEW leading.. after that the list is probably endless. Phantom, Lightning, Hunter, Canberra, Buccaneer, Javelin, Meteor, Vampire to name but a few.

Why not an MR Shack? They were used for longer and much more extensively than the AEW variant…

Ahem! No-ones mentioned the Jag, 34 years front line service must make it worthy of inclusion:D

Such a formation is already available should an airshow organiser be prepared to pay for it. The Vulcan has flown a formation with the Dutch Hunter at Volkel, so why not repeat the preformance in the UK, there are enough UK based Hunters around and I would exect their owners would be only to pleased to be paid for their services. Air Atlantique has been mentioned, excepting the usual servicablity issues they could provide Canberra, Meteor and Venom, but at what cost ? I suspect the interfering hand of the CAA would also have a say in flying such interesting formations.

There is one. The Air Atlantique Classic Flight’s Pembroke for a start. I suppose dependent on date tou could include their Meteor and Vampire/Venom? I believe the Pembroke has an actual operational history from the Cold War. I’m sure Will J could tell us a lot more.

Regards,

kev35

I might as well say it first, why would they bother, the BBMF has a mission to remember a battle (and war) to which the fate of the country (if not human civilization) was at stake where the cold war was 40 years of political posturing that really served little purpose but to panic Joe public into thinking the A bomb was falling and you just have to wait for it to go off.

But in a hypothetical sense only i think you would be very limited in what you could display as mentioned Hunter, Lightning, Phantom for the fighters and a Vulcan or Victor (would be great) for the bombers but would probably be a canberra as they are cheaper to operate.

curlyboy

Victor, Vulcan or Shackleton AEW or MR leading.. after that the list is probably endless. Phantom, Lightning, Hunter, Canberra, Buccaneer, Javelin, Meteor, Vampire to name but a few.
But for me i would rather have a cold war Royal Navy Memorial Flight.. far more interesting.;):p

Vulcan:D

Garry

Phantom & Lightning of course:cool: