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Comet XK655 arrival Strathallan 1974

Just discovered that video of the arrival of XK655 at Strathallan has been put on Youtube. Following its undercarriage collapse the aircraft was repaired and opened to the public as a museum within a museum. Later sadly scrapped but the nose section survives at the Al-Mahatta Museum, Sharjah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekuifaPL9mg

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By: l.garey - 27th January 2020 at 14:24

Thanks for the newspaper cuttings Mothminor. I liked the “caught in a down-draught” and, “It won’t take much repairing”. 

I had not realised before seeing the film clips that the undercarriage was totally ripped off! Quite a down-draught!

Laurence

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By: Mothminor - 26th January 2020 at 16:32

Hi Longshot, I’ve put a newspaper report of the landing below (hopefully it’s readable. Please excuse the old tape marks!). As TonyT says the “stony ground” was, I think, part of a buried wall. Iirc, there was also a mention that the ever-present rabbits may have been at work in that area. Whatever the cause, the situation was very well handled with the pilot managing to avoid the hangar to the right and a house to the left of the narrow runway.

Laurence, thanks for the link to your webpage. It makes very interesting reading 🙂

 

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By: longshot - 26th January 2020 at 15:15

Landing on grass and the starboard right leg dug in??

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By: l.garey - 26th January 2020 at 08:55

Thanks Mothminor. I’ve not seen those clips before. Last time I was at Al Mahatta the nose was still a major attraction. I note that in the comment under the youtube post it states that the nose is at Sharjah International Airport. The Al Mahatta Museum is in fact on the site of the old RAF Sharjah, now in the middle of town. https://sites.google.com/site/lgarey/rafsharjah%2Calmahattamuseum

Laurence

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By: TonyT - 25th January 2020 at 19:34

That was the buried wall if I remember correctly, knew a guy in it, the abandon ship was given and they were already doing it.

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