Cosford's F111

They moved in from Keflavik a little while ago ,and they’re USAF MH60 Pave Hawks rather than Army Black Hawks. CH53s departed a long time ago, big choppers (ooh er missus) at Mildy are MH53M Pave Low IIIs and will remain in situ. The MH60 re-location to LN is a little odd with a better special ops infrastructure at Mildy… 🙁

The HH60’s at Lakenheath are primarily roled as SAR but are not used as such yet. They aren’t really special ops machines although are equipped with guns at the moment. Being here rather than down the road was following a detailed assessment and that is why they are here…
(I hinted at such things on post 22)

There are still F-15C too

Moggy

And a couple of “D’s” too 😀

aaah i see, they keep flying over where i live (just up the road from lakenheath), and i wasn’t sure if they were visitors or just in for an exercise.

are they based at lakenheath, or have they taken over from the CH-53’s at mildenhall?

They moved in from Keflavik a little while ago ,and they’re USAF MH60 Pave Hawks rather than Army Black Hawks. CH53s departed a long time ago, big choppers (ooh er missus) at Mildy are MH53M Pave Low IIIs and will remain in situ. The MH60 re-location to LN is a little odd with a better special ops infrastructure at Mildy.. oh hum…

Oh and BTW, the F5E on Alconbury’s gate is a plastic replica 🙁

Re canopy clouding. When I first went to duxford in the early 90’s, you could see inside the F111 pod no problem and when I went a few weeks ago, it was all clouded over. Some kind of chemical/UV reaction perhaps?

Paul

It must be an F-111 thing. The one on a pole at Lakenheath has also discoloured canopy glazing.

Absolutely true … but I think there is one inside the base at Alconbury to this day … try Google Earth!

Yep. There is still an A-10 at Alconbury……80-0219/AR. It’s located on the USAF side of the base but difficult to see from the outside though.
Regards.

Graham

Cosfords 111 looks great! Would look even better with replacement canopy sections for the ones that are clouded over?

If they did that then my Airfix kit wouldn’t look right :p :p .

John.

And it’s hangar not hanger.

In my opinion it is neither a hanger or a hangar it is an exhibition building.

Roger Smith.

Not lots – only one or two from a contingency of 4-5 that now live here… 😀
Trust me. 😉

aaah i see, they keep flying over where i live (just up the road from lakenheath), and i wasn’t sure if they were visitors or just in for an exercise.

are they based at lakenheath, or have they taken over from the CH-53’s at mildenhall?

I meant Alconbury

I meant alconbury – who maintains them I thought it was shut

There was never an A-10 gate guard at Bentwaters……..or any other gate guard either 🙂
Regards.

Graham

Absolutely true … but I think there is one inside the base at Alconbury to this day … try Google Earth!

Cosfords 111 looks great! Would look even better with replacement canopy sections for the ones that are clouded over?

just to avoid any confusion, its off the A 1065, not the A11.

(lots of blackhwks been in and out of lakenheath the last few weeks, fitted with refueling probes.)

Not lots – only one or two from a contingency of 4-5 that now live here… 😀
Trust me. 😉

And it’s hangar not hanger.

And has a very good public viewing area at the end of the runway. from the A11, drive past the main gate, continue around the perimeter, and then it is signposted off to the left. It is nice and close to the action and fairly active during the week.

just to avoid any confusion, its off the A 1065, not the A11.

(lots of blackhwks been in and out of lakenheath the last few weeks, fitted with refueling probes.)

who maintains the aircraft at Lakenheath I thought it had closed?

What happened to the A10 that used to guard Bentwaters?

There was never an A-10 gate guard at Bentwaters……..or any other gate guard either 🙂
Regards.

Graham

Cosfords F111 is back outside again today (Mon 290506), not for much longer by the way it was parked outside the new hanger though.

The cosford F-111 is an ex Lakenheath example. And the SR-71 at DX did indeed fly from Mildenhall during it’s service. This actual F-111F took part in El Dorado Canyon as Jewel 63, It’s target was a terrorist training camp at Sidi Bilal west of Tripoli. It was one of only four aircraft to get a direct hit that night. It was also one of 67 deployed to the Gulf in 1990.

thought i read somewhere that the Cosford 111 is a genuine Lackenheath airframe and Duxfords 71 never flew from the hall?

The ‘Mildenhall’ SR is actually in the AAM at Duxford…