Gate Guardian for Leconfield?(old thread 2008)

…. in post number 14 eye4wings mentioned he’d seen the Airfix Hunter at Eaglescott on Google Earth panoramas

Not the same Hunter. The ‘Airfix’ example is ex-Chivenor gate guard F.6 XF509 now at Fort Paull , while the Eaglescott example is a GA.11 WT744 which has been sold and moved on. Google caught it during the dissassembly process.

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The panels (and other odds) are gone, seats are there though, as are the sticks and grips which are heavily corroded.
I’m guessing the ATC may have kept the panels as training aids as being a gateguard they won’t be seen, or they are travelling seperately (treat like eggs!)

I didn’t have my camera with, so apologies for phone camera images!

Thanks for the piccies pagen01. I hope the instrument panels do make their way back to this T7, as they are part of it!

Apart from the missing engines, it is very complete though, with all the cockpit fittings, seats, controls present.

The panels (and other odds) are gone, seats are there though, as are the sticks and grips which are heavily corroded.
I’m guessing the ATC may have kept the panels as training aids as being a gateguard they won’t be seen, or they are travelling seperately (treat like eggs!)

I didn’t have my camera with, so apologies for phone camera images!

Speaking to some personnel at the unit not long ago revealed that it was starting to suffer somewhat .

It has been since the 80’s! From the elements and “tinkering”.

It has seen lots of attention over the years from people with the best of intentions, who dismantle stuff only for it to be damaged in the process. There had been a lot of drilling out of panel access screws, but leaving the threaded portion in the captive nut. Once the panels were removed, some bright spark at one point simply cut down some countersink screw heads, and then when replacing the panels simply glued them back in the holes!

As it usual with Meteors though, the main spars in the U/C bays where the dissimilar metals join each other (ali and steel) there is some corrosion.

It has been kept clean and tidy, with an attempt to repaint it, but unfortunately in inaccurate RAF markings.

Apart from the missing engines, it is very complete though, with all the cockpit fittings, seats, controls present.

If the RAF put a good restoration team on this, I’m sure it will be a fine looking gate guard at Leconfield.

The Meteor is here with JARTS at the moment, looks pretty sound really, bit ‘green’ on some upper surfaces, and a little frilly around some edges, but I have seen alot worse!

Reminds me of a Leconfield legend, i’d assume in the 1950’s:

AOC was due to visit so the entire station was lined up on the apron. As the AOC set up on finals in his meteor, the whole ensemble turned to watch. AOC then nose-dives into the ground at the runway threshold and the remains of the aircraft turn into a fireball. This was bad, but what was worse is that the whole compliment of station fire crews were also on parade in their best blues half a mile from the nearest fire engine….. I’d have loved to see the SWO’s face…..

Credit due to the Chelmsford ATC. Could they not be given a cockpit section as a reward, something like a Jaguar should be easy enought to store and maintain ?

Speaking to some personnel at the unit not long ago revealed that it was starting to suffer somewhat .

Seems a shame that Chelmsford have lost the Meteor that they have looked after for so long. It is to their credit that it has been deemed good enough to be moved on when, in the past, so many ATC airframes have landed up as scrap due to lack of manpower or funds to maintain them.
By the way before anyone asks – from memory I believe it is WH132

Historic Leconfield

Thats the Meteor I was thinking about so yes, I guess by the time most people read this it would have arrived…

I read on another forum today that the Meteor T.7 from Chelmsford in Essex which was under care of the local A.T.C was noted loaded up on a lorry today and departed.
So could be on its way to Leconfield ?

Ah, I see, thanks Simon!
This ‘putor won’t open your last link as it’s over protective!

No worries!

Ah, I see, thanks Simon!
This ‘putor won’t open your last link as it’s over protective!

Ercoupe VX147 was trialled by the AM late ’40s – early ’50s, possibly for an RAF trainer requirement.
It was in a highly polished bare metal scheme.
Has someone recreated this scheme on a current aircraft then, I’m confused about the link to Leconfield?

To quote the thread I linked to: About ten years ago G-AVIL was painted in the RAF livery.

http://www.suffolkcoastalstrut.org.uk/boxted/2005/photos/g-avil_01.jpg

And the link to this thread is that in post number 14 eye4wings mentioned he’d seen the Airfix Hunter at Eaglescott on Google Earth panoramas, and then asked in post 17 about the Ercoupe that was also there in the RAF livery.

Sorry for any confusion caused. 🙂

Ercoupe VX147 was trialled by the AM late ’40s – early ’50s, possibly for an RAF trainer requirement.
It was in a highly polished bare metal scheme.
Has someone recreated this scheme on a current aircraft then, I’m confused about the link to Leconfield?

Another thing I noticed was the presence (at least on the day the Google van passed) of a silver Ercoupe sporting RAF roundels. Really? I didn’t know the RAF ever used them… or is someone having a laugh?

Google is your friend 🙂 :

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=78428

http://www.tinfeathers.com/OldAC/Moore3/VX147_11.jpg

Simon

Thanks LL, I was aware of the age of the thread and thought it better to get the information linked into past thread rather than ask as a new one. Just catching up. Couldn’t find out that info by using the search function.
That tells me that even what I thought recently added panoramas on Google Earth are at least three years old. The map shows it tail-less on the field.

Being engineless I assume it’s being used for static display only.

Another thing I noticed was the presence (at least on the day the Google van passed) of a silver Ercoupe sporting RAF roundels. Really? I didn’t know the RAF ever used them… or is someone having a laugh?

As far as I’m aware, Leconfield is getting an ex-ATC Meteor T7 gate guard!

restored at Fort Paul, Hull. This thread is 2 years old…. 😉

Okay guys,
I see from the Google Earth panoramas that the Hunter was being dismantled as the photo van passed Eaglescott. The wings are laid out on the car park, one with a main leg pointing skyward.
Anyone know what’s happening to her?
Restoration? (One hopes).