Hanninfield Metals Time Capsule

Was either the chap who owned the TSR2 section or who had the photo a certain Mr M Wilkes-Wiseman of Epic Aviation?

He claimed to me that he had both but I never saw either. I’ve always been intrigued by his story.

There were large chunks of TSR2 still around the test ranges in Essex at that time

Met a chap who claimed he owned half a TSR 2 but it was radioactive as a result of the weapons tested on it! Guess his son inherited it along with the rest of his collection. He died some years back. Also knew a chap who had photo evidence of large chunks of TSR2 still in existence in the early 90’s none of which was in a national museum. Last cockpit I saw that went through hanningfields was XT272

Agree with you, not long after Graham stepped back customer service attitude waned somewhat, and following a very uncalled for and insolent comment during one visit I left and never returned. By that stage anyway stuff had ceased coming in, anything of interest was mostly not for sale or imaginitive prices. A shame, but I at least caught the last of it. There were also a few interesting occasions that occured with the MOD and them during those times, one time a scrap filing cabinet came out of the skip with classified documents in, others involving idiots contacting companies like Ferranti etc after they had bought bits of scrap equipment, asking for information on it

I bought the odd thing from HM, or should I say everything I bought was odd! Graham was a great bloke, not greedy and hard working, when he retired (well into his 70’s) it went down hill fast; turns out his attributes were a necessary part of the business.
I’ll give Steve his due, when the Blackburn B2 resurfaced the chap offered the whole lot (including an oil painting of the A/C) to him, he passed the whole shooting match onto me gratis, (although the actual fuselage was located in Cambridgeshire and needed collecting ASAP)

I wonder if these parts were picked up by John Hallett? I’ve been informed that he had some TSR2 surfaces in storage at one point in time.

Hi Meddle,

I helped dismantle/transport the Birmingham Meteor WD646 to North Weald, around 1990-91. I first met Steve around this time, and visited a couple of sites that were due to be cleared of aircraft wreckage with his team. One site in Essex now long gone (not Foulness) had been used as a test establishment. We saw some smaller TSR2 parts including part of an elevator or fin, being the most recognisable.

XR219, XR221 and XR223 all went to Shoeburyness, were mostly complete, and all left again at some point. I do wonder where they wound up if they didn’t go through Hanningfield Metals. Luckily this means I can save my trip in the time machine to return something else instead!

I “discovered” Hanningfield Metals late in the day but still managed to acquire a few great parts. Regarding Junk Collector’s comments, above, about the Foulness F-4J’s; I was fortunate in being able to save one of them (ZE352), which I still have, though not yet restored. The other (ZE350) went to another Forum member before being moved on and is also still extant.

Got some nice data plates from engines, including from a couple of the ex-F-4J(UK) J-79 engines and a Tyne. Also a few original F-4J seat buckets, which seemed to be there for ages as no-one appeared to want them. There was tons of other stuff besides.

My “other” Phantom – XV490 – originated from there, too, though before I was directly involved with it and the subject of some controversy at the time.

Anon.

So if we could time warp back what is the thing you would say ” I should of bought that”

Not being from Bristol, I think I’d say “I should have bought that…”

Bits of the structure of XH980 were poor, but I’ve restored worse. Wish it had been saved. Don’t forget the Tunisian sand and props!

Thx TEEJ, thought it was one of them.

I had many happy days at Hanningfields, all the stuff mentioned here plus some wheels allegedly off a Demon but definitely pre war of about that size. Several Victors and Vulcans and the gun pod of the Canberra B(I)8 now preserved in Germany sans gun pod. Lots of AFVs and vehicles too. If I can find some photos I’ll try to scan them in and post them. XH980 mentioned by Tony was typical of what often happened there. That and the Stafford Javelin were scrapped at Hanningfileds but bth were the subjects of requests for them from museums. In botth cases Steve and Graham hung on as long as they could but no one from the museums did anything concrete so both were scrapped. I have some panels from the cockpit of XH980 removed minutes before the hydraulic cutter started work on it, long way from being rotten, they just looked bad having been painted grey while at West Raynham. Steve never mentioned XR219 and I’m sure he would have if he’d had it. He did clear some stuff from Shoeburyness and mentioned seeing a complete TSR2 in one of the sheds while XR219 was outside being shot at.

Tony, Nothing in the UK inventory came under SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks). SALT was only between US and USSR. The RAF F-4s came under the CFE Treaty (Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty). The CFE Treaty covers combat aircraft not assigned to a strategic mission. For example RAF Lakenheath and their F-15s are subject to inspection under the CFE Treaty. Even F-111s didn’t come under SALT or START.

The linking of F-4s and other fighter-bomber/bomber types, with SALT stems from the initial talks during the late 1960s. The Soviets wanted to include forward based types and especially those deployed on aircraft carriers. The talks resulting in treaties being signed only included heavy strategic bombers such as the Tu-95 and B-52, Later treaties included newer heavy strategic platforms such as Tu-160 and B-2. See following on initial SALT disagreements.

http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/salt1/intro.htm

Two initial disagreements presented obstacles. The Soviet representatives sought to define as “strategic” — i.e., negotiable in SALT– any U.S. or Soviet weapons system capable of reaching the territory of the other side. This would have included U.S. “forward-based systems,” chiefly short-range or medium-range bombers on aircraft carriers or based in Europe, but it would have excluded, for example, Soviet intermediate-range missiles aimed at Western Europe. The United States held that weapons to be negotiated in SALT comprised intercontinental systems. Its forward-based forces served to counter Soviet medium-range missiles and aircraft aimed at U.S. allies. To accept the Soviet approach would have prejudiced alliance commitments.

I visited once he told me he owned the TT20 from Birmingham ATC. The Canberra pr9 cockpit was there when I visited.

Yes, WD646 now at Manston.
I’d forgotten about the PR9.

One of the instruments in the Hornet came from Hanningfield.

I visited once he told me he owned the TT20 from Birmingham ATC. The Canberra pr9 cockpit was there when I visited.

The aircraft preservation scene owes a lot to the yard at Stock, so many cockpits and parts were saved and sold by Graham and Steve. Happy memories of the Wattisham Phantoms and St Athan Buccaneers as well as the countless other types to go through the yard.

Didn’t Steve own a JP and also the Meteor NF11 now at Manston?

I wonder how much is still in collections stashed away,?
I think at the time it was not realised actually what a place it was but its that fast forward thing and now so much could of been saved but it was a business for scrapping

The aircraft preservation scene owes a lot to the yard at Stock, so many cockpits and parts were saved and sold by Graham and Steve. Happy memories of the Wattisham Phantoms and St Athan Buccaneers as well as the countless other types to go through the yard.

The stacks of Tooms was both sad and awesome. Given the SALT constraints etc, I saved what I could including sticks, panels a screen etc. The Buccs came in in 1993/4. Wish I’d saved one of them. The Lightnings 2 off stacked side by side, got one of them. Earlier, the yard had a Vulcan cockpit, lump victor and a slice thru T4 Lightning. Got quite a few pix. If you got a decision made, you had to act on it there and then. Javelin XH980 cockpit was handsome but rotten, I managed to save the whole stick, but saving it all would have been nice. One trip had me removing panels of the tiger Toom, got them somewhere. Last time I went their, a couple of years back all was gone, a couple of civvie cockpits,..now long gone.