HFL Hunters and Gannet at St Athan

Great stuff! I can’t remember, did the Gannet guys manage to sort out the issues with tools? Seem to recall they were being held back somewhere by lack of the right spanners…

They were looking for the spanner to remove the propellers back in 2012. I think they found it a few months after asking for it, and the props were taken off successfully.

Great stuff! I can’t remember, did the Gannet guys manage to sort out the issues with tools? Seem to recall they were being held back somewhere by lack of the right spanners…

Hope it’s ok for me to post this, but the restoration to flight of Gannet AEW.3 XL500 takes another step forward

https://www.facebook.com/387546998092767/videos/518394871674645/?theater

Rob

The Bulldog is not for sale as it is being operated by a new owner. Waiting for the paperwork going through at the moment. It is available for people to fly that have 100 hours on piston aircraft with VP props.

As I said, it was it’s first flight for about 8 years. And I couldn’t tell you the owner’s intentions, sorry!

What’s the story re. the Bulldog? Owner is fairly local to me, and just wondering if it’s likely to go up for sale as am in the market for one (a flyer, not static) 🙂 Seems to have been laid up since 2010 at least.

I bring news from St Athan, on behalf of Pagen01.
SA Bulldog XX668 G-CBAN making its 1st flight for about 8 years, BAe pilot John Hurrell taking it for a test flight

He also took DO-27 G-BMFG aloft for a test flight too

Credit for all pics, Pagen01.

Been a bit quiet for a while – any updates from down at St Athan?

Just catching up with this thread, great pictures of the Hunters, especially XL573 with the engine out. Brings back memories of my time doing the same, happy days. 😀

You know what stories are like John.

I guess a new owner can always elect to be part of the team as well?

L29

I dont know where the story of two members pulling out is from. There is one for sale and is soon to be replaced by another one from overseas and number 4 is going back together after a complete strip down to the last nut and bolt, paint stripped and rebuild.

The story doing the rounds is that two of the owners have pulled out of the team, which could be why one is now for sale?

Is the team splitting up then or will it be a 3 ship instead of four?

Rainbow Aviation are listing one of the Black Star Rebel L-29s, G-DLFN, for sale on Facebook.

L-29 Delfins G-DELF, G-BYCT & G-DLFN 6 Sep 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

The Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation provided some colourful activity on an otherwise dull and freezing Friday 22nd Feb at St Athan.
F.6A XF515/G-KAXF ‘N-294’ was delivered for servicing at Hunter Flying Ltd first thing in the morning, while T.8C XF357 G-BWGL ‘N-321’ was taken up for a post work test-flight, and then later departed back to its base at Leeuwarden.

Hunter F.6A ‘N-294’ XF515 (G-KAXF) Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation 22 Feb 13 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter F.6A ‘N-294’ XF515 (G-KAXF) Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation 22 Feb 13 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter F.6A ‘N-294’ XF515 (G-KAXF) Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation 22 Feb 13 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter F.6A ‘N-294’ & T.8C ‘N-321’ Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation 22 Feb 13 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter T.8C ‘N-321’ XF357 (G-BWGL) Dutch Hawker Hunter Foundation 22 Feb 13 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Many thanks for the reply Pagen, I will do so !

Thungs ain’t what they used to be, Mike.

Good news with the progress on the Gannet, it will be great to see (and hear!) one back in the air again.

And I’m especially pleased that particular attention is being paid to the ‘thungs’, obviously a key part of the Gannet’s systems. 😉

I’m not that up to speed with the schedules, I think HFL has posted elsewhere that the hope is to have the Gannet nearing flying status by early next year.
The old engines are out and the new are standing by in the bag, props are off and I believe ready for refurbishment, all three u/c legs are new.
The standard of work on it is fantastic, and at the moment sits probably in it’s most stripped down sate, every thung is being thoroughly cleaned, inspected and replaced/repaired as nescessary. Even the instruments are being fully inpsected and tested and found to be working properly, indeed one of the guys methodically working on them found a fault in one of the original wiring diagrams!
So far the work has really centered on the fuselage and systems, the wings will follow.
There is a very good team (led by Clive) working on ‘500 now.
It’s going to be well worth waiting for!