How To Move A Hercules…

Hi,
Does anyone know the route it will take?

Rang RAF Lyneham and got a slightly bemused person at the MOD in London. Weren’t sure how I’d got their number! Anyhow, planned timing is depart Lyneham 0730, about 1 hr later at Bristol, another hr later at Gloucester, and around 1 hr later in north Worcs.
Also said due to move at steady 40mph on motorway, and to speak to local constablary. Many thanks for your help

Job done:)

This Sunday

Rang RAF Lyneham and got a slightly bemused person at the MOD in London. Weren’t sure how I’d got their number! Anyhow, planned timing is depart Lyneham 0730, about 1 hr later at Bristol, another hr later at Gloucester, and around 1 hr later in north Worcs.
Also said due to move at steady 40mph on motorway, and to speak to local constablary. Many thanks for your help

Why not phone the contractor at Hixon? After all they should know. Or the Wiltshire police who escort it to the M4

Thanks Ade, know the area, so will have a look. Is there anywhere that lists times of movements like this on the roads? not had much luck finding times for next Sunday

Unfortunately not that I know of.
I don,t know wether it would be possible to phone Lyneham directly?

Thanks Ade, know the area, so will have a look. Is there anywhere that lists times of movements like this on the roads? not had much luck finding times for next Sunday

….trying to work out how I could tow one behind my Land rover………

In the same way you move your Spitfire around!:D

I agree with you Baz it woud be shameful in the ultimate use of the word if one of the C.1/3s weren’t preserved.

I live in Hixon and often use the airfield when running so yesterday I made sure I did just that to get a good look at the Hercules.

You can get within about 50 feet of the plane and the major components such as the wings are sitting along side it.

There are lots of signs on the fencing surrounding the plane warning about trespassing and security but I obviously wasn’t about to scale the fencing so didn’t see a problem.

There is a security booth on site and I could see a figure inside but I figured he’d just tell me to clear off if there was a problem.

Anyway I got to have a good look at the plane without getting told off as the figure in the booth was just a mannequin in a security guard outfit 😀

the Spitfire on its own, the Landrover & caravan together but not all 3:D:D.

aaaaah………………..roof rack!!

Spent many hours in various ‘Fat Alberts’ 82/83 down Stanley.

Never dreamt I’d see them being scrapped, sort of thought they would go on like Daks, ….forever.

Would be shameful not to save at least two. Hope one day that we wont be sat on this forum in a few years lamenting the loss of the RAF C130.

Baz

Anyone know whether next Sunday will see another body on the move, and what time it will be passing Bromsgrove on the M5 in North Worcestershire. I’ve just started taking an interest in aircraft and have a new camera to try out

The best vantage point would be the motorway bridge on Fockbury lane off Perryfields road,if you know the area.

Hercules on the road

Anyone know whether next Sunday will see another body on the move, and what time it will be passing Bromsgrove on the M5 in North Worcestershire. I’ve just started taking an interest in aircraft and have a new camera to try out. any info gratefully appreciated to [email]ghawkesworth@yahoo.com[/email]:confused:

The second aircraft to leave Lyneham went past the main gate at walking pace at 07.55 today.

There is an aluminium recyclers opposite Hixon airfield that takes allsorts of scrap metal, including aero scrap. I used to go there in my lorry, collect ally ingot and deliver it to the Honda car factory at Swindon to turn into engine blocks, not too far from Lyneham!

Second RAF Hercules aircraft to be transported by road

Three Hercules aircraft are being transported over three weekends

RAF Hercules makes final journey Transporting an RAF Hercules

Motorists are being warned two large loads consisting of a Hercules C130 aircraft fuselage and its wings will be moving from Wiltshire to Staffordshire on Sunday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12194519

TJ

I have mentioned this before but there goes.
During the Falklands war the Lyneham Hercules were at full stretch. Many long range missions from Acsension were flown to ships in the South Altantic, but two aircraft are worthy of mention.
XV196 flew an 18 hour mission on the 7th May, which gained the pilot Flt Lt Burgoyne the AFC, followed by another on the 8th, three further long range missions were flown proir to returning to UK on 16th May. These first missions were flown unrefuelled fitted with extra internal tanks. By 6th June XV196 was back at Asension but was now fitted with a refueling probe and carried out further 24 hour missions.
XV200 was the first Hercules fitted with an in flight refueling probe and on the 16th May flew 6300 miles from Ascension to HMS Antelope stationed off the Falklands Inslands to drop 1000lb of stores and 8 paratroops.

So why pick out these two aircraft ? They are both still in use with the RAF !!! I would suggest that these two historically important airframes should be given a secure future, one with the RAF Museum Cosford and the other with a nationally significant collection. They certainly should be sold as scrap or broken to spare parts.

Just checked to see if XV181 still survives and she does with the Austrians. XV181 performed the last RAF mission of the 20th Century. Photographic sortie to Scilly Isles to provide platform for live pictures of the last sunset for the BBC Millennium Live Programme. Took off from Lyneham 14.00 back by 17.30. Gp Capt Bullen in command.

No…no….no – you’ve got that one all arsey backwards…. :diablo:

You should be thinking: how many landrovers / spitfires / caravans whatever could you fit inside a C130 and then just arrive at future events in style 😀

Mmmmm……….If I’d got a trim sheet and load plans I’d be able to work out how to load distribute this lot, but weight depending, the length of the Landrover & van & how the Spitfire was packed, off the top of my head you’d get……………. the Spitfire on its own, the Landrover & caravan together but not all 3:D:D.

” You’ve got to get the Balance right & the heavier weight near the centre of gravity etc etc etc blah de blah” 😉

Then again, its 7 years since I last did any freight handling & I’ve slept since.

No…no….no – you’ve got that one all arsey backwards…. :diablo:

You should be thinking: how many landrovers / spitfires / caravans whatever could you fit inside a C130 and then just arrive at future events in style 😀

….trying to work out how I could tow one behind my Land rover………

Prodded C130s

Some 2 or 3 years ago in this forum I posed the question “Wouldn’t it be worthwhile preserving a C130 Hercules”
The general consensus at that time was that the remaining C130s were too valuable as a source of spares. Now that they are in the twilight of its service in the RAF. I am pleased that others are now coming round to my way of thinking, but is it too late to preserve a C1K (or more importantly a prodded C130) as the main supply aircraft used in the Falkland conflict. If there are no C1 or C3s available will we have to wait for as C4 or C5 to come along
I hope not