Boeing 707 HZ-123 has been moved from its home by the airport industrial estate for the last 7 years to out side ATC Lasham bay4 at Southend airport, an inspection on the engines has prooved that they are serviceable and only need to be ground run, it is hoped paperwork can be completed this week with work on some corriosion begining next week with a depature in the Autum.
The aircraft is now devoid of its saudi marking and flying the Aussie flag from the cockpit window.
By: J Boyle - 17th December 2006 at 01:21
All involved are to be comgratulated for preserving the aircraft!
I’ve long bemoaned of lack of preserved airline configured 707s/DC-8 in this country.
Do they plan to replace the current VIP interior with a period QANTAS interior?
By: Jamie-Southend - 17th December 2006 at 00:49
Nice picture here of her Sydney touchdown 🙂
By: bexWH773 - 17th December 2006 at 00:44
Feather, thanks for the update, to all involved congratulations on getting the Old Girl home in piece. Cheers Bex
By: Feather #3 - 16th December 2006 at 22:03
She’s Home!
Just for the record on this forum, VH-[E]XBA returned home this morning, touching down at 0900 at SKSA to a very warm welcome.
Dedication? At the ceremony, my wife was sitting next to a wife and daughter who hadn’t seen their engineer husband/father for 7 months. And “they” said she’d never fly again?
Hearty congratulations to all involved!!:D
G’day 😉
By: bexWH773 - 13th December 2006 at 14:58
I wish, I wish:rolleyes: Even Southend is too far away! Just happen to have contacts throughout its route that are sending in pics.
Yup Southend was too far me too, please pass on my thanks to your friends for the excellent photos. Bex
By: Jamie-Southend - 13th December 2006 at 14:45
Hope your going to post them Bertie 😀
By: ALBERT ROSS - 13th December 2006 at 14:06
Adrian, excellent photos thanks for sharing them. One question, are you following her around avoiding the horrible English weather or have you got friends in the right places? Bex
I wish, I wish:rolleyes: Even Southend is too far away! Just happen to have contacts throughout its route that are sending in pics.
By: bexWH773 - 13th December 2006 at 13:36
Adrian, excellent photos thanks for sharing them. One question, are you following her around avoiding the horrible English weather or have you got friends in the right places? Bex
By: ALBERT ROSS - 13th December 2006 at 07:45
….and in LAX on Monday
By: N9964Z - 13th December 2006 at 05:29
VH-XBA nears closer to home, touching down in Honolulu at 14:10 Local Tuesday.
~ Tracey
By: ALBERT ROSS - 12th December 2006 at 14:04
VH-XBA has arrived in Florida and was met by John Travolta in his ‘QANTAS’ 707 = what a magnificent sight!
By: Archer - 12th December 2006 at 11:44
Why is the engine pylon a different shape on the port outer, looking through my literature it seems to be the same type of pylon found on an RC-135, the pictures of John Revolting’s, bless him, a/c, don’t have the same view, so I can’t tell whether there is a similarity.
Was a spare fitting found at Mildenhall and would it have any affects on it’s flight characteristics.
If you do a search on Airliners.net there are plenty of pictures of JT’s 707 (put ‘n707jt’ in the keywords searchbox for example). This one shows the pylon configuration: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1098620/L/
The explanation with this image: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0581574/L/ confirms the supercharger (or lack thereof) being the reason.
By: Loose-Head - 11th December 2006 at 14:03
Why is the engine pylon a different shape on the port outer
Pete,
Noticed that the same question had been asked ( and answered ) on UKAR. Apparently it’s the only engine without a supercharger for cabin pressurisation.
By: Jamie-Southend - 11th December 2006 at 10:48
Some great pictures there with JT`s in Orlando.
By: Pete Truman - 11th December 2006 at 09:57
Why is the engine pylon a different shape on the port outer, looking through my literature it seems to be the same type of pylon found on an RC-135, the pictures of John Revolting’s, bless him, a/c, don’t have the same view, so I can’t tell whether there is a similarity.
Was a spare fitting found at Mildenhall and would it have any affects on it’s flight characteristics.
By: bexWH773 - 11th December 2006 at 01:48
You’ve got a bit of ‘the grass is greener’ going on there Bex. 😉 It’s not all roses down under.
The empty half of the glass contains a massive expenditure in the 1990s to utterly fail to develop a national aviation museum and policy; lots of money for suits and brochures, not a red cent to preserving aircraft or heritage.
And just don’t ask about the preservation of RAAF Point Cook, the airfield.
However it’s clear that Qantas provide an illuminating contrast to BA, with the retrieval of a 707 from the other side of the globe and the establishment and maintainance of a museum (Longreach) by Qantas, and the scrapping 0f a 707 and effective destruction of the BA collection at Cosford by BA. Y’know, I don’t think you’d believe it if someone had made it up. Hmmm.
JDK, well ok this is a case of dont believe everything u read or see in the media. I had no idea about past failures, but look at this way, Qantas seems to value its history and is actively doing something about it, BA, well lets face it the whole world saw that BA’s main interest was money not aircraft (Concorde). I know one thing though, if I ever manage to save the cash for a trip to Oz, then Longreach here i come. Bex
By: JDK - 10th December 2006 at 12:26
It seems to me like nothing is too hard for you guys & gals when it comes to restoring aircraft. All the best. Bex
You’ve got a bit of ‘the grass is greener’ going on there Bex. 😉 It’s not all roses down under.
The empty half of the glass contains a massive expenditure in the 1990s to utterly fail to develop a national aviation museum and policy; lots of money for suits and brochures, not a red cent to preserving aircraft or heritage.
And just don’t ask about the preservation of RAAF Point Cook, the airfield.
However it’s clear that Qantas provide an illuminating contrast to BA, with the retrieval of a 707 from the other side of the globe and the establishment and maintainance of a museum (Longreach) by Qantas, and the scrapping 0f a 707 and effective destruction of the BA collection at Cosford by BA. Y’know, I don’t think you’d believe it if someone had made it up. Hmmm.
By: bexWH773 - 10th December 2006 at 11:56
To all the “Gang” on QFM 707, so far youve done an amazing job getting her airborne, safe trip home, and did I see a mention of someone making a Documentary of the trip????? Ok you Aussies have resurected a Connie from a scrap yard, now a 707 that had sat static for years, so what challenge are you going for next? It seems to me like nothing is too hard for you guys & gals when it comes to restoring aircraft. All the best. Bex
By: richb - 10th December 2006 at 07:46
Thanks – great information!
all the best for your final few legs of the trip!
By: N9964Z - 10th December 2006 at 07:13
The B707 Project Team as of today are now providing a flight following diary direct from the mouths of the crew bringing the old girl home (time permitting), through the public domain of our website.
Norm King, one of the engineers is our ‘author’.
We tend to refer by nicknames, so this is who they are referring to when you read it:
‘Muz’, ‘Ridgeback and ‘Feebs’ are the three Captains.
‘Plucka’ and ‘H’ are the two Flight Engineers.
Karen is the Flight Attendant.
Plus several engineers.
As previously advised Jeff Watson is on board compiling the documentary.
Click on the link to view daily up to date and factual progress.
http://www.707.adastron.com/flyhome/diary-3.htm
You can also go to:
http://www.707.adastron.com/qfm/qfm.htm
and click on Flight Following link.
Enjoy!
~ Tracey
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July 3, 2006 at 6:55 pm