Last Flight of ETPS Beagle Basset

The Regal Beagle was sold by the RAFM from Cosford . It flew for a few years in private hands but I recall getting a propeller in servicable condition was the straw that broke the back. Not long afterwards it was sold to Qinetiq which is a private company.

All rather poor and ill-though out comments unfortunately.

The aircraft is being maintained as a first/second-line training aircraft. The electrical/avionics systems integrity is being maintained in a serviceable condition. Airframe systems are not being broken into – only functioned for rigging experience and maintenance of that system. As we own a number of props and engines these are changed on a servicing schedule that aligns, as does the rest of our activities, with national industry standard level three qualifications. Basically the good old Basset provides valuable training for our second year apprentices before they move to placements in the hangars. Check us out.

http://www.besomebody.qinetiq.com/Pages/default.aspx

Scrapping items or taking them home as souvenirs might be how you did your training, it is certainly not how we run one of the best aircraft apprenticeships in the country these days.

HALLELUJAH AT LONG LAST, even though it has taken 10 MONTHS, I have had a reply to my ETPS Basset XS743 post (Nov 11 2014) from non other than one of QinetiQ’s top men, Bob Clarke. I am honoured Sir.

Having read your comments Bob regarding Basset XS743, I am extremely pleased, as I imagine are most other enthusiasts to hear that 743 is in your personal, professional hands.

If you may allow me to quote your words “The aircraft is being maintained as a first/second – line training aircraft. The electrical/avionics systems integrity is being maintained in a serviceable condition. Airframe systems are not being broken into – only functioned for rigging experience and maintenance of that system.”

All this of course Bob, is exactly what everyone was hoping for. I feel sure after reading your comments that when you and your highly professional training team at QinetiQ no longer require 743 for apprentice training, she will (thanks to the love and professional care that you and your professional team have given her during her stay with you) be in the same immaculate condition she was in when she retired from ETPS, and then, quite rightly, be donated to the excellent Boscombe Down Aviation Collection Museum at Old Sarum. Given all the years that 743 has served at Boscombe, this, in certainly all the people I have spoken to, is the only museum that deserves to own her.

I take it the “numbers of props and engines” that QinetiQ also own at Boscombe you refer to Bob, are from Bassets XS765 and “Regal Beagle” XS770.
I did hear the “Powers that be” in management at Boscombe decided to sell both these aircraft to the civil market, only to have to purchase both of them back a number of years later when they finally realised they didn’t have enough spares to keep “good old” XS743 flying.

Hmmmm not a very wise move at all one thinks. Not only in the lack of foresight by the professionals in charge at Boscombe but also the unnecessary spending of Defence funds.

Best wishes

TENNESSEE

I believe this one starred in one of the ‘Test Pilot’ programmes on BBC. Its unique ‘Flight control simulator’ would be
the reason it has remained in service so long. Will it be replaced? or will future students have make do with a
ground sim? The series is on Utube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9knSaT_4Tw&list=PLN0hIJIziY4_YIxdzCZWDHnjqklbl0K50
mmitch.

Fascinating! With that ability must be reason to keep it around that long.

Needs a good home.
Thanks.

I would LOVE to do the restoration, I just don’t have the reliable contacts that can help. Sourcing real parts has been a real problem. I am afraid someone more knowledgeable about all things Beagle would be a better owner at this point. It’s really an under-appreciated aircraft in the States. I fear most if not all the spares I need are located in the UK and shipping may be prohibitive.

help!

Richard

Seems like a great offer, would be wonderful to see a 206 / Bassett back in the air. You could fly it for years on what it costs to keep the Vulcan in the air for 10 minutes.

Gentlemen,
I have owned XS781 (N46880) for many years. for quite a few of them it has been languishing. I have a spare crated engine, two sets of older radios and many spares. Unfortunately, I have been unable to do anything with her as a new prop (perhaps only one blade) and a right wingtip (outboard of the dihedral) would need to be sourced/fabricated to get back in the air. I’d love to be able to fly her again. almost one thousand hours was spent flying it in the late 90’s. It’s a great airplane and was so useful in so many roles I would hate to see it get scrapped.

Can anyone assist? I would even consider selling/trading it to insure a good outcome.

Thank you,

Richard

Thanks for the update, Bob! I too was a bit disappointed in such comments – the RNZAF seems to take very good care of its instructional airframes and indeed one of the Devons, retired from active duty in the 1970s, flew again a year or two back and is now an active, private-ly owned aircraft! Being assigned an M-number doesn’t necessarily mean the death of the airframe!

I rewatched Test Pilot when I was home ill from work and seeing the Basset made me want to build a model of it, complete with the simulator systems inside. I’m very pleased to hear she’s working but still intact.

” After all these years that 743 has served at Boscombe, second only to Harvard KF183, I would have hoped that somebody in authority at the airfield, would have had the foresight to have realised that this very important and unique trials aircraft should quite rightly be presented to the excellent BDA Museum at Old Sarum, so that it can preserved inside a hanger for future generations to view.
It has been reported that the aircraft is going to the Boscombe Apprentice School. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. May I be allowed to look into my crystal ball and predict that in a year to eighteen months time she will be cut about with various panels and installations removed, their destination…….taken home as souveniers or chucked in the scrap bin.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, My crystal ball also reveals that in 4 to 5 years time, some bright spark in authority at Boscombe will realise the importance of the aircraft, and suggest that the remaining carcass of 743 should be donated to the BDA at Old Sarum. By which time of course, as we all know, it will be too late.”

All rather poor and ill-though out comments unfortunately.

The aircraft is being maintained as a first/second-line training aircraft. The electrical/avionics systems integrity is being maintained in a serviceable condition. Airframe systems are not being broken into – only functioned for rigging experience and maintenance of that system. As we own a number of props and engines these are changed on a servicing schedule that aligns, as does the rest of our activities, with national industry standard level three qualifications. Basically the good old Basset provides valuable training for our second year apprentices before they move to placements in the hangars. Check us out.

http://www.besomebody.qinetiq.com/Pages/default.aspx

Scrapping items or taking them home as souvenirs might be how you did your training, it is certainly not how we run one of the best aircraft apprenticeships in the country these days.

Never a dull moment, eh!

What happened?

Basically it was a classic mix up. It was a JATE sortiefrom Brize and it was going to be two stores and a stick of following troops but due to the wind strength the troops were cancelled with the Herc orbiting the DZ. The Harvard was re-briefed over radio but the pilot understood it was now going to be two stores but also two runs. On the run in the first stores exited and the Harvard starts his turn to keep it in view for the photographer in the rear seat whereon he collides with the canopies of the second store which he wasn’t expecting. The Harvard chewed through the crown of one canopy which didn’t take any further part in the drop but the remaining two opened and brought the load (Its a Supacat weighing 6000 lb) safely down. The Harvard returned safely to Boscombe where apart from a pulled rivet on the cowling and seared nylon covering the wings and cowling it was undamaged. I was stood alongside the photographer who took that shot and two Army Officers from JATE. These two had been so intent on watching the first load that they didn’t see the Harvard hit the canopies and other than the load BANG all I heard was one of these officers say “Oh one of the canopies has burst.” To which all I could say (in gibbering idot mode) and unable to believe he hadn’t seen what I had, was “F…..f…..f….f….’king Harvard f….f…f..flew through it”
Somewhere at home I still have a shread of the canopy that was still hanging off the Harvard when she landed.
I learnt about trials flying that day as did A&AEE and JATE, as the rules for briefing photo chase were changed.

What happened?

One of the best ‘action’ shots around : )
One of those ”Oh Shirt” moments for the pilot : )

[ATTACH=CONFIG]233338[/ATTACH]
KF183 is a lucky survivour in more ways than one.
This was the loudest bang I’ve ever heard that didn’t involve explosives.

No Mike – never did have that pleasure – but did manage a glorious hour in the lovely rasping yellow thing : )

rgds baz

Baz………..

That would have been fun but would have gone for XS743 given the choice, quite a few Harvards around but 206s are now virtually nonexistent, as noted above.

Planemike…

Without meaning to deviate from the subject too much will KF183 be treated in much the same way when she is retired?

Sorry you didn’t get a flight in one of the Harvards WP840 !

I would hope that 183 would be treated differently – there is a bigger potential market for T6/Harvard though !

No Mike – never did have that pleasure – but did manage a glorious hour in the lovely rasping yellow thing : )

rgds baz

I am very jealous of this, in 1993 aged 15 I wrote to Boscombe Down and asked if I could perform a sponsored aerobatic in a Harvard (I hoped for FT375) to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. Unfortunately my request was denied. :’-(

bazv……..

Did you have a flight in XS743?

Planemike

No Mike – never did have that pleasure – but did manage a glorious hour in the lovely rasping yellow thing : )

rgds baz

It would be nice if Boscombe made a guesture and donated G-HRHI back to the RAFM.

bazv……..

Did you have a flight in XS743?

Planemike

Apparently one of the ‘spare’ Basset fuselages is already in the apprentice school,which means that a set of wings and an almost complete Basset are still in storage on site !