Manston Jaguar

Peter, Yes, I think it gets a little TLC from some former Coltishall personel !
And a sneak preview of what’s, maybe, coming up, two more jaguar cockpits !

Keith.

Keith, that has to be the best preserved Jag anywhere!

Paul- problem you have with the ‘older, less charismatic’ notion is that an older aircraft can in many cases be more charismatic . I would use the Lightning as a clear example of that – many would argue that a Hunter is also more charismatic so it’s a matter of perception. Where a museum has a clearly specific association with where it is it’s quite easy to acquire types which both compliment the collecting policy and give public appeal.

I think the Jaguar at City of Norwich Aviation Museum seems very well looked after, maybe I am a little biased ! Keith.

Neither of the two in Norwich were operational airframes.

XW566 at County Hall was a prototype and came to Coltishall’s gate from a similar role at Bruggen ( although I believe it may incorporate components from ex ‘live’ airframes )

XX109 at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum was very early production, and spent all its life on trials, arriving at Colt in the late 80’s ( it’s actually the next airframe on from 108 at Duxford)

IIRC the Norwich Jag is the ex Coltishall gate guard and is a GR1

Norwich has two Jaguars, there is the ex Coltishall gate guard in the town centre (as mentioned) and also one at the Museum on the Airport.

http://www.cnam.co.uk/html/act_jaguarxx109.htm

I I cannot understrand the reasoning behind the Jaguar purchase when there are and have been aircraft available of far greater interest to Manston.The sums involved in the Jaguar purchase could have happily have brought a straight winged F-84G into the collection for example or a good example of a Whirlwind .

Which type of visitor do they get to the museum, and which type of visitor are they trying to attract.. “Enthusiast” or “Casual Passing trade”?

Is it perhaps a case of the museum wanting a “modern fighter jet” to draw in the casual visitor, who would not necessarily care how relevant the type is to Manston, all they’d be interested in, and possibly the thing that they would remember and that might draw them back again, would be seeing a “modern jet” up close.

Maybe it seems an odd choice to enthusiasts who know the base’s history, but perhaps it would be seen as a more “exciting” choice by a non-enthusuast, and thus might just get more casual visitors in through the front door than an older, less charismatic, albeit more relevant type?

Paul F

Doesn’t the City of Norwich have a plain vanilla ex-operational Jaguar?

IIRC the Norwich Jag is the ex Coltishall gate guard and is a GR1

I was involved in acquiring a number of airframes for the museum so very much know what was involved in doing so and the reasoning behind it. The film replicas were acquired as part of a deal. Manston clearly needed an example of a WW1 aircraft and the opportunity couldn’t be missed. To acquire the Jaguar I believe the Fokker DR1 has headed to Hawkinge.
I cannot understrand the reasoning behind the Jaguar purchase when there are and have been aircraft available of far greater interest to Manston.The sums involved in the Jaguar purchase could have happily have brought a straight winged F-84G into the collection for example or a good example of a Whirlwind .

I agree that to preserve any example of any aircraft-or film prop, is to be applauded, especially an aircraft like the jaguar, that has a special place in so many peoples hearts, but dissapeared from service so quickly, with such little fanfare. And i will be making a trip to the museum as soon as i can to have a look. And i shall spend as much time as possible, looking around a what is undenialbly a great museum.

But as i said originally, being a museum for the base itself, i would like aircraft types that had a real history there to be concentrated on, few people locally(and not just younger people) realise what a massive history the place had, and Manston itself has become a little bit of a joke, with constant news articles about 25 year plans to get hundreds of thousands of passengers travelling through, yet each year another operator seems to fold.

As an aviation fan, i am lucky to have it nearby, i just don’t want the idea of the museum to get lost.

Doesn’t the City of Norwich have a plain vanilla ex-operational Jaguar?

Nothing bizarre about Jags:p. As referred to in my RAFM thread, there seems to be precious few ex operational Jags publicly displayed. Cosfords is the FBW example and Duxfords (XX108) was the first production ac but spent all it’s life on development and trials never entering Sqn service. I therefore applaud Manston (even though the link to the station is tenuous)

John

Most types that are at the museum have been used at one time or another by the fire school. So surely that makes them relevant to manston?

No – it’s XZ106.

Will it get it’s original markings?

i do agree that the version of the whirlwind is far removed from what was used at Manston, but still having an aircraft of the same type that was based at the airfield for so long, gives a good impression of the history. Its a great museum, i often recommend it, but i wish, being a museum about manston, that more types associated with the place were included. I sometimes get the impression what they have, is what they were able to get there hands on.

the whirlwind, wessex, chipmunk and meteor are a great start, but it would be great to see a sea king at some point(again very unlikely it would be the same version) and we can always hope for an USAF type from the 50’s!

The Whirlwind is an ex Royal Navy HAS.7 with little relevance to Manston. As a type the Whirlwind has great links with Manston and I would dearly like to see a good ex RAF HAR.10 there. As for the Jaguar-a bizarre choice.

I did not know that they had received one, when did this happen?

Will go and have a look when i get a chance, but weekend only opening is a problem.

I wish they would put the whirlwind inside, its one of the types they have up there that has real history at the base

No – it’s XZ106.

is it the one from the fire school? if so theres a pic on the forum somewhere

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=84692