This week I was able to visit the back yard of the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace at Le Bourget. There is some first class restoration work going on there in the sheds, but outside there are some very sad sites. It’s many years since my last visit, when the Connie DC7 & 707 were outside the main museum, now they lay forlorn in the long grass. Apparently the Constellation is very high on the projects list, but the 707 is almost too far gone to save intact. Despite her condition the DC-7C still looked magnificent. Why hasn’t a 7C been properly saved? It is truly the ultimate piston engined airliner IMO.
The 727 sits rather oddly in the collection, but is still a live aircraft, during my visit we were able to perform a short ground run on 2 of the engines. Due to some lost covers the third engine is taped up for protection and we didn’t have time to uncover it for a run.
By: HP81 - 18th September 2011 at 21:09
Thanks for the report HP81 ~ are you able to comment on the condition / status of the long time stored B-17 Flying Fortress ? 🙂
No I didn’t see it. I wish that I had had more time there it was a very interesting place.
By: SpitPhil - 18th September 2011 at 19:13
Unfortunately yes, Cees, it remains nothing French Halifax. it is well damage because she was a beautiful plane. 😉
By: CeBro - 18th September 2011 at 19:05
Philippe,
Has the storage area anything from the French Halifaxes?
Seems strange that the FAF have had over two squadrons worth of Handley Page’s finest until the fifties and nothing has survived?
Cees
By: SpitPhil - 18th September 2011 at 17:25
Thanks Jean-Luc !
Saab J 32 E Lansen s/n 32515
By: Wyvernfan - 18th September 2011 at 16:18
Looks like a Saab Lansen to me!
By: j_jza80 - 18th September 2011 at 15:50
What’s the green aircraft, behind the F-8 and next to the Mirage?
By: avion ancien - 18th September 2011 at 14:57
Didn’t I say SpitPhil, that your expertise on matters aeronautical and French would benefit the members of this forum. So as I’m chided for posting in French, I’ll just say – res ipsa loquitur!
By: PeterVerney - 18th September 2011 at 14:36
Many thanks SpitPhil for the Meatbox pics.
By: SpitPhil - 18th September 2011 at 14:10
For bomberflight, the B-17 in 1980 !;)
By: SpitPhil - 18th September 2011 at 14:07
Two photographs of Jaguard in 1980. I am on Fenwick and on the right on the second photograph, I had 24 years ……
You will notice the damage of time on l’ state of painting in 30 years.:(
By: bomberflight - 18th September 2011 at 13:39
Thanks for the report HP81 ~ are you able to comment on the condition / status of the long time stored B-17 Flying Fortress ? 🙂
By: AutoStick - 18th September 2011 at 13:34
Got to agree with previous poster…Great to see Meteors in French service ( Before , like so many others , they were put out to grass )
Many thanks …….& To original poster for great French Museum pics !!
By: pagen01 - 18th September 2011 at 13:22
Excellent report and pics of a seldom seen collection, thanks HP81.
I’m particularly interested in the Meteors so merci Spitphil for posting your lovely shots of them while in service.
By: SpitPhil - 18th September 2011 at 12:54
Employee with the MAE of 1977 to 1982, I was likely to see all these planes in good state, that hurts me to see them like that. By seeing Gloster Meteor, I unite you a copy of these slides going back to this time in Le Bourget, if that interests you. @+
By: HP81 - 18th September 2011 at 09:23
Nice pictures! Do you plan on visiting the inside stores?
Sadly I only had half a day there helping on the 727, so there was no time. I did go into one workshop where some aircraft were in various stages of restoration, to a very high standard, but I couldn’t tell you what most of them were.
By: Fouga23 - 18th September 2011 at 08:17
Nice pictures! Do you plan on visiting the inside stores?
By: paul178 - 18th September 2011 at 06:35
No the damn place was always shut when i was in the area! I was lucky enough to get a flight in one though in the 60.s when it was on an air test at Luton.
By: AutoStick - 17th September 2011 at 22:57
paul 178 , have you seen the Connie at the Science Museum at Wroughton …..??? …Beautiful!
By: paul178 - 17th September 2011 at 22:45
I think the Connie should be at the top of the list. IMO the most graceful prop drven airliner ever built!
Thankyou for the pictures as sad as they were.
By: HP81 - 17th September 2011 at 22:19
On each side of the commander is this name plate. The reg is F-BRQE.
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September 17, 2011 at 8:27 pm