Save a Sea Vixen

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

I spoke at length with Adam before he left to manage the EAA museum at Oshkosh. He was very keen on bringing more ‘Scottish’ airframes into the museum and an example of a Fox Moth was high on the ‘hit list’. It’s easy to fill a museum with more ’roundels’ but that isn’t a true reflection on aviation in general. The museum at East Fortune has a nice broad spread of machines and I believe understandably that they wish to get more civil types.
Regarding the Hunter you mention George – are the not any museums in the U.K that could have the details rather than going
for a fistful of dollars ! The main reason I guess Kermit and Mike
Beachyhead wern’t interested is probably either the type of Hunter
or the fact that they are a plentiful supply of superb ex-Swiss
Hunters on the market at low prices.

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

The IWM already have a very real Mustang, 44-73979, painted up as Big Beautiful Doll currently hanging in South Lambeth. If they really wanted a Mustang at Duxford they could return her there.

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

I agree Merlin , bring back Adam -wherever he went !!!! , I can’t see me visiting MoF in the near future , time to have a look at NEAM and Dundonald !! , I know where there is a Hunter ,cockpit and seat complete ,no engine and missing a few minor inspection panels and it will go for scrap value , it’s not in perfect nick but would make a good static display.
I even E-mailed Fantasy of Flight and got a reply from Mr Weeks that he would be unable to aquire this airframe – anybody tried to contact Mr Beachyhead in South Africa ??

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Hi Ant

I do agree with what you and David have been saying and it is unlikely that East Fortune would ever have a Mustang but as I said before it cant be ruled out and sometimes funny things happen.

For instance a mustang owner finds out that East Fortune or IWM have a very much sought after aircraft. He has a couple of Mustangs and the Museum has a couple of what he wants so a trade takes place.

I know this is unlikely but its the kind of thing that can take place.

Also I do not desire to see any more potentially flyable aircraft become static I was only thinking what if. I only really posted this as an example and I could have used the same argument for the Hawker Hunter. Why not get one of them. I saw a Hunter complete apart from instrument. (Some were missing) Also listed as ideal for static display. This was in the region of £2000 surely this couldnt be too much for their budget. I remember when the last curator was there. It wouldnt have been a problem then. A number of things have went to the dogs since the change of curator. But I am putting the lack of stalls at this years Festival of flight down to the fact that the usual stall ie Aviation art and surplus would have been at Duxford seeing as it is a bigger crowd down there.

Merlin

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Hi Merlin,
I think David is making a fair point.Mustangs are much in demand in the US and elsewhere,and just about any substantial bits and pieces that come onto the market are snapped up at potentially airworthy prices.It’s a similar situation to what we have over here with Spitfires-you can basically build one from scratch if needs be,and this is frequently what happens.This means that any old identifiable bit is immediatelly a potential flyer.As David was pointing out,these high prices lock out the museums that might want a Mustang for static display.Even the IWM couldn’t get hold of a static Mustang at a reasonable price,hence the wood/plastic one on a pole in the AAM.I think there are probably more Mustangs surviving in airworthy condition than static examples.
If the IWM couldn’t get hold of one,it seems likely that East Fortune folks wouldn’t either.

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Yes I did mean the P-51 but I dont think that it would be totally out of the question. It would depend on how badly they wanted the airframe etc etc.

Merlin

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Merlin – when you say Mustang do you mean the P-51 variety??
Any Mustang whether damaged or not is going to be in excess of $500,000 dollars – I cannot see East Fortune ever buying one !

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Thanks for that ageorge. There is something that I dindt know.

When do they fly is it during the week or weekends. I would like to go down and see them sometime.

Also if you happen to be down sometime I will come and meet you.

email me from the board. and I will supply an email for you. Taking pics of the pics might just work and it will get me in the picture anyway.

Regards Scott.

I know that the Runway at Drem was grass and that there was metal mesh to keep the runway mud free but this wasnt always the case. We have a small grass runway for flying the models from and a perimeter track in front so we can land on it too.

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Hi Merlin, Drem never really had a hard runway as such , just a large expanse of grass surrounded by a concrete perimeter perimeter track , the turfed srea is owned by a company called STS ( Sports Turf Supplies ). Who provide turf to stadiums all over the UK , they don’t mind us flying in and out as our low ground pressure tyres don’t mark the grass , however we tend to use the taxiways as runways when we can. If you go down to the southern edge of the airfield there is a small building ( about the size of a double garage ) , there are 2 chaps who keep their aircraft inside .One is a Druine Turbulent , I never realised how small they are , when the wind comes from the east it’s quite interesting watching the Turbulent take off , she does’nt clear the trees by much !! .The other aircraft is a homebuilt Jodel 150D , this is really neat !! , white with a beige upper decking/engine top cowl , obviously it’s a 2 seater and is surprisingly roomy and the visibility is great ,I have photos of them in front of me just now but I don’t have a scanner ,do you think it would work if I took photo’s of the photo’s and E-mailed them.
I also have photos of a Piper Pa28 which one of the guys from AST at Perth had managed to land on the Microlight strip at East Fortune , as you can imagine it was tight and he only just got it stopped!!!!

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 12-10-02 AT 11:14 AM (GMT)]Hi agerorge.

Is it possible that you mean Archerfield that the turbulent flies from as there are no airstrips at Drem other than the Macmerry Model Flying Club of which I am a memeber.

Archerfield is owned by the Duke of Hamilton and he flies his Scottish Aviation Bulldog from there also known to fly from there is Jim McTaggart with his Starduster Too. There have been others to fly from there but I dont know if they are visitors or live there.

I know the museum has been looking into getting some sport aircraft rather that Military / Warbirds as I asked if they would get a mustang as this really was a major aircraft at one point in East Lothian with these flying from Macmerry and they also flew from Kirknewton. I was told that sport aircraft were to be collected and that a Mustang would take too much of their very limited funds. But I think that if you get a ex Reno racer that has been slightly damaged and is up for disposal then to fix it up for static and possibly renew the wings if they have modified them then it would not cost all that much but I also think in the mean time that they could show the mustang as a Racer then it would be a sport aircraft.

The Turbulent is a good aircraft and its connection for Scotland was that a Scotsman form Lanark built it. I think thats a sound enough reason for collecting it but also I like the aircraft it a good little run around and at some point I would like to do a model of it. I have a set of plans so one day I might do it.

Also the Turbulent really doesnt take any space at all as it actually sits under the twin pioneer and another aircraft. So you couldnt get a Sea Vixen in the space it takes up anyway.

I havent met Dawn Kemp yet. But hope to soon.

Merlin

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Merlin I got the same answer !! , have you met the new curator yet ??, I personally thought she would look excellent alongside the Meteor , Sea Hawk , Vampire , Buccaneer etc , all airframes of roughly the same era , I know it would mean a bit of shuffling around but the place has been kind of stagnant recently ,any idea who is responsible for all of Scottish Museum’s , is there a government dept we could write to ?? , I see they have bought a Druine Turbulent ?? , I know which airframe I would rater pay money to see !! , if I want to see a Turbulent I would pop over to Drem and watch the one which flies out of there ( alongside the very nice Jodel 150D ).
Good website by the way , I just looked through it all ,good stuff .If you ever need a hand with anything post me a mail as I’m only 20 mins from Edinburgh.

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

How about dismantling the aircraft and placing it in storage,
or maybe offering it abroad, perhaps free, to a worthy collection.

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

I know this subject has gone a bit cold of late but here is the reply email I got back from the Scottish Museum of Flight at East Fortune.

***Thanks for the info. We’re looking into the background of XJ571 to see if it fits MOF collecting policy. We do have a struggle to justify (from a space and provision of reasonable environment point of view) aircraft acquisition that do not show a strong Scottish connection.

We have to avoid the temptation to collect ‘the complete set’ of dH 1930’s +!. We simply would not have space to accomodate other aircraft in the future which may be far more important in Scottish terms to preserve North of the Border.

That there are about 12 Sea Vixens in collections in the UK makes it unneccessary for us to view this as an urgent case for preservation.

Many thanks for your email though. I hope that a good home is found if it cannot be East Fortune.***

Lets wait and see what happens and lets hear all your views on what links Scotland with the Sea Vixen.

Merlin

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Sorry my mistake , I thought there was a Sea Vixen in the restoration hangar .I’ve been in the Comet (and under her) recently and could’nt see any significant corrosion , I think she still looks good in her Dan-Air colours although I admit she could do with a repaint , the Vulcan still looks good too , she was coated in some type of preservative and the dehumidifier is still in place , they have sealed her up well to keep the nesting birds out .

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

How could anyone put an aircraft like this out in the cold ??.
The Beautiful ‘Foxy Lady’ performimg at Yeovilton last week.

Attachments:

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Hmmmmm…things seem to have gone ominously quiet on this one.Has anyone heard of any developments?

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

My guess would be that they have limited space and are devoting what they have to aircraft with some connection to Brooklands / Weybridge, which was of course a Vickers factory.

Hence the Wellington, VC10, Viscount, etc etc.

Or the flimsy jobs that actually flew from there when it was one of the earliest airfields in the UK.

I think anyone would be hard put to find a direct link between Brooklands and the Sea Vixen, however regrettable that may be.

Mogg

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Any idea as to the policy change?

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

Is this one of the Vixens ‘discovered’ in a hangar at Southampton Airport years ago?

M

RE: Save a Sea Vixen

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 26-09-02 AT 08:05 PM (GMT)]***I think the Museum of Flight at East Fortune already have a Sea Vixen***
Actually they dont have a Sea Vixen they do have a few Sea aircraft though. I have listed the jets they have below

Sea Vampire, Hawker Sea Hawk, Sea Venom, Buccaneer, Harrier, Mig 15, F4S Phantom II, Vulcan, Lightning, ME 163 Komet, Meteor (Civil) and DH Comet (air liner)

***but I would love to see this airframe going there***

So would I but can you really see this happening.

***there are 2 externally diplayed aircraft , (Vulcan and Comet ) are in excellent condition***

I would agree that the Vulcan is in resonable condition but on in a discussion with a member of staff a few years back they said the comet was detriorating and that some time soon may be reduced to a cockpit ( I afarid thats what happen with aircraft left outside for a number of years) I think I am right in saying the still dehumidify the Vulcan not sure about the comet but I know they drain the water tanks a lot.

***there are very few guard rails to obscure photographs and there are a few aircraft with steps which gives excellent access to the cockpits.***

And I would agree with you on this point so if anyone feels like a run up to East Lothian ( A place near Edinburgh) for all the people who dont know) then you cant afford to miss the Museum of Flight at East Fortune. BTW did I mention that its on an old WWII RAF base and that it is 90% complete with all the original buildings. See my website for details

http://members.lycos.co.uk/esar

and click the airfields links.

also I have emailed them on the case of the Sea Vixen and we will see if they have any interest.

Regards Merlin