So who owns all this junk?

Meteor is looking pretty spiffy in the post clean up pics on the FB group.

‘My answer to that is then why didn’t they purchase one when they were ten a penny rather than wait until they are a rarity from someone that did have the foresight.’

Because they were ten a penny, and not considered significant as a result? That sort of logic is a bit like me chastising my Grandparents for lacking the foresight to purchase first edition publications of The Lord of the Rings or, in my case, not getting JK Rolling to sign my Harry Potter book when I met her just after she published the second. Hindsight is 20/20.

There used to be several more airframes at Long Marston, and they’ve been recovered. There might be a good reason the Meteor was left alone.

“Ahh if I had the money and facility to house it.”

Sell a kidney, buy a shed?

My answer to that is then why didn’t they purchase one when they were ten a penny rather than wait until they are a rarity from someone that did have the foresight.

I am sorry to be blunt, but if those wishing to save a rare aircraft want to do so, perhaps they should invest in those that may be available, such as Long Marston. To deride someone that does not understandably wish to part with what he has purchased for what ever reason and stating that others would be better at looking after it is wrong.

A lot of museum aircraft relics that are available fall victim to the scrapman, at least here is one owner that is resisting any sale.

I often think that people look at the Long Marston meat box and they pass it by instead looking at this guys nearly complete meatbox, when the one that really needs saving is the Long Marston one…. Ahh if I had the money and facility to house it.

As Elmdon Boy pointed out, others had better plans for the Meteor than to simply stash it round the back of a barn and let it rot!

There were others that tried to get it, I think they would have saved it far better

That Meteor :'(

You say that, but the guy saved it, so it still exists, no matter in what precarious state, the fact is it is still with us and you are not drinking your Stella Artois out of it! Where as the majority have gone that were not saved… I never consciously deride anyone who has the money or forethought to at least try. It is better to have a bucket case to try and resurrect than no case at all.

I’m a bit gutted that a Jetstream was delivered to Predannack this week, as it is probably the only other big/significant off-airport aircraft dump in the UK that I can think of. I don’t have a good feeling about the Long Marston airframes either, honestly. I’ve heard bits and pieces about the Shackleton being saved imminently, but it doesn’t seem to have come to much. The Meteor I’ve heard even less about. The Sea Prince seems to get a new scheme every few years from revelers.

The Birlingham farm aircraft are still looking a bit rough, post cleaning. Then again legitimate museums in the UK have outdoor airframes in rough condition. I’ve heard about farmers with rare cars or military vehicles which they refuse to either restore or offer up for sale. It is an odd mentality but, knowing farmers, I know that you can’t simply tell them that they have to forfeit their possessions for the greater good. Things appear to be moving in the right direction regarding the Birlingham airframes, and a softly softly approach might be our safest bet if we want to see these aircraft saved in the long term. I’m personally a bit annoyed to see a Sea Hawk (apparently the best bits of WN105 and WF299) rotting away as they are less well represented in museums than the other types there.

That Meteor :'(

http://www.flypast.com/2017/05/10/volunteers-sought-by-birlingham-jet-collection/

Little point cleaning them if they are to stay outside like that, maybe now they are clean they will go on Ebay.

Does the owner have any long term plan for them, or just left to rot for more years ? With scrub ups periodically, it won’t stop the Vampire turning to compost as the other one has. The Facebook video says back from the brink, until they are moved undercover I don’t see anything has changed.

Sad to see the aircraft in their present state. 🙁

I’ve always wanted to visit Long Marston and take photographs before the planes might get ‘lost’.
I hope I can get there soon, before it’s developed!

The aircraft are on a farm at Birlingham in Worcestershire.
The chap started collecting the airframes in 1989 with the acquisition of the Vampire from Stonehouse in Gloucestershire.
The Meteor was next in 1991 which was the former gate guard from RAF Digby.
As a member of the Wellesbourne Avaition Group we tried to aquire this airframe at this time via a MOD sealed bid, but were to lose out to this farmer.
The airframe at the time was in pretty good condition as I remember going to view it at Scampton. It was outside one of the hardened shelters on the far side of the airfield.
Cant help but feel it would have faired better in our hands, but we had limited cash.
The farmer was a friendly chap and would let you look round provided you went to his house first to ask.
All the aircraft, bar the two Vampires looked in reasonable condition when I last saw them about 16 years ago.
What a shame.
I think he probably took on to much and this is the net result.

Just up the road at Long Marston there is another sorry state in the Shackleton, Sea Prince and Meteor.
Another neglected collection that at one time looked reasonable.
No doubt we know what will happen to these airframes once the land is sold for development.

Photos at Long Marston May 2016

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Vi8uzS]

That is the Birlingham collection, owned by a farmer. There used to be two Vampires, but it seems that one returned to nature. The cleanup has been very enjoyable to watch on Facebook, and some of the drone footage of the collection is stunning. A magazine (I forget which) covered the restoration recently and mentioned, somewhat prematurely, that the JP will be undertaking engine runs. Nice to see a ripple’d JP, either way, and be reminded that they weren’t all just red and white!

You call it junk, but often it is the only way these things survive, some viewed the Mustangs and Spitfires on kibbutz playgrounds in Israel as junk, the Hurricane outside a college in India as junk, the Hinds in a Afghanistan scrapyard as junk…. But without this “junk” the world be a poorer place aviation wise.

link?

There is a Facebook group – they had a work party weekend over the bank holiday to clean them up a bit.