I had the opportunity to visit the SWWAPS (Second World War Aircraft Preservation Society) collection, located close to Lasham Airfield today. Sadly crippled by a lack of funds and undercover accommodation, the airframes are not in the best of condition, despite the excellent efforts of the small band of volunteers who attend each Sunday.
Entry is free, but a donation of a few pounds is always well received!
Unfortunately, the collection has recently been hit with a spate of vandalism and damage due to the recent weather, which resulted in the small ‘museum’ building being closed to visitors today.
Auster AOP.9
The only DHC Drover in the northern hemisphere sits without engines or wheels…
Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV798…
A rare short-nosed Percival Sea Prince…
The Wessex 🙂
F-104
The two SWWAPS Meteors, the first is a complex composite, built to represent a NF.13 variant…
The F8 Meatbox…
Ex-Danish Hunter F-51 E-423. It was used as a ‘Christmas tree’ for the famous G-HUNT in the 1980s.
A Percival Prentice.
Thanks for looking!
Mark
By: stringbag - 5th February 2007 at 20:43
Thanks for the comments chaps.
On another note, Mark, did you managed to get many decent shots of XX897 at Bournemouth last week? Being live side and working on her, I didn’t get much chance to take many photos.
I did take some, but for some reason all bar one got corrupted on the CF card 😡 Sorry Nigel.
By: Peter - 5th February 2007 at 00:11
Nice collection thanks for sharing!
I have never seen this collection before. It is a shame to see them in need of TLC. Would they not lean towards an “adopt a plane” option that would let volunteers offer to help repair or repaint them for free to the msueum?
By: JetBlast - 4th February 2007 at 23:26
It doesn’t seemed to have changed much since my last visit (September last year), I do like the way that the Meteors and the Hunter are slowly being swallowed by the ground, reminds me of a certain Buccaneer at Staverton not so long back.
It is a real shame to see these aircraft looking like this, it is not as though people have not come forwards to help out, I know of several interested parties who would dearly love to take on the Drover and the Starfighter but they seem to hit a brick wall when they ask about them.
I beg one question, how long will it be before the scrapman cometh for some of these aircraft?
On another note, Mark, did you managed to get many decent shots of XX897 at Bournemouth last week? Being live side and working on her, I didn’t get much chance to take many photos.
By: N.P.Vibert - 4th February 2007 at 22:37
Yes it is always sad to see if, only the lottery had a bit of money to go there as well.
By: Kernowglyn - 4th February 2007 at 22:20
How sad to see them looking tatty and forlorn.
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February 4, 2007 at 10:14 pm