I can never get my head round why this Airport hasn’t been a success when you bear in mind that the South East is crying out for a third airport. it appears to be a ghost airport as far as our government is concerned.as never has it been put on the Airport Radar.

Another Airport that never gets a mention for a third London Airport in the South East is Detling.as this former Airport (aerodrome) has a Ton of land that could be re developed in the surrounding area and also has great road and rail links ie M2/M20. (would anyone know why this former Airport never gets a mention as a possible third London Airport) at least it would bring it back to its former life as an Airport.

Getting back to Manston this would be a great shame to see this re developed into yet more housing, and losing some its history like so many others.

Many reasons: going back to the 1950s when the USAF were based there (F-84D/E/F, F-86F/D, SA-16, SB-29 etc), there was a lot of local opposition on the grounds of noise. Not at all helped when an F-84F skidded off the runway and ended up through chief protester Lady Rees-Mogg’s garden wall.

By the eighties there was a long-established opposition to, “Those black jets” doing circuits there (never did find out what they were, but despite the odd SR-71 doing a sneaky fly-through I suspect the protesters were referring to A-10s, which weren’t black or particularly noisy, but did swarm at times).

However the local planners can also take some blame, since Richard Branson had major plans for the place but they were scuppered by local councillors.

As a result the area (to me at least, having lived there for a number of years and subsequently having to return to see in-laws) has been rather backward. It’s still underdeveloped and my only hope is that they can cast the Isle of Thanet adrift and hope the whole soory place washes ashore somewhere that will do the right thing by it!

A few from the China Lake ranges:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]226233[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]226234[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]226235[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]226236[/ATTACH]

I’d like to correct a great deal of misinformation regarding this aircraft.

First off, its owner at Plock’s/Dandy’s Farm in Much Hoole had taken care to look after it, and aside from some repairs carried out prior to his ownership (fabriced-over evidence of a belly landing whilst in AMI service), it was a very original aircraft, with no evidence of the ‘full of concrete’ statements often made of it.

I sat in this aircraft in the barn at Much Hoole and can confirm that the cockpit looked 100% complete, it still had its engine installed, and looked for all the world like a project just begging to fly.

Following the Duxford auction the aircraft (unsold) travelled back to Much Hoole and was subsequently purchased from Tom Bracewell by persons unknown.

However, it seems unlikely that it ever travelled anywhere for use “…as part of the QF-86 drone programme”. For one – the USN QF-86F programme had more than enough (free of charge) F-86Fs to use, the FSI/Tracor QF-86E programme likewise for its donor Canadair Sabres. Secondly, being a J47-engined aircraft, G-ATBF would have had little appeal to FSI, which was converting Orenda-engined Sabre 5s. Again, the USN had enough surplus F-86Fs for their programme, so why buy one?

Moreover, I know a great many people who were involved in both QF-86E and QF-86F programmes, and none of them had ever heard of it (and confirmed the above train of thought) – and it certainly would have been something to talk about, painted as it was in ‘Luftwaffe’ colours (as was the Japanese ASDF F-86F which briefly flew in JASDF markings at the start of the QF-86F programme!).

I did try approaches at the time via Tom Bracewell (he couldn’t recall who collected it!) and the auction house – all to no avail.

My personal view is that the aircraft stayed in the UK and either survives with a secretive owner (we do live in hope), or more likely was scrapped at the time, or bought by a well-meaning soul, who also scrapped it, daunted by the prospect. Sad to say, even in the 1980s, Sabres were not given great value on this side of the pond.

Duncan

Direct from the K Files (Air B)

K6250 – delivered 5.1.37 to School of Air Nav coded J6
To 48 Sqn,
Avro 3.5.38
S of AN – 10.5.38
No 2 S of AN as J6
4 Air Obs School – 28.4.42 as A4?
Martin Hearn – 21-6-42
9 MU – 31.8.42
ATA – 17.9.42
15 Ferry Pool – overshot landing, swung and undercarriage collapsed, Portsmouth 20.10.43
To Air Taxis for repair
ATA – 27.1.44
5 MU – 18.4.46 on flight charge
Sold as Scrap – 25.5.50

My own thoughts on N5250 is that it may well have had a similar accident to K 6250 and was also repaired and returned to flying. We just don’t have that evidence at present!

Did this ever get resolved? I’m pretty sure it’s N5254 of No.6 AOS based at Staverton. It crashed on 10 March 1943 at Heddington, Wilts on a cross-country flight. Engine problems had developed above cloud and when the crew descended they had insufficient power to clear a hill top, and instead performed a wheels-up forced landing. I think the accident site was at Wick Farm, but that may be my memory playing tricks.

For sure the surroundings look like Heddington.

It will, I’ve had words with the people who control it.

As an aside for people who may be visiting Manston over the weekend – and to add another historical element to this thread – the T33 that was based for many years at North Weald has finally arrived and has been reassembled, now on display in the History Museum. Had a look at it last weekend, looks a little worn, but still nice. Should look even better once she’s back in her original silver scheme. 😀

‘Original’ ‘Silver’ Pray tell….