Gerry RF4J
Stony,
I stand corrected, there is such a wealth of knowledge on this forum!, thankyou for pointing this out.:o
Gerry R
Gerry RLeuchars Phantoms
CurlyBoy,
Yes, the two Phantoms are still at Leuchars, the last I heard of Black Mike it was stored in one of hardened shelters on the north side. The example on the gate is in excellent condition (as is the Tornado), I hope both F4s get good homes as its seems there will be no reversal on the RAF Leuchars base closure plan.:(
Gerry RLeuchars Phantoms
CurlyBoy,
Yes, the two Phantoms are still at Leuchars, the last I heard of Black Mike it was stored in one of hardened shelters on the north side. The example on the gate is in excellent condition (as is the Tornado), I hope both F4s get good homes as its seems there will be no reversal on the RAF Leuchars base closure plan.:(
Gerry RPhantom x 3
Another small contribution,
25th Anniversary Phantom at Greenham Common 1983, F4Js at Fairford, sunset shot at Leuchars.
Gerry R
Gerry RPhantom x 3
Another small contribution,
25th Anniversary Phantom at Greenham Common 1983, F4Js at Fairford, sunset shot at Leuchars.
Gerry R
Gerry RMalta Class Carriers
John,
Thankyou for your views, and lots to chew over from your post.
Your emphasis on the huge costs for the re-fits and re-builds for the various carriers, possibly put off both the Labour and the Conservative Govt’s financing future carrier projects, such as CVA 01 (1967),—-no money.
I must acknowledge you are probably right in your last sentence on the Malta class, too large for the task East of Suez, and policy at the time.
Gerry R
Gerry RMalta class carriers, rather than Victorious re-build.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and needless to say, we are so much wiser because of it.
Rather than the re-construction of HMS Victorious 1950-58, the immediate post war project to build at least 2 Malta class carriers, 46,000 tons displacement plus a 900ft plus flight deck, should have been re-surrected in the 50s with all the new (British) innovations, such as angled deck, mirror sight, steam catapult etc, for completion by the time the WW2 Formidable class carriers were due for retirement in the mid to late 1950s. The larger Malta class would have been capable of operating an array of modern and large attack aircraft with ease, not forgetting other types, on a par with the big US super carriers.
The Invincible class carriers of the 1980s, although serving a purpose were too small and were political ships, at one time they were called ‘Through Deck Cruisers’ rather than Carriers so as not to alert the then anti-Carrier Labour Government of the time during their construction.
Up to date on the present situation, I agree with F/A-18RN that 3 smaller carriers would have been a better option than the two large ones that are at this time under construction, there is still a tremendous amount of confusion still on these two ships as they slowly become reality. I am assuming that the second ship will be sold to the French to pay for the construction cost of HMS Queen Elizabeth? and the question whether this first ship will be completed with or without catapults, and or a ramp remains a grey area, unless someone in the know can clarify this?.
The UK has certainly slipped down the league of seaborne air power, other lesser navies are going in the other direction, for example, the Spanish and Italian navies as well as the French in the recent Libyan conflict,………..where were OUR fixed wing Carriers!?.:mad:
Gerry R
Gerry RPhantom x 2
A small contribution, XV408 at Fairford 2009 before transfer to Tangmere, no FAA F4K, but an alternative Navy pic, F4B? at Point Mugu NAS CA, with the Navy Air Weapons Test Centre Oct 1993.
Gerry R
Gerry RCockpit front glass panel
Wyvernfan,
Thanks for your illustration, I was a little conservative with the thickness estimate, but the holes certainly amazed us all. When does the re-build start?;)
Gerry R
Gerry RMissing ME 109?
[QUOTE=
As an afterthought, there was a Messerschmitt 109 lost in Chichester Harbour in December 1940 off Thorney Island, although it has never been located.[/QUOTE]
Just found this 2003 press cutting, so a belated addition to this thread on the interesting subject of the Chichester Harbour WW2 wrecks. The wreckage was discovered that year at low tide off the southern tip of Thorney Island, I never did find out later its type/identity, maybe it is of the missing 109?
Gerry R
Gerry RGosport Aircraft Dump.
I think there may well be some truth in this one.
I remember , around 1955, seeing some(half a dozen or more) derilect Fireflies close to a rough track that went along the western side of the airfield.
Daveg4otu, Mark12,
I am not sure of any Wyvern burial site at the fomer Gosport airfield, (if any), but I agree there was a fenced off aircraft dump area on the western side of the airfield. As kids from nearby Bridgemary, 4 of us managed to squeeze under the double gates to this compound and explore the 5 or 6 aircraft wrecks within. Interestingly, 1 or 2 had neat holes in their front cockpit windscreen panels, about one half inch (12mm) in diameter, these holes revealed the thickness of the glass, at least the same measurement, we unanimously agreed they were bullet holes!!?.:D
One of the aircraft types was so far off the ground that we could not climb up to inspect the cockpit, I am thinking now if this was the Wyvern and could its remains? still be there?, the other types, we managed to reach the cockpits via the lower height of the wing trailing edge.
All of us were expecting at anytime an MOD Policeman to chase us away, but none appeared, I can only assume it was the year after HMS Siskin had closed. Naval houses were later built in this area, the compound was very near Rowner Church (still extant) which was situated through the boundary hedge and across the old Rowner lane, not far from where we once excitedly explored.
Thanks to Mark and Ollie for bringing this interesting development to our attention.:)
Gerry R
Gerry RNo U turn on RAF Leuchars closure plans
Besides, as yet, no official comment on a 2012 airshow at Leuchars, the new Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond has stated “I do not intend to reconsider the outcome of the basing review”, I.E. the proposed move from Leuchars to Lossiemouth of the Typhoon force will still go ahead.
A Fife press report has disclosed it will cost in excess of £40m for the transfer of the Typhoons, personnel, stores, equipment, and comms/information systems from Fife to the Morayshire base, plus the additional cost per annum of £10m due to the additional transit time to training areas. The newspaper also reports that senior RAF chiefs are still hoping that Mr Hammond will re-consider the decision to close RAF Leuchars as an air base, as it is better located for the UK’s rapid reaction capability.
Sir Menzies Campbell, N.E. Fife MP, has questioned the Defence Secretary on a number of issues, as well as a reversal of the base closure decision, he pointed out there was no timetable regarding the Army moving in in 2014, “detailed implemention planning was under way”, was the response.
Above all, is the prospect of a superbly located airfield and runway going to waste in afew years time. An example of that main runway capability was demonstrated last month when two fully loaded Volga Nnepr Antonov 124s departed en-route to the Far East, with No 6 sqn equipment for participation in the 40th anniversary FPDA, (Five Powers Defence Agreement), exercise in Malaysia.
The move north to Lossiemouth, I am beginning to accept, with reluctance, that it will inevitably happen.
Gerry R
Gerry RYour question is both intriguing and interesting, intriguing because planning applications are still ongoing for the development of the airfield, even preliminary work would not commence until the outcome of these, but maybe it has!, I await the outcome.
Gerry R
Gerry RHi John,
Unfortunetly the legacy of the previous lease holders lives on, yourself and other aircraft owners were treated like d…, with their attempts to evict you all.
Maybe it is time for Fly BN Ltd to come out of the shadows and address your legitimate questions, for example, if Mogas is becoming more popular as a modern fuel, then I would like to think it will be available once the new GA terminal? is completed. Also it would be ideal if one of the GA mags to flew down to Lee or Bembridge for an informative article in the near future.
Some of the speculative and prospective plans for the airfield over the years since HMS Daedalus closed have been:- Gravel Extraction, Asylum Centre, Racecourse, small Factory Units/Housing, so I am more than happy these did not happen and it is going in the right direction.
In the meantime you are probably familiar with the Lee Flying Association?, and offer their website to you, http://www.eghf.co.uk, as within are details for the BN Airfield Manual, including the contact and name of the Lee Ops Manager who maybe of some help!, the content of the rest of this Manual is a little long winded, but maybe of some use for you enquiries.
Gerry R
Gerry RLee on Solent Update
After obtaining a new lease in May (Fly BN Ltd) and being designated as an Enterprise Zone in Aug, further good news for the airfield (Daedalus site) arrived this week with the granting of £5 million by the Regional Growth Fund.
It is envisaged that half of the grant will be used to upgrade the 4,294ft (1,309m) 05/23 runway, to licensed status. The rest invested via grants in small to medium enterprises already based or about to move to the airfield, the latter associated with the backing of the two Borough councils, Fareham and Gosport, whose boundaries disect the airfield.
This latest news is further progress towards establishing a major hub for marine, aviation and aerospace business at Lee, complementing its future as a General Aviation airfield, rather than for military or commercial airline use.
Aircraft manufacture is already up and running with BN assembling Defender aircraft in the former FAA Dunning Hangar south side, with other nearby buildings housing Marine (Boatbuilding) Interests. The airfield is unique in having its own water access via a slipway facing The Solent, most of the exhibits at the Hovercraft Museum, located in the old seaplane hangars, arrived via this convenient facility.
With other airfields around the UK fast disappearing either reverting back to agriculture or re-development, Lee is a good example some can survive, but more importantly with future aviation and aerospace use prominently in mind too.:)
Gerry R
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