CHECK YOUR FRIDGE

Yup, still there!

So an aircraft has been recovered from a lake bed in 2012, and returned to flying condition by June 2017…. and you lot are complaining about the paint? :highly_amused: You couldn’t make this up.

Anyway, the message appears to be that the warbird scene is healthier in Russia than it is here.

Yes, you are missing the detailed information about the state of this item and engineering experience on the Sea Vixen to enable you to form such a judgement, which is most unhelpful.

Very thoughtful and generous of you to put Mark back on the right track with your immense knowledge of Sea Vixen engineering, rather than simply bashing him for asking an honest question. Top marks! :applause:

Remind me of the purpose of discussion forums?

Anyway, I’m calling it early: The Sea Vixen will never fly again. By the time it is returned to flying condition there will be even more fallout from the Shoreham crash, and it will be viewed as too great a liability. I already predicted (correctly) that there would be no ferry flight for 558 to “Brunty”, and that the plan to keep 558 safely stored indoors in perpetuity could not be assured… watch this space!

I think its quite impressive that the public are willing to help recover the pilot. All those people helping, in this day and age over here if that type of thing hapened everyone would just get their phones out and video it!

Just in case you missed it the first time:

This guy is very much not helping the pilot to get out, and takes photographs the second the clods of soil cease falling from the sky.

‘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?

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.