Does anyone know during what period the above Sea King operated at HMS Gannet at Prestwick?

I’m tempted to say that anyone with a certain book would be able to tell you, but…..oh, wait, I just have.:D

Oct 08 – Nov 08
Oct 10 – Dec 10
Mar 11 – Jul 11

Hope that helps.

Lee

Scotchcal is the stuff, although contrary to Pagen’s mail I think the RN Tiger Moths did actually use it instead of paint.

Relightflynn9 – did you ever use the numbers I drew for your aircraft? I never did see the results.

Lee

Incidentally the Firefly AS.5 ‘230’ should be WB379 (‘230/K’), formerly of 816 Squadron and latterly in use as a GI airframe with the SAH at Gosport.

Can’t help with any Martinet serial though (if, of course, that is what it is). Sure it’s not a Firefly FR.1 (examples of which were definitely dumped there too)?

I have a vague recollection of there being an early Wyvern in the Scrapyard at RNAY Fleetlands around 1958. Definitely not an S4, there were a few of them still trickling through the shops as late as 1958. The scrapyard was I believe cleared in the early ’60s to make room for the Helipad (or possibly the new apprentice training centre).
I worked at Fleetlands from 1957 – 63 and I think the yard had been cleared by the time I left.
Does anyone know if Fleetlands will survive the current round of defence cuts?

Regards
Bill

The Sale Pound eventually made way for L Hangar (the Chinook hangar). Many an interesting type went through there – there are photos of a complete Firefly T.2, a dismantled Attacker, complete Meteor TT.20, Sea Hawks…..you name it. Not to mention the boxes of zero-houred Griffon 74s and Centaurus 18s (as late as 1968). Even the famous Portsmouth Civil Defence Wildcat was noted there in late 1962.

I’m just looking at the complete (with wiring loom) control grip from Scimitar XD218 which was salvaged by a late friend of mine who ‘was sent to rob it for F Shop’……sadly the pitot tube he also ‘had to get’ couldn’t be secreted apon his person sufficiently well whilst leaving the Yard on a pushbike, so it eventually got scrapped.

Mark – never mind the Seafang, what we need is a time machine!

There are some photos of VR930 in the latest (Feb 12) issue of FlyPast 😉

Oh not again!

Firstly we know where the aircraft dump is reputed to have been. During the 1990s a team of Royal Engineers working at Sultan were asked to run their metal detactors over the area and they reportedly went off the scale. All very well, but that only points to large deposits of metal; it doesn’t indicate whole aeroplanes, nor of their condition (bearing in mind those who were around at the time of Gosport’s closure clearly recall all manner of unwanted material being literally “bulldozed” into the pit).

The area they’re interested in is very well-defined. It is, however, also a Site of Special Scientific Interest! Digging, and potentially disturbing old machinery and anything containing oil, isn’t going to go down well with the council and the environmentalists. Regardless of whether some company could be brought in to sponsor the excavation, I’d be surprised if one would be willing to pay for or be associated with any clean-up operation as a result of unearthing some toxic substance.

This isn’t meant to be discouraging; it’s merely reiterating that others have had the same thoughts before but, after some investigation into the possible outcome have decided it’s probably best to leave as a bit of folklore.

RAF Blue Grey.

Nice chapter on paint schemes in a recently published book, don’t ya know :rolleyes::cool::D

I’ll pass the message to him.