The larger aircraft will be outside until such time as the AirSpace hangar is structurally complete. I have no details on the currently projected timescale, but we were scheduled to open the first phase sometime next year.

Thanks for letting us know Jonathan. Question, can you persuade “de management” there to hold an enthusiast’s photo day? By this I mean pulling the exhibits forward one by one to get a good clean photo of them with barriers?

I don’t know about others but I wouldn’t mind paying for a day like this, if it was a tenner then perhaps half of it could be donated to the Tsunami Appeal – what about it?

How about a weekday in the Spring (sunshine?). Before they got too many exhibits Cosford used to pull their aircraft out on nominated days and if I remember rightly so did the Science Museum’s out station at Wroughton. I certainly remember shooting the Connie outside one weekend many years ago, sadly though this now seems a practice long forgotten, so come on Duxford!!!

PS – Where is the Hastybird now? Is she also hidden away from Camera’s?

Great shots Darren, got one of the Vulcan? Do you know how long these exhibits are going to stay outside for? and where’s the Haststacks gone?

when i were a lad growing up in Fairford, my mate Andy and myself used to play on the firedump there. There was a hastings there and an argosy, this would be about 1978-1980.

i’m guessing they were both broken up there because they were in no state to travel anywhere else!

i don’t know the serial numbers as i was only 14 at the time and too worried about being lifted my the MOD plod… :diablo:

The Hastybird was T.5 TG553. The remains had been cleared away by the end of 1978 leaving the Wheelbarrow which was E.1 XP413.

If anyone has any piccys of them on the dump at Fairford please let me know!!!

Question though – Is the Meteor NF14(?) in the last picture the one that is now in camo colours at Coventry, and am I correct in thinking it is the prototype NF14, or at least an early pre-production one?

Well spotted!!! It is indeed Meatbox NF.14 WS838 which now resides at the Midland Air Museum. Not sure what it was doing next to the Vulcan on that shot, it’s a good job the scrappy didn’t think it was going too!

Not being a big meatbox fan I can’t comment on whether it’s the prototype or early production NF.14. Anyone else?

consul and Steve Bond – please post to your hearts delight the Lasham piccys!

Steve – I did a search for the Neptune but couldn’t find it, can you post it again please?

I for one love to see these scrapyard and dead airplane photos, I think it’s about time to write to Ken for a Wrecks & Relics “The Album Volume 2” !!!

What about it Ken?

And anyone got any photos taken at Lasham? The was a big scrapyard there long before Dan-Air started scrapping Comet’s.

Just as an addition to Box Brownies comments, I can also confirm that XD818 was not flown into Hendon and being a bit of a Valiant fanatic here’s a little bit of additional background info I hope you’ll like…

Although struck off charge in March 1965 at RAF Marham, XD818 was allocated the maintenance serial 7894M in October 1965 and was placed on display at Marham still carrying the camouflage colour scheme given to her only a year earlier.

Here she stayed being well looked after by base personnel until April 1982 when she was dismantled and transported by road to the then newly constructed Bomber Command Museum building. Following reassembly she was repainted in her white anti flash colour scheme. The RAF Museum earmarked XD818 for preservation and not XD816 because ‘818 had dropped the UK’s first H-Bomb near Christmas Island 15th May 1957. She is due to be dismantled and roaded again within the next 24 months so that she can be placed within the (yet to be built!) Divided World Exhibition, RAF Museum Cosford.

XD816 carried the distinction of the last flying Valiant as she’d been returned to Vickers for trials and modification of the wingspar. It was cracks found in the wingspar’s that grounded the Valiant fleet on 11th December 1964. The trials carried on until early 1968 when she was flown to RAF Abingdon to represent the type at the RAF’s 50th Anniversary show. Still carrying the white anti flash colour scheme and 214 Sqn markings she remained grounded at Abingdon following her arrival until being struck off charge and scrapped during 1970. A little bit of her lives on as the nose section was saved; it can now be found within the Stratosphere Chamber at the Brooklands Museum.

By the way, I’m always looking for good colour 35mm slides of Valiant’s, so if you think you can help do please send me an email – cheers.