I believe that you’re correct Mr S, although I bet very few photographs or notes are available! :diablo:
IIRC one of the Binbrook decoy F3s, XP701 was stripped and lifted out of Binbrook in December 1987 by a CH-53 and had to divert into Sculthorpe en route south. I believe that the cockpit may still survive.
This previous ‘exercise’ led me to make similar enquiries the following spring, but both the USAF and RAF were not willing to carry out the lift as an exercise.
I then pursued civilian options with discussions taking place with IIRC two North Sea helicopter contractors; both seemed willing to provide a service for a nominal fee, which was going to be timed with their traveling down from Northern Scotland to provide lifting facilities at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Sadly with this relatively narrow window of ‘lifting opportunity’ (circa 10 days) it proved too difficult to formalise any RAF approvals and the chance passed.
Since then the nearest that I have come to organising a similar lift was for the Viggen, however despite the relatively short distance between Cranwell and Winthorpe this ‘fell through’ when the RAF requested that a ‘drop clause’ be included in the agreement, to cover for the possibility that the load might become unstable; (pardon the pun). 🙁
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