I’ve recently (about 4 weeks ago) moved up to St.Albans to start a new job,and I frequently go through the old Hatfield airfield site on my way to and from work.Whilst it’s sad to see the aerodrome being built on,it’s good that a number of the airfield buildings survive.
Does anybody know what’s happenning with the big flight test hangar and adjascent control tower??It was derelict for a long time,but just recently there’s been alot of activity around it-the hangar doors are often open and the lights in the offices on.It looks as though the building is being refurbished,rather than demolished as I once feared.I had heard that there were plans to turn it into a leisure centre (!),but that somehow doesn’t ring true.Anyone know what’s going on?
I’d also like to know what plans there are for the buildings on the site of the old airfield entrance.All appear derelict and one has been gutted by fire.They’re a bit of an eyesore at the moment,but they look basically sound and redeemable.Are they listed??
As if I hadn’t waffled on for long enough already,there’s a building over by the Galleria shopping centre which is unmistakeably one of the old airfield buildings,with a model of a Dh88 sitting on a pole outside.Can anyone tell me what this building was,and/or what it’s used for today?
Sorry to go on so much,but I’ve started taking a serious interest in the place since I moved up here,and any info would be welcome. 🙂

My guess is that it’s an LB30 Liberator,the transport version of the B24,hence the lack of turrets.The serial sugests that the aircraft was built to a British order,but then impressed into service with the USAAF. I expect someone on the forum will be able to give more definate info by chasing up the serial number.

Thanks for the photo’s Mike,both machines look great.Let’s hope it’s not too long before they’re moved indoors,otherwise they may start to look not quite so great-the T.7 Hunter is already starting to fade noticably.
Anyone know what hangarage plans FAST have??

“On the TLC of aircraft when the C2 Comet ex 216 Sqn was at Dux a few years ago that too was in a terrible state, one of the port tyres was deflated, the paintwork looked much the same as the other outside exhibits, I wrote to Ted Inman at the time, and received a reply, to say that XK??? was then being moved to a final rest home, what ever happened to her?”

Not good news I’m afraid,XK695 was chopped up in the early 90’s,the cockpit being saved for the DH Museum at London Colney,Herts,where it’s displayed today.The IWM’s reasoning was that they had another Comet in better nick,the Dan-Air Comet 4,so it was decided to sacrifice the Comet 2 rather than spending money they didn’t have on an aircraft type they had another example of.I know,I know,the C.2 was completely different to a Comet 4,but they were both Comets and IWM try not to collect more than one example of a particular aircraft type,particularly such a large one as a Comet.It seems a very harsh decision on the face of it,but when you think about it you have to sympathise with IWM to a degree.
As for Lottery grants,I think the usual practise is for the grant to cover a certain amount of the overall cost of a project,while the rest is raised by corporate sponsorship,donations,entrance fees etc.It’s relatively rare for the Lottery to pay the entire sum for a project.I’m not sure how this all works out with the AirSpace project at Duxford,but I think it’s something like 50% from the lottery and another substantial amount from various companies such as BAe,with the remainder being covered by fund-raising and entrance fees.
As for free entry,there was a thread about this a year or so ago on the forum.If I remember rightly,IWM Lambeth (and perhaps IWM North too) is covered by the government’s free admission initiative,but the other branches (Eg,HMS Belfast,Duxford) are not.Don’t ask me why,but that’s how things stand at the moment. A number of the museums/galleries etc who now have free admission have recently been making complaints that they’ve not been recieving enough funding.If so,then perhaps we can be glad that Duxford is not included in the scheme.

“What happened to PM631 then, too? Not heard about that one.”

She started losing oil during her display at Southend last weekend,there’s a picture on the forum of her trailing the stuff.The pilot took her back to Southend airport sharpish,but alot of damage had already been done.Apparently,the engine only had 5 hours on it and it’s a complete write off!Still,it could’ve been worse if the display wasn’t so close to the airport.

Hi Dave,
MK732 is still active today,although she shed her D-Day markings a couple of years agao and now flies in her old Dutch AF colours…

http://www.angelfire.com/hi5/spitfiremk2a/mk732_gallery1.html

Hi Black Knight,
I presume you mean PV202/IAC161? 😉 PT462 is the ex-Charles Church two-seater that was recovered from Israel in the 70’s and is now owned and flown by Anthony Hodgson from his airstrip in Wales.
As for IAC 161,I’ve not heard anything yet,but here’s hoping it won’t be too long.