ChoxWell I didn’t imagine towing her out would be easy, but when the other options are heli-lift or dismantling, I would have thought it would at least be worth looking at. Obviously the route would have to be recce’d but I would have thought it would be an idea worth at least looking at, if all else fails. Just hope it doesn’t get “chopped n’ welded” like other Lightnings that have been moved by truck!
ChoxMystery solved! I didn’t see anything else on your pages that looked wrong, it was just when I saw that particular photo, it just didn’t look like any of St.Mawgan’s concrete. I guess you’ll have to do a Luqa site next?! (that would be worth seeing too!)
ChoxThat’s incredible – you’d think the aircraft would be safe enough inside the station boundary:rolleyes:
I hope that the aircraft finds a permanent home under cover eventually. As I mentioned before, one wonders what the future will be for the T2 hangar. I imagine it will be used as some sort of warehouse, but it would certainly be the ideal place to give the Shackleton some welcome shelter, and a good place to create a museum – it would make an interesting attraction for some of the passing holiday-makers.
ChoxDon’t know who the owners are – that’s why I added the post, to ask if there was any news. I’m not “writing her off” – just asking if anyone knows what’s going on.
As for my comment regarding towing the aircraft out, I don’t see why you would scoff at the notion – plenty of aircraft have been moved around this way, and it’s entirely feasible if the roads are wide enough (which I’m sure they are – even Lincolnshire’s roads are wider than a Lightning!). It’s certainly a better option than dismantling the aircraft. I suppose the problem would be getting permission to do it – and as has been mentioned, working-out where to take it!:)
ChoxAny news on the Lightning’s status or future?
Begs the question as to whether she couldn’t simply be towed to Scampton – surely the roads are wide enough and if it was done at night with a police escort, it ain’t that far…
Mind you, it’s probably worth establishing what Scampton’s future is first. Given that the Red Arrows are definitely moving-out sooner or later, one has to wonder whether HHA will be able to survive there on their own, and if they go, there’s not much point in moving a Lightning from one abandoned airfield to another!
ChoxNice Canberra shot! Looks like that’s an early shot before the tail markings were applied. The colour scheme and markings remained the same but the 7 Sqn badge was subsequently applied to the fin, together with the code (“03” and “04”) in black. Photos of the two machines during that period seem to be extremely rare – kinda odd considering how much time they spent plodding around the circuit! I’ll have to look-out for the Warpaint booklet for the Victor shots – force of habit has encouraged me to ingore Warpaint books because they’re usually a bit dodgy in terms of information and facts!
As for that Nimrod show well who knows – still, I wouldn’t be surprised if the afore-mentioned pilot is slightly mistaken – that often happens! Like yourself, I know St.Mawgan’s layout very well, which is why the photo looked odd to me. As that aerial map shows, it can’t be St.Mawgan’s Nimrod pan as it doesn’t match the concrete layout. As far as I know, the Nimrod pans have never been altered in any way since they were built (the HAS bits are a fair way from the actual Nimrod pans). I’m mystified though – it could possibly be Kinloss but from what I can recall, the Nimrod pan there is also different – most of it being based on the old Shackleton pan which was virtally identical to St.Eval’s. My money’s on Luqa, although I’m open to suggestions!:D
ChoxHmm, I can’t work-out where that Nimrod shot was taken. Have a look at this link:-
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|Newquay#map=50.44123,-5.00843|17|…
As you’ll see if you compare the photo with the view, the concrete layout doesn’t match, no matter which of the four corners you look at. I’m inclined to think it’s an overseas base as I don’t think it would match any of the Kinloss parking areas either (not that any of this matters but it’s an interesting mystery!).
Good luck with your efforts to find a shot of the visiting B-36. I’m constantly amazed at the lack of photographs from St.Mawgan’s past. I’m surprised that nobody ever caught a shot of Victors on the ORP. I guess it must be St.Mawgan’s fairly remote location which didn’t attract many plane spotters back in those days!
I’ll keep looking for shots of 7 Squadron’s T.19’s. I used to love watching both aircraft performing endless circuits at St.Mawgan. They certainly added a spot of colour to the line of camouflaged TT.18’s on the south pan!
ChoxJust been looking at your SM site Page – lovely stuff! Hope you get some more info/pictures on 7 Squadron’s Canberras. I’ve been looking for shots of their two Canberra T19’s for years but so far I’ve only ever seen one shot which Newark Air Museum had. Inexplicably, they “doctored” the photo on their website and removed the 7 Sqn markings! But then they did the same to their T19 in the museum – removed the lovely 7 Squadron marks and slapped-on 85 Sqn markings instead – but never re-applied the dayglow patches. They also added tip tanks – rather odd seen as the T19 never carried them!
Incidentally, the photo on your site of newly-delivered Nimrods is a bit of a mystery as I’m not sure where it was taken. It’s not the NE dispersal (the Victor ORP) and the Nimrod pans over on the SW side had (and still have) fairly large grassed areas in them – not a solid one-piece apron. I’m thinking that shot might be Akrotiri or Malta actually, as Kinloss’ Nimrod pan is also ratehr different. Anyway, excellent pages – great to see some stuff about glorious St.Mawgan!
ChoxThanks for the clarification. I’d heard the story of projected B-36 use but as far as I know, the B-36 never actually visited SM… or did it?
Thanks for the link to the dumped aircraft too. I remember that Canberra and the Victor when they were in much better condition at SM before they met their undeserved fate on the dump. I recall that previously there were two other Canberras up there, one being a T4 (in the red/white/grey scheme) and a T4 or B2 in grey with dayglow stripes. Both up on the dump for a long time. The Hastings was a very familiar sight up on the hill for years too (as was the Shackleton later).
Re- the US NavyNato presence, I’ve got some shots of the rest of the Trebelzue site which I’ll post up soon as I can. As advised, I’ll post the St.Eval shots separately!
ChoxShe’s a fine old machine. I had an opportunity to take a good look at her exterior a year back when I popped into the Spar for lunch and devoured a sandwich whilst walking around her glorious bulk! I’ve got an aerial shot of her from a Sea King somewhere which I took later in the day.
Any news on her likely future? I heard that there was some plan to put the aircraft on display at the roadside near Barry’s aircraft collection? I guess this would be better than the scrap heap but you can’t help wondering how long she’d survive up there exposed to the elements – and how long it would be before the Health & Safety zealots pronounce her unfit.
One the RAF leaves, maybe the local enthusiasts should start lobbying to reclaim the T2 hangar and put her back in there as a memorial to St.Mawgan’s illustrious history. Be nice to see those sideways-loading tracks in the hanger floor be used one more time?!
ChoxThe airfield at St.Eval was ultimately abandoned because the runways weren’t long enough to safely accommodate the heavy Mk.3 Shackleton, and it was this which prompted the move to St.Mawgan.
The airfield at St.Mawgan was created for the USAF as a ferry base, hence the 300 foot-wide (9,000 ft – long) runway and lots of dispersals. Trebelzue was (as you can see) very small and could not be expanded because of its proximity to the coast. Consequently, St.Mawgan was built much further inland, so far that it was essentially a separate airfield even though they were linked.
As has been said, St.Mawgan and St.Eval are very close and from the air they’re well within sight of each other. Indeed, the last hangar wasn’t dismantled at St.Eval until just a few years ago and it was a familiar sight on the horizon for those of us who spent way too long plane spotting at St.Mawgan! Misidentification was a common problem – I can remember listening to a private pilot on the radio being told that he was lining-up on St.Eval’s runway by mistake, and this was quite dangerous as St.Eval is now covered with tall radio masts.
In recent years Trebelzue has been the home to the US Navy detachment (nuclear depth charges were stored there for many years) but even the US Navy is planning to leave soon it seems. The far end of the old runway is still used for fire/rescue practice but the assorted old airframes are long gone. I remember a Shackleton, ex-Boscombe Down Hastings, and at least three Canberras being up there.
I’ve got some similar shots of St.Eval if anyone wants to see some…
ChoxLet’s hope they go to a good home – preferably in the UK. A fine old aircraft and it would be great to see more of them chugging around. Whatever happened to the Sea Prince that used to appear at air shows many years ago? I assume it was sold-off and no longer flies…
ChoxGlad you like the shots – I’ll dig out some more soon as I can.
The Vulcan one is scanned from a Fuji slide – wish I’d had a digi camera ten years ago (or even earlier) – but then I guess everyone thinks that!
ChoxBrilliant! Thanks for the photos – just the sort of thing I was looking for!
Thanks guys!
ChoxThanks for the feedback guys. Not sure which aircraft it was but I’m trying to find a picture which shows where the dayglow stripes were actually applied. There seems to be only the one shot used in various books, but it only shows the nose section clearly, with stripes right across the forward fuselage. Unfortunately it doesn’t offer any clue as to whether the port side was the same, or if any more dayglow was applied on the tail or wings. A real mystery which is a shame, as it looks like a very colourful aircraft!
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