Again, likewise for us at the Bentwaters ‘Cold War’ Museum. We’ve been trying for nearly three years to acquire an F-4, including one of a number of ex-Spanish AF F-4Cs that are just rotting away at Torrejon. These aircraft are mostly ex-81st TFW Bentwaters-based machines so our interest in acquiring one is understandable. The annoying part about out attempts to bring one back to the UK is that, even though we had the go-ahead from the Spanish AF, we were blocked by the USAF Museum using the usual excuse about loaning airframes to ‘private’ museums etc. The Spanish AF themselves have loaned several of these F-4s to privately-run museums and institutions in Spain so quite clearly it is one rule for one and one rule for another. The move of the USAFM-owned F-86A from Duxford to the MAM is also a breach of this rule.
I’m getting a little tired of the secrecy involved in the ‘purchase’ of XV408. Surely if it was all above board there wouldn’t be any need for the secrecy?
Regards.

Graham Haynes
Bentwaters ‘Cold War’ Museum

Graham, I’m pretty astounded by your remarks and lack of knowledge of the facts surrounding the above…. As a long-time member of the Midland Air Museum, and working on my project “XF382” Hawker Hunter, can I take this opportunity to correct you, or enlighten you?

Regarding the F-86 move from Duxford – it is on loan to the Midland Air Museum from the IWM @ Duxford (who as has been pointed out, own it). So no alleged breach there ok? (That was a serious allegation you made)…

Regarding the USAF Museum’s policies – they do in fact loan airframes out to private museums – the Midland Air Museum being one of many… On our books, we have T-33 / Mystere / Hunter XF382 all on loan from the USAF Museum, and that’s just the ones I know of as fact…. The Hunter has an intriguing reason for being on loan from the USAF, as it was built in 1956 with funding from the USA Military Aid Programme which was their financial assistance to the UK to enable it to re-equip it’s forces post-WW2. Built at Coventry by AWA, it flew it’s entire career with the RAF, and once retired, officially belonged to the USA Goverment, which meant it could not be offered up for disposal by the usual MOD means, as the MOD didn’t own it. So the Museum acquired it via the USAF Museum, who remain as custodians of all ex-MAP funded airframes in the UK. So there’s the correct background to the policy of USAF owned airframes being on loan to private Museums…..

I’ll get off my soapbox now, but felt it right to defend the Museum which I have worked at for the last 11 years, and who always do things right I might add… Amateurs only by virtue, professional in conduct….

Pete Buckingham
Hunter XF382 Groundcrew
Midland Air Museum

Yep, a Hunter, out of Chivenor if I remember correctly, had a problem so the pilot pointed it out to sea and ejected, the aircraft then turned and flew back towards the coast, result as you see in the photo

Brawdy actually – I was stationed there at the time of this accident…..lol (It wasn’t my fault…lol) Got to be the luckiest and weirdest ejection accident I’ve ever seen – after ejection, the hunter was tilted slightly by the force of the seat going, and flew all on it’s own, as you say….
I’ve got to say – at that time our Hunters were falling out of the dky quite often – especially T7’s? We seemed to lose one a week….. must be that they led a hard life….. although the example I’m involved with only has 3000 hours flown in all it’s long history (mine’s a better example then..lol)

Talking of ejections – witnessed a Starfighter doing it’s usual too, also at Brawdy 😮

Wales Aircraft Museum

From what I remember, that museum had a reputation for their repainting into fictitous or irrelevant markings and serial numbers etc…. Probably the case here. One of the saddest tales in the UK Aviation Museum archives……

Sat in XF382 yesterday, beautiful aircraft! 😀

Well wait till you try it when it’s powered up then…… you’ll love it even more then 😀