A poignant moment at the recent CockpitFest was the official handover of Chris Draper’s watercolour portrait of our friend and associate Dave Gledhill. All done in the shadow of XV490, which was a nice touch. You can check out more of Chris’s beautiful work here- http://www.chrisdraperartist.com/aircraft
Also, copies of Chris’s exclusive illustration of XT597 and XT905 are available as part our crowdfunder campaign. The original piece is still being created, however below is the preliminary sketch that shows the vision of the final item nicely. The first 50 copies will be signed by Laurie Hilditch and John Millo (aircrew of XT597 during its final flight) and can be obtained here- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
CROWDFUNDER PRIZE DRAW
As part of our rewards program, some levels automatically enrol you in an entry into a prize draw where you can win one of many Phantom related items. The actual list of prizes is kind of hidden away in an early update post so many users may have missed it. So here is the full list of what you may win if you pledge £15 or more-
Framed photo of XV424 with signatures of Tony Alcock & Norman Browne
Hobbymaster 1/72 F-4J(UK) ZE354 Die-cast model. Brand new in box, which has been signed by Dick Northcote, Cliff Spink and Graham Clarke (74 Sqn COs during the F4J era)
1 hour Tornado Simulator session, conducted by Dave Gledhill (ex F-4 nav and successful author/journalist)
Wooden F-4 Phantom desktop model
Signed copy of ‘F4 UK Phantom’ by Ian Black (2 x available)
Signed copy of ‘True Colours’ by Caroline Paige
Copy of ‘The Phantom In Focus’ by Dave Gledhill (signed by the BPAG team at Cosford 2018)
RAF issued ‘XV582’ Speed Run postal covers (2 x available)
Head over to our crowdfunder page to take part- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
We are delighted to say that our fundraising campaign passed the £10,000 mark over the weekend. We are now 42% toward our final target with two weeks still to go. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed so far.
If you are considering pledging but haven’t yet, then please head over to the campaign page here- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre There are plenty of rewards still to be claimed- patches, exclusive prints, our special mounted SUU gun rounds, plus the chance the have your name enshrined on a genuine F-4 fin.
Please help us secure a future for these iconic aircraft. Thank you.
Due to the enthusiastic demand for some of our crowdfunder rewards, many of which sold out very quickly, we have decided to bring forward something special that was initially pencilled in for later this year.
We are delighted and honoured that artist Chris Draper (a member of the Guild Of Aviation Artists) will be producing an exclusive watercolour illustration for the BPAG. This will show XT597 and XT905 airborne on an imaginary flight in their fully restored colours. The original work is currently being created but the artist has allowed us to share his preliminary colour study, which is a rough sketch that shows the vision of the final piece.
We are offering reproductions of the work as rewards in our crowdfunder campaign. But that is not all. These will all be signed by Laurie Hilditch and Jon Millo, who were XT597’s aircrew on its final flight, which was the last flight of any Spey powered Phantom.
These prints will be available in A3 size, on heavyweight authentic fine art paper and will be limited in numbers. You can claim one for yourself by pledging here- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
A BPAG team have spent the weekend tidying a storage building in the north and we now have access to the fin we will use for the ‘Your Name On A Fin’ crowdfunder reward. As soon as the rudder is re-attached and the paintwork touched up, this genuine ex-Luftwaffe F-4 fin will be ready to have your name (or any name you prefer) painted on its flanks for all to see.
This fin will be on display next to the aircraft at the UK Phantom Heritage Centre and will also accompany the BPAG to any events we attend from 2022 forward. Your name will be honoured as a BPAG supporter forever- this offer does not expire.
In order claim this reward and help the UK Phantom Heritage Centre become a reality, just follow this link- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
Many thanks to you all for your generosity and support so far.
Well, we know it’s not quite our era, but we have been invited and it is on our home turf now, after all. So, we so we are pleased to say that the BPAG will be attending the Battle Of Britain Fly-In at Cotswold Airport on Saturday 18th of September.
We will have our merch stall and a few Phantom related display items onsite and of course the BPAG crew will be available to chat to all you prop-driven types about proper aircraft. We look forward to seeing you there.
Check out the event details at the Cotswold Airport Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/events/1042183689854712
We still have four places available on our private tour of the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the RAF Museum, Cosford. The MBCC is at the very heart of the preservation work undertaken by the museum and is a fascinating place, full of atmosphere, dedication and a passion for preserving our National Military Aviation Heritage. The facility is not a public part of the museum (with the exception of an open week once a year) so this is a rare chance to see behind the scenes. Furthermore, our tour will be personally conducted by Conservation Centre Manager Darren Priday.
You can claim a place on this exclusive tour by pledging a £70 donation to our crowdfunder campaign. Your donation will also entitle you to certificate, signed by the BPAG chairman, acknowledging your contribution to the campaign as well as an entry into a prize draw with a chance to win one of many Phantom related prizes.
Just follow this link to take part- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
Hello All,
So, the first week of the campaign has ended and we are pretty knocked out by the response. Many thanks to everyone who has pledged a donation so far.
As the total reached 18% on Saturday lunchtime, we wondered out loud on social media if it would be possible to reach 20% of our goal by midnight on Sunday. We are delighted to report that we surpassed that amount and the total at the moment stands at 21%, meaning that we have received over £5400 in only five days. Its a great start and a real boost in morale for us to see how much support there is out there.
We have also now received an artist’s impression of the final appearance of the site once all the work is complete, which should give you a good idea of what we are aiming for.
If you have not pledged yet but would like to (or would like to encourage friends/family or colleagues to) here is the web address for the campaign home page- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
Thank you once again.
We have today received the artwork proofs for the crowdfunder campaign supporter’s patch. The aircraft illustration is a tribute to Wilf Hardy’s 1985 RAF Yearbook graphic of an RAF F-4 (and represents a generic UK Phantom rather than any particular variant or Sqn). This is set against a backdrop of the British flag. The patch itself measures approximately 8.5cm diameter/3.5inches (the standard military patch size) and has a merrowed edge, to strengthen and avoid fraying.
You obtain one of these exclusive patches by pledging a £20 donation to our crowdfunder campaign. Your donation will also entitle you to certificate, signed by the BPAG chairman, acknowledging your contribution to the campaign as well as an entry into a prize draw with a chance to win one of many Phantom related prizes.
Just follow this link to take part- http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
Good afternoon everyone. Firstly, thank you to you all for your interest in the BPAG, our aircraft and our preservation work. It is very much appreciated. We have come a long way in the past few years, have seen some highs and lows and dealt with a particularly difficult 2020/21 season due to Covid-19.
We are now making headway though and with XT905 and XT597 having safely arrived at Cotswold Airport and the disassembly of ZE360 progressing nicely, it is time to turn our attention to the long term arrangements at the airfield and our plans for the future. We are therefore pleased to announce our intention to establish the UK Phantom Heritage Centre, which will be our combined HQ, workspace, visitor centre and museum at Cotswold Airport. However, the very nature of aircraft restoration and the space and facilities it requires to be done successfully means that this will be an expensive undertaking.
We have therefore today launched a crowdfunding campaign in order the support the work needed to get the project rolling and you can find details of the proposed plan and how you can help here- https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uk-phantom-heritage-centre
We realise that what we are proposing is ambitious but we hope you will agree with us that it is worthwhile. We are in a position to make a significant contribution to the preservation of the UK’s aviation history. With the success of our previous projects, the BPAG have proven that we have the skills, knowledge and motivation to make it happen, but this time around we need the finances. We therefore ask you to consider donating to this campaign and as a result help to secure a future for our projects and keep the history and memories of these iconic aircraft- and the people who flew and maintained them- alive, not just for all the current generations but also for those yet to come.
Thank you.
We sometimes feel lucky and honoured to have the most amazing set of supporters at BPAG. This rear canopy, which is in excellent condition, was recently donated by a chap called Steve Donald and will be used on whichever of the two aircraft it fits best.
During a conversation over a very welcome cup of tea while collecting it, he revealed that he is the gentleman who took the incredible picture of XV589’s final moments, which is arguably the most famous UK Phantom picture of all time. Steve is a life long Phantom fan and it was a privilege to meet him and his family. Suffice to say that we are incredibly grateful to him for his kind and generous contribution to the UK Phantom preservation cause.
We were delighted to recently receive a most welcome donation from Charles Ross, who is Chairman of the Lightning Association. Cockpit instruments are high on our priority list, so this will be a valuable boost to the ongoing restoration process. A number of these are particularly notable because (as visible in the detail shot) they date right back to the very earliest days of the F-4K programme.
We would like to give our sincerest thanks to Charles and the Lightning Association for their generosity and also take this opportunity to ask any of you out there who may have any Lightning parts tucked away that are surplus to requirements, to contact them via their Facebook page- http://www.facebook.com/XR724 or website (http://www.lightning.org.uk) as they will be most gratefully received.
As previously mentioned, here are the first few of the backlog of pics from the recent aircraft moves. On 29th May, before the fuselage and wing sections moved, BPAG members and volunteers loaded up a trailer load of parts from XT597 and XT905 which were taken up to Cotswold Airport for storage. This consignment consisted of the outer wing sections, wing tanks and other smaller bits and pieces. Many thanks to all our members and volunteers who gave up their free time to help out.
Although this might sound like we are slightly late to our own party (as news has started to leak out from elsewhere) we have been so busy over the last couple of days that we haven’t had time to make our own announcement. Therefore, it is with a great deal of pleasure (and not a little relief) that we can confirm that XT597 and XT905 have now both arrived safely at their new home at Cotswold Airport, Gloucestershire. 905 has been there for the last three weeks, having arrived on the afternoon of 29th June and finally was joined by 597 on Wednesday.
After being forced by Covid-19 to abandon the initial intention to settle at Prestwold, Leicestershire, the safe arrival of these aircraft at Cotswold Airport marks the beginning of a new chapter for the BPAG and is the first step toward a bright new future. Plans are in place to develop workshops and visitor facilities on site and a major fundraiser to support this, with a number of special rewards, will be launched in the next few weeks. We will let you know more about this in due course. Thank you to all our members and volunteers who freely gave their time and effort to help make this happen and please feel free to join us in celebrating this achievement and congratulating everyone involved on a job well done.
Sign In
