Beefsteak 305 Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 I went to our local tip this afternoon, to recycle the boxes and wrapping paper, and as I pulled out I turned right instead of left, into a cul de sac , as I turned round something caught my eye. What the hell is this doing in the middle of an industrial estate in Winsford ??? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 He got a bigger airfix model than you did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 Well not alot by look of it, no pilot groundcrew etc! lol, this cul de sac didn't extend down to Barry Island did it? wondered if Dai Woodham had branched out into aircraft, There used to be a static airplane in middle of council estate in Matlock! maybe a Jet Provost or Vampire? only saw it the one night about 1961, anyone know anything about that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,877 Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 The one at Matlock, i remember seeing it from Riber Castle, mid sixties. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted December 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 There's ground crew there , look behind the air brake behind the wheel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 He got a bigger airfix model than you did. Believe it or not, while in it's FRS1 form, this particular aircraft was used as the subject for the Airfix 1:48 Sea Harrier kit. Sea Harrier FA2 710, serial ZE691, delivered to RN as an FRS1 in 1987, converted to FA2 format in 1994, retired 1997. Served with all three NAS attack squadrons, 800, 801, 899. Disposal agency sold it on E-Bay, purchased by Classic Autos of Winsford for £26,100 and displayed outside their depot on the industrial estate, August 2008. A waste of a bloody fantastic fighter, retired too early, please look after it Beefsteak. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rob237 89 Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 ...please look after it Beefsteak. Don't be silly...numerous removed parts already adorn his house Cheers Robt P. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 The one at Matlock, i remember seeing it from Riber Castle, mid sixties. was camping at riber the night we saw it, had walked down to town via footpath met some girls and walked them home to that estate, very stormy windy night pre sewn in ground sheet days, when we got back tent had blown away, leaving sleeping bags in place soaking wet! spent night in castle ruins sat around fire Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,635 Posted December 27, 2008 Report Share Posted December 27, 2008 Am thinking Prince William has a new girlfriend in Winsford and flew in to see her, or Sharky Ward is late back from the Falklands, or The Hermes is moored off Southport and the plane is awaiting clearance to come aboard. Just as a matter of interest Ian, and coming from Nottingham, Did you nick owt off it? Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted December 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Nah It's well fenced in . I'm back in Nott'm on Tuesday , so hopefully (If the weather is in my favour) they'll be open and I can get a couple of close ups Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 It would seem that 140 Squadron ATC are still present and correct in Matlock and have their own web site, but not much on their history and nothing on any aircraft that they may have had. Someone on an aviation forum tried to make a list of ATC instructional airframes but didn't get far with it, it's not a well documented subject. There doesn't seem to be any record anywhere of what this aircraft was, my guess is that it was probably a Vampire T11 or a Meteor T7, my brother just phoned me up and he remembers a Vampire parked up outside the ATC HQ at Stapleford which he reckons was dismantled several years ago when the place was relocated. By coincidence, I was e-mailing some photos to a pal of mine in Brinsley yesterday and one of them was taken of him hiking up the path from Matlock past Riber Castle in 1965, you can clearly see the town down below in the background but I can't make out an aircraft. I notice that there is an e-mail address for the Matlock ATC, I'm sure the CO would have a record of what aircraft they had if anyone was desperate to know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted December 28, 2008 Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Beefsteak I think you should be made the custodian of this aircraft, take a tin of polish with you when you pay it a visit. I know that Sea Harriers aren't an endangered species, yet, but what will happen when the company get sick of displaying it, would it fit in your garden. A classic case is the famous Supermarine Swift at Sheppards Surplus store in Hereford. The Swift is very rare, only 4 vaguely intact examples left and Sheppard has the only complete F4 remaining. This aircraft is unique but has been rotting away outside for over 30 years, it is now getting in a desperate state. People have offered to exchange it for a shiny Harrier but the greedy bastard won't take it in exchange, he's well aware how rare the aircraft is but is quite prepared to let it rot away unless he gets stupid mega bucks for it. Hopefully he'll die soon and whoever inherits the company will see sense and present it to a museum before it's too late, what a selfish ignorant pillock, I'm sure the company would benefit from having a nice shiny Sea Harrier outside the store rather than a manqy rotting Swift that no-one has ever heard of. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted December 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2008 Nah It's well fenced in .I'm back in Nott'm on Tuesday , so hopefully (If the weather is in my favour) they'll be open and I can get a couple of close ups For Nott'm, read Winsford. I haven't had a chance to speek to the owner yet , BUT I WILL you can count on that . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.