‘Scene’ at RAF Cosford (Transports)

We are particularly fortunate in the UK with the availability of Aviation Museums. Apart from the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford. There is the Imperial War Museum’s collection at Duxford and The Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon.

 

They of course are the major collections but there are many other private museums probably the best of which is at Newark in Nottinghamshire. 

Another excellent aviation museum is the East Midlands Aeropark which is located adjacent to the East Midlands Airport. See my blog dated 17th. December 2013 for details.

I have visited all of them at various times but its 4 years or so since I visited Cosford so it was a long overdue return.

 

Most of the exhibits are indoors but two major transports live outside.

 

XV202

A Lockheed Hercules C130K/C.3 

 

Built by Lockheed at Marietta in Georgia USA. One of a batch of Hercules numbering 66 that were delivered to the RAF between 1966 and 1968.

 

XV202 was delivered as a C. Mk1.

In the early 1980’s it was one of 30 aircraft that were converted to C Mk.3 configuration by Marshalls of Cambridge. This involved inserting a fuselage plug 15 feet in length.

 

It spent its early years in the Far East before coming home in1971 to become part of the Lyneham Transport Wing.

 

Retired in 2011, it was flown into RAF Cosford on 12th. August 2011.

 

XM497

A Bristol Britannia 312 named ‘Schedar’.

 

The original XM 497 was a Bristol Britannia C.1 which first flew in August 1960 and was delivered to the RAF in December of the same year. On withdrawal it was to have become OO-YCF on the Belgian Civil Register but this was not taken up and the aircraft passed to the Fire School at Stansted where it perished in 1981.

 

The current XM 497 was built in 1957 for ‘British Overseas Airways Corporation’ (BOAC) registered G-AOVF. It has never served with the RAF but for display purposes it has been painted to represent an aircraft that did.

 

It was converted to a freighter in 1964 and leased to ‘British Eagle’. It spent the rest of its working life with various airlines including. ‘Monarch’ and ‘Donaldson International Airways’before being retired to Cosford in May 1984. 

 

It was restored to its ‘BOAC’ livery and from 2008 it was repaired and re painted to represent an aircraft of

‘Royal Air Force Air Support Command’.

 

VP952

A De Havilland DH 104 Devon. 

Developed from the civilian Dove, one of 30 supplied to the RAF from 1947. It eventually served with 207 Communications Squadron based at RAF Northolt from where it was reduced to being a maintenance airframe serial 8820M. It regained its service serial for display purposes.

 

WV746

A Hunting Percival Pembroke C1. 

Delivered to the RAF in June 1955. Formerly a VIP configured aircraft when it served as the C in C of RAF Air Support Command’s personal aircraft.  It then went on to work for No 60 Squadron at RAF Wildenrath in Germany.

It became maintenance airframe serial 8938M. It regained its service serial for display purposes.

 

XL993

A Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CC2. 

One of 7 CC 2’s produced. It was the military equivalent of the civilian Series 3 which were powered by the uprated Alvis Leonides 531 engines.

Delivered in 1958 and eventually became maintenance airframe serial 8388M. It regained its service serial for display purposes.

 

XP411

An Armstrong Whitworth (AW) 660 Argosy C1.

This Rolls Royce Dart powered freighter was developed from the civil ‘AW’ 650. The major difference being that while the civil machine could be loaded from the front and rear, the military version had the nose loading facility sealed and was modified to carry the bulbous weather radome. A stronger floor and clamshell rear doors also featured. It was also equipped for para dropping.

 

New in 1962 it was initially issued to 105 Squadron in Aden. It later served with 114 and 267 Squadrons before being retired in 1975. It was used as a ground instructional airframe at RAF Cosford before being transferred to the Museum where it wears the livery of Training Command.

 

XR 371

A Short Belfast C1.

Another Rolls Royce powered freighter (this time the Tyne). Only 10 of these heavy lift transports were built. Entering service in 1966, the Belfast fleet barely lasted 10 years. Some were sold on for use in the civil market.

XR 371 was the last Belfast built and after service with 53 Squadron at Brize Norton it was retired to Cosford in 1978.

 

TS798

An Avro York C1.

 

The York was the wing, engines,wheels and tailplane of the Avro Lancaster married to a new square section fuselage that did service both as a freighter and an airliner in the postwar period. The war ended before this aircraft was delivered to the RAF so it became  G-AGNV with first of all ‘British Overseas Airways Corporation and then ‘Skyways’.

 

Many Yorks flew on the Berlin Airlift delivering coal amongst other things. One interesting feature of this aircraft is that the cabin windows are painted onto the sides of the fuselage.

 

KN 645

A Douglas Dakota 4 (the Mk 4 was the equivalent to the USAF’s C 47B).

Formerly 44-77033 in American service. From 1945 it became General Montgomery’s (Monty) personal transport. To enable it to fulfill that role it was fitted out as a VIP aircraft complete with kitchen, armchair, settees and even a cocktail cabinet...! 

It continued to lead a VIP ‘life’ being allocated to the British Military Governors in Germany. Serving eventually on the Royal Flight, the aircraft being used during a visit the Queen made to Nepal.

By 1970, it was the last Dakota with the RAF and was retired to RAF Northolt for preservation. Originally painted in ‘D-Day’ markings it was given its present colour scheme in 2005.

I used to hang my completed Airfix kits from my bedroom ceiling as a lad. I never thought that I would see it done with the real thing....!

 

TX 214

 

An Avro Anson C 19.

Developed from a 1930’s vintage Coastal Command patrol and attack aircraft the Anson  was developed through a trainer version to the transport seen here. Continuing in production until 1947, the last of their kind with the RAF were withdrawn in June 1968.

TX 214 was built at Yeadon (Leeds) it served with various communications flights and squadrons including the RAF Staff College flight, HQ Reserve Command an Metropolitan Communications. withdrawn in 1963 to Storage at RAF Henlow, it came to Cosford in December 1978.

 

TG 511

 

A Handley Page (HP) Hastings.

 

Powered by 4 Bristol Hercules engines, the Hastings was intended to replace the 

Avro York in the RAF’s transport squadrons.

 

Built in March 1948, as a C.1 the thirteenth of an order for 100, the aircraft served on operations such as the Berlin Airlift with various squadrons including No’s 47 and 99

 

In 1950 it was modified by ‘HP’ to  Met. 1 standard for use as a weather reconnaissance aircraft with 202 Squadron  in Coastal Command.

 

In 1959 it was further modified by ‘HP’ as a T.5 for use by the Bomber Command Bombing School (BCBS) for use in training navigators and bomb aimers for the ‘V’ bomber force.

 

I first new the aircraft in the 1970’s when it was based at RAF Lindholme near Doncaster by which time the ‘BCBS’ had become the Strike Command Bombing School.

 

It was withdrawn in 1977 and arrived at RAF Cosford in August of that year.

'Scene' at the East Midlands Aeropark (EMAp)

After a long and difficult gestation period the EMAp finally settled into a site adjacent to the perimeter of the airport which is easily accessed from Castle Donnington village. It opened on this site in 2001.

 

With a diverse collection of aircraft on display it has recently added the cockpit and front fuselage of former RAF VC-10 XV 108 to its collection. This is from an aircraft recently scrapped at Bruntingthorpe.

G-BEOZ

Armstrong Whitworth AW 650 Argosy 101 c/n 6660. Built for ‘Universal Airlines’ as N895U, it first flew on 16th. December 1960. Returned to the UK in the early 1980’s, it worked for ‘Air Bridge Carriers’ (ABC) who were based at the nearby airport. Now displayed in ‘Elan’ livery it was donated to the EMA in 1987 by ABC.

 

Part of the fuselage has been converted into a cinema.

Whilst stored in the rear fuselage, is part of the fuselage of Beagle- Auster (B-A) Terrier 2 registered G-ASDL.

Originally built in the 1950’s as an Auster T7 for The Army Air Corps with the military serial of WE 558. It was sold to B-A in 1961.

 

Originally the Blackburn NA 39, then named the Blackburn Buccaneer which then became the Hawker Siddeley (HS) Buccaneer when HS took over Blackburns in 1960.

 

XV 350

A former Royal Navy S2B model delivered in 1967. It served with the MoD (Procurement Executive) and the A&AEE from 1969. 

 

It spent some time in the USA working with the US Navy before being retired in 1993. It is the only aircraft of its kind in preservation carrying this livery.

 

ZF 588

English Electric Lightning F53. Built for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) as its 53-693 being delivered in May 1969. 

 

It served the RSAF until 1985 when it was one of 22 bought back by British Aerospace as part of the deal with the RSAF to buy Tornado’s.

 

At one time it was thought that the RAF would form an additional squadron using the ex RSAF machines but it came to nothing.

 

Displayed in the colours of an RAF F6 in 74 Squadron markings.

 

XL 569

Hawker Hunter T7. It first flew in March 1958 serving with several RAF Squadrons and Training Units. Its final ‘posting’ was to RAF Abingdon from where it was purchased by the ‘Aeropark Volunteers Asssociation‘ (AVA).  

 

XT 604

Westland Wessex HC2 for the RAF. First few in 1966 being a Napier Gazelle powered development of Sikorsky’s S-58.

Operated in the UK by 103 and 208 squadrons and in the Middle East by 78(Bahrain) squadron. Stored in 1995 at RNAY Fleetlands from where it was acquired in 2002.

 

XG 588  

Westland Whirlwind 3. Built as a piston engined machine for the Royal Navy where it served in the Pacific. Retired and sold to Bristow Helicopters, converted to Rolls Royce Gnome turbine power and registered as G-BAMH. It was later Bermudan registered as VH-BEP. It came to the Aeropark in 1986 and is painted to represent an RAF Air Sea Rescue machine.

 

 

XX457

Aerospatiale SA 341B Gazelle AH1. One of 212 built for the British Army and Royal Marines. Delivered in 1976, It crashed and rolled over on a flight from Middle Wallop in 1987, was written off and became an instructional airframe.

 

It now carries the marking TAD 001.

XD 382

De Havilland Vampire T11 built in 1953. This aircraft was rebuilt using the wings and tail from XD 382 and other parts from XD 447 which arrived at the Aeropark in 2009.

 

XW 664

BAe Nimrod R1 Developed from the De Havilland Comet airliner and the Nimrod MR2 the Nimrod R1 was a specialist reconnaissance and electronic intelligence gathering variant.

 

Delivered in 1972 to 51 squadron at RAF Wyton, the squadron relocated to 

RAF Waddington in 1995 from where the aircraft flew until retirement in 2011. It arrived at the Aeropark in July of that year.

The massive tail mounted radar frames Meteor TT20 target tug WM224.

 

G-FRJB

The Britten Sheriff. (John Britten was half of Britten Norman Ltd (BNL) who found major success with the Islander).

He left BNL in 1976 and started work on the Sheriff. Unfortunately John died in in 1977, work came to a halt and the aircraft was never completed. It came to the Aeropark in 1986.

 

An unusual feature was that the engines originally were to be mounted behind the wing in pusher mode.

 

G-ANUW (I think)

De Havilland DH. 106 Dove which has a long, long way to go !

 

WM 224

Gloster Meteor TT20. It was built as a NF11 (Night Fighter) and joined the RAF in 1952 flying first with 228OCU and later 29 Squadron. It was converted to a Target Tug in 1961. This involves removing all its weaponry and fitting a winch above the starboard wing. At one time it was in a museum at North Weald before coming to the Aeropark in 2003.

 

WH 740

English Electric Canberra T17 was originally built as a B2. Delivered to the RAF in 1952 it was one of 15 similar aircraft loaned to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1958 and saw action in Malaya during the ‘Confrontation’. It returned to the RAF in 1962 and was converted to T17 configuration. Operated by 360 Squadron before becoming an instructional airframe at RAF Cosford from where it joined the Aeropark.

 

 XM 575 (G-BLMC)

Avro Vulcan B.2. Delivered in 1963 to No. 617 (Dambuster) Squadron which was based at RAF Scampton. At that time it carried the Blue Steel stand off weapon. Converted to free fall bombs in 1969, it continued with 617 squadron and went on to serve Nos. 101, 50 and 44 squadron’s before retirement in 1982 coming to the airport in 1983.

 

XJ 714

Hawker Hunter FR10. This is an amazing aircraft being built out of parts of fellow Hunters WT 684, XF 383, XM 126, XG 226, PH-NLH and ET-272 and you cannot see the joins !!!

WV 382

Hawker Hunter GA11 of the Royal Navy was built as an F4 for the RAF in 1955. Stored for some time it re emerged in RN service in 1962. Operating from Lossiemouth and Brawdy with 738 squadron in the 1960’s it eventually went to Kemble for modification.

Next to a Fleet Requirements Unit at Hurn and then Yeovilton and finally, It went back to Kemble for storage in 1976.

 

XP 568  

Hunting Jet Provost T4 was built for the RAF in 1962. At one time it served with the RAF College at Cranwell before being struck of charge at RAF Shawbury in 1970. It then went to the RAF Hatfield Technical College in 1971. It came to the Aeropark in 2008.