A Father’s Day outing courtesy of son Andrew saw us both at the Show and Museum for the first time in many years.
Some of the exhibits live outside because of their size.
It is these I worry about.
What with the effects of weather and atmospheric pollution, I wonder how long we can hope to keep them.
Looking at the aircraft that are featured in this blog, I felt that Bristol Britannia looked shabby and possibly the aircraft most at risk.
As always, time will tell.
XM497 ‘Royal Air Force’, Transport Command, Schedar.
Bristol Britannia Type 312
on Dennis Basford’srailsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Not quite what it seems.
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 as a model 312 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 the original.
It was converted to a freighter in 1964 and leased to ‘British Eagle Airways’.
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.
XV202 ‘Royal Air Force’ Transport Command.
Lockheed Hercules C130K/C.3 XV202
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
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 1980s 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.
XR808 ‘Royal Air Force’ Transport Command.
Vickers VC10 /1
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The VC-10’s came into ‘Royal Air Force’ service via two routes.
The first was with a straight order for transport aircraft which were delivered in the mid 1960’s to be operated by No.101 Squadron.
The second was when the ‘Ministry of Defence’ bought second hand airliners to convert to tankers to replace the Handley Page Victor tankers.
They were worn out after their service during the Falklands conflict in 1982.
XR808 was one of the former group.
XR808 ‘Royal Air Force’ Transport Command.
Vickers VC10 /2
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
XV249 Royal Air Force.
Hawker Siddeley HS 801 Nimrod R1
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
Delivered to the RAF February 1971 as a MR1 (Marine Reconnaissance).
Converted to MR2 configuration in 1985 with updated avionics and other systems.
Withdrawn and stored in October 1992.
Converted to R.1 standard in October 1995 for use as a ‘SIGINT’ (Signals Intelligence) aircraft.
One of 4 aircraft to serve in that role with No. 51 Squadron.
204 / V ‘Royal Netherlands Navy’
Lockheed Burbank SP-2H Neptune
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
A long range maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft.
Always one of my favourites and unusual that it employs both piston and jet engines.
The piston engines for normal cruise with the the jets being added for additional speed over the target.
Designed and built by Lockheed at Burbank, California initially for the United States Navy.
It also served in ‘Royal Air Force Coastal Command’ between 1952 and 1957.
I remember being on holiday in 1956 at Scarborough when standing on top of the cliffs at the castle, one of the RAF’s aircraft, still in its former US Navy colour scheme of all over midnight blue flew past me at a lower height than I was.
The RAF roundels on the upper wing surfaces were quite clearly visible.
L-866 ‘Royal Danish Air Force’.
Convair Catalina PBY-6A
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
An amphibian which combines the roles of anti submarine, maritime patrol and being able to land on water, air-sea rescue.
The Catalina design dates back to the late 1930’s but this one was built by Convair at New Orleans in 1943.
‘Convair’ being an abbreviation of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft.
Sold to Denmark in March 1957 where it spent much of its service life based in Greenland.
On my previous visits to Cosford, the Catalina has always been inside.
Being moved to an outside location is, I hope, only temporary, as no train, bus or aircraft kept outside indefinitely fares well in the British climate.
An item that I only saw this week was that an American company is to start building an updated amphibian version of the Catalina.
Not bad for a design over 80 years old.
There’s still life in us old’uns yet!!
