Bruntingthorpe news

[mushbuster]

That would be this one Slogen https://www.xm496.com/ , quite a handsome beast I must say, delivered to Lyneham in 1960. Interesting details about its service here https://www.xm496.com/restoration-of-the-xm496-regulus/

[hernaman86]

I wonder if LPG would consider selling a lightning cockpit to help raise some funds, would love to own one!

[ColintheCaterpillar]

Kemble sounds promising and used to have a thriving historic and vintage jet community, be good to see it re-established. But I do recall, not that long ago, the owners were openly pushing it forwards for inclusion in the local development plan, for housing.

It was knocked back, but I'd be keen to know what's changed, and what assurances the various groups have been given about Kembles long term future?

I thought the same, although I’d heard that it is apparently now “safe” from a couple of different sources.

We’ll wait and see.

[slogen51]

That would be this one Slogen https://www.xm496.com/ , quite a handsome beast I must say, delivered to Lyneham in 1960. Interesting details about its service here https://www.xm496.com/restoration-of-the-xm496-regulus/

Thanks

I could have sworn it wasn't the real XM496 - thought I was ex Monarch - Sorry Kemble

I think I remember ( just ) seeing them flying over Heathrow inbound Lyneham

[Alf]

That would be this one Slogen https://www.xm496.com/ , quite a handsome beast I must say, delivered to Lyneham in 1960. Interesting details about its service here https://www.xm496.com/restoration-of-the-xm496-regulus/

Thanks

I could have sworn it wasn't the real XM496 - thought I was ex Monarch - Sorry Kemble

I think I remember ( just ) seeing them flying over Heathrow inbound Lyneham

Their web site seems to think its the real one.



XM496 is cared for by the dedicated team of the XM496 Preservation Society. This group is made up of formally trained professional Britannia Ground Crew and Air Crew plus dedicated enthusiasts.

Built as part of Contract 15527 and delivered to Royal Air Force Transport Command at RAF Lyneham on 17th September 1960 and given serial number XM496 and named ‘Regulus’. She was taken on charge from the 19th September and used within the ‘Britannia Pool’ of 99 and 511 Squadrons. After 15 years exemplary military service XM496 was withdrawn from operational RAF use in October 1975 and stored at RAF Kemble with 18,414 hours and 8,122 landings to her credit.
A short history of Commercial Service:

On January 6th 1976, XM496 was purchased by Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd and delivered to their base at Luton. She was converted at Luton to 253F standard and registered G-BDUP on 31st March 1976. Following conversion she was painted in the livery of Afrek Ltd who had purchased her in the May and was delivered to their base in Athens on 6th June 1976 with a commercial Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA). After seeing service mainly in West Africa and six years on she was withdrawn from use and stored at Athens pending sale.

In July 1984 Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd again re-purchased G-BDUP and ferried her back to Luton for complete overhaul pending sale to the Cuban airline, Aerocaribbean. In August of that year she was painted in their full livery, registered CU-T120 and flown to Havana by an Aerocaribbean crew in October. In March 1990, while flying between Peru and Havana, No4 engine had to be shut down. An emergency was declared and a priority landing made at Guayaquil, Ecuador. The following day a three-engine ferry flight was arranged and on arrival at Havana she was grounded due to lack of spares. CU-T120 had operated her last flight with ‘Aerocarib’ and this ended all Aerocaribbean Britannia Operations.

[thevulcan]

This article explains the new owners plans for the airfield over the next few years I believe over the next year they are installing a new instrumental approach system (GNSS) which will allow more jet aircraft to operate there and will mean pilots will not have to rely on a visual approach. once this system is installed the airfield is secure as that standard of equipment is the same standard as Heathrow and Gatwick and so a great boost to the local economy and would also be too costly to remove and build houses on top of.
https://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/new ... few-years/

TBAG have an area of the airfield under lease as far as I understand and as mentioned will be maintaining both Canberras (one of which could probably taxi) the hunter T.7 and Gnat. Also recently arrived on the site is a JP T5A which is privately owned but obviously has some motive behind moving it half way around the country

[andrewn]

This article explains the new owners plans for the airfield over the next few years I believe over the next year they are installing a new instrumental approach system (GNSS) which will allow more jet aircraft to operate there and will mean pilots will not have to rely on a visual approach. once this system is installed the airfield is secure as that standard of equipment is the same standard as Heathrow and Gatwick and so a great boost to the local economy and would also be too costly to remove and build houses on top of.
https://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/new ... few-years/

TBAG have an area of the airfield under lease as far as I understand and as mentioned will be maintaining both Canberras (one of which could probably taxi) the hunter T.7 and Gnat. Also recently arrived on the site is a JP T5A which is privately owned but obviously has some motive behind moving it half way around the country

Thanks for the link, but I personally see nothing in it that assures a long term future for Kemble as an active airfield. In terms of land value, if you were to get planning permission for a "garden village" (for example) the costs of removing the runway and associated equipment would be small change I reckon.

Anyway, negative hat off, really hope it DOES have a long and successful future

[thevulcan]

I believe the main issue was nearly every building on the airfield is grade 2 listed. And so a developer would have to work around all of the buildings on the airfield site. The future must be fairly secure as otherwise TBAG wouldn't decide to move there. Personally I look forward to seeing events at kemble and the sound of classic jets there again.

[thevulcan]

Sorry for the double post a petition has been set up to try and protect the aircraft however I don't know how far it will get.
https://www.change.org/p/cox-automotive ... 3305-en-GB

This paragraph is particularly worrying:
Notice has now been issued to some of the historic aircraft preservation groups (including the Cold War Jets Collection, Lightning Preservation Group, the Buccaneer Aviation Group, Classic British Jets Collection, GJD AeroTech and others) based at the site that they must leave before the end of 2020.

Appears even the lightnings are not safe.

[Supra]

I don't think they were ever 'not included!' in the effective eviction? There was/is mention of Mr C. Walton creating an enclave "adjacent" to the LPG Sheds, but I don't recall that the LPG were ever included in that possibility, unless anyone knows differently? I had assumed the enclave would be for static storage of Mr Walton's owned aircraft (3 Large a/c XM715 Victor K2, XS235 Comet 4C G-CPDA 'Canopus' & XV226 Nimrod MR2) & as many other threatened smaller jets as possible.

[thevulcan]

The statement regarding aviation has been updated.
https://redirect.viglink.com/?format=go ... 2Faviation



Anyone Heard anything from any of the other groups?

[2e1var]

Not surprising, I guess that's that then, so sad.

Cancellation of Cold War Jets open day August 2020.
Following the acquisition of C.Walton Ltd and a lease of land at Bruntingthorpe by Cox Automotive UK Ltd. The August open day will not take place. This brings to an end many years of Cold War Jets Open days.
This news will be a huge disappointment to aviation enthusiasts across the UK and worldwide. Every aircraft based a Bruntingthorpe has its own unique and distinguished history which has been preserved by teams of dedicated volunteers.
Bruntingthorpe has been the focal point of UK jet aviation preservation for over 30 years. Many amazing aircraft have been saved, restored and maintained in fast taxi condition.
Some of the historic aircraft made their final flights into Bruntingthorpe, the last being Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF11 WM167 in January 2019 and of course one returned to flight in the case of two Canberra’s, an ex Swiss hunter and of course Avro Vulcan XH558.
We the volunteers of the Cold War Jets Collection would like thank Mr David Walton for his continued support and hope you will support the future of aviation heritage at Bruntingthorpe.
Cold War Jets Collection

[thevulcan]

New updates from some of the Groups
Lightning Preservation Group - Update

A meeting was held at Bruntingthorpe today involving David Walton, the LPG and other Cold War Jet owners and operating teams. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of the aircraft remaining at Bruntingthorpe following the sale of C Walton Ltd to Cox Automotive who now lease and control most of the site.

The first update is that there will not be a CWJ Open Day in August. There was a hope that the open day would take place but a combination of the volume of cars and ongoing fallout from Covid-19 means that this cannot happen. Bad news for all of us who enjoyed those fantastic events but I think most people out there knew that this was the likely outcome.

There is an area of land owned by David Walton that is not part of the site leased to Cox and fortunately the LPG Q shed is situated on this land. The Q shed and aircraft can remain there and that is our intention. We plan to maintain the 2 F6 aircraft in fully operational condition as they currently are. We plan to continue with anti-det runs although we may be constrained to running at low power settings in the longer term.

The area to the right and rear of the Q shed has been earmarked by David Walton as an area for parking the other jets that are remaining but much work remains to be done for this to happen. In the longer term, it may be possible to obtain funding for hangar construction but in the meantime preservation of the jets is the priority. Cox Automotive intend to erect a security fence around the area that I've discussed so we would no longer have access to the aircraft area from the main site. Separate access would be required from Bath Lane.

I fully appreciate that this is far away from being good news but the option of moving the Q shed and Lightnings would be a monumental and expensive task. The work involved in dismantling the aircraft, transporting them and reassembling in an operational condition doesn't bear thinking about.

Dennis Brooks, Chairman, Lightning Preservation Group

In other news the VC-10S Will be moving if funds can be raised.
https://m.facebook.com/VC10RescueGroup

[jag56]

Any info on Supper Guppy at Bruntingthorpe , does Mr Walton own it ?

[thevulcan]

Latest news on the Guppy I have don't believe it is owned by MR Walton

"Hello everyone.

Emma and I had a socially distant trip to the airfield today, with the sole intention of getting some answers. It didn't take long! We got a few minutes with the owner and, really, we're none the wiser about the Guppy's future.

Her fate is, more or less, in the hands of the new tenants. If they need the space, she'll most likely be cut up. The one thing in our favour, though, is that the Gup is parked a LONG way from the current storage facility. There would need to be an awful lot of cars arrive before we were in immediate danger. For all the complaints we have made about her being left down there, it's that that is preserving her!

We were told to hold off doing any major work as there is still a chance that it would be a waste of time and money. If the August open day goes ahead, though, we'll be around on the run up to tidy her up.

She's not out of the woods. Her future is far from certain, but, I'm feeling the most positive I have since February.

Many thanks to Dave Thomas for getting us in, today.

Gaz"

Certainly sounds Uncertain

[PeteHemsley]

I'm not being funny but the finances raised by the leasing alone would be more than enough to cover the costs of a new hangar to be erected on Mr Waltons land not to mention the lease hold to maintain said hangar and aircraft. If it was just a case of planning permission, that could happen pretty quickly. I hope the intentions are to keep history alive, but I can't help thinking that this could become just another museum with pieces left to corrode.

[2e1var]

We don't know the terms or financial position though, you are assuming that all the funds are available and that there were no prior commitments for example to be paid off. Sadly I agree with your second point, we have Nimrods, Victors and Comets elsewhere amongst larger collections, sad to say that I wouldn't take a trip all the way to Brunty to see a few statics. I was disappointed to hear there's no intention to move the Lightnings, I get it's a big job but easier than moving the big jets, I'd hoped they might follow the Buccs. I';ve been doing Brunty for years and I'm gutted by this news.

[roughcutter]

Any news regarding the Canberra (WT333)?

[thevulcan]

The Third Buccaneer is to move to Tatenhill in Staffordshire with the hopes of being able to move and run up again.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/xx900-move

[bizfreeq]

Surely you mean the fourth Buccaneer, as there are the three runners that are moving to Kemble