Jet Provost XR669

[Sea_Harrier_FA2]

Not a serial request, more a what ever happened to this old serial.

Wrecks and relics had it at Halton for many years but in about WR14 decided it had not been reported for some time and by WR15 assumed it had been scrapped. Does anyone know when and where it went? Another site says scrapped in 1994. The excellent http://www.jetprovostfile.org/ does not exist anymore which is a great shame as that was a brilliant source of info.

During the Halton show 1988, I peered through the windows of the old workshops and matched up everything, quantities and codes, to various reports in BARG and the like. However I found an ADDITIONAL JP, not reported, in a building called the "Electrical Trade Shop". Inside this was a Hunter nose, assumed to be from XE597 which was noseless in the new workshops, and this JP. Everything matches to Wrecks and Relics in terms of quantities EXCEPT they had an additional frame, XR669 in WR12 and WR13, which may have been this additional machine I saw. But in later editions they assume scrapped in the mid 80's. I have trawled many BARG and SEAR but to no avail.

Does anyone know when and where XR669 was at Halton?

Many thanks,

Bob

[vampiredave]

XR669 Psn 3/37 AwCn 29-5-63; Free Loan MoA 29-5-63 and allocated to Hunting 28-5-63 for TIs and spinning trials; RAE Farnborough 3-12-65 for wind tunnel rain/icing tests; BAC Warton 6-5-66 for development work and TIs then 7-2-68 canopy jettison flight trials and stalling checks against the Mk 5; 27MU 24-3-69; Bristol A/C as BAC 1-11 chase a/c to 27-8-69; 27MU 28-8-69; Cat 5GI 8062M 18-11-69; 1 SoTT Halton 26-11-69; reduced to fuselage 26-08-77; SOC & scrapped 07-05-81

[vampiredave]

XR669 Psn 3/37 AwCn 29-5-63; Free Loan MoA 29-5-63 and allocated to Hunting 28-5-63 for TIs and spinning trials; RAE Farnborough 3-12-65 for wind tunnel rain/icing tests; BAC Warton 6-5-66 for development work and TIs then 7-2-68 canopy jettison flight trials and stalling checks against the Mk 5; 27MU 24-3-69; Bristol A/C as BAC 1-11 chase a/c to 27-8-69; 27MU 28-8-69; Cat 5GI 8062M 18-11-69; 1 SoTT Halton 26-11-69; reduced to fuselage 26-08-77; SOC & scrapped 07-05-81

[Sea_Harrier_FA2]

Thanks. That’s pretty conclusive then!

Bob

[Mustang531]

I participated in a private tour in July 1988 and all areas on the base were accessed and looking back at the log for that day, there is no record of XR669. At that time they were starting to receive some JPs just out of service and preparing to dispose of some of their older airframes, one of which was noted dismantled ready for disposal.

[Sea_Harrier_FA2]

Thanks Mustang531, I thought I had replied but I can not find the post now. Is it possible to confirm what you saw in the old workshops please with codes? I ask because BARG did post a list but some of the codes were different a year later. For example:

BARG 1988 Page JU415 has XM381/O, XM408/P
BARG 1989 Page JY540 has XM381/A, XM408/D

It may be some parts were swapped or one is a "Halton" code or someone got it wrong. It only seems to be the JPs though.

Many thanks,

Bob

[Mustang531]

When I visited Halton in 1988, XM381 was coded O and XM408 was coded P. Also the latter was wearing 8233M, it should have been 8333M.
XM409 carried the code A and XM417 was coded D.
Unfortunately for some reason I didn't note down all the codes or M numbers. It was 33 years ago and can't remember why! I dug out the original notebooks and dusted the cobwebs off, didn't note which frames were in the various workshops. Maybe because I'd been on a couple of tours in previous years. Sorry I can't be much help.