Sentry - outside at Waddington - minus tail ???

[Doughnut]

Passing Waddington today (7th October) Noted a Sentry outside the hangar, minus tail and radar. Expect somebody will know which one. Is this just deep maintance or is the aircraft being used as a spares source prior to scraping ? Think I saw the tail fin on the ground by the fence near the Vulcan.

[WRECK HUNTER]

ZH105 I would say and its a dead frame striped of everything

[Mike]

Aren't there two now that have been taken to bits?

[Vulcanone]

ZH105 is wfu and has had a large sticker on the side of it for several years, which states its an ageing aircraft test specimen

Don't know of any of the other being retired.

TS

[baz1]

is that the one that had an accident on the ground think something ran into the fuselarge!

[Gary]

Baz1

Nope that was ZH106 'Grumpy'

[Mike]

Baz1

Nope that was ZH106 'Grumpy'

The repairs cost a huge amount of sheckles and took months to complete - it was hit by a ground vehicle just behind the wing during a gale, I thought another one had been taken to bits recently judging by shots on the WAVE Facebook site recently? The shots were taken too far away to identify which airframe it was.

Maybe I'm wrong though - I'm always wrong according to her indoors.

[baz1]

thanks guys. I thought they were scrapping it at the time because of the cost of repairing it.

[beefsteak]

There was a pair at Coningsby a couple of weeks , didn't take pictures or serials though.

[LincsVRS]

I think the recent pictures were of the original "ageing airframe testing laboratory" being moved. Perhaps they are moving things around a bit for the runway works. Think John from the WAVE took the most recent pictures of the aircraft being moved but I could be wrong about my assumptions. There are three now at Coningsby as planned.

[reheat module]

It was indeed 106 which suffered impact damage: however, the damage was caused by an item of ground support equipment which was used for towing practice, that was uplifted and pushed by wind from its supposed secure location. The item actually impacted on the front of another aircraft before deflecting and striking 106 just forward of the leading edge of the starboard wing root where it meets the airframe. Strategically, this was a terrible point of impact as it not only took out numerous main electrical components, but it also catastrophically ruptured the main fuel gallery which was full of fuel. As well as spillage from the fuel gallery outwards through the pierced skin, lots of fuel went inside the airframe, soaking the electronic components and flooding areas, including many substantial cables and electronic supply lines. The resourcing, rebuild and test took significant time and only occurred after brilliant work by the Sentry PT, SAEDIT, NG and the Squadron engineers.

[LincsVRS]

Blimey! That's probably the worst place to strike an aircraft really, what odds. Thanks for posting the information though, really interesting.

[LincsVRS]

Just came across an image of the incident mentioned on 106 while I was researching another topic

[Maverick231]

I know there was 1 bird down the bottom end minus tail and radar and Im sure there is another on the Alpha Dispersol Ramp awaiting scrap.
Sorry if this is wrong guys .

[Thor]

I know there was 1 bird down the bottom end minus tail and radar and Im sure there is another on the Alpha Dispersol Ramp awaiting scrap.
Sorry if this is wrong guys .

It's wrong.

[3Greens]

Just to confirm that it is indeed ZH105 with notice by front entry door 'Ageing Aircraft Programme Laboratory - AAPL(S)'
I did anticipate that that front AAR probe might have disappeared before now and found its way onto the Rivet Joint.
Taken 7th July 2014

Taken 8th July 2013


3Greens

[EGXWinfo Group]

I'm not sure they had the plans or the time to convert the RJ to a probe refuller, even if it were possible! Thanks for the update though.

[POL]

If they did then the MAA would have the same issues with it that they had with the Nimrods.

[Doughnut]

If they did then the MAA would have the same issues with it that they had with the Nimrods.

No necessarily. The Nimrod air refuelling probe was a rapid Falklands War requirement that required a 'quick fix' and a lot of pipe work being fitted in rather odd places. To fit a probe refueller to the RC-135 would be easier as it can be connected to the existing boom receiver just to the rear of the cockpit, in the same way the E-3 works.

[Agent K]

Would not the fact that although they' look similar the KC135 airframe was actually narrower and different to the 707 derived airframes possibly throw up aerodynamic and structural issues? The 135 was based on the original Boeing fuselage that was then changed for the 707.