Yeovil(Westland) Sightings Autumn/Winter 2019/20

[Kevin Brewer]

Noted on the airfield between 12.00 - 13.30 today:

Merlin HC.4 ZJ119/C - towed from the flightline back to the hangar after an aborted attempt at start-up
Merlin HM.2 (ZH???)/70 - towed from the flightline back to the flight test hangar, at which point ZH831 was pulled out
Merlin HM.2 ZH831/- AEW fit, towed from the hangar to a pan outside the new building under construction at the western edge of the airfield
EH-101-612 - ZZ100 - still in primer, start-up c.13.15 but hadn't departed when I left at 13.30
EH-101-612 - unidentified, full RNoAF scheme
HH-101A? - present in the wash rack throughout my stay. Light grey scheme, rotorless but with a winch above the starboard side door, so not an RN machine. From recent reports this seems likely to have been MM81874/15-13, BUT - has anyone seen ZR361/15-12 since it was reported as being towed to the spray shop on 23rd October?

[mjcmerlin]

Monday 11th 1500ish

ZZ379 WILDCAT HMA Flew as Westland02

Tuesday 12th 0900
ZZ379 WILDCAT HMA
ZH864 Merlin HMA2 tail on so cannot check code.

Tuesday 12th 1600

ZZ415 Wildcat HMA Flew as WHE03
ZZ100 AW101 MK612
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk4
MM81874/15-13 HH101A Wash Bay

[Freeman Lowell]

Wednesday 13th November 2019 1150-1200 & 1330-1400ish hrs

MM81874 HH-101A. In wash rack. Only the MM serial readable. By 1330hrs had been removed from wash rack
ZZ100 Merlin 612 Flight line
ZZ415 Wildcat HMA.2 Flight line
ZZ528 Wildcat HMA.2 Arrived
ZZ410 Wildcat AH.1 Arrived.

The green AW149 was also on the flight line.

Freeman

[mjcmerlin]

Friday 15th Nov 1400-1530

ZJ119\C Merlin Mk4 Flew as WHE06 (1st flight as Mk4)
ZZ107 AW101 MK612 Flew as WHE01
ZZ103 AW101 MK612 Flew as WHE02
I-AWCU AW189 Painted in matt green

[mjcmerlin]

Monday 18th November

ZZ415 WILDCAT HMA Flew as WHE03

Tuesday 19th 1130-1300

ZZ100 AW101 MK612 Departed as WHE01
ZZ103 AW101 MK612 Departed as WHE20 Expected back late PM
ZJ119\C MERLIN MK4 Flew as WHE06
ZZ415 AW159 HMA Flew AM
ZZ391 AW159 AH
ZZ375 AW159 HMA NO MAIN ROTORS Panels missing outside hangar
G-XXEC A109 Compass Base

[mjcmerlin]

Wednesday 20th November 1030-1130

ZZ415 AW159 HMA Full weapon load flew as WHE02
ZZ513 AW159 HMA Full weapon load flew as WHE(04)

[mjcmerlin]

Thursday 21st November

ZZ103 AW101 MK612 Departed as WHE20
ZJ119\C MERLIN MK4 Flew as WHE04
ZZ415 AW159 HMA Full weapon load flew as WHE14
G-XXEC A109

ZH829 MERLIN HMA2(AEW) arrived by road from Boscombe Down

[mjcmerlin]

Very Wet Friday 22 Nov at 1330

O277 AW101 MK612
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk 4
ZH829 Merlin HMA2(AEW) Moved between hangars

I-AWCU AW189
G-XXCE A109

[Freeman Lowell]

Very Wet Friday 22 Nov at 1330

O277 AW101 MK612
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk 4
ZH829 Merlin HMA2(AEW) Moved between hangars

I-AWCU AW189
G-XXCE A109

Also, at 1100 hrs 7T-WVD was repositioned between hangars - devoid of engines, transmission and covers.
Freeman

[mjcmerlin]

Monday 25th November at 1505

ZZ102 AW101 MK612 outside hangar
ZZ103 AW101 MK612 outside hangar
ZZ107 AW101 MK612 on Flight Line
ZJ119\C Merlin MK4 0n flight line starting up

G-XXCE A109 Flying

[Yammer]

do you mean G-XXEC rather than "CE" ? The A109 that was Royal Flight but sold to Leonardo a few weeks back

No trace of "XXCE" on G-INFO at mo.

[mjcmerlin]

Tuesday 26 November at 1430-1500

G-XXEC (CORRECTION FROM YESTERDAY'S TYPO) A109
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk4 returned as WHE04
ZH831 Merlin HMA(AEW) towed to the flight line
19204 (No UK Serials) Lynx towed to flight shed minus doors and windows etc

[mjcmerlin]

WEDNESDAY 27th November

ZZ107 AW101 Mk612 WHE12 Departed
ZJ119\C MERLIN MK4 WHE04
ZH864\70 MERLIN HMA2 Ground run
ZR361\15-12 HH101A Ground run Now in the Light grey scheme
ZZ513 Wildcat HMA WHE14
ZZ(??7) Wildcat HMA Towed between hangars
G-DSAA AW169 Helimed10

[Judwin71]

Flying this afternoon HH-101 as WHE06, Mode S code 43C913.
Is this ff of ZR362?

[Freeman Lowell]

Thursday 28th November 2019 1000-1100hrs

ZJ119 Merlin HC4
ZR361 HH-101A
ZZ107 Merlin 612
ZZ415 Wildcat HMA2

For completeness:
G-HLCM A.109
G-XXEC A.109
I-AWCU AW149
4K-Ai010 Merlin 641.Painted, no rotors, outer engines or dust

Freeman

[somerset]

4k-ai010 ? Is that the Turkmenistan?

[Nighthawke]

4K is prefix for Azerbaijan. EZ is Turkmenistan.

[mjcmerlin]

Thursday 28th November PM

ZZ102 Merlin MK612 Flew as WHE02
ZR361\15-02 HH101A Flew
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk4 Flew
4K-Ai010 Merlin 641 was painted in full Azerbaijan markings (not seen since the 100 year open day)

Friday 29th November

0277 Merlin mk612 Ground Runs
ZZ103 Merlin Mk612 Flew as WHE13
ZR361\15-02 HH101A Ground Runs Had tail panels missing
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk4 towed to the flight line
ZZ415 Wildcat HMA Flew as WHE14

[Malcolm]

Friday 29th November

0277 Merlin mk612 Ground Runs
ZZ103 Merlin Mk612 Flew as WHE13
ZR361\15-02 HH101A Ground Runs Had tail panels missing
ZJ119\C Merlin Mk4 towed to the flight line
ZZ415 Wildcat HMA Flew as WHE14

What I think was a stripped out Merlin HC4 was pushed into the paint shop at about 08:45. It was completely stripped out, with about 50% of the airframe in primer. The rest of the frame was in RN green which is why I think it was probably an HC4 conversion.

At the same time there was a stripped out Lynx fuselage in the dip in-front of the hangars. No boom, so no ID. Looked to be light grey, so probably not Brazilian. Could have been Portugese, or just an old RN example.

I-AGCU was also on the ramp for the spammers amongst us.

[phantom23]

Would anyone know whether ZJ133 will go through the HC4 conversion currently stored at Boscombe?