British Phantom Aviation Group (Official Topic)

[BPAG]

Last weekend saw us back at Manston. Once again the current Covid restrictions (coupled with the fact that this stage of the dismantling process is concentrated on a few small areas- mainly the lower leading edge of the wing to fuselage zone) meant that we could only have limited numbers onsite.

However this did not stop us having a very successful couple of days, with good progress made in vital areas. Fuel lines, drain lines and wiring from inside Door 22 stripped out and D22 itself removed, as it overlaps the leading edge of the lower wing skin. Stn 4 missile well was also stripped out to give access to the structural connections and various hydraulic lines and components cleared from above Stns 4 & 6 to facilitate access and removal of leading edge BLC ducts.









Emergency nitrogen bottle removed after dismantling further structure for access. Rear cockpit upper instrument panel also removed and both intakes cleared of debris. Among the clutter was found a broken off probe tip, which will be repaired and refitted, and a missing cover plate from the nose gear bay.

Finally, structure removed inside doors 75 (left & right) that join across the wing & fuselage.





Many thanks to all our volunteers for giving up their weekend and to everyone at Manston for their ongoing hospitality.

[BPAG]

With opportunities and progress on the main work at Manston being dictated by the weather and the rules of social distancing, this may be a good time to take a look at some of the more intricate restoration tasks going on elsewhere. The instrument and electrical work is being done by our very dedicated and skilled member, Paul West, in his own home workshop.

It's incredible to see these items coming back to life after many decades of being sat unused. First up is something you dont see every day, the components making up the mechanics of the accelerometer-







Accelerometer, pneumatic pressure gauge and slip and turn indicator-





Generator and external power control and warning panel-



Finally, for now, the KD41 radar scope camera, before and after-





We are always on the look out for instruments, components, gauges or other parts. Please feel to get in touch at BPAGinfo@gmail.com if you have something you feel we might be interested in.

[BPAG]

Five years ago today, the British Phantom Aviation Group (in the shape of David Butterfield and Paul Wright) started work on a small touch up job at an exhibit at Newark Air Museum. We think that it came out alright in the end, if we do say so ourselves...

[BPAG]

With the work to extract ZE360 from Manston on pause due to lockdown, the ongoing process of restoration of parts still continues elsewhere. Andy Groves at JW Smart Services has once again produced another amazing transformation, this time on the nosewheel steering torque links.





Meanwhile Paul West is tackling our increasing store of instrumentation and panels, for ZE360 and our other projects, which in this case is the simulator cockpit from Leuchars. We must tell you more about the latter at some point, it is a project with great promise but has had to take a bit of a back seat this year.





The ultrasonic cleaning bath works miracles on the years of accumulated dirt and grime, including the switch internals. Also seen here is a cockpit 'wander lamp' which was a recent donation and is now stripped and cleaned, ready for reassembly.







Many thanks to Andy and Paul for their hard work.

[BPAG]

The BPAG are saddened to report that on 30/11/2020 the scrapman came and removed the mortal remains of FGR.2 XV411 from the grounds of the former DFDTC Manston. Unlike ZE360, which luckily avoided burning, XV411 was used in live fire training exercises numerous times and for the past few years could only really be described as a derelict airframe. Despite this fact, it is always a shame to see a mighty Phantom pass away.

However, the aircraft will live on in a small way through the BPAG. The owners of most of the remaining aircraft at Manston, Spey Bay Salvage, generously agreed a deal to allow us to recover as much as would be useful to us from the airframe during its last few days. This ended up including the fin and a multitude of internal components that are still in restorable condition. Although in rough shape, the fin is intact and will be repaired and preserved for future display.

Many thanks to our members and volunteers for getting their hands (very) dirty, Wayne and his crew from Spey Bey and Stuart Mann from Reclemet for their invaluable assistance and the Commandant and staff at Manston for their co-operation. Finally, sincere thanks go to Richard Murray, owner of SBS, without whom this could not have happened.

[BPAG]

A kind and thoughtful recent gift from the O/C of DFTDC Manston to the BPAG was a copy of this photo from 1991, showing ZE360 being towed across the road from Manston airfield to the fire school premises. A process that almost ended in mishap if recollections are to be believed.

[BPAG]

Good Evening everyone. We were going to wait until we’d finalised every single detail before releasing this info but after this most extraordinary year, we all need some good news. So, we can at last confirm the speculation that some of you may have recently heard and announce that The British Phantom Aviation Group we will become residents of Cotswold Airport/Kemble in the New Year.

This represents a change to our initial plans but given the facilities of an active airfield, the co-location of The Buccaneer Aviation Group, the growing collection of classic aircraft on site and the ambition of the airport's management, it was decided that this was in the best interests of both the Group and our aircraft in the long term. We will look forward to sharing more details of our plans and preparations with you at the appropriate time.

Thank you for your continued support and we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the merriest Xmas possible under the current circumstances and send you our best regards for a brighter and happier 2021.

[thevulcan]

Brilliant news. Looking forward to seeing the Phantoms alongside the Buccs, Hunter and Canberra's.

[Supra]

Now that's the kind of News we need for a change. Great choice of location & adds another great airframe to the collection of preserved aircraft. More visitors = more dosh in the coffers!
PS: Don't know if you're aware, but they have an increasingly rare thing called an active runway! Unlike where other jets are marooned & doomed !

[jakdaw]

On a selfish level was looking forward to a shrine to all things Phantom here in the East Midlands but Kemble seems to be becoming something exciting and although I wont be as regular visitor looking forward to travelling down to see them. As for the active runway if one thing is certain, nothing is for certain, all the airfields were active till they werent.

[BPAG]

As many of you will be aware, we were recently fortunate enough to be able to undertake a spares recovery process on FGR.2 XV411 before it was finally scrapped. We are very grateful to Richard Murray of Spey Bay Salvage for allowing us this opportunity, which brought up some extremely useful bits and pieces. Below is a selection of some of the items we recovered and a brief description.

As we have a lot more of these, we’ll spread them out over a few posts and then follow up with some 'before and after' pictures and extra information. Work on ZE360 is once again on pause due to lockdown, so in the meantime we hope posts about the restoration of these parts will be of interest and we'll also share some details of other items that we have recently received.


General view of hydraulic components.


Hydraulic unions. Phantom are notorious for leaking and these are not the sort of thing that people have on their shelves. They can be bought commercially, but they are not cheap.


Hydraulic reservoir. We managed to recover both Power Control (PC) reservoirs, but were unable to get the utility one in the time available.


Stabilator actuator. As this is situated at the rear of the aircraft, it didn’t suffer too much heat damage. A useful spare.


The RAT, or Ram Air Turbine. This took two days of concerted effort by our volunteers to free, but they succeeded, and also managed to extract the associated generator. As we will never need to use this, it will be restored as a display piece.


More hydraulic components. The silver ones are from D22, and the red items are blanking caps from the hydraulic servicing point in D23.

[BPAG]

Here’s the first lot of ‘before and after’ pics of some of the items recovered from XV411. These are a selection of bulkhead unions and fittings from the hydraulic system. It has always been our intention that our aircraft would be as functional as possible and as the Phantom was basically a flying hydraulic leak, we are likely to need them and so took the trouble to remove as many as we could gain access to.



Hydraulic unions and blanking caps. Unfortunately about one third of the recovered items were found to be too damaged to keep, once they had been cleaned. The stainless items at the bottom of the picture are hydraulic swivels that sit on the hinge line of Door 22 and take hydraulic power to the air compressor.



Hoses for supply and return, PC reservoir.

[Supra]

Great results from clean-up. The plastic anti-chafe spiral could be replaced on the smaller hose, but I assume it's not essential for your intended level of operational use? Out of interest, are you using vapour-blasting for the cleaning process? The anodized fittings look new, aside from the spanner marks.

[BPAG]

Out of interest, are you using vapour-blasting for the cleaning process?

No need to go that far. Wash tank with white spirit, stiff brush and blow dry with an air compressor and they came up lovely.

[Supra]

Cleaned 'old-school' style to give super appearance. Here's hoping the rest of the refurb' goes as well too! Thanks for the reply.

[ridgmeister]

I've just been catching up on this project and the amazing work being done. I know all about 'cleaning & refurbishing' (currently restoring an old Yamaha m/cycle) but the scale is tiny, in comparison! Looking forward to the move to Kemble, as it is 'on my doorstep', relative to Manston. Keep up the great work!
Paul

[BPAG]

In addition to the parts that will be visible in the cockpits and on the exterior of our aircraft, there is also much support equipment that will be needed as the restoration projects continue. So, during summer 2020, we were fortunate to be able to buy these two items from another collector.

The larger of the two is a whole aircraft sling, which unbelievably picks up a complete Phantom using just four bolts. However, what makes this one extra special is the information on the data plate as F4H-1 was the designation for the Phantom BEFORE it became F-4A and means that it probably dates from the early days of production. We can only assume it made its way to the UK as part of a support equipment package during the initial F-4K procurement (and far be it from us to infer that the Yanks were selling the Brits any old stuff that they could find in the back of the shed). Naturally, before we use the sling, it will be load tested and certified.

The second item is a dedicated Stabilator sling. This will make refitting the Stabilators a much easier and safer proposition when that task comes around. This one is dated 1984 but the plate looks to have been fitted where an older identification plate has been removed. Once again, it will be load tested and certified before joining our growing collection of support equipment.

Once again, many thanks to all of you who have supported us with your purchases and donations. These play a vital part in helping us obtain these useful items.

[BPAG]

Today will see the 30th anniversary of ZE360`s delivery flight from RAF Wattisham to Manston where she would take on the new role as a training aid at the resident fire training school.

The year was 1991 and the world`s attention was focused on Operation Desert Storm and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The retirement of the RAF`s unique F-4J(UK) Phantom fleet was to therefore come and go relatively un-noticed. The F-4J’s were being systematically dispersed to take up secondary roles, such as battle damage repair or fire training duties at various RAF airfields. The aircrews delivering them made the most of these ‘trips’ and many of the aircraft were in a clean configuration so they could attempt one final Mach 2 run. ZE360 was no different.

On the morning of the 22nd February 1991, pilot Ian Hargreaves and navigator Ray Jones departed RAF Wattisham, climbed out over The Wash and then headed into the North Sea. Once 35 nautical miles offshore, the nose was pointed south and full power applied. If it wasn’t for an intake ramp going out of phase causing the right engine to surge at approximately Mach 1.96, it’s safe to say 360 would have successfully achieved the aim of travelling at twice the speed of sound as planned. However, with little fuel remaining and lots of altitude to lose, all that remained were some rather tight turning aerobatics, eventually registering a respectable 8 on the G meter.

In a fitting end for an aircraft designed for Naval operations (especially considering the aircraft’s previous life in service with the US Navy`s Atlantic Fleet) ZE360 landed at Manston making a cable engagement. The aircraft then self-cleared before folding the outer wings and taxiing to the designated dispersal. With the aircrew catching a lift home to Wattisham in a 22 Sqn Sea King, ZE360 was left in the hands of a team of Wattisham's ASF engineers who prepared her for her final duties while still in RAF service.

In this anniversary year, after 30 years of decay at Manston, we are looking forward to the aircraft finally departing again, heading for Kemble, Gloucestershire, to begin the restoration process which will be the start of a much brighter future for this extremely rare aircraft.


Pilot Ian Hargreaves and Navigator Ray Jones pose with ZE360 outside the HAS at Wattisham prior to departure to Manston.


ZE360 on the tarmac at Manston.


Photo showing Mach 1.8 on the meter. Moments later the right intake ramp went out of phase causing the engine to surge.


After a number of tight, turning aerobatics, 8G was the final figure on the meter.


Taken from the open door of the departing Sea King, ZE360 is left on a Manston dispersal to await her fate as a fire school training aid.

Finally, some footage from the landmark day last summer when the aircraft finally moved back to hardstanding- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZujWbC13Pcc

[Ghastly Whisper]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant...

I met 360 up close and personal at Manston around March/April 1991 while on the baby firemans course. One weekend (if I remember the name correctly) FLT LT Cane? had the covers left off so I could photograph her. She was on the hard standing near the main road next to the MT? shed. Anyways closest look around a Phantom ever! unfortunately the pics from that day never came back, according to the film people the negatives got ruined in processing, all I got back were a few shots of the other aircraft in the burning area.

Over the last 30 year I've looked for 360 at Manston always hoping that she would survive

Needless to say 360 is a very very special Phantom indeed, a huge big thumbs up and a very big congratulations from me for doing so well with her, long may it continue and long may she survive for furure generations to enjoy.

The photo below is the last time I saw her at Manston almost a decade ago...

PHANTOM F-4J (UK) ZE360 O (US NAVY 155574) by Gaz West, on Flickr

[BPAG]

We have recently received a kind donation of a number of original F-4J(UK) parts from Mr Jamie White after he read about the restoration project on social media. We would like to say a big thank you to Jamie for reaching out and offering these instruments, which we believe may come from ZE360 herself. Note the North Island NARF stickers, confirming them as definitely from an F-4J(UK).

If you have or know of someone who may have parts that could help with ZE360`s restoration, please do get in touch. We'd be very interested to hear from you.