Merlin on low loader A303

[panta615]

Hi guys,

My friend is currently traveling along the A303 passing Middle Wallop heading west and has sent pictures of a Merlin being transported on a low loader.

Does anyone have any information regarding the airframe? He unable to pass by as it’s taking up two lanes.

Thanks.

[panta615]

Merlin HC4 ZJ145 ‘J’

[Al dunn]

Believe you mean ZJ125 which is coded J

ZJ145 was an Indonesian Hawk 209

[panta615]

Yes, ZJ125 - my bad.

Went in to RNAS Yeovilton - from the pics looked striped down.

Is this going to be part of the museum?

[sschofield]

It's based at Yeovilton with 845/846 NAS. Based on the direction it was heading it's likely it's recently arrived into Brize Norton as airfreight (hence stripped down) and was heading home.

[Professor_M]

ZJ125 last tracked on ADSB in Norway in January.

https://www.airnavradar.com/data/registration/ZJ125

[Snoop 95]

Hi guys,

My friend is currently traveling along the A303 passing Middle Wallop heading west and has sent pictures of a Merlin being transported on a low loader.

Does anyone have any information regarding the airframe? He unable to pass by as it’s taking up two lanes.

Thanks.

Photography when driving not good even if the subject is v exciting.

[panta615]

It's based at Yeovilton with 845/846 NAS. Based on the direction it was heading it's likely it's recently arrived into Brize Norton as airfreight (hence stripped down) and was heading home.

From the pictures it’s had a few things removed (tail, rotor blades, nose, few other bits). Would they do that to transport via road?

Thanks for the info

[panta615]

Hi guys,

My friend is currently traveling along the A303 passing Middle Wallop heading west and has sent pictures of a Merlin being transported on a low loader.

Does anyone have any information regarding the airframe? He unable to pass by as it’s taking up two lanes.

Thanks.

Photography when driving not good even if the subject is v exciting.

?? Obviously. Never said he was driving…

[panta615]

ZJ125 last tracked on ADSB in Norway in January.

https://www.airnavradar.com/data/registration/ZJ125

Thanks dude

[shuck]

Merlin HC4 s/n ZJ125 returned as airfreight to Brize Norton on 30/04/25.

[Snoop 95]

Photography when driving not good even if the subject is v exciting.

?? Obviously. Never said he was driving…

"He unable to pass by as it’s taking up two lanes." ???

[panta615]

Merlin HC4 s/n ZJ125 returned as airfreight to Brize Norton on 30/04/25.

Thanks Shuck

[panta615]

?? Obviously. Never said he was driving…

"He unable to pass by as it’s taking up two lanes." ???

And your point is? Still never said he was driving.

[sschofield]

It's based at Yeovilton with 845/846 NAS. Based on the direction it was heading it's likely it's recently arrived into Brize Norton as airfreight (hence stripped down) and was heading home.

From the pictures it’s had a few things removed (tail, rotor blades, nose, few other bits). Would they do that to transport via road?

Thanks for the info

They'd do it for transporting it by air, basically any bits that are likely to break off or otherwise get damaged would be removed, and not refitted until it gets back to base. The airframe was reported to have come into Brize on C-17A ZZ173 as "RRR6253" on 30th April as mentioned in another post, from Trondheim, although the helicopters had been on exercise at Bardufoss.

[Canberra TT.18]

Couldn't it have flown back under it's own power from Norway to the UK. Is done before.
Had it some issues?
Or just training transporting by air?

[Merlin131]

Couldn't it have flown back under it's own power from Norway to the UK. Is done before.
Had it some issues?
Or just training transporting by air?

It flew out there by itself, probably a happy medium of good training for the RAF/loadmasters/ground crew and a saving of aircraft hours for the Navy. They did the same last year

[OldSpotter52]

Hi guys,

My friend is currently traveling along the A303 passing Middle Wallop heading west and has sent pictures of a Merlin being transported on a low loader.

Does anyone have any information regarding the airframe? He unable to pass by as it’s taking up two lanes.

Thanks.

Photography when driving not good even if the subject is v exciting.

My dashcam is continuously recording when I'm driving and its simple enough to extract single frames.