Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

R.I.P.

Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please.
3Greens
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:35 pm
Location: RWY21 Grimsby

R.I.P.

Post by 3Greens » Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:32 pm

I think the very sad sight of Wattisham dump from 1975 may have appeared in previous forums, but I've dusted mine off
and here they are - with a few of happier days included :-
Binbrook 1972
Image

XP696 - the mount of Fl.Lt. Peter Chapman after a great days performance at Finningley B-O-B September 1974
Image

25th June 1975 - a very premature and ill thought out exercise :(
Image

Image

Image

Image

I think my old mate was assessing if we could get it in the van ... sadly not
Image

Image

Image

Image

Note the JG71 Richtofen zaps on the 111Sqd aircraft
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

This Canberra B(1)8 XM275 ex 16 Sqd was also dumped
Image

Sadly this old Varsity T1 WL628 was due a visit by the fire crews for practice
Image

Our RAFP driver was proud to show off this old Meteor T7 VZ634 buried in the undergrowth
Image

This was the immaculate Gate Guard F1a XM192 K 111 Sqd - saved from the axe and now thankfully preserved in Lincolnshire
and pictured in a separate post.
Image

Cheers
Keith

User avatar
Mike
Posts: 22275
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:18 pm

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Mike » Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:37 pm

:'(
This season, I'll be mostly wearing........A THONG!

User avatar
SteveS
Posts: 5590
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:46 pm

Re: R.I.P.

Post by SteveS » Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:47 pm

Very interesting set of photo's.

Steve

User avatar
garyscott
Posts: 3158
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:34 pm
Location: DONT trust Atoms . . . . they make up everything . .

Re: R.I.P.

Post by garyscott » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:01 pm

"...tissue please........" :'(

User avatar
Gary West
Posts: 469
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:38 pm
Location: Essex

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Gary West » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:30 pm

I wonder why so many F3's were scrapped rather than upgrade to F6 standard as many others were - the Phantom and the start of the reduction in Lightning air defence squadrons?

As always, wonderful pictures Keith

DeanW
Posts: 821
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:02 pm

Re: R.I.P.

Post by DeanW » Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:32 pm

Sad but there's something strangely beautiful about your set of images. I don't quite know why though, perhaps it's the fact they're all sitting with their undercarriage retracted as though they're trying to get back in the air! Who knows, cracking stuff anyways.

User avatar
triplexxxf2
Posts: 542
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:53 pm

Re: R.I.P.

Post by triplexxxf2 » Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:35 am

Nice set Keith ;)
Myself and Dave T sneaked in the back way but got caught :lol: took to the guardroom asked what where we doing told em it all, then both escorted back to the flight line to photograph the 23/56 sqdn lightnings lovely silver lightnings :thumbs:
What happened on there is another story :clap:

Terry
Image

cliom
Posts: 505
Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:30 am

Re: R.I.P.

Post by cliom » Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:27 am

oh dear..... get the kleenex!!

Great shots of these monsters

thanks for posting.

SCARECROW
Posts: 2091
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:36 pm
Location: England

Re: R.I.P.

Post by SCARECROW » Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:23 pm

Very,very nice. They are great shots.

The Meteor is now at Newark but the Canberra & Varsity were scrapped at Wattisham !

User avatar
roughcutter
Posts: 2111
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:47 pm
Location: Widnes, Cheshire

Re: R.I.P.

Post by roughcutter » Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:37 pm

Wonderful set of pictures Keith, I wouldn't mind betting at the time of your visit (apart from feeling priviledged to be able to wander around this graveyard), the thought "could I put a bid in for one of these birds?" entered your head? I know that is what I would have pondered on, knowing full well that it could never happen... priceless moments. :cool:
Thanks for sharing them with us.
MarkL

3Greens
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:35 pm
Location: RWY21 Grimsby

Re: R.I.P.

Post by 3Greens » Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:12 pm

Thanks for comments chaps. It was a sad experience. For what ever reason I think it was 'rushed' through without any joined up thinking!
Its surprising how big Lightning 'lumps' actually are... but we did come away with a few small panels for the memory.
Keith :)

User avatar
Truly55
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:50 am
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Truly55 » Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:48 pm

Kind of reminds me of breaking into (ahem, accessing ;) ) Doncaster BREL to snap pics of the Deltics being broken up. Still have some piston bits at home. Don't know where they came from? :halo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/truly55/sets" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

User avatar
Blackcat1
Posts: 24773
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:06 pm
Location: Southern edge of the Brecon Beacons, South Wales

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Blackcat1 » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:46 pm

Classic pics! remember my one and only time at Wattisham, in the early-mid 90s on a Friday afternoon, saw a Hawk do a touch and go, then it went quiet so left for Bentwaters only to find out if i had waited 15 minutes, i would have seen 8 Phantoms return on one of their last ever sorties!! totally gutted, didnt have a scanner in those days you see :'(
Gareth

6 Sqdn Canopeners
Oculi exercitus
Blackcats remembered
Jaguar Force Excellance! 2nd July 07.

User avatar
Stan
Posts: 114
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:55 pm

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Stan » Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:21 pm

Oddly enough, I remember that Meatbox over by Crashgate 2, 9 years later in '84 when I first started attending complete and in seemingly better nick. I believe it was with the AIr Scouts, before it went up to Newark, and it was in the company of a couple of camoflaged F.1's, XM139 was one from memory and the other '147? Open to correction there, ended up on the ranges. Would that be the same area that they used for dumping the Phantoms? If so, somebody shoved an industrial estate in the way of those lovely open Suffolk fields, and I've got a ton of pictures that I aught to get around to scanning and posting of early '90's carnage.

User avatar
airfixpilot
Posts: 862
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:10 pm
Location: Sth killingholme, Nth Lincolnshire. Home of the OIL Refinerys: LOL

Re: R.I.P.

Post by airfixpilot » Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:19 pm

How sad , that a great aircraft like the lightning, ended up like this. :(
WATCHING & LISTENING IN LINCOLNSHIRE
Keep Calm & Carry On, Stay Positive & Chill.

Chill to Military Airband in the background with a coffee & Biscuits.
Listening into airband on the east coast of Lincolnshire.





David

Vulcanone
Posts: 3531
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:56 am

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Vulcanone » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:57 pm

Keith,

Which is the Lightning that appears to have caught fire? All I can see is XR7..

Tim S

User avatar
blakey
Posts: 2878
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 7:46 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: R.I.P.

Post by blakey » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:03 pm

wow..... those sqn markings are HUGE :O
Lee Blake

User avatar
Mike
Posts: 22275
Joined: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:18 pm

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Mike » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:12 pm

Vulcanone wrote:Keith,

Which is the Lightning that appears to have caught fire? All I can see is XR7..

Tim S
It looks like XR711,I might be wrong though :lol:
This season, I'll be mostly wearing........A THONG!

Vulcanone
Posts: 3531
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:56 am

Re: R.I.P.

Post by Vulcanone » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:36 pm

I think XR711 was the jet that failed to get airborne a few years before and sank back onto the runway IIRC.

Wheres my Lightning books when I need them.


TS

3Greens
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:35 pm
Location: RWY21 Grimsby

Re: R.I.P.

Post by 3Greens » Thu Jan 28, 2010 8:46 pm

I think you're spot on Tim. Dug the old note book out and I think we I/D it from large underwing serial. It had the JG71 badge on the nose which
identified it as ex.111 Sq. and I think the remainder of the fin might have been chucked over the other side of the wreck - I've got a note of code 'A'
The Varsity was coded 'X' ex. 5 FTS Oakington ?
Cheers
Keith :thumb:

Post Reply

Return to “Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic Photography”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 65 guests