Classic Aircraft Walkarounds by nuuumannn

[woljags]

those plywood wings on a 163 were bloody heavy i assembled one at west malling owned then by a club based n/r by,it took 8 of us to lift it with lots of rude words as the guy had the main pin round the wrong way so it wouldn't fit

 

[Airframes]

Sounds like an intelligent chap Bob!
More great shots there Grant. And Evan, if you're doing that particular Lincoln, you'll have to model the ghost as well !

 

[nuuumannn]

The Deutches Museum aircraft was presented by the RAF in April 1964; it went to Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm afterwards then went to the museum.

i assembled one at west malling owned then by a club

Sounds interesting, how long ago was this, Woljags? Might it have been West Raynham at all?

I remember seeing the IWM aircraft being pulled to bits before it got sent to Paul Allen in the States; I have photos somewhere...

Ghost? What ghost? It's a hoax, Terry; a staff member at Hendon told me the whole thing was engineered by Cosford and RAFM staff to bring publicity to Cosford since the museum had very little, back when it was 'The Aerospace Museum, Cosford', so a quirky little 'story' was invented for publicity purposes. I listened to a recording by a radio show host who sat in the Lincoln one night after closing and recorded noises of switches clicking on and off - all a bit contrived, but it had the right effect and a legend was born!

 

[Airframes]

You're right Grant! Apparently the story started many years ago, before the 'radio stunt', when someone was working inside the Lincoln, and grew from there, resulting in the radio thing. However, last year, when I asked my 'guide' (the Museum chap who was showing me around the Me410 and Dinah, and where the Do17 will be worked on), in a 'tongue in cheek' fashion, he did hint that this was a bit of a hoax, but he also said that a number of night security people, on their 'rounds', had experienced some weird things in the hangar, not always near the Lincoln. But of course, auto suggestion, a quiet night and so on, can produce many things.
Sh*t ! What was that noise ...........

 

[A4K]

Saw a documentary on that once where they also explained the hoax about 'Pete the poltergeist', but said afterwards that some guys had spent the night in there, and saw a small light bobbing left and right working it's way forward to the nose. An ex-crewman explained that would be the route taken by the flight engineer (IIRC), the swaying motion the light in his hand as he checked various systems on the way.
Apparently no sounds were heard, but when they played back a recording taken that night the clicking noises were heard.
I'd be able to confirm if they'd let me in, tend to pick up on our invisible friends...

Btw - time allowing - will be doing a No.75 (NZ) Sqn, Lincoln, sans ghost (just alot of spirit!)

 

[Airframes]

Well Evan, there's an 'Open Cockpit' night at the Museum in a few weeks time, if you can get over here ........

 

[A4K]

Man, give me the money and I'm there like a shot!!!! (bet there'd be way too many people for my liking though, I hate crowds!)

 

[Airframes]

Same here. I thought about going, but the thought of a fair number of 'anorkas' among the genuinely knowledgeable enthusiasts puts me off - especially if it's a crowd !

 

[Wayne Little]

Man...those are some great shots!

 

[woljags]

the 163 i helped to assemble was owned by an enthusiasts group i think were from Kent,it arrived on the back of a car transporter and was missing the canopy,maybe someone else knows who they were and where it is now,this was back in the late 80's

 

[A4K]

That must have been an experience though Bob, not many people can make that claim!

 

[nuuumannn]

the 163 i helped to assemble was owned by an enthusiasts group i think were from Kent,it arrived on the back of a car transporter and was missing the canopy,maybe someone else knows who they were and where it is now,this was back in the late 80's

Woljags, going on what you've written and what existed, we don't have much to go on. There were only five Komets in the UK in the late 1980s and there are only three now. I can tell you which ones the aircraft you dismantled were not; 191316 has been suspended from the roof of the Science Museum, South Kensington since 1964 and 191659 had been at East Fortune since 1973. The others were; 191904, which is now at the Luftwaffen Museum at Gatow, Berlin, 191614 at the RAFM Cosford and 191660, which is now with the Flying Heritage Collection, Washington State.

Out of these, 191904 belonged to the Air Historic Branch and was at RAF St Athan from 1975 until 1988, when it was gifted to the Germans and was sent to Oldenburg. 191614 was formerly located at the Rocket Propulsion Establishment at Westcott until 1980, when it went to Cosford in 1980, after spending a short period at Cottesmore. Since its been at Cosford it has left the site, making an appearance at Biggin Hill in 1987, but has remained the property of the RAF Museum. The last one, 191660 was part (possibly from the Air Historic Branch) of the Imperial War Museum collection and was at Lambeth from 1961 to 1976, after which it was moved to Duxford that year until 2005, when it left the UK for the USA as trade for an Airco D.H.9.

Of these, 191904 is possible because it was dismantled and sent to Germany in 1988, tying in with your late '80s timing, as does 191614, which was dismantled for moving to Biggin Hill, Kent in 1987, where it was put on public display. Whilst there it received damage before being moved back to Cosford. Both 191904 and 191614 had their canopies supplied with them on their moves. As for 191660, its not likely unless it left Duxford at any time, although there's no record of it doing so, but it did not have a canopy. Your statement of an enthusiast's group doesn't tie in with any of them, I'm afraid; the only tie-in with Kent is 191614 that went to Biggin Hill.

I also asked about West Raynham since the Deutches Museum example was there for a short while before going to Germany, although it left the UK in 1964.

Got any photos?

 

[woljags]

i wish i did have some photos but if any were taken by my uncle who was also there at the time they would proberly be long gone but i will ask him

 

[nuuumannn]

Hi everyone, the second edition of Classic Aircraft Walkarounds is a little more specific than the first, focussing on one particular aircraft, a single example of an Armstrong Whitworth (yes, that's right) Meteor NF.14. The aircraft in particular never served with the military and was used for trials for its entire flying career in civilian hands. The aircraft is NF.14 G-ARCX and survives at East Fortune in Scotland, where these pictures were taken. They aren't particularly good quality as they are scanned from old photos. The selection of close-ups is not as detailed as those I took of the Komets since I originally took these because I was given the old Matchbox night fighter Meteor kit and I wanted to add a little more detail, so I didn't do an extensive coverage of the aircraft, just certain areas, so, if this aircraft is of interest to you and I've missed a bit, my apologies.

A bit of history behind this particular aircraft. Built as NF.11 WM261 by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Coventry in 1953, it was removed from the production line and converted to become the NF.12 prototype and subsequently served as the aerodynamic prototype of each of the two-seat night fighter Meteor variants with the manufacturers, being lastly configured as the NF.14 prototype with its distinctive clear blown canopy. After in-flight canopy release trials it was sent to electronics manufacturer Ferranti in Edinburgh, where it joined the Ferranti Flying Unit at Turrrrnhoose (Turnhouse with a Scots accent). Its life as a test-bed was short lived and it served as a trials aircraft for Red Garter electronic countermeasures equipment until becoming the company hack. Following an agreement with the Ministry of Supply in 1963, it was placed on the civil register as G-ARCX. At this period of its career it was natural metal with red intake lips with its civil registration in black on the rear fuselage flanks, but was later repainted in the fetching overall cream with white bordered red flash and Ferranti titles on its lower fin. As a result of the prominent red cheatline, the aircraft was nicknamed 'Mentadent' after a popular brand of toothpaste.

Ferranti's use of the aircraft as a hack was minimal and due to budget cuts the Meteor flew for the last time on 22 June 1968 during a flying display at Turnhouse. Its total flying hours is 348, meaning that it's barely run in. Shortly afterwards 'ARCX was put up for sale and a likely buyer was found in Enterprise Films Ltd, which claimed to be making a film about British night fighters, that is until the Ministry of Defence found out that Enterprise Films was a cover for a group of individuals smuggling arms into war torn Biafra. Enterprise Films had already shipped an NF.11 to Biafra and G-ARCX was also to go to counter night raids against Biafran rebel strongholds by Nigerian Air Force Ilyushin Il-28s. As a result of this little episode, 'ARCX was withdrawn from sale and languished at Turnhouse for a few years until it was decided to donate it to the Royal Scottish Museum, which was gathering a collection of airframes at East Fortune for its new museum of flight. The Meteor arrived there in 1973; the museum opening to the public two years later. As a result of interest by Enterprise Films in the aircraft, on donation to the museum the staff were made to sign an affidavit stating that the aircraft was not to be dismantled and was not to be sold without express permission from Ferranti or its future governing bodies and today it is still at East Fortune on public display.

External Walkaround. These pictures were taken while the aircraft was moved outdoors to enable the museum's Harrier to be placed in the centre of Hangar One. Note the collapsed nose gear oleo requiring recharging with nitrogen.

In case you are wondering, the Vulcan is XM597, which took part in the Falklands War (keep an eye out here for a future walkaround) and the Comet is G-BDIX. Next, the cockpit.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool, I'd never heard of this one!

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Grant. I have vague memories of just being able to see this outside the Ferranti hangar at Turnhouse, I think around about 1964 or maybe '66. At the time, I was too busy trying to wangle a flight in a RAF Pembroke !

 

[nuuumannn]

This view of the port side beneath the cockpit shows access detail; the semi circular cut outs being foot wells. Just forward of the vertical black line is a handle, which is turned to open the canopy. There is a pull down step in the underside of the nose.

Forward windshield and upper instrument panel, note the absense of a gunsight, which would have nominally been a Ferranti GGS Mk.2

A typical British instrument layout for the mid to late 40s. Instruments are from top left; machmeter, ASI, A/H, VSI, RPM times two, ALT, ADI, turn and slip, exhaust gas temp. Fuel gauges flank undercarriage indicator. Oil pressure gauges blanked out by flash. Note also the park brake handle on the control column.

RH console showing electrical switches and breakers. The prominent red handle is part of the control lock, removed for access. The vertical handle raises and lowers the seat.

LH console showing power lever and trim wheel. The illuminated dull orange numbers around a knob is the radio altimemter light switch. Gated port and stbd engine start buttons aft of this.

The canopy looking aft into the rear cockpit. I was lucky enough to spend a bit of time speaking to Len Houston, former pilot with the Ferranti Flying Unit whilst seated in this seat. The prominent box forward of the seat was usually empty and Len explained that that's where the observer, not having much to do on most flights, would keep his 'piece' (lunch)!.

The rear seat, the front being identical. No ejection seats in here.

RH aft cockpit side, oxy hose and seat hieght adjustment visible. The gauge is the phase failure indicator in volts. I'm not sure what the large gauge facing the seat was, possibly a compass or stby altimeter; obviously in military aircraft the back seater would have his radar controls here, but in this aircraft he had little to do but enjoy the ride.

Next, external detail.

 

[Airframes]

Great pics Grant, thanks for posting.

 

[Wayne Little]