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Post by davebasing on Apr 29, 2018 8:59:35 GMT
As requested by Keith, here's a few from my visit to the Proof and Experimental Establishment at Foulness, Essex in 1990. I will do this in two parts, this first offering covering just Lightnings. The coastal land has been used by the military since 1848 when the British School of Gunnery was set up there. Since that time it has been used for all sorts of weapons development, testing & training. It remains a restricted area. Over the years many hundreds of aircraft have met their end as targets or for weapon effect trials there, virtually all ex military although a former civil A300 was used for trials there in the aftermath of Lockerbie. With no landing strip there, aircraft were roaded (or railed) to the facility, a large number ex Navy Scimitars (which will be in Part 2) were flown into Southend and roaded from there. 90-bk by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bg by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bf by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-be by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-ai by dave tompkins, on Flickr
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Post by davebasing on Apr 29, 2018 10:43:47 GMT
Part 2 (there will now be three as I’ve found more of my photos) covers types at Foulness in 1990 other than the Lightning. Apart from the two Bristol 188s mentioned earlier there were also a total of 3 TSR2s sent to Foulness two of which were uncompleted frames, the other being actual flyer XR219 which was there from August 1965 until finally sold to Hannington Metals for scrap in January 1977 (at one time sitting on the promontory with the Bristol 188 and visible when departing Southend by air), though wing parts remained dumped at Foulness for some years thereafter. Among other development aircraft that remained in 1990, my photo below shows Supermarine S544 WT859, the forerunner of the Scimitar. The cockpit section of WT859 was subsequently saved by the Brooklands Museum who passed it unrestored to Long Marston and then to Old Sarum. While the now restored section at Old Sarum is very well done, from a purely spotting perspective virtually nothing of the actual original aircraft can be seen externally other than a few sections of metal strips around the canopy itself. The Valiant cockpit (from XD857) was saved for the Flixton Museum and is now at Marham. The Whirlwind HAS7 (XN829) went to London City Airport as a training frame and was broken up there in 1997. The Canberra marked with maintenance serial 8204M was B(I)8 XM271 from Halton, while 'CY' is B2 WK164. The Buccaneer XW541 with 12 Sq badge but with Royal Navy marks on the fin from a different aircraft – 541 was never with the Navy -, was actually airlifted finless from Honington (where it was a g.i. frame) to Foulness by Chinook ZA678 in October 1988. 90-av by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-ax by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bl by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bi by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bj by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-aw by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-ao by dave tompkins, on Flickr
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Post by keefyboy on Apr 29, 2018 11:44:05 GMT
Absolutely brilliant shots Dave - many thanks for posting - they bring back lots of good memories of this very mysterious site. I worked at the AWE enclave which was located in the north west corner of Foulness Island (inland from the coast road leading to Courtsend). I seem to recall several of the buildings in that area were listed for preservation due to the role they played during the 1950's nuclear development programme. I was lucky to get a complete tour of all the facilities across the island and down at P&EE. I always found it odd how visitors to families living at Courtsend had to report to the Great Wakering gate and be escorted all the way up to Courtsend.
There was at least one JP there at my time - they used to drop them from a great height onto a concrete slab - not sure of the nature of the trials but may have something to do with underslung loads. I'll raid the loft and dig out my old logs from the time.
Regards Keith
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Post by davebasing on Apr 29, 2018 16:38:35 GMT
Part 3- Got there just in time as later in 1990 the MoD issued a tender for the sale of the Valiant cockpit section and no less than 56 tons of aircraft scrap from Foulness. 90-bo by dave tompkins, on Flickr The mortal remains of Sea Vixen XS580 90-bm by dave tompkins, on Flickr Phantom XV417 was fished from the sea after being abandoned when it suffered an in-flight wing fold 90-az by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bh by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bb by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-am by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-bc by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-ba by dave tompkins, on Flickr And finally some of the Scimitars 90-bd by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-at by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-as by dave tompkins, on Flickr 90-aq by dave tompkins, on Flickr
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Post by billsamuels on Apr 29, 2018 20:25:34 GMT
Well done Dave.
Brilliant set of photos and with narrative - outstanding as usual.
Thanks for sharing mate.
Bill
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Post by graham on May 1, 2018 13:55:08 GMT
Great shots and history Dave, but always a shame to see such lovely airplanes in such a state
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Post by chrisj on Nov 18, 2018 22:43:57 GMT
Yes , great photos Dave . Brings back memories of several visits to transport firm Everley's at Hayes near Heathrow . Here at times , large sections of aircraft such as RAF Washington B1s were seen on vehicles being moved from Foulness . Ah , they were the days ! Chrisj
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Post by norwichmd11 on Nov 20, 2018 15:34:37 GMT
Nice photos Dave,never got round round there but sad to see them like that.
Kevin
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