Post by davebasing on Mar 14, 2021 9:41:21 GMT
Another trip to exotic parts on 14 March 1976, this time the delights of Reading. Sorry, not the football club but the short drive to photograph the aircraft at the two Air Training Corps Squadron sites.
Firstly 2287 Sq at Presentation College (now derelict) which had held Vampire XD536/7734M since 1961. Previously with 5FTS at Oakington it is sadly no more, moving first to Alleyn School in Northolt and later to the dreaded scrap man.
76-at by dave tompkins, on Flickr
Then to 381 Sq at Brock Barracks who had Hunter F1 WT684/7422M. It spent its short operational life with the Day Fighter Leaders Sq at West Raynham before moving to the MU at Bicester who used it as a complete travelling ground exhibit and was a regular at air shows in the late 50s & early 60s (I first saw her at the Biggin Battle of Britain show in 1964). Sadly, Reading did not look after such a rare Mark 1 very well, note the cockpit is open to the elements and was full of water on my visit. The RAF repossessed it and it moved to Abingdon as a battle damage repair frame before the fuselage (minus wings) was sent to the fire section at Brize Norton where it lingered into the 90s, the last time I saw her there it was also by then minus its tail, rear fuselage and nose cone. The cockpit section was saved by Tony Collins who did a super restoration job at Lavenham and it can still be seen travelling to various events.
A few weeks ago this forum discussed the fact that the former Brazilian Hunter now flying as “XE688” has little, if any, claim to that serial. The museum at East Midlands did a good job of building a Hunter FR 10 from scratch using bits of several Hunters and displaying the result as “XJ714” from which none of the pieces actually came. That aircraft does however contain some parts from Reading’s Hunter.
76-au by dave tompkins, on Flickr
Firstly 2287 Sq at Presentation College (now derelict) which had held Vampire XD536/7734M since 1961. Previously with 5FTS at Oakington it is sadly no more, moving first to Alleyn School in Northolt and later to the dreaded scrap man.
76-at by dave tompkins, on FlickrThen to 381 Sq at Brock Barracks who had Hunter F1 WT684/7422M. It spent its short operational life with the Day Fighter Leaders Sq at West Raynham before moving to the MU at Bicester who used it as a complete travelling ground exhibit and was a regular at air shows in the late 50s & early 60s (I first saw her at the Biggin Battle of Britain show in 1964). Sadly, Reading did not look after such a rare Mark 1 very well, note the cockpit is open to the elements and was full of water on my visit. The RAF repossessed it and it moved to Abingdon as a battle damage repair frame before the fuselage (minus wings) was sent to the fire section at Brize Norton where it lingered into the 90s, the last time I saw her there it was also by then minus its tail, rear fuselage and nose cone. The cockpit section was saved by Tony Collins who did a super restoration job at Lavenham and it can still be seen travelling to various events.
A few weeks ago this forum discussed the fact that the former Brazilian Hunter now flying as “XE688” has little, if any, claim to that serial. The museum at East Midlands did a good job of building a Hunter FR 10 from scratch using bits of several Hunters and displaying the result as “XJ714” from which none of the pieces actually came. That aircraft does however contain some parts from Reading’s Hunter.
76-au by dave tompkins, on Flickr