Identity Clues of Blanked out Defenders at Lee On Solent

[michael]

I have just completed my University thesis on Defender recognition on MSF, and have added it to this group as a courtesy (thank god for copy and paste and Graham's URL Shortener !!!!!)

Having spent a bit of the day helping John Waller,with the parking positions of the now "Redacted" Defenders,I took up the challenge.

Unfortunately the right hand sides of the aircraft are not very distintive so all my observations are from the left side (Port),with a few very distinct marks

so in order the main viewing points are the Passenger doors FRONT -BACK and LUGGAGE

RED cut marks 4 right angle lines



ZG997 Front -RED cut here _____ BACK -BLANK ____ LUGGAGE - BIG Green Medical Square below Handle
www.flickr.com/photos/beechhawker/51301443274/in/photostream/

ZG998 Front- RED cut here ____ Back - RED Cut here____LUGGAGE- BIG Green Medical Suare but with LARGE curved ANTI SCRATCH below handle
it also has a small white sqaure on the top of the tail
www.flickr.com/photos/beechhawker/51301749090/in/photostream/

ZH002 Front RED dull cut here ____Back-BLANK___LUGGAGE - SMALL Green Medical Square below handle
www.flickr.com/photos/beechhawker/51300733686/in/photostream/

ZH003 Front BLANK_____ Back -BLANK ___ LUGGAGE - SMALL Green Medical Square above handle
tinyurl.com/f8f26hwf

ZH004 This aircraft is distinct as it was a support/trainer/transport airframe,so it does not have the extra metal plate on the spar/dorsal leading to the tail.
The back 2 windows are not blanked out.It also has a Large Circular vent near the rear and has a clean nose (no sensor).Also
Front RED bright cut here ___Back -RED bright cut here ___ LUGGAGE Green medical Cross without square
tinyurl.com/jrer9axh


ZH001 This airframe is still believed to be used by BN and is currently in their hanger>It has rhe Cut here on both dooors.Its DISTINCT markings are on back sensor points that have BRIGHT ORANGE markers on both sides.
tinyurl.com/5yzkzbsr


UPDATE (the earlier arrivals in the hanger)


ZG995 Front - RED cut here______ BACK-RED Cut here ____LUGGAGE -BIG Green MEDICAL Squre above curved Scuff Handle
tinyurl.com/s3xp4u77

ZG996 Front - RED Cut here (faded) __ BACK BLANK _____ LUGGAGE - BIG Green MEDICAL Square plain handle
tinyurl.com/t9d4kja

ZH005 Front -RED Cut here(faded)___BACK RED Cut (bright)___ LUGGAGE- SMALL Green Medical Square above curved Scuff handle
tinyurl.com/efn5w7ht


Over the next few weeks these may shuffle but the positions on Thursday 8th/Friday

ZH001 facing out of hanger

Back Row Facing Houses
Facing Runway these 2 ZH003 and ZH004
Front Row G-DLRA Facing Houses
ZG997 Facing Houses
ZH002 Facing Runway (judging by the green cross on left door inJohn Waller,s photo he sent me)

so ZG998 may be in Hanger as well as ZG995,ZG996 and ZH005

Hope this may be of use if anyone is chasing them .

My conclusion after all of this is- no wonder our defence procurment has been over expensive ,when we can't even get the same STICKER's for 9 planes.
I'am of to the VAR ROOM for the EURO final to compare photos of England Diving against Italian Diving (Conflict of Interest Declaration ...I'm Scottish)


Michael L




PHOTO CREDITS Terry Coombes ZH997,ZH998 and ZH002
Richard Davies ZH001,ZH003 and ZH995
Burmarrad (Mark) Camenzuli ZH004
Gerry McLaughlin ZG996
Gavin ZH005

[zz]

Great work Michael, very helpful!

I hope to visit this week, although it would appear the 3 I need are hangared! (995, 998, 005)

Cheers
Phil

[zz]

Now 6 outside the hangar. All serials/ registrations disappeared apart from G-DLRA.

It appears that ZG997, ZH002, 003 and 004 are positioned as described above, as is G-DLRA.

ZH001 is no longer facing out of the hangar, but there is a sixth outside the front of the hangar. It doesn’t appear to have the CUT HERE marking on the back door and I can’t make out any orange sensors as shown in the attached picture, so not sure if it’s ZH001 or not. It doesn’t seem to quite match any of the descriptions, but as it was largely tail-on I may be missing some details.

Any help much appreciated

Cheers
Phil

[zz]

Having checked my photo from April of ZH001 in the same position as this sixth Defender is in, I don’t believe that the one outside is 001.

I wonder if it might be ZG995 that is outside now? The link to the photo of 995 above doesn’t work for me but other photos online seem to match what I saw. Bright red Cut here at the front, nothing at the back- this doesn’t match the above description, but matches pictures online…

[michael]

Phil

I have repaired the URL for ZG995,landing on 27/5/20at Lee On Solent

[zz]

Thanks for that Michael - appreciated!

Having looked closely at my poor photo of the Defender outside the hangar, I believe it to be ZG997.
The Cut here marks and the medical square match that of ZG997.

Which means there has been a bit of a swap around

[zz]

www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=207605&p=1318114&hilit=Solent#p1318114

Update on positions in a FC post….,

Those pictured are as I saw them yesterday, but I also saw (ZG997?) in front of the hangar- presumably now inside.