A few shots from various visits to Culdrose

[graham]

I've covered the southwest for work for longer than I care to remember and even though the serious spotting didn't start again until 2013, I've paid several visits to Culdrose during those years. Until you drive along the perimeter fence which follows the A3083 Helston - Lizard road, you don't realise how large this base is. There's a left turn at a roundabout on the A3083 at the southern end of the base which picks up the B3293, follow this past the hangers on your left to the next left turn, follow this and it'll take you to the viewing area.

The base extends to both sides of the A3083 and as you head south, make sure to look to your right to see the plinth mounted Seahawk WF225. The viewing area is surrounded by very high chain link fencing, there are no facilities there at all, the toilets closed years ago. The fence makes it very difficult to get any decent photos although with a long lens of at least 400m, the field of view is so narrow that you can just about get a shot through the mesh.

IMG_4136 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_4128 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_4138 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_4131 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0133 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0130 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0115 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0109 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0105 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0102 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0099 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_0094 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_6613 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_4582 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

IMG_4580 by Graham Brown, on Flickr

[keefyboy]

Hi Graham

I've driven down the road to/from Lizard on numerous occasions and only realised a couple of year back that the base had a designated viewing area - which I've still not visited. I did manage the 2005 airshow but my list is incomplete as ot was more of a non spotting family visit.

I would guess that many of those black Hawks could end up with the Reds in years to come.
Cheers
Keith

[graham]

Hi Keith

As viewing areas go, you really haven't missed much. The fence must be ten feet high so with the exception of any helis that drop straight down to land, there's little hope of getting many decent shots. The far end of the runway is way too far away from the viewing area and anything approaching from the southeast is obscured by trees and then that fence.

I attended four shows there, in 77, 84 and 85 (both when I lived in Cornwall) and 96, all long before I owned any camera, let alone a decent one. But at least a combination of visits here and at Yeovilton means I have seen all the Merlins and Wildcats

[davebasing]

It took me a long time to get round to visiting Culdrose. It was not until 1979 that I was able to combine a Cornish holiday with my wife to coincide with that year’s air show. Other than the active units the base housed, complete with dummy deck, the School of Aircraft Handling to train personnel on handling aircraft on a carrier. Its aircraft were given SAH numbers and most carried Naval (or RAF) maintenance serials. At that time it also housed the Navy’s Fire Fighting School which was previously at Gosport and later moved down the road to Predannack. On the NW side of the base was the Cornwall Aero Park at Helston, a museum with a dozen or so aircraft which opened in 1976 and which later became a theme park as Flambards, when the aircraft were removed or scrapped.

A few from that far off visit. The Wasp carried the pinguin badge of HMS Endurance, the South Atlantic ice patrol vessel based out of the Falklands where this Wasp met its end by rolling over on a beach in 1981. Wessex XP117/A2681 was held up by a crane and, if feeling brave, one could be hoisted up into it (before the elf and safety days). Together with XL729/A2641 it also ended its days in the fire pits. The Sea Vixen in the fire school pits was XN651/A2616 but the burnt cockpit section in front was from DH 110 XF828/A2500. The cockpit of XN651 was cut off the year before, preserved and now resides with other cockpit sections at Lavendon near Bedford. The DH110 was one of the prototypes and the first to be fitted with a tail hook but lacked the folding wings of the final versions. It went to the SAH in November 1960 and later to the fire pits. It surely deserved preservation and could also have served as a fitting memorial to all those killed in the DH110 crash at Farnborough. An aunt and uncle (an aerospace engineer) of mine always attended the Farnborough shows and stood on the mound where the aircraft impacted. That day, on a whim, they decided to watch from elsewhere. A whim which may have saved their lives.

79-hb by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-hk by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-gn by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-go by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-gs by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-gt by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-hc by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-hl by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-hj by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-hh by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-gv by dave tompkins, on Flickr
79-gu by dave tompkins, on Flickr

The Helston museum
helston1 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
helston2 by dave tompkins, on Flickr
helston3 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

[keefyboy]

Hi Dave & Graham

Wow some great history here folks - I didn't realise that XF828 soldiered on for so long - yes a real shame it got torched and could not be used as part of a memorial - especially when you consider some of the other more obscure types in the FAAM collection. Heyho!

Predannack is another one I keep passing but the family are always inclined to do the coastal paths. I've certainly been to Flambards and there were still a few aircraft present around 99/00. IIRC correctly wasn't Keith Fordyce of Ready Steady Go fame responsible for building up this collection or am I thinking of the now defunct Torbay aircraft museum?? Sorry but all my old W&R are buried in the loft somewhere.
Cheers
Keith

[davebasing]

Yes Keith it was indeed Keith Fordyce's baby. Was a very good museum in its day before closing in 1988. Have some pictures from there taken on my way to Culdrose in 79 so I'll dig them out.

[keefyboy]

Yes please Dave. Am I right in thinking that some of his planes were transferred across from Torbay to Flambards?
Cheers
Keith

[graham]

I set out to walk the coast path from Kynance Cove to Predannack a few years ago. It was a very hot, sunny day and after seeing three adders on the path within the first couple of hundred yards, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and did a 180. You can see much of what's there with bins or a long lens from the NT carpark at Kynance.

[davebasing]

As requested by Keith, some I took at the Torbay Museum in 1979 en route to Culdrose.

It has to come first, G-ALFT was the first Dove I got my hands on after joining the Ministry’s Air Safety Directorate. My log tells me the morning was spent doing circuits and procedures before swapping to G-ANUW to do the same in the afternoon. It was left outside at Torbay and sadly deteriorated till scrapped on site.
tor8 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Avro Avian G-EBZM. Built in 1928 and, pre-WW2, operated pleasure flights from Southport Beach. The fuselage was saved from Liverpool Airport fire service and restored with the wings and sundry other parts from Avian G-ABEE. The fuselage of G-ABEE then went to Australia for use in a film. G-EBZM now resides in the Manchester Science Museum (having been built at nearby Woodford).
tor10 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Former Northolt Sycamore XG544 left Torbay for Tremar and thence to “somewhere in Wales” about 10 years ago and has seemingly not been seen since. In the 1990s another Sycamore HB-RXB was flying painted as XG544 though it was a former German Air Force machine with no connection to the real XG544.
tor7 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Vampire XE995 began its RAF career in Iraq and then in Malta before returning to the UK. It was broken up in Kent in 2002 but the pod survives in the museum at Wernigerode in Germany.
tor5 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Sea Venom XG629 managed to survive a stint with the fire school at Culdrose before being rescued for the museum. It survives in store in Staffordshire.
tor9 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Chipmunk WB758 was withdrawn by Oxford University Air Squadron in 1961 and donated to an Air Training Corps unit in Birmingham after which it became a travelling exhibit with the RAF unit at Bicester. It left Torbay and was used for spares at Holbeach.
tor1 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Meteor WF877 after its squadron service it went to Martin Baker for ejector seat trials then to Flight Refuelling at Tarrant Rushton as a ground engine run test bed. It became G-BPOA and now rests in the Arizona sun at the Pima Museum.
tor3 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Sea Hawk WM961 was received from the SAH at Culdrose in 1971. She is now preserved in the museum at Caernafon.
tor6 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Provost WV679/7615M was formerly an instructional frame at Halton and left for the now defunct collection at Wellesbourne Mountford.
tor2 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

Dragonfly WN499 was one of some 19 Dragonflys that graced Blackbushe for some time from 1965 to 1967. It left Torbay for Caernafon and later to the museum at Doncaster.
tor4 by dave tompkins, on Flickr

[keefyboy]

Very many thanks for these Torbay photos and the potted histories
Much appreciated
Keith

[timbhx]

If my memory serves me right chippy WB758 was at 2030  Elmdon and Yardley ATC squadron at the time i was a cadet in 1964 i remember we had a flight sargeant cadet who got the engine fired up and not long after it was taken away just after i went to RAF Stafford always wondered what happened to it

[graham]

Morning Dave, I remember taking my kids to the Torbay Museum way back, must have been around 1982 or 83 ish when we lived down there. I don't suppose you'd have a list of the exhibits from back then at all would you? MTIA

[graham]

Did a bit of Googling and found this list posted by an enthusiast following his visit back in the mists of time, along with where the aircraft ended up.

Avro Anson C19 TX235-----Caernarfon Air World, Gwynedd
Avro Avian G-EBZM-----Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
Bristol Sycamore HC14 XG544-----Unknown
DH Chipmunk WB758-----Unknown
DH Dove G-ALFT-----Caernarfon Air World
DH Sea Venom XG629-----Staffordshire (under Restoration)
DH Vampire XE995-----Unknown
Focke-Achgelis Fa330 Bachstelze (Sandpiper)-----Unknown
Fokker Triplane (Replica)-----Unknown
Gloster Meteor WF877----- Kemble
Hawker Hurricane KW-Z (Replica BoB film)-----
Hawker Sea Hawk WM961----- Caernarfon
Miles Messenger G-AKEZ----- Great Waltham stored
Messerschmitt BF109 (Replica BoB film)-----
Percival Proctor G-ANYP-----Unknown
Percival Provost WV679 (7615M)----- Wellesbourne
Supermarine Spitfire QV-K (Replica BoB film)-----
Vickers Varsity (Cockpit) -----Unknown
Westlands Dragonfly WN499-----Unknown
Westlands Whirlwind XJ393-----Unknown

[graham]

And a list from the Cornwall Aero Park/Flambards

Skyraider AEW.1 WV106 / 427-C to FAAM Reserve
Gannet ECM.6 XG831 / 396 to Davidstow museum
Gannet AS.1 WN464 scrapped
Sea Prince T.1 WF122 /575-CU to Aeroventure
Canberra TT.18 WK122 scrapped, cockpit in Hertfordshire
Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ575 / SAH13 scrapped, cockpit to Wellesbourne Mountford
Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ584 /SAH16 scrapped
Sea Vixen FAW.2 XN647 SAH10 707-VL scrapped, cockpit in Oxfordshire
Sea Venom FAW.22 XG691 Ta'qali Air Museum Malta
Sea Hawk F.1 WF219 aft fusalage and tail only, to FAAM reserve
Sea Hawk FB.3 WF299 displayed as WN105 in red, to Burlingham, Pershore
Sea Hawk FB.5 WM983 to Netherlands museum
Sea Hawk FGA.6 XE368 /200-J in Cumbria
Buccaneer S.1 XN967 /103-E scrapped, cockpit to Norwich Museum
Scimitar F.1 XD332 to Hampshire
Dragonfly HR.1 VZ962 Helicopter Museum WSM
Dragonfly HAR.3 WG725 / 912 - CU to Venezuela museum
Widgeon G-APTW to NEAM
Whirlwind HAR.1 XA870 (sectioned) to Aeroventure
Whirlwind HAS.9 XN258 / 89-CU to NEAM
Whirlwind HAR.10 XP350 to paintball park in Staffordshire
Wessex HAS.1 XS887 /403 - FI to Yorkshire helicopter group
Wasp HAS.1 XT427 / 606 to FAAM Reserve
Sycamore HR.14 XJ917 / H-S to Bristol Aero Collection, Kemble

Shackleton MR.1 WG511 forward section, still there!

[Deleted]

The Avro Avian G-EBZM has now moved to Hooton Park, following the demise of the Museum of Science and Technology at Manchester.

Bob  

[davebasing]

Thanks to Bob for the Avian update. Other updates from the list secured by Graham -

Avro Anson C19 TX235----- frame stored Woodford
Bristol Sycamore HC14 XG544-----to “somewhere in Wales”
DH Chipmunk WB758-----to spares Holbeach
DH Dove G-ALFT-----scrapped
DH Vampire XE995----- the pod survives in the museum at Wernigerode in Germany
Focke-Achgelis Fa330 Bachstelze (Sandpiper) 100545 -----to FAA Museum Yeovilton
Gloster Meteor WF877----- Pima Museum, Arizona
Hawker Hurricane KW-Z (Replica BoB film)----- to Hawkinge
Miles Messenger G-AKEZ----- to New Zealand as ZK-AKE
Percival Proctor G-ANYP-----exported to Australia
Vickers Varsity (Cockpit) -----Not from a real aircraft but a purpose-built crew trainer: to Caernafon
Westlands Dragonfly WN499-----preserved Doncaster
Westlands Whirlwind XJ393-----to café Pulborough, café burnt down and aircraft scrapped 93

[davebasing]

Graham - All of the aircraft on the Torbay list you secured would have been there at the time of your visit plus Westland Whirlwind XN299 which was there from 1979 to 1989 ending up being broken up at the museum at Tangmere - plus, if you do cockpit sections, then that of Sea Hawk WF145 was there for some reason marked as "WV843" and now residing in Dorset after travels around the place in between. Messenger G-AKEZ was painted as RG333 (which it never was - G-AIEK was also painted as that, both because the real RG333 was Mongomery's personal aircraft until written off in a forced landing in Germany in 1945 with Montgomery on board) while Procter G-ANYP was painted as NP184 (which it once really was). The FA330 is Werke No 100545.

[graham]

Many thanks Dave, that's a great help

[graham]

Another ask please, I distinctly remember my Dad taking me and my brother to Blackbushe when I was about nine years old in 1965, we lived in Basingstoke so it was a quick run up the A30. I remember the lines of Dragonflies there, there must have been at least fifteen or so looking rather forlorn. Would anyone know which frames were there please?

[Deleted]

Thanks Dave- in addition to the Avian the following four have also arrived at Hooton Park from the MOSI:-



BAPC.6 - Avro Triplane Replica Marked as "14"

G-ADAH- Dragon Rapide
G-APUD- Bensen B-7
BAPC.12- Mignet HM.14 Flea Marked as G-ADYO



Plus another arrival is Auster Autocrat G-AIGP


Bob

[chrisj]

Another trip down that memory lane ! Several of the CU locals have unfortunately moved on to that Airfield in the Sky ! chris Lethbridge , Bob Turner ( later at FAAM) and Geoff Wakham (sorry if I miss spelt his name ) who produced several FAA orientated publications . I first got to know them and others when at St.Mawgan 1977-81 and later when at CU about 1983 - 88 . There are several comments about the viewing enclosure , in my time the fence was about three feet high so good photos possible and there was later an outpost of the FAAM with a shop and cafe . The place was usually packed during the summer months with tourists . I have not been there for some time but it sounds pretty bad . I think Bob and Geoff had twisted some arms for the facilities - but not 100% on that . On the post re the Blackbushe Dragonflies , there is a post on this forum with serials listed . Chrisj