Newark last Saturday

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24 years 2 months

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To Newark Aviation Museum for their Canberra thing last weekend. Wet and windy describes the day though. That place just seems to get bigger and bigger, amazing amount of space they have there now. The new hangar is filling up nicely and is pretty well laid out I guess, but as with all "inside" airframes it doesn't make it easy for photographers to get decent "full" views without a seriously wide-angle lens (and consequent distortion).

Still, took a few, samples of which are presented here for your interest. As these are really by way of "record" shots I'm using the forum's image facility, not using my webspace. This means I'll see them once and then see only unobtainable hyperlinks. Does anybody else suffer from this problem? Or is it only me with Netscape.

Anyway. The pix show the state as of last Saturday of the various airframes. I've only displayed a few, sorry. For example, totally forgot about the Swift! Excuse is there was a fair few ex-Canberra blokes there so I got involved in a lot of "Remember when . . ." type conversations.

The most interesting subject was the Canberra model with a 15ft or so wingspan, detailing was awesome. Built as a "target model" by the Royal Radar Establishment for radar calibration trials the model was designed to be suspended at various angles and attitudes whist being scanned by development radar. Very different type of exhibit, hope Newark can keep it!

You can all ID the aircraft so I won't bother but the Canberra cockpit is the very well turned out B(I)6 - WT319 belonging to Tony Collins. Looks and is a smart display.

;)

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B(I)8 (mod) - WV787

WV787 is certainity an usually looking airframe..what kinda shape is she in these days? I think she is abit of a rare airframe.

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18 years 10 months

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Wow, the Hunter looks great! And the Javelin, any chances of posting more pics?

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Swift

This was the Swift two weeks ago . . .

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18 years 10 months

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Cheers, its great to see these rare aircraft under cover. Anyone know what other aircraft are due to be moved in? Hope there not too crowded, might pay a visit one day combined with a trip to either East Kirby or Coningsby

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Varsity

. . . and I really like this picture . . .

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The Varsity is really look better al ready. Any more of her?

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24 years 2 months

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..what kinda shape is she in these days? I think she is abit of a rare airframe.

Pretty much the shape you see in the photo really. As for rare, yes. It's actually (and officially?) the preserved aircraft equivalent of a Class II Listed Building.

One of the ex-Canberra blokes had been a B(I)8 pilot on 3 Sqn with me in the 60s in Germany. He tried to get up into the pilot's seat of WV787 but couldn't make it. It was never an easy thing to do anyway and nowadays we're all a lot older and less fit with equators instead of waistlines, but it should have been possible. Afterwards we found out why it was damn near impossible. The owner had received this airframe without an ejection seat (there's only ever been one bang seat in a B(I)8). He had later fitted another seat but it was a Canberra T.4 model, a seat that had hip guards like an armchair. No wonder my friend and I couldn't get into it - last Saturday we just didn't seem to be able to get a leg over at all! :diablo:

Damien, as I said I didn't take many pix of the 'frames at all, got caught up in too many conversations. These are pretty much the balance of the aircraft pics. Would be interested in why the Meteor has an intake lump on its back.

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18 years 10 months

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Never noticed that on the Meteor before, very odd! Wasn't she fitted with another engine for trials or something like that? By the way, whats the airliner fuselage? Looks like something formerly very beautiful

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Les- the Meteor was a testbed for the RR RB.108 lift jet engine hence the intake and from memory flew out of Hucknall.

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VZ608 RB.108 conversion

This picture probably shows the Meteor in its initial configuration, with a flush dorsal intake for the RB.108, which could swing up to 15 degrees either side of the vertical. Converted by F.G.Miles Ltd at Shoreham, first trials were at Tangmere, first flight of the RB.108 on May 18, 1956 (although not started up). Then to Hucknall, starting in the air for the first time on October 23, 1956. By June 1962 these trials were complete, but VZ608 was then used for ground erosion trials for future Harrier operations. SOC September 29, 1965.
Picture and text from pp. 144/5 of "Gloster Meteor" by Barry Jones.

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Wow, the Hunter looks great!
It certainly does. I'm delighted to see it inside and repainted. I'm especially fond of this one as it, and my father, served with the short-lived 233 OCU at Pembrey.

Now, if only they'd painted it the right colour................ :o

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20 years 1 month

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By the way, whats the airliner fuselage? Looks like something formerly very beautiful

It's the only remaining bit of Avro Ashton, a four jet version of the Tudor, and yes, very beautiful!