Garry Russell wrote:
The reason I raise this is to ask if anybody has any idea as to why 'ES was scrapped. :think:
Garry
When I was a volunteer I remember it being just 'one of those things'. As in 'the airport wouldn't let us have it'.
I don't remember anything about it being accidentally scrapped.
"The Aeropark Spitfire is a replica of a Mk IX. Many of these aircraft were originally used as ‘Gate Guardians’ at RAF Stations throughout the UK, replacing real aircraft when it was realised how valuable the real Spitfires were becoming."
Another view of her (taken when I went An-225 spotting) and I can add a few more shots of the Aeropark on that day if Toby doesn't mind his thread being hijacked :roll:
The Spitfire is the best nick thing there IMHO. Theres also a Lighnting, a Bucc and a Hunter T.7 quite close together and covered by a few taprs so I didnt bother photographing those and a pair of Vampire T.11 wings and intakes lying on the grass. Theres two Vampire T.11 fuselages in the hangar (which was open) both in a very sorry state of repairand some other bits inlcuding what I think is a Westland Whirlwind (?) simulator.
The whistling wheelbarrow does look pretty sorry. Looks as if someone was working on the engine nacelle covers recently as there is a gantry up at one side but the covers are removed and no one was working on that when I was there. As far as anyhting being "open" not that I could see... all the aircraft are on the grass and there are a lot of "keep off the grass" notices Two chaps in army-style camou trousers were doing something underneath the Vulcan and I heard something, possibly a turbo-generator set being started up at one point (but not fully). There was also a bloke with his head inside the canberra nose section thats displayed near to the full Canberra. Its not a bad collection but it feels very exposed to the elements there, moreso than just about any other collection I have visited. The wind was ripping through there!
The nacelle covers on the Argosy were removed for cleaning or something.. I remember that. I also remember that they were fitted the wrong way around/upside down..
The Lightning is in ok nic. I once drafted in two Woodford engineers who kindly reskinned the right undercarriage bay.. never returned for the left though! She can run the basic systems if you hook a battery up. Hoochin is a bit .. dead.. from what I can remember.
I believe the Cranberry is in ok nic too- there is an LP cock problem though on one of the engines.
Vulcan is good.. I think that the Rover is still in her and could function.
The last aeroplane I worked on there was XV350. I worked with a good friend, and fellow member of XL231's aircrew on that Bucc. I remember us getting the beacon going after a long cold December day LOL.
I quit soon after that because of petty allegations that I wont go into here.
The two Wessex that don't look so good are there because where they were kept before subjected them to vandalism. Iirc they are spares units for another Wessex in the country.. don't know which though.
It just seems such a shame that two of the significant types that were operated at EMA for many years (Viscount/Vanguard) are not all there (from the nose back) to represent the Airports History. The only type on display which does have a connection is the Wheelbarrow.
Nice as the Military stuff is, surely the emphasis of such a display at a civvie Aiport should be its past.
It doesn't seem all that bad. That T.17 and the T.7 are looking much better than when I visited last (would have been the time Concorde was in at EMA, so a good few years ago).
Two chaps in army-style camou trousers were doing something underneath the Vulcan and I heard something, possibly a turbo-generator set being started up at one point (but not fully). There was also a bloke with his head inside the canberra nose section thats displayed near to the full Canberra. Its not a bad collection but it feels very exposed to the elements there, moreso than just about any other collection I have visited. The wind was ripping through there!
The only type on display which does have a connection is the Wheelbarrow.
