Originally Posted by
chevvron
That's the place.
BAe had just built a new production facility there (built 10 Hawks there so I'm told) and closed it again soon after. Doug Arnold bought it when he sold Blackbushe in '84 and I went there in '85 for drag racing.
Bitteswell delivered the original batch of Red Arrows Hawk conversions (smoke system/paint etc).
I cannot remember if the aircraft were flown in from dunsfold or roaded in from Kingston/Brough.
I converted 2 x Hawks at Dunsfold in the 1980's as attrition replacements
Smoke trials had originally been carried out at Dunsfold though - the Adour exhaust was much cooler than the Orpheus and it took some time to get the correct dye to cope with that.