As someone else who puts hand to pocket for the project, I keep on readIng posts with such wonderful epithets as "do you remember this?" and "it was all a lot better when we had that". Now is the time to have some practical nostalgia.
Blacksheep, I remember reading many moons ago before the VTS project had really got under way, that a goodly quantity of spares had been obtained via MoD disposals. Don't forget, this is one aircraft with limited projected display flights, not one of a squadron or wing which must generate sortie after sortie, day in, day out (or until the fuel budget is exhausted
)
Personally, and I say this in context of our modern 'stripped-to-the-bone-and-then-some' budget constraints, I find it a damn shame that the BBMF didn't keep one of the lovely old V-Force birds.
Oooo! Drop yer knickers and show us yer ECM bins....
