Where have Gatwick's Comet & Trident ended up?

[Jetset320]

The former Dan Air Comet and ex BA Trident 3 in London Gatwick have disappeared since a few months ago. Some time ago they were collected from their respective resting places on the airfield and placed outside the former Dan Air hanger together with the Channel Express Herald.

For the last few months, only the Herald remains, and I hope that the other two veterans are inside the disused hanger. Does anyone know the whereabouts?

[SilentHandover]

Both broken up and taken away I'm afraid.

[we_never_change]

Didn't the noses of the two aircarft survive?

WNC

[TheOddOne]

Nope, sorry, the noses went in the skip along with the rest of the airframes. It was a sad couple of days as we'd had these old things knocking about the airfield for years, as 'props' in Emergency Exercises, tug trainers etc. We still refer to the little area on the western end of the 130 stands as 'the Comet' even though it's just a store for some wheeled barriers now.

Actually both noses were pretty rotten and apparently not worth preserving, anyway.

The Herald will be with us for some time, but the state of the airframe is steadily deteriorating.

Cheers,
The Odd One

[Jetset320]

That is very sad indeed. That was British heritage at its best there.

Hope the Trident in Heathrow does not suffer the same fate.

[TheOddOne]

Nostalgia mode ON

I believe the Trident that was round the back of Bealine Base (or whatever it's called now) went up to a museum in Manchester; no doubt someone currently nearer to Hounslow Municipal will give better detail...

Incidentally, we used to have a little fun with airline names:

BEA was known as 'Back Every Afternoon'

but some of us (with reference to Bealine Base above) called them:

Behind Eagles 'angers'

Even in the late 80's, the stretch of taxiway leading north-East from the Northern Dual up towards the Eastchurch Road crossing was known as the Eagle Taxiway.

Cheers,
The Odd One

[eal401]

The Trident going to MAN is from Heathrow not Gatwick.

See here for more info.

http://www.zulukilo.org.uk/

[foxile]

I noticed when I flew into LHR on Monday the Trident is now minus its tail which has been moved to MAN according to:

http://www.ringwayreports.co.uk/ringway.htm

No doubt the remainder of the frame to follow in due course.