Service History of an Aircraft

[Geehovah]

I'm trying to answer a question about where a particular jet spent its service life - stations, sqns and dates.

Any engineers on the Forum know whether the paperwork for retired aircraft is archived? If so where? I can't imagine that AHB would retain such detail but an Eng HQ somewhere perhaps?

[Duchess_Driver]

This link WH779's Movement Cards - EE Canberra PR.7 WH779 (http://wh779.webs.com/wh779smovementcards.htm) shows the address for the AHB who will probably be able to point you in the right direction.

HTH

DD

[C130 Techie]

Geehovah

Where an aircraft is retired to a museum or collection the documentation is supposed to go with it. If the aircraft is scrapped then the paperwork is generally destroyed after a short period of time.

As to tracing an aircraft service history you would need to be looking at the aircraft log card and also the information taken from the F725 (Flying Log & Fatigue Data Sheet). F725s tend to be retained for stats purposes and may be held in deep storage somewhere.

Until recently general maintenance documentation was destroyed post the last Major Servicing. This has now changed with the MAA mandating that all documentation is retained for the life of the aircraft. Previously this only applied to certain elements such as that containing structural integrity info etc.

Good luck

[Kitbag]

Have a look at this (http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/409426-harrier-gr3-raf-service-record.html) fairly recent thread, should be some useful pointers in there.
Also don't forget to search the aviation photo and spotter sites; you haven't said which ac or how old, tracing a 1950's ac may be more difficult than a 1980's vintage.

[AGS Man]

I don't know about Aircraft records but the sort of records that you are looking for as applied to Railway Locomotives are kept in the National Archives at Kew. These go back pre 1930s and list locations, major overhauls etc. Might be worth checking there.

[Geehovah]

Thanks gents and some good links to start with. It's XT914 the Brampton Phantom so the Station may still hold the eng records.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Geehovah,

Check PMs.

[HaveQuick2]

There is a pic of XT914 in what looks like 14 Sqn markings here UK Serials (http://www.ukserials.com/)

I never even knew 14 Sqn used Phantoms, was it for long?

[Kitbag]

Google image search for XT914 comes up with quite a few images on Phantom fan websites.

HQ2- Jun 70 - Apr 75

[Lyneham Lad]

I never even knew 14 Sqn used Phantoms, was it for long?

Cough, splutter... Brüggen from 1970 until the switch to Jags in 19??

[RAFEngO74to09]

Geehovah,

I found out the following from pictures / other info on the internet:

From The Phantomeers website, allocated as:

14 Sqn / 914
56 Sqn / Z
64 Sqn / 228 OCU / N / CV
92 Sqn / T / AT

It was the 1992 Phantom Display aircraft in dual 56 Sqn / 74 Sqn markings.

From pictures / other:

14 Sqn in 1970 and 1973
64 Sqn / 228 OCU on 4 Jun 77
Ceased to be 64 Sqn / CN on 22 Apr 87
74 Sqn in Jul 91 and on 7 Sep 91
Last flight from RAF Wattisham Oct 92
It was the Gate Guardian at RAF Leeming 1992 (?) to 1997

The RAF Museum has obtained a full history of exhibit Phantom FGR2 XV424 so it might be worth calling to see how they went about it.

McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 airplane pictures & aircraft photos - RAF Museums (http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/mcdonnell-douglas-phantom-fgr2.cfm)

Regards,

JEngO

[HaveQuick2]

Thanks Lyneham Lad & Kitbag, good to learn something new.

[Geehovah]

Thanks Gents. I've passed those links on.:ok: