Zb507

[Dr Illitout]

Along time ago whe I was young and foolish (as opposed to old and foolish) I worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. On the Helicopter flight we had a Westland Seaking Mk4 ZB507. It was the most un reliable aircraft I have ever worked on!!!. After I left Farnborough to join the dark side, the R.A.E. closed and ZB507 joined the Navy. What hapened to it ?. Is it still flying?. Is it still as un-reliable as ever?.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I could be wrong but didn't it go initially to RAE(B) as a research ship on the blind landing unit, then when Bedford was closed relocate to a museum somewhere?

Ahh, RAE those were the days. I still wear my RAE tie if I ever go to meeting at a Qinetiq site, just to see if it annoys any of the senior management. Sadly most of them now don't even recognise it.

Are we roughly contemporaries? I was down at Base Engineering about 1989 busy amongst other things redesigning chunks of Lynx 3 ZD285.

G

[Thomas coupling]

Try the 'mil crew' forum.

[Dr Illitout]

Ah Gengis we might have been!, I left the R.A.E. in 1985. Before that I was sent to Westlands to do a course on the Lynx for that very aircraft!. In fact I saw it as a big pile of tin in the corner of the assembly shed!!. I am terrible with names so I can only remember a few from that era, if you drop us a private msg we'll catch up on the old days!!!!.
Rgds Dr.I

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm sure we have acquaintances in common, particularly the inestimable "LOH" who I had the privilege of working for for quite a few years and is still the best Engineer I've ever worked for. But, since I joined in 1988 then migrated to BDN about 5 years later it doesn't sounds like we overlapped.

G

[BossEyed]

I've a recollection that '507 was repainted green and sent back to the frontline.

Genghis; you may not have annoyed the management with your RAE(RIP) tie, but you can be assured you will if you continue to leave the upper case 'Q' off the end of 'QinetiQ'. Some bloke in red braces got paid a lot of money to come up with that, and we wouldn't want anyone to think the branding isn't working... :hmm:

(I note that 'Flight' spells it your way!)

[Genghis the Engineer]

Having crossed swords in my time with both Flight journalists and Qinteque senior managers, it's hard to choose who is most worth winding up. But if they can do it to each other, so much the better.

G

Now happy in civil aviation and staying here. Well, until somebody offers me enough money anyway.