Abandoned aircraft, Nicosia

[Speedbird48]

The damaged remaining Trident was moved into a hangar when I saw it and there was a Cherokee in there with it, plus a burned out Cessna 150 on the ramp near the terminal.

Speedbird 48

[pmills575]

Most Mk3 Shackletons were issued to squadrons at Phase 1 standard, some of the last batch may have been issued updated to Phase II.

All aircraft were retro-fitted to Phase III, although trials work on Phase III aircraft had already started before the last Phase II airframe was delivered.
The other misconception is that that the Viper fit was a Phase III enhancement. That's not strictly true, it was originally a separate initiative that got rolled into the Phase III update, early Phase III's had to be returned to the factory for the Viper fit to be added

The difference between the black interior of Phase II and the cream Phase III made the Phase III look more like a "new" aircraft.
Some of the original black still remains in Phase III versions, the nose compartment is still the original colour.

Peter Mills
Gatwick Aviation Museum - Charlwood

[Krakatoa]

I was on the third squadron to convert to the MK.3 in 1958. There were
no "black inside" like the MK2. The inside was cream/light brown trim

[om15]

TU104 wreck

This one has been mentioned before on here, the aircraft crashed in 1973, I was part of a working party from 103MU at Akrotiri sent up in Dec to raise the aircraft on airbags to allow transportation trolleys to be fitted, the idea was that the local who had bought remains would transfer the fuselage across the bondu to the main road. Then transform this into a cafe, the very home made trolleys didn't fit, then when they did fit the whole lash up fell apart after a few yards, spent several evenings on the beer in Nicosia, then ordered home.
The photo posted on here a while ago still showed signed of the rusty old trolley frames in amongst the wreckage.
Following the crash the fuselage was intact, the left wing was badly damaged following a engine fire if I remember.
BR om15

[Aerials]

When I worked on MR2s, there was a modification to remove the cabin insulation from aft of the dinette (wardroom?) bulkhead, revealing a green painted airframe and I was told at the time that that was how the MR3s had been modified. Subsequently, I worked on MR3s and found that like the MR2s, the only "black inside" were in the areas aft of the Elsan and forward of the flight deck (airframe driver's compartment!). Peter, are these the black painted areas you are thinking of?
Regards, Aerials

[Ten West]

...Another damaged Cyprus Airways Trident (5B-DAC) was repaired and returned from Nicosia to the UK in 1977. As GAVFB it flew with BA until 1982, and was then taken to Duxford where I believe it still resides

It certainly does. I did some restoration and preservation work on it in the early '90s. Including fitting dehumidifiers etc. to keep it nice and fresh for years to come.

If I remember rightly, there are patches around the starboard wing root and nearby areas of fuselage where the bullet holes used to be.

I used to use the rear access hatch up into the tail as a convenient storage space for my sarnies and rucksack at airshows.

[pmills575]

The black area is forward of the pilots position, the whole of the nose section is black paint or some black plastic paneling, at least it was yesterday! Even the back of the door to the Gunners position is covered in a black fabric. The green section from the galley rearwards makes the airframe very cold and crude looking. Sometimes difficult to imagine that the removal of the soundproofing made that much difference to the c of g.

Peter Mills
Gatwick Aviation Museum - Charlwood