What's left of WZ557 is at Morayvia, Kinloss in fairly poor condition (they also have another beautifully restored T.11 nose).

Fantastic Vampiredave. Great info. Thanks very much!

Yes it is at Morayvia and we have a team working on it with the intention of restoring it to a similar condition to the other T11 nose we hold. It will be a long job but we are getting there hence the request for a service history to give us an idea of what scheme to finish her in.

Webby737 - do you have any more information about the Vamp at Brooklands? What did you do with her? :D

XH274 was the first Vampire I flew on the 1st November 1956 when I started the Vampire stage of the wings course at RAF Swinderby. My instructor was Lieutenant Mitchell RN. I flew it twice more on dual sorties before my first solo, again in XH274, on November 16th 1956.

Unfortunately Lieutenant Mitchell was killed after he left the Royal Navy in a light aircraft crash with Prince William of Glouceter on 28th August 1972.

How many hours did it take to get solo? :D

[QUOTE=Charlotte Bailey;11147140]How many hours did it take to get solo? :D[/QUOTE

6 hours 35 minutes Charlotte. 2 hours 35 minutes later I went solo in the Vampire 5. The only difference was that two airmen pressed down on the tail booms until they touched the tarmac. Then I was warned not to scrape the rear on the runway when landing.

brakedwell - have emailed you

The Vampire was a very easy aircraft to fly. Typical of our course I was solo in the 11 after 6.15 and another 3.10 before solo on the 5. We had done the abbreviated JP1 course so only 95.15 total to solo on the Vampire.

It wasn't part of the Cosford museum, it was mounted on a pole by SHQ and the parade ground. Many course photos were taken in front of it. It was there into at least the 80's, obviously now in pastures new.

It arrived from Cosford in June 1989.