RAF Station Gate Guardians

[Fuel_on_Mixture_Rich]

Is there still a huge scrap pile of broken-up buccaneers at Williamsons scrapyard on the edge of Elgin? Forgot to look last time I was up there. There must have been a few there because it really was a large pile (mid-90's) and it made the local press when they were getting them down there IIRC.

On the subject of far-north gate guards, there a F-4 at Benbecula outside the "Eyrie" club at the road end. I think that went around 2000, not long after the Eyrie club did (It's now the Uist Community Horse Riding School). I'm sure that no F-4's ever got off the ground from there!

ps - first post.

[Rigga]

Marham has three "Gate Guardians" though only two can be seen from the gate! The Tipp't-up Tonka (on a stick), the Parade Square Victor (looking the wrong way!) and a back-yard Canberra - hidden on a back road. They may be more?

In the mid 80's there was a Gannet in 431 MU's lower yards - it was later sold to a museum - in Germany I believe - but I'm not sure.

Nobody's mentioned the Whirlwind at Odiham - I remember doing all the Mods required to get it ready to put into long term storage!!!

[Tankertrashnav]

Gate Guardians

Back in the '70s Marham also had Valiant XD818 which now resides in the RAF museum (or was the last time I visited). It lived outside the Ops block, so not strictly a gate guardian I suppose, and was painted in camo, although it was repainted in anti-flash white when the museum took it over. At one stage the 4 engines which had been sitting in it for years were removed, sent to Rolls Royce for refurbishing, and flogged to the Swiss to go in their Hunters, as I remember. I went inside it one day (cant remember how) and was amazed how roomy it seemed down the back compared to the claustrophobic Vulcan and rather cramped Victor

[tezzer]

Got a picture here of me standing under said Valiant, at an ATC summer camp. probably about 1974

[BEagle]

The Marham Valiant was also a film star in its own right - it acted as the 'Badger' in a SSVC movie about air defence. Complete with surly looking 'Russians' in leather helmets peering out of the windows pretending to look at the F4 which had just intercepted them.

I had a good look around the Valiant when doing the AAR introduction course at the AAR school; it was indeed a lot roomier than the Tin Triangle!

I wonder which Arfur Daley managed to flog the engines as 'nice little runners, squire, fully reconned by Rolls Royce' to the Swiss?

[bluetail]

I knew the Crash & Smash Team Chief who moved XD818 from Marham to Hendon, he told me that when they got the wings off out of interest they decided to NDT the main spars to see if they were cracked, they were not.

"Beagle I had a good look around the Valiant when doing the AAR introduction course at the AAR school; it was indeed a lot roomier than the Tin Triangle!"

I agree with you, there is a Valiant Cockpit at Dalcross Airport that I spent some time trying to restore, lots of room I agree much more than the Vulcan, but you have to be slim to get between the seat to get to the flight deck.

[tezzer]

Marham Valiant

As requested.

[adminblunty]

Loader (when DCINC) instigated the move to get the Hurricane for High Wycombe. If I remember correctly when he was CINC he asked for the Spitfire at Colt to be moved to High Wycombe. I always thought it a strange move. Perhaps the Bomber command memorial should be at High Wycombe as well. The only outward sign of bomber command is on the main gate pillars, which have the bomber command crest. There were 2 bomber command crests on the back gate, they were nicked 4-5 years ago.

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by foldingwings

Many are now plastic because of that ground-pounder intervention about 15 years ago!

You may recall the sell off was to raise funds to rebuild the Hurricane that was Cat V at Wittering. Probably a good deal all considered.

Still it led to what is perhaps the worst plastic gate guardian of them all, you listening Benson?

The Benson PRU Spit, on its airfix plinth, has a twisted and anhederal tail. It looks awful and is really disgraceful.

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Fuel_on_Mixture_Rich

Is there still a huge scrap pile of broken-up buccaneers at Williamsons scrapyard on the edge of Elgin?}

On the road to Lossie, at what was the BP Stn but is now the Fox or some such there is a Buccanneer. Better, when filling your car up, if you look up, you will see a Pavespike suspended from the roof. It is all coroded and salt stained

[bythebackdoor]

One could argue that Lyneham has two,
1. the rather sad looking comet in need of some tlc
2. 47 AD C47 Dakota again now starting to look in need.
perhaps someone could drag one of the lifex Klassics from round by the washdown and make it three.

[ACW599]

>The Benson PRU Spit, on its airfix plinth, has a twisted and anhederal tail. It looks awful and is really disgraceful.<

Not as bad as the abomination outside SHQ at Cosford. This has slight anhedral on the mainplanes and looks thoroughly sorry for itself. A sad metaphor for the state of today's RAF, perhaps.

[ZH875]

Originally Posted by bythebackdoor

perhaps someone could drag one of the lifex Klassics from round by the washdown and make it three.

So many aircraft so little time. Which one would you pick, and why?

[bythebackdoor]

Perhaps, as 197 is about to go to the strip in the sky, we could use that.
It's a nice shade of green un like the two by the washdown, which look like they haven't seen the inside of a paint shop since losing their two tone paint.
I did hear that 197's fate lies with QQ for testing? but that may just have been a rumour.

[PPRuNe Pop]

There is a Hunter at Ford open prison - I think of 802 Squadron.

Looks absurd at times especially on Sunday market days but..........there is a large lump of runway still intact.

[Once_an_Erk]

Appropriately enuough Scampton has had 2 Lancasters at the gate. The first - Queenie" is now in the museum at Hendon - the second is now at East Kirby doing the taxi runs at the Lincs Museum.
When Queenie was there, underneath her was a Grand Slam, a 4000lb cookie, a 2000lber and a 1000 lber. The 2000 had a slot cut in it and the public (who could park in a layby made just for the purpose) were invited to contribute to the RAFBF. One day a civvy came up to the guardroom and said they couldn't get any money in because the slot was blocked. For whatever reason, nobody had bothered emptying the thing for years. When it was opened up over £1000 was extracted.

[Once_an_Erk]

Slightly off topic - - When the Korean War broke out, the Americans were severely embarrassed by a lack of tanks. On the other hand practically every small town in the USA had a WWII Sherman mounted in front of the courthouse.
Hundreds of these were quietly retrieved, refurbed and shipped to Pusan.
In the field they were known as Pedestal Tanks.

[billynospares]

197 is indeed going to QQ for teardown and ageing aircraft audit

[Oldsarbouy]

I remember a Lincoln gate guard at Locking when on an ATC Summer Camp there in 1958.
There are plans, finance permitting, to install a Nimrod near to a crash gate at Kinloss where it will be visible to passers by. It will be fitted out with u/s kit and, it is hoped, open to visitors. Unfortunately there isn't a big enough space near the main gate