Phantom to be scrapped
 

Gents

I understand that Mount Pleasant's Phantom XV409 is due to be scrapped in January.

Great shame :{

Hunty

Think I'll buy it, fly it back to the UK and keep in my garden. Anyone fancy the back seat? I took one down there and don't remember it being too difficult. Oh, hang on. Anyone got a tanker or ten?

Courtney Mil - Can you not bung a few jerricans where the bloke in the back would sit?

In these days of iPods etc surely you don't need someone in the back merely to talk to?;)

Agreed it is a shame. But.... when I heard it was going because of corrosion I thought they must be exaggerating. Then I went and had a look underneath, and didn't stay there long...... The underside of the wing and around the landing gear area is severely corroded, an inch or more of exfoliation (?) corrosion on what looked pretty structural areas to me.
Rumour was that the nose and cockpit are going to go to the museum in Stanley, but that is not confirmed

The corrosion might not be pretty but as the aircraft only has to stand still in 1G, whereas the original structure was designed to survive a virtually controlled crash onto a flightdeck, is it really necessary to destroy it? Are they really saying that it's going to collapse into a heap of metal in the near future if it's not cut up soon? I know the FIs have a harsh climate but I can't believe that it's in danger of imminent structural failure.

Don`t scrap it ..the Government is relying on it to fend off any future invaders!:sad:

Named as desperation is it??

I'd heard a rumor that it was more to do with the aircraft glorifying war etc and that the MOD/UK Government was trying to distance itself from 1982.

Maybe some Argentinian scrap men will come and take it away :-)

On that basis pretty much the whole base glorifies war although the Phantoms were only ever part of a defensive posture. And without a war, glorified or otherwise, the inhabitants would all be driving on the right & having to speak Spanish....

Maybe they could have a Skyhawk as Gate Guardian in preparation for renaming the place 'Monte Agradable'.

Well said.

Even Malta had THREE aircraft to defend the island, Faith, Hope and Charity . . .

What's this one called then?

"What's this one called then?"


It has to be BENNY

I seem to remember an accident where an F4K hit the deck so hard on Ark Royal that the right hand oleo came through the wing. Can't remember whether the crew subsequently abandoned the ac or it diverted to somewhere like Manston

first dibs on the clock,

i'll pay postage!!!!

'Benny' - of course, but if that's not PC, then we'd have to call it 'STILL'

Oh such memories . . .

Sad to see another one go. I logged quite a few hours on that jet on my first tour. I guess it'll join Faith, Hope and Charity in the pit!

I brought XV464 back Courtney so I'm qualified. Not sure I fancy that trip if its rusting away though! We needed 5 VC10s and a C130 to get two jets back

'I seem to remember an accident where an F4K hit the deck so hard on Ark Royal that the right hand oleo came through the wing. Can't remember whether the crew subsequently abandoned the ac or it diverted to somewhere like Manston'.

I think the above may be described in Pheonix Squadron by Rowland White. If one and the same, crew stayed with it and clambered out. Pilot went onto SHAR and was down south in 82. TN.

Can I have the radar dish?

Can I have anything ? worked with it exactly 20 years ago ! :sad::sad:

Corrosion? Actually, yes, the last time I saw the jet up close it wasn’t in good shape. That said, some of the last ones we had flying (not the Js, I hasten to add) were in pretty poor shape internally.
I even recall the primary display jet one summer suddenly presented with a massive crack in the lower wing-skin from leading to trailing edge wide enough to put your fist in. A short inspection revealed that the main spar (or equivalent – I’m not a rigger, call it a structural member or something) was broken right through. Further inspection showed that the broken ends were severely corroded so it had probably been like that for a very long time. Pale faced display pilot exits stage left.
So this one will do a trip. With jerry cans, obviously.
Courtney

P.S. Any of the following would be too obvious: