RAF Scampton?
 

Hello All

Anyone know when the Vulcans were at RAF Scampton the dispersal bay numbers, I know of Bravo, Echo, dispersal but not the bay numbers of that era. I know it's a bit sad!! but being a Vulcan Nut I'm interested in anything about the V Force. I know in Craig Bulmans book it showed you the the layout of RAF Waddington during the 1970's.

Regards
Glider 90

Why not ask them yourself? RAF Scampton Heritage Centre is [email protected]

The premier Scampton squadron used Foxtrot, south of the RW at the western end of the aerodrome - easily visible from Tillbridge Lane (and the AMQs, much to their chagrin at times!).

F25 and F26 were closest to the taxiway parallel with the RW, with 26 closer to RW05. F23 and F24 were parallel to F25/26, with F23 to the west. F27 was aligned perpendicular to the taxiway west of F23/26; F28 was similarly aligned to the east of F24/25. A central entrance gave access to Foxtrot if F27 or F28 was occupied.

We were always advised of the allocated bay number after landing.

BEagle, interesting given that each dispersal had 4 bays. Did they create extra spots when 9 and 35 returned to UK?

PN,

Weren’t all of the V-force bases originally built with 24 dispersals, enough for 8 each for 3 Squadrons?
I remember this coming up in a post years ago when someone enquired about centralised servicing when all squadron aircraft were allocated to Engineering Wing and the squadrons then consisted of nothing but aircrew.

When 35 returned from Cyprus, and when centralised servicing was abolished and the squadrons acquired their own aircraft again (mid 70’s?) how did 27, 35, 617 and the OCU fit into Scampton’s 4 hangars (1 for Eng Wing/ASF)?

Small point of detail but didn’t 35 go to Waddo, IX to Scampton?

Other way round. 35 to Scampton and 9 to Waddo.

Curiously Wiki entry for Scampton makes no mention of 35 Sqn though it is shown in 35s entry.

The new RAF website has yet to add any meaningful historical detail.

A further detail, with the change of magvar Scampton is shown as 04/22.

At Marham, when 214 became 'operational' as a tanker Sqdn, and 49 were posted in to make up the 3 Sqdn bomber wing, there was no need to build any additional bays.

The only change was the 214 moved from their dispersal that was the nearest one to the Bomb Dump, to a dispersal that was nearly in Swaffham.

49 took over the dispersal next to the bomb dump.

No, they all got the runway extension but the infrastructure was actually designed to meet the force plan - strange really :).

Hard to see it all on Google Earth but Finningley only had a few dispersals with most aircraft outside the hangars. OTOH the mess was enlarged to accommodate the additional crews under training. The other 1 Gp bases all had 24 dispersals = 80 Vulcan.

The 3 Gp bases, apart from Marham, were two sqn stations although this is not clear on Google. Wyton only seems to have 8. This 2-Sqn setup was a disadvantage when the 3 Vulcan sqns replaced 10/15 at Cottesmore as the mess was too small.

What an amazing word; much underused!

One set of H pans is cunningly disguised by building the donuts car park over them.

BEAGLE. The premier Scampton squadron used Foxtrot, south of the RW at the western end of the aerodrome.
Did you really mean 1066 Squadron? :D Or was there another squadron there before them? Here is a Hastings on F dispersal as seen from under the wing of an immaculate XL319. Similarly an immaculate TG511 on E dispersal alongside XL319 taken at the same time – about August 1974 and all buffed up for a Royal visit as I recall.

When 214 became a Victor Squadron the dispersal was nicknamed ‘Beachamwell Static’ (by Crossie I think)

HP

"Aerodrome", still much used in the current Air Navigation Order 2016, and its predecessors back to Pontius'.

It's incredible to compare the effort to present an adequate defence posture back in the 1950s compared with anything today. Finningley, Gaydon, Scampton, Wyton, Waddington, Cottesmore, Marham, Honington, Wittering and Coningsby all subject to a massive expansion plan and after four entire new purpose built airfields, all of an elaborate advanced design, had just been built in West Germany, all at a time when rationing was yet to finish. Its often said that the past is another country, I'd say more like another planet! Of course needless to say, the A15 running along side Scampton had to be rerouted with a bulge in its hitherto straight run in order to accommodate the lengthened runway, wonder what it would be like trying to cut through the beaurocracy of today in such short order to do that.:ugh:

FB:)

Just as an aside, the curve in the A15 was supposed to be the reason for the NAAFI being called "The Flying Bowman", the bowstring representing the original A15 and the stave showing the new bends.

The best dispersal was the one near the back gate onto the B1398, Line Eng. was also in the same place. It meant that it when on night shift, at supper time, it was easy to nip out for a swift half at "Mr. Bells"

The RAF Scampton crest has a bow with an arrow representing the runway. I would imagine that the NAAFI was named for this badge.


http://www.terrane.co.uk/prodimg/MG1647_1_Large.jpg

I remember one of the old ‘bomber boy’ captains convincing one of the less intellectually gifted co-pilots, that the only reason the runway had been able to be extended north east was because the Romans, had for some reason, made a miscalculation in the directional orientation of Ermine Street at that point.

Mind you, the same captain failed to convince us that the only reason the Nazis had not used a U- Boat to shell the Lincolnshire airfields during the war, was the height restriction of the bridge over the Trent at Gainsborough.

Oh, such times spent at Happy Hour on a Friday evening!

Morning All

Thanks very much for the replys, much appreciated.

Regards
Glider 90