Demise of Swiftsure

[TSR2]

Just spent 3 hours going through that whole thread. Great find Garry!

[FlyTexas]

Did you see the pic of the guy going after the Spitfire with an axe?! If I stare at this long enough will it make all those bad airplane pictures leave my head?



Brian

[Chris558]

On those shots of G-APES being chopped, the date given is 2009! But it was of course in the mid '90s.

[Garry Russell]

Not noticed that Chris...mid nineties it was

I tend not to take much notice of captions

There are a lot of pics of BEA RS Viscount as 1970's for example

Odd seeing a Merchantman with the windows opened up...they remained there as before but with plate replacing the perspex to save weight.

[DaveB]

Yes indeedie..

Superb came to Brooklands in Oct 96 and Swiftsure had been retired the year before so Garry is bang-on with mid-90's. Gad knows where 2009 came from! Wonder what happened to the stbd crew door as the EMids team don't have it on Swifties nose section to this day

ATB

DaveB

[dodger]

Hello Garry,

Yup your certainly right with your first post, it brings tears to the eyes to think what has gone, nowdays, with preservation in people's minds where possible, its better thats for sure, its just a shame it took so long for it to happen!

I shudder now when i think that i helped my brother-in-law break up a DC 3 that came from the King of Jordan back in 1976, i only wish i had saved some of it but back then it was a job,

Cheers,

Roger

[DarrenL]

Here's one that needs saving before it's too late while we still can.

The only Supermarine Swift F4 left, still outside Sheppards Stores in Herefordshire.

April 2010 - http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1228086/

Seems to have gone downhill a lot in the last 3 years although I hope that's just cosmetic. IIRC offers have been made to purchase it but the owner has been holding out for more, more than it's worth ever since he sold the previous resident Spitfire for an amount less than it was sold on for.

[DarrenL]

Haven't gone through the link in full but do they mention the Walter Soplata Collection anywhere?

The farm in the US that has/had very rare aircraft like a Twin Mustang.

http://pacaeropress.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3243121

[DarrenL]

Put blame firmly at the feet of Rolls Royce. Had HCA been assured of Tyne spares, both Swifty and Superb may still be flying or at least only recently retired. Same goes for the HL Belfast

ATB

DaveB

Which was odd to me what with the Tynes in the Transalls with the French, German and Turkish airforces that are scheduled to be in service till 2015. And the Tynes (2 of in each) used by the Royal Navy in the 5 active Type 42 Destroyers and active Type 22 Frigates?

Politics of business no doubt, or another reason, because spares must be available to support them.

Ps. There are also 13 Type 23 Frigates that each used 2x Spey engines.

[Garry Russell]

The Tynes in the Belfast were similar to the Vanguard and completely different to all the other Tynes

Even in the seventies there were spares shortages and RR bought five of the ten Belfast just to grab the engines.

This is why the starter problem was not fixed with Superb as CL-44 type etc can't supply the parts and also why Heavylift were looking to source parts off the Vanguard for the Belfast.