Royal Air Force bid farewell to their Phantom jets at RAF Wattisham airbase July 1992.

RAF Wattisham in Suffolk appeared to be the epicentre of the bad weather across the UK in July 1992. This was the day before the official stand down of a genuinely iconic jet in British Air Force service. We arrived here to see the arrivals for an extraordinary day. 

The  4th of July 1992 was officially known as the"Farewell to the Phantoms" at R.A.F. Wattisham. There was more to come of this iconic RAF aircraft. It was, in fact, the demise of 56 Squadron's Phantoms. With 74 squadrons, Phantom's continuing operations, including a mini Tiger Meet in September and before their 1st October 1992, stand down at R.A.F. Wattisham.

It is easy to find images of this legendary meeting, but few are shown of the arrivals day, which sadly made for some cancellations due to the cyclonic weather.

XT914 (Z) Phantom FGR.2 74 Squadron "Tigers" RAF.

It took off at R.A.F. Wattisham on 3rd July 1992 in appalling weather conditions.

XT914 (Z) Phantom FGR.2 74 Squadron "Tigers" RAF.

XV393 (Q) Phantom FGR.2 74 Squadron "Tigers" RAF.

This aircraft was the 1992 Phantom display jet, launched with XT914 above.

XV496 (A) McDonald Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR.2 56 Squadron "Firebirds" RAF.

XV496 (A) McDonald Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR.2 56 Squadron "Firebirds" RAF.

XP693 Lightning F.6 BAE.

XP693 Lightning F.6 embellished in 56 Squadrons "Firebirds" marks for the "Farewell to the Phantoms meeting."

XP693 Lightning F.6 deploys the brake chute.

J-631 and J-645 F-16A's 306 Squadron RNlAF arrived to join the FA-26 F-16A BAF.

38+42 F-4F JG71 "Richthofen" GAF. Arriving from Wittmundhaven. The coloured panels are for use when carrying out DACT exercises.

It was to join 38+53 and 38+30 F-4Fs from the newly formed JG72 "Westfalen" that arrived from Hopsten.

XX348 Hawk T.1 arrives from the 1 TWU at R.A.F. Brawdy for what also became a mini Hawk meet?

Beyond are some of the dumped ex-111 Squadron Phantoms.

XT896 (V) Phantom FGR.2 "Tiger" 

On tow to the flight line.

XM192 (K) Lightning F.1A Gate guard R.A.F. Wattisham.

Having nearly dried out from Friday's rain, the Saturday morning skies were once again threatening.

For the morning, the weather held out, albeit grey and overcast.  

Below are some of the assembled aircraft that celebrated this legendary day out. People always reflect on the weather if they speak or read about this event today. They should have braved the Friday?

 

74 Squadron's motto was "I fear no man." sadly, by the year's end, both "FireBirds" and "Tigers" would fear the scrap man!

56 sqn. Phantoms were lined up to spell XV426 (P) PHOENIX, as is their Squadron badge, a Phoenix rising from the flames...

I look here, and I'm caught by NO HOPE?

XV467 (F) Phantom FGR.2 "Firebirds" Majestic to the end!

74 Squadron's unique "Tiger" tail was first exhibited at the 1991 IAT Fairford mini Tiger Meet.

 

XV470 (D) Phantom FGR.2  56 Sqn "Firebirds" RAF.

Sadly, XV470 (D) Phantom FGR.2 ended up at RAF Akrotiri (BDRT) Cyprus.

XT897 (Y) 'Why indeed'? The Options for Change defence review 1991 was the culprit, leaving 56 and 74 squadrons Phantoms axed.

ZG770 (AP.) Tornado F.3 "Firebirds"

The Phoenix would rise again at RAF Coningsby with Tornado F.3 ZG770 marked for the occasion.

XP693 Lightning F.6 from BAE was also specially marked in honour of the "Firebirds".

56 Squadrons fast jets Lightning Phantom and Tornado F.3.

XT906 Phantom FGR.2 56 squadron.

XV419 (AA) Phantom FGR.2 19 Squadron, formerly from R.A.F. Wildenrath  Germany and RAF Akrotiri Cyprus. X1X Squadron was retired in January 1992!

XV404 (I) Phantom FGR.2, an ex-19 squadron aircraft, was seen here on the charge of 74 Squadron.

XV408 Phantom FGR.2 former 92 Squadron.

38+30 and 38+53 F-4F's from the newly formed JG72 "Westfalen" at Hopsten, formerly known as JaboG36.

770132 'CR' F-15A "Wolfhounds" 32nd TFS USAFE.

XX337 (K) Hawk T.1 151 Squadron RAF Chivenor.

XX174/174 Hawk T.1 Flying Training School 4.

XX249 Hawk T.1 Flying Training School 4.

XX289 (289) Hawk T.1 63 Squadron RAF Chivenor.

XW438 (B) Jet Provest T.5B Flying Training School 6 RAF Finningley.

ZG725 (J) Tornado GR1A 13 Squadron RAF.

ZE836 (AS) Tornado F.3 56 (R) Squadron RAF Conningsby.

Happy memories, indeed!

 

A&AEE Boscombe Down photo's from the 1990's.

In 1992, the A&AEE at RAF Boscombe Down became known as the Aircraft and Armament Evaluation Establishment, formally known as the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment; following the name change, the Experimental side of operations passed to the Defence Research Agency.

Only one year later, in 1993, the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO) controlled the airfield. After, it passed again to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) headquartered at Farnborough.

The photographs I am showing below are from this period in the Nineteen Nineties and up to the early Two Thousand.

Just to conclude on these operating names, it was 2001 when (DERA) gave way and was split into two, with one part being the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the other a civilian British multinational defence company QinetiQ, photographs from this era will have to come later.

Tales around the runway caravan. 

ZA267 Tornado F.2 (Second ADV prototype) Used by BAE as a Trials and development aircraft.

It later passed to the RAF Marham Fire section before being transported to RAF Syerston as an Instructional airframe.

 

XV292/292  C-130K C.1 Hercules LTW 

 

XS235 DH.106 Comet 4C 'Canopus' A&AEE

XS235 DH.106 Comet 4C 'Canopus' A&AEE.

ZA195 Sea Harrier F/A.2 British Aerospace Dunsfold operating out of EGDM.

XS606 Andover C.1 ETPS

ZA326 Tornado GR.1 There appears to be a problem.

ZA326 Tornado GR.1 aborting! Not for the first time in its operational life. This 8th production Panavia Tornado was to have entered service with the TTTE, but after a devasting fire, it had to be rebuilt; following the rebuild, the RAF refused to accept the aircraft, and it later passed to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford in its prominent 'Raspberry Ripple" colour scheme.

Its final years and flights were made from here at Boscombe Down.

It was the last flying Tornado GR.1. 

XW987 Blackburn S.2B Buccaneer.

XL564 Hawker Hunter T.7 EPTS.

XX830 Sepecat Jaguar T.2 ETPS.

It had been a British Aerospace 'Trials' aircraft.

XX341/1 Hawk T.1 ETPS.

XZ103/FP  Jaguar 41 Sqn RAF.

ZD745/DA Tornado GR.4 31 Sqn 'Goldstars'.

ZD745/DA and XZ103/FP operating multiple paired missions.

ZE432 BAC-1-11-479FU after returning from AIM Aviation at Bournemouth 'Hurn', where it had received this final colour scheme. 

It started its operational flying back in 1973 when it was ordered and delivered to Air Pacific as 

DQ-FBV, later to the ETPS but sadly soon after this photo, was found to have corrosion leading to it being scrapped; the cockpit was saved and now resides at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum.  

 

ZJ647 Alpha Jet ex 98+71 GAF, in total 12 arrived from storage at Furstenfeldbruck in Germany, 6 airframes were initially non-flying, two were destined for the Test and evaluation facility at DERA Llanbedr, seen here one of the four early flying examples still in    

 a GAF colour scheme.

 

XW175 VAAC Harrier is the only fly-by-wire Harrier.

XW175 Harrier was quite an impressive aircraft; not only flyby wire, it was the longest-serving Harrier, 1969 through to 2008, forty years of service and the last fixed-wing aircraft to take off from HMS Invincible. 
It was stripped of its American technology at the end of its service, returning it to a Harrier T.4A.

ZB615 Jaguar T.2A ETPS.

ZD285 Lynx AH.7 Defence Research Agency. 

ZD285 Lynx AH.7 Stored by 2003 at Boscombe Down.

XL612  Hunter T.7 ETPS's primary use with the ETPS was demonstrating how to recover from an inverted spin. Its status is to the civil register, currently at Swansea airport. 

XX105 BAC-1-11, with its unique colour scheme, operated from RAE Bedford (Thurleigh) for 21 years with the Blind Landing Experimental Unit (BLEU) and transferred to Boscombe Down in 1994 in a similar role.

ZH654 Harrier ll T.10 (DERA).

ZH654 Harrier ll T.10 (DERA). 

Sadly, on the 24th of August 2000, whilst landing back at EGDM,

It was slightly higher than this photo when the crew ejected; both suffered back injuries, and the aircraft was written off, damaged beyond repair. The investigation found an inaccurate fuel gauge reading.

XX342/2 Hawk T.1 ETPS.

ZB615 Jaguar T.2A ETPS.

ZH102/02 AEW.1 8Sqn RAF.

ZA267 Tornado F.2

ZA267 was the second ADV prototype.

The BAE company designation was  A.02. There was also an A.01 ZA254 and A.03 ZA267. 

ZA267 was one of the three ADV aircraft, all dedicated to different roles. 

A.02's strengths were engines, general systems and armaments; I imagine it was spending time at RAF Boscombe Down.

ZG501 Harrier GR.7 (AWC) SAOEU

'Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit

Formed back in 1983 with the introduction of the Panavia Tornado GR.1 into RAF service, by 1988, they had added ZG501 Harrier GR.7, which later became a GR.9.

ZE756 Tornado F.3 AWC (Air Warfare Centre)

ZE756 Tornado F.3 RAF. 

Flying missions with the Tornado GR.1 and a GR.1A.

 

 ZA353 B-53 Tornado GR.1 (TTTE) was seen here whilst serving with DERA at Boscombe Down.

ZA449 Tornado GR.1A recovers to Boscombe Down.

XZ570 Seaking HAS 5+ or Mod! (DTEO) at Boscombe Down in 1996.

It had been used for testing Merlin helicopter engine filters.

XV211 Lockheed Hercules C.1 LTW RAF.

XV211 Lockheed Hercules C.1, accompanied by FT375 Havard IIB,  sadly, was sold by Tender in May 1996 and became G-BWUL on the civil register. 

XV208 Lockheed Hercules W.2 'Snoopy" operated by DERA/MRF.

XS596 Andover C.1 (DERA) modified to a (PR) photo-reconnaissance type and used for the British Open Skies Treaty flights.

I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

Happy days!