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) took control of the airfield. After that, it was passed on to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), headquartered in Farnborough.

The photographs shown below are from the 1990s and early 2000s.

To conclude, in 2001, DERA was split into two parts, with one becoming the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and the other a civilian British multinational defence company, QinetiQ. Photographs from this era will be shared 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 devastating 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' 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 are 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 its scrapping; the cockpit was saved and now resides at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum.  

 

ZJ647 Alpha Jet ex 98+71 German Air Force, 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 was the only fly-by-wire Harrier.

The XW175 Harrier was a remarkably impressive aircraft; not only was it fly-by-wire, but it was also the longest-serving Harrier, in service from 1969 to 2008, spanning forty years. It was 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 with 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 II T.10 (DERA).

ZH654 Harrier II 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 were also A.01 (ZA254) and A.03 (ZA267). 

ZA267 was one of the three ADV aircraft, all of which were 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, was sadly 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!

Mirage 2000 Heaven at Dijon's Base Aérienne back in 2004.

Dijon, the former home of the Dukes of Burgundy and, of course, the outstanding Burgundy wine, comes from the vines growing all around the area, and then there's Dijon mustard (Well, the recipe is from there), so what's not to like?

Oh! And, of course, there was Base Aérienne BA102, home to Escadron de Chasse 01.002 'Cigogne' (Stork) and 02.002 'Côte d'Or' (Golden coast), both flying Mirage 2000-5F. 

As one of Frances's oldest airbases, created in 1914, the Second World War saw Luftwaffe units seizing control in 1941. The USAAF later bombed it with its B-17s before being assigned to the USAAF  in 1944 as an operational base.

Back to the mission: visit BA102 for their airshow, which was held back in June 2004 and witness the show highlight of at least one Mirage 2000 from almost all the de l'Armée de l'air units operating the type in their many variants, all culminating with the arrival of the 'The King', a Mirage 1VP and its support KC-135 tanker aircraft.

"Bring it on."  

 

42/2-FH Mirage(5F), 122/12-YA(C), 367/4-AW(N), 91/12-KC(C), 659/3-XR(D), 72/2-EE(5F)SpM, and 59/2-EV(5F) part of an awesome line up of Mirage 2000s gathered at Dijon 94.

72/2-EE Mirage 2000-5F Escadron de Chasse. 01.002 'Cigogne' (Storks) sporting Special marks.                              

The 72 Mirage 2000-5F was written off on 27 February 2006.

659/3-XR Mirage 2000D EC.03.003 'Ardennes' arrives from BA133 at Nancy-Ochey.

659/3-XR taxies with its 'Hure de Sanglier-Berre Bleue' (Wild Boar Head-Blue Bar) tail markings.

Today, it is still active.

367/4-AW Mirage 2000N EC.01.004 'Dauphiné' arriving from BA116 at  Luxeuil/St Sauveur.

367/4-AW Mirage 2000N full stop.

Today marks a complete stop, as this aircraft is now an Instructional airframe at Base Aérienne 721 at Rochefort-Saint-Agnant airbase.  

Sadly, the weather was starting to haze as more Mirage 2000s arrived overhead for the break.

A four-ship of Dijon-based Mirage 2000-5F's 

42/2FH, 48/2-FX, 49/2-FF and 58/2-FO EC.02.002 'Cote de Or'.

More Dijon Mirages with 46/2-EN and 59/2-EV EC.01. 002 'Cigogne'.

Additionally, another wave of Mirage 2000s followed, with another run and break.

516/5-OL Mirage 2000B and 9/5-OJ Mirage 2000C, EC.02 005 'Ile de France' from BA115 down at Orange. 

122/12-YA Mirage 2000C EC01.012 arriving from BA103 based at Cambrai-Épinoy, it later became   315-YM.

48/2-FX Mirage-5F EC02. 002, it later became 2-EW and is still active.

42/2-FH Mirage-5F becoming 2-EY and still flying.

122/12-YA Mirage 2000C EC01. 012.

91/12-KL Mirage 2000C EC02. 012 becoming 188-YR and today stored at BA279 at Châteaudun.

58/2-FO followed by 49/2-FF, both from the EC02.002 at Dijon.

She looked as good then as she does today.

Before the storm, temperatures were blistering as the air filled with aviation fuel.

49/2-FF joins the lineup.

Getting up close with those infamous tail marks.

Dijon's best EC. 01.002 'Cigogne' coded (2-EA etc) and EC.02.002 'Côte d'Or' coded (2-FA etc).

46/2-EN Mirage 2000-5F EC.01. 002. 'Cigogne' completes the lineup.

Pilots and ground crews attending their Mirages whilst we await the 'King' of Mirages!

736/93-CH KC-135FR from ERV00. 093 'Bretagne' based at Istres/ Le Tubé delivers the 'King.' 

23/AV Mirage 4P ERS01. 091, formerly based at Mont-de-Marsan.

23/AV Mirage 4P downwind at Dijon. 

23/AV Mirage 4P taxing as the first large spots of rain start to fall. This is still the Iconic photograph of that great day out!

Happy Days! Indeed.