RAF Scampton - Cleveland Aviation Society visit to the RAF Scampton Heritage Centre

24 March 2014, (By David Thompson)

The society paid their second visit to the heritage centre in a little under three years in which time the centre has moved from 1 Hangar into 2 Hangar which was the home to 617 squadron at the time of the dams raid in May 1943 . The added historical bonus of course being the opportunity to visit not only the grave of Guy Gibson’s pet labrador Nigger outside the hangar but also the office of the man himself on the first floor of the hangar annex .

The heritage centre moved into their new premises in February 2012 with the annex undergoing a complete refurbishment before being officially opened on 22 June 2012 by WC Richard Turner, the very same date that WC Gibson went to Buckingham Palace to be presented with his Victoria Cross .

The heritage collection incorporates a huge number of artifacts relating to both RAF Scampton and 617 Squadron as well as a Red Arrows museum , examples of some of Barnes Wallis’s weapons designs and aircraft cockpit sections . If you should be lucky enough , as we were –twice ! ,  it also offers the opportunity to see the Red Arrows aerobatic team conducing one of their practice flying display sessions or if not flying then perhaps on the ground and also a visit to their home of 4 Hangar to view their Hawk ‘gate guard’ .

Our thanks to the heritage centre staff for a very informative tour and in particular our guide Tom Evans . The centre has a small café cum-rest room with hot drinks on sale in lieu of a donation plus various fundraising items for sale and toilet facilities . Conducted tours of the Heritage Centre take place throughout the year by appointment only and with the kind permission of the Officer Commanding , RAF Scampton . To book a visit email ; rafscamptonheritagecentre@gmail.com or telephone ; 01522 738361 .

Admission to the Heritage Centre is free but any donations made go to the Guide Dogs for the Blind and the upkeep of the Heritage Centre .

The heritage centre has several airframes in it’s keep but they are presently in a state of flux due to the refurbishment of 1 Hangar with it’s contents being transferred into the center’s 2 Hangar . It is hoped that this is only a temporary move but as yet the situation has not been clarified .

 

Aircraft noted during our visit were ;

2 Hangar

XN185                        Sedbergh TX1                         dismantled , arrived 3/14 from Stafford

XR571                        Gnat T1                                   ex-RA gate guard and destined for display outside SHQ

XR757                        Lightning F6                           cockpit only

XX320                        Hawk T1A                              ditto 

The Red Arrows ;

Performing two full practice flying displays were ;

XX177                        Hawk T1

XX219                        Hawk T1A

XX227                        ditto

XX242                        Hawk T1

XX244                        ditto

XX245                        ditto

XX264                        Hawk T1A

XX322                        ditto

XX323                        ditto

 

XX325                        Hawk T1A                  spare aircraft parked outside hangar

 

XX253                        ditto                            Red Arrows gate guard outside their HQ in 4 Hangar

Parked out ;

XF995/HHA   Hunter T8B                 Hawker Hunter Aviation *2

G-AWGK       F150H                         ) parked under a lean-to between

G-BRIV          TB9 Tampico Club      ) 2 and 3 Hangars

*1 The Red Arrows carried out one further full practice flying display after we had left .

*2 The Hunter took off later in the afternoon and was noted carrying out two overshoots at Coningsby . 

 

RAF Coningsby

 

With the double bonus of both summer like weather conditions and a very helpful and accommodating bus driver , on departing Scampton we nipped down to RAF Coningsby where some members elected to visit the BoBMF Visitors Centre whilst the other hardy few elected to go to the mound . I was one of the former and inside the hangar noted ;

P7350/EB-G               Spitfire IIA

LF363                         Hurricane IIc               dismantled and stripped down

MK356/5J-K               Spitfire IX                   Kay

PA474/KC-A              Lancaster I

PM631                         Spitfire PR19

PS915                          ditto

PZ865/EG-S               Hurricane II

TE311/4D-V               Spitfire XVI

WG486/G                   Chipmunk T10

ZA947/UK                  Dakota III

Afterwards a short walk down the road found the following parked out on the 29 Squadron dispersal at 16:30 ;

ZA600/EB-G              Tornado GR4              special 95^th anniv c/s for 41 Sqdn

ZJ803/BA                   Typhoon T3                 29(R)Sqdn

ZJ810/BI                     ditto

ZJ801/BJ                     ditto

ZJ813/BL                    ditto

ZJ804/BM                   ditto

ZK383/BN                  ditto

ZJ927/BO                   Typhoon FGR4

ZK322/BR                  ditto

ZJ910/BV                   ditto

A flight of four Typhoons also returned around this time but no serials were noted as they taxied to the HAS areas after landing .

 

Click here for a couple of photos.