woofem
13-06-2011, 10:41 AM
History from the website
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum was established in 1982 on the old RAF Tangmere airfield. From its beginnings in 1916, through its illustrious service as one of Britain's front line fighter bases during WW2 and on to its key role as home to the world speed record breaking aircraft of the High Speed Flight in the post war years it has occupied a unique place in aviation history.
The museum contains countless fascinating exhibits. Here you can see priceless historic aircraft such as Neville Duke's world record breaking Hawker Hunter, actual equipment used by the brave SOE agents who were carried into occupied France on 'black Lysander' flights from Tangmere.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/5821392872_9c9a352afe_z.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/5820831199_5b0e273d95_z.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/5820831335_c64b61b457_z.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2264/5821392698_4c84daa786_z.jpg
These pill boxes were situated along the old runway and were manned incase of attacks by Aircraft or Paratroopers.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/5821392412_170eea6571_z.jpg
McDonnell Douglas Phantom | XV408
In 1968, XV408 was one of the first Phantoms delivered to the RAF. She served briefly with No 228 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby and in June 1969 was allocated to No 6 Squadron, the first operational Phantom unit, for fighter/ground attack duties. She saw further service with the OCU between 1974 and 1976 at which point, with this aircraft type switching to the air defence role, she was transferred to No 23 Squadron. Moves between several squadrons in both the UK and Germany followed until 1992 when she was finally retired. After a year in storage, XV408 became a gate guardian at Cranwell.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5820829389_031637d83b_z.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/5821390928_c377c2e6b3_z.jpg
De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW2 | XJ580
This aircraft entered service with the Royal Navy in November 1960 as a Mk1 and served at sea with various Fleet Air Arm units until being converted to FAW2 status during the period 1963-65. She served with a number of shore establishments until March 1970 at which time she joined 899 Squadron, first on HMS Eagle and thereafter at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Llanbedr. Her naval career ended in January 1980 when she was reputed to be the last Sea Vixen to fly in Royal Navy livery.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/5821390482_7032159d8f_z.jpg
Sea Harrier FRS2 | ZA195
RS2 Sea Harrier ZA195 started life as an FRS1 (Fighter/Reconnaissance/ Strike version 1) and first flew on September 9th 1982. It saw service life with 899 Squadron in 1984 and 1985 but was passed back to the manufacturer shortly after that because operational experience highlighted that there were important needs to upgrade the FRS1 specification and ZA195 was selected to become the development airframe on which modifications were to be carried out, turning it into the FRS2 prototype. These modifications included a 35" extension to fuselage length behind the cockpit to accommodate an all-new avionics fit, a redesigned wing, a new cockpit with HUD, the installation of a Blue Vixen radar, new weapons systems and a new Pegasus engine with increased thrust.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/5820828153_e4b88f3bbf_z.jpg
Lockheed T33 | 19252
T-33 serial '19252' was allocated to the French Air Force during the 1950s and early 60s as part of the military aid development plan. When France left NATO's military structure in 1966, she was transferred to the UK for use on American bases and subsequently loaned by the USAF to Tangmere. The aircraft was designed in the late 1940s for training pilots already qualified to fly piston aircraft. This well-known machine has seen service with more than 20 countries; some 5,700 were built and many are still in use around the world.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5238/5821389844_057473178b_z.jpg
Gloster Meteor F8 | WA829
The Meteor F8 reigned supreme between 1949 and 1954 as the RAF's principal single-seat day fighter aircraft, equipping 30 front line squadrons.
End of part 1
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum was established in 1982 on the old RAF Tangmere airfield. From its beginnings in 1916, through its illustrious service as one of Britain's front line fighter bases during WW2 and on to its key role as home to the world speed record breaking aircraft of the High Speed Flight in the post war years it has occupied a unique place in aviation history.
The museum contains countless fascinating exhibits. Here you can see priceless historic aircraft such as Neville Duke's world record breaking Hawker Hunter, actual equipment used by the brave SOE agents who were carried into occupied France on 'black Lysander' flights from Tangmere.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/5821392872_9c9a352afe_z.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/5820831199_5b0e273d95_z.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/5820831335_c64b61b457_z.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2264/5821392698_4c84daa786_z.jpg
These pill boxes were situated along the old runway and were manned incase of attacks by Aircraft or Paratroopers.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/5821392412_170eea6571_z.jpg
McDonnell Douglas Phantom | XV408
In 1968, XV408 was one of the first Phantoms delivered to the RAF. She served briefly with No 228 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby and in June 1969 was allocated to No 6 Squadron, the first operational Phantom unit, for fighter/ground attack duties. She saw further service with the OCU between 1974 and 1976 at which point, with this aircraft type switching to the air defence role, she was transferred to No 23 Squadron. Moves between several squadrons in both the UK and Germany followed until 1992 when she was finally retired. After a year in storage, XV408 became a gate guardian at Cranwell.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5820829389_031637d83b_z.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/5821390928_c377c2e6b3_z.jpg
De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW2 | XJ580
This aircraft entered service with the Royal Navy in November 1960 as a Mk1 and served at sea with various Fleet Air Arm units until being converted to FAW2 status during the period 1963-65. She served with a number of shore establishments until March 1970 at which time she joined 899 Squadron, first on HMS Eagle and thereafter at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Llanbedr. Her naval career ended in January 1980 when she was reputed to be the last Sea Vixen to fly in Royal Navy livery.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/5821390482_7032159d8f_z.jpg
Sea Harrier FRS2 | ZA195
RS2 Sea Harrier ZA195 started life as an FRS1 (Fighter/Reconnaissance/ Strike version 1) and first flew on September 9th 1982. It saw service life with 899 Squadron in 1984 and 1985 but was passed back to the manufacturer shortly after that because operational experience highlighted that there were important needs to upgrade the FRS1 specification and ZA195 was selected to become the development airframe on which modifications were to be carried out, turning it into the FRS2 prototype. These modifications included a 35" extension to fuselage length behind the cockpit to accommodate an all-new avionics fit, a redesigned wing, a new cockpit with HUD, the installation of a Blue Vixen radar, new weapons systems and a new Pegasus engine with increased thrust.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/5820828153_e4b88f3bbf_z.jpg
Lockheed T33 | 19252
T-33 serial '19252' was allocated to the French Air Force during the 1950s and early 60s as part of the military aid development plan. When France left NATO's military structure in 1966, she was transferred to the UK for use on American bases and subsequently loaned by the USAF to Tangmere. The aircraft was designed in the late 1940s for training pilots already qualified to fly piston aircraft. This well-known machine has seen service with more than 20 countries; some 5,700 were built and many are still in use around the world.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5238/5821389844_057473178b_z.jpg
Gloster Meteor F8 | WA829
The Meteor F8 reigned supreme between 1949 and 1954 as the RAF's principal single-seat day fighter aircraft, equipping 30 front line squadrons.
End of part 1