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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
mrclark303
I often wondered what happened to DK, it's a criminal waist of public money just leaving it damaged.. that said I bet that hanger queens been stripped of anything serviceable by now!
When you consider how long the Typhoons been in service, it's had an exceptional safety record with very few losses accross all users.
Long stripped for parts. Last time I saw it was just a shell and a bad one at that.
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05-23-2017 09:17 AM
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The Australian D8 dozer that was drowned and abandoned at Mersing was eventually recovered but written off. The A vehicle blokes got it running again but it remained a pile of sh------, not very good. It went somewhere else where the dozer blade was removed and a heavy nosing block was put up front to push the landing craft off the beach and as a spare recovery tractor that COULD have saved the lost Brit Bedford RL Light recovery vehicle that was lost trying to recover the original bogged in land rover.......... that was also lost!
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Legacy Member
Not quite a "gate guard", but do any Kiwi readers remember the Valentine? tanks that ended up as "memorials" / playground toys in several parts of their country?
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We had a Valentine next to the tennis courts at Ngaruawahia. I hope that it was saved by someone and not just used as a hard target. I also remember that we had a US 1940's fire engine lend lease or ex US Army there too with an open cab, just like the old Leyland ones in the UK
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Moderator
(M1 Garand/M14/M1A Rifles)
Originally Posted by
Gil Boyd
The Hurricane at the gates of Duxford IWM which turns in the breeze. The home to 242 Squadron led by Douglas Bader during WW2
I've been told that many of these fiberglass replicas were built by the folks from Spitfire Films to replace planes they pulled down to get as many Spits and Hurricanes flying for the Battle of Britain film. I'd love to know if they've kept those same ones going with repair or if these are new fiberglass replicas.
The sad fact about these gat guards is the same as that old partially restored MG Midget in your garage, that was made in 1972. Put in your garage in 1990 and now the paint has given way to rust. The electrics are frozen up, tyres turned to dust, hydraulics are jammed solid, absorbed moisture and have rusted the wheel cylinders and the rust has turned to holes. Same as these gate guardians. If they were looked after with a bit of upkeep and minimal maintenance and paint they'd look presentable and a credit to all. But you've GOT to look after the insides with protective oily vapour. Even tanks that were gate guards just end up as hard targets.
A couple of years before the RAF left Abingdon there had been a REAL (not a plastic fibreglass replica.....) Spitfire outside the main guardroom. By the time they decided to keep it for spares or restoration, due to the forthcoming closure of the base, a passing glance quickly told them that it was beyond saving, even for display purposes
If you have that old Mini Cooper or MG MIdget in yours, get it out now and start protecting it for that '.....I'm going to restore it one day....' moment
My brother had a small business importing classic Mini Coopers, doing the mods necessary to make them conform to U.S. laws, and reselling them. He's got four left and sort of rotates the parts to whichever is functioning best as any given moment. He plans to get one going really well for himself and sell the others, um, eventually.
Bob
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring
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Thank You to Bob Womack For This Useful Post:
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If anyone has a big gate and looking for Tornado or Harrier then a few links below (Milweb)
Panavia Tornado GR1 Restoration Project
Harrier GR3 Jump Jet XZ130
Panavia Tornado F2A ZD902 ADV
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
Bob Womack
I'd love to know if they've kept those same ones going with repair or if these are new fiberglass replicas.
I believe that most if not all of the fibreglass replica Spitfires and Hurricanes, used as gate guards, have been made within the last 30 or so years. There were some replica Hurricanes and or Spitfires made for the Battle of Britain film, for ground shots, and I believe that some are still in existence. I did see on such example at a museum some years ago but in poor condition and if memory serves me correctly it was a Hurricane replica. I forget which museum it was.
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
bigduke6
I'll take the ex 4 Sqn GR3 Geoff, what a beautiful restoration, love to see her fly again!
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
Bruce_in_Oz
Not quite a "gate guard", but do any Kiwi readers remember the Valentine? tanks that ended up as "memorials" / playground toys in several parts of their country?
There is a restored Valentine at Waiouru Army Museum, and there are at least two undergoing private restoration in NZ.
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
mrclark303
I'll take the ex 4 Sqn GR3 Geoff, what a beautiful restoration, love to see her fly again!
That GR3 was from Cranwell and isn't restored, that's how it was sold to JAA. The GR1 is expensive, I sold ZA355 to them for approx. £10,000 in a much better condition.
The F2A is a special Tornado, it was used as the test bed for the Typhoon Radar which isn't even in service fully yet.
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