Gate Guardian

[Z06George]

I was just thinking is it possible to buy an F-14 gate guardian? Whether it's an already existing one or going to whoever makes them and ordering a brand new one for myself? This is purely on the basis I win the Euro Millions by the way. Something like this...

[Eric Mc]

Grumman made them and they are all the property of the US DoD.

Maybe the Iranians will sell you one of theirs.

[Z06George]

I know the real ones are unobtainable, but many gate guardians I have seen are replicas without any of the insides that the proper ones have. Or is the idea of having anything resembling a Tomcat a big no?

[Eric Mc]

I don't think any of the Tomcat gate guards are replicas.

The idea of using replicas for gate guards only really started in the 80s when the RAF realised that the Spitfires sitting on poles outside various RAF bases were quite valuable and could be sold for dosh.

[perdu]

I thought that the gate guardian Tornado at Marham was a plastic jobbie, soon disavowed of the idea by a good mate



I realised the Victor was real though

Wow, like something out of Star Wars, gorgeous

[Z06George]

Cheers for the info guys, I guess it'd be a case of going to one of the companies that makes reps of other planes and getting them to create a Tomcat one. One bonus I guess is that you could have whatever squadron markings you wanted.

[chris123321]

If I win the lottery I'm going to go to the Russian embassy to see if they will sell me one of these abandoned aircraft to put on my front lawn:

http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2011/09/post-sovie...

And any complaining NIMBY's can simply get to fk as I will have a Soviet bomber and they won't.

Edited by chris123321 on Friday 2nd August 20:30

[Elroy Blue]

All Tomcats apart from a very few were shredded to stop the Iranians getting their hands on parts

[Brigand]

The Phantom gate guard at RAF Coningsby was always nice to look at, (all Phantoms are mind!) and leaning on the drop tank seemed to improve my mobile phone reception too, so its where I went if I needed to make a long call!

Mildly O/T but what the hell.

[It's fixable...]

The Coningsby Phantom could do with a wash - it's a bit green these days...

[AndyWoodall]

Has there ever been a Gate Guardian picture thread? This I'd like to see if there isn't.

[Eric Mc]

This could be it.

[saaby93]

Eric Mc said:

This could be it.

[trashbat]

^ That's a Daily Mail story right there.

'DAREDEVIL RAF PILOT INCHES FROM FATAL FENCE FIREBALL'

[Eric Mc]

Can we have a description with the pictures?

I can see that's an F-100 Super Sabre but where is it?

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Aside from the fact the markings clearly say 'USAF'.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Eric,

It's the F100 at Croughton (near Silverstone) - it's the one that used to be at Upper Heyford.

Edited by Ginetta G15 Girl on Tuesday 6th August 14:22

[saaby93]

Wondered what it was
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_F-100_...
Seems it had a few issues! Did it have a role at Upper Heyford?

[trashbat]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Aside from the fact the markings clearly say 'USAF'.

'DAREDEVIL WHOOSH PARROT INCHES FROM SCALPING OLD CRONE'

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

AFAIK no F100s were based at Upper Heyford. UK based Sqns were at Lakenheath (the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing) and Weathersfield (20th Tactical Fighter Wing).

The 20th TFW moved to Upper Heyford in mid-1970 and almost immediately began re-equipping with the F111.