Lorry bound RAF aircraft

[Notadoctor]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 22 January 2015 at 20:49

[FourWheelDrift]

HS Dominie T1 bought by http://www.everettaero.com/ in 2007 (they still have one there by the looks of things) most likely since sold on again (maybe more than once) and going to it's new owner.

[Simpo Two]

Was it pointing north or south?

Without checking, is it a De Havilland? And if so, perhaps something to do with the DH Museum?

[Eric Mc]

It's a Dominie (as already mentioned).

The Dominie was based on the De Havilland DH125 executive jet. The aircraft was rebranded the Hawker Siddeley HS125 when De Havilland was merged into the Hawker Siddeley Group in the early 1960s.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

XS734 is one of the 9 a/c that were not updated with new avionics and radar in the early mid 1990's and which were delivered to the Airmen's school at Cosford for Ground Instructional purposes (hence the maintenence serial 9260M applied to the forward fuselage).

The a/c was struck off charge and sold to Everett Aero at Sproughton in 2007.

The Dominie was the Series 2 version of the very successful Hawker Siddeley HS125 busines jet; in fact the RAF were the 'launch customer' for the type back in 1965, the first a/c (of 20) delivered being XS709 which now resides in the RAF Museum at Cosford.

The name 'Dominie' derives from a Scottish term for 'schoolmaster' (via the Church of Scotland from the Latin Dominus) and was bestowed upon the a/c to reflect its primary role of training Navigators (as well as NCO Aircrew in the form of Flight Engineers and Air Electronics Operators). Eric is correct in that the design was origially by De Havilland - the original name for the type being 'Jet Dragon'.

[williamp]

Isnt there an early one in the london science museum??

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Yes. G-ASSM which is a Series 1 (of which 8 were built) which was updated with Viper 522 engines from the original Viper 520 (the RAF Dominies had the Viper 301).

[All that jazz]

Notadoctor said:

From few months ago near Dover/EuroTunnel, wondering why it may be special and where it's traveling to?

Do you have a more specific date for this? I could find out more. Last record of it was at a scrappers at Sproughton in April 2013.

[CAPP0]

See if you can spot it here

[All that jazz]

Notadoctor said:

Late afternoon of Monday 7th July this year, only recently discovered photos.

On a Dutch registered truck belonging to Richard Long European Transport Specialists - www.richard-long.co.uk

Yes, I know some of the guys at Long's as I used to work with them years ago. I did make some enquiries but alas, no luck thus far.

[CAPP0]

Notadoctor said:

CAPP0 said:

See if you can spot it here

That's so how I'd end up after a lottery win.

Funny old place, I have wandered the outskirts a few times and inadvertently ended up inside the boundary once, there is all sorts of mechanical junk strewn about, and an immense house. Security is notional, lots of warning signs but nothing to physically stop anyone wandering in.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

The Dominie in the photo of Sproughton is probaly 'T' - XS726 which was recently acquired by the museum at Winthorpe. AFAIK that was the last of the pre-mod Dominies to be sold off.

[Simpo Two]

What exactly is the outfit at Sproughton? From the air it looks like some slightly bonkers rich fellow.

[CAPP0]

Simpo Two said:

What exactly is the outfit at Sproughton? From the air it looks like some slightly bonkers rich fellow.

I have family living in very close proximity; I walk the dog around there when we visit, hence having got a little closer than planned at times.

Locally, there is much speculation about the whys and wherefores of the operation. Wild speculation has wondered about it being a front for something criminal; I'm not sure but I think this may be related to a former occupant of the house. There is also talk locally that someone famous lived there at some point, a musician apparently. Anyway, I believe you may be at least partly heading in the right direction with the "rich bonkers" theory. The property would not have been cheap, you can get a good view of the (very large) house and the grounds, which have been very formally laid out at some point, on Bing, but it's difficult to see how anyone is making lots of money there, and as I said earlier, the grounds are littered with old but uninteresting vehicles (scrap Sierras, Transits, that sort of thing). It is apparently true that trespassers are looked upon VERY bleakly, but whether that is just a general "git off my laaaand" or whether there is anything to hide, I have no idea. To the south of the house, beyond the planes, there is a field/paddock which, last time I passed by on an adjacent footpath, was laid out for what appeared to be some sort of vehicular pastime, seemed a bit like a Michael Carroll type of thing but that was just my view.

[FourWheelDrift]

Simpo Two said:

What exactly is the outfit at Sproughton? From the air it looks like some slightly bonkers rich fellow.

http://www.everettaero.com/ I mentioned them above