The rarest Western military type to visit the UK

[cg_341]

Here's a question, what would be the rarest military type to visit the UK from a western air arm in say, the last 30 years?

And yes this thread has been brought on by the mention of the Mangusta in other threads which I think may be the answer!

[Mike]

I really don’t class the E-4 as rare, they have been a common sight at Mildenhall during Presidential visits for decades.

[ted633]

I really don’t class the E-4 as rare, they have been a common sight at Mildenhall during Presidential visits for decades.

I realised that as I posted it, and then deleted as it was obviously incorrect. You saw it before I managed that though! (Was only thinking of airshow appearances initially)

[FarnboroJohn]

What about the WB-57?

[Pen Pusher]

Swedish Air Force Rockwell Tp86 Sabreliner

[iainpeden]

Kawasaki P-1?

[Professor_M]

Colombian T-90 Calima?

[Tommy]

WB-57 is a shout, but my knowledge only goes back about 19 years, wasn’t really in the hobby in the 90s and 00s.

Also (as always) depends how you define “rare”.

WB-57 is a decent shout.

[JMC]

Are we talking airshow visits or just visits?

Space shuttle, Stansted 1983? (I know going over 30 years slightly)

[Mike]

Is a WB-57 military? It’s on the N-register

Same with the Space Shuttle. Military?

[capercaillie]

Kawasaki P-1?

Isn't Japan in the East?

[capercaillie]

Here's a question, what would be the rarest military type to visit the UK from a western air arm in say, the last 30 years?

And yes this thread has been brought on by the mention of the Mangusta in other threads which I think may be the answer!

I've seen at least four Mangustas at UK shows as well as demonstrators at Farnborough prior to that. So not that.

Are we looking at a single type, by definition, so any Hercules eliminates a Guatemalan Marine Corps C-130H or a US one off EC-130GBH? So for example the Sabreliner listed below, US Navy CT-39 has also been in the UK in the last thirty years?

And to answer below as Mike has already done, the WB-57 is on the civvy register. And two different ones have visited.

Only one military Calima as far as I'm aware Professor, so question should become how many other single visits by a type?

[cg_341]

Hmm yes perhaps we need to define it a bit more! I'd say a Guatemalan C-130H is rare, even though it's common to see ones of other air arms in the UK. So I'd say its the combination of type and air arm that make it rare, but it's less rare if other air arms regularly visit with that type, or that air arm brings other types! It needs to be a combination. Confused yet?

The WB-57 is not rare as it's made a number of visits to the UK over the last number of years. The Swedish Sabreliner isn't either, it's been twice at least in the last decade.

Bangladesh C-130B recently is rare but their C-130Js were painted and delivered from Cambridge. So Bangladesh isn't a hugely rare nation.

Colombian Calima might well be the rarest so far, even with the C-130 visit(s) too, but I wouldn't call it "rare" if the RAF hypothetically operated 50 of the type too.

[toom317]

Brazilian P3 at Lossie for JMC April 2013.

[AndyXH558]

Yak 141, beriev albatross. Mig31, from Russia.

Hmm western air arms . That's difficult

[CJS]

The Canadian Lancaster?

[Professor_M]

Perhaps easier if picking a newer type, but the TAI Aksungur UAV on the TAI stand at farnborough this year would, I believe, be the only appearance of the type to date in the UK. Admittedly a manufacturer's example and a UAV, but a rare military registered type nonetheless.

[Rick]

YF23

[Cyril Dorricott]

Perhaps the one and only EC-24A 163050, which visited RAF St. Mawgan at least twice for exercises in the '90's, using callsign "Newcar", if i remember correctly.

[Mooshie1956]

Would the Nigerian Alpha Jet that transited through Manchester Airport qualify ?

[planenuts]

Hi chaps, what about the OH-6A Cayuse from the Rhode Island ANG, US Army, spewed out of a Herc at IAT 94. No others would have flown to the UK or transited through, so might have been a one-off.

Rupe

[Brevet Cable]

Do civi ex-mil count?
If so, there's been an OH-6 on the UK register since 2009 ( G-OHGA ) although according to the CAA's G-INFO site it's now off the UK register & back in the USA since earlier this year.

[capercaillie]

Depends on how you view all the Danish Army Hughes 369s or Italian Air Force NH500s that also visited the UK during those times, never mind the hundreds of civilian ones floating around.

[roger]

Imperial Iranian Navy Orion 5-8706 (beautiful three-tone blue camo) which visited Lyneham on the evening of Sunday 24 July 1977!

It's a western type, but not really from a western air arm, so I know it doesn't count based based on the OP's question. But it's still the star item in my logbooks over the last 60 years.

[capercaillie]

In terms of aircraft being military and in service, some good options
from 1993 if Israel is counted as a Western power?
IAI 1124N Westwind Seascan 929/4X-JYR 120 Squadron Israeli Air Force by Paul Downes, on Flickr

from 1994
L-90TP Redigo RG-10 Ilma SK Finnish Air Force by Paul Downes, on Flickr

J-32E Lansen 32512/03 F16M Swedish Air Force by Paul Downes, on Flickr

from 1997 if the former Eastern bloc is counted as part of the Western world these days?
L-610M 0005 LZO Czech Air Force by Paul Downes, on Flickr

If it wasn't just Western types, this would be a good call from 1996
Il38 22 red Ostrov Training Regt Russian Navy by Paul Downes, on Flickr