MIG-27s at Shoeburyness

[EGLL]

Does anyone know what aircraft were used for training here?

[Blackbird]

Training for what? There's no airfield at Shoeburyness.

[RAF4EVER]

Try this:

https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... WP8faqp4RE

[Blackbird]

Thanks - I live locally and have walked around Shoeburyness and, when open, Foulness Island more times than are probably good for me. I have never seen or heard anything about MiG-27s being present. There were rumours in the late 1960s/early 70s that one of the TSR-2s had been taken there to be blown to smithereens but suspect that wasn't true.

[Ken Shabby]

Thanks - I live locally and have walked around Shoeburyness and, when open, Foulness Island more times than are probably good for me. I have never seen or heard anything about MiG-27s being present. There were rumours in the late 1960s/early 70s that one of the TSR-2s had been taken there to be blown to smithereens but suspect that wasn't true.

Three of the five complete or near-complete TSR-2 airframes went to Shoeburyness, including the only one that flew.

[Blackbird]

Thanks Ken.

Andy

[Ken Shabby]

There’s quite a lot on-line about the airframes there, including some photos.

[RAF4EVER]

Try this:
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... n_xYEXKNlC

[DeanW]

When I visited Hanningfield Metals (Stock, Essex) back in April 2009 there was the hulk of a MiG-23MF 'Red 50' that had previously been at Foulness. Excuse the poor image but it was kinda dumped in a cluttered corner of the yard.

[Blackbird]

Try this:
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... n_xYEXKNlC

Thanks - an interesting selection of photos.

[farnboroughrob]

I remember c1998 a friend who worked for the MoD, or what ever the place was called at the time, at Farnborough. One day while moving between sites he came across a Mig-23 being towed along the road. Was completely unmarked and of course no camers allowed, no phone even. I guess that ended up on the ranges?

[andygolfer]

I did some work on the sea defences on the island in the early 1980s and saw several aircraft on my visits (I remember a rather shot up Lightning one day), one day I watched a Buccaneer being pulled up onto the sea wall in preparation for testing weapons upon it.

Never saw the TSR2s there , the prototype was long gone and I believe the others were in sections from what I read. They used some new alloys in their construction so the MOD were keen to test the durability of those alloys. There were several wings from TSR2s taken there as well that were used for tests as well.

The aircraft were always taken in by road, sometimes flown to Southend for dismantling, a number of Scimitars went in that way from memory in the early '70s - they were reported in the Anglian Aeronews newsletter as they arrived, I didn't keep the newsletters so can't check the exact dates.

The first Bristol 188 XF923 also went there for weapons testing (the main work at the establishment) and was scrapped after it was finished with. Here's a link to a photo of it at Foulness with the prototype TSR2 behind it: https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/det ... V-11955273 The title says it's XF926 (which is now at Cosford) but everywhere else I look says it was '923 at Foulness.

nowadays I think they mainly do batch testing of ammunition, I have a static caravan at Mersea Island about 10 miles away as the shell flies and often hear them firing if the wind direction is right - usually a batch of around 6 'bangs' that sometimes shake the 'van! I think the procedure is to fire shells out over the sea (Maplin Sands - which some may recall was once planned to be the 3rd London airport) around high tide then retrieve the casings or whatever was left to see how they behaved.

EDIT: there's a couple of photos of the prototype TSR2 (XR219) at Foulness in Damien Burke's book 'TSR2 - Britain's lost bomber' one of the fuselage shot to bits atop some concrete blocks and another of it in a heap of pieces waiting to be taken away as scrap.

Andy

[Big Eric]

3 complete TSR-2s went to Foulness according to http://www.ukserials.com/ they were XR219, 221 & 223.

[Northdownaeros]

The TSR-2 remains were gone from Foulness by 1980ish. I visited the P&EE with a friend who 'knew the right people' and there was no sign of any TSR2 bit left at 'White City', which is what the storage facility was known as.. . Plenty of Sea Vixens, early Buccaneers, Lightnings, an early pre production Lynx from memory.

I also remember flying past around 2010ish and seeing the MIG-27 just parked out by the sea wall, but its not there anymore and I haven't seen any aircraft since.

[HeyfordDave111]

TSR2 bits?

I've seen plenty of TSR 2 bits kicking around, the elevator / engine exhaust castings are around if you look a bit.

There's 1 large casting in a Bungay's free delightful open air museum, might that have been for the original prototypes?

[FGR2]

I have never been there, but believe the airframes went a long time ago. I have some old Wrecks and Relics books I can check to see what was there.

[andygolfer]

TSR2 bits?

I've seen plenty of TSR 2 bits kicking around, the elevator / engine exhaust castings are around if you look a bit.

There's 1 large casting in a Bungay's free delightful open air museum, might that have been for the original prototypes?

Ooops Dave - your signature is a bit awkward at present!

There are pieces pop up from time to time, amazing the interest in the aircraft approaching 60 years after it first flew.

[EGLL]

Thanks for the replies.

[Puddlejumper]

I remember c1998 a friend who worked for the MoD, or what ever the place was called at the time, at Farnborough. One day while moving between sites he came across a Mig-23 being towed along the road. Was completely unmarked and of course no camers allowed, no phone even. I guess that ended up on the ranges?

Ex-East German AF Mig 27 was present at Farnborough in 1995, presumably the same airframe as described. Mi24 Hind (D or later) also ex-East German (AF?) was present at the same time. Farnborough was Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) from 1995 according to Wikipedia.