Princess Margaret and Princess Anne hovercraft to be scrapped

Well, specialised compared to a Land Rover maybe, but comparable in number to general purpose battlefield helicopters for example (which is perhaps the closest equivalent for ability to transport military resources around the battlefield). Most of your other criticisms apply to those too

 

But there have been other routes using Hovercraft.
Southport - Blackpool in the 70s for one.
Although that lasted only a couple of years.

 

There is a famous quote from an Afghan rebel leader during the soviet occupation in the 80s.

"We dont fear the Russians, but we fear their helicopters" The Mi24, "Hind" was called "Satans Chariot" by the Mujhadeen, even after the yanks gave them stingers.

 

Even if one of them could be saved, it might be impossible to move it to another site. I doubt if they would be seaworthy now and they are so large they couldn't possibly go by road.

 

Pity, it should be owned by the Science museum, on display at Duxford maybe.

 

Working on the cross channel ferries in the seventies and eighties I remember them well. On a smooth day they would show off their speed by storming past us at minimum distance, however on a choppy day when we were still chugging along at the same speed you never saw them anywhere near, turning cartwheels on their flat air cushion.

The tremendous advantage they had, apart from speed was negating the need for expensive berthing facilities, you just drove them up a sloping concrete ramp (or beach) away from the water.

Still in use in the military for their ability to go anywhere in marshy conditions that neither boat nor vehicle can cover. Not a technological dead-end in my view, given the right uses and scale. Their main disadvantage was inability to scale up as more size meant exponentially more bracing and thus too much weight to keep them rigid.

 

Don't doubt it - I'm no expert on Russian choppers, but that looks to be primarily an attack helicopter, although I guess it is more general purpose than something like an Apache. My point was that the British Army has roughly as many hovercraft as it does people/equipment shifting helicopters (if you ignore the Apaches), and most of those helicopters are similarly vulnerable in that sort of role. Off topic, so I'll drop it

As an engineer, it does pain me when unique and interesting kit like these big hovercraft end up being scrapped.

 

The same Duxford that cut up the British Airways collection (which should have belonged to the nation) ?


the russians have a good use for hovercraft... here's one making space on the beach for a sunbed ? - certainly beats anything the germans have when it comes to reserving a sun lounger

 

Yes, sorry ! You are correct. Been to both, saw the 707 being cut and should know better !

 

Good to see some of it survived, the cosford collection was excellent, VC10, trident etc. A big loss.
With the Qantas 707 flying itself back to the Qantas museum in Australia (stark contrast to BA here) is there any intact 707's (let alone BA's) left in the UK?

The museum collection should never have been trusted to a commercial company on privatisation. Britain doesn't have a good track record at preserving heritage when left in corporate hands, though admittedly the reputation for saving culture in other countries is somewhat stronger.

I know there was until recently the remains of a BA 707 still in Africa (I think entebbe).

 

This one? I guess if it was Aeroflot owned it could pass it's pre flight tests

http://www.matthamptonphotography.com/boeing-707-wreck-entebbe-uganda.html

 

A bit of duct tape and she'll be ready to fly, and in better condition than some of the other oldies still flying around in Africa! Might need a decoke on a couple of engines...

 

There is a 707 at East Fortune in Scotland although it's only the forward fuselage. Also the RAF operates 6 707s as the E-3D Sentry.

 

Any KC 135 tankers still based in the UK?
Ex 707 or similar I believe?
Had a trip to the States and back in some about 1994.

 

RAF Mildenhall has KC135s with the 100th Air Refuelling Wing until 2019/20, when the KC135s will move to Germany and Mildenhall is sold of to some housing developer. The KC135 is based off of the Boeing 707.

 

Mildenhall is where we flew from to Bangor Maine then after a few days flew to Otis on Cape Cod refuelling a B52 en route.
Then back direct to Mildenhall about 10 days later.