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Where old 747's go to die....

PostPosted: 28 Aug 2004, 17:35
by AlanA
I was up at Bruntingthorpe airfield today (Renault doing test drives of their fleet) (Southa od Leicester)

It has a superb vintage aircraft collection, including a fully operational Super Guppy and a Victor K2, plus a whole raft of Lightnings, Hunters and Canberras & even a Comet 4

At the far side of the runway was a 747-200 in white and blue. I was told this was the third one to arrive, when the airframe hours ahs=d been used, they strip them of engines & servicable parts here and then destroy the airframe. I wondered where they went to die.....

PostPosted: 28 Aug 2004, 18:25
by mike-smashing
G-VMIA aka "Spirit of Sir Freddie" met it's end at Kemble.

There's quite a few pictures of the old classic being prepared for it's graveyard flight, and being stripped down at Kemble if you search on airliners.net.

It's probably been long since turned into window frames, shaver foils and Maglites.

There's something weird about seeing these huge aircraft being pulled apart.

Mike

PostPosted: 28 Aug 2004, 19:11
by Razza
Mike, you have really depressed me!

In February 1996 a huge snow storm hit the East Coast of the USA, about the only international flight to make it out of Logan that night was 'Sir Freddie', I was in the second row of Upper and will never forget the noise and vibration of charging down a frozen, snow covered runway.

Once airbourne the views of Cape Cod were the best I have ever seen through the cold, clear air.

I have very fond memories of that plane and now you tell me it is double-glazing!!

PostPosted: 29 Aug 2004, 16:59
by pegitt
If you go to This Topicthere's some info on stored VS Aircraft.

Cheers

Phil

PostPosted: 08 Sep 2004, 11:17
by jaguarpig
There was a prog on discovery wings last night showing old tristars being stripped and chopped up in the desert if you missed it, it will be repeated dozens of times.:D