Phantom Arrival … XV497 …
The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum has had the offer of a Phantom on loan for well over a year now. Moving something that large takes a lot of time, money, and a mighty lot of organisation.
Over the course of the last year, volunteer members of the museum have travelled to ex RAF Bentwaters three times to pick up various parts as they were removed to lighten the load. The aircraft was dismantled by early February this year, but at that point, the ground at Flixton was far too soggy to drive two articulated flatbed lorries, plus an eleven-ton aeroplane over.
Then came March and everything dried out nicely, and the country went into lockdown. Finally, on Tuesday 28th July it was deemed possible to transport the aircraft. It arrived late afternoon on two articulated lorries, one equipped with a lifting arm crane. Over the course of the next three hours that evening, everything was put into position and the main section of the wings unloaded and placed on the pad. (see the videos below)
Overnight nothing happened, but at 06:00 the crew restarted work, and sadly your correspondent missed the lifting of the fuselage onto the main wing section which happened at about 07:00!
By the time I had wended my way to the museum the wings and fuselage were being bolted together. The tailplane followed this, then the wingtips. It was discovered at this point that the wheels weren’t quite central on the triangular pad laid for them. The crane operator then carefully moved the aircraft six inches back, and six inches across.
Very impressive accuracy. It is now exactly central on the pad.
Finally, the underwing drop tanks were moved into position. Fitting these has to be a task for another day though as the correct tools for the job hadn’t been brought over.
Museum staff will be re-fitting the various parts that we brought back to Flixton. Hopefully, by the time we reopen it will be “fully loaded”.
The museum would like to thanks Mr Christo Leventis for the loan of the aircraft and funding its transfer to Flixton.
Author:: Steve Bell
The videos below are a mixture of still and video shot on the two days that the aircraft arrived and was put onto its pad. A more extended version pf the video can be found on the NASAM YouTube Channel @
Phantom Arrival – Day One – Tuesday 28th July 2020
Phantom Construction – Day Two – Wednesday 29th July 2020
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What an aircraft!!!!
Saw this yesterday for the first time. An impressive addition to the flock. Any idea what the blue-red-blue colours either side of F.I. crest indicate? Household division I guess but why?
This seems to be a 23 Sqn Marking from the past with the Falklands Islands Crest instead of roundel, The history of 23 Sqn markings shows this marking from ’57 and again with the roundel in ’64 ( https://www.rafweb.org/Squadrons/Sqn%20Markings/SqnMark023A.htm).