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Re: Cees, to continue the thread on Hampden(s) at.........

Posted by Cees Broere on Mon Sep 30, 2002 09:40:54 AM

In reply top Cees, to continue the thread on Hampden(s) at......... posted by Tony C on Mon Sep 30, 2002 08:30:24 AM

Tony,

I remember seing the tailsection of the Hampden at the RAFM as well as an undercarriage leg. As far as I know the remainder of the airframe is under rebuild at RAF Wyton (isn't this the new restoration centre?). The airframe when found had two serialnumbers, the tail bore the serial of a Hereford but that tailsection had probably been fitted to the airframe as a replacement before the aircraft departed to the USSR. So this made things confusing already.

The Hampden project at East Kirky in my opinion is just one airframe AE436, which was found in the mountains in Sweden and recovered by the Swedish AF (full story in the Hampden File and After The Battle Magazine). Half of the wreckage was donated to the RAFM who passed them on to East Kirkby for rebuild, as Christer mentioned the Swedish ater donated the majority of the remains in their care (half a ton if I remember as reported in FlyPast then)to East Kirkby as well as keeping some parts for display. The photographs you provided show the nosesection under rebuild while the other photo show the seat and part of the centresection. Seems like there has been no visible progress since Brian Nicholls passed away. Let's hope they start with new enthusiasm.

Based on this I think that P1344 is the RAFM-airframe

This is my view of course

Cees


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