A free round of applause...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:24 pm

I'm sorry, I don't know how to resize the picture

Post by **jackkelleher** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:52 pm

Am I right? The suspense is killing me!
Now I've seen it, I can't see how I couldn't before. It even seems clear on google maps...

Post by **badfelafel** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:34 pm

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Post by **paulk** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:50 pm

Pretty good, Don't see many of them in Sholing normally

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en ... 4&t=h&z=20

This is not quite as good but has been here for 42 years and is 1/2mile from nearest water and short of a helicopter lift is going to have to stay there

And yes it really is the size of their entire back garden

Post by **Peetee** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:42 pm

Yep it's De Havelland something or other (3 choices with twin tailplane as far as I can ascertain).

Round of applause to Jack.

To say I was gobsmacked to see it languishing there was a massive understatement.

Post by **paulk** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:43 pm

Does beg the question

How the F*&^%$£ did it get there????

Did they just not notice the crash and build all those houses round it?

Is it one of those things that is so obvious that No one mentions it.

I've heard the phrase

'the Elephant in the room'

But not

'the Dirty great big 50 year old Fighter in the back garden'

Post by **jackkelleher** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:57 pm

Did it crash? That's the only reason it would be there, I suppose, but didn't Peetee say it was in pretty good condition? I suppose it might have been an emergency landing. But still! How on earth does someone build a development like that and fail to note the jet fighter in the middle of their site? Presumably when it landed there were no trees around. Peetee, you've seen it- is the landing gear in or out?
Very odd...

I wonder to whom it belongs...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:59 pm

Maybe it was originally going to be a feature, you know, a couple of benches and a fountain round, but they ran out of money...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:59 pm

You got any close up pics?

Post by **d_harris** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:00 pm

Not in Woolston it wouldn't have been...........

Post by **paulk** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:54 pm

Maybe the RAF don't know we've got it still?

Post by **Peetee** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:27 pm

I really wanted to get PaulK there before anyone guessed, just to see the look on his face.

Never mind.

I'm lead to believe the land owner has possession of two of the garden plots visible and that the aircraft has been there some time. I think the plots are 1930's and the adjacent land to the SE (bottom) is a 60's development. That could explain the entry point as presently no space is available to allow ingress of said jet.
Value? well, somebody must want it but looking at the De Havalland website there does appear to be quite a few survivors so the potential desirability of such a thing may be less than one might first imagine. The owner is clearly excentric/mad/do-lally/marble-less/one trunion short of an upright/a gonner (delete as applicable) so that makes sale and recovery less than easy.
I have no idea how complete it is except that it appears, by a dim streetlight through towering birch trees, to be a whole fuselage and canopy. It has been suggested that it may have been aquired from the site at Hamble or Christchurch. There was such an aircraft at Christchurch but Hamble is only a couple of miles away.
If anyone knows of a messageboard where aircrafty things are discussed in much the same way we do then i would appreciate a link so i can raise it there.

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:41 am

There are a few if you google "aircraft forum"... That's about the most help I could offer.
I wonder how much it is... Tell you what, there's something I wouldn't mind having in the back garden!

The neighbours would be jealous

I wonder what shipping to the US would be though...

Post by **Axolotl** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:26 pm

Well, 'ere 'tis...

As you can see, access is rather restricted.

Both wings are there, and the cockpit canopy at least is there under the tarpaulin, but there's no tailplane.

It is standing on its undercarriage, but it ain't going anywhere any time soon

.

Post by **alex_holden** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:43 pm

Surprising you can see anything on the satellite view with all that jungle camouflage.

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:44 pm

just magical

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:42 pm

That's incredible. Wow. It's in pretty good condition for the age too! I suppose it wasn't build with quite the same techniques or materials as the Mog... Imagine how that would look after being in a wood for 50 years. If it would look like anything...

Post by **jackkelleher** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:43 pm

Looks like the tailplane was removed, rather than snapped...

Post by **Axolotl** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:12 pm

Looks like the tailplane was removed, rather than snapped...

Yes, It gives the impression of having been parked there, on its wheels, not crashed or bent in any way that I could see.

It struck me that the tyres still have air in them, but that might only have been at the top

.