20211106_Bentwaters Cold War Museum_Jaguar XX741 (EJ) photoshoot
First flight of Jaguar XX714 was on October, 4th 1974. She entered service with 226 OCU at Lossiemouth in November 1974, XX741 went on to serve with 54 Squadron at Coltishall before transferring to 6 Squadron.
XX741 was the display jet for the 1993 airshow season.
She finished her career with 226 OCU / 16 (R) Squadron back at Lossiemouth, and her final flight was from Lossiemouth to Shawbury on 31st January 1994. She was disposed of to Everett Aero at Sproughton, Suffolk on 18/11/2005 and then acquired by the Bentwaters Cold War Museum in October 2009.
The involvement of several ex-Jaguar ground crew at this point changed the plan of a cosmetic restoration to something a little more ambitious, and when a pair of Adour engines became available, things became even more ambitious. The result of many years of hard work was that in August 2019 XX741 moved under her own power for the first time in 24 years. The team, however, were not yet satisfied - and Bentwaters has a nice big clear runway... so in March 2020, with a lot more careful work and preparation, her Adours roared to full power with reheat and she carried out two fast runs on the runway, including a brake parachute deployment. Congratulations to the complete team at BCWM for bringing a Jag back to life!
A first public showing was organised in November 2021, but sadly curtailed by a faulty battery... the ensuing re-enactment of a tactical evaluation exercise in the dark was, however, fabulous.
Hopefully she'll roar back into life in 2022...
See photos of our follow-on trip here: https://www.waltervanbelphotography.be/Aviation/Special-Events/20220319Bentwaters-Cold-War-MuseumJaguar-XX741-EJ-photoshoot/
Read MoreXX741 was the display jet for the 1993 airshow season.
She finished her career with 226 OCU / 16 (R) Squadron back at Lossiemouth, and her final flight was from Lossiemouth to Shawbury on 31st January 1994. She was disposed of to Everett Aero at Sproughton, Suffolk on 18/11/2005 and then acquired by the Bentwaters Cold War Museum in October 2009.
The involvement of several ex-Jaguar ground crew at this point changed the plan of a cosmetic restoration to something a little more ambitious, and when a pair of Adour engines became available, things became even more ambitious. The result of many years of hard work was that in August 2019 XX741 moved under her own power for the first time in 24 years. The team, however, were not yet satisfied - and Bentwaters has a nice big clear runway... so in March 2020, with a lot more careful work and preparation, her Adours roared to full power with reheat and she carried out two fast runs on the runway, including a brake parachute deployment. Congratulations to the complete team at BCWM for bringing a Jag back to life!
A first public showing was organised in November 2021, but sadly curtailed by a faulty battery... the ensuing re-enactment of a tactical evaluation exercise in the dark was, however, fabulous.
Hopefully she'll roar back into life in 2022...
See photos of our follow-on trip here: https://www.waltervanbelphotography.be/Aviation/Special-Events/20220319Bentwaters-Cold-War-MuseumJaguar-XX741-EJ-photoshoot/
