The Boscombe Down Aviation Collection [BDAC] is based at the historic Old Sarum Airfield, just north of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It tells the story of flight testing at the secretive Boscombe Down airfield which is just a few miles north of Old Sarum as well as other local aviation history. At the end of February, the Collection held a night-time photoshoot is association with Threshold.aero showcasing three Cold War jets based with BDAC.

Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author.

The small grass aerodrome at Old Sarum is an important historic site for military aviation having started life as a Royal Flying Corps. Land was requisitioned for the miliary airfield, then called Ford Farm, in 1917 and the hangar complex built by German Prisoners of War and Chinese Labour. The first flying units comprising of three-day bomber squadrons arrived in September 1917. With the formation of the Royal Air Force in April 1918 the station was renamed Old Sarum Airfield.

 

Subsequently, it played an important role is the development of Army Cooperation operations both prior to and during the Second World War. Old Sarum was home to the School of Army Cooperation Flying and also saw the genesis of ‘Airborne Observation Post’ operations. Post war, Old Sarum also played a role in the early development of RAF helicopter operations. The airfield remained connected to the military until 1979.

After the military left it became a civilian aerodrome and was the home of the Edgely Optica during the 1980s. More recently, Old Sarum has become a skydiving centre as well as seeing some general aviation activities. The Boscombe Down Aviation Collection relocated to Old Sarum in 2012 bringing with it some unique experimental and flight test aircraft plus numerous other  artefacts. BDAC is housed in two of Old Sarum’s Grade 2 listed hangars and includes many nose sections as well as complete airframes.

February’s ‘Nightshoot’ showcased three of the aircraft housed within the Collection, two of which was positioned just outside the hangar doors. BAE Systems Sea Harrier F/A.2 XX457 was originally built as a FRS.Mk.1 in 1979. It was delivered to 700A Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton in January 1980 coded ‘104.’ 700A went on to become 899 NAS, the Sea Harrier operational conversion unit. Between April and June 1982, XX457 was embarked on HMS Hermes taking part in the Falklands War. During the war, XX457 shot down destroyed four aircraft (two Douglas A-4Q Skyhawks by Lt Clive ‘Spag’ Morrel and two IAI Daggers by Lt Cdr Andy Auld). XX457 returned to 899NAS following the end of the Falklands Campaign and was subsequently upgraded to F/A.2 standard. In 1994 XX457 suffered an uncontained engine failure on take-off forcing the pilot to eject. By 2001 the airframe had been transferred to Boscombe Down as part of the aging airframe programme. However, the retirement of the entire Sea Harrier fleet in 2006 meant that XX457’s role in the programme was cancelled. After being declared surplice to requirements, XX457 was donated to BDAC who have restored the aircraft and painted it in the style of early Sea Harriers prior to the Falklands War.

 

Alongside the Sea Harrier was Panavia Tornado GR1T ZA319. This airframe was the first production Tornado and briefly flew from Boscombe Down for six months from November 1979 leading to the Tornado’s final release to Service. After this, ZA319 was transferred to the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore. In June 1997, ZA319 joined XV[R] Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, the RAF’s Tornado Operational Conversion Unit. By 2001, the aircraft had been deemed not suitable to upgrade to GR4 standard and was delivered to RAF St Athan for storage and then use as a ground instructional airframe. In December 2002 the aircraft was again on the move, this time to Bicester for gate guard duties at the Tri-Services Defence Logistics Establishment painted in the RAF standard all-over Sea Grey. In 2019 the airframe was slated for scrapping but was saved following a campaign to RAF Air Command. Transferred to BDAC in 2021, ZA319 was unveiled in March 2023 wearing the RAF Tornado’s original Dark Green and Sea Grey wraparound camouflage.

 

Positioned out on the airfield was British Aerospace Hawk T.Mk.1 XX154. This airframe is privately owned but is kept at Old Sarum with BDAC. This was the original pre-production Hawk aircraft (there were no prototypes) and first took the air in August 1974 flown by Duncan Simpson, Hawker Siddeley’s chief test pilot. After trials work, the aircraft served at the Empire Test Pilots School at Boscombe Down until December 2018 when the aircraft was declared out of hours. It did however take on one more flight in August 2019 when it was airlifted from Boscombe Down to Old Sarum by a 27 Squadron Boeing Chinook from RAF Odiham with the support of the Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit (JADTEU). XX154 has been kept in ground working order and performed 15-minute engine run as part of the Nightshoot just ahead of sunset.

Both BDAC and Threshold.Aero did sterling work to create a very different and interesting nightshoot around the three aircraft and hangars. The refreshments were particularly welcome as were the efforts to reorganise the parking due to the rather soggy ground conditions.