SEPECAT Jaguar - Survivor XX745
GR.1A XX745 - Chris Bennett, private location
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Jaguar GR.1A XX745 at Abingdon, 20th May 2023; Damien Burke
Built as a GR.1 and first flown on 5th November 1974, XX745 was delivered to the RAF on 16th December 1974. She initially served with 6 Squadron (coded EJ) at RAF Coltishall before moving to 54 Squadron (coded GN) in 1984. By 1990 she had moved to 226 OCU (coded 04) at RAF Lossiemouth, and then moved to 6 Squadron (coded EG) in 1995. By 1997 she was with 16(R) Squadron at the same station (coded D). She returned to 54 Squadron (coded GV) in 1999 and suffered a mid air collision with XX832/EZ (6 Squadron) on the 31st May 2000 during a sortie over Scotland. Both aircraft diverted into Leuchars; XX832 suffered only slight damage, but XX745 received severe damage to the underside of the cockpit area.
The aircraft was returned to Coltishall by road, where damage was assessed as CAT 4. She was then transferred to St. Athan where the feasibility of using the cockpit from the stored XZ375 was examined, an exercise that was considered too costly, and the aircraft was deemed to be damaged beyond economical repair. During 2001 XX745 was stored at Shawbury, then transferred to Boscombe Down for spares use, soon being reduced to a cockpit section.
She ended up with 1350 Sqn ATC in Fareham, before being stripped again and put up for disposal by the MoD in early 2022. Chris Bennett acquired her and is now busy with the restoration effort, which has already included a repaint into her old grey/green colours. She's seen here on display at the 2023 Abingdon Airshow.
The aircraft was returned to Coltishall by road, where damage was assessed as CAT 4. She was then transferred to St. Athan where the feasibility of using the cockpit from the stored XZ375 was examined, an exercise that was considered too costly, and the aircraft was deemed to be damaged beyond economical repair. During 2001 XX745 was stored at Shawbury, then transferred to Boscombe Down for spares use, soon being reduced to a cockpit section.
She ended up with 1350 Sqn ATC in Fareham, before being stripped again and put up for disposal by the MoD in early 2022. Chris Bennett acquired her and is now busy with the restoration effort, which has already included a repaint into her old grey/green colours. She's seen here on display at the 2023 Abingdon Airshow.
Information on this page current as of 22/05/2023, last updated by Damien |
Find other photos of XX745 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net