McDonnell-Douglas/BAC F-4K/M Phantom II - Survivor XV490
FGR.2 XV490 - Mike Davey/British Phantom Aviation Group, Newark Air Museum, Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire
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Phantom FGR.2 XV490 at Newark Air Museum, 28th August 2021; Jake Wallace
XV490 began her career with 54 Squadron but later served with 41, 6, 29, 23, 56 and 92 Squadrons before going back to 23 Squadron for a while and then 228 OCU before ending her career with 74 Squadron at RAF Wattisham. She was scrapped there in 1992 but the nose section was squirrelled away at Bruntingthorpe until the Phantom Preservation Group (Ray Walker, Mark Jones and Mike Davey) succeeded in getting hold of her, and away from the threat of scrapping - though there were still people in the MoD who, it seemed, wanted to get her back and scrap her! By 2002 XV490 had improved a lot from her initial post-scrapping condition, with a replacement radome and various other panels replaced.
She was moved to Hack Green Nuclear Bunker in Nantwich where little happened to her until the passing of Ray Walker, one of the trio of people making up the Phantom Preservation Group. Mike Davey then took full ownership of her, and in 2011 moved her to Newark. A rush of work found her paintwork smartened up and seats reinstalled to go on display.
Restoration continued from then and in 2016 she was repainted in her current scheme. She is now managed by the British Phantom Preservation Group (Mike being a member of the senior management team) and is often opened up by BPAG on event days such as Cockpitfest. More information and photos of XV490 can be found on the BPAG website.
She was moved to Hack Green Nuclear Bunker in Nantwich where little happened to her until the passing of Ray Walker, one of the trio of people making up the Phantom Preservation Group. Mike Davey then took full ownership of her, and in 2011 moved her to Newark. A rush of work found her paintwork smartened up and seats reinstalled to go on display.
Restoration continued from then and in 2016 she was repainted in her current scheme. She is now managed by the British Phantom Preservation Group (Mike being a member of the senior management team) and is often opened up by BPAG on event days such as Cockpitfest. More information and photos of XV490 can be found on the BPAG website.
Information on this page current as of 23/12/2021, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of XV490 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net