"JET PROVOST HEAVEN"


KNOWN JET PROVOST T.3 SURVIVORS
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HUNTING JET PROVOST T.3A XN462
 
   
Hunting Jet Provost XN462 was built at Luton as a Mk.3 for the Royal Air Force. It undertook its first flight in the summer of 1960, and was part of Hunting Aircraft Ltd's exhibition at the 1960 Farnborough Airshow later that year. On 29th September 1960, XN462 was transferred onto military charge. It was assigned to 27MU (Maintenance Unit) RAF Shawbury, where it was subsequently prepared for service.

Its military career began at RAF Linton-on-Ouse with 1FTS (Flying Training School), as aeroplane '23', and it remained in use with the Unit until a move to 2FTS (as aeroplane '9') at RAF Syerston a few years later. On 5th September 1966, it suffered an accident on take-off, but was declared repairable by the RAF. This work was carried out by 27MU at Shawbury, and it was back in service by the end of the decade with the CFS (Central Flying School) at RAF Little Rissington.

On 15th July 1975, XN462 left the CFS fleet and was ferried to Warton airfield in Lancashire, where the British Aircraft Corporation carried out modernisation work.
Now re-designated as a Mk.3A Jet Provost, XN462 was test flown on 8th October 1975, and it was back on RAF charge by the end of that month.
Its spell in service only lastly a matter of months, as by the summer of 1976 XN462 was in store at 5MU Kemble. During the latter part of the decade, XN462 was noted in use with 7FTS at RAF Church Fenton and 1FTS at Linton-on-Ouse (as '55') before being placed in store once more at Kemble.

During December 1981, the aeroplane re-started its flying career with 3FTS based at RAF Leeming, as 'E'. It was later absorbed by the Central Flying School, which was based on the same airfield.
A move to 7FTS at Church Fenton occurred in April 1984, where it took on the identity '87', and it remained in use with the Unit until it retired the Jet Provost in favour of the Tucano during 1989.
XN462 was ferried to RAF Scampton where it re-joined the Central Flying School for a third spell, this time a 14-month period. It joined 1FTS at Linton-On-Ouse in April 1991, and this turned out to be its last posting before retirement a year later. XN462 was ferried to RAF Shawbury and placed in store pending disposal.

In November 1992, the aeroplane was put up for tender, and acquired by ex-Fleet Air Arm pilot Brent Owen. It was moved by road to a location at Sharnford in Lincolnshire, where it was placed in storage.
XN462 remained at Sharnford until 25th March 1998, when it arrived at the Fleet Air Arm Museum's storage hangar at Wroughton Airfield in Wiltshire.
A week before its move, Brent Owen had donated the aeroplane to the Museum collection.
Brent earned his flying 'wings' on XN462 with 1FTS, where numerous Fleet Air Arm pilots received their flying training. With the store's imminent closure and move to RNAS Yeovilton XN462 departed Wroughton in November 1999, and was moved inside the Fleet Air Arm Museum's superb storage facility 'Cobham Hall' where it remains today.

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