Jet Provost heaven - Jet Provost T.5 survivor

The second of the prototype T.5 Jet Provosts, XS231 was converted on the production line from a standard T.4 at Warton.
The aircraft had the registration G-ATAJ reserved for it but BAC never took it up. Its exact history is unclear, but it is known that it was sent to Boscombe Down and used for a time by the Aircraft Armament and Experimental Establishment (AA&EE) in 1968.
XS231 later had a spell with the Royal Aircraft Establishment before being moved to RAF Kemble for storage with No.5 Maintenance Unit (5MU). It remained at Kemble until 1984 when 5MU ceased operating, and XS231 moved to RAF Shawbury for further storage. On 18th March 1988 it was moved by road to RAF Scampton. Its stay lasted a year before being put up for tender in March 1989, and Jet Heritage at Bournemouth acquired it.

Late 1989 saw XS231 arrive in Dorset, and it was used as a source of spares by the JHL engineering team in the restoration of Jet Provost T.4 XR658. Once its "Christmas tree" assignment was over, XS231 moved on again, this time to Bruntingthorpe airfield under the ownership of Neville Martin of Phoenix Aviation. Its stay in Leicestershire lasted just over eight years, by which time it was reduced to a fuselage only.

In early 1999 the fuselage of XS231 was sold to Dick Everett and was moved to his Ipswich home during the summer months. Placed in storage it was purchased by its current owner Tim Jones in June 2001. It was moved by low loader to Tim's home in Barnstaple, where he hoped to acquire parts in due course to complete the airframe.

During 2008, the cockpit section was sold to Dave Taylor and following its move to South Molton in Devon, and he began to restore it back to its former glory. In October 2009, XS231 moved on again this time to Bsocombe Down where it joined the resident Aircraft Collection. The restoration program continues.

Related web-links:

KNOWN JET PROVOST T.5 SURVIVORS
[History of the JP5]	[Back to the known survivors table]

	"JET PROVOST HEAVEN"