Hind at Spadeadam

Subject: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-07-27, 14:58

A couple of shots taken two weeks ago, deep inside Spadeadam.

Hind at Spadeadam Hind

Location : Las Vegas Spotter Watch Member : No

Very cool , any identity known on this ??

Subject: Re: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-07-29, 06:54

Supposidely acquired by the men in black from Iraq Wink

Location : Newcastle-upon-Tyne Spotter Watch Member : No

Which part of the range is this actually on? Wiley Sike or ? It doesn't appear to be the 'airfield'

Cheers
Dave

Subject: Re: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-07-29, 13:11

u cant see it unless you have a guided tour... its actually at...

55° 3'25.76"N
2°33'54.22"W
roughly, and as for id its either 1 from DERA at Farnbourgh OR its a sneaky one from the East shall we say, as you can see from the condition its it damn fine shape. We had a good poke around and couldnt find a plate (c/n) and our guide had no info. A friend of mine who is rather into russian hardware knew its sub-type which suggested that it wasnt Iraqi. Will add more after i rekindle the conversation.

Location : Las Vegas Spotter Watch Member : No

Thanks for the extra info Skoshi , very interesting. Any other info much appreciated.

Location : Lincs

Obviously ex-East German and Iraqi examples spring to mind as a source. There were other examples captured or from defections going back to the 1980s. The first examples to fall into western hands would have been the defections to Pakistan from Afghanistan. A couple of Afghan Air Force Hinds are noted to have ended up in Pakistan during the Soviet Afghan campaign. Other examples from Libya during its incursions into Chad are known to have ended up in western hands. The rumours are that the UK received at least one of these captured or defection airframes during the 80s.

TJ

Location : Hemel Hempstead, UK Spotter Watch Member : No

skoshi wrote:: as you can see from the condition its it damn fine shape.

Good condition? It looks like it just landed there and the pilots' gone for lunch!!

Subject: Re: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-08-01, 16:37

Hind D from my mate who is in the know.... so cant be Iraqi...

Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

Skoshi wrote:: Hind D from my mate who is in the know.... so cant be Iraqi...

Yep, looks like a Hind-D. Iraqi Army got loads of Hind-Ds (Mi-25 export version), so I see no reason from that point of view that it can't be ex-Iraqi.

Farnborough had an unidentified Hind a few years ago. This helicopter left there in late 2002/early 2003 I recall, supposedly heading for somewhere up north like Spadeadam. This may well be the same helicopter, and it is perfectly reasonable to assume that Iraq could well have been the source for it.

Location : south coast Spotter Watch Member : no

Could not find it on Google Earth at 55 03 25 76N 02 33 54 22 W

Due to its good condition they may keep in in one of the buildings nearby, which also appears to have some old military tanks in the same area.

Did check Google Earth on the airfield site on the Otterburn Range, which still shows several aircraft littered around this airfield site at 55 03.01N 2.33.19W

Location : south coast Spotter Watch Member : no

Had a quick search around the aear, still cannot find the Hind, possible as suggested kept indoors, and wheeled out when require for air to ground photo's etc.

Did find a nice SCUD in launch mode at 55 02.03.02N 2 35.01.54W (Google Earth)

Subject: Re: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-08-06, 06:49

Does it still fly or is it a target Confused

Location : south coast Spotter Watch Member : no

I strongly suspect it is only used as a target for a photo rece and dummy attacks, given its position to the nearby EW Threat system, would make it ideal for an aircraft dummey/photo rece mission to come under exstensive EW when operating in this area.

Subject: Re: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-08-06, 09:49

It looks flyable but i doubt it is nice aircraft isn it

Location : south coast Spotter Watch Member : no

Ground frame only (it does not fly anymore), well used for air photo rece work etc, as can be seen from the photo, situated near trees with large earth mound all around it on three sides, and with the EW Tx site a few miles away, makes it a bit hairy for the pilots to get a clear photo of it from the air.

Strongly suspect that they also place in in one of the nearby buildings when not required, as it does look in very good condition, and just to upset me Crying

, so that I cannot come along in my PA-28 Cherokee and take photo's of it from the air.

Suspect they move it around the site as required, notice some of the tanks have move location from old photo's.

Location : Lincs

No images of the Hind, but lots of images of the aircraft, targets and decoys.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/aboutus/umberland.cfm

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/aboutus/aircraft.cfm

Targets and Decoys

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=1

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=10

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=19

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=28

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=37

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=46

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=55

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery/targetsanddecoys.cfm?start=64

TJ

Location : south coast Spotter Watch Member : no

When I checked on Google Earth, it showed 10 aircraft still on the dummy airfield site (55 03.01N 2.33.19W).

Interesting that the MOD pictures did not show the Hind, but then if one takes the time on Google Earth, and has some knowledge, you can find all sort of interesting items (structures and movable equipment) around the various range sites, some of which are well hidden!

Just wonder what else is hidden up their, in the varst area Secret

, would have thought there would be more than one helicopter hidden in this danger area, even if it was an old British ex Army helicopter, just to make it more fun and harder for the PR guys to draw up their assessment.

Certainly I know that there are lots of different radar unit type units, not all of them built in the west.

Did visit this a couple of the sites many years ago, and just soak to the skin, but was not allowed to take any photo's at the time.

Location : Beverley Spotter Watch Member : no

Strange how its missing as it used to be on Google Earth, unless its been moved since March '09 and I doubt very much it would fit in the buildings nearby. But there again there is a lot missing off the range when I look in Google Earth, like the SU22 (I think it is if I recall) at the airfield.

In fact located the SU22 and its nowhere near the airfield now, or is Google Earth that out of date the SU22 is where it was before moving to the airfield?

55° 2'26.90"N 2°37'55.32"W

Location : Newcastle-upon-Tyne Spotter Watch Member : No

Hi Zacklaws,

Cracking shots. The SU-22 was at Prior Lancey the last time I was up at Spadeadam (on the Western part of the range and visible from the farm & where Google Earth still shows it). Can you confirm it had moved to the Airfield by the time you visited in March?

Cheers
Dave

Location : Beverley Spotter Watch Member : no

Yes it was on the airfield back in March.

Hind at Spadeadam ColinskiAirfield22

Location : Newcastle-upon-Tyne Spotter Watch Member : No

Thanks, starting to look a tired airframe :-(

Cheers
Dave

Subject: Re: Hind at Spadeadam 2009-08-10, 15:10

image date is Apr 2006 so dont take much notice!...