MEMORIAL HUNTER
 |
||
|
Click image to enlarge
|
||
Previously situated on the approach to the museum, the memorial Hunter started life as ET-272, the second in a batch of two T7`s built for Denmark (designated T53). Built at Kinston-upon-Thames, it was first flown on 11th November 1958 and delivered in December when it served with Esk724 from Aalborg until being retired in 1974. In 1975 it was sold and put into storage. It was later sold again (minus its nose) and used as spares for G-HUNT and G-BOOM both of which were later aquired by Mike Carlton together with ET-272 which was moved to Bournemouth in late 1982 (still without its nose). More parts were removed for spares and the remains were later shipped off to become a `gate guard` at Biggin Hill in 1985 having acquired a second hand nose from a Hunter F6 (XJ690).
In
1986 (the same year as Mike Carlton`s tragic death) ET-272 was again put
into storage. In November 1989 it was purchased by Jet Heritage and shipped
back to Bournemouth where it was refurbished and given a new plinth. In
1991 ET-272 was unveiled as a fitting memorial to Mike Carlton the founder
of the `Hunter One` collection, later to become `Jet Heritage, and finally
Bournemouth Aviation Museum.