Phantom bits from Newtownards

[smudge]

Next time you're ogling the brutal lines of the Phantom FG.Mk.1 at Long Kesh, have a look at those folded outer wings.

Their components were pressed and cut at the Shorts Hawlmark factory in Newtownards

Part of the offset contract with McDonnell was for several UK companies to ship components and equipment over to the St Louis production line.  The outer wings were assembled by Shorts in Belfast from the Newtownards-produced stringers and panels.  $2.5 million contract in 1965 was a lot of money.

I believe this was just for the UK-contract F-4K & M.

Snippets below are from Flight and AvWeek respectively.


Question arises: if the UK had signed-up for the follow-up variable-geometry F-4FVS, as had been proposed, would Short have supplied the entire wing...?  Sadly the FVS variant didn't make it into production.



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[Angry Turnip]

Interesting stuff,and I notice Plessey listed as one of the company`s  supplying parts.I have a few relatives that worked in their plant near Ballynahinch Co.Down somewhere,it was always referred to as " The Plessey ".

A swing wing Phantom sounds very sporty,not sure how that would look.

[gadwall58]

Wasn't Plessy on the road from Ballynahinch to Downpatrick.

[Angry Turnip]

Wasn't Plessy on the road from Ballynahinch to Downpatrick.

I`m not sure where it was exactly-I was only a kid when I heard them talking about it,but I do know it was around Ballynahinch area somewhere.
I will do some googling and see what I can find-just out of curiosity.

I just thought it was quite funny the way folk called it The Plessey,and it sounded very hush hush.

[smudge]

A swing wing Phantom sounds very sporty,not sure how that would look.

https://hushkit.net/2015/05/17/f-4x-phantom-iii-the-swing-wing-phantom/

[Angry Turnip]

A swing wing Phantom sounds very sporty,not sure how that would look.

https://hushkit.net/2015/05/17/f-4x-phantom-iii-the-swing-wing-phantom/

Eugh..........not sure about that-maybe a grower. 

[Angry Turnip]

Wasn't Plessy on the road from Ballynahinch to Downpatrick.

It`s just off the Dromore Rd,then first right up the Antrim Road.

It changed hands many times and is now called Nitronica....http://nitronica.com/   and   http://nitronica.com/about-us/

[smudge]

Plessey ( Northern Ireland ) Ltd: System-X power units & cables as part of the Telecommunications division headquartered at Liverpool.

http://www.comms.org.uk/systemx/

Quick digging command about the Ballynahinch factory:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ballynahinch+site%3Awww.plesseyattheedge.co.uk

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[smudge]

Snippet I discovered whilst researching Plessey: one other proposal for the UK requirement that led to the Phantom was the two-seat variant of the Vought Crusader pushed by a Spey, to have been built entirely by Shorts in Belfast 

Less capable but cheaper and as the man says the Right Weight for UK carriers; even with the extended nose oleo the RN Phantoms were payload-restricted.   Might have made a better Hunter replacement for the RAF than the mighty Toom, too.

From Flight 5 December 1963.

Update: found a lovely rendering on Photobucket by GTwiner. 

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