Abandoned T-33

danny_bhoy

danny_bhoy

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I saw this plane on the forum a few days ago and was gobsmacked at just how something so awesome could be just sitting there in a field. So I contact the guy who'd been (@abandonedbritain) and he was gracious enough to send the co-ordinates so that myself and @nickjohnwatson could find it.

After an hours drive and half an hours trek though sometimes waist deep marshland and bog we made it just in time for sunset.

Although the land around it is largely baron, I wanted to shoot the plane as part of the landscape rather than getting close and filling the frame with it. Always, any comments or crit are gratefully received :)

Abandoned by Danny Birrell, on Flickr
 
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kendo1 said:
A worthwhile endeavour, I'm just not convinced by the 50/50 composition.

Not even on the thirds for the wreck!

The lighting is good, the composition - meh :D


Edit: This shot has a lot in common with the pic in this thread:
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/the-bridge-on-the-beach.629759/
Click to expand...

Yeah it was an incredibly awkward composition. Trying to include the sunburst, plane and the few clouds that were in the sky was maybe a fools errand. Especially when squelching knee deep in muck! :)
 
Its unbelievable that this wreck looks mainly intact (looks like the starboard mainplane (Wing) is still attached too. I guess that the reason for it remaining intact and with very little damage was the soft boggy ground (Nicely put down by some pilot).
I take it you popped of some more shots while you were there and made the most of your efforts to get there. I don't mind the composition because you have room in the frame for manoeuvre and maybe it would benefit from some judicial cropping. I think its a great find Danny keep the locality quiet and preserve this great site!
Well done on ploughing through the crud to get to it
 
69Bonni said:
Its unbelievable that this wreck looks mainly intact (looks like the starboard mainplane (Wing) is still attached too. I guess that the reason for it remaining intact and with very little damage was the soft boggy ground (Nicely put down by some pilot).
I take it you popped of some more shots while you were there and made the most of your efforts to get there. I don't mind the composition because you have room in the frame for manoeuvre and maybe it would benefit from some judicial cropping. I think its a great find Danny keep the locality quiet and preserve this great site!
Well done on ploughing through the crud to get to it
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Thanks for having a look Steve!

Yeah it's more or less still al there. It was amazing looking in the cockpit and seeing a lot of the labels for various instruments still there too. Wish I'd taken a few more shots while I was there but the angle of the setting sun and the conditions underfoot made it tricky. I shot on or two more frames - one of which I may well have gone a bit OTT on with the cinematic crop but thought that the subject warranted it (below)....
 
Nice
I can see this becoming a spot for a shot for a milkyway with that plane and some light painting
 
alfbranch said:
Nice
I can see this becoming a spot for a shot for a milkyway with that plane and some light painting
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Great minds think alike Alf. I was saying the same thing to the fellas who were there - perfect foreground for milky way or star trails. Almost no light pollution in the area either!
 
I think the first shot is better than the second, which seems a little lifeless, I guess the sun had dipped quite a bit by then.
With a little tweaking, the first one could be improved; a little drop in the highlights, a touch more contrast and a small crop to change the framing slightly. But that's my thoughts, it's your image ;)
And all this is only in hindsight, when you're up against the setting sun and on tricky terrain, you get what you can before you lose the light.

alfbranch said:
Nice
I can see this becoming a spot for a shot for a milkyway with that plane and some light painting
Click to expand...
I might be a nice foreground subject, but I could see issues with getting low enough to get a plane that is on it's belly into a shot of the stars. It might also be tricky getting a stable tripod in such boggy conditions.
 
alfbranch said:
Nice
I can see this becoming a spot for a shot for a milkyway with that plane and some light painting
Click to expand...

Oh wow yes, that would be fantastic.
 
I'm not sure sunset is the best time for a subject such as this, although I do like the top one.

I tend to think that subdued lighting (light overall cloud) would be more suitable; possibly even black and white?

Either would give a more gritty, realistic feel to the image.
 
I'm liking the story behind this as much as the first image.
Very difficult to suggest alternatives, but I might have attempted to struggle a few paces to the right to get a sunburst through the canopy?
Either way, it's about being there and getting an image you like and can work with, so very well done.
 
I like the composition. It really speaks to the plane having been dumped and forgotten.
 
69Bonni said:
Its unbelievable that this wreck looks mainly intact (looks like the starboard mainplane (Wing) is still attached too. I guess that the reason for it remaining intact and with very little damage was the soft boggy ground (Nicely put down by some pilot).
Click to expand...

It's on the edge of a test range area. So it's perhaps more likely it was placed there for some reason rather than being a crash site.
 
Dryce said:
It's on the edge of a test range area. So it's perhaps more likely it was placed there for some reason rather than being a crash site.
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Ah right in that case its likely it was placed it that position for target practice then. Interesting must have been RAF base in that case, if it was a Fleet Air Arm target it would have been full of holes:D:ROFLMAO:
 
Don't think the sunset is of value.

The subject, is of certain interest in itself. However. I prefer the second shot anyway. The subject does not need a sunset which actually detracts from a very interesting subject.

Not to say your photo's are not good, they are very interesting.

Where did you find the jet?

Mj (just my humble opinion):):)
 
Time stands still eh Danny great effort appears to have been a logistical nightmare actually getting to it.
You did it proud Danny especially when its outside of your usual genre.
Well done.
GEORGE.
 
ABTog said:
I think the first shot is better than the second, which seems a little lifeless, I guess the sun had dipped quite a bit by then.
With a little tweaking, the first one could be improved; a little drop in the highlights, a touch more contrast and a small crop to change the framing slightly. But that's my thoughts, it's your image ;)
And all this is only in hindsight, when you're up against the setting sun and on tricky terrain, you get what you can before you lose the light.


I might be a nice foreground subject, but I could see issues with getting low enough to get a plane that is on it's belly into a shot of the stars. It might also be tricky getting a stable tripod in such boggy conditions.
Click to expand...
jerry12953 said:
I'm not sure sunset is the best time for a subject such as this, although I do like the top one.

I tend to think that subdued lighting (light overall cloud) would be more suitable; possibly even black and white?

Either would give a more gritty, realistic feel to the image.
Click to expand...
reheat module said:
I'm liking the story behind this as much as the first image.
Very difficult to suggest alternatives, but I might have attempted to struggle a few paces to the right to get a sunburst through the canopy?
Either way, it's about being there and getting an image you like and can work with, so very well done.
Click to expand...
Alan Clogwyn said:
I like the composition. It really speaks to the plane having been dumped and forgotten.
Click to expand...
Dryce said:
It's on the edge of a test range area. So it's perhaps more likely it was placed there for some reason rather than being a crash site.
Click to expand...
Mark Johnson said:
Don't think the sunset is of value.

The subject, is of certain interest in itself. However. I prefer the second shot anyway. The subject does not need a sunset which actually detracts from a very interesting subject.

Not to say your photo's are not good, they are very interesting.

Where did you find the jet?

Mj (just my humble opinion):):)
Click to expand...
HYLTON GEORGE said:
Time stands still eh Danny great effort appears to have been a logistical nightmare actually getting to it.
You did it proud Danny especially when its outside of your usual genre.
Well done.
GEORGE.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the comments and crit everyone. Very much appreciated!

I'd like to say it's all taken on board for the next visit but, taking into account the madness of trying to reach the plane and sketchy nature of it being on MOD land, there probably won't be a next time! :)
 
I guess the secrecy isn't that important as there is always some mindless plonker that would be happy to vandalise such sites anyhow.
Like the well know abandon boat that some yob torched on Dungeness beach.
 
Dryce said:
Why the assumed secrecy?

It's not exactly hard to find it via Google.
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Probably because it is on a live RAF missile range and you shouldn't be there.

RAF Spadeadam Moor, associated with the 1960s Blue Streak nuclear missiles and subsequent missile testing.

Can't see the MP will be too chuffed with regular visits from togs so expect them to start getting interested.

Hope you are good with military trained GSDs or the occasional target practice.
 
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shreds said:
Probably because it is on a live RAF missile range and you shouldn't be there.

RAF Spadeadam Moor, associated with the 1960s Blue Streak nuclear missiles and subsequent missile testing.

Can't see the MP will be too chuffed with regular visits from togs so expect them to start getting interested.

Hope you are good with military trained GSDs or the occasional target practice.
Click to expand...

I wish there was a "yawn" emoji available :)

Yes it was a little risky and probably a shade towards the dangerous side too but if we all just stuck to taking pictures of our pet cats or pretty patterns in our Starbucks caffé macciato and posting them to Instagram then the photography world would be a bit tedious wouldn't it.

We assessed the risk upon arriving, found that you could clearly see the plane a few hundred yards from a public road, no fences or any sort of obstruction (apart from a boggy field) getting to it and only one sign advising to keep out of red flags were flying....which they obviously weren't.

We kept our whits about us while we were there, stayed the minimal amount of time, didn't even touch the plane and headed off home.
 
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shreds said:
Assessed the risk?

:withstupid:
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Yeah, absolutely. As much as was humanly possible with the information available anyway. There was one small sign warning of the red flags which weren't present, the site was very close to a public road with absolutely no fences or barriers present and we were there a very minimal amount of time. So, like I said, we looked at the situation, assessed the risk and came to the conclusion that we'd have been very unlucky to have been hit by a nuke :) :) :)

Feel free to court martial me at will :) :)
 
69Bonni said:
Like the well know abandon boat that some yob torched on Dungeness beach.
Click to expand...
I thought it was a careless photographer that failed to realise that smoke bombs get hot? - you could call them a yob, but I suspect if you gave half the members here a smoke bomb to play with there'd be a spate of accidental fires and third degree burns. Half of any population has less than the average intelligence..


I believe Spadeadam had seven ex-Belgian T-33 airframes. At least two have been scrapped and most of the rest are in much worse condition. It looks like this one hasn't yet been dragged to the active areas for use as a target. There are some very interesting targets on the live parts of the range.
 
Totally agree with @danny_bhoy on assessing the risk and going ahead and getting some snaps of the plane, some of the best pics taken are by people who are in situations and locations others wouldn't have the balls to put themselves in!
 
Some very quick searching gives seven ex-Belgian T-33A (between two and four scrapped/destroyed), eight ex-French Mystere IVA, an ex-German SU-22M, a Mil Mi-24 (possibly removed/destroyed), possibly a couple of Mig-23, a variety of AFVs, a mocked up Scud launcher, etc. They're generally listed when they arrive - but their current status vs. destruction as a target is always a little vague. Official photos also show a variety of rather sorry looking historic British jet airframes.

I believe your airframe is either FT-10 or FT-11 which were photographed close together in May 2004 according to a post on FighterControl.


The paint jobs are the range getting playful with the Dulux...
 
Some former colleagues used to carry out gas-cloud explosion tests there. Probably getting on for twenty-years ago though.
 
Hey man, I'd love to check this out on Google maps. I live a bit too far away for a visit but would you please be able to send me the coordinates?
 
I should be visiting this in a few weeks time as I'll be working in Hexham. If anyone want to join me, it will be a working week day, probably mid-late afternoon. I am well aware of the rules of Spadeadam, I am ex-RAF so know exactly the rules and lay of the land etc.
As for Milky way shots, a quick google search will show this has already been captured, and looks awesome. I'm sure it was someone off the LTPNE page, Nick might have already seen them .
 
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