Built by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri, XV490 was one of 118 Phantom FGR.2 aircraft produced for the Royal Air Force between 1967 and 1969. The aircraft entered RAF service in 1969 and served with several squadrons throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Nos. 54, 23, 92, and 74 Squadrons. During its operational career, XV490 flew from several important RAF stations, including RAF Coningsby, RAF Wattisham, RAF Wildenrath in Germany, and RAF Leuchars in Scotland. The Phantom is particularly remembered for its service with No. 92 Squadron at RAF Wildenrath during the early 1980s, wearing the classic green-and-gray camouflage scheme associated with RAF Germany operations during the Cold War. That appearance would later inspire the preservation team’s restoration work on the surviving cockpit section. After returning to the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, XV490 served with 228 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Leuchars and was even earmarked for deployment to the Falkland Islands with 1435 Flight in 1988. Mechanical issues prevented the deployment, and the aircraft instead continued operating in the UK until the RAF began retiring the Phantom fleet following the 1990 “Options for Change” defense review. XV490 was withdrawn from RAF service in late 1992 and scrapped the following year. Fortunately, the cockpit section survived and eventually passed through several preservation groups and private owners before going on public display. After Mike Davey assumed ownership of the cockpit in 2011, XV490 became a centerpiece attraction at Newark Air Museum and made a strong impression during that year’s Cockpit Fest event, where it won the “Cockpiteers Award.”
Several years later, members of the British Phantom Aviation Group (BPAG) partnered with Davey to undertake a major restoration project after signs of deterioration became apparent. Over the course of approximately a year, volunteers repaired structural damage, treated corrosion, restored the canopies, and refinished the cockpit using archival photographs and original RAF paint references. The completed restoration accurately recreated XV490’s appearance during its service with No. 92 Squadron at RAF Wildenrath in 1983. The restored cockpit debuted at Cockpit Fest 2016, where it won the event’s “Grand Champion Award.” Former Phantom navigator and aviation author Dave Gledhill, who had flown in XV490 during RAF service, attended the unveiling alongside former No. 92 Squadron pilot Tony Wheeler.
Throughout its time at Newark, XV490 appeared at numerous events across the United Kingdom, including airshows, Armed Forces Day celebrations, reenactments, and educational displays. In 2017, the cockpit even participated in a green-screen filming session supporting students from the National Film & Television School in London. The impending departure of XV490 from Newark Air Museum will take place on June 16, 2026. Before heading south to its new home in the Cotswolds, the cockpit will make a final public appearance at the Lincolnshire County Show. For more information about Newark Air Museum, visit www.newarkairmuseum.org.
