RAF Coltishall Heritage Centre

SEPECAT Jaguar GR-1 (XZ384)

First flown on 18th March 1977, XZ384 was delivered to RAF Bruggen and 20 Squadron on 6th April 1977. She went on to serve briefly with 31 Squadron from July to October 1984, and then finally to 17 Squadron (coded BC). She had a relatively short career, and the airframe carried out her last flight on 28th February 1985, back to the UK and storage at RAF Shawbury.

She was later transported to RAF Cosford in March 1988. At Cosford, XZ384 joined the DCAE school where she was used for ground instructional purposes. Having stayed undercover for so long being looked after by the apprentices, the airframe remained in very good condition, though she did go on to spend some time out in the weather when the instructional fleet was also retired, and has become rather faded as a result.

It was advertised in June 2023 that XZ384 would be going for auction over the following months, and by early 2024, we at the RAF Coltishall Heritage Centre had acquired the aircraft. We then ran a successful crowdfunding effort to raise the money needed to transport XZ384 ‘home’ to RAF Coltishall for preservation and display, and she duly arrived here on 19th July 2024.

Whilst never based at Coltishall, it is great to see a Jaguar back at “The Home of the Jaguar” at long last and we intend to proudly display her for all our visitors to see.