The fuselage indeed looks like an SF-5B rather than a single-seater (checked the rear canopy edge in relation to the - partly missing - engine intake. The single canopy edge is more foreward).
Talavera's original dual-seaters had a silver finish, and received a grey camo pattern in the 1990s. Moron's (Ala 21) four trainers received the camouflage pattern as seen in your image in the 1980s, and then transferred to Talavera after Ala 21 withdrew the SF-5. So it should be one of these (AE.9-001/003/005/018). However, all were still operational in the early 1990s, as you indicate the picture was taken. In fact, three of these still are (003 was written off in 2003), and all received the grey camo...
So, it must be an original Talavera dual then? There are two possible candidates: AE.9-015/23-08 crashed 600 meters short of the Talavera runway on 7 October 1991; AE.9-034/23-22 (although still coded 731-34 at the time of the crash) crashed on approach to Talavera on 1 Sept 1988. But, both aircraft had a silver finish when written-off. So, the fuselage had to be repainted for whatever reason after the crash, then. Could be, but seems a bit unlikely to me.
All remaining SF-5Bs have been accounted for, unless I'm overlooking some thing.
Or, isn't it a dualseat after all?
Thank you Captain Ditch for the very interesting analysis. I did not have this info.
Since I visited both Moron en several times Talavera in the 1990-1997 period I am not eactly sure when and were the picture was taken but my best guess still is Talavera in the early 1990s.
Funny thing is, I checked all the ex Moron SF-5Bs you mentioned and I got all of them in Ala-23 operational conditions.
Looks like an SF-5A to me. According to Eurodemobbed, the fuselage of A.9-037 was noted there as dumped as late as 2003. Could that be the one? Scramble database says it was written off in december 1983, and noticed dumped at Talavera for the first time in 1995.
frank kramer wrote:Looks like an SF-5A to me. According to Eurodemobbed, the fuselage of A.9-037 was noted there as dumped as late as 2003. Could that be the one? Scramble database says it was written off in december 1983, and noticed dumped at Talavera for the first time in 1995.
A.9-037 ran off the runway at Moron on 2 December 1983 and was subsequently used for spares at Moron. Sounds plausible that the airframe was moved to Talavera at a later stage.
Thanks for bringing up this topic btw, had not seen my Spanish slides for years. Those were the days
