Aeroplane Monthly 2017-03

SPECIAL ISSUE! SALUTE TO TEST FLYING G

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More orr thhaaann a Cent ennttuuurry r off Hist stoorry ry in thhee Air

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LANCASTER

will fly again

Under the skin of East Kirkby’s Just Jane

WA R B I R D S

Aeroplane meets… Peter Teichman Founding and running the Hangar 11 Collection

MARCH 2017

T E S T F LY I N G

COMET FAREWELL Plus… Wartime evaluation at Duxford • Seafire, Mustang and Javelin on test

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Contents

March 2017

Vol 45, no 3 • Issue no 527

86

32 44

54

60 72

NEWS AND COMMENT

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FROM THE EDITOR

EAST KIRKBY LANCASTER Just Jane takes a major step towards returning to flight

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NEWS • RAFM Walrus going to Solent Sky • Collings Foundation buys Hurricane • Cutbacks for Vulcan to the Sky • Historic Flight acquires Rapide • Dutch DC-4 returning … and the month’s other top aircraft preservation news

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SCANDINAVIAN SANDRINGHAMS The Shorts flying boat in service with DNL and SAS

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HANGAR TALK Steve Slater’s monthly comment column on the historic aircraft world

FEATURES

FLIGHT

TEST 36

44

REGULARS 17

SKYWRITERS

20

Q&A Your questions asked and answered

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102 AIRCREW The 100th — and last — instalment of our popular series looks at the work of a US Air Force EF-111 Raven electronic warfare officer 121 BOOKS 130 NEXT MONTH

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A special 35-page section saluting British test flying

AIR FIGHTING DEVELOPMENT UNIT Wartime tactical development — and enemy aircraft exploitation SEAFIRE 45 Not destined for production, but an important ‘stepping stone’ to new variants of the naval fighter XP-51F When Supermarine test pilots sampled a potent Mustang ENGINE TEST JAVELINS Trialling the Gyron Junior and Avon in Gloster’s big delta COMET CANOPUS The final flying years of the last airworthy de Havilland DH106 BEARCATS ON THE BOXER A difficult day at sea for some US Navy fighter pilots

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AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

80

MARENDAZ The controversial life of a WW1 pilot turned sports car manufacturer, aircraft-builder — and ‘security risk’

86

PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER Air-to-air with a unique heavy warbird

94

AEROPLANE MEETS… PETER TEICHMAN We talk to the founder of the Hangar 11 Collection

105 DATABASE: AIRSPEED ED ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL James Kightly provides a detailed examination of these versatile British classic twins

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IN-DEPTH PAGES

124 OP ‘THWART’ PIONEERS The Scottish Aviation light transport’s part in combating Cypriot guerrillas COVER IMAGE: The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre’s Lancaster VII NX611 Just Jane. DARREN HARBAR

ESTABLISHED 1911

Aeroplane traces its lineage back to the weekly The Aeroplane, founded by C. G. Grey in 1911 and published until 1968. It was re-launched as a monthly in 1973 by Richard T. Riding, editor for 25 years until 1998.

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From the

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lmost no sooner had the last issue gone on sale with its Vulcan to the Sky cover story than news came of the latest saga to afflict XH558. The situation, as far had been made known at late January, is summarised in our news pages; suffice to say, it has provoked much reaction. On the one hand, such is public support for the aircraft that fundraising towards new temporary quarters at its Doncaster Sheffield Airport home had reached more than 38 per cent of the required total by the time we went to press. On the other, XH558’s and the trust’s predicament adds some weight to the views of those who feel that the Vulcan’s future would have better been served by its final flight in 2015 ending up somewhere else. With the aeroplane forced into storage by commercial demands on the airport’s space, no public access, that accommodation remaining rent-free only until the end of April and staff being laid off, the position as it stood at the end of January was a sad one indeed. Things will have moved on by the time you read this, so any further comment at this stage seems irrelevant. However, one point should be kept in mind. The fact of XH558’s restoration having been granted National Lottery funding has always imposed conditions on this project that don’t apply to other airworthy historic aircraft. And while the Heritage Lottery Fund did enable us to see a Vulcan flying again, it is easy to see why other return-to-flight efforts have steered clear. The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre’s Lancaster restoration (see pages 24-30) is one such, and the reasons why make interesting reading. This month marks the end of an Aeroplane era, as our popular Aircrew column, so diligently compiled by James Kightly and splendidly illustrated by Ian Bott, comes to an conclusion. Their examination of the role of a US Air Force EF-111 Raven electronic warfare officer is the 100th subject in the series, and we felt that this milestone provided a suitable opportunity on which to close. Thanks to James and Ian for

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all their hard work on Aircrew — but they’ll be back to collaborate on a new regular feature from the May issue onwards. Watch this space. It was with great sadness, meanwhile, that we learned of the recent death aged 89 of that outstanding photographer Maurice Rowe. He worked for The Aeroplane during its days as part of the Temple Press stable, as well as its sister titles including The Motor; indeed, it was for his motorsport photography that Maurice was perhaps best-known, his book ‘Track Record’ showcasing some of his finest work. Yet he was a lifelong aviation enthusiast, having been an Air Training Corps member and once flown in a Lancaster out of RAF Waterbeach. It was his interest in aircraft that led him to turn up at the Temple Press offices in London as a keen 17-year-old in 1944, and leave with a job. Later he did his National Service as an aircraft mechanic in the Fleet Air Arm, before returning to Temple Press and taking part in some memorable Aeroplane assignments, not least covering the Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-104 visits to London in 1956 — indeed, some of his imagery was included in our story on that subject in the March 2016 issue. Maurice kept in touch regularly with the magazine in its current incarnation: the accompanying photo of him with the Historic Aircraft Collection’s Spitfire was taken after he’d flown alongside the aircraft, his prize for writing our ‘Letter of the Month’ a few years back. His work will continue to feature regularly amongst the archive material we use in our pages, a fitting way in which to remember a delightful man. Our condolences to his wife Beryl, the rest of his family and his many friends. Ben Dunnell

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CONTRIBUTORS THIS MONTH

@HistoryInTheAir

To n y BUTTLER

S co t t GERMAIN

James K I G H T LY

Wa r r e n E . THOMPSON

For 20 years, Tony worked as a metallurgist testing aluminium and titanium components for aviation. During this period his interest in military aircraft grew, particularly in their design and development, and in 1994 he took a masters degree in archives at Loughborough University. Since 1995 Tony has worked as an aviation historian and so far has written 28 major books, numerous titles in the Warpaint series for modellers, and many articles for magazines. He presents lectures to the Royal Aeronautical Society and other groups.

“The Privateer shoot for this issue was a great experience”, says Scott. “I shot out of a T-34, and the pilots had a heck of a time getting speeds and energy synched up. Each aircraft has entirely different mass qualities and carries energy differently. In the end, it all worked out well. Woody Grantham can really handle that airplane. His experience shows. I love imagining the PB4Y in a Navy World War Two tri-colour scheme, with all the gun turrets and blisters installed. That would really be something.”

Always having appreciated the elegant and well-designed Airspeed Oxford, James was pleased to attempt to summarise the fascinating story of the type, together with its Envoy and Consul relatives. A good deal of advice and help is appreciated, including that from Oxford owners Don Subritzky, the IWM, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the National Air Force Museum of New Zealand for access to their aircraft. This is James’ sixth Database, previously having written on the Sunderland (with Allan King), Vimy, Boxkite, Hudson and Boomerang.

Warren’s interest in military aviation goes back 50-plus years, but, he remarks, “there are a few items that have fascinated me more than others. The F8F Bearcat was one of the top propeller-driven aircraft and one of the fastest fighters of its era with a top speed of 455mph, but it was built too late to participate in World War Two. More than 1,200 were built and France was the only operator to use it in combat. The Bearcat article in this month’s issue, therefore, is one of the most interesting to me.”

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AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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EXCLUSIVE

Lottery money and Se

Former Royal Australian Navy Supermarine Seagull V A2-4 looks set to move from the RAF Museum at Hendon to Solent Sky in Southampton, where a major new Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)-supported exhibition, ‘The Romance of the Flying Boat’, is due to open in the spring. The Southamptonbuilt Seagull — the type was renamed Walrus in British service — had been on show in the RAFM’s recently closed

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Battle of Britain Hall since November 1979. On 24 January, a spokesman for the RAF Museum stated: “Discussions are ongoing with Solent Sky as to the loan of the Seagull. Whilst we have agreed in principle, we are awaiting certain details to be finalised before we can officially announce anything. Should all our criteria be met, then the aircraft could leave the RAF Museum for Southampton in a month or so.”

The award of a £64,800 grant towards ‘The Romance of the Flying Boat’ was announced by the HLF on 20 December. The exhibition is being staged to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first Empire flying boat service. On 8 February 1937, Short Empire boat G-ADUW Castor departed from Southampton Water on the type’s inaugural revenue-earning flight, heading for Alexandria, Egypt, a distance of about

2,300 miles. The Imperial Airways flying boat base at Hythe, just south of the city on the western bank of Southampton Water, was officially opened on 5 March that year. The Empire boats soon connected every part of the British Empire, with Southampton at the centre of the world map. ‘The Romance of the Flying Boat’ will feature a recreation of the interior of an Empire boat, including a

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

Seagull for Solent Sky RAFM SEAGULL HISTORY

The fuselage of Supermarine Seagull V A2-4 in the Bomber Command Hall at the RAF Museum, Hendon on 20 January.

specially built flight deck, which will have disabled access. Also on display will be many rare artefacts and photographs. Solent Sky is home to the only preserved, four-engined civilian flying boat in the country, Short Sandringham VH-BRC Beachcomber, which is on permanent loan from the Science Museum. Also on loan from the RAF Museum is Spitfire F24 PK683; it sits next to Supermarine S6A N248,

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

which flew in the September 1929 Schneider Trophy contest at Calshot. The prototype of Britain’s sole jet fighter flying boat, Saunders Roe SRA/1 TG283, is on show too. With the addition of Seagull A2-4, Solent Sky can lay claim to being the UK’s official flying boat museum. Solent Sky’s director Alan Jones said: “I’m delighted to be able to announce our successful bid to the HLF for

The RAF Museum Seagull V is one of 24 of the type ordered for the Royal Australian Navy. On 3 December 1935, the amphibian made its maiden flight from Southampton Water prior to dismantling and crating for shipment to Australia. Taken on charge by No 1 Aircraft Depot at Laverton, Victoria on 21 February 1936, it was allotted to No 101 (Fleet Co-Operation) Flight at Point Cook the following month. On 8 February 1937, A2-4 embarked on HMAS Australia, and the next day made its first catapult launch from the 10,000-tonne heavy cruiser. During late April, A2-4 went on a ‘detached duty’ trip to the Northern Territory with anthropologist Dr Donald Thompson aboard, mapping aboriginal tribal boundaries in the Arnhem Land area in the Northern Territory and surveying the northern Australian coastline. A2-4 embarked on light cruiser HMAS Perth in mid-July 1940, but was to suffer extensive gunfire blast damage to the wings and tail, repairs being carried out by Qantas in October upon disembarkation. It was then converted to target-towing configuration, but in April 1943 returned to operational service, being flown from Bowen on the Queensland coast for antisubmarine patrols and co-operation duties with the US Army. For such purposes, on 26 June 1943 the twin gas-operated Vickers guns were removed from the aft mounting and relocated to a forward mounting, in order to suppress return fire from any submarines encountered. Further modifications saw single guns fitted front and rear in October 1943. The Seagull was sold off on 3 October 1946 for £600, going into storage in the Sydney area for several years before receiving its first certificate of airworthiness in April 1961 as VH-ALB. The following year it was acquired by Barrier Reef Flying Boat Service, operating from Mackay, Queensland to transport light cargo and passengers — usually tourists — up and down the coast and to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The aircraft made its last flight from Bankstown, Sydney on 27 January 1970, being badly damaged after suffering engine failure shortly after take-off. During May 1972 A2-4 was acquired by the RAF Museum, and was airlifted back to the UK in two loads on No 53 Squadron Shorts Belfasts. Restoration commenced in the spring of 1973, the hull going to RAF Wyton where work was undertaken by a volunteer team. The wings were rebuilt by RAF Museum staff at Cardington, and the completed aircraft went on display in the newly opened Battle of Britain Hall at Hendon in November 1979.

this exciting project. Following the success of our popular Schneider Trophy exhibition, we can now place the whole of the Solent area’s maritime aviation heritage on public display”. The exhibition will be put together over the next year, and will then be a permanent fixture. Alan Jones added that Solent Sky is keen to add any photos, memorabilia and memories of flying boats to the exhibition, saying: “Whether a pilot,

stewardess, passenger or engineer, on civil or military flying boats, we would love to hear from anyone who participated in the flying boat era. Interviewers will record these stories, and we will have cameras and sound equipment to preserve this oral history”. If you have any flying boat memories, please e-mail aviation@spitfireonline. co.uk or telephone 023 8063 5830.

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News

Hurricane for Collings

Now owned by the Stow, Massachusetts-based Collings Foundation, Hurricane I P3717/G-HITT has its Merlin XX run up at Turweston this past December. NIGEL HITCHMAN

Hawker Hurricane I P3717/G-HITT, currently at Turweston airfield in Northamptonshire for final preparations prior to a maiden post-restoration flight, has been sold to the Collings Foundation at Stow, Massachusetts. Previously owned by Hugh Taylor, the combat-veteran fighter was restored by Hawker Restorations at Milden, Suffolk between 2014-15, moving to Turweston during February 2015 for assembly and testflying. Built at Brooklands and fitted with a Merlin III engine, P3717 was originally allocated to No

253 Squadron at Kirton-inLindsey during early July 1940. The unit moved to Kenley on 29 August, and the following morning Plt Off Wlodzimierz Samolinski claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 from ZG 2 over the Redhill area in P3717. On 12 September P3717 went to No 257 Squadron at Debden, a day that also saw the arrival of a new CO, Robert Stanford Tuck. Operating from Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire, on 23 September Stanford Tuck led 12 Hurricanes into a dogfight with Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Southend, P3717 suffering battle damage. The aircraft was

Coronado crisis The project to save ex-Spantax Convair CV-990 Coronado EC-BZO at Palma de Mallorca airport has announced that the aircraft is now under severe threat, as official recognition obtained from Majorca’s regional government five years ago designating it as an historic monument has recently been withdrawn. That means that the Spanish Air Force, on whose land it currently rests at Palma, is likely to act to have it removed. The funds of the preservation group Amics de Son San Joan, which has painstakingly carried out various restorative procedures on parts of the aircraft over recent years, do 8 www.aeroplanemonthly.com

despatched to Rolls-Royce at Hucknall in late June 1941 for conversion to MkIIa configuration, which included the fitting of a Merlin XX engine. It was re-serialled DR348, and became one of the first batch of 40 Hurricanes selected for allocation to the Soviet Air Force, being flown to Cardiff on 10 October for packing. Its subsequent combat history is unknown, but the crashed remains of the aircraft were brought back to the UK by Sussex-based Jim Pearce during September 1990. It was soon sold to Steve Milnthorpe, arriving at his home in Hinckley,

Leicestershire the following month for a static restoration, utilising wing sections recovered from a Canadian farm. By January 2004 the fuselage was structurally almost complete when Steve sold the fighter to Tony Ditheridge/Hawker Restorations. Restoration to fly in MkIIa configuration began, although it was to adopt the paint scheme of P3717 and its original No 253 Squadron code letters, SW-P. The fighter was sold to Hugh Taylor of Dursley, Cheltenham in July 2008, and registered G-HITT in September 2012.

Formed in 1959, Spantax grew quickly and primarily served the tourist market between major European cities and the Balearic and Canary Islands. The first two CV-990s were purchased from American Airlines (AA) in 1967. Eight more were acquired from AA between 1968 and 1972, then

another four from Swissair in 1975. As operating costs grew, Spantax gradually reduced cruising speeds and started withdrawing the Coronados from service in the early 1980s, placing them in store at Palma. Eight were scrapped there in 1991 and two in 1993.

not run to moving it elsewhere at present. Of the 38 CV-990s built, three others remain, including HB-ICC at the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne and two in the USA. Although it was a financial disaster for General Dynamics, the CV-990 was faster than its Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 contemporaries, and in many respects the design was technologically superior. It possessed exceptional structural integrity, which has helped EC-BZO to remain in relatively good shape despite the humid and saline climate of Palma over Now looking the worse for wear, rare Convair CV-990 EC-BZO is almost 30 years since it was under threat at Palma de Mallorca. JAVIER RODRIGUEZ withdrawn from service.

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

Cutbacks hit Vulcan to the Sky

Avro Vulcan B2 XH558 was due to be towed out of its home in Hangar 3 at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, South Yorkshire at the end of January, to make way for new tenants following the expiry of the lease. The ‘V-bomber’ will be placed in a temporary storage facility that the airport is providing free of charge until the end of April. Over the next few months, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) —the charity that owns and operates XH558 — and Doncaster Sheffield Airport hope to conclude an agreement to build a new hangar, allowing the resumption of tours, events, educational visits and engineering activities by the end of 2017. These businesses will then fund the lease of the hangar from the developers until the larger, more ambitious Etna facility, for which the airport has allocated 30,000 square metres of space, is ready (see ‘Aeroplane

meets…’, February 2017 Aeroplane). Dr Robert Pleming, chief executive of the VTST, states: “Over the past six months we have been working with the airport on our plans to progress a superb, purpose-built hangar for XH558. While both parties are confident of a successful outcome, the short-term challenge is that we must vacate Hangar 3. This creates a funding challenge because the revenue-earning businesses that are vital for her care must be temporarily suspended. We have had to make some very tough decisions.” The VTST team will now be slimmed down from 22 to just eight full-time staff, supported by volunteers and a few part-time staff. Both Dr Pleming and business development director Michael Trotter will be moving to part-time roles where they will continue to provide strategic direction for the trust.

“I am very sad to lose many highly talented colleagues who have worked incredibly hard to achieve a remarkable eight years of display flying that many thought would be impossible”, said Pleming. “I cannot thank them enough. This is a bitter decision, but one that is necessary to ensure Vulcan XH558 continues to be protected while we rebuild the trust around our goals for the future.” The move, and loss of revenue generated by tours and events, is expected to cost around £200,000 more than VTST can afford. Half of this amount has been promised as matched funding by philanthropists close to VTST, against donations from XH558’s supporters. “Every pound donated will effectively be doubled”, Pleming stated. “This is a very generous offer. The trust needs these funds urgently to survive. I encourage everyone who shares this vision to do

whatever they can to help today”. The longer-term goal remains to establish a centre for the restoration, maintenance and operation of British jet-age aircraft. The next step, following completion of the new hangar, is intended to be the resumption of the restoration of the trust’s English Electric Canberra B2/6 WK163/G-BVWC. Steve Gill, the chief executive of Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: “Housing the Vulcan, a prestigious piece of British aerospace engineering, is an honour for Doncaster Sheffield Airport. We have long been supportive of their vision to establish the Etna Project to meet the important objective of inspiring future generations to engineering and aviation. We are deeply committed to working with the trust to realise this goal”. To donate, visit www. vulcantothesky.org/xh558-ssurvival.html.

BELOW: Vulcan B2 XH558 outside Hangar 3 at Doncaster Sheffield Airport prior to an engine run in 2016. The building dates back to the days when Vulcans, including XH558, were based at what was then known as RAF Finningley. VTST

Sea King arrives at Stanley Westland Sea King HAR3 XZ593 made the 35-mile trip from RAF Mount Pleasant to Port Stanley Airport in the Falkland Islands under an RAF Chinook on 14 January, before being handed over to the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust by the Ministry of Defence. The helicopter was retired at

Mount Pleasant on 31 March 2016, bringing to a close a 38-year flying career during which XZ593 clocked up in excess of 17,400 flying hours. It was operated across the United Kingdom and was routinely deployed to the Falklands, where Sea Kings had provided military search and rescue cover since 1983.

XZ593 had originally arrived at Wideawake airfield in May 1982 during the Falklands conflict. Shortly before retirement, it flew the last RAF Sea King rescue mission, picking up a Spanish fisherman with severe abdominal pains from the fishing vessel Pescador 145nm north-west of the Falklands.

RIGHT: The spectacular sight of Sea King HAR3 XZ593 arriving at Port Stanley Airport slung under an RAF Chinook. FIM

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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News

HFF acquires a Rapide John Sessions’ Historic Flight Foundation (HFF), based at Paine Field to the north of Seattle, has added airworthy de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide N683DH to its collection. Originally delivered to the RAF in 1944 as Dominie NR683, the aircraft was civilianised by de Havilland in 1946. Registered G-AHXW, it served with British European Airways until 1953. It was then sold to Fairey Aviation at White

Waltham, who used it on survey work. In 1968 the machine was acquired by GRM Airwork at Staverton. Three years later it was sold in the USA, being shipped via Rotterdam, and was registered N683DH in a nod to its original RAF serial. The Rapide was flown for a while in a wartime RAF camouflage scheme before being donated to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Museum in 1974. Last flown in 1975, and

having clocked up more than 8,000 hours during the previous three decades, N683DH was grounded and subsequently gave up its engines to be used in Tom Wathen’s flyable DH88 Comet replica. Sold by the EAA in 1997 and acquired by Bud Field, it was sent for rebuild with Russ Harmuth at Calaveras County Airport in California. Replacement engines were sourced in the UK and rebuilt

by Vintech at Little Gransden. By the time work was completed in 2010, Field had sadly passed away. The Rapide was repainted into its original markings as G-AHXW, and flew again during May 2010, being operated that summer before being placed in flyable storage in August 2010. As of late January it was at Yolo County airport near Sacramento awaiting a ferry flight to Paine Field.

BELOW: Rapide N683DH has been acquired by John Sessions’ Historic Flight Foundation. MIKE SHREEVE

Lancaster nose arrives at East Kirkby On 17 January the cockpit and composite front fuselage of Canadian-built Avro Lancaster X KB976 arrived at the former Bomber Command airfield at East Kirkby, where it will take up residence with the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre for a currently unspecified period of time. The nose, which is owned by Jeremy Hall, was previously housed at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. Originally built by Victory Aircraft at Malton, Ontario, KB976 was subsequently converted to Mk10AR (area reconnaissance) configuration with a 40in extension plug inserted in the nose. The aircraft was to make the last official flight of a Lancaster in Royal Canadian Air Force service on 4 July 1964. After being acquired by Willie Roberts for his

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Strathallan Collection at Auchterarder, Scotland, during 1974, the modified nose section was removed, and a standard bomber nose from KB944 was fitted. The ‘Lanc’ arrived in Scotland in June 1975, but never flew again, being acquired by the late Charles Church in 1987 and seriously damaged in a hangar roof collapse at Woodford on 12 August that year. The majority of the aeroplane was sold to Kermit Weeks in 1992 and is in storage at the now-closed Fantasy of Flight attraction at Polk City, Florida. The extreme rear fuselage from KB976 is on show at AeroVenture in Doncaster, and the damaged mid/rear fuselage section is at the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin.

Although much of the nose is new-build, the original extended nose section forward of the cockpit makes for a

fascinating contrast with the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre’s Lancaster VII NX611 Just Jane (see also pages 24-30).

Pictured shortly after arriving at East Kirkby on 17 January, the starboard side of Lancaster KB976 wears a post-war Royal Canadian Air Force scheme. The port side sports WW2 Bomber Command camouflage. RICHARD HALL

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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Dutch DC-4 to return home

An early January view of the Flying Dutchman Foundation’s DC-4 PH-DDS/ZS-AUA at Rand Airport, Johannesburg. FDF

The former Dutch Dakota Association Douglas DC-4 PH-DDS, which has been resident at Rand, South Africa since 2003, is due to return to Holland later this year with the Flying Dutchman Foundation (FDF). The aircraft was a popular attendee at events in Europe during the 1990s and early 2000s, making memorable appearances at the 1998 Biggin Hill Air Fair and the ‘100 Years of Flight’ park at

the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2003 among other shows. That RIAT was the DC-4’s last appearance in the UK before it headed off for South Africa, where it was initially operated by Springbok Flying Safaris and later by Rovos Air as ZS-AUA. During early January a team from the FDF visited Rand to work on the airliner, with a view to getting it airworthy again in about six months. The foundation acquired the

aircraft during 2013, and intends to licence the DC-4 to carry passengers following its return to the Netherlands. The DC-4 has a particularly illustrious history in Holland. On 21 May 1946, a KLM DC-4 set off to New York from Amsterdam, making the Dutch flag-carrier the first European airline to offer a scheduled service across the Atlantic to the ‘Big Apple’. The FDF aircraft will feature at several anniversary celebrations over

the next few years, including the KLM centenary during October 2019. This particular aircraft, c/n 42934, also has strong associations with South Africa, having originally been delivered to South African Airways (SAA) on 25 March 1946 and given the fleet name Tafelberg. It was the first aircraft to land at Jan Smuts Airport on 17 April 1952, and flew the final commercial SAA DC-4 service during 1966.

Last USAF Phantoms retired

The four-ship QF-4E farewell salute at Holloman AFB, New Mexico on 21 December. USAF

Almost 56 years after the type first joined the inventory, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II finally bowed out of US military service at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico on 21 December, when four QF-4s from the

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USAF’s 82nd Aerial Target Squadron made a final ceremonial flypast. Although the Phantom ceased flying operationally in the USA during 1997, the type flew on as the QF-4, serving as manned and unmanned aerial

targets. In the drone role the type is being replaced by the QF-16, an unmanned version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. From 2004, QF-4s also operated as part of the USAF’s Heritage Flight programme, with a total of six QF-4Es being

painted in representative camouflage schemes from the F-4’s years of operational service for airshow work. For more information, see the February issue of our sister magazine AirForces Monthly.

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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News

APSS having to leave East Fortune

The replica Sopwith 1½ Strutter in the APSS workshop during early January.

Fifteen years after volunteers from the Aircraft Preservation Society of Scotland (APSS) began construction of a flying Sopwith 1½ Strutter replica in a workshop at the National Museum of Flight (NMoF) at East Fortune near Edinburgh, the project looks set to leave the site following a change of policy by museum management. During November, the APSS was told that the aircraft could no longer be

accommodated at East Fortune. The society, which helped to set up what has now become the NMoF back in 1973, will have to vacate its workshop at the end of this year and find alternative accommodation. The 1½ Strutter project was originally initiated by the APSS in 2000 with encouragement from the museum, the type having been operated from East Fortune during the First World War. The museum

subsequently withdrew its interest in the project but agreed that the APSS could use the building to complete the aircraft. As it nears completion, the society needs a larger building to accommodate the fully rigged aircraft. The museum has permitted the APSS, for a few short periods of time, to use space in one of the main East Fortune hangars in order to check the basic fit of the main parts.

A spokesman for the APSS says: “We did submit a proposal to the museum over a year ago where we would fund and build a new hangar on a currently vacant museum building base and also upgrade our current building. Our proposal also stated that we would be prepared to operate as a separate organisation within the museum boundary, offering a ‘live’ display of our aircraft and of the history surrounding how a Strutter would look like in a WW1 setting. “We accepted that we could not operate the aircraft on the museum site, but there is land adjacent to the museum where we could certainly operate the Sopwith”. The aircraft is now dismantled in the workshop, and tasks under way at present include the fabric-covering of the wings. The engine cowling is almost complete, and work on the electrical system is well advanced. Final assembly and rigging is scheduled during late 2017, in readiness for final checks and approvals. Members of the APSS are actively exploring nearby sites where they may be able to establish a living museum, although they would prefer to stay at East Fortune. Any move would be a major undertaking, and also mean that a number of experienced members would no longer be available to work, if required, at the museum.

General Aristocrat for Hood River The sole surviving General Aristocrat, NC278H, is the latest addition to the growing Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) collection at Hood River, Oregon. Some 45 examples of this three-seater cabin monoplane were built by the General Airplane Corporation of Buffalo, New York between 1928 and 1931, when the company closed down as a result of the Great Depression. Most Aristocrats were powered by a 110hp Warner Scarab radial engine, but NC278H has been fitted with a 220hp Continental de-rated to 165hp. Although a relatively small number were produced, one of the prototypes was

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supplied to noted polar explorer Admiral Richard Byrd. Another was used by NACA (the predecessor of today’s NASA) to test full-span ‘Zap Flaps’ at Langley Field. In December 1928, one was loaned to long-distance flyer Lady Mary Heath — the first woman to hold a commercial pilot’s licence in the UK — for a flight in Canada. She later penned a glowing report of its flying characteristics. This last Aristocrat has been rebuilt several times, and was last based in northern California with the estate of the late Bud Field. In late January it was awaiting the weather to clear before being flown northwards to Hood River.

General Aristocrat NC278H has been acquired by the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum at Hood River, Oregon, where it will join a multitude of other 1920s/30s American light aeroplanes. MIKE SHREEVE

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

Hangar Talk STEVE SLATER

Fennec leaves Duxford

The Radial Revelation syndicate’s North American T-28S Fennec N14113 departed Duxford on 18 January with Martin Willing at the controls for a delivery flight to Nangis Les Loges, south-east of Paris, where it will now be based with its new owners. The aircraft first arrived at Duxford way back in November 1997. The new home is an appropriate one, the Fennec being a counter-insurgency development of the T-28A used by the Armée de l’Air in North Africa from 1959-62.

Martin Willing making one of the last flights from Duxford by T-28S Fennec N14113. COL POPE

75th anniversary date for Belle unveiling

On 18 January, the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, Ohio announced that Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle will have its post-restoration unveiling on 17 May 2018, exactly 75 years after it became the first US Army Air Force heavy bomber to be publicly credited with completing 25 missions over Europe. Following decades of display in Memphis, the bomber arrived at Dayton in October 2005.

I hate to start the year on a negative note, but I write this column with a genuine fear for the future of the British historic aeroplane industry. The combination of soaring CAA fees to airshow organisers, as well as an increasingly riskaverse attitude within the regulator after the Shoreham Airshow accident, is making it ever more difficult for many historic aircraft operators to make ends meet. Operating a warbird has never been less than financially onerous. Disregarding the costs of maintenance and purchase, even flown economically a Merlin-engined fighter will sup high-octane aviation fuel at a cost of around £1,500 per hour, while a humble Jet Provost, once rather cruelly described as having ‘constant thrust, but variable noise’, will still swallow up to 600 litres an hour of Jet-A1 at around 80p a litre, just in the cruise. You can double that if you turn up the volume. That, of course, is if you are allowed to fly the aircraft at all. If you own a Hawker Hunter, once I would have envied you, but now I sympathise. There hasn’t been a civilian-registered Hunter in the skies above Britain since that fateful day at Shoreham in August 2015. The immediate blanket grounding of the fleet has never been rescinded, pending the Air Accident Investigation Branch’s final report. At the time of writing, the AAIB was still to publish that document.

O Our monthly comment ccolumn on the historic a aircraft scene

Aircraft hate not to fly, and the best storage regimes and decontamination runs can’t prevent a steady deterioration in condition. That then starts to put even more pressure on the owners. Aircraft cost money even when they are standing still, and it’s therefore not too surprising to see several airframes recently entering the marketplace at what appear to be bargain-basement prices. One must-watch website for me is that of UK-based Historic and Classic Aircraft Sales, a brokerage run by former Australian Warbirds Association chief executive Steve Crocker and Allan Vogel, a pilot and warbird enthusiast with more than 20 years of sales experience. Aside from allowing me the Walter Mitty-

being displayed. This has drastically cut owners’ income from airshows, private events and operations, with a knockon effect being felt down the line in maintenance and engineering. Some organisations have had to reduce their staff and let go volunteers who keep these aircraft airworthy. Historic and Classic Aircraft Sales is currently marketing some 30 warbird and classic aeroplanes for sale, and there is still apparently a buoyant market overseas, boosted by the relatively low exchange value of sterling. That’s still bad news for British airshow-goers, however. It may be that ever more aircraft will head abroad, where they are allowed to fly and earn their keep.

‘It is becoming ever more difficult for operators to make ends meet’ like dream of finding the wherewithal to acquire a Lightning, Buccaneer or Hunter, the website gives a pretty clear picture of market forces and, frankly, the news isn’t good. How about an airworthy Jet Provost T3 for just £12,500? That’s not even the price of a used Ford Mondeo! The causes are clear, and again many of them point to the CAA’s door. The common view among aircraft owners is that the increase in displayrelated charges have made some airshows unviable or reduced the number of aircraft

Thankfully, one organisation has elected to do something about tackling this situation. The Historic Aircraft Association has invited six of the most influential individuals from the scene to conduct an independent review, and propose a future strategy for the association to better support the flying community. The credentials of Cliff Spink, Roger ‘Dodge’ Bailey, Phill O’Dell, Edwin Brenninkmeyer, Phil Hall and Malcolm Ward are regarded as impeccable. Here’s hoping they can offer renewed optimism.

‘Brit’ repaint completed

The repaint of the Duxford Aviation Society’s Bristol Britannia G-AOVT was completed in the conservation hall in IWM Duxford’s AirSpace building between 3-16 January. Support came from employees of Monarch Airlines, the operator having based this particular ‘Whispering Giant’ at Luton from May 1969 to October 1974. The DAS has also announced that it will hold an Airliner Day at Duxford on Sunday 18 June. All of its British Airliner Collection will be opened up for inspection, and there will be a range of other ground activities. Look out for more details at www.das.org.uk. AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

ABOVE: Civilian Hunter operations have still not restarted in the UK since the Shoreham tragedy, and the sales market for classic jet aircraft is understandably depressed. BEN DUNNELL

www.aeroplanemonthly.com 15

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26/01/2017 09:25

Skywriters

WRITE TO: Aeroplane, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1XQ, UK E-MAIL TO: [email protected], putting ‘Skywriters’ in the header

Letter of the Month

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In every issue, the writer of our Letter of the Month wins a £25 book voucher to spend with leading military and transport publisher Crécy.

Saving the last Mosscraft Having read your article ‘Like a rolling stone’ in the February issue, which I found fascinating, I thought you may like to know about our small involvement, as in the early days of the Northern Aircraft Preservation Society — our original name — we saved incomplete Mosscraft number 3 from destruction. We have letters from R. A. S. Moss when negotiating the collection and Carl Butler for the sale of the airframe. The photos were taken on collection in Chorley, dropping-off in Stockport, and

finally delivery to Carl Butler in Allesley, Coventry. I doubt whether any work was carried out by NAPS on the Mosscraft, as in those days the society was mainly known for saving aircraft from destruction and passing them on to other groups within the British Aircraft Preservation Council. Our records show that the aircraft was partially built at the Moss Brothers’ Chorley paint and varnish works in 1939. It was discovered by Peter Schofield in December 1964 and acquired by NAPS in February 1965, having been donated by R. A. S. Moss. Initially delivered to Stockport, the aircraft was passed on to Carl Butler at Allesley during March 1967. It finally dropped out of Wrecks and Relics in 1992’s 13th edition. Dave Arkle, secretary, The Aeroplane Collection, Hooton Park

ANTI-CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The last MA1 in the Moss family’s Chorley plant on 14 February 1965, being removed by truck, unloaded in Stockport, and put into Carl Butler’s home near Coventry in 1967.

The following are edited extracts from R. A. S. Moss’s 19 January 1965 letter to Peter Schofield about the last remaining Mosscraft, incomplete MA1 G-AFHA. “I confirm that this was the third Mosscraft, which was not completed owing to the start of the war; you would be very welcome to take it away, and if this can be arranged fairly soon I would be glad as the building is required for other purposes… “I cannot tell you about the design and early test as, apart from helping on odd occasions with the stressing calculations, I was not around very much at the time. The first model had a Pobjoy Niagara III and the second one a Blackburn Cirrus Minor. The reduction gear of the Pobjoy made the most awful noise at low revs but that model had a higher speed (125mph) on 90hp, which speaks fairly well for the design. The wing was a single-spar job on which the first pilot sat and saw vertically downwards over the leading edge, which was a tremendous asset in dirty weather. “The Pobjoy model tipped up on its nose on the Isle of Man in a race and split the top 3in of the prop, which when cropped allowed higher revs and gave it higher speed. “The Cirrus Minor [model] was taken to Canada and the States by another brother and was about to be manufactured there under licence when production of private aircraft was

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

stopped owing to the war. It had some useful publicity in being the first light aircraft to cross the Rockies and held about six distance records for light aircraft over there. This one was shipped back and re-assembled after the war and sold to a small flying group, who went to Paris in it almost every weekend until it crashed on the Moors in fog and was a complete write-off. I overheard them talking about this machine at a meeting and it quite gladdened one’s heart; on introducing myself they said they had never known a machine that handled so well. Certainly, except for power, it is the nearest thing to the beautiful handling of a Spitfire I have run into. “You are kind in referring to the work of ‘so many who gave their every effort to the cause of private flying”, but I am afraid the truth is much more selfish; it was just that it was good fun, and one did not (speaking at least for myself) have any such generous feelings as that one was furthering the cause of private flying.”

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Skywriters type or accepting the challenge of worldwide ad hoc charter flying. Although this opportunity proved to be a fantastic launchpad for many, amongst them were some who joined with relatively low hours, and there were a number of more experienced pilots who struggled to meet the unusual demands of the job. Of course, airline captains come from an infinite variety of backgrounds and all have their own personal ambitions. Subsequently the record shows that HeavyLift added UKregistered Boeing 707 and Airbus A300 jets to its fleet, creating new aircrew opportunities and not only for type-rated newcomers. However, by then I too had changed track, establishing my own PR and marketing support services agency, working alongside both HeavyLift and, later on, Channel Express Air Services. Peter Rooley

ABOVE: One of Air Anglia’s Fokker F27 Friendships. The Norwich-based airline is still remembered with immense fondness.

The personal touch

Many thanks for the superb article on Air Anglia (Aeroplane January 2017), which brought back so many happy memories of our great local airline. It was quite unique as it treated its passengers as VIPs, with a friendly and caring service backed up by huge attention to detail. As a local pilot and businessman, I knew both Jim Crampton and Wilbur Wright as friends, especially Wilbur as he was one of our original Norfolk Vintage Pilots members. When my wife-to-be wanted to get airborne for the first time, it was Wilbur who obliged with his Auster from North Denes. Later in life, when I was invited to film the Nimrods of No 201 Squadron at RAF Kinloss, it was Wilbur who always kindly got me to Aberdeen and back in the Friendships. He also made a great contribution to Norfolk Air Scout funds when he used our Vickers Valetta at Norwich Airport to train his air stewardesses. Finally, if I am not wrong, the air stewardess in the timetable picture looks like Lynn Smith, who was one of our favourite air traffic controllers at RAF Coltishall before she left the service to join the airline. David Hastings MBE, president, Norfolk Vintage Pilots

An Anglian Auster affair

It was with a great deal of pleasure and interest that I read the article ‘Bigger than it looked’ about Air Anglia, my local airline and responsible — through its earlier subsidiary Anglian Air Charter — for introducing me to the world of aviation at the tender age of four in the mid-1960s. North Denes was my local airfield, the other occupier at the time being Bristow Helicopters with Westland Whirlwinds on floats. Anglian Air Charter at that time operated two Auster J/5Gs, G-ARNB and G-ASFK, known to me — apparently, so I’m told — as the ‘red’ and ‘blue’ Austers (these having been preceded by two Auster Vs, G-AKPI and G-AKOT, the latter 18 www.aeroplanemonthly.com

having been involved in a fatal crash in Gorleston-on-Sea in the summer of 1962). They were the first aircraft I ever saw and left a lasting impression. As your article states, a Cessna U206A (G-ATLT), Cessna 170B (G-AWOU) and Cessna F172H (G-AVIE and later another, G-BFKB) were used in the 1970s. I spent several blissful school summer holidays watching the pleasure flying and, when a spare seat was available, getting a trip myself. I’ve often thought there must be a wealth of stories about the halcyon days of pleasure flying at North Denes, Clacton, Skegness and the like, which would surely make an article in itself. Maybe one day I’ll get round to writing it! Thanks to Anglian Air Charter, my love affair with aviation and Austers in particular began at that young age. Although unable to fly professionally, it led me to finally gain my PPL. I now fly PA-22 Colt G-ARNE, although to pilot Austers is still my ultimate ambition. One day... Ian Ward, Norwich

“Events, dear boy…”

In the excellent Database section featuring the Shorts Belfast (Aeroplane, December 2016), Bruce Hales-Dutton poses the question, “Why would an airline captain willingly become a first officer?” Looking for the answer, we might perhaps be allowed to borrow former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s attributed one-liner, “Events, dear boy, events.” My 11 years as personnel manager for HeavyLift Cargo Airlines from 1980-91 included recruiting flight crew for the carrier’s very special fleet of aircraft and its demanding cargo charter operations. This showed me that the answer to Bruce’s question often revealed some kind of inadequacy, either of performance, personality or relationships. Some applicants with time in the left-hand seat were purposefully seeking to extend their flying experience by adding a heavier

Down on power

I much enjoyed Bruce Hales-Dutton’s December Database on the Shorts Belfast. Denis Tayler flew with me a number of times at RAE Farnborough during the late 1950s until, in 1961, he went to Short Brothers and I to de Havilland. I remember well his reply to my question, “What’s the Belfast like to fly?” It was succinct: “The only four-engined aircraft I’ve flown with a three-engine performance!” Desmond Penrose

Bouncing bomb

I was most interested in Gp Capt Tom Eeles’ excellent article about the Canberra B(I)8 and its tactical nuclear strike role in support of 2 ATAF in Germany. Before the deployment of the B(I)8 in 1961, the nuclear support role was carried out by two Coningsby-based Canberra B6 squadrons, Nos 9 and 12. In addition to their first run attacks on Wainfleet they carried out multiple four-bomb practices on detachments to Libya between 1959 and 1961. The target used was Tarhuna, a short distance south of Tripoli. As I recall the only difference in our aircraft was that we had an additional 45° setting on our bomb release gimbals. We did have a fatigue problem with the constant high speeds at low level, resulting in a rear bomb bay bulkhead becoming almost crystallised! A baffle had to be fitted. We did have an ‘interesting’ incident during one of our attacks. On run-in to the IP a 25lb practice bomb fell off, bouncing through an Arab encampment. Fortunately nobody was hurt, but the boffins descended on us from the UK. The problem was a mystery, as the EMRU (electro-magnetic release unit) and the associated bomb carrier were held in place by a 50lb breaking strain bolt, until our bomb leader pointed out that at 3g the bomb weighed 75lb! Terence J. Kenny, Wilmslow, Cheshire (No 12 Squadron 1959-61) The editor reserves the right to edit all letters. Please include your full name and address in correspondence.

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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Q&A THIS MONTH’S ANSWERS Lightnings and Hunters

have already carried a Q We question and answer on the

combined display by Lightnings and Hunters at the 1962 SBAC Display at Farnborough. Michael Farrer was at the show as part of No 1476 Squadron, Air Training Corps, and recalls the formation executing a rather fine barrel roll. “I had a cine camera at the time and recorded the display”, he says, “so am certain of the manoeuvre”. His original film, which he gave to the RAF Museum at Hendon, also records the sole remaining Bristol Bulldog (K2227) nosing over at a North Weald air display at around the same time. He surmises that the incident may have led to the crankshaft failing at Farnborough in 1964 and its resulting crash. Subsequently rebuilt by Skysport Engineering in Bedfordshire, K2227 now resides at Hendon.

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DH60G G-AAGT history

to A. J. Moor’s request Q Inforanswer details on Gipsy Moth

G-AAGT in January’s edition, AirBritain’s Malcolm Fillmore provides the following. First registered as a DH60G Autoslot Coupe version in April 1929, G-AAGT (c/n 1052) went to Bentley Motors (as nominee for Peter Mones Maury, Marquis de Casa Maury, managing director of the company) and was named Toi et Moi on 25 May 1929. In January 1930, it passed to Allen Pollock of Huddersfield, being based at Sherburn-in-Elmet. Sold and registered in 1932 to Edward Downes-

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M ti off Ch Martin Christchurch, it was now housed at High Post. A year later it went to Phillips & Powis Aircraft at Woodley before being registered in May 1933 to Robert Ramsey and operated by the Kent Flying Club at Bekesbourne, replacing G-AAWX. On 16 September 1934 ’GT was badly damaged when it crashed into a railway cutting at Bekesbourne, injuring pilot Hanson Richardson and passenger Wilfred Gerring. Repaired and with its C of A renewed on 1 January 1935, the aircraft joined the East Anglian Aero Club from May 1935, being registered in November to Wilfred Lewington of Waltham Cross. Based at Abridge, it was operated by the Hants & Essex Aero Club. In March 1936 it moved to Brooklands Aviation where, in April, Peregrine Philip Pratt took over as the aircraft’s registered owner. The C of A lapsed on 27 March 1937, and it was withdrawn from use the following month.

E-MAIL USERS: Please include a postal address with any correspondence.

RAF sayings

have had many replies to the Q We question on the term ‘two/six’ in

the January edition. Tom Kellock remembers a drill called ‘two/six’ which involved moving an aircraft rearwards with two men, one on the leading edge of each tailplane, and six men — three pushing on each mainplane. The aircraft, Spitfires and Proctors, could then be pushed backwards, guided by the men on the tail. ‘Two/six’ was the universal command to move anything requiring more than two men, including hangar doors and pushstarting a lorry. Martin Skinner recalls ‘putting to bed’ each night aircraft that required eight men, hence ‘two/six’. Wheel chocks travelled with the working party on the wings and were placed to the back and front of the main wheels. The limits on this came when aircraft propellers became larger and

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the wings were more out-of-reach, resulting in tractors being used with towing arms on the tailwheel. Men were still around for safety to ensure wingtips weren’t damaged and a brake man was put in the cockpit to maintain control. The call ‘two/six’ continued to be used to summon up help, and found its way to other duties requiring manpower. Les Hearn, when an apprentice engine/airframe fitter at RAE Farnborough, remembers being told that the term originated from the Royal Naval Air Service/Fleet Air Arm. Before manhandling aircraft on the flight deck of a carrier, personnel would have to produce Form 26, authorised and signed by an officer. Deryk Fawcett also agrees with Colin Pomeroy who wrote in to last month’s issue, saying that the term comes from gun crews in Nelson’s navy and that it was in widespread use in the Royal Navy during the 1960s. Finally, Jerry Collier, a ‘Trenchard brat’ and 79th Entry Halton apprentice, remembers ‘two/six’ as a shouted command to ‘get a move on’. Anyone querying it was usually told ‘get some in’ or a more lurid comment!

Constantinesco gear the January edition, Roger Q InChadwick wondered what the

BELOW: ‘Two/ six’. A band of groundcrew helps push a No 111 Squadron Hurricane back into a hangar at Northolt in 1938. Note the chock on the wing and the ‘erk’ guiding the tailwheel.

term ‘pull up the charging handle’ referred to when preparing to fire aircraft guns in the First World War. Engineer and leading aircraft restorer Guy Black of Retrotec (see Aeroplane November 2016) responds, “‘pull up’ means the pilot charged the oil pressure in the interrupter gear system so that it can operate, which it does using hydraulic pressure; utilising leather seals, it was not entirely leak-proof, hence the need to ‘charge’ it before firing the guns. In the cockpit on the right-hand side is a brass pump that has a ‘T’ handle, which the pilot pulls up against a spring, which when released feeds oil under pressure to make the system work. We use these pumps where we can find them in all our restorations of pre-Second World War aircraft where interrupter gear is fitted, though of course the guns do not fire — just a bit of added authenticity!” Glenn Middleton adds with reference to the ColleyConstantinesco interrupter gear that the mechanism is not geared but totally hydraulic, except for the ‘driving disc’ on the prop shaft. While it was possible to pump up the hydraulic pressure on the early (1916) versions, Wg Cdr Ira Jones refers to pulling the cocking handle or ‘charging handle’ in service parlance for the fuselagemounted Browning .303in machine gun on the SE5 to feed the first round

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AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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Long-term Belgian reader Luc Cox believes the latter originated from the Belgian Army. He provides the adjacent illustration of the cap badge of the Belgian equivalent of the Royal Army Service Corps, which was set up in 1947 along similar lines to that of the British Army organisation.

THIS MONTH’S QUESTIONS

Indochina transports Miller is researching air Q David operations during the Indochina

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Dr Cornel Fleming e-mailed to enlarge on the twin ejection of Werner Perbix and Unteroffizier Herter from a Heinkel He 219 on the night of 11-12 April 1944, stating that both men were decorated for their success in surviving the incident by Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering.

Aviation plaques into the breech prior to firing. Just as the infantry were taught to ‘easy springs’, meaning to unlock the rifle bolt prior to storing, the same would hold for aircraft machine guns. The science of metallurgy in all forms of the spring industry was pretty basic in those days; the formulation of really good ‘spring’ steels for critical application of springs, for example where a spring in its compressed or stretched state did not suffer a breakdown in its tension properties, really only developed in the inter-war years.

German ejection seats

TOP: The layout of the Constantinesco interrupter gear taken from a period manual.

curious aviation plaques Q Two were the subject of a question in

the December 2016 edition. One was clearly a presentation plaque related to BOAC, but the other (below) was a military badge.

ABOVE: A genuine pump — pictured before cleaning and after — as used to actuate the Constantinesco gear. These items are extremely hard to find today.

the February 2017 edition, Q InVictor Copson sought details on

the use of German ejection seats in combat.

War of 1945-54 and wonders if readers can help him with relevant details on two aircraft types that took part. Firstly, Bristol Freighters were in use at some time during the conflict, but who operated them, how many were used, and were any lost? Secondly, in references to the conflict, mention has been made to un-named “twin-propeller transports with jet engines under the outer wings”. This appears to refer to the Sud-Ouest Bretagne, which was so fitted, but were they in use in Indochina with either the French Air Force or civilian operators, or does this brief description cover a totally different type?

Mysterious ‘Cats’

Jinks is curious about some Q Peter Dutch-operated Consolidated

Catalinas operating from the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean in November 1943. Flying in Swordfish with the Fleet Air Arm as a TAG (telegraphist air gunner) covering convoys transiting between Aden and Bombay, he and his two colleagues were forced to crash-land on the north coast of Socotra and set off to find some help. Contacting some of the locals, they subsequently came across a beach clearing in which were parked three or four Catalinas of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Not having been briefed about their presence in the area and knowing nothing about them, he wonders whether any readers can throw some light on the background to their deployment.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS Our regular item in which we set the record straight on errors in recent issues. Do send notice of mistakes you may spot to the editorial addresses.

• Thanks to Peter Jennings for spotting that some text went missing from the East African Gladiators article in the February issue, between pages 41 and 42. In full, the two sentences in question should have read: “The Caproni force-landed, its crew being taken prisoner. Green became a hero to local people who had been bombed by the Italians.” AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

• Regarding the accident to Mosquito A52-12 at Bankstown, as mentioned in the feature in our January issue on Australian ‘Mossie’ production, it happened on 10 June 1944 — not 19 June — and the pilot was Hubert Boss-Walker, not Hubert Ross Walker. Boss-Walker had left the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in 1941, having been CAC’s test pilot for the first flight of

the Wirraway among other types, and was thereafter employed by de Havilland Australia. As our regular contributor James Kightly says, “His name often gives confusion, sometimes being recorded as Hubert ‘Boss’ Walker, and furthermore there being a Fg Off K. F. BossWalker in the RAAF, who was to later also fly Mosquitos but survived the war.”

www.aeroplanemonthly.com 21

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E A ST KI RK BY LA NCA STER

Under Jane’’s skkin n

24 www.aeroplanemonthly.com

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

BELOW: Lancaster VII NX611/G-ASXX up on trestles at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. MARTIN KEEN

In a few years’’ time, the world sho ould be graced by three airworth hy Avro Lancasters. At East Kirkby’s Linccolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre can be seen the most tangiible evidence yet of NX611 Just Jane’’s proggress toward ds flying cond dition WO O R DS: BEN DUNNELL

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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E A ST KI RK BY LA NCA STER

ABOVE: The rear turret being removed at the beginning of November 2016. Andrew Panton is second from left. MARTIN KEEN

BELOW: Stripping the aircraft’s previous paint off proved to be a considerable challenge. MARTIN KEEN

‘H

ome of the Lancaster’. The sign on the way in to the Lincolnshire village of East Kirkby says it all. Yes, there are other examples of the Avro bomber around the UK, not least an airworthy one just a few miles down the road, but somehow no single location has quite the same connection with its ‘Lanc’. That can be put down to the remarkable story of how the Panton family achieved a dearly held ambition to honour one of their own. When the farming brothers Fred and Harold bought land that took in part of the former RAF East Kirkby, they had their eldest brother Christopher in mind. He was lost during a raid against Nuremberg on 30-31 March 1944 while serving as a Halifax flight engineer. The acquisition of Lancaster VII NX611 and establishment of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre (LAHC) has served to commemorate not just Christopher, but all who served in Bomber Command. As a place at which to reflect on their sacrifices, East Kirkby has few equals.

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That sense will only be heightened when NX611 takes to the air again. After several very successful seasons giving passenger rides on taxi runs, the Lancaster is now in the next phase of its gradual resurrection from static exhibit to flying memorial. This winter’s strip-down and major work constitute the most tangible evidence of progress yet. Given a few years, Just Jane — the aircraft’s now familiar identity — will be able to join the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s PA474 in the skies over Lincolnshire. The LAHC remains very much a family affair. Fred Panton passed away in 2013, but Harold’s day-today involvement continues, and the younger generation is at the forefront too. Fred’s grandson Andrew, who taxies the Lancaster himself, is a leading light in the restoration project. Talking next to the aircraft on a cold winter’s afternoon, he makes quite clear his and the family’s quiet determination to see Just Jane airborne. “Stage one is complete”, says Andrew, “in the fact that the aircraft’s paint-stripped and a lot of components are off — the wingtips, ailerons, bomb doors, rudders, elevators and turrets. That’s allowing us to do a survey of the airframe and find out anything that’s wrong with it, in order to put it right in the coming years as we make the aircraft airworthy.” Just getting the paint off was one of the hardest jobs. “It was a polyurethane paint, so it wasn’t what they would use now on an aircraft. They had to use a different type of stripper to what they would normally use. What they found was about four layers of the black camouflage paint, and the roundels had about 10 layers of paint on. We suspect

that when the aircraft was stood at Scampton [as the RAF station gate guardian] it was one of the duties to go out and repaint the roundels, because quite often they would fade before anything else.” With that done, NX611 could be examined in depth. “The biggest thing we’ve found so far is a problem with one of the sorts of rivets that’s used”, Andrew continued. “It’s predominantly in the mainplane — the main part of the wing, though not the trailing edge, across the fuselage section from wingtip to wingtip. It’s a rivet that’s got five per cent magnesium in it, which means its lifespan is shorter than the hard rivets that were used. We’ve taken the decision that we’re going to have to replace those rivets over a period of time, which will lengthen the project but mean that the aircraft will survive for a lot longer. “The wings are in slightly worse condition than the fuselage. There are quite a few skins to replace due to corrosion. The corrosion that we’ve found on the wings is mainly underneath, because at times in its life it’s been stood on grass. What you find is that the moisture on the underside of the wings just drops onto the grass, and it never really dries out. “Also, this aircraft was painted white with black stripes under the wings when it was operated by the French. One thing we’ve found, quite strangely, is that there is corrosion exactly where the black paint was, even down to there being a straight line. We can only put it down to the paint itself, the exhaust fumes and deposits mixing with the paint and affecting it, or the preparation for the paint going on. “Some more NDT [non-destructive testing] work will be happening later

this month [January], which basically involves the X-raying of certain areas of the aircraft and eddy current work around boltholes and things. We have found in various parts in the fuel tank bays — where the fuel tanks are held in the wings — that there is corrosion on steel parts, which will have to be solved. The trailing edges need to come off to replace the studs that hold them to the rear spar. “We’ve got quite a short period between now and the end of March, when the aircraft needs to be put back together again, engine-run and tested ready for taxiing again in May. At the moment we’re finishing the survey and doing a lot of airframe work in the meantime — replacing anchor nuts, anchor nut strips, fillet panels and various things that we already knew we had to do before the survey was complete. The number one fuel tanks have come out for overhaul and the number two tanks, which have previously been overhauled, are going back in. There’s work around getting those wired and plumbed-up for taxiing from this next season. “Once this work that we know about is complete, we’ve then got to decide how much of the extra work through rivet replacement and so on we’re going to do before March, so that we time it right and don’t run over for May. At the moment it’s quite a difficult decision as to how much of the work after the survey we dig into, and how much we wait for another year to do. We’re looking at the repaint being in mid-March, to allow us to put everything back on for April running. “Because of what we must do to the airframe […] it’s going to have to be paint-stripped in sections at some point. There’s currently a discussion between ourselves, the paint company and our engineers about what we do

this coming year: whether we put a permanent paint scheme back on it, or whether we put it into a different scheme in the knowledge that this time next year we’ll probably have some more paint-stripping to do, and then another repaint at the end of next year. We’re in the very early stages of deciding — it may be that we put her

look after the restoration, the Lancaster Restoration Company, we now have a CAA-approved chief engineer in place — David Payne — as well as our full-time engineers”. A8-23 is the level of CAA approval required to restore and maintain an aircraft in this category. While this level of activity might be new, the LAHC’s efforts to make

‘Replacing the rivets will mean that the aircraft will survive for a lot longer’ into a white ‘Tiger Force’ paint scheme this coming season, and re-do it again at the end of the year. “The paint company that we’re using, MAAS Aviation, has been very good. The father of one of the directors flew Lancasters [with Waterbeachbased No 514 Squadron], and they’re doing it for near enough as free as they can. This paint strip and repaint will probably cost us about £20,000, as opposed to the £125,000 we were quoted. There are discussions about how much they’re willing to support us this winter and into the future, with possibly more paintwork than they fully expected. What we’ll do hinges around that, and the types of paint we can use that can easily be stripped. So while we’re planning for it to go back permanently to being Just Jane, in the short term it might not be.

❖

“We have about eight people on the aircraft at the moment, including powerplant engineers and airframe riggers. We’ve increased the size of the team this winter because of the extra work, so we’ve got a further three agency staff in. And because we’re setting up our own A8-23 company to

NX611 flyable again are not. “Back in 2009 we had the first engine go for overhaul. That was really the first step towards airworthiness. We had five engines here anyway, four on the aircraft and one spare. Bear in mind that four of those were the originals that came with the aircraft, and so were pretty much time-expired anyway. “We thought that irrespective of whether the aircraft actually flies, we ought to be making moves to having some zero-timed engines here for the future of the taxi runs and the future of the aircraft while there’s the expertise out there to be doing it, while there are the engines out there to find. That was Fred Panton’s original thought to get the project moving. “It’s made us very good friends with Maurice Hammond and Eye-Tech Engineering. We use them for a lot of engine work, and for a lot of general machining and production work for the aircraft when there are various things that we need. “We’ve got five airworthy engines now, the full amount that we require, and four taxiing engines. The engines are some of the last items that will be put on for the airworthiness of the aircraft. There’s quite a lot of work to do around the subframes and the engine bearers,

BELOW: Every season during the restoration, NX611 will resume taxi runs. The aircraft sported No 57 Squadron codes on this side and those of No 630 Squadron on the other — the two units stationed at East Kirkby during wartime. These markings will be worn again when the Lancaster flies. DARREN HARBAR

ð

E AST K IR K BY LA N CA STE R

ABOVE: Just Jane with re-enactors on the billiard greensmooth East Kirkby turf. DARREN HARBAR

and all the pipework and systems to replace. “Retro Track and Air do quite a few overhauls for us, including the fuel tanks, and they’re going to be doing the engine bearer work. We brought some engine bearers back from Canada in 2009, from which we can use a lot of the machined and cast parts to rebuild some new bearers. The engine bearers and the subframes are all steel tubes

and get corrosion on the inside, so you NDT them to find out any corrosion and the wall thickness following that corrosion. We know that the bearers we got from Canada all have internal corrosion, so we’ve decided we’ll make new ones and start the clock again, so to speak.” The need to keep Just Jane taxiable during the summer months means time during the off-season is of the

NX611’s life and times April 1945

Built by Austin Motors at Longbridge, Birmingham; was destined for ‘Tiger Force’ in Far East, but after end of war ended up in storage at Llandow, Glamorgan

April 1952

Bought by French government for use as maritime patrol aircraft; conversion carried out by Avro at Woodford

30 May 1952

Delivered to Aéronautique Navale with serial WU15; served at home and overseas, latterly with Escadrille 9S at Nouméa, New Caledonia

7 February 1970 Another change of base to Hullavington, Wiltshire

August 1964

After retirement by French, flown to Bankstown, Sydney, upon donation to Historic Aircraft Preservation Society; overhauled for delivery to UK

26 June 1970

Last flight, to Blackpool Airport, where Reflectaire opened an aircraft museum

1 May 1972

Museum having failed, NX611 sold to Lord Lilford

August 1973

Transported to RAF Scampton for use as gate guardian, still in Lilford’s ownership; fully installed April 1974

25 April 1965

Left Sydney Airport for ferry flight; aircraft by now registered G-ASXX

13 May 1965

Arrived at Biggin Hill; grounded for restoration

6 May 1967

Flew again in hands of Neil Williams

30 March 1969

Moved to Lavenham, Suffolk, now in hands of Reflectaire Ltd

September 1983 Purchased by Fred and Harold Panton; remained on Scampton gate

ABOVE: An August 1965 view of NX611, still in its former Aéronautique Navale colours, at Biggin Hill. BOB O’BRIEN COLLECTION/AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM

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July 1987

Team from RAF Abingdon dismantled NX611 and moved airframe from Scampton to East Kirkby; birth of Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

January 1994

Having been surveyed, first engine restoration began

24 March 1995

Inaugural trial taxi run, on three engines; first time NX611 had moved under own power since 1970; had four running engines that July, and has performed taxi runs ever since

essence. “We’ve decided to extend the winter periods we’ve had previously. Normally we’d taxi from March to November. This year we’ve trimmed that: we finished in October 2016 and we’re restarting in May. I suspect that we will do the same again next year. “Due to the rivets that we’ve got to replace, it may be that we hit a section at a time each winter — for example, next winter could be the complete restoration of the port wing, the following winter the starboard wing, the winter after that the fuselage. What we won’t know until the final survey is complete this winter is how much of the fuselage will need re-riveting. “The fuselage has got to come apart at its transportation joints. A Lancaster was built at different factories, bolted together and flown, which is brilliant because it means it can be taken apart and moved around, but it also means that where the aluminium is bolted together at the transportation joints it’s prone to corrosion where the two faces join. “The hard thing is that because the Lancaster itself makes the money in order to be restored, it can’t just be taken ‘offline’ for two years, have all the work done and be put back together again. We have to confine the restoration work to the winter periods, which gives us about six months a year in which to do that. It also means that we lose quite a lot of time, because we’ve got to take the aircraft apart, put it back together again and so on. I would imagine that we’re going to be doing work similar to this in the next three or four winters, purely because of

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

that restriction of having to have it back together again and running.” It is hard to think of another restoration-to-airworthiness project that’s been tackled in such a way. “It has its benefits and it has some major drawbacks”, says Andrew. “The benefits are that it keeps the Lancaster working here at East Kirkby, it keeps the visitor attraction for people to come and see, with the Lancaster on the ground running. “The drawback is that it’s giving the CAA and ourselves a bit of a headache as to how the aircraft is classified while it’s taxiing in comparison to while it’s being restored. The majority of the time, an aircraft is worked on, finished, and then has its permit. This Lancaster goes from its A8-23 restoration period into a period when it’s not an aircraft being restored to a permit, and it’s not an airworthy aircraft, but equally it’s an airframe that’s under CAA A8-23 rules being restored. “We’re trying to mould two opposing things together in order to make the project work, and we’ve got a meeting with the CAA later this month to discuss the project and how we can move forwards to balance the requirements for the restoration against the need for us to taxi the aircraft. I don’t foresee any major problems, but it’s just because it’s something completely outside what the CAA and restoration companies have done in the past. We’re forging our own path.” Even so, wider expertise is an invaluable asset. “There is a lot of liaison between Lancaster groups and operators. We’re constantly swapping e-mails, not only with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton but the other restoration projects there as well. “For example, the trailing edge of our ‘Lanc’ has to come off and we’ve got to replace all the studs that hold it on. There’s a Lancaster in Canada, FM212 [with the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association in Windsor, Ontario], from which the trailing edge has just been taken off, so they can tell us the length of studs required. We have the drawings for the studs, but we don’t know what quantity of each length we’ll need. They can look at that for us and tell us, which will save us a job further down the line. “BBMF are just putting a modification in to change the hydraulic filter bowl [on PA474], because they had one fail a few years ago in Holland. They’ve included us in the modification and we’re getting a modified filter bowl. Any information you can glean from each other makes work smoother.” Those relationships will help when the time comes for Just Jane to fly. “We’re quite lucky to have a Lancaster training school just down the road at Coningsby! There are pilots coming out of there who, provided they have the proper CAA licences as well, would be able to fly this Lancaster. Probably four

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

or five of our current taxi pilots would be able to fly it.” Some work is required to provide NX611 with a suitable runway from which to fly at its home base. “I guess we could be looking four or

current rules that allow Spitfires and other aircraft to take passengers only cover aircraft up to 5,700kg, so they don’t encompass something as big as this. We certainly wouldn’t rule it out ourselves; it’s not something we would

‘The Lancaster can’t just be taken ‘offline’ for two years to have the work done’ five years down the line before it’s airworthy, so we don’t know what might change in the meantime, but it would operate from here at East Kirkby. We’ve currently got a strip that’s 950m [3,117ft]-long, and that’s not long enough for a Lancaster. We need 5,500ft to operate a Lancaster from — that’s apparently dictated by the aircraft getting up to take-off speed and then trundling to a stop without using brakes, which is deemed to take 5,500ft.

❖

“We have an agreement in place with a local landowner who owns part of the airfield to put in a grass strip that’s kind of perpendicular to our current one, and that would give us 6,000ft. Those are the plans, but how much it will fly is a bit of an unknown at the moment. The main thing for us is knowing the aircraft’s in the best condition it can be, and that it will then survive for a further 70 years for future generations to be looking after.” Making money from civilian historic aircraft operation is, as we all know, a tough business. The difficulty is multiplied when it comes to a heavy multi-engined aircraft. Might offering Lancaster passenger flights help? “That’s for the CAA to rule in or rule out”, stresses Andrew. “The

campaign for, but we would be happy to look at it. “There is a proven system for doing it, of course, because the Canadians fly passengers under Transport Canada’s rules, and they flew passengers over here in 2014. How much of an argument that could be towards doing it I don’t know. Maybe to pose it to the CAA at the moment would be one step too far. And the aircraft would still taxi passengers when it’s on a permit anyway.” But all that’s some time in the future. What about funding now? “We’ve launched something called the Rivet Club, which is a monthly

BELOW: An LAHC technician working on one of NX611’s port wing ribs. BEN DUNNELL

BOTTOM: The view from the rear. BEN DUNNELL

ð

E A ST KI RK BY LA NCA STER

ABOVE: Chances to see a Lancaster in this state are few and far between. MARTIN KEEN

donation. In return you get weekly updates during the restoration period. Considering it’s only been going two months, it’s going well. At the moment, providing everyone keeps up their donation, we’re looking at about £20,000 a year being brought in. Hopefully, the more news of it that spreads, the more people will join. “We’ve been working for quite a long time on restoring the aircraft to airworthy, but I think one thing we’ve suffered with is that there’s been no real, visual movement in the last few

years. This, though, is a very obvious step. “This winter’s work is going to cost about £250,000, depending on how much work we find that we didn’t know about, and how much of that we can complete. The whole project will cost around £2.5 million to £3 million. We haven’t moved towards any other funding sources. Everything we’ve done up to now we’ve done through our own monies — funding from taxi rides, admissions to the museum and people donating if they feel like they want to.

“Lottery funding we’ve not really looked at. We wouldn’t want to take a huge chunk of money from the National Lottery, even if they were to decide that they could support us, because we feel that as soon as we did that we’d lose something that we’ve achieved so far. It could be seen that the whole thing’s been paid for by Lottery money. We want to take it as far as we can just like we are doing, paying for it ourselves from museum operating, to prove whether we can do it ourselves or not. We don’t see us having to do anything else. It may take us longer, but I think the sense of achievement from doing that, both from the public and for ourselves, would be huge. We’ve found that you don’t get anything good easily. If you’re not prepared to work for it, you don’t deserve it.” This pragmatic, practical attitude has stood Just Jane in good stead. As Andrew Panton puts it, “Everything that happens is a good step forward for the Lancaster. There are no steps back. Even if we find some extra work we didn’t know about, at least we then know about it and we can do it. The future’s bright, and hopefully at the end of it we’ll have an airworthy aircraft that will last for many, many years.” For more information and to support the project, visit www. lincsaviation.co.uk. The East Kirkby Air Show is held in aid of NX611’s restoration, and the 2017 edition will take place on Saturday 5 August.

CENTRE OF ATTRACTION

The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is a dignified place. An array of memorial trees around the site pay tribute to individuals, crews or groups lost in Bomber Command’s service, the recently laid wreaths demonstrating what an active location of remembrance this is. And inside the buildings, not least the old airfield’s original control tower, are countless displays that continue the theme. There is much to take in, especially files of information on each aircraft loss sustained while flying from East Kirkby. Kept in the tower and available for all to view, these detail the Lancasters — 121 in all — from No 5 Group’s Nos 57 and 630 Squadrons that failed to return during the course of 212 operations between August 1943 and April 1945. Twenty-nine more met their end in other incidents. All of the station’s fallen, air and groundcrew alike, are further commemorated in the airfield’s memorial chapel. NX611’s own hangar was built in the 1980s, but is situated where a wartime equivalent once stood. Parked behind the Lancaster when both are present together is Dakota Heritage’s magnificent D-Day and Arnhem veteran C-47A Skytrain N473DC Drag-em-oot, a regular airshow performer and commemorative fixture. It has lived here since 2008. Apart from numerous exhibits relating to East Kirkby and Bomber Command’s wider efforts, including cabinets full of personal wartime photographs divided between different squadrons, the hangar contains several World War Two-era vehicles, a practice Upkeep ‘bouncing bomb’, the nose of Canberra E15 WH957 and much more. Elsewhere, one of the smaller buildings houses a pair of longterm restoration projects: Proctor IV NP294 and Hampden TBI AE436, the latter being rebuilt from remains recovered in Sweden

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where the aircraft was lost during a delivery flight to northern Russia in September 1942. Progress is understandably slow due to the need to remanufacture many parts, but it is moving forward. Further sections of the Hampden can be found in the centre’s Early Bombers display, just one of the myriad other elements that make the LAHC so varied, and East Kirkby y so special. p

ABOVE: The restored East Kirkby control tower on a bleak winter’s day. In the foreground is one of the airfield’s memorial trees, this one recalling Sqn Ldr Mervyn Davies, former president of the Nos 57 and 630 Squadrons Association. BEN DUNNELL

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

SC A NDI NAVIAN SANDR ING H A M S

VIKING BOATS In service for just four years; three of five aircraft lost in accidents. The Short S25 Sandringham’s brief use by Norwegian airline DNL and Scandinavian Airlines System was not the easiest affair WORDS: JAN FORSGREN

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AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

T

he Sandringham was selected by DNL — Det Norske Luftfartselskap — to maintain air traffic between the cities of northern Norway, where the civilian airfield infrastructure was poorly developed. For obvious reasons, it was determined that these routes could only be operated by floatplanes or flying boats. Civilian air traffic in Norway was re-established in 1946, a number of former Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52/3ms being handed over to DNL. Incredibly, among them were two of the carrier’s

pre-war aeroplanes. The TrondheimTromsø route was inaugurated on 27 May 1946, using Ju 52/3m floatplanes. The route was extended to Kirkenes, near the Soviet border, on 13 August. However, the Junkers were inadequate in several respects. They could only carry a maximum of 17 passengers and poor weather often precluded operations, particularly during winter. With an increased demand for air travel, bigger and more capable equipment was required. As a result, three examples of the Short Sandringham VI were ordered by

DNL on 8 July 1946. They could carry 37 passengers in five cabins. With the Norwegian coast characterised by many narrow fjords lined by high mountains, take-offs and landings could be hazardous. In order to ease operations, the ASV VIc radar of the Sunderland V was retained by DNL. In all, the radar and communications gear weighed some 1,000kg (2,205lb). The conversion work involved removing all other military equipment, as well as fitting new nose and tail sections. The Bristol Pegasus engines were replaced with Pratt & Whitney

BELOW: Passengers being taken by boat to Sandringham VI LN-LMK after the aircraft’s transfer to SAS. ALL PHOTOS SAS ARCHIVES VIA STAFFAN ERLANDSSON

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SC A NDI NAVIAN SANDR ING H A M S

ABOVE: The ill-fated LN-IAV touches down off the north Norwegian coast. BELOW: The first Sandringham to be delivered to DNL, LN-IAV, also became the first loss.

R-1820s. In DNL service, the Sandringhams usually had a crew of six: captain, co-pilot, radio operator, flight engineer, radar operator and flight engineer. Passenger service was provided by a purser and an air hostess. The first Sandringham VI was delivered on 18 April 1947, with the second and third aeroplanes following in May and June. They were registered as LN-IAV, -IAW and -IAU respectively. A route proving flight to

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Tromsø was made on 1 May. It lasted nine hours, including intermediate stops. Compared with travelling by sea, this meant a far shorter journey.

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DNL inaugurated Sandringham operations on the Tromsø route on 2 June. Tragically, disaster struck soon afterwards. On 28 August, flying in thick fog, LN-IAV crashed into mountainous terrain at Tjeldsund in

the Lofoten islands, with the loss of 35 people. A replacement was ordered on 10 January 1948. Registered as LN-LAI, it was delivered on 28 April, entering service rapidly thereafter. A second Sandringham, LN-IAW, was lost in a fatal crash while landing at Hommelvik, near the Trondheimsfjord, on 2 October 1948. It was caught by a strong gust of wind and the starboard float detached, the aircraft rolling over to that side. Out of seven crew and 38 passengers, 19 were killed. One of the survivors was the famous British philosopher Bertrand Russell, en route to give a lecture. He later berated the press for exaggerating his experiences. According to Russell, in order to reach safety he swam in his winter coat for about 20m (65ft), which in the press was reported as being a distance of “several kilometres”. A Danish journalist asked Russell if he had given much thought to issues of mysticism and logic before coming ashore. Russell replied curtly that he “had thought the water was cold”. He managed to save his briefcase and passport, but lost his fountain pen. The wreck sank to a depth of 42m (138ft). It was eventually recovered, but was considered damaged beyond repair. Within less than a year, DNL had lost two of its Sandringhams in fatal crashes. LN-LAI had also been damaged in an accident at Hafrsfjord on 1 July 1948. The decision was taken to transfer Sandringham operations from Stavanger-Sola to the seaplane station at Oslo-Fornebu in December 1949. Even though the route proved quite popular, the high cost of operating the aircraft meant financial trouble for DNL. It was estimated that a load factor of 105 per cent was necessary just to break even. Nevertheless, a fifth Sandringham was ordered, being delivered in July 1949. The only one remaining from the original batch, LN-IAU, was lost

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Individual aircraft histories

in a non-fatal crash at Harstad on 15 May 1950. Two engines failed on takeoff, which resulted in the port wing striking the water. This time, all 33 crew and passengers survived. Formed on 1 August 1946, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) was a consortium between three companies: Denmark’s Det Danske Luftfartselskab (DDL), Norway’s DNL and the Swedish AB Aerotransport (ABA). At the outset it flew only intercontinental routes, domestic and European services being handled by the respective national airlines. The three component carriers formally ceased to exist on 8 February 1951, all air traffic being organised within SAS. The pair of Sandringhams continued in service until October 1951. By

Registration c/n

Name

Delivery date Cancelled

Remarks

LN-IAV

SH48C

Kvitbjørn

18 April 1947

19 September 1947

Previously Sunderland III ML809. Written off 28 August 1947 at Tjeldsund

LN-IAW

SH52C

Bukken Bruse

19 May 1947

26 September 1949

Previously Sunderland III JM720. Written off 2 October 1948 at Hommelvik near Trondheim

LN-IAU

SH51C

Bamse Brakar

16 June 1947

21 August 1950

Previously Sunderland III ML807. Written off 15 May 1950 at Harstad

LN-LAI

SH62C

Jutulen

28 April 1948

4 July 1953

Previously Sunderland III W4037. Withdrawn October 1951. Leased to France-Hydro. Sank 16 November 1952 in Bangui River, French Equatorial Africa

LN-LMK

SH71C

Polarbjørn

June 1949

26 May 1955

Previously Sunderland III JM714. Withdrawn October 1951. To Aerolíneas Argentinas, registered on 28 April 1955 as LV-PAE. Re-registered as LV-AHM, and named Almirante ZAR. Withdrawn 1962. Leased to Cooperativa Argentina de Aeronavegantes in July 1963. Broken up January 1967

contrast, the two Ju 52/3m floatplanes carried on until their withdrawal in 1956. One was sold to Ecuador, this being operated today by the Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-Stiftung as ‘D-AQUI’ (see Aeroplane June 2015).

LN-LAI was leased to France-Hydro, but met its end when it sank in the Bangui River in French Equatorial Africa on 16 November 1952. The second Sandringham, LN-LMK, was consigned to storage until being sold to Aerolíneas

‘One of the survivors was philosopher Bertrand Russell, who swam to safety’ Interestingly, although they were painted in full SAS colours, neither Sandringham received the airline’s traditional Viking name. With the military airfield at Bodø being opened for civilian air traffic, the Shorts aircraft became redundant. Another major factor was their operational cost.

Argentinas. Registered as LV-PAE, it remained in that carrier’s service until 1962. In the meantime, it had been reregistered as LV-AHM. The aircraft was then leased to Cooperativa Argentina de Aeronavegantes, but it was rarely flown. It was finally broken up in 1967.

BELOW: LN-LAI, the first ‘attrition replacement’ Sandringham to be delivered to DNL. Here it sports SAS colours.

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The class of

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When a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fell into British hands 75 years ago, the RAF Duxford-based Air Fighting Development Unit was quick to compare it with some of its main Allied adversaries WORDS: BEN DUNNELL

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n the air war over Europe, 1942 can be seen as a pivotal year. Now that the threat of a German invasion had passed, and with the Blitz at an end, Britain — despite its heavy commitment of forces overseas — had something of a chance to regroup. Indeed, it went on the offensive. While the Dieppe raid, Operation ‘Jubilee’, was a disaster, RAF Bomber Command’s adoption of large-scale area attacks against German cities and industrial objectives at a time when the Luftwaffe was concentrating its efforts on the Eastern Front demonstrated a sense of purpose in striking back. And the arrival of United States forces in theatre would bring about a considerable increase in Allied strategic

capability, though it took a while for their full effectiveness to come to bear. It was also a year that saw the large-scale operational deployment of some key new aircraft. The Avro Lancaster, the de Havilland Mosquito, the Handley Page Halifax and the North American Mustang reached squadrons in quantity, as did the latest Supermarine Spitfire IX. But with re-equipment and the benefit of prior combat experience came the need to refine tactics, and it was in this area that a specialised RAF outfit proved its worth. The Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) had been at Duxford since December 1940. A major part of its remit was the use of captured enemy aircraft in tactical evaluations, and

when a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 became available for the first time there ensued one of the unit’s most significant assignments of the war. The aircraft in question was Fw 190A-3 Werknummer 313, landed in error at Pembrey, South Wales, on 23 June 1942. As is well known, its pilot, Oblt Armin Faber from Morlaix-based JG 2, had been in combat over the English Channel with Czechoslovak-flown RAF Spitfires and then, for whatever reason, headed north rather than south. The Focke-Wulf fighter had, of course, caused great concern when encountered by the RAF in August 1941. The Spitfire V found itself outclassed. Even with the improved Spitfire IX in development, its Merlin 60-series engine affording far better

BELOW: Fw 190A-3 MP499, still wearing JG 2 insignia, being flown from Farnborough by the RAE’s chief test pilot Wg Cdr H. J. ‘Willie’ Wilson. VIA BARRY WHEELER

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ABOVE: The Fw 190, pictured during the period of AFDU trials. BELOW: There was much praise for the Focke-Wulf fighter’s cockpit, and visibility from the canopy.

performance, and the first Griffonpowered derivative in flight test, the need to compare the Fw 190 with some of its main Allied fighter adversaries was urgent. Roaded from Pembrey to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Werknummer 331 was repainted in RAF camouflage with the serial MP499. The RAE carried out an initial flight exploitation before the AFDU was able to get to grips with the

Fw 190. It was allocated to the unit on 13 July, though the decision was taken to keep the aircraft at Farnborough rather than flying it to Duxford, since “it was important for these trials to be carried out as quickly as possible”. They were to involve comparisons with a Spitfire Vb, Spitfire IX, Mustang Ia, P-38F Lightning, Typhoon I and a prototype Spitfire XII. On the ground, first impressions of the Fw 190 were good. The cockpit, “although rather narrow is otherwise extremely comfortable. The pilot’s position is excellent… The position of instruments is excellent and all controls fall easily to the pilot’s hand, the absence of unnecessary levers and gadgets being especially noticeable”. The AFDU report went on to say, “The view for search from the Fw 190 is the best that has yet been seen by this Unit”, the Plexiglas canopy affording “an unrestricted view all round.”

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It impressed once airborne, too. “The aircraft is pleasant to fly, all controls being extremely light and positive. [It] is difficult to taxi, due to the excessive weight on the self-centring tailwheel when on the ground”. The take-off roll was about the same as a Spitfire IX. “Once airborne, the pilot immediately feels at home in the aircraft”. Its stalling speed was considered “high”, 110mph with undercarriage and flaps retracted, 105mph with them down. “One excellent feature of this aircraft is that it is seldom necessary to re-trim under all conditions of flight… The aircraft is very pleasant for aerobatics, even at high speed.” Only brief performance tests were done by the AFDU, but MP499

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achieved a maximum of 390mph at 18,000ft. “The all-round performance of the Fw 190 is good”, unit commanding officer Wg Cdr Ian Campbell-Orde concluded. However, “It is understood that this aircraft is a de-rated version which is normally given to inexperienced squadrons, and that the performance of the rated version is considerably better”. This was gleaned from the pilot’s instruction card in the cockpit and information from prisoners of war. An estimated 1,700hp was produced by the BMW 801D engine, although, “Throughout the trials the engine has been running very roughly and as a result pilots flying the aircraft have had little confidence in its reliability”. The cause was unknown; possibly it was down to a vibration affecting the injection system. PoWs reported that “the roughness of the engine is usual and that they also have little faith in its reliability…” The good view from the cockpit made the aircraft “very suitable for low flying and ground strafing”, though not in bad weather as the canopy could not be opened in flight to afford better visibility. The report said it was “easy to fly in formation”, with a “wide speed range”. The Spitfire Vb was brought in from an operational squadron for a comparison of speed and manoeuvrability up to 25,000ft. It found the Fw 190 “superior in speed at all heights”, and up to 35mph faster at 3,000ft. Its rate of climb was far superior, about 450ft per minute more up to 25,000ft. “When both aircraft are pulled up into a climb from a dive, the Fw 190 draws away very rapidly and the pilot of the Spitfire has no hope of catching it”.

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The manoeuvrability of the German aircraft was better, “except in turning circles, when the Spitfire can quite easily out-turn it… When the Fw 190 was in a turn and was attacked by the Spitfire, the superior rate of roll enabled it to flick into a diving turn in the opposite direction. The pilot of the Spitfire found great difficulty in following this manoeuvre and even when prepared for, it was seldom able to allow the correct deflection.” Several sorties investigated “the best evasive manoeuvres to adopt if ‘bounced’”. From them was concluded

that the Spitfire Vb “must cruise at high speed when in an area where enemy fighters can be expected”, opening the throttle and going into

arrival had come not a moment too soon. At most heights, Campbell-Orde wrote, the MkIX — serial BR980 being used for the test — “is slightly superior

‘Once airborne, the pilot immediately feels at home in the Fw 190’ a shallow dive. This was used during recent operations, “and has been successful on several occasions”. Given these limitations against the Luftwaffe fighter, the Spitfire IX’s

in speed to the Fw 190”, by as much as 8mph at 8,000ft, though the FockeWulf was a bit faster below 3,000ft and between 18,000 and 22,000ft. The Spitfire was “slightly better” in

THE AFDU AT DUXFORD

The Air Fighting Development Unit was formed at RAF Northolt, Middlesex, in July 1940. Officially part of Fighter Command, its role was in the air technical intelligence field, receiving new and existing RAF types as well as captured enemy machines. With them, and a cadre of suitably seasoned staff test pilots, it sought to develop and hone tactics for the optimum combat employment of front-line RAF aircraft. Despite the assignment to Fighter Command, this took in bombers as well as fighters. AFDU pilots and aircraft regularly visited units in other commands for liaison and co-operation purposes. It maintained what it dubbed a ‘British Aircraft Circus’, or more formally a Demonstration Squadron, primarily consisting of older Spitfires such as MkIIs, for use on fighter affiliation. Those aircraft could receive minor alterations for test purposes, such as different gunsights, new cockpit equipment or modified control surfaces. December 1940 saw a move to Duxford, and the start of an extremely busy phase. Through 1941 there were tactical trials to perform on the Hawker Typhoon, Avro Manchester, Short Stirling, Douglas Boston, Bell Airacobra and the four-cannon and bombcarrying variants of the Hawker Hurricane. On the enemy aircraft front, the AFDU evaluated Heinkel He 111H-1 AW177, Junkers Ju 88A-5 HM509, Fiat CR42 BT474, Messerschmitt Bf 109F-2 ES906 — which crashed near Fowlmere on 20 October, its Polish pilot having possibly suffered carbon monoxide poisoning — and Bf 110C-4 AX772, while Bf 109E-3 AW479 was returned by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough where it had suffered a forced landing. No 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight was established in its own right during November, its purpose not evaluation, but rather to perform demonstrations of the captured types in front of different units, giving them exposure to enemy machines. As it gained further such aircraft, the AFDU and its co-located Fleet Air Arm counterpart, the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit (NAFDU), would have access to them. What with the operational Typhoons of Nos 56, 266 and 609 Squadrons, and the Cierva C30A autogyros, Bristol Blenheims and DH87B Hornet Moths of No 74 (Signals) Wing, Duxford’s complement of based aircraft was nothing if not varied.

Aside from the Fw 190 trials, 1942 saw many other significant events. In April, Sqn Ldr John Nettleton, the CO of No 44 Squadron, flew Lancaster I R5556 to Duxford in order to develop evasive tactics with the help of the AFDU and its resident fighters. He did so just a week after leading the famed daylight raid on the MAN diesel engine works in Augsburg; while at Duxford, he was called into the station commander’s office to receive news of the signal announcing his Victoria Cross. The Duxford Wing’s experience had laid bare the shortcomings of the Typhoon as a fighter, so it was put forward as a potential ground attack aircraft and tested as such by the AFDU. During August it conducted a role assessment of five types, rating the Mustang I ahead of the Hurricane, the Westland Whirlwind, and the Spitfire and Typhoon joint last. Nevertheless, potential was seen in the Hawker machine, and the A&AEE conducted further tests that led rapidly to production of the fighter-bomber modifications. Another important aircraft arrived on 23 December. This was Mustang X AM203, the third Merlin-engined P-51 conversion. Famously, this programme had been set in train by an AFDU evaluation earlier that year of an Allison-powered example, after which unit CO Wg Cdr Ian Campbell-Orde invited Rolls-Royce test pilot Ronald Harker to fly it. Their view that the aircraft would be transformed by installing a Merlin led very quickly to a first flight in AL975 on 13 October. AM208 and then AM203 followed at exactly one-month intervals, and 10 days after taking to the air the latter aeroplane pitched up at Duxford. It made exactly the impression Harker had expected. Aside from the aircraft under trial, the AFDU used various types as communications platforms. Stinson Reliant W7980 was on strength throughout the unit’s time at Duxford, and there were the inevitable Airspeed Oxfords as well as a Blenheim, while the most unusual was Heston Phoenix X2891, added in January 1943. Before long, all would be on the move. Duxford’s impending transfer to the US Army Air Force as Station 357 saw the AFDU relocating to Wittering that March. Its role remained unchanged until it was merged into the Central Fighter Establishment at the war’s end.

ABOVE: Caption CREDIT

ABOVE: Members of the AFDU and the co co-located located Aircraft Gun G n Mounting Establishment (AGME) at Duxford in 1941. IWM

A ABOVE: Sq adron during d ring its April 1942 Lancaster I R5556 of No 44 Squadron visit to the AFDU. KEY COLLECTION

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ABOVE: Jeffrey Quill flew Spitfire XII prototype DP845, powered by a single-stage Griffon II, against the Fw 190 in a speed trial.

KEY COLLECTION

BELOW: P-38Fs of the 1st Fighter Group at Goxhill were employed for both the Fw 190 evaluation and an AFDU trials effort with the Lightning itself. IWM/ROGER FREEMAN COLLECTION

comparative climbs, but above 22,000ft “the climb of the Fw 190 is falling off rapidly, whereas the climb of the Spitfire IX is increasing.” Given the small differences, it was stressed that, “in actual combat the advantage in climb will be with the aircraft that has the initiative”. A comparison of turning performance gave the same results for the MkIX as with the Vb. The initial acceleration of the Fw 190 was generally superior, but there was “little to choose”. CampbellOrde concluded: “The general impression gained by the pilots taking part in the trials is that the Spitfire IX compares favourably with the Fw 190 and that provided the Spitfire has the initiative, it has undoubtedly a good chance of shooting it down.” Given the type’s known shortcomings, the comparison with the Allison-engined Mustang Ia was an interesting one. “There was little to choose between the aircraft in speed at

all heights except between 10,000 and 15,000 feet, where the Mustang was appreciably faster”, said the AFDU. The Fw 190 accelerated more rapidly in all conditions and was superior in climbs, but the Mustang was “slightly faster in a prolonged dive”. Diving away at full power from a high cruise speed proved an effective evasive tactic in the Mustang, but not when it was flying more slowly. Instead, use could be made of its turning performance.

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The North American aircraft was better in turning circles, the FockeWulf otherwise more manoeuvrable. The test pilots found that the Mustang could make better use of a rapid reversal if attacked by an Fw 190 in a turn than could the Spitfire — unlike the MkIX’s Merlin, with its lack of a negative-g carburettor, the Allison V-1710 didn’t cut out.

A US Army Air Force pilot flew the P-38F Lightning, an example provided by the 1st Fighter Group at Goxhill, Lincolnshire. The Fw 190 was faster up to 22,000ft, at which point the difference began to even out, and the P-38 took the advantage above 23,000. Climb performance of the Lightning was better only above 20,000ft. The Fw 190 had the advantage in dives, and always when accelerating. “The manoeuvrability of the Fw 190 is superior to that of the P-38F”, wrote Campbell-Orde, “particularly in the rolling plane. Although at high speed the Fw 190 is superior in turning circles, it can be out-turned if the P-38F reduces its speed to about 140mph, at which speed it can carry out a very tight turn which the Fw 190 cannot follow”. The use of slow speed was thus a good evasive tactic for the Lightning. There was no time to conduct trials in which the Fw 190 was ‘bounced’ by the P-38, but it was thought that the Lightning “would stand a reasonable chance of shooting down the Fw 190 provided it had a slight height advantage and the element of surprise.” Unfortunately, trials with the two other aircraft were limited. The Fw 190’s engine problems curtailed the AFDU’s assessment against the Typhoon. Two of the Hawker machines were used in four-cannon configuration, one from the manufacturer, the other a squadron. There was “little to choose” between them in speed at 2,000ft, the only altitude at which a speed and manoeuvrability test was carried out. Even then the Typhoon had no time to reach its maximum, while its initial acceleration was “much slower”, but, “From the knowledge of both aircraft it can be safely assumed that the Typhoon will be faster than the Fw 190 at all heights.” The manoeuvrability element of the test was restricted because the Fw 190 pilot “was reluctant at the time to risk stalling the aircraft at such low height”, though both displayed largely

similar performance in turning circles. High speed was adjudged the Typhoon’s main defensive attribute, a height advantage its best means of ‘bouncing’ the Focke-Wulf. Even less of an opportunity was presented to try the Fw 190 against the Spitfire XII, the latter in the hands of Vickers test pilot Jeffrey Quill. The aircraft was DP845, originally a MkIV but redesignated as a XX and then a XII. “Two speed runs were made from high cruising speed over a distance of about 10 miles”, the AFDU report noted. “The acceleration of the Spitfire proved superior to that of the Fw 190 and its speed appreciably faster. Owing to adverse weather conditions it was not possible to compare the two aircraft for dive and climb”. Again, the low altitude of the manoeuvring tests was not ideal for the Fw 190 pilot, but the Spitfire had “no difficulty” out-turning it.

The conclusions drawn by Campbell-Orde were fulsome in their praise. “The Fw 190 is considered an excellent low and medium-altitude fighter”, he wrote, stating: “Its designer has obviously given much thought to the pilot… The simplicity of the aircraft as a whole is an excellent feature”. Of course, he again praised

in flight. The engine took a long time to get up to oil temperature after start, and its rough running “is much disliked by all pilots…” Even so, they had enjoyed the Fw 190. “The flying characteristics are exceptional and a pilot new to the type feels at home within the first few minutes of flight. The controls

ABOVE: The Fw 190 later gained a large P (for prototype) marking on its fuselage sides. VIA BARRY WHEELER

‘Campbell-Orde thought the Fw 190 an excellent low and medium-altitude fighter’ the visibility from the cockpit, and added: “The armament is good and well positioned, and the ammunition capacity should be sufficient for any normal fighter operation.” Some faults were worthy of mention. Although it had not been practised, it was believed that night flying would be “unpleasant” due to exhaust glare and the inability to open the canopy

are light and well harmonised and all manoeuvres can be carried out without difficulty at all speeds. “Perhaps one of the most outstanding qualities of this aircraft is the remarkable aileron control. It is possible to change from a turn in one direction to a turn in the opposite direction with incredible speed, and when viewed from another aircraft the

BELOW: Spitfire IX BS273 — painted with the wrong serial, BF273 — was provided by Rolls-Royce for AFDU tests of new reduction gear. VIA TONY BUTTLER

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AIR FIG HTING D EVELO P M E N T U N IT change appears just as if a flick halfroll has been made. “The main conclusion gained from the tactical trials of the Fw 190 is that our fighter aircraft must fly at high speed when in an area where the Fw 190 is likely to be met.” The AFDU team returned from Farnborough to Duxford on 2 August 1942. It had been time very well spent. Despite the subject aircraft’s engine troubles, the opportunity to sample the formidable Focke-Wulf was invaluable as a means of informing the tactics to be used against the Fw 190 in future engagements. Senior personnel from other squadrons, bases and commands — including AAF representatives — and the aircraft industry had also been able to examine the aeroplane and see it in action. The benefits were spread widely.

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Records of other AFDU evaluations conducted during the rest of 1942 illustrate how the data on the Fw 190 provided new reference points for future trials. That August, a comparison test was undertaken between two Spitfire IXs, BR140 and BS273, fitted with different reduction gear. While the new .277 gear slightly reduced speed compared with the .42 gear, this was “considered to be greatly outweighed by the marked improvement in other respects”, producing a “better all-round fighter” that was able to “out-climb with ease the de-rated version of the Fw 190 at all heights”. Flights in a number of 1st FG P-38Fs resulted in the Lightning being judged to “have a fair chance of holding its own in combat with the Fw 190”, though speed restrictions limited its diving performance. At the year’s end, production clipped-wing Spitfire XII EN223 demonstrated

‘Our fighters must fly at high speed in areas where the Fw 190 may be met’ manoeuvrability in advance of its Merlin-engined predecessors. Below 20,000ft, the AFDU said, the MkXII “will be able to out-pace, out-turn and roll as well as the Fw 190.” And what of the Fw 190 itself? Some sources suggest that MP499 was allocated to No 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight at Duxford, but there seems to be little evidence that it ever came to the station. The fighter’s last flight appears to have taken place on 29 January 1943. It was struck off charge at Farnborough on 18 September 1943 and, having been subjected to destructive testing and gunfire, eventually scrapped there. Its job was done.

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CAMBRIDGE

Given its proximity to Cambridge and its university, RAF Duxford was an obvious choice as a centre of research activities. Indeed, the link helped perpetuate its existence. When many other First World War airfields were being closed, Duxford remained active with such use partially in mind. The key figure was a mechanical sciences graduate of Emmanuel College, Bennett Melvill Jones. Having worked at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington and for Armstrong Whitworth on airship designs, he went in 1914 to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and then the Orfordness Experimental Station, the latter assignment including a period in wartime France on research work — he flew as a gunner in a Bristol F2B piloted by his brother Benedict, and was awarded the Air Force Cross. Back in Cambridge post-war, he joined the university’s engineering department, and in October 1919 became its first Francis Mond Professor of Aeronautical Engineering. For Melvill Jones, Duxford offered great research potential. Early on, his new department made use of No 2 Flying Training School’s Airco DH9As, though it was not possible to modify the aircraft in any way. The airfield’s change of role to a fighter station in 1924 put an end to this, but when Cambridge University Air Squadron was formed on 1 October 1925 the connection was renewed. Its records show that the squadron was to be organised into three sections: one for RAF, RAF Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force aspirants, one for technical aspirants, and another for research. In reality, the arrangements were rather more ad hoc. The first CUAS aircraft, a Bristol F2B and two Lynx-engined Avro 504Ns, arrived at Duxford during February 1926. At the time, it was noted: “The beginning of the Research side of the Squadron had its beginnings in the practical study of ‘The Circulation Theory and Origin of Vortices’ by Flt Lt C. E. W. Lockyer under Professor B. Melville Jones”. By the start of Michaelmas Term in 1927, research student Flt Lt C. E. Maitland was flying F2B J8438 with Jones as his observer, investigating aerodynamics and aircraft stability. Stalls were a particular focus for the professor, whose work in the field did much to understand the phenomenon. Indeed, Air Ministry director of scientific research Harry Wimperis wrote, “The danger is now thoroughly realised”. With assistance from the university engineering laboratory, a model wind tunnel was built. Once Maitland was posted elsewhere, retired Flt Lt J. A. G. Haslam MC DFC was “appointed Research Pilot” to Jones on 20 June 1928. A Royal Flying Corps and RAF officer during wartime, Alec Haslam was now an undergraduate in Jones’s department. As reported by the Aeronautical Research Committee, the pair “successfully developed a method whereby wool tufts were attached to the surface of an aeroplane’s wing and their behaviour was watched during flight”. For this they employed Armstrong Whitworth Atlas J9129, later replaced by K1027. The technique allowed “a study of air flow over the wings and tail during stalled flight and spinning.” The ‘Brisfit’ continued in use, instrumented to measure “the lateral motions of a stalled and unstalled aeroplane for given movements of the controls”. It was subsequently modified with a larger rudder and wingtip slots to ascertain their effects on lateral stability. Graduating in 1930, Haslam left for a time, and CUAS research flying ceased. But he returned three years later, now as a university staff member, whereupon he and Jones resumed their collaboration. In a famous 1929 paper to the Royal Aeronautical Society, Jones had examined the effects of streamlining on aircraft design, outlining clearly the benefits it could bring for no increase in power. This interest was reflected in the work at Duxford. Of numerous aircraft allocated to the Station Flight for university research purposes, a Hawker Hart and Airspeed Courier K4047 were given modified wing sections, as was Atlas K1027. A local product also proved well-suited to Melvill Jones’s needs. The de Bruyne DB2 Snark (see Aeroplane January 2015) had been developed by Trinity College alumnus Dr Norman de Bruyne and his company Aero Research as a showcase for his methods of airframe construction. The little monoplane was flown as G-ADDL in 1934. Two years later the Air Ministry acquired the Snark, whereupon it made

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Research flying was a significant part of RAF Duxford’s role pre-war

the short hop from Aero Research’s facility and small aerodrome south-east of Duxford village to the RAF station and joined the Station Flight. Serial L6103 was allocated but may not have been worn. The design made it ideal for Jones’s experiments with thick wings, and he gathered some useful data over the next two years. Meanwhile, de Bruyne’s business was developing, moving very successfully into the field of aeronautical adhesives. Flight reported how David Pye, the Air Ministry’s deputy director of scientific research, described the work of Aero Research as “a very excellent complement” to Melvill Jones’s aerodynamic efforts. Duxford was a hotbed of cutting-edge aeronautics. The airfield’s academic link extended to keeping in flying practice RAF officers who were sent to study engineering at Cambridge. One was a certain Fg Off Frank Whittle, who joined CUAS in July 1934 prior to starting his two-year degree at Peterhouse. He kept his hand in with regular trips in the squadron’s Avro Tutors. While studying under Roy Lubbock, Whittle met Melville Jones and assisted him with some of his aerodynamic research. The two academics both offered encouragement to Whittle in his development of the jet engine, Jones having himself considered the technology. It has been said that he told Whittle, “I think you are on the right track, young man, but don’t expect the sky to be black with jet aircraft for at least 10 years.” Connections made through his involvement with RAF Duxford greatly assisted Whittle. At the CUAS annual dinner in March

1936, he met the chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee, Sir Henry Tizard, who became an ally. Lubbock and Jones helped secure Whittle a year of postgraduate study, during which he continued his jet research. He used the CUAS Tutors to fly to locations connected with this work, not least RAE Farnborough — the destination of his last flight from Duxford, on 18 August 1937. By the outbreak of war, Haslam had left for the Air Ministry, replaced by A. V. Stephenson. His work with Melvill Jones was stopped by hostilities, but the professor’s contribution to the war effort went in a different direction, namely gunnery. In 1941 he was back at Duxford, recalling his First World War activities by acting as rear gunner in a Boulton Paul Defiant borrowed by the Air Fighting Development Unit from the Gunnery Research Unit at Exeter. It, two Hurricanes, a Spitfire and a Gladiator were engaged in trials to ascertain the best means of combating German troop-carrying gliders — played for the purpose by up to five Kirby Kites, the sole Scott Viking and a powered British Aircraft Swallow — in the event of invasion. Knighted in 1942, Jones was instrumental in development of the gyro gunsight, and became chairman of the Aeronautical Research Committee. In retirement he was an RAE consultant. He died aged 89 in October 1975. Bennett Melvill Jones may not be a household name like Bader, but this mild-mannered professor earned his place in Duxford’s annals.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Professor Bennett Melvill Jones. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY Armstrong Whitworth Atlas K1027 in one of its modified configurations for use in Melvill Jones’s airflow research. IWM Frank and Dorothy Whittle at the former’s graduation from Peterhouse College in 1936. VIA NICHOLAS JONES

ABOVE: Here ‘propped up’ in take take-off off attitude, attitude the de Bruyne Snark shows off the thick wing that so interested Melvill Jones Jones. AEROPLANE O

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Taming the

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The Seafire Mk45 was never destined to see front-line service, but this mark contributed much to what became the ultimate expression of Supermarine’s naval fighter WORDS: TONY BUTTLER

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ince only a relatively small number of Supermarine Seafire Mk45s were built — just 50 production aircraft, in addition to prototypes, within the 20,000-plus Spitfires and more than 2,000 Seafires — this mark has tended to be ignored within the enormous volume of material published about the family. However, the Vickers-Supermarine reports describing parts of the flight-testing of the prototypes are highly illuminating. They also present, in a small way, the sort of day-to-day trials that most test pilots would have been accustomed to during the war years and the mid1940s. The Seafire F45 was a direct naval development or conversion of the Spitfire F21 with basic fittings such as a ‘sting’ arrestor hook and catapult attachment points. It was covered by

specification N7/44, issued in October 1944. This was the first mark of Seafire to receive the 60-series Griffon with its two-stage, two-speed supercharger, but it did not have a folding wing. The initial prototype, TM379, was converted from a Spitfire F21 to naval standard by Cunliffe-Owen. As such it first flew in October 1944. The second prototype, also a former Mk21, was TM383. A third, TM389, was cancelled. The production aircraft

becoming the first members of the Spitfire family to use this feature. The reports referred to here all involved TM379 and TM383, the former with a contra-rotating propeller, the latter with the five-blade single prop. The first entry in the flight report file seen by the author covered two short flights with TM379 made on 6 February 1945, the first by chief test pilot Jeffrey Quill, the second by his deputy Patrick Shea-Simonds. At this

BELOW: A lovely air-to-air photo of Seafire Mk45 prototype TM379. At this point it had a single five-blade propeller.

‘Both of TM379’s first flights were brief, the aircraft being very left wing-low’ built at Castle Bromwich carried the serials LA428 to LA457 and LA480 to LA499. Some Seafire 45s were later fitted with contra-rotating propellers,

point the aircraft was fitted with a Rotol contra-rotating propeller. Both flights were brief, the first because TM379 was found to be very left winglow. This indicated that the directional

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ABOVE: There are relatively few images of Mk45 Seafires, and most are official Ministry walk-round shots. This one illustrates first production aircraft LA428.

stability was quite unacceptable, even though the machine was only flown at low speeds. On the second it was decidedly right wing-low as a result of over-adjustment but Shea-Simonds, whose first flight with the contra-props this was, reported that the propeller appeared reasonably satisfactory, although directional stability “was conspicious by its absence at all speeds.” Three days later, Quill flew the prototype after de Havilland contraprops had been fitted. He considered that stability, whether directional or fore and aft, was now better than with the Rotol propeller as used on the previous flight, but that the aircraft became unstable and unacceptable at high altitude. There was very

standard fabric-covered elevators and fabric rudder. The propeller appeared reasonably satisfactory, though it was somewhat rough at maximum rpm and to a lesser extent at the cruising rpm (2,400), if not to the extent of being considered unacceptable. Directional stability was still not thought wholly ideal, but it was “quite fair for cruising conditions, i.e. from approximately 250 to 320kt IAS, but on the climb at 150kt IAS the directional stability was not very good”. After the rudder had been displaced and then released, although the aircraft returned “after a fashion” to comparatively straight flight, it was sluggish in so doing and did not always resume its original flight path. At indicated speeds in excess of 360kt

‘Shea-Simonds reported that directional stability with the contra-props was ‘conspicuous by its absence at all speeds’’ considerable vibration from the propeller, which got worse at high speed and was particularly noticeable above 2,200rpm. The next entry was made on 11 April 1945. Shea-Simonds took TM379 aloft, fitted again with a Rotol contra-rotating prop, and with

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(579km/h) the directional stability and the effects of yaw and pitch that were common in the Spitfire 21 and Seafire 45 became quite pronounced, and neither of these features was deemed acceptable as yet. In Shea-Simonds’ opinion, the only real solution for the stability problems “for this contra-

propeller Griffon aircraft is the large stern end.” Shea-Simonds next flew TM379 on 13 April after an extra 1.5in (38mm) had been added to the rudder horn. In this condition he felt there was some improvement in directional control and stability. If the rudder was displaced either to port or starboard and the aircraft “held in a condition of steady skid”, the wings being kept level by use of ailerons, when the rudder was released the Seafire would return to straight flight. When this was done at a higher speed on the level (255kt, 410km/h) or in a shallow dive (at 350kt, 563km/h) the return to straight flight took a little longer. During the climb, turns in either direction could be made satisfactorily with feet off the rudder. There was in each case a slight tendency for the aircraft to slip into the turn, and recovery to straight flight by use of ailerons only was not absolutely positive. That tendency returned in the 350kt dive, making turns with ‘feet off rudder’, and just using ailerons to regain straight flight was not quite so positive as in the level cruising condition. In excess of 400kt (644km/h) indicated, the rudder was too light over small angles, with the result that fairly large angles of yaw could be inadvertently induced with a very small foot force. TM379’s directional stability characteristics were checked by Shea-Simonds again on 7 June 1945,

the aircraft having been fitted with a split-type rudder trimming tab opened to give a gap of 1.6in (40.5mm), along with other minor modifications. In this condition the stability of the aircraft, while positive, was “not very crisp at any speed” and several swings of decreasing amplitude would follow the freeing of the rudder control after inducement to yaw. Over the next two days Jeffrey Quill took the second Seafire 45 prototype, TM383, on two flights. For the first it had a centre of gravity of 5.5in (140mm), which represented the extended aft limit. This aircraft did not have a contra-prop but instead a five-blade single propeller, and it was to perform spinning trials. A spin was started at 30,000ft (9,144m) in order to allow recovery at approximately 25,000ft (7,620m). But it was observed that directional stability at altitude was very poor, particularly in dives. Accordingly it was decided afterwards to try the effect of a split edge-type rudder trimmer, and this was fitted to the aircraft overnight.

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The next day’s sortie was a directional stability test up to 20,000ft (6,096m). The new trimmer increased the foot loads required for a directional disturbance, which Quill declared was a good point, and decreased the directional change of trim with speed — another positive — but failed to

Seafire Mk45 at a glance POWERPLANT

Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 with five-blade propeller Rolls-Royce Griffon 85 with six-blade contra-rotating props

SPAN

36ft 11in (11.26m)

LENGTH

33ft 4in (10.16m) with five-blade propeller

GROSS WING AREA

243.6 square ft (22.65 square m)

MAXIMUM WEIGHT

9,250lb (4,196kg)

ARMAMENT

Four 20mm Hispano cannon

improve automatic damping from a directional disturbance. This remained unacceptable. Quill took TM383 into the air on 12 June with the horn balance of the rudder increased to 11.75in from 11in (298mm from 279mm), but in this condition the rudder was too light. Although directional stability was, basically, fairly good, damping was poor. It was decided that an increase in the trailing edge beading was required because the increase in horn size was thought on the whole to have improved directional stability, but made the foot loads too light. The second Seafire 45 prototype was flown a day later with the same horn and split tab as previously but with 4in (102mm) of split beading added to the trailing edge of the rudder above the tab. The machine was taken to 35,000ft (10,668m) and the foot loads were found greater for a given disturbance than on its previous sortie. Damping was somewhat better, but TM383 usually performed three

BELOW: LA432, another early production Seafire Mk45, demonstrates well the rudder fitting — the main subject of the test programme described here. AEROPLANE

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SEAFIRE 4 5 or four oscillations before damping out completely from a directional disturbance. Nevertheless, Quill noted that “the basic directional stability is quite good”, adding, “the great point which is in favour of this rudder is that

on the first production Spitfire Mk21, LA187. The final contractor’s trials report covering TM383 — described as the first production aircraft — was dated 9 August 1945, and signed by Quill. It noted that the main respects

‘Quill closed the report on TM383 by saying, ‘the handling qualities of this aeroplane are considered generally good’’ BELOW: Another air-to-air shot of TM379. The Mk45 had the standard Spitfire cockpit, but the follow-on 46 and 47 would have the full teardrop canopy and cutback rear fuselage.

there is a very small directional change of trim with speed, so one might almost think one was flying a contraprop”. On the whole the directional characteristics of the aircraft as it stood now, while not exactly perfect, were felt good — certainly better than on the Seafire XV. Clearing and approving the stability of the Seafire 45 appears to have taken some time and effort, though many of the elements required by the contractor’s trials had been carried out

in which TM383 differed from LA187 (insofar as differences that would affect its flying characteristics were concerned) were the introduction of the sting hook-type stern end and rudder, modified ailerons and different centre of gravity limits. In fact, it was the substantial rudder alteration that, it had been expected, might give different directional characteristics from the Spitfire 21. This was why a good portion of time was devoted to the matter.

The aircraft was climbed at its best climbing speed, at both the engine’s rated and combat power, and directionally trimmed. Very considerable disturbances were then applied by kicking the rudder, inducing a 20° sideslip. The foot loads involved were noted, and the damping qualities. Nearly all of the tests were repeated at both low and high altitudes. On the whole, the final rudder as now fitted had completed the tests very satisfactorily, the rudder loads required for a disturbance being crisp and positive. During the climb TM383’s behaviour during feet-off turns 20mph (32km/h) above and below the trimming speed was good. Only small amounts of sideslip, not exceeding 5° and mostly below 3°, were encountered, and no tendency for the rudder to ‘over-balance’ to port was found. The damping characteristics after a disturbance had been initiated at any speed were, while perhaps not ideal, felt adequate.

Changes of trim with changes of speed and/or power were very light and better than a Spitfire XIV or Mk21, this being perhaps one of the best features of this rudder. Directional stability in feet-off flight in bumpy air was acceptable. In summary, the report declared that the Seafire 45’s directional characteristics were superior to the MkXV and Spitfire 21. Considering other parts of the trials, TM383 had not been dived above 510mph (821km/h) on account of vibration. Pure propeller vibration was eliminated by fitting a torque-balanced propeller but a considerable vibration, apparently in the forward part of the aircraft, was experienced at speeds in excess of 450mph (724km/h). Even though three different pilots attempted diving trials, the problem was such that none of them had exceeded 500mph (805km/h) indicated. Signs of overheating were found in the engine and this was suspected

to be the cause. An engine change produced a slight improvement with a speed of 510mph (821km/h) being attained. But the vibration was not acceptable for diving to maximum ASI, so another Seafire was being allotted to Supermarine in order for it to continue with the investigation. No reason for the vibration had yet been determined.

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The Mk45’s spinning characteristics were, for the most part, satisfactory. Spins were somewhat inconsistent at high altitude — that is to say, one spin would be smooth and steady while the next, although entered in the same manner, would be rough and uneven. Spins to the left were usually more violent and unsteady than to the right. The method of recovery was to apply full opposite rudder and allow the stick to move forward to about the mid-position and no further. Engine overspeeding was experienced

during the dive, immediately following recovery; in order to minimise this, it was important to open the throttle and get the constant speed action going as soon as possible. In certain cases aileron was also required for recovery. Quill closed the report by saying, “apart from the difficulty experienced from vibration in diving, the handling qualities of this aeroplane” — Seafire 45 TM383 — “are considered generally good”. Despite the apparent intensity of the flight-testing, all the Mk45s were looked upon as interim machines for development and training. They were not expected to be used operationally and none would reach a front-line unit. Nevertheless, this work formed part of the development process that led on to the ultimate Griffon Seafire, the Mk47. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The author thanks the Brooklands Museum Archive for assistance with this article.

BELOW: LA428 embodies the Seafire Mk45 in its original form. BOTTOM: The contra-rotating prop installation is shown by LA446. During December 1945, this aircraft underwent brief handling trials at the A&AEE to clear the version for the Navy’s intensive flying trials. AEROPLANE

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The

Mustang Had World War Two continued, maybe the RAF and US Army Air Force would have operated the lightweight P-51F Mustang. It certainly impressed Supermarine’s test pilots when they got their hands on one

WORDS: TONY BUTTLER

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that might have been

W

ith the war nearly over, Supermarine’s test pilots were still flying all sorts of Spitfires and Seafires. Both types had plenty of years left in service, and would need further enhancements. But in April 1945 there came an unusual diversion for Jeffrey Quill and Patrick Shea-Simonds: the chance to get their hands on a North American XP-51F Mustang. RAF serials FR409 to FR411 were allocated to three ex-US Army Air Force Mustangs, respectively an XP-51F, XP-51G and P-51B, acquired for evaluation by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down. The P-51F and P-51G were both lightweight versions, the first XP-51F making its maiden flight on 14 February 1944. FR409 was the third and final XP-51F and first flew on 20 May 1944, but in the end neither

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the F nor the G model was adopted by the AAF or the RAF. Just three and two examples respectively were built. FR409 originally received the AAF serial 43-43334. It was passed to the RAF as (unofficially) a Mustang V and given its UK military serial. The machine was struck off charge on 18 February 1947. AAF serial 43-43336 was the XP-51G, which became Mustang IV FR410. Having been in British hands, this aircraft was removed from the inventory on 26 June 1947. The third aeroplane in this series was P-51B 43-6565, which came under British control in November 1943 as FR411. It was returned to the AAF on 13 December that year, having seen no RAF use. The lightweight Mustangs, of which the XP-51F was the first, were essentially of a new design with a lighter structure and little in common

with the earlier models. One wonders why the type was not given a new designation. They also introduced a large teardrop canopy. XP-51F FR409 was fitted with a Packard V-1560-3 Merlin engine and a three-blade propeller, but not, apparently, any guns. XP-51G FR410 was pretty similar but had a Rolls-Royce-built Merlin 145, six machine guns and a five-blade propeller. The XP-51F had achieved a maximum speed of 493mph

weight of 7,669lb (3,479kg) when carrying 150 gallons (682 litres) of fuel. No performance data was collected but it was quoted as being a “marked improvement” over earlier Mustangs. The large canopy provided an outstanding view out and the handling was found to be “pleasant and easy”. FR410 seemingly spent time with Air Service Training at Hamble but, as far as is known, did not in the end go to the A&AEE.

BELOW: XP-51F FR409 at Boscombe Down with, it appears, no guns fitted. The aircraft should have had four 0.50in (12.7mm) machine guns. Note the P-47 Thunderbolt in the background. VIA PHIL BUTLER

‘The lightweight Mustangs had little in common with the earlier models’ (793km/h) and could reach 20,000ft (6,096m) in a little over two minutes. It is understood that FR409 was tested only briefly by Boscombe Down’s pilots circa October 1944, at a loaded

For the Supermarine flights, FR409 had a plain, fabric-covered rudder, with an anti-balance geared tab and a small inset balance towards the top of the fin. The elevators were of plain

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ABOVE: The first XP-51F, 43-43332, with the engine cowlings removed to display the Packard V-1560-3 Merlin.

type, metal-covered, with a pronounced bulge in their section and a similar type of small inset balance to that on the rudder. Both elevators had geared tabs acting in the anti-balance sense. The metal-covered ailerons were hinged on the centreline with the Irving type of sealed balance. A trimmer tab, operated from the cockpit, was attached to the port aileron only. The documents seen by the author give no clue as to why Supermarine’s test pilots were suddenly able to get hold of a Mustang. It may have been as a result of an official request to permit a comparison to be made between this aircraft and the company’s latest versions of its Spitfire and

Quill was the first Supermarine pilot to try FR409, making a preliminary handling flight on 20 April 1945. He reported that the take-off was good with only a slight tendency to swing, and that undercarriage retraction was simple and rapid. However, the operation of the constant-speed lever when it came to reducing rpm was extremely sluggish.

❖

Aileron control was positive and very effective right down to the stall, with flaps either up or down, while above 350mph (563km/h) indicated it tended to become slightly heavy

‘Shea-Simonds praised ‘the delightful smoothness of the engine installation’’ Seafire. However, it is just as likely that somebody might have seen that the type was available at Boscombe; perhaps Jeffrey Quill picked up the ’phone at short notice and asked for some flights. His reputation was very high and such a request would probably have carried weight, but we may never know what really happened.

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when compared to the Supermarine Spiteful. Elevator control was light and effective throughout the speed range and was thought “remarkably steady by comparison with Spitfire metal elevators.” A brief stability check was made at 10,000ft (3,048m), the aircraft showing positive dynamic stability,

while the level of static stability was estimated to lie approximately halfway between that of a Spitfire with a fabric elevator and one with a metal elevator. This was borne out by the fact that in making dives in the XP-51F from the trimmed condition in level flight, the stick force to hold a dive was appreciable but did not compare with that required on a fabric-elevator Spitfire. The rudder was not noticeably light and directional characteristics were poor as far as stability was concerned. Firstly, there were fairly considerable changes of rudder trim with speed and throttle opening. Then in dives the directional stability characteristics were what might be called ‘lazy’, somewhat akin to those of Spitfires with contra-rotating propellers — when disturbed, the machine did not perform a rapid directional oscillation but instead a “somewhat drunken side-swipe.” The stalling characteristics were, in Quill’s words, “perhaps the most remarkable point about this aircraft”. With flaps and undercarriage down, FR409 stalled at 83mph (134km/h) indicated, with minor tail buffeting just beforehand. With everything up, the stall came at 92mph (148km/h)

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indicated, this time with no buffet being experienced. Aileron control remained positive right down to the stall. There was no tendency towards aileron snatch or buffet and lateral stability was “quite remarkable”. Nor did it drop a wing, the aircraft merely dropping its nose because of a lack of elevator control if an attempt was made to hold it in a stalled condition. Patrick Shea-Simonds flew FR409 on 21 and 23 April 1945, and endorsed Quill’s comments. He added that the XP-51F was “undoubtedly a very pleasant flying machine indeed from the handling point of view, although there is no doubt that its factors are too low to place it in the first class fighter category.” Shea-Simonds highlighted several small points that he thought were undesirable. The control column, “as is usually the case with most American fighter aircraft”, seemed unduly short and rigged too far forward. The hood, although excellent from a visibility point of view, was unnecessarily large. Something mid-way between this and the rear-view Spitfire hood, say from the MkXIV or 22, would appear to have been ideal. The hydraulically-operated pilot’s seat was, to Shea-Simonds, “an amusing toy but I hardly think a necessary feature. Surely a Spitfire-type hand-operated adjustable seat would have saved a bit of weight, which seemed to be the object of the exercise throughout this aeroplane”. However, he regarded the power operation of the cockpit hood as a “first class innovation”. He raised questions about the bad position of the mixture control lever, while the flap control and operation of the flaps did not seem very good. Despite all this, Shea-Simonds considered the aeroplane to be a remarkably pleasing one and its handling characteristics, particularly at low speeds, most satisfying. Directional stability at high speed was rather poor, however, and he felt that the

ABOVE: Caption CREDIT

ABOVE AND LEFT: Views of XP-51G 43-43336. The first shows it with a five-blade propeller and American markings. In the second, apparently dated 26 February 1945 and probably taken at Inglewood, it now has British markings as FR410 and has acquired a four-blade prop. VIA GERRY BALZER

lateral control and stability were a little deceptive: although at low and medium speeds the ailerons were very light, there seemed to be a delayedaction response to lateral movements of the control column and the rate of roll was “by no means remarkable”. At high speeds the lateral control became somewhat unresponsive and the lateral stability was “rather less than one might expect.” The aircraft’s behaviour at the stall had already been fully dealt with by Quill. However, it was very interesting to note (from the behaviour of wool

tufts fitted to the port wing upper surface) the marked similarity between the XP-51F and a standard Spitfire fitted with Frise ailerons as far as the stalling characteristics went. Shea-Simonds concluded by saying, “one excellent feature of this aircraft is the delightful smoothness of the engine installation. This feature alone would be well worth achieving in many British fighters.” ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to Gerry Balzer, Phil Butler and the Brooklands Museum Archive.

BELOW: It is thought that XP-51F FR409 first arrived at Boscombe on 21 August 1944. This shot was apparently taken that October. VIA PHIL BUTLER

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E NG IN E TE ST J AV E L IN S

POW WER PLAY In some ways the Gloster Javelin was a less-than-ideal engine test platform, but two examples performed exactly that role WORDS: TONY BUTTLER

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ith its twin engines situated in wing-mounted nacelles, the Gloster Meteor proved ideal for testing alternative power units, such was the relative

ease with which the nacelles could be adapted. The manufacturer’s follow-on Javelin all-weather fighter had its twin powerplants housed within the fuselage and so, in theory, was less suited to

operations as a testbed, at least outside the area of fitting new versions of its standard Sapphire engines. But two Javelin FAW1s were adapted to take entirely different units.

THE GYRON JUNIOR JAVELIN The Javelin FAW1 to 6 were all powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire Sa 6s. The FAW7 had a more powerful version of the Sapphire, and the FAW8 introduced afterburning. It is understood that there was never a strong possibility of production machines receiving a different make of powerplant, but an early production FAW1, XA552, XA A was used as a trials platform for the de Havilland Gyron Junior, selected to power the Bristol 188 supersonic research aircraft and the Blackburn Buccaneer naval strike aircraft. Much of the detail text and new information that follows was compiled from the weekly de Havilland engine test reports, now in the hands of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust at Filton.

XA XA552 A was completed as a standard Sapphire-powered FAW1. Having come under Controller (Aircraft) operation in February 1955, it was first employed by Gloster as the trial installation airframe for drop tank and other development work. It never joined an RAF RA A squadron, and on 11 December 1956 was allocated to Napier at Luton for the conversion and installation of a pair of Gyron Junior DGJ10R (Project Study 50 or PS50) engines, at the time described by the press as “the first British aircraft powerplants designed for flight at Mach numbers greater than 2.5.” The Javelin was despatched to the Napier flight test department at Luton for conversion to begin on the 18th. After much of the work had been done

it was transferred to de Havilland charge on 5 August 1959. XA552 XA A arrived at Hatfield on 27 August (or possibly 27 October) in readiness to begin PS50 flight development, the Hertfordshire airfield becoming its base for much of the programme. The Gyron Junior’s exceptional thrust-to-weight ratio, combined with a relatively small frontal area, had — in theory — made it a natural choice to power the forthcoming all-steel Bristol 188. Test-flying of the 188 from 1962 (see Aeroplane February 2015) would in fact show that the Gyron Junior was far from ideal. The PS50/ DGJ10R version featured zero-stage, variable stators and steel construction. de Havilland had also developed a high-augmentation afterburner, which

would operate at a combustion temperature of up to 3,140°F using a fully variable supersonic nozzle. The engine’s sea-level static rating was 10,000lb dry and with maximum reheat 14,000lb, rather higher than the Sa 6’s 8,300lb. Calculations had shown that in flight at 36,000ft (10,973m), and a speed in excess of Mach 2.5, the complete powerplant could deliver more than 20,000lb. As a result the thrust output per square foot of frontal area came to approximately 3,700lb, which was described in period as “a remarkable figure for a gas turbine at the tropopause”. The two units in XA XA552 A were, however, low-powered, afterburning versions of the 188’s, the objective of the Javelin trials programme being to prove the lowspeed handling of the Gyron Juniors in readiness for the supersonic aircraft’s early flights. The Ministry of Aviation authorised that the installation should be completed to the standard of build required for the 188, but the problems of installing these very advanced power units proved formidable. A great deal of time was expended in perfecting the control systems for the engine, afterburner and nozzle. Very extensive airframe and systems modifications were needed because the Gyron Juniors were not merely engines but a complete propulsion system, with a set of complicated controls designed to match up all of the variables expected within a wide range of flight conditions. The first engine ground runs were made on 26 April 1960. By 4 May this preliminary running had revealed that the Gyron Juniors were very sensitive to surge, even with the nozzles fully open from the start.

Further ground trials showed that these engines were impossible to operate without surge, but it was established that this was due to choking conditions at the intake entry where the diameter was 22.8in (579mm). Model tests carried out on Javelin intakes back in 1956-57 had been made using an entry diameter of 24.8in (630mm). In the light of this two examples of the original type of intake entry, of exactly 24.8in diameter, were obtained from Bedford. One was tried for the starboard engine under ground running conditions and the unit operated satisfactorily. Tests had been made by 3 August with a new 26in (660mm)-diameter intake duct, but XA552 was still not ready to fly. A week later it was clear that the likelihood of getting the aircraft to that year’s SBAC show at Farnborough had become pretty remote. Work continued right through late August and early September 1960, illustrating the complexity of getting this new engine installation to function smoothly. Both engines had been ground-run to full duty without surge by 2 November, and within a week

of throttle response during dummy approach runs. Back on the ground, the system reset itself and the aircraft was flown to Hatfield. Four flights had been completed by 6 February with “reasonable success”, the aircraft handling well up to 20,000ft (6,096m) and accelerating to full speed in five to six seconds. Two more sorties were made the following week and an engine relight achieved at 5,000ft (1,524m). Flame-out had been experienced with one engine on slamming the throttle shut. Further handling checks were made at 5,000ft (1,524m) during a 45-minute flight on 27 February, the reheat being lit satisfactorily on the port engine at 3,500ft (1,069m) and 230kt (426km/h). Godfrey Auty, the Bristol test pilot who would perform the flighttesting of his firm’s 188, made his first flight in XA552 on 6 April. He climbed to 10,000ft (3,048m), where he lit the port reheat at a speed of 200kt (371km/h), the reheat being operated up to approximately the maximum value. This flight took place after ground runs following repairs

ABOVE: XA552 in early February 1961, during one of its very early flights — possibly the first — with Gyron Juniors installed. The aircraft has not yet been painted blue. VIA PETER GREEN OPPOSITE: Javelin FAW1 XA552 freshly painted in a royal blue colour scheme with Gyron Junior titles on its nose in red. For the testbed role the aircraft was given a new nose with a long instrumentation boom. ROLLS-ROYCE HERITAGE TRUST, BRISTOL

‘It was established that engine surges were due to choking at the intake entry’ the runs had been completed with and without reheat. The maiden flight was finally recorded on 31 January 1961. John M. Nicholson, chief test pilot of de Havilland Engines, was in the cockpit. XA552 had to be put down at Bedford after 25 minutes because of a lack

to leaking inlet guide vane jacks, a problem which would reoccur. Auty conducted seven more flights the following week. On the first three he tested the port reheat, while on the fourth he flew to Bedford and tested the reheat on the starboard side at 5,000ft and 200kt (371km/h). It was

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ABOVE: A rare colour close-up of the neat Gyron Junior installation. ROLLS-ROYCE HERITAGE TRUST, BRISTOL

BELOW: Groundbased engine runs at Hatfield, showing the Gyron Juniors in reheat. ROLLS-ROYCE HERITAGE TRUST, BRISTOL

found there that reheat could not be opened up from minimum. At Bedford occurred two flights employing reheat take-offs before XA552 was flown back to Hatfield. A reheat take-off and climb to 10,000ft were executed by Auty on 20 April, with full reheat on both Gyron Juniors. The sortie involved light-up and reheat operation to full power at both 10,000ft and 300kt (556km/h) and 1,000ft and 300kt. Later in the month he carried out three further flights with each take-off in full reheat. General engine handling was explored at 15,000 and 20,000ft and two successful relights made at 15,000ft, one each at 200 and 250kt (371 and 463km/h).

Both engines were returned to de Havilland at Stag Lane for a complete overhaul on 15 May 1961. The opportunity was taken for a major aircraft overhaul and the units were not re-installed until mid-August, ground running having taken place by the 20th. XA552 was flown on shakedown tests on 4 September so that it could be displayed at Farnborough. Apart from some aircraft stability trouble on the rudder, these clearance tests went “reasonably well.” Now painted in an attractive dark blue scheme, the aircraft had completed 21 hours of development flying. XA552 performed all week at the SBAC show, being flown every day except for the Tuesday when a pin sheared in the inlet guide vane actuator. The pilot for its displays was Peter Barlow.

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The aircraft was back at Hatfield on 11 September. An intensive reheat flying programme was being planned for the PS50 engine, all preparatory to the Bristol 188’s flight test effort. In the week ending 2 October it completed four flights for engine handling and reheat operation purposes between 5,000 and 15,000ft (1,524 and 4,572m), all in the hands of Bristol test pilot J. ‘Willie’ Williamson. Held up by a failed oil cooler, the aircraft was re-cleared for flight on 23 October 1961, and made one sortie. But the engines were taken out again during November due to troubles with

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seal deterioration and returned to Stag Lane. During its testbed career XA552 spent a lot of time on the ground. On this occasion the powerplants would not go back in until mid-February 1962. Ground running to re-clear for flight began by 23 February and one sortie was made on 7 March. It consisted of handling checks on both engines, each Gyron Junior being shut down and relit at 5,000ft (1,524m) and 210kt (389km/h). Three flights the following week covered engine handling, reheat lighting with the nozzle fully open and engine relighting tests. They also revealed a high level of oil consumption, something that would cause a problem later. The next flight took place on 23 March and there were two more on the 27th. At the conclusion of the second, the port tyre burst on landing and the aircraft became bogged down on the

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grass. Fortunately little damage was sustained and XA552 resumed flying on 3 April, three more flights being completed by the 6th. During the first of these the starboard engine was shown to surge at 20,000ft (6,096m) and 200kt (371km/h) indicated. Due to an rpm limitation the port engine did not surge, but after the restriction was removed it did so on a subsequent flight at the same height and speed combination. The week ending 13 April saw five flights, with engine handling checks being made at 20,000 and 25,000ft (6,096 and 7,620m). Six pints of oil were used up during 12 April’s three sorties, the leak leaving a mess on the outside of the aircraft. The same occurred on the 15th. While ground-running on 16 April, a second-stage turbine failure took place in the starboard engine. Both Gyron Juniors were removed and not

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re-installed until 1 February 1963. In the meantime, XA552 was allotted to Bristol Siddeley Engines at Filton on 21 June 1962 for continuation of trials after the take-over of de Havilland Engines. Ground runs were restarted on 20 February, clearance to fly runs made on 4 March, and on 6 March the aircraft was flown to Filton. The first check flight was made on either 7 or 8 March, and a number of test sorties followed.

to be the end for XA552’s flying career, because the weekly report for 10 May 1963 noted, “it is understood that this aircraft has been taken out of the PS50 development programme and the engines are to be removed and cannibalised for Bristol 188 use.” Indeed, further work had been cancelled on 27 April 1963, the programme being described as “complete”. As of 24 May the aircraft was being cannibalised, with the port reheat tailpipe and nozzle already

ABOVE: A Gloster Aircraft photograph of Javelin XA552 in its original form, powered by Sapphire engines and performing trials flying for its manufacturer. VIA PETER GREEN

‘During its engine testbed career XA552 spent a lot of time on the ground’ XA552 was grounded following four flights in the week ending 3 May for the repair of a suspected crack in the fabricated instrument ring upstream of the engine intake casting. This proved

removed for use on the testbed at Hatfield. It had been decided by 7 June that the two engines themselves were to be returned to Hatfield, and on the 27th Bristol was awaiting disposal

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ABOVE: This publicity picture of XA552 was possibly taken for the 1961 Farnborough show. It carries standard Javelin ‘bosom’ external tanks, also repainted royal blue, under the fuselage. ROLLS-ROYCE HERITAGE TRUST, BRISTOL

instructions for the airframe. It was reported on 5 July that XA552 XA A was up for disposal, with the engines now at Stag Lane. It took exactly five months until the Javelin was sold to R. J. Coley for scrap. No documents have been traced which provide opinions as to the success of the Gyron Junior programme but, apart from the long periods spent on the ground, it does seem that the flying programme

involving the aircraft proceeded with relatively few troubles. Clearly much was learnt about the behaviour of the de Havilland engine. XA552’s XA A Gyron Juniors did suffer from surging, and so did the units flown later in the Bristol 188. Apart from that, the reports describing nearly 60 flights known to have been logged by XA552 XA A as an engine testbed confirm that there were no major incidents or critical problems at all.

There appears to be some uncertainty as to just how XA552 XA A sounded, the aircraft apparently making an altogether different noise to the standard Javelin. Flight, when reporting on the 1961 Farnborough show in its 7 September issue, described a whine or howl. One witness has told the author that the engines sounded a little like turboprops, while another suggested that the noise was more akin to a steam train!

A very considerable degree of structural modification was required to accommodate these physically bigger buried engines, and to permit the use of afterburning. Together with the volume of special instrumentation required for the test programme, the work on XA562 XA A made this the largest conversion so far undertaken by Napier, though the task to fit XA552 XA A with Gyron Juniors proved an even bigger undertaking. The Avon test

variable nozzles operated by rams. Afterburner development for the type was also being performed by Canberra B2 WD959 and P1B XA856. XA A The Javelin was eventually delivered by road to Hucknall on 19 January 1958, but problems with the airframe delayed the first flight until 3 July, and little flying was achieved during the rest of the year. XA562 XA A was officially allocated for RA24R (Avon Mk210) installation and development on 23 August 1958. It was flown out of Hucknall and Wymeswold until being grounded for a period in mid-1960. From June to October the aircraft undertook 56 flights totalling 55 flight hours, of which 13 were in reheat. The maximum altitude at which the reheat was operated was 55,000ft (16,764m), at which point it took 11 seconds to light up. The flying programme was mainly concerned with

THE AVON JAVELIN The other Javelin FAW1 testbed was XA XA562. A It received two Rolls-Royce Avons, an engine which during the 1950s had been the direct competitor to the Sapphire. XA XA562 A was allotted to RollsRoyce at Hucknall for Avon RA24R RA A reheat development on 28 July 1955. The next day it was despatched to Wymeswold, Leicestershire (Rolls’ Hucknall airfield being closed for runway construction), and on 25

‘A lot of structural modification was needed to accommodate the Avons’ October it was taken by road to the Napier flight test department. The conversion was sub-contracted to Napier at Luton by Rolls-Royce on 4 November.

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programme was being carried out in preparation for the new English Electric Lightning fighter, and XA562’s XA A twin RA24R RA A engines each had a Lightning reheat jet pipe with their

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engine handling when reheat was in operation, including ignition and flame stabilisation, and component operation and reliability. These tests revealed that the reheat system stability and control was satisfactory on climbs from 20,000 to 48,000ft (6,096 to 14,630m) and that no extinction took place at the latter altitude, which at the time was the highest the Javelin could operate because of oxygen limitations. The starboard jet pipe was subsequently modified to include a new pattern of variable nozzle with screw-jack operation, driven by an air motor, in the form intended for the Avon RB146 (300-series) engine on the later Lightning F3. This nozzle was fully variable in area. Flight reported on 9 August 1962 that “considerable experience has now been acquired with RA24R powerplants mounted in Javelin XA562 [and] a development programme on these engines has been in hand since September 1960 with an early P1B (XA856)”. However, XA562’s flying had come to an end some months earlier. On 28 February, its starboard undercarriage failed to lower and the aircraft had to make a two-wheel landing at Hucknall. It swerved off the runway onto the grass, sustaining minor damage. This was repaired but it did not fly again. XA562 had completed 182 flights with the Avons, totalling 174 hours. No maximum performance figures were taken with the Avon Javelin since its purpose was to develop the reheat system, relighting and so forth. Speed in this case was not important. For anyone who might be interested to find out whether changing an engine made any difference to a specific aircraft type, this situation applies to just about all gas turbine testbeds. Given structural (Mach) limitations, fitting

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more powerful engines had no effect on speed. Rather, the extra power was used for take-offs at higher loads and to improve the climb performance. None of the Hucknall flight test reports on gas turbine aircraft ever gave sets of speed performance data, except for examples of the Meteor, the de Havilland Vampire and the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star.

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On 14 August 1962, XA562 passed to the rocket testing site at Spadeadam in Cumbria for noise tests. The Javelin’s outer wings were cut off, and it was dismantled and despatched via No 60 Maintenance Unit on 8 October. XA562 was finally released from this

role on 30 June 1965, and struck off charge as scrap on 2 November 1967. Plans were made to use at least one more Javelin FAW1 as a testbed. XA560 was, at one stage, intended to have Rolls-Royce Conway engines installed, but then in 1957 it went to Armstrong Siddeley for Sapphire Sa 7 development, effectively making it the FAW7 prototype. Although the Javelin was aerodynamically flawed, the engine testbed examples show the value of the airframe in that capacity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The author thanks Bob Hercock and Dave Birch of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust at Filton and Derby respectively, and Phil Butler of Air-Britain.

ABOVE: XA562 at Spadeadam, showing how the outer wings were removed before the aircraft began its last piece of research work. Behind is the former test tower used for the Blue Streak missile programme. VIA PETER GREEN

BELOW: Javelin XA562 newly converted with twin Rolls-Royce Avons. ROLLS-ROYCE HERITAGE TRUST, DERBY

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The last of the

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Twenty years ago, the world’s last airworthy example of the de Havilland DH106 Comet made its final operational flight. Right to the end, the legendary Canopus contributed a huge amount to programmes relating to far more modern military and civil aircraft platforms WORDS: BEN DUNNELL

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H

e was there at the start, and he was there at the finish. Gp Capt John Cunningham experienced the whole of de Havilland’s Comet saga, from the euphoria of the DH106’s maiden flight in July 1949, through the early disasters and later resurrection, to the type’s operational finale. On 14 March 1997, ‘Cat’s Eyes’ was on board as the last flying Comet carried out its final service sortie, the conclusion of a famous career. The retirement of Comet 4C XS235 Canopus had become inevitable. Newer and, crucially, more economical trials

platforms were available — operating a ‘one of a kind’ machine brings with it particular challenges, after all. For the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), then the organisation that controlled test flying from Boscombe Down, the de Havilland jet’s days were run. But it ensured a suitable send-off for an aeroplane that had contributed much over the course of more than 30 years. The Canopus story began on 26 September 1963. On that date, this Comet 4C made its maiden flight from the de Havilland factory airfield at Hawarden near Chester. The third-

from-last DH106 built, it had been ordered by the Ministry of Technology with flight trials work in mind. For this the Comet was ideal, offering plenty of cabin space for equipment and crew members. Mission outfitting took place at Hatfield, and delivery to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down followed on 2 December that year. The Hampshire airfield remained XS235’s base throughout its flying days. Soon the Comet settled into its life as a flying laboratory. Allocated to the A&AEE’s Navigation and Radio Division, the aeroplane was employed

BELOW: Comet 4C XS235 Canopus looking beautiful during one of its last air-to-air photo sorties before retirement. JOHN DIBBS/THE PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

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ABOVE: A classic Comet vista, looking through one of the oval passenger windows of Canopus as it flies near its Boscombe Down base. ADRIAN M. BALCH

to test the accuracy of such systems then under development. To this end, it needed to provide an accurate datum, velocity and azimuth as reference points for each trial, and was fully equipped by 1970 with its own inertial, Doppler, Loran-C, Decca and TACAN (tactical air navigation) systems, together with a star tracker. A crystal clock ensured precise timekeeping, and a computer — its memory adequate for the time, but equivalent to just 16kB — handled data collection. As Sqn Ldr Gordon Dyer wrote in 1970, “The development of longrange hyperbolic aids like Loran-C and Omega and the introduction of inertial equipments has demanded that a significant proportion of the Comet’s

the Comet became the first British jet ever to overfly Antarctica. The milestone was achieved during an almost monthlong tasking with numerous navigational systems on board, covering nearly 43,730 miles out to the West Indies, South and North America, Australasia and the Far East. The Antarctica flight was made out of Punta Arenas, Chile, and incorporated work for other agencies including survey photography for the British Antarctic Survey and Met Office weather observations. The detachment proved a success in all respects. It was designated Exercise ‘Canopus’, appropriately named after the brightest star in the southern constellation. After this, XS235 was given the name Canopus in small

‘It amused me more than anything that the flying controls were not harmonised’ work in the last two-three years be flown from overseas bases”. In August 1968 and May 1969, for example, XS235 made round-the-world flights; the first easterly, the second westerly. One of its most famous deployments occurred during November 1969, when

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lettering on its nose, the moniker by which it has remained known ever since. As the years rolled on, the Comet’s role changed little, though its on-board fit was updated to keep pace with the times. After all, the aircraft’s own avionics needed to provide meaningful

benchmarks in terms of its precise position, heading and speed against which to measure the equipment on trial. It goes without saying that computing power was much enhanced. The advent of GPS (global positioning system) technology obviously provided a boost, and by the early 1990s GPS receivers were used in the recording of test data every second onto magnetic tape. An alteration to XS235’s external appearance occurred with the removal of the under-fuselage radome that had housed Doppler equipment, this replaced by a smaller, boat-shaped fairing for communications aerials. These augmented several external aerials. However, it never received the traditional ‘raspberry ripple’ red, white and blue colour scheme worn by British military test aircraft, despite several repaints. That test fleet underwent some major realignment in the early 1990s. On 1 April 1992, the A&AEE’s name changed to the Aircraft and Armament Evaluation Establishment, and XS235 became part of its Mission Systems Division, all under the umbrella of the new Directorate General of Test and Evaluation (DGT&E). This followed on from the 1988 renaming of the Royal Aircraft Establishment as the Royal

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Aerospace Establishment, and that august organisation’s merger in April 1991 into the Defence Research Agency. The DRA thus became the operator of the only other airworthy DH106, the Farnborough-based Comet 4 XV814 (see Aeroplane May 2016). After its last flight to Boscombe Down on 28 January 1993, it began to act as a spares source for Canopus. Now there was one. XS235 thus occupied a unique place in British aviation, but its status as the final flying Comet brought new burdens. For some time it had been the subject of much non-destructive testing to ensure the integrity of its airframe, since it was such a different beast to the ex-BOAC XV814 with its Nimrod tail. Now Canopus really was out on its own. Even so, a regular stream of new Comet pilots continued to gain type experience. One of them was Paul Mulcahy, who joined the A&AEE’s Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron in 1994 having graduated from the Empire Test Pilots’ School. He is one of Duxfordbased Plane Sailing’s Catalina pilots, and after several years as the chief test pilot of the UK Civil Aviation Authority has joined Swiss manufacturer Pilatus to head up flight-testing of its new PC-24 business jet. “It was quite a remarkable machine”, he says of Canopus, on which he amassed something like 200 hours. “Delightfully outrageous, really. “On the squadron, there were guys who carried what we called locally a C2I, which meant cleared to instruct. It was a great system, because as TPs [test pilots] we were generally fairly grownup people, so we could mastermind it among ourselves. If you’d accumulated a certain number of hours then you were cleared to instruct on it, and designated so by the boss of the squadron. On my introduction to the Comet, I would probably have flown with Bill Oval, and spent several flights with him converting. Eventually I was cleared as pilot in command, and I became an instructor on the Comet myself in later years. “The thing that amused me more than anything else was that the flying controls were not really harmonised. In order to achieve the stability and control relationship, you changed the gearing on them, and you would do that at 20,000ft. Therefore the aeroplane became, if you like, less sensitive at altitude and easier to fly. As you descended into the lower atmosphere, and therefore the denser air — the more dynamic pressure region, as we call it today in the TP world — you changed the characteristics of the flying controls again. You did it with a cam, and I seem to remember that it took 40 or 50 seconds for the cam to transit from one end to the other and re-datum the flying controls from being sensitive to being less sensitive.” But, despite the odd idiosyncrasy, Canopus behaved itself very well. It was still low-houred, of course: “for an

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airliner”, says Paul, “in its first stages of youth. Mostly it was very serviceable. The four Avon engines were remarkably reliable, and the systems, by and large, were pretty reliable.

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“What it did have was a huge servicing schedule. It was only available for parts of the year. We never had very much manpower at Boscombe Down to enable us to do the servicing, so it was offline for a lot of the time. But that’s no reflection on the aeroplane. It was driven by demand — there wasn’t a huge amount, but when there was its availability was about right.” That demand was driven by avionics testing requirements. “It had a twisted pair [MIL-STD-]1553 data bus that ran around the aeroplane, so you could put in all the modern [systems] architecture

and test modern avionics. That, really, was what it was all about. We used to do figures-of-eight and things like that around antennas, which was hardly very exciting for pilots, especially test pilots, but was useful for the avionics boys. That was its workhorse life. “However, each May a very much more exciting thing came up, and that was to go to the North Pole. This was the early days of GPS, and the Air Warfare Course” — the engineering equivalent of ETPS — “had close contacts with industry. It would team up with worldwide industry and offer the aeroplane as a platform to the likes of Garmin, Magellan and Trimble, just to name but three avionics platform manufacturers of the day who were producing GPS systems. “The North Pole is one of the most challenging regions for a GPS, because as you acquire the North Pole [with LEFT: Some of the RAF and civilian laboratory technicians at their work-stations in the Comet’s cabin. A typical trials sortie involved a crew complement of around 10-15. ADRIAN M. BALCH

BELOW: Sqn Ldr Mic Edwards and his crew on the leatherseated flightdeck. ADRIAN M. BALCH

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their purpose switched in 1960 from the development of navigational techniques to systems testing, they had been operated by Britannias and then

‘After a two-hour flog north from Thule, we had 15-20 minutes over the North Pole’ and it’s crunching numbers at a rate of knots. If you take that same concept across the North Pole and out the other side in the direction of New Zealand, but not very far — about 15 minutes — you could acquire very quickly the time/date line.” These flights were part of the RAF’s famous line of ‘Aries’ missions. Since

VC10s. Canopus took over in 1990 when the annual allocation of a VC10 became tricky. According to ‘Aries’ veteran and navigational expert Gp Capt David Broughton, the Comet “had the disadvantages of being much smaller than the VC10 and of not possessing the range, but it could boast the considerable advantage of having an

innate datum and recording system of world-class.” “I did three of these”, Paul Mulcahy recalls. “I was a student Comet pilot the first time, a co-pilot the second time, and pilot-in-command the third time. We would go from Boscombe Down to Keflavík in Iceland to refuel, and then on to Thule in Greenland, which was our base. Flying from Thule up to the North Pole and back took four-and-a-bit hours. After a two-hour flog north, we’d have about 15 or 20 minutes over the Pole. “As you went north, all these companies were in competition to see whose equipment would out-perform the other. We, the pilots and the crew, Continued on page 69

MEETING OF THE COMETS

As unrepeatable aviation events go, it takes some beating. The first — and last — aerial meeting of de Havilland’s two Comets, aircraft separated by just 15 years in terms of their maiden flights, but a metaphorical lifetime when it came to technology and performance. Yet parallels can be drawn between DH88 and DH106. The mid-1930s air racer and the late-1940s jet airliner both embodied de Havilland’s pioneering spirit, its position at the forefront of contemporary aeronautical development. The occasion was 25 years ago this summer, on 29 July 1992. Stewart Waring flew the Shuttleworth Collection’s DH88 Comet G-ACSS Grosvenor House from Old Warden to Boscombe Down for a photocall on the ground, the first time the two types had been parked in such close company since the 1950s. Taking off to formate, they overflew the former RAF Comet bases at Lyneham and Brize Norton before setting course for Hatfield, led by a Hercules cameraship. It was close on a two-hour sortie, most of it in formation at 200mph. For Stewart Waring, an ex-RAE Bedford pilot then flying for TNT on its BAe 146 freighters — another Hatfield product — the experience was far from easy. “The formation was the longest flight I did in the Comet”, he says. “It wasn’t a particularly comfortable aeroplane anyway, but it was out of trim laterally and required continual left stick pressure to keep the wings level. If you let the stick go it would start to turn to the right.

ABOVE: A very special sight — DH88 Comet Grosvenor House leads Canopus over Hatfield. Also in shot is another of the airfield’s famous products, Trident 3B G-AWZO, which was broken up in 2002. ADRIAN M. BALCH

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“This is something you could normally trim out on the ground […] but because it didn’t normally fly for any longer than half an hour it was not even noticeable, because there was so much going on with flying the aircraft. In the formation with the Comet, after about 45 minutes you really did start to notice. I was very glad to land the thing at the end of the day…” This was the last time Canopus ever landed at the Comet’s Hertfordshire birthplace. To mark the occasion, there was held a short presentation between representatives of British Aerospace, the A&AEE and Shuttleworth, together with pilots Stewart Waring and Sqn Ldr Mic Edwards. Then XS235 had to head for home, but not before one last flypast, many a Hatfield ‘veteran’ looking on. It had been a de Havilland day for the ages.

ABOVE: A presentation in front of the two Comets at Hatfield. From left to right: A&AEE public relations officer Sqn Ldr John Taylor, DH88 project co-ordinator Ron Paine, BAe Hatfield general manager Tony Saint, A&AEE Mission Systems Division superintendant Brian Close, and pilots Stewart Waring and Sqn Ldr Mic Edwards. ADRIAN M. BALCH

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

80th Anniversary

CELEBRATING BRITAIN’S GREATEST FIGHTER

On March 5, 1936 test pilot ‘Mutt’ Summers put the throttle of a sleek prototype fighter forward and it leapt into the air. He came back clearly delighted, telling the crowd of onlookers: “I don’t want anything touched!” The iconic Supermarine Spitfire was born and ready to face the full might of the Luftwaffe just four years later. More than 22,000 of many variants followed. In this 80th anniversary year, the publishers of FlyPast magazine present a special 100-page tribute to Britain’s greatest fighter and possibly the best known combat aircraft in the world. Using extensive archive images, the best of aviation writers and researchers salute the Spitfire’s incredible heritage Renowned air-to-air photographer John Dibbs presents a stunning portfolio of present-day Spitfires in their element: from the day fighter Mk.I to the high-flying Mk.XIX and the wing-folding Seafires. All of this adds up to a superb souvenir of a world famous fighter. FEATURING:

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de Havilland Comet 4C XS235 Canopus Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron JOHN DIBBS/THE PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

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FLIGHT

TEST

COM ET CA N O P US LEFT: On approach to Fairford in 1994, Canopus is accompanied by the A&AEE’s Harvards FT375 and KF183. PRM AVIATION COLLECTION

BELOW: The weather at International Air Tatt ttoo t 94 wasn’t the best, as shown by the Comet’s landing during the Sunday show. PETER R. MARCH

Continued from page 64 would take a sort of straw-poll vote as to which one we thought would hang in the longest… We nipped backwards and forwards over the time/date line, turning around and going back the other way. If you did that often enough, the mathematics, the convergence and everything else would invariably cause them, one by one, to start to fall over because they just couldn’t cope with the calculation rates. Bear in mind that this was 1990s’ technology; today it’s not a problem, but then it was. “It was fun, as you could imagine. You’d go away for three days in the Comet; you’d be dealing with situations at Thule that were pretty unusual like the sun never setting in May, snow, ice fog and everything else; and you had the added excitement of going up and

looking down on the North Pole, going ‘Monday-Tuesday-Monday-Tuesday’ for 15 or 20 minutes. Those are the sort of things not many people have a crack at. “We had to be very careful about weather because we didn’t actually have an alternate. From Thule there are not too many other alternate airfields. Sometimes we were there for several days waiting to get a decent weather window. But the aircraft did the job flawlessly. Remarkable, really.”

joined in formation by the A&AEE’s two Harvards, with Paul Mulcahy in one of them. Over the show weekend at Fairford, even in a flying programme containing an embarrassment of riches, XS235 proved a star act. At the controls for a very spirited routine was Flt Lt Mark Seymour, a former RAF RA A Nimrod display pilot, joined by Paul in the right-hand seat. The illustrious A&AEE name disappeared for good during 1995.

‘At the North Pole we nipped backwards and forwards over the time/date line’ There was the odd diversion from test flying. In 1994, Canopus was authorised to perform at the International Air Tattoo, billed as its ‘first and last’ flying displays. On arrival pre-event it was

That year, the DGT&E and DRA RA A were combined into the new DERA RA. A Within it, Boscombe Down came under the control of the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO),

ð AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

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FLIGHT

TEST

COME T C AN OP US

hence the slightly revised titles that appeared on Canopus. By now the aircraft’s days were numbered. There had been no official

more practical propositions as test platforms. In 1996, Paul remembers, “it was rumoured that it was due to be grounded, so we were allowed to

‘It was due to be grounded, so we were allowed to go onto the airshow circuit’ announcement as to the timescale, but other types in the DERA fleet, notably the BAC One-Eleven, now seemed

TOP: Banking to about 100° during a spirited valedictory demonstration at the 1996 Royal International Air Tattoo. BEN DUNNELL RIGHT: John Cunningham back in the Comet’s righthand seat. VIA PHILIP BIRTLES

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go back onto the airshow circuit”. He captained a sortie with a BBC camera crew on board, filming a pre-record for

coverage of Heathrow Airport’s 50th anniversary. The subsequent flypast marking that occasion would have been incomplete without the Comet, and XS235 duly took its place at the head of the jet contingent. It returned to Fairford too, for what was now — for the first time — the Royal International Air Tattoo. Against perfect blue skies, lively flying was once more the order of the day. “We weren’t trying at that stage to conserve its fatigue life”, says Paul. That 1996 show was definitely to have been the Comet’s public farewell, but not so. A surprise flypast at RNAS Culdrose’s Air Day the following week had the honour. While some thoughts turned to how Canopus might be preserved, it still had work to do. The aircraft’s final trials effort related to a modified version of the GEC Marconi FIN 1075 inertial navigation system for the RAF’s Harrier GR7, flying in a ‘box’ of airspace near Land’s End as it performed precise 45°-banked 2g turns. That was among the tasks set for its operational swansong, on 14 March 1997. During the first of three sorties, the Comet overflew several airfields around the UK, among them its Hawarden birthplace; for the last, John Cunningham sat behind the pilot in the radio operator’s seat. On landing that spring afternoon, Canopus had just 8,280 hours on the clock. There was, understandably, a desire to see it fly on, but would British Aerospace, as the design authority, and the CAA allow it — even if a civilian buyer could find the funds? The Ministry of Defence Sales Agency put the aircraft up for auction by Phillips on 8 May 1997, leading to understandable fears that it might end up in the hands of an overseas buyer. With that in mind, the MoD withdrew it from the sale and, instead, put XS235 out to tender. The successful bidder was the de Havilland Aircraft Museum Trust, which had been heavily involved in campaigning to keep Canopus in Britain. It hoped to establish a de Havilland Heritage Centre at Hatfield, moving the museum’s existing exhibits from Salisbury Hall, and to have the Comet flown in. Unfortunately, those plans were abandoned as BAe was in the throes of finding other uses for Hatfield aerodrome, not the least of which was its lucrative use as a film set for ‘Saving Private Ryan’. “BAe then approached us to ask if we’d be interested in having the aircraft as part of our British Aviation Heritage Collection”, says David Walton, then as now the boss of Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire. “Obviously we said we would. BAe said they were minded to buy the aircraft from the de Havilland Aircraft Museum Trust so they weren’t out of pocket, and deliver it to a site that would not be detrimental to BAe’s business. We agreed. BAe sorted it with the MoD, it was flown in to us direct from Boscombe, and handed over to us by senior BAe representatives”. That was

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

on 30 October 1997 — the last time a DH106 Comet ever flew. For a time, an organisation called National Air Pageant, headed up by Alistair Layzell, made efforts to try and get Canopus flying again in civilian hands. “They approached us”, David Walton recalls, “to see if there was any interest from our point of view with regard to getting the aircraft back into the air. We said we wouldn’t have any objections. By that stage, it did belong to us. We had the Form 700, all the paperwork and all the spares. We thought it would be exciting if that were to happen. Obviously, it was beyond our capabilities, and we were already heavily involved in trying to get the Vulcan back to airworthiness, so we didn’t want any distraction from that project.” Many obstacles were placed in National Air Pageant’s way. BAe declined to act as type certificate holder, Rolls-Royce said it couldn’t help with the engines. The CAA said that an organisation other than BAe could conceivably hold a type responsibility agreement, so talks were held with Bournemouth-based ATL. To work on the aircraft, ATC Lasham — which still employed many ex-Dan-Air people with Comet experience — was enlisted. XS235 was granted the civil registration

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

G-CPDA, as close as possible to G-APDA, the identity of BOAC’s first Comet 4. “They looked to get a ferry flight down to Lasham so they could carry out the necessary servicing and bring it up to civil standard”, David says. “It was at that stage that the CAA said, I believe, that it would only permit the aircraft to fly on a full certificate of airworthiness. They wouldn’t accept it as a permit to fly aircraft… The cost of operating the aircraft to that requirement was prohibitively expensive.” So, Canopus has remained on the ground, albeit in taxiable condition as part of Bruntingthorpe’s Cold War Jets Collection. Given how the aircraft could once have been lost from these shores, it’s a more than favourable outcome. Those who flew it, meanwhile, remember the last airworthy DH106 with fondness. Paul Mulcahy speaks for many: “I don’t suppose I realised quite how lucky I was. I’ve gone on to do a lot of stuff since then, but I still look back with great affection on my days with the Comet. It was a pleasure and a privilege to have been associated with the aeroplane.” ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: With thanks to Adrian M. Balch.

CANOPUS TODAY

Regular visitors to Bruntingthorpe’s events will have noticed that Comet Canopus has not been playing an active role of late. However, all that should change in 2017, with an imminent repaint and resolution of some technical snags. “The aircraft itself has been very serviceable”, says David Walton. “There have been very few issues with the on-aircraft equipment, but we’ve had considerable difficulty with the ground power unit over the last three years, which has caused the aircraft to not be run. During that time it did deteriorate: corrosion on contactors and things that hadn’t been operated for three years, all due to lack of use. There’s a lot of electrical work being done to get it back into full running order. We haven’t done a full-power taxi run yet, but it has done some slow-speed ones. There are still a few issues, but hopefully they’ll be remedied in time for our spring open day.” The date of that first Cold War Jets Open Day for 2017 is scheduled to be Sunday 28 May, though this is subject to change. See www.bruntingthorpeaviation. com/open-days for confirmation. BELOW: Canopus is today a flagship of Bruntingthorpe’s Cold War Jets Collection, and will be resuming public taxi runs this year. DEAN WEST

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BE A RCATS ON US S BOXER

Bad day

on the

Sailing to defend the Republic of China against possible communist attack, the F8F-2 Bearcat fighters deployed on the USS Boxer found themselves in a life-or-death situation

BOXER WORDS: WARREN E. THOMPSON

T

oo late for World War Two, not suitable for the Korean War, Grumman’s impressive F8F Bearcat never had the chance to match the combat feats of its predecessors. However, it does go down as one of the ultimate piston-engined fighters. With a climb rate of 4,920ft per minute, a maximum speed in excess of 420mph and excellent handling, the F8F was very popular with its pilots. And, during its brief US Navy front-line service, it did have a part to play in defending Western interests as post-war tensions intensified, even if no action ensued. When the Chinese civil war erupted once more after World War Two, the Republic of China, under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, found itself fighting a losing battle against communist forces. Finally, on 8 December 1949, it was forced to move its capital from Nanjing, China to Taipei, Formosa (now known as Taiwan). This put the United States in a precarious position, in that it had to provide assistance in case the communist Chinese invaded. The task fell to the aircraft carrier USS Boxer. Ensign James Sparks was among the Bearcat pilots assigned to fighter squadron VF-192, part of Air Group 19. “Because they [the communists] had no naval fleet or significant air force”, he recalls, “one carrier task force could easily stop an attempted invasion, and the USS Boxer was going be a part of it. Out pilots headed for San Diego on C-47s as our F8F-2s were already down there.” The F8F-2 model of the Bearcat had four 20mm cannon, as against the four .50-calibre machine guns of the earlier F8F-1. Of 1,266 Bearcats built, 293 were -2s. A total of 24 US Navy squadrons were assigned Bearcats, but they soon re-equipped with Grumman F9F Panthers. However, at the time the Boxer sailed, the F8F was the state of the Navy’s fighter art. “The Bearcat was a hot fighter, just getting into operations”, continued Sparks. “It was more difficult to land aboard ship than the F6F [Hellcat], because it was much faster, had those long landing struts and dropped like a rock without power. We also had to be careful of the torque at lower speeds and to apply power gradually if we got a wave-off. We did a brief familiarisation stint at North Island to get used to it. After a couple of hours of practice, we headed out to sea, and on 7 January 1950 I made eight straight ‘roger’ passes aboard the USS Valley Forge to finish qualifying in it. Our orders had come up so fast that I should have still been on leave. “As we crossed under the Golden Gate Bridge on the USS Boxer, we noticed several people waving at us. Some were dropping flowers onto the deck. We assumed these were from some of the wives of crewmen who

had driven over the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate after seeing their mates off in Alameda. “We had mixed feelings as the bridge faded from view. We were off to a great adventure and some fantastic flying. World War Two had ended just over four years prior and we were heading right into the Far East, where so many famous battles had been fought. This was pretty heady stuff for a kid who had never been further out of the States than Tijuana, Mexico.” Its Bearcat pilots having completed their rapid carrier qualification, the Boxer steamed towards the Far East on 11 January 1950. The air group was one of the best in the Navy and this Essex-class carrier was well equipped to handle anything that might crop up. It displaced more than 27,000 tons, was 888ft long and had a top speed of 33kt. It had joined the fleet on 6 August 1945, the date when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. Three squadrons of Bearcats were now on board, each with their full complement of 16 aircraft. Launch and recovery operations began almost as soon as the Boxer was out of sight of the California coast. Sparks noted his first flight from the deck on 15 January, only four days after the ship got under way. His first catapult takeoff was on 2 February.

OPPOSITE: F8F-2 BuNo 122703 caught the USS Boxer’s rising deck in the wave swells on 16 January 1950. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. BILL BARRON VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

❖

In those days of the straight-deck carriers, if the aircraft were parked aft of a certain line painted on the island’s superstructure they could take off under their own power without the benefit of the catapult. This method was later changed radically due to the increasing weight of carrier-borne aircraft and the air speed required to rotate and get airborne. The loaded weight of the F8F-2 was more than 10,000lb, but its combination of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W two-row radial engine, which could generate 2,250hp, and a four-bladed propeller afforded the necessary thrust. According to Sparks, “When the command was given to start engines, the plane captain checked to make sure

‘This was pretty heady stuff for a kid who had never been further out of the States than Mexico’ the prop was clear, and then stood by with a fire bottle and gave the thumbsup. After a few gasps and coughs, the R-2800-34 engine started in a huge cloud of smoke. The first few minutes were spent adjusting straps, seat and pedals, turning on the radio and checking the instrument reading. We

ð

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BE A RCATS ON US S BOXER

ABOVE: The entire complement of pilots belonging to VF-192 on board the Boxer during January 1950. They were part of Air Group 19.

BILL BARRON VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

flew in g-suits containing air bladders that inflated when the aircraft did hard manoeuvring. I flew with a parachute and raft in my seat pack, and all of us wore yellow lifejackets.” Forward visibility from such a big-engined taildragger wasn’t very good on a crowded flight deck, so the deck hands provided taxi signals. On landing, the pilots could S-turn on final approach, but the extent of

When using the catapult, the pilot would taxi his mount slowly into the downwind end, to be fastened to the launching gear by a sling. Once attached, the launch officer rapidly rotated his hand in a circular motion to give the pilot the ‘turn-up’ signal, which meant full power and setting the throttle. The hydraulic catapults like those used on the Essex-class carriers in the

‘My vision was gone for the first several seconds after a catapult launch’ it was limited on carriers like the Boxer because of the narrow deck (slightly over 145ft wide). Every Bearcat pilot was at the mercy of the deck crew when his aircraft was moving forward.

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1950s were much more aggressive than their modern-day equivalents. The aircraft were not as heavy then and the cat slots not as long. Today’s steamdriven catapults provide rather gentle acceleration throughout the launch

when compared to the older ones, which worked more on the slingshot principle. Of this, Sparks says: “The acceleration was of sufficient force that the blood was left in my eyes and the front part of my brain, and my vision was gone for the first several seconds after launch. The forces were so great that even a strong, well-conditioned pilot couldn’t hold his arms in front of him on launch, let alone the flight controls. “The throttle was operated by the left hand and the control stick by the right. Pulling back on the throttle idled the engine, not a good idea on take-off. Pulling back on the stick caused the aircraft to climb straight up, also not a good idea! So severe were the initial forces that the throttle could move aft all by itself, without being touched. To prevent this, there was a fraction disc

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

ABOVE: A noncatapult-assisted launch by an F8F-2. GENE TISSOT VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

LEFT: A Bearcat from VF-192 runs up to full power prior to take-off. FLETCHER MEADOWS VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

as part of the throttle assembly that I tightened after applying full throttle, just prior to launch. It worked almost like disc brakes. There was no way I could hold on to the control stick either, so I hooked my right elbow underneath my shoulder strap and I placed my open hand immediately aft of the stick. “When full throttle was applied and the friction disc tightened, I saluted with my left hand and grabbed a handle next to the throttle that was placed there for that purpose. I then put the back of my head firmly against the headrest, because leaving my head a few inches forward was a recipe for unconsciousness. For the first seconds, the fighter was flying itself, so having the proper trim set was crucial. About 300 yards in front of the ship and climbing, my vision returned, and I could grab the stick and continue

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

outbound. At this point, I turned the knob on the throttle friction device and gradually retarded the throttle to the climb-out power setting.” About a day out of Hawaii — on 16 January 1950 — Mother Nature stepped in and created a disastrous

situation. From the air group’s viewpoint, the timing could not have been worse. “Many of the Bearcats were scheduled to fly on that day”, Sparks continues, “and as we were getting ready to recover the carrier was hit with a series of huge wave swells.

LEFT: Once the Boxer made it to Hawaii, the pilots took time out to enjoy some time off. These four are enjoying themselves in Hawaiian shirts, having rented a convertible. From left to right are Bill Patton, Fred Westervelt, Jim Sparks and Gene Tissot. Patton and Westervelt were killed in action during the Korean War. Tissot later commanded the USS Enterprise, the US Navy’s first nuclear carrier. JIM SPARKS VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

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BE A RCATS ON US S BOXER

ABOVE: VF-192 Bearcats on the deck. GENE TISSOT VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

ABOVE: The USS Boxer heads out to sea on its way to Hawaii in early 1950. All three squadrons of F8Fs were on board: VF-191, VF-192 and VF-193. Each had 16 fighters, seemingly occupying the entire deck. GENE TISSOT VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

In the Pacific, these seem to happen more during the winter months. The largest occur in the north Pacific and are identified as north-westerly swells. The amount of energy driving these is phenomenal. “To the naked eye, these were large ripples that glided across the ocean with troughs that were about 20ft deep, but since they were so spread out they were barely noticeable. However, when they hit the carriers it was a much more treacherous scene. In the case of the Boxer, the deck was pitching up and down almost 100ft.” Fortunately for Sparks, he was not listed to fly on that day. Instead

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he spent most of his time up on the ‘Vultures’ Roost’, a spot on the carrier’s island superstructure, high above the flight deck. It was a clear day, with the wind blowing at about 5kt and relatively calm seas.

❖

“When our aircraft returned to the ship after flying their exercises, we turned into the wind”, Sparks recalls. “We had enough power to do 28kt. With prevailing winds this generated a total of 33kt down the flight deck, which was barely above the required 32kt. Unfortunately, as it turned out,

the ship’s course was at right angles to the large swells and its speed was such that a harmonic developed. The carrier slid down the back side of each swell and, just as the ship’s natural flotation caused it to rise, it reached the up-slope of the next swell. “A pendulum situation developed, and the carrier rose and fell further until we began to take white water over the bow, which was some 80ft above the waterline! Some crewmen were actually washed into the catwalks near the bow, and steel tie-down cables holding the aircraft to the deck snapped when water got under the wings of parked airplanes.”

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

No-one knew how long these swells would last. Meanwhile, a critical situation was developing in the air. The Bearcats were carrying 100-gallon belly tanks, and their remaining fuel did not allow much loiter time above the ship. It was tough enough to land these hot-rod fighters on a carrier in calm seas, but with a deck pitching up and down almost 100ft the chance of disaster increased significantly. With the help of the LSO (landing signals officer), the first few aircraft were able to judge the pitch of the deck and landed without serious damage. Sparks takes up the story. “It wasn’t long before one of our F8Fs came in

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

and received its ‘cut’ just as the ship was falling out from under him. He hit the deck near one of the last wires and then hit the barrier. His prop got tangled with the cables and he came to a quick halt. Of course the deck was ‘fouled’, and the airplanes in the landing pattern

several of our airplanes still airborne. Right after they started to come in, one of the Bearcats was ‘cut’ as the deck was rising rapidly. It hit the deck with tremendous force, blowing out both tyres and possibly overstressing the landing gear and wings themselves.

ABOVE: The boss of CAG-15 is in the F8F-1 coded 100 (BuNo 95244), while his VF-151 counterpart is flying 101. AL RAPPUHN VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

‘The carrier rose and fell further until we began to take white water over the bow’ were forced to take wave-offs. It took some time to remove the airplane and clear the deck, and that left no time to repair the barrier because there were

It had to be towed forward, and once again the remaining airplanes had to continue circling in the pattern. Time was running out.”

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BE A RCATS ON US S BOXER

Radio transmissions from the pilots who were still in the air made it clear that they had almost no fuel remaining. It got to the point that, when one of them was given a wave-

would not have made it in the event of another go-around. Last to land was Ensign Gene Tissot from VF-192, who recalls those last few minutes as his squadron-

‘A few of the Bearcats ran out of fuel as they taxied towards the Boxer’s bow’ ABOVE: Ensign Fred Newman putting his Bearcat through its paces while the Boxer was in the first stages of its long cruise to the Far East.

off, they hesitated in applying full power for the go-around in order to save fuel. Fortunately, all of them made it aboard ship, but a few ran out of fuel as they taxied towards the bow. They

GENE TISSOT VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

RIGHT: Some of the F8Fs that fell victim to the giant wave swell that struck the Boxer while it was trying to recover a lot of fuel-starved Bearcats. These aircraft were scrapped in Hawaii since they were well past the point of economic repair.

JIM SPARKS VIA WARREN E. THOMPSON

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mates tried to get their fuel-starved Bearcats safely back on deck. “My logbook shows that I flew 4.8 hours on that practice exercise, which was an unusually long time to fly the R-2800-

powered F8F-2. We carried 185 gallons of fuel internally and had 100-gallon external belly tanks. Much of our time was spent in the Dog pattern [an airborne holding pattern] as the circus took place on the Boxer’s flight deck. I was flying a very loose [formation] on Lt Sam Dersam, and we had our pitch controls pulled back so far I could just about count those big Aeroprop blades going by in front of me. “Besides the pitching flight deck, another factor was involved in the bending of several Bearcats. The air group had recently transitioned from the F8F-1 to the heavier ‘Dash 2’, and our LSOs had us flying our new models at the same approach speed as the ‘Dash 1s’, 82-85kt indicated, which was much too slow. By the time the Boxer left Pearl Harbor and sailed west, all of the Bearcats left on board were equipped with larger-capacity external tanks and we were flying our approaches at a higher IAS.” Docking at Pearl Harbor the next day, the Boxer unloaded 16 Bearcats onto the pier. Their condition ranged from total loss to minor damage. The pilots who contributed to this article do not know the fate of the aeroplanes, but chances are that, with the Navy’s impending conversion to jets, they were all scrapped. The experience gained from that fateful day had been expensive.

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

HISTORY • REFERENCE PHOTOS • COLOUR PROFILES Key Publishing’s first reference book in the new Combat Machines series is a detailed 84-page study of the famous B-17G bomber, timed perfectly for the release of Airfix’s new 1/72 kit of the type. Written by Malcolm V Lowe, the development and history of the B-17G, including its post-war service are covered in full with rare black and white (and colour) photos, more than 30 specially commissioned colour profiles, a two-page cutaway drawing and walk-round images of a restored aircraft. This is a vital research and reference tool for modellers and aviation enthusiasts alike, and seeks to correct erroneous information published in other books. Besides offering useful material about the aircraft itself, Combat Machines B-17G also explores the flight crews, their clothing and Medal of Honor awards, as well as missions flown by

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09/11/2016 14:59

MA RE NDAZ

The curious case of Mr Marendaz

The Marendaz light aeroplanes of the 1930s were the product of a man who served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and built some excellent sporting cars — but who courted much controversy, not least due to his political views WORDS: BEN DUNNELL

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hat one of the first results in an internet search for his name is a site devoted to debunking ‘myths’ about Oswald Mosley tells you much about the alleged political views of Donald Marcus Kelway Marendaz. Some might call his life out-of-theordinary, colourful, or something similarly euphemistic. Other, stronger interpretations are available. While his First World War service is beyond doubt, so, seemingly, is the fact that Marendaz was a member of Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, and that he was imprisoned, albeit on trumped-up charges, as a potential security risk. His own firm built a very well-regarded series of Marendaz Special sports cars, which still have a devoted following, yet some of the claims he made about his automotive career were, at best, questionable. His post-war move to South Africa ended up mired in controversy and legal dispute, so he returned to Britain, writing regular missives to magazines at the merest criticism of his vehicles — and sometimes threatening litigation — prior to his death in November 1988. D. M. K. Marendaz was born at Margam in Glamorgan on 17 January 1897. According to Marendaz Special marque expert Graham Skillen, he was always known to family and friends as Marcus. His father’s family moved from Switzerland to Wales in either the 1600s or 1700s, though their surname, Marcus later said, “was of Portuguese origin.” Having served an apprenticeship with the Siddeley-Deasy Motor Car Company, later merged into Armstrong Siddeley, he said he rose to the rank of assistant superintendent of the firm’s machine and heat-treating departments. It is, however, hard to verify the extent to which his self-penned biographical details are accurate. As we shall see, some elements can easily be disproved. Marendaz wrote that he left Siddeley-Deasy “after considerable difficulty” — what he did not specify — to join the Royal Flying Corps. His service record shows that he was commissioned into the RFC at Oxford on 5 April 1917. From there he proceeded to No 39 Reserve Squadron, stationed at Montrose in Forfarshire, where he conducted flying training on such types as the Farman MF11 Shorthorn. A brief period with No 69 Squadron, an Australian Flying Corps unit then performing training within the RFC, followed. Between July and September 1917, his flight instruction was completed on No 37 Training Squadron at Brattleby, Lincolnshire, and the Wireless and Observers School at Brooklands. Upon his posting to the front line in France, on 7 October 2nd Lt Marendaz joined No 35 Squadron flying the Armstrong Whitworth FK8 from La Lovie in the army co-operation role. The unit records show him making his

maiden practice flight in an FK8 on the 10th, his mount being serial A2717. Work-ups continued over the days that followed, the newly arrived pilot being taken to ‘learn the line’ on 15 October. Two days later, the squadron moved to Bruay, south-west of Béthune, as the front line advanced. Marendaz would soon go into action, his first operational mission being completed on the 21st. During a one-hour 10-minute sortie in FK8 A2721, he and his artillery officer observer Lt Mathers dropped bombs on German forces in Annay from 7,000ft. In total, Marendaz notched up four bombing missions and one operational reconnaissance flight during his brief time on No 35 Squadron. It was punctuated by two incidents. On 28 October, returning from an eightaircraft raid on Pont-à-Vendin, he wrecked the undercarriage of A2721 in a forced landing at Aix-Noulette. By the time of the second mishap on 22 November, the unit had moved to Estrées-en-Chaussée. Again A2721 was his mount, and again he smashed its landing gear, this time while coming back from a reconnaissance with Lt Adamson. It may be that the aircraft was written off. In the course of both operations and training, Marendaz notched up 13 hours 45 minutes’ flying time in France. That 22 November mission, part of the Battle of Cambrai, was his last. Writing in The Times on 12 December 1986, Marendaz offered a long account of the sortie. He recounted how his FK8 had been the sole Allied spotter aircraft to get through the fog and report damage to a key bridge over the St-Quentin canal at Masnières, across which a British cavalry charge was supposed to take place. The surviving period records from No 35 Squadron offer no such detail, unfortunately. Whatever actually happened, Marendaz was invalided back to the UK as a result of the injuries sustained in that crash-landing. It was not the end of his flying career, though. Rejoining the

OPPOSITE: A front view of the Marendaz Trainer, showing its unorthodox undercarriage. D. M. K. Marendaz is on the far right, smoking a pipe. AEROPLANE

‘Marendaz was invalided back to the UK as a result of the injuries sustained in a crash-landing in France during November 1917’ Home Establishment in the last days of the RFC before formation on 1 April 1918 of the Royal Air Force, he became a delivery pilot. Marendaz served with several units in that role, among them Nos 1 and 14 Aircraft Acceptance Parks at Coventry and Castle Bromwich. Given that his service record cites him as having flown the Royal Aircraft Factory RE8, Airco DH4 and Bristol F2B as well as the FK8, one can assume

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TOP: Marendaz in the cockpit of a Farman MF11 Shorthorn at Montrose some time between April and June 1917.

VIA GRAHAM SKILLEN

ABOVE: On 25 May 1928, Marendaz drove one of his Specials in the 25mile Gold Star Race at Brooklands, but was unplaced. The car survives to this day. VIA GRAHAM SKILLEN

that experience of those types was gained on delivery flights. It seems that Marendaz’ injuries finally caught up with him in October 1918, and he was relegated to ground duties. On 10 April the following year he was demobilised from the RAF. His record makes it quite clear that he had the rank of lieutenant, but somehow he went on to promote himself to captain… So, it was back to cars. Marendaz joined Coventry-based T. G. John and Company upon its foundation in 1919, this firm later becoming far better-known under the Alvis name. An account by Marcus himself said that he was appointed works manager, but when the Coventry Police had cause to look into his background a different story emerged. According to the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire, writing in 1940, “Marendaz was employed as capstan-setter-up, and later as a charge-hand, being discharged when it was found that another employee was clocking-in for him.” Still, he was far from discouraged. Staying in Coventry, he and one Charles Seelhoff established the Marseel

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Engineering Company during 1921 to manufacture their own cars and components. They had made a few prototypes of a new four-seat touring model by the time Seelhoff left in 1922, whereupon the firm’s name changed to Marseal. It produced some 500 vehicles between then and 1924, the range including two-seat, four-seat, coupé and sports variations with CoventrySimplex and Anzani engines. Marendaz began competing at Brooklands and other motor racing venues, a useful way of promoting his products.

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After Marseal shut up shop, Marcus went to London. He rented space above a taxi garage on Brixton Road in Kennington and began making the attractive and potent Marendaz Specials. Subsequently, production moved to the Berkshire town of Maidenhead. It is estimated that about 90 cars were built, initially with fourcylinder engines before a switch to six-cylinder power. Racing and recordbreaking exploits — Marendaz set two 24-hour records in cars of his own

creation at Brooklands and France’s Monthléry circuit — helped build a fine reputation. Engineered to a high standard, the Specials made some use of components obtained from other manufacturers, not that the irascible Marcus ever countenanced such allegations. Even so, the Marendaz machines were expensive compared with their better-known competitors, and struggled to gain a market foothold. Marendaz Special Cars was closed down during 1936, aviation having re-entered Marcus’s life. It did so initially via the Midland Aero Club at Castle Bromwich. He became a member in the mid-1920s, despite no longer flying himself. But Marendaz had designs on building aircraft of his own, and in its 27 February 1936 edition Flight published the first details of what was dubbed simply the Marendaz Monoplane. It described how “a low-wing twoseater cabin monoplane is being built at Maidenhead”, reporting that construction was “well in hand”, and featuring a picture of the partcompleted “semi-monocoque fuselage and tail unit”. With typical bombast,

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Marcus called his latest company International Aircraft and Engineering. In fact, early design and construction were overseen by Australian-born Geoffrey Wikner. He had not long left Miles Aircraft, and was about to create the Foster Wikner Wicko. However, he joined the long list of people who had a falling-out with Marendaz. Wikner quit with the aircraft still unfinished. The Maidenhead facility was the one where the later Marendaz Specials had been built, at the Cordwallis Works. It wasn’t far from the Miles factory at Woodley, and Graham Skillen recounts how the aircraft were, in his words, “sub-Miles by inspiration”. He continues: “Marendaz was a friend of the Miles brothers and did visit them at Woodley… What [they] made of it all I don’t know and my letters to George went unanswered, a typical reaction of anyone who had dealings with DMKM.” The piece in Flight elaborated a little on the new £650 monoplane, even though full details — such as the proposed engine — were unavailable. “[The] company believes that, due to the machine’s simplicity, comprehensive

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equipment and side-by-side dual control, it will appeal not only to the private owner of moderate means, but also to schools”, it said. “It is being designed to conform with the Air Ministry’s aerobatic requirements”. The fuselage, the item went on, “is wide enough, it is claimed, to provide accommodation equal to that in an Austin Seven car”. Patents were pending for the differentially operated brakes and torsion-shaft undercarriage springing. By March 1937 a bit more information was at hand. A variety of power units could be accommodated, among them the de Havilland Gipsy

was not to be. A fire at the Cordwallis Works in June 1937 is believed to have consumed the incomplete (and unregistered) airframe, though it is impossible to confirm definitively whether anything survived for future use. What caused the blaze is not known. Marendaz needed a new home for his aviation activities. He found it at Barton-in-the-Clay aerodrome, north of Luton. While International Aircraft and Engineering set about building a replacement for the previous monoplane, and performing subcontract work for other manufacturers, in December 1937 Marendaz

ABOVE: The Marendaz MkIII on its first — and only — public outing at the 1938 RAeS Garden Party at the Great West Aerodrome, showing the very unorthodox rudder tab. Alongside is a Jersey Airways DH86 Express. AEROPLANE

‘Marendaz believed the monoplane would appeal to private owners and schools’ Six, Renault Bengali or “any radial of equivalent horsepower”. Mr C. F. Allen, formerly of Fairey and Westland, had taken up the role of chief draughtsman. The design had evolved into a two-tothree-seater, and the price with it, to £1,500 to £2,000. Unfortunately, it

established the Bedford School of Flying. Its equipment consisted at various times of two Avro Avians, two DH60 Moths and Aeronca C3 G-ADYS, still airworthy today. The subsidy received from the Air Ministry for the training of Civil Air Guard

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ABOVE: Test pilot R. A. Wyndham on the take-off roll in the Marendaz Trainer. AEROPLANE

members, who made a commitment to military call-up in an emergency, provided a welcome financial boost. The new monoplane emerged as the Marendaz MkIII in the summer of 1938. Registered G-AFGG, it made its debut at the Royal Aeronautical Society Garden Party at Fairey’s Great West Aerodrome that May. Having not been flown, it was brought in by road. “Powered with a 200hp Gipsy Six”, reported Flight, “it seats four, and has a number of interesting detail points. There is a retractable undercarriage, dual wheel control, Marendaz full-span flaps, and a cabin enclosure giving plenty of ‘daylight’.” Development of new flap configurations was a priority for Marendaz. During 1937 he publicised an arrangement whereby the flap was, in Flight’s words, located “some distance ahead of the trailing edge; in fact, far enough ahead of the edge to enable him to retain his ordinary ailerons behind the flap, thus making full-span flaps possible should they prove desirable”. Opening the flap created a slot, the size of which increased with the flap angle. “According to the inventor, the flaps will give a considerable increase in lift at small flap angles and a great increase in drag at large ones”. When shown at the RAeS Garden Party, the MkIII was so equipped. It was also unfinished. G-AFGG arrived “with dope barely dry”, and had “a much-tabbed and rather incompletelooking tail unit”. That situation never materially changed. The Marendaz MkIII may have looked “eager to go somewhere quickly”, but it remained unflown, and its fate has not been

airfield. On 1 September 1939 he proclaimed the school’s achievement in training 65 Civil Air Guard pilots to ‘A’ licence standard or beyond. Demonstrating again that he was no shrinking violet, he later wrote that its success was “entirely through my efforts, organisation and very hard work.” All that changed a couple of days later, with the outbreak of war. Private flying was suspended, the Civil Air Guard training subsidy came to an end, and the school closed its doors for good. The loss of revenue was considerable. It wasn’t the best time to try and launch a new aeroplane, but this was what Marendaz did. In November 1939 both Flight and The Aeroplane revealed the Marendaz Trainer, which — unlike its predecessor — had recently flown, in the hands of company test pilot R. A. Wyndham. The low-wing, tandem two-seat monoplane, described in Flight as “the first new British aeroplane of the war era”, could hardly be called attractive. Instead it was functional, “perfectly orthodox” in its primarily wooden construction, and “aimed at retaining in its features and characteristics the virtues of the biplane machine”. The Aeroplane stressed how “performance shall be made secondary to flying qualities and durability.” Power for G-AFZX came from a 90hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor, though it was possible to fit any in-line engine of 80 to 150hp (The Aeroplane quoted 180hp). Fully aerobatic, the 124mph Trainer, Flight said, was “designed for bringing up pupils on a type of machine which will represent the larger and more powerful types which they will be called upon to fly later”. Despite

‘The Chief Constable of Bedfordshire said Marendaz was ‘a man of violent temper’’ ascertained. A planned two-seat MkIV with a 130hp Gipsy Major engine never saw the light of day. The Bedford School of Flying, by contrast, was doing well. It suffered a setback when the Air Ministry threatened to withdraw Barton-in-theClay’s aerodrome licence due to noise complaints, but Marendaz bought land at Eaton Bray, south-east of Leighton Buzzard, and set up an alternative

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that, it lacked flaps and brakes, and the leading-edge slots near the wingtips were built-in “to avoid the complication of moving parts.” Not everything was conventional. The undercarriage in particular was decidedly novel. To cite Flight’s description, “The legs are made of heavy-section square tubing, and the vee is attached at its upper ends to front and rear spars respectively, and

swings laterally around a line joining these two points… The two units of the undercarriage are independent, and the wheel track is exceptionally wide (93in)”. This, The Aeroplane pointed out, “should make handling easy on wet aerodromes”. However, the configuration might not have been the most robust, a major requirement for a trainer. Marendaz had hoped to use the design at his flying school, but obviously that was now impossible. A piece written for Flight in January 1940 made clear his frustration. Having “understood that no aircraft of that class, which was not then in production, would be adopted” as a primary trainer for the British services, he sought an assurance from the Board of Trade that raw materials be provided for manufacturing with a view to export. His efforts were rebuffed. There would be no more Marendaz Trainers, and G-AFZX was given to the Air Training Corps unit at RAF Halton, where it presumably ended its days. Before long, Marendaz came to the authorities’ attention in another way. On 23 June 1940 the then Home Secretary, John Anderson — the man after whom the Anderson air raid shelter was named — issued a detention order, stating: “I have reasonable cause to believe Donald Marcus Kelway Marendaz to have been recently concerned in acts prejudicial to the public safety or the defence of the realm”. Three days later he was taken into custody under Section 18b of the Defence Regulations, initially at Brixton Prison and then in Liverpool. Several factors were behind his imprisonment. One involved the crash-landing of an RAF Airspeed Oxford trainer at his own Eaton Bray aerodrome on 5 May 1940. Despite “a warning and a challenge from the guard”, Home Office correspondence says, Marendaz photographed the damaged machine. For this he

was tried and convicted. He also “refused on request to camouflage the hangars at Barton”, and “appeared to have obtained certain confidential information respecting negotiations taking place between the Air Ministry and the Hordern-Richmond Company of Haddenham, Buckinghamshire”. But underpinning the whole matter were concerns about his political views. It was well-known that Marendaz had been to Germany in 1939 and visited a number of flying training establishments with the assistance of the German Air Ministry. He wrote as much in a leaflet promoting his own school. One of his Civil Air Guard pupils, a Luton quantity surveyor named George Fuller, wrote to the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire a lengthy statement expressing the view that “he saw and knew far more than one would expect him to know and learn from a simple holiday tour.” The Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who had known Marendaz through their racing activities at Brooklands, added aristocratic weight. He recounted to the police a conversation during a chance meeting near the HordernRichmond plant in May 1940. According to his testimony, Marendaz said, “I’m afraid it’s all up with us so far as this war is concerned… you’ve only got to study the way they do things compared with the way we do. I was over in Germany just before the war and saw a great deal. Their soldiers are so highly trained and of such physique that it makes you think when you see some of these poor fellows of ours about”. Quite mild stuff, but the Chief Constable told the Home Office that these views “were so revolting and disgusting to His Grace that he hurriedly left him.” When word got out, friends of Marendaz rallied to his defence. One was a London dental surgeon called Alfred Moss, a regular inter-war competitor in Marendaz Specials, and

father of the then 10-year-old Stirling. So did two women both claiming to be Marcus’s wife. The real Dorothy Marendaz, whom he had married in 1918, wrote to new Home Secretary Herbert Morrison: “I know there is another woman posing as his wife, as this was the cause of our separation”. The lady in question was his long-term mistress Dorothy Summers, who had worked alongside him since the Marseal days. A Home Office committee met in October 1940 to consider his appeal. Its report said Marendaz could be “truculent or dictatorial in his bearing”, but rightly found it “almost unbelievable” that his allegedly photographing the Oxford, a far-fromsecret aircraft, should have caused such trouble, “unless there were some circumstances attending the matter which had caused indignation or resentment in certain quarters.” The Chief Constable felt he’d caused plenty of indignation, writing, “he is a man of violent temper, and cannot be reasoned with: he has on occasions been known to threaten persons… from exhaustive enquiries which I have made since I came here I have come across nobody in Bedfordshire who has said a word in his favour.”

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Even though Marendaz — despite his protestations to the contrary — was a follower of Mosley and his nowbanned British Union, the charges actually brought against him held little weight. The committee remarked that it was “extremely difficult to say that Marendaz had been guilty of acts prejudicial to the national safety in any ordinary understanding of those words”. It recommended, with agreement from MI5, “that he should be released without any delay.” Except for a 1944 book entitled ‘You Can Fly’, Marendaz kept a low

LEFT: The cover of Marendaz’ 1944 book ‘You Can Fly’. His given rank of captain was an invention. VIA GRAHAM SKILLEN

profile for the rest of the war. Once hostilities were over, he got into the fine art business, but after a few years he emigrated to South Africa, establishing a factory producing diesel engines for tractors. Once more his brusque manner helped make some important enemies. There was wrangling with officialdom, there was a fraud case. A senior staff member at the British Embassy in Pretoria wrote in 1970, “Captain [sic] Marendaz has been a thorn in the flesh of our Embassy and the ConsulateGeneral in Johannesburg”. Two years later, he came back to the UK, seeing out his days in Lincolnshire. D. M. K. Marendaz was a man of great energy. Some of it he channelled positively, the rest less so. Maybe he could have achieved more had he not rubbed so many people up the wrong way. But the story of his exploits, in aviation as in other fields, is all the more compelling for his myriad contradictions and flaws. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: With thanks to Graham Skillen and Gordon Riley.

BELOW: A rather more favourable angle on the Trainer at Barton-in-theClay in November 1939. It was 22ft 4in long, with a 34ft wingspan, and weighed 960lb empty and 1,500lb loaded. VIA GRAHAM SKILLEN

PB4Y PRI VAT EER

ABOVE: 4Y-2 LLC’s very fine PB4Y-2 Privateer, BuNo 66302/N2871G. The aircraft was photographed over Lake Pleasance, north-east of Phoenix, Arizona.

PRIVATEER

The world’s only airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: SCOTT GERMAIN

on parade

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PB4Y PRI VAT EER RIGHT: The preserved Privateer retains the Wright R-2600-35 Cyclone engines installed for fire-fighting service.

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hat couldn’t the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer do? Patrol bomber, attack aircraft, hurricane and submarine hunter, Bat anti-shipping glide bomb controller, weather reconnaissance, search and rescue, electronic warfare, intelligence-gatherer and fire-bomber — all jobs the PB4Y performed. Now, thanks to a couple of aviation enthusiasts, one of these important aeroplanes is preserved as a warbird. Back in 1943, the US Navy acquired B-24 Liberators in Army Air Corps production configuration. After adding necessary equipment for their new job, it called them PB4Y-1 Liberators and employed them with great success. With a requirement for a fully navalised version, Consolidated updated the original B-24 design, which became the PB4Y-2. With a longer front fuselage and a single vertical tail, the aircraft was christened the Privateer. Three YPB4Y-2 prototypes were built, and 736 production examples followed.

Patrol bomber was the standard mission for the four-engined machine. The extended fuselage allowed a flight engineer station to be installed, and made the aircraft appear more balanced than its B-24 cousin. Longrange patrols took place at low level, so Privateers did away with the belly turret. The rest of the aircraft featured upgraded armament comprising a dozen .50-calibre M2 machine guns in six turrets. Nose, tail, waist, and two dorsal turrets provided wide-coverage nests for the guns. The ERCO waist turrets could actually rotate through 95° and cross fire under the aircraft. Up to 12,800lb of bombs, mines and torpedoes could be carried and dropped from two bomb bays with low-drag roll-up doors. With little use for highaltitude performance, the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-93 radial engines lacked turbochargers. Top speed was listed as

237mph, but that seems extreme for such a large, draggy bomber. Cruising at 140mph, the Privateer was capable of flying for 2,450nm and had a service ceiling of 21,000ft. The combination of range and the ability to fly a wide range of missions cemented its place as a real success story. Coming in late during World War Two, few PB4Y-2s made it to combat before hostilities ended. VPB-118 and VPB-119 did see some action: 2 March 1945 marked the occasion when VPB-118 began offensive search missions for Japanese forces out of Clark Field in the Philippines. After the war, the true utility of the Privateer continued to shine. Some became hurricane hunters, while others were adapted for various special uses. In the course of the Korean War, Privateers flew night-time ‘Firefly’ missions, dropping parachute flares to light up enemy positions. Others were used on early signals intelligence operations off the Soviet and Chinese coastlines. These variants were festooned with

BELOW: The aircraft’s current natural metal finish is a temporary measure while a permanent service colour scheme is decided on.

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ABOVE: Joe and Mark Shoen have lavished much attention and resource on returning the Privateer to flight, and the work continues.

antennas. One such aircraft was lost on 8 April 1950, having been shot down by Soviet Lavochkin La-11 fighters over the Baltic Sea. The US Navy’s PB4Y-2s were retired by 1954, but the type continued serving with the US Coast Guard until 1958. A number were converted for drone use by the Navy, being designated PB4Y-2K or P4Y-2K. As with other types, a number of Privateer airframes survive because their usefulness was recognised by civilians. The art of aerial fire-fighting had progressed from Grumman TBMs and Tigercats to larger and more capable B-25s, A-26s, DC-4s and Privateers. The large, four-engine types could carry a very large amount of retardant and deliver it with accuracy and efficiency.

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Stripped of military equipment, the Privateers were initially modified by several companies, including T&G Aviation as well as Hawkins and Powers. The package replaced the original Pratt & Whitney R-1830s with more powerful Wright R-2600-35 Cyclones, each capable of producing 1,700hp. PB4Y-2s offered good handling, ruggedness, and the ability to drop up to 18,000lb of slurry on wildfires. How many of the slurry tank doors to activate, and when to open them, was an entirely manual affair honed by years of experience. The subject of our story, PB4Y-2 BuNo 66302/N2871G, was originally built for the Navy. In 1945 it was one of nine Privateers transferred to the Coast Guard as a PB4Y-2G. Following

its service, the aircraft was listed for disposal in August 1958. Ace Smelting, based in Phoenix, Arizona, bought it in 1959. Shortly after that, the machine was acquired as an air tanker by Avery Aviation of Greybull, Wyoming. Registered N2871G, the addition of R-2600s and slurry tanks turned it into a Super Privateer. While with Avery, it flew as tanker A20, B21 and A23. Hawkins and Powers bought the Privateer in July 1969, and operated it out of Greybull as tanker 121 until 2006. After another PB4Y, N7620C, suffered wing failure while fighting a wildfire near Lyons, Colorado on 18 July 2002, large ex-military aircraft were grounded from further such service. Tanker 121 was retired and put up for auction with plenty of life left.

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Work to get the Privateer airworthy was completed in 2010. Long-time fire-bomber pilot Woody Grantham was asked to fly the aircraft to its new home in Casa Grande, Arizona. Based at David Goss’ GossHawk Unlimited, further work on old tanker 121 would continue. Instead of grounding the PB4Y and tearing it completely apart, the Shoens decided to update and restore it on a rolling basis. This way, it would still be airworthy for airshows and training flights. It also prevented everyone from becoming overwhelmed by Privateer parts. When it’s not being worked on, the aeroplane primarily flies to military airshows to support the armed services and lobby for companies to hire veterans for job openings.

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The owner of 4Y-2 LLC, Mark Shoen, and his brother Joe are the aficionados behind the endeavour to save this Privateer. Their shared affection for warbirds and deep respect for all military service — their father was a World War Two veteran — led them to bid for the PB4Y. They were successful. A comprehensive programme to inspect the bomber and make it airworthy was undertaken. Tim Mikus of B&G Industries oversaw the work, as well as an FAA-approved wing spar airworthiness directive that had to be performed. The fire retardant tanks were removed, making it possible to re-install the bomb bay doors. It had been 50 years since they’d been on the aircraft.

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The first order of business was to strip off the tanker livery. As of now, the aircraft flies in a basic natural metal scheme with ‘stars and bars’. After that, the propellers were overhauled, and two of the engines have been refreshed by Anderson Airmotive. The cockpit and interior have received attention with new floorboards and paint, and the Plexiglas blister windows have had their aluminium covers removed.

programs in order to satisfy FAA requirements. N2871G has a 30-hour, 60-hour, 12-month and 24-month inspection programme to ensure it remains airworthy and safe for many years to come. Fuel hoses have been replaced, new radios and a GPS installed, and carburettors rebuilt. There are always more items on the ‘to do’ list. Woody Grantham remains the aircraft’s captain, and shared his thoughts on his association with the Privateer over the past 50 years. A former helicopter crew chief in the Air National Guard, he earned his licences and ratings on his own in the civilian sector. “I started my flying lessons at Phoenix Sky Harbor and trained when I could afford it”, he laughed. “I got my private and commercial ratings that way. Back then you didn’t need an instrument rating to fly air tankers. “I started flying the PB4Y-2 back around the summer of 1967. I was hired as a co-pilot. The owners bought it as an engineless hulk that sat at the Prescott airport. The R-1830s had become so valuable, people would strip them off the ’4Ys and sell them. There wasn’t much future for the airplanes until people figured out you could upgrade and use the B-25 engines. That gave the airplane life”. And more power, which any pilot always appreciates.

ABOVE: A view of the PB4Y-2’s spacious crew accommodation up front.

‘The new owners decided to update and restore the Privateer on a rolling basis’ The crew seats, control surfaces, undercarriage legs and main wheel wells have all been restored or refreshed and painted. Aircraft the size and complexity of the Privateer require maintenance

“We would only use 36in of manifold pressure on take-off”, Grantham said of the fire-fighting Privateers, “which was equal to maximum horsepower of the -1830s at full throttle. That would be about two-thirds throttle with no hard

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ABOVE: Woody Grantham manoeuvres the PB4Y-2. He has half a century of Privateer experience.

stops; you set it manually. We could go to 44in if we ever needed it. It was pretty nice to have that capability. I flew it a lot out of Grand Canyon and McCall, Idaho, both high-altitude airports. You could always get the power.”

going on. You make your drop plan based on terrain, wind, and what the fire is doing. You also have to take into account an escape route if you lose an engine. We used a lot of Kentucky ‘windage’ and Tennessee elevation to figure out the winds and drop point.”

‘With a thick wing and plenty of power, you could make mistakes kes and survive’ BELOW: Sunset at Casa Grande, Arizona, and the unique sight of a preserved, airworthy Privateer on the tarmac.

Grantham explained how the PB4Y-2 was a great platform for aerial fire-fighting. The Davis wing provided excellent lift, especially at the 100110kt drop speed and 100ft off the ground. Technique and judgement played into the mix. “You arrive at a fire and orbit for a bit to observe what’s

Back then, there were eight retardant tanks, and each was triggered manually. “You had to gauge when to release each tank by hand. To lay a fire line, you had to click them off a half-second or a second apart to have a continuous line. If you were working a snag fire, which is just one or two trees on fire, you could come around and drop one or two tanks on it.” With thousands of hours in everything from B-17s, DC-4s, C-119s and A-26s to C-130s, and pretty much all the Douglas aircraft, Grantham has a wide base of experience. How does the Privateer stack up? “The PB4Y-2

is probably one of the more forgiving airplanes”, he said. “It had that thick wing and it had plenty of power. You could make mistakes and survive it.” Joe and Mark Shoen, along with their dedicated crew, have focused their passion and resources on saving and operating the Privateer for years to come. The final colour scheme is still being decided on, the choice being between Navy or Coast Guard liveries. The owners are keen to source any Privateer parts, especially gun turrets. “They’re great people”, Grantham said. “When we take the airplane to airshows, they have banners that tell the history of the airplane and its service. They are very focused on sharing the airplane and keeping its history alive.” As well they should. The Privateer is a versatile and rugged aircraft with a colourful history of service, both in and out of military uniform. Because of its range and performance, the design did everything ever asked of it. From bombs to retardant, and from search and rescue to weather research, the Privateer performed splendidly in military and civilian life alike.

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PETER

TEICHMAN He is one of the most prolific warbird owner-pilots on the UK display scene, so no wonder the founder of the Hangar 11 Collection has some impassioned views about the impact of new regulations

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unning one warbird is complex. Running four warbirds at the level of activity that we fly is a huge task”. Peter Teichman, founder of the Hangar 11 Collection, has learned that over several years on the display circuit. Few other civilian historic aircraft operators in the UK have so many commitments during a single season, the vast majority flown by Peter himself in his P-51D Mustang, Spitfire PRXI, P-40M Kittyhawk and Hurricane IIb. Those four aeroplanes have afforded Peter many experiences to treasure, and given him huge enjoyment. Whether it’s a short hop out of his North Weald base in Essex, or a long-distance transit to a big show in mainland Europe, he loves flying whenever the opportunity arises. There are fewer of those during a dank English winter, when we met for a very good lunch at the Haven Bistro in Whetstone in North London. Peter works nearby, running a technology business and two property companies as well as Hangar 11. “My parents were Hungarian”, says Peter. “They came to this country in 1950, and I was born in the UK. They were survivors of the Holocaust, and clearly that fashioned my disinterest — if that’s the right word — in German fighters. You can imagine how my mother would have reacted if I was flying something around with a swastika on it.

“I had my first trial lesson at Staughton near Leicester in a Cessna 152 back in the mid-1970s. I didn’t have a passion for flying, but I thought, ‘That seems a good idea’. The deal was sealed when I moved to a house in Elstree, right under the circuit. During February 1979 I had a trial lesson, and it was all over — I was hooked. I got my licence that August, and then mentioned it to my wife. It had been a little secret up until that stage, and I can’t say she was 100 per cent on board but, bless her, she was very nice about it. In the years since she’s always supported me and been a very important part of my flying activity. “I bought my first aeroplane in 1980, a Grumman Traveler. It cost me the princely sum of £4,000. That’s when I really started to build up my hours. This was against a background of a very busy career — I had a business in the clothing industry, and then I started Bebecar, my nursery furniture company, in 1982. Our speciality was pushchairs and nursery furniture — cots, highchairs and so on — in wood and in metal”. Up against the rather drab offerings from more established firms, Peter’s more vibrant products proved very successful. “We floated the company in 1986 and went private again in 1991. I ran Bebecar as my main activity right the way through to when I sold it in 2004. “In 1984 I changed the Traveler for a Piper Arrow, which I flew until ’89. By that time I was a bit more secure

WORDS: BEN DUNNELL

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ABOVE: Peter Teichman in the cockpit of the Hangar 11 Collection’s Spitfire PRXI PL965. DARREN HARBAR

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meets PETER TEICH MA N financially. I’d sold my first business, so I decided to buy a twin. I’d had my twin rating since ’81, and I bought a Beech Baron, G-SUZI, from the CAA’s heart specialist Prof Michael Joy — a man you never wanted to see professionally! I got my instrument rating in 1991 on the Baron, and had some super trips with the family. It was a lovely aeroplane, and I kept it for 15 years. In the meantime I had a Beagle Pup 150, and even a Lake Buccaneer — a bad seaplane and probably an even worse aeroplane. “During the ’80s I had built up a small collection of classic cars. I was in the ‘classic’ mindset, and as time went on it wasn’t really a big move between classic cars and classic aeroplanes. I had taken a tailwheel conversion course down at Old Sarum some years previously. It was in 1999 that I really took the plunge, when I saw a very beautiful Beech ‘Staggerwing’ for sale”. This was D17S G-BRVE, then owned by Intrepid Aviation, the North Wealdbased company set up by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. “I bought that in 1999, and that was the start of my heavy taildragger experience. “I found the ‘Staggerwing’ a challenging aeroplane to take off and land — anything near the ground in that aircraft concentrates the mind, but it flies beautifully. Especially in a strong crosswind, it probably took me 50-60 hours before I was really comfortable with it. It’s short-coupled, nose-heavy… when you’re landing, if you were to see the fence coming and hit the brakes the ‘Staggerwing’ would classically flip right over and end up on its roof. It requires a lot of very careful handling, but it’s a fabulous aeroplane. You can fill it with people and baggage — I flew it all over Europe and had a wonderful time with it. “In about 2000 I was influenced by the founder of The Squadron, Anthony Hutton. He convinced me that I should get a DA [display authorisation], and he was my first DAE [display authorisation examiner]. I started to display the ‘Staggerwing’ at places like Abingdon, Woodchurch, OId Warden, RAF Cosford and others. “As I got onto the display circuit I met up with some of the well-known personalities, people like Maurice

“I then happened to hear about an aircraft called Jumpin’-Jacques, which was owned by Jacques Bourret and had been in France for the previous 13 years. I gave him a call, and my timing was perfect, because he explained to me that the aircraft was going on sale and he was about to crate it up and send it to America. His feeling was, understandably, that the best place to sell it was the States. Within 24 hours I’d got on a flight to Lyon. Jacques picked me up and we went to see the Mustang. It was a beautiful, original aeroplane… I started to negotiate a purchase with him, and the following week I returned with my engineer who surveyed the aircraft. Within a week the deal was done.

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“I then had to get it home, but it was now December 2002. I asked Lee Proudfoot if he would help, and obviously I wanted to come home in the aeroplane. Lee and I arrived at St Rambert d’Albon airfield on a freezingcold December day. The weather had not been very good, and we launched to try and make it back that day, but we couldn’t because of the lack of daylight. We ended up diverting into a small grass airfield in northern France. There was no-one in sight, but we found some nice people who helped us push the aircraft into a hangar. We went to a hotel close by and had a very agreeable dinner there, and the following day we managed to ferry the aircraft into the UK. I didn’t have a hangar in those days, so initially it lived at Duxford. “Already, in anticipation of buying the Mustang I’d done some time in Maurice’s Harvard, both from the front seat and the back seat. I had several hundred hours’ experience on the ‘Staggerwing’, which is terrific preparation because it’s a skittish, difficult aeroplane. But in spite of that I decided the most sensible thing to do was to go to Florida and fly with Stallion 51. In January 2003 I went there and took the course. It was quite rewarding, because I only did one flight in the back and then they put me straight in the front. I carried on and flew around 10 hours in the two-seater, and so by the time I came back to the UK I just wanted to fly my aeroplane.

‘It wasn’t really a big move between classic cars and classic aeroplanes’ Hammond, who had recently started operating [P-51D Mustang] Janie. He’s subsequently become a very close friend. I thought, ‘I should have one of those’, and I began to hanker after a Mustang. Maurice was very helpful and gave me sound advice. David Gilmour had a Mustang of his own at North Weald, and that would have been the convenient way to go. But what I was really looking for was something that was very much a ‘stock’ aeroplane.

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“There were the usual wintertime delays with weather and what-not, but in February I went down to Duxford, jumped in and flew the Mustang for the first time. I did one flight out of Duxford, and then the next one was a positioning flight from there to North Weald… So now I had the ‘Staggerwing’ and the Mustang in Mike Woodley’s hangar, but I wanted my own base.” Hangar 11 was constructed at North Weald in 2004. “The name wasn’t

anything very clever: I was born on the 11th of the month, and 11’s my lucky number”. With good co-operation from the airfield owners, Epping Forest District Council, and a hard runway affording year-round operations, the former fighter station in Essex is Peter’s ideal base, and allowed the Hangar 11 business to start growing. “Almost coincidentally with buying the Mustang, I bought PT879, my Spitfire IX project. In the early part of 2001 I decided I deeply wanted to own a Spitfire. I’d heard about a project, an aircraft that had been bought by Angie Soper in Essex with a view to restoration. It had gone to Airframe Assemblies on the Isle of Wight, but ultimately they didn’t complete it and it was now back on her farm, within spitting distance of North Weald. I knew Angie from the display circuit, and I was very fortunate to be able to buy it. “The amazing thing about PT879 is that it went as part of Lend-Lease to a Soviet squadron in 1944 and did barely 28.5 hours before it crashed on the tundra in Russia in the early part of 1945. The pilot managed to get out. There it lay, after this high-speed accident, for quite a while until a farmer very cleverly dragged the entire aircraft into his barn, where it sat for a great number of years. After Perestroika my friend Peter Monk managed to buy the aircraft, brought it back to the UK and sold it to Angie. It’s very special because it’s an entire aeroplane, so there’s no question about what guns it had, how it was painted and so on, as we have most of the aircraft. “I was going to rebuild it, but — stupidly, as time would prove — I didn’t start the restoration there and then. The cost of the restoration has gone up from then to now by a factor of probably 300 per cent. One could have built an entire fuselage and wings for probably £350,000 in 2001. Today the wings alone would cost you half a million, so that delay was a bad decision. “I was too impatient to fly a Spitfire. However, my three key parameters were high-back, Merlin engine and with wartime history. I looked at a number of Spitfires for sale — I’d seen a post-war, high-back MkXVI, but nothing that really fitted my criteria”. In August 2004 Peter was at Rob Davies’ strip at Woodchurch to display the ‘Staggerwing’, and got chatting to ‘Taff’ Smith who was there with PL965, the PRXI operated by the Real Aeroplane Company. It attracted his interest. “I started negotiations with the owner, Robert Fleming. I found out that PL965 had exactly the provenance I wanted, with 45 missions with No 16 Squadron, RAF, high-backed, Merlin-engined… Again, once I’d made my mind up the negotiation was very swift. We agreed a deal in September 2004, and there was Mr Proudfoot once again to bring my aircraft home. I flew the Baron to Breighton and delivered Lee up there. He did a couple of thrilling passes; it was

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ABOVE: At the controls of Beech D17S G-BRVE. DARREN HARBAR ABOVE RIGHT: Displaying the ‘Staggerwing’ at Little Gransden in August 2005. DARREN HARBAR BELOW: Peter built his display experience in P-51D Jumpin’-Jacques at smaller events like, as here, Rougham. JOHN DUNNELL

ABOVE: Turning finals at the Hahnweide in 2009, the first of his two visits there in the Hurricane. In the background is Burg Teck. BEN DUNNELL ABOVE LEFT: When it joined the fleet, the P-40N retained its 343rd FG ‘Aleutian Tiger’ markings. DARREN HARBAR

LEFT: Outside Hangar 11 in early 2007, now with three fighters on strength. DARREN HARBAR

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ABOVE: A unique four-ship of Hangar 11’s fighters — Peter leading in the P-40M with Maurice Hammond in the P-51D, Stu Goldspink in the Hurricane and Steve Jones in the Spitfire.

JOHN DIBBS/THE PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

just so amazing to see what was now my aeroplane doing beat-ups. I jumped in the Baron, and we flew back in a loose formation. I was looking at the Spitfire, thinking, ‘Oh my God’. It was a really special moment.” Peter got his DA on the Mustang soon after buying it, starting out with a non-aerobatic routine but gradually building things up. He did his aerobatic training with a good friend, Chris Thompson, on a CAP 10. “By the time I bought the Spitfire I was doing an aerobatic display in the Mustang but I

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hadn’t flown a Spitfire. It wasn’t easy to get your hands on one, and I’ve never been a great one for going cap-in-hand to anybody. At that time there weren’t anything like as many Spitfires around as there are now. The first time I soloed PL965 was the first time I flew a Spitfire. “In early October 2004 Lee positioned PL965 for me to RAF Henlow where there are three runways in a triangle, all grass, all nice and wide. There I strapped in to the Spitfire. I’d done lots of reading of the pilot’s notes, but nothing prepares you for the real

thing. However, because I had so many hours in the ‘Staggerwing’ and two years of experience in the Mustang, flying the Spitfire there were no unexpected surprises. I must admit I was actually underwhelmed by the roll rate. It was an interesting difference between the Spitfire and the Mustang, insofar that the Spitfire is lighter in pitch and heavier in roll, and the Mustang is the inverse, as is the Hurricane. But it was a very emotional, amazing experience. Now I had what I considered to be the two greatest fighters of the Second World War.

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before Christmas, we agreed a deal. It involved my ‘Staggerwing’ going to TFC at Duxford, me getting the P-40, and a big cheque in-between. It worked well for me because it freed up the space. Although the ‘Staggerwing’ is an amazing aeroplane, and I was so sad to lose her, I could have spent a year or two looking to sell it and I needed to get the P-40 into the hangar, so the deal worked for all. “Speaking to the likes of Ray Hanna, Stu Goldspink and others whose opinions I respected, they all waxed lyrical about the P-40. I was delighted to buy it. In December 2005 I flew the ‘Staggerwing’ to Duxford, and Pete Kynsey flew the P-40 in to my place. I had done one flight in the back of the P-40 as the guest of Mr Grey during the summer — Stephen demonstrated the roll rate to me and it made your

‘My hunger to grow the collection continued’

“I attended the formation school at North Weald, which was run then by Anthony and Sam Hutton. I borrowed a mate’s Yak-52, and I did a couple of courses there, which were hugely valuable. I met up with some great guys who were instructors there: Chris Heames, Sir Chris Harper, Mike Wood, all of whom I know to this day. They were brave enough to sit in the back of the Yak while I was doing tailchasing and formation aerobatics. I was able to upgrade my DA, and that’s really put me in great stead. Those courses formed

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a very important part of my flying progression. “In 2005 I was displaying all three aeroplanes, and the Hangar 11 business was flourishing, but my hunger to grow the collection continued. That July I was displaying the Mustang at a show at Sandown on the Isle of Wight, and I met up with Stephen Grey. The Fighter Collection had its P-40M Kittyhawk there, G-KITT, and I concentrated my attention on this superb historic aircraft. “The negotiations went on over several months, but eventually, not long

eyes water. It’s got the best-harmonised ailerons. I soloed it in early 2006, and went into that season with three fighters to display.” Hangar 11 was now spreading its wings into the mainland European scene. In 2007, Peter received a call to take his P-40 to the big French historic aircraft show at La Ferté Alais. “I had largely flown up to then in the UK. As much as we complain about CAP 403 [the CAA’s airshow regulations] and the CAA and all of the oversight, I wasn’t quite ready for the rather different, more relaxed atmosphere of flying in France. Not only that, but I well recall getting airborne into my slot, and as I was running in I was faced with a Beech 18 coming towards me. What the hell? “Subsequently I’ve flown at many shows in mainland Europe and frankly, with rare exceptions, I would rather prefer to display in the UK because the regime is much safer. Display pilots in the UK have DAs, we are re-examined every year, we are categorised according to our ability in aerobatics and tailchasing. Overseas, they’ll ask, ‘Oh, could you fly with so-and-so?’ Well, what experience have they got? Sadly, there’s been many a time at a foreign show where, unless the pilots of the other aircraft are UK DA-holders, I’ve declined to fly with them.” Even so, he has taken part in some memorable formations. Given the fact that PL965 flew from Belgium during wartime, in 2009 the Spitfire was invited to perform at the Belgian Air Component base at Koksijde. There Peter was joined by the air arm’s then F-16 Fighting Falcon display pilot, the very popular Cdt Michel ‘Mitch’ Beulen, for some formation passes. “Subsequently I displayed with ‘Mitch’ four or five times. I also had the pleasure to display with the Dutch F-16 at Eastbourne, with John Romain in his two-seat Spitfire on the other side.”

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meets PETER TEICH MA N Among the other great memories are those from the Hahnweide Oldtimerfliegertreffen, the biennial German spectacular that Peter attended from 2007 to 2013. “Hahnweide is a very special place. Beautiful countryside and an amazing show. I took all the fighters there except the Spitfire — I took the Kittyhawk, I took the Mustang, and I took the Hurricane twice. It’s such a huge event, and from Friday afternoon to Monday it’s a party. The runway is a bit of a challenge, especially in a World War Two fighter. It’s not that long and it has an incline not only end-to-end but also a big camber. If you land on the wrong side of the runway it can tend to want to push you into the field where all the aircraft are parked. “Again, going back to CAP 403, you’re used to arriving in sterile airspace, or being told that there’s a rehearsal happening so to hold off. The first time I arrived at Hahnweide in the P-40 in 2007, I called up, ‘Inbound with the field in sight’. There was a Pitts doing an aerobatic session, and they said, ‘Yes, clear in, don’t worry about him’. Sure enough, I landed underneath him. All during the show at Hahnweide, unlike at British shows, there are passenger rides going on in the Ju 52s, in the Antonovs, the Dove and all sorts, taking off between displays. It obviously works for them but, again, it’s a sign of how the regime is very different.” When it came to the final member of the fleet, Peter says, “I could have gone for a Corsair, I could have gone for a P-47, but, let’s face it, what are the two greatest British fighters of all time? Of course, it’s the Spitfire and the Hurricane. The Hurricane is just crazy in terms of the complexity of its design. Later I discovered that a Spitfire can be restored in 12,000 hours, whereas a Hurricane takes 28,000 hours. When you’re paying for those 28,000 hours, that’s a lot of money. In 2006, I thought, ‘Time to sell another car and buy another aeroplane’, and it just had to be a Hurricane. “I went to see Tony Ditheridge from Hawker Restorations, unquestionably the pre-eminent restorers of Hurricanes in the world, and I had discussions with the Alpine Fighter Collection who had one for sale in New Zealand.

at that stage it was only 20 per cent built. In 2006 I persuaded him to sell it to me. We entered into an endto-end supply contract, where he completed the aeroplane for me in a defined period. There followed a very intense period when I would go down to Hawker Restorations every month. I really enjoyed the process of the aircraft coming to life, being involved in decisions about the paint scheme and so forth. It’s got a full suite of guns, it’s got bullets, it’s got ammo boxes. It’s beautiful”. Peter had it completed as a MkIIb ‘Hurribomber’ variant. “I soloed the aeroplane in 2009. Having spoken to World War Two pilots who say, ‘If I’d had to choose one aeroplane to go to war in, I’d choose a Hurricane’, I’d support that. It’s a lovely, stable aeroplane, which will out-turn a Spitfire, and remains very under-rated. In the years since there have been two pilots I’ve chatted to prior to their flying the Hurricane, neither of whom had flown one before. One was Richard Grace and the other was Peter Monk. They both rang, asking for advice. I said to them, ‘You’re in for a treat’. Afterwards, I had the same conversations with Richard and Peter. They just loved it. “I sold a classic car in 2004 to finance the Spitfire, and another in 2006 to finance the Hurricane. Financially, it was a bad decision. The cars, in most cases, have appreciated in value far more than the aeroplanes. But in terms of a life experience, there’s no comparison. One hundred per cent the right decision. How can you compare owning a Jaguar to flying a Spitfire or a Hurricane?”

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The new experiences kept coming. In the spring of 2009, Peter took the Kittyhawk to Milovice in the Czech Republic to fly in George Lucas’s ‘Red Tails’ movie about the ‘Tuskegee Airmen’. In 2013 he displayed the Spitfire at Hohenems in the Austrian Alps, “looping up the sheer face of a mountain and doing half-Cubans to come back”. The big Battle of Britain anniversary years of 2010 and 2015 have seen him joining ‘Balbos’ with the Hurricane at the Royal International Air Tattoo, and he flew the Spitfire in

‘I’ve felt rather uncomfortable as a result of the revised CAA regulations’ Theirs was a Battle of France survivor with the smaller engine [MkI P3351, subsequently sold to Jan Friso Roozen in France], and for various reasons it didn’t fit my profile. I wasn’t just looking at it solely from the historical point of view, but as an aeroplane that I want to own and fly. Although a lovely aeroplane, that one wasn’t really right for me. “Then Tony showed me what he called his in-house project. It was a beautiful and rare aeroplane, although

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Goodwood’s 2015 Battle of Britain Day event. These have been busy years. “I had become aware of the special history of my P-51 as an original Tuskegee fighter”, says Peter, so in 2016 the aircraft was repainted in those 332nd Fighter Group markings with its name Tall-in-the-Saddle. A highlight occurred in October when Peter arranged for its wartime pilot, Lt Col George Hardy — now 91 — to see the aircraft again. “He’d flown more than

20 missions in the aeroplane in early 1945, aged 19. Now, 71 years later, there he was in the back seat, flying with me. I did some gentle aerobatics with him, I flew him over Mildenhall and then in to Lakenheath, where he was greeted like the hero that he is. This is a man who was decorated in the Second World War, in Korea and in Vietnam. He was only here a week, but we built up a marvellous relationship.” With 17 years on the display circuit under his belt, much of it in highperformance warbirds, now is time for Peter to take stock. “Although I enjoy it enormously, life moves on. We get older, our priorities change. I have beautiful young grandchildren now, and I like to spend more time with them, my wife and the rest of my family. Being an airshow pilot does mean a big commitment in terms of time. It’s a sacrifice for your family — without their support, and particularly my wife’s Karen’s support, I could never have done it. “I intend to reduce my level of display flying activity, but I have a very strong and loyal client base. In the peak years I might have been doing more than 60 public displays. I’d like to see it closer to 30, and even that would still be a lot. “I’ve advertised a couple of my aeroplanes for sale” — the P-40 and Hurricane are on offer with Platinum Fighter Sales — “but I’m very relaxed about whether they sell or not. If I ended up with the Mustang, the Spitfire and a Spitfire restoration project long-term, I’d be happy with that. I’ve made some advances with PT879. The fuselage is complete; now it’s just a matter of writing a cheque for the wings. We’re ready to do so but we’re looking at options. It’s a big amount of money, plus I’m fully occupied with four operational fighters.” Adding to Peter’s burdens have been the new regulations and requirements brought in by the CAA following 2015’s Shoreham tragedy. “The complexion of the industry has totally changed. In the 2015-16 close season, when CAP 403 was being revised and BADA [the British Air Display Association] was putting forward its representatives to meet with the CAA, there were all these so-called consultation periods. The reality was that the CAA ignored everything […] and basically did exactly what they wanted to do. They imposed some changes to regulations that, in my opinion, have not aided safety one iota. “To give due respect to the CAA, they’re good guys but they’ve been put under enormous pressure. However, as a result of the revised regulations I have felt rather uncomfortable this season. I’ve flown display lines that, to me, have been unflyable… You don’t just fly a highspeed fighter up and down a line; you have to turn at some point. You have to be able to turn that aircraft in a fashion that allows you to come back onto that line, but in that turn you’re bound to encompass areas outside the actual display line itself. I have found myself so nervous about infringing areas that I spent more

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of my time looking out of the window — ‘Is that two caravans pushed together? Is that a built-up area?’ — stressing about where I am, rather than flying the aeroplane and flying my routine, so arguably it’s more dangerous. “During the year I increasingly felt as a display pilot that all eyes were on me, that every FDD [flying display director] had his finger poised over the button ready to shout, ‘Stop, stop, stop’. That would suspend my DA, and therefore affect my livelihood. If I had a five or six-display weekend, which is not unusual for me, and at the first one there was some perceived infringement, my DA would be ‘toast’ until such time as the CAA deemed it appropriate to give it back.” Peter has traditionally flown at a lot of smaller events — weddings, corporate events and the like — where, as the sole flying item, an individual pilot may act as their own FDD. Now, he’s much less enthusiastic about such commitments, given how, as he says, “I have to spend my time writing risk assessments and endless paperwork. I prefer now to do airshows preferably over the sea, where at least I can display in an area where I’m not looking out for people and houses and factories.” Then there is the CAA’s new scheme of charges in respect of display permissions and exemptions, which Peter describes as “absolutely punitive. For the singleton like myself who’s doing a wedding or a funeral, a Rule 5 exemption would cost you £112. That’s now gone up to £225. If you’re having a small pony-andtrap show on a Saturday and Sunday, requiring an Article 162 permission, that could cost £500 and represents an enormous proportion [of the event’s costs]. It has definitely killed off a lot of opportunities”. No wonder he foresees a situation where organisers’ budgets are further squeezed by operators having to charge more to cover their costs, and the UK military doing likewise in order to achieve ‘cost recovery’. Peter says, “Hangar 11 is very demanding, emotionally, financially and from an organisational point of view. We’re fortunate in that we have a lot of fantastic volunteers who give up their time — they’re there in the winter stripping paint off an aeroplane in temperatures of 5°, but, on the other side of the coin, in the summer they come to superb events all over Europe. We have a terrific engineering crew, led by Chris Norris, and we rely on only a couple of outside sub-contractors. Apart from that we do everything in-house. It is a big enterprise.” But he wouldn’t have missed a moment. “You couldn’t collate the hundreds, the thousands, of incredible experiences that I’ve had flying these fighters — of the wonderful, engaged people that you meet. It’s very much an honour for me to fly these aeroplanes, and when they put me in my box and bang the lid down I’ll have been able to say, ‘I really did something special’.”

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ABOVE: Twice Peter has flown the Hurricane in Battle of Britain commemorations at the Royal International Air Tattoo. This was 2015, joined by aircraft from the BBMF and Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. BEN DUNNELL

LEFT: Original panels have aided with getting the camouflage right on Spitfire IX PT879, an ongoing restoration project. DARREN HARBAR LEFT: With the P-51D’s wartime pilot Lt Col George Hardy at RAF Lakenheath last October, having flown in to the Suffolk base in order to visit the US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing aboard the Mustang. USAF BELOW: The P-51D newly repainted and looking immaculate in 332nd FG ‘red tail’ markings as Tall-in-theSaddle. DARREN HARBAR

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A IR CR E W: EF - 1 1 1 R AV EN EWO

EF-111 ELECTRONIC WAR F ABOVE: A 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron EF-111A breaks away from a 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F to take up a pre-planned jamming circuit as the latter nears Libyan territory in April 1986.

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lectronic countermeasures (ECM) have been a vital requirement in conflict since the early part of World War Two. Placing the jamming and interception equipment in the critical location involves a wide variety of aircraft platforms, in some cases operating right inside the enemy’s own environment. The General Dynamics EF-111A Raven was a development of the F-111

supersonic strike aircraft. Grumman converted 42 F-111A airframes into EF-111s for the USAF, the first entering service in November 1981. Adapting what was already a highly specialised type for another highly specialised tasking proved remarkably successful. The main visible differences between the two were the ventral ‘canoe’ and the fin-top blister. An electronic warfare officer (EWO) was given six months of specialised

further training on top of that received for the navigator role. Former EWO Jim Howard recalled: “In the EF-111A, EWOs were expected to know everything about airplanes that the pilots knew, but pilots were not expected to know as much about electronic warfare as an EWO. To be fair, many EF-111A pilots studied until they were equal to their EWOs in technical EW knowledge, but this wasn’t required.”

ABOVE: EF-111As from the 390th ECS, normally home-stationed at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, prepare to take off from Taif in Saudi Arabia during Operation ‘Desert Shield’ — the build-up to 1991’s Gulf conflict. USAF

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Aircrew A Aii rcrew WORDS: JAMES KIGHTLY ARTWORK: IAN BOTT (www.ianbottillustration.co.uk)

View from the office…

The flying controls (except the throttles) were removed from the right-hand seat position in the EF-111 version, and the ALQ-99E system’s keypad was situated where the stick had been. A manual back-up control panel was on the right console. The Raven could operate at 400ft and 480kt for several hours, and the EWO was responsible for the terrain-following system. The F-111’s escape capsule meant there were comfortable seats and holders for Thermos bottles, while the ride control smoothed out a proportion of the d view i off the th EWO ABOVE: A good ABOVE bumps encountered station in the right-hand side of during low flying. the Raven’s cockpit. KEY COLLECTION

R FARE OFFICER The two-crew F-111 cockpit retained the pilot’s position on the left, while the former weapon systems operator’s seat on the right was re-equipped in the ‘Spark Vark’ with the ECM set-up as the EWO post. The main jamming system was the ALQ-99, the AN/ ALQ-99E variant being fitted to the Raven. The receiver equipment and antennas were mounted in the fin ‘football’, with jamming transmitters and exciter equipment in under-wing pods. This intercepted and jammed radio frequency signals, and could detect, identify and locate those signals, providing additional signals intelligence. Much of the process was automatic, though it could be controlled manually, and programmed with a plug-in cassette system. The F-111’s standard ALR-62 countermeasures receiving system was retained as a radar homing and warning device, and further equipment was added later. The Ravens attacked the enemy’s radar with concentrated energy signals, either in an attempt to confuse the adversary with false information in so-called ‘repeater jamming’, or to completely block it as ‘noise jamming’. EF-111s were not

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

originally equipped to suppress enemy air defences. The ‘Spark Vark’s’ first combat use was during Operation ‘El Dorado Canyon’ in the early morning of 15 April 1986. Four EF-111As of the 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron at RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, supported a strike force of 18 F-111Fs from the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at Lakenheath, Suffolk, during their bombing of Libya. In 1991, pilot Capt James Denton and his EWO Capt Brent Brandon — on deployment from the 390th ECS at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho — managed to avoid being shot down by an Iraqi Mirage F1EQ during Operation ‘Desert Storm’ by using the EF-111’s low-level abilities, thanks to the terrain-following radar. They were able to evade a guns attack by the enemy and then fool him into flying into the ground. This was the unarmed Raven’s only ‘air-to-air victory’. Another EF-111 in a similar situation was not so lucky, 42nd ECS jet 66-0023 being the only example (of three destroyed) lost with its crew. The last ‘Spark Varks’ were retired at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, in 1998.

I was there…

Jim Howard, EF-111A EWO

“A night low-level required both crew members to work together very closely to keep the airplane out of the rocks, on the black line [on the chart], and to deliver its […] sparks to the customer’s front door. Even though the autopilot might be flying the crew dared not take their eyes off the radars and instruments, because the autopilot could and occasionally did fly the F-111 into the side of a mountain or into the sand if it got confused.”

Lt Fred Drummond, US Navy, exchange EWO with the 390th ECS

“Our AWACS continued to call out hostile MiGs in the area… At this time, our number three aircraft decided to pop up and begin jamming a little early in an effort to draw all the MiGs over his way, thus allowing the remaining two to get in and set up… It was a great plan but unfortunately not all of the enemy fighters followed along.”

Jim Howard, EF-111A EWO

“Thanks to its great range and high speed it was rarely necessary for the strike package to change its plans to accommodate the Raven. The Raven could always be at the right place at the right time.”

Heyford ABOVE: An Upper Heyfordbased ‘Spark Vark’ overflying a tanker off Gibraltar in the course of a NATO exercise. USAF

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Four EF-111s survive: the ‘Mirage killer’, 66-0016, at Cannon AFB, New Mexico; 66-0047 at Silver Springs Municipal Airport in Silver Springs, Nevada; 66-0049, the first prototype EF-111, at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and 66-0057 at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio.

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DATABASE AIRSPEED ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL WORDS: JAMES KIGHTLY

Page 106 Page 109 Page 114 Page 117 Page 118

THE ENVOY: BUILDING A REPUTATION THE VERSATILE OXFORD PRACTICAL AND ADAPTABLE A NEW LEASE OF CIVIL LIFE OXFORD GRADUATES: PILOT VIEWS

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| Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

ABOVE: A neat formation of Oxford Is from No 3 Flying Training School at RAF South Cerney, Gloucestershire, in 1938 is led by L4580. AEROPLANE

IN-DEPTH PAGES

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Envoy

The elegant twin that helped make Airspeed’s name

A

irspeed was an unusual company even by the remarkable standards of aviation businesses in inter-war Britain. Founded in York during 1931 by the engineer (and later author) Nevil Shute Norway and designer A. Hessell Tiltman, with A. E. Hewitt, Lord Grimthorpe and Alan Cobham, it was not lacking in original ideas. Its first design was a glider, the AS1 Tern, and after a couple of paper-only concepts came the AS4 Ferry, a tri-motor biplane intended to carry pleasure-flying passengers from temporary airfields for Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day Displays, better known as his ‘Flying Circus’. Four were built, and two went into airline service. Moved to Portsmouth in 1933, and soon afterwards backed by Swan Hunter shipyards, the company produced the AS5 Courier, a clean single-engine, low-wing, retractableundercarriage monoplane transport. It first flew on 11 April 1933. Airspeed’s ‘trademark’ tail and other design details were established,

and the aircraft obviously had great potential as an opportunity for development. One way was simply to scale up the whole design and make it a twin-engine type, a configuration that by now was becoming standard and taking over from the tri-motor thanks to improving engine power and reliability. The retractable main undercarriage was innovative when introduced on the Courier. Neophyte test pilot Bill Pegg, later of Bristol, recalls as a junior officer seeing the Courier arriving at Martlesham Heath, the RAF’s testing station, in 1933. It was the first retractable-undercarriage aircraft he had seen, and turned up along with a lorry fitted with a full-scale working model of the landing gear and a smooth-talking gentleman from the company to explain it all. While this was being shown, one of the RAF test pilots managed to bring the Courier in on the airfield behind them with the undercarriage retracted, resulting in “a splintering crash and a cloud

of dust”. He had disconnected the undercarriage warning hooter while undertaking altitude tests at different throttle settings because it had annoyed him. But the Courier’s greatest contribution was probably Airspeed director Sir Alan Cobham’s work using one as a receiver aircraft for air-to-air refuelling with a Handley Page W10 as the tanker. An attempted long-range record flight in Courier G-ABXN proved abortive, but the concept contributed to the establishment and success of Flight Refuelling Ltd. At the company board meeting in November 1933 it was agreed to go ahead with a twin-engine development of the Courier, known as the Envoy. One reason was to counter a proposed ban on over-water passenger-carrying flights in single-engine types, and it would also provide competition to de Havilland’s successful — but far more basic, and lowerperformance — DH84 Dragon fixed-undercarriage biplane. Apart from a structurally more robust,

BELOW: Wolseley AR9 Aries III-powered first prototype Envoy G-ACMT shows off its lines. AEROPLANE

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ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL

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ABOVE: The first of the four Walter Castor-engined Envoys for Czechoslovak carrier CSA was OK-BAL, pictured pre-delivery in 1935. AEROPLANE

ABOVE: King George VI arrives at Northolt on 9 May 1938 in King’s Flight Envoy G-AEXX. AEROPLANE

taken six weeks’ leave to undertake the task. Equipped with parachutes, spare propellers, emergency rations and a small collapsible boat, they flew to Marseilles, Sardinia, Tunis and Cairo, then took the eastern route via Khartoum, Malako and Nairobi to the Cape. On the return trip, the engine having performed satisfactorily — a major endorsement of such a new powerplant from a new engine company — he attempted a record flight, starting on 30 May 1936. A delay at Athens made it impossible to achieve the record. A year later, promoted to wing commander, Hilton was killed in an accident in the King’s Cup air race. Despite the engines’ success, when presented with the Air

Ministry’s intention to proceed (ITP) paperwork the fiercely independent Lord Nuffield didn’t like the terms of ‘cost plus agreed profit’, even though he had already spent in excess of £200,000. Nuffield said to Nevil Shute Norway, “I tell you, Norway… I sent that ITP thing back to them, and I told them they could put it where the monkey put the nuts!” He withdrew from the market in 1936, and Airspeed aircraft were forced to switch to other engine manufacturers’ products. As a result, later Envoys were equipped with 240hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVc or 350hp Cheetah units. Envoy Miss Wolseley, orphaned by Nuffield’s abandonment of the engine project, was sold to Ansett Airways in Australia later

that year as VH-UXM, becoming the new airline’s second machine. Remarkably, its Aries IIIs remained viable until 1944, most likely being the last working examples, when spares ran out. It was finally reengined with Wright Whirlwinds. In October 1936, a batch of Envoys was adapted by Airspeed with a manually operated turret, fixed forward-firing armament, bomb racks and other military equipment for joint ownership and use by the South African Air Force and South African Airways as ‘Convertible Envoys’. It was a useful coup for Airspeed, showing that its airliner was both useful and militarily adaptable without the taint of illegal arms deals. Four men could transform the aircraft from the transport version into a bomber within four hours. In military use, the crew consisted of four: pilot, navigator, radio operator and gunner. Three of these Envoys were delivered in military configuration, and four to the airline without the military equipment fitted. They were used between Johannesburg, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth. In due course they all served with the SAAF. Although produced in small numbers compared to the following Oxford, with more than 60 built between 1934 and 1939, the Envoy was used remarkably widely, and proved a great success for such a young company. There were three main variants, the Series I having no flaps and the Series II and III being

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| Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

if still all-wood, airframe coupled with a carefully streamlined and fully enclosed monoplane layout, Airspeed was offering the first hydraulically operated retractable undercarriage to be used in a production multi-engine British passenger airliner. The prototype Envoy, G-ACMT, was flown by Flt Lt C. H. A. Colman on 26 June 1934. It appeared in semi-public at the SBAC trade show at Hendon on 2 July, going for testing to Martlesham Heath in August. A single-pilot aircraft, it could carry eight passengers, or, if a toilet was fitted in the aft cabin, six. The first three Envoys were powered by the Wolseley AR9, or Aries III, engine. These were the prototype, first production Envoy I G-ACVH for Wolseley Motors, which flew during October 1934 but was ditched and lost in Langstone Harbour in May 1936, and G-ACVI, named Miss Wolseley, which had been ordered by Wolseley Motors for Lord Nuffield and was intended for engine testing. At this stage the Airspeed story was intertwined with Nuffield’s development of a putative aero engine business, which was looking very viable. William Morris, Lord Nuffield, founded Wolseley Aero Engines in the early 1930s as an offshoot of his personal purchase of Wolseley Motors. It was kept separate by Nuffield and put in the ownership of a newly incorporated company, remaining his property when Wolseley Motors was transferred to Morris Motors in mid-1935. The premier Wolseley engine under development, which first ran in 1933, was the Aries III. It was a nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial that showed development potential and was rated at 225hp. The smaller seven-cylinder Aquarius I of 170hp had been flown successfully as well, while other, larger units were undergoing bench tests. The brand-new Envoy Miss Wolseley was entered by Lord Nuffield in the 1934 MacRobertson air race, but it was damaged in a forced landing near St Neots, Huntingdonshire before the event and had to be withdrawn. A year-and-a-half later, in 1936, Sqn Ldr E. G. Hilton set off from Martlesham Heath for a flight to South Africa in the same Envoy, G-ACVI. It was reported as a ‘holiday trip’ — curiously, his wife was expecting to come along but was left on the ground in apparently poorly planned favour of Hilton’s mechanic, Mr H. A. Lacroix! In reality, this was a test flight for the Wolseley engine, Hilton having

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ABOVE: ‘Convertible Envoy’ 251 of the South African Air Force. The former G-ADCD, and then ZS-AGA with South African Airways, it was delivered to the SAAF in August 1936. AEROPLANE

flap-equipped, with the latter having a number of detail improvements. The type was chosen to transport British royalty, the highest vote of confidence in the land. In 1936 a Series III Envoy was purchased for the King’s Flight and registered G-AEXX. Painted in the Guards’ regimental colours of red and blue, it was equipped with seats for four passengers, and crewed by a pilot, wireless operator and steward. Flown by Wg Cdr Edward ‘Mouse’ Fielden, captain of the King’s Flight, it was used regularly until impressed into the RAF as L7270 for wartime service. Five other Envoys were bought by the Air Ministry, serialled P5625 to P5629, for use as communications aircraft. North Eastern Airways, whose chairman was Airspeed director Lord Grimthorpe, had Envoys named Tyendale (G-ADAZ), Wharfdale (G-ADBB) and Swaledale (G-ADBZ). On the export scene, five examples went to French carrier Air Pyrénées, while Czechoslovak airline Československé státní aerolinie (CSA) acquired four Envoys in July 1935, powered by Walter Castor engines and used on the route between Prague and Moscow. When Czechoslovakia was

THE RACING VICEROY

The efficient, streamlined Airspeed designs were attractive for racing and record attempts. The second airframe off the Envoy production line, c/n 18, was produced as a dedicated racer. Redesignated as the AS8 and called the Viceroy, it was fitted with what were then the only supercharged Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah VI engines of 315hp in long-chord, smooth NACA cowlings. It had a strengthened undercarriage to enable the higher-weight take-offs required as a result of the increased fuel load from the 270-Imperial gallon auxiliary tank installed on the port side of the fuselage. There was a streamlined spat for the tailwheel, a toilet aft of the cabin, and a demountable canvas bed to starboard. The fuselage was narrowed and had no passenger windows. Registered G-ACMU and presented in a very smart red and white scheme, it was entered in the October 1934 MacRobertson air race from Mildenhall to Melbourne, flown by Capt T. Neville Stack and Sidney Lewis Turner. The Viceroy was withdrawn mid-race at Athens by the dissatisfied crew, quoted as saying the machine was “not really ready”. An Airspeed Courier finished in seventh place. In dispute with Airspeed, the aircraft was eventually taken back, Nevil Shute Norway noting that the resultant court case found in the manufacturer’s favour and awarded it damages. Like several other aircraft of the era, the Viceroy finished up by an indirect route in the Spanish Civil War, being used on the Republican side. It was in another specially configured Envoy — VH-UXY Star of Australia — that Charles Ulm and his two crew vanished without a trace between Oakland, California and Honolulu.

ABOVE: The unique — and somewhat controversial — AS8 Viceroy, G-ACMU. AEROPLANE

engulfed by war, one ended up with the Finns, another with the German Luftwaffe. G-AERT was supplied to the governor of China’s Kwangsi Province, being fitted with bomb racks and guns at Liuchowfu. This caused a diplomatic protest to the British government about supplying arms to a ‘rebel state’, clearly without the desired effect as another Envoy followed some months later. Both were delivered in remarkable long-distance flights. The most notable export order was for six Envoys to Japan in 1935. They were used between Japan and Japanese-occupied Korea. One served with the Imperial Japanese Navy for a short period and a rare licence production agreement was struck, 11 being built by Mitsubishi as the Hinazuru (Young Crane) for domestic employment by the Japanese Air Transport Co. Details are sketchy, but one was unsuccessfully fitted with flaps and Gasuden Jimpu engines. It crashed on a test flight with the death of the flight test observer. The Hinazurus had four passenger windows per side rather than the usual two, and a starboard baggage door in the rear fuselage, as well as the Mitsubishi logo on the nose. In 1938 the aircraft (less two lost in fatal crashes) were taken over by the Greater Japanese Airways Co, but they had apparently been withdrawn by 1942. Airspeed might not have been showing profitability, but with the remarkable success of its fourth production design — certainly its most useful type to date — the company had managed to gain Air Ministry interest, and achieve notable military, civil and even royal sales in just a couple of years. BELOW: Max Findlay and Ken Waller’s Envoy III G-AENA Gabrielle being flagged away in the 1936 Schlesinger Race from Portsmouth to Johannesburg. It crashed on take-off from Abercorn, Rhodesia, killing two of the four on board including Findlay. AEROPLANE

Oxford

I

n the mid-1930s, British expansion plans in response to the coming war meant that a plethora of requirements and specifications were issued. This was matched to the establishment of specialised training schools and systems, something that was to increase as demands for aircrew grew during hostilities, and which saw its greatest achievement with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Dedicated training types would be needed, beyond the traditional ab initio aircraft and the use of obsolete front-line machines. The Air Ministry had been impressed at how well Airspeed had

done with the Envoy in particular. The five examples purchased were clearly a trial of the manufacturer’s capability. Airspeed’s experiment with the ‘convertible’ Envoys for the South Africans meant it was well placed to offer a type that could fulfil most of these tasks. Unlike de Havilland’s Dragon Rapide, it could do so as a high-performance monoplane fitted with flaps and a retractable undercarriage. Avro’s Anson, which was being introduced for maritime patrol, was regarded as too tricky a type for training — quite unlike its later benign reputation. As well as the successes it had achieved in terms of design and

BELOW: A set of mixed camouflage and trainer yellow-schemed No 3 FTS Oxford Is at South Cerney. VIA JAMES KIGHTLY

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performance, Airspeed was now backed by the large shipbuilding company Swan Hunter, ensuring a strong financial position even if its production capacity remained limited. The demanding specification T23/36 was issued for a twin-engined trainer, Airspeed being the only company invited to tender. It was for an enhanced version of the Envoy to serve as a multi-role crew trainer, involving pilot, navigation, wireless, gunnery, photography and bomb aimer training. The RAF was operating a range of increasingly heavy and complex twin-engined transports and bombers, and while the fourengined, 11-crew bombers lay in the future, it was clear that these other aircrew roles were going to be vital. The Air Ministry initially offered a contract for a tiny number of aircraft, as had been the ‘penny packet’ approach throughout the inter-war years, but an intention to proceed was placed in October 1936 for 160 machines, including some to be delivered to dominions overseas. A total of 136 serial numbers were allocated to the type at this stage. It was designated as the Oxford in January 1937, in line with the Air Ministry’s policy of naming training types after famous university towns, as well as educational titles. Another Airspeed example was the later, now forgotten, AS45 Cambridge. Even before the order, Airspeed had already flown the prototype Oxford, L4534, on 19 June 1937. It worked fast as the threat of war

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| Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

One of the RAF’s most versatile, and useful, multi-engined trainers

ABOVE: The first Oxford, L4534, at Portsmouth in its original finish. KEY COLLECTION

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ABOVE: A trio of aircraft from the Empire Central Flying School in October 1942 includes Oxford I DF233, flanked by Miles Magister N3838 and Master W8962. AEROPLANE

and the demand for training aircraft became evident. The aeroplane was piloted on its first flight by Flt Lt C. H. A. Colman, and it was present in the New Types Park at the RAF Display at Hendon later that month. Test flying was mainly carried out by George Errington, and the first three Oxfords were delivered in November. Production grew apace. By the outbreak of war in 1939 more than 400 Oxfords had been delivered, even with a year’s delay in getting under way due to having to restructure the factory. Quite quickly the demand proved too much for the original Portsmouth plant alone, though 4,411 were built there. Airspeed opened another factory in Christchurch, Hampshire, which produced 550 examples. Oxford production was sub-contracted d b d to de Havilland at Hatfield, which built 1,515, and Percival Aircraft

ABOVE: A post-war view of silver-schemed Oxford I V3884.

KEY COLLECTION

at Luton, which turned out 1,360, while car builder Standard Motors at Coventry made 750 Oxfords as well as de Havilland Mosquitos. By the end of production, in excess of 8,500 Oxfords had been built. Manufacturing by f b Airspeed d continued without interruption throughout the war. The last was

turned out in July 1945, its delivery being the subject of a ceremonial event at Portsmouth Airport. A notable attendee was the seventh Oxford built, L4542, which had been in service since January 1938. Th originall Air Ministry The expectation was that the Oxford

would provide the entire multi-crew training component, with a number being sent overseas to undertake the same work in the dominions and colonies. The first four Oxfords went to the Central Flying School at Upavon, where manuals and procedures were developed. The remainder of the initial six delivered over the winter of 1937-38 were destined for the Wittering-based No 11 Flying Training School. The lack of dual-control training on aircraft like the Blenheim had proved costly, so the early Oxfords were supplied to Flying Training Schools in order to train pilots to fly the twins then in service: the Blenheim, Hampden, Wellington and Whitley. Several factors meant that the Oxford, after being used for the range of tasks intended initially, was in the end mainly employed as a pilot trainer. There was the obsolescence and replacement of the Avro Anson in the maritime reconnaissance role and its redeployment to navigation, bombing and wireless training; the similar withdrawal of the Fairey Battle from front-line use in 1940 and its reassignment for training across the Commonwealth; and the development of the DH Dragon Rapide into the Dominie wireless trainer. The Oxford’s functions, however, were varied in themselves, including night training on the new night flying aids, continuation checks on flying instructors, and a multitude of others. The Air Transport Auxiliary flew the Oxford as an air taxi and as a conversion trainer for multiengine ferrying requirements. A low point, of course, was when aviatrix Amy Johnson went missing. On 5 January 1941 she baled out of the Oxford she was flying, V3540, into the Thames Estuary after being caught over cloud and low on fuel, and drowned, despite a valiant rescue effort by Lt Cdr Walter

Oxford I PH185 778 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm CHRIS SANDHAM-BAILEY

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ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL

DATABASE

Although never intended for front-line service (unlike the Anson), the Oxford did fly in one battle. During the May 1941 Rashid Ali revolt in Iraq, Oxfords from No 4 Service Flying Training School at RAF Habbaniya, beside the River Euphrates, were used as light bombers — along with Hawker Audaxes and Fairey Gordons — to attack rebel Iraqi troops surrounding the base. AVM Tony Dudgeon, who was a squadron leader at the time, was newly arrived from an operational posting and put in charge of the Oxford flight. It was found that the bomb rack recesses, intended only to hold 8lb smoke bombs on the Oxford, could not take the 20lb bombs they wanted to use. The excessively cautious command wouldn’t permit modifications. Dudgeon added: “It was carefully explained to us, as delinquent children, that the Oxford was aerodynamically a very delicate airframe and the disturbance from bombs or racks sticking out into the airstream could easily make it catastrophically unstable, particularly on the approach; which obviously was why the bombs had been put into recesses in the first place… I volunteered, as the Oxford CO, that if Workshops would make the pieces, I would ‘suck it and see’. No go. Workshops could not and would not make the bits which the boss did not authorise. “So we rustled up some 1/8in sheet mild steel, a hacksaw, some files, a drill, and a bench with a vice. Drawing on my Cranwell engineering training, I made a set of four little strips about 4in long by 1in wide with two holes to take the bolts. These dropped the rear of the bomb racks down so that the tail fins of the eight 20lb Coopers stuck out beneath the fuselage, below and behind the back edge of the recess. “The CO’s concern over the Audax was nothing compared to getting his agreement to take off with an unauthorised modification. Eventually another note waiving potential blame for him secured his acquiescence and the aircraft flew quite happily. So Station Workshops went into quantity production on the distance-pieces, and we had 27 more bombers.” But they had only 15 pilots, one observer and one gunner, so they used pupil pilots and “any odd bod who was prepared to come along” as bomb aimers and gunners.

Fletcher RN from HM Trawler Haslemere. He died in the attempt, and was awarded a posthumous Albert Medal. Johnson’s body was never recovered. In 1943 Oxfords took over from Westland Lysanders on the antiaircraft co-operation squadrons, flying as targets to aid in ranging gun batteries and for calibrating

radar stations across the UK. Oxfords continued to fulfil this task well into the 1950s. Indeed, Oxfords served the RAF post-war almost without any change. They continued, albeit in vastly reduced numbers, to perform training in the many roles for which they had become essential. A new task was to instruct pilots used to

ABOVE: The view from inside a formation of No 4 FTS Oxfords flying from Habbaniya circa 1940. VIA ANDREW THOMAS Once combat started, Dudgeon recalled how the Oxfords bombed from about 1,000ft “for maximum accuracy” with the dive-bombing Audaxes below. He noted: “My observer/bomb-aimer was Sergeant Prickett. I guess he was a few years older than I and he was a tower of strength. His bombing corrections were impeccable, and he had an eye like a hawk when it came to picking out pop-pom guns, machine gun emplacements or other unpleasant devices. “After their crash course, the pupils acting as bomb aimers and rear gunners quickly became remarkably accurate — even if some of the bombing run corrections were a bit garbled at first… However they all did a fabulous and courageous job and soon became highly efficient.” At the end of the first day the unit had lost the use of 19 of its 35 pilot instructors, either dead or in hospital, and 22 of the 64 aircraft. After five days, the 27 Oxfords on strength had been reduced to four usable machines, but along with the Audax and Gordon biplanes, and Wellingtons flying in from Basra, they had broken the revolt.

single-engined types in twin skills, including those going on to de Havilland Hornets and Mosquitos, as well as the new twin-jet Gloster Meteors. At the start of the Korean War, Oxfords were brought out of storage to train National Service pilots. Silver Oxfords with post-war roundels were a common sight until the mid-1950s.

Other operators on the ‘home front’ were the Royal Navy, which flew the type both during wartime and post-war for training and communications, and the US forces. Remarkably, 137 Oxfords are recorded as having been allocated to the US Army Air Force and US Navy in Britain, some of them only briefly.

OXFORDS WORLDWIDE NEW ZEALAND

The very first Oxfords exported were five shipped to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, assembled at Auckland on the country’s North Island in August and September 1938, and then flown down to and operated from Wigram on the South Island (where the Air Force Museum of New Zealand has recently completed the restoration of Oxford PK286). These were the first of 297 examples for New Zealand, the Oxford becoming the fourth most numerous wartime type in the RNZAF. Two were

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civil-registered post-war (ZK-APX and -APY) and for a short period flew cargo, based in Wellington.

CANADA

ABOVE: RNZAF Oxford I NZ1327 served as a target tug. AEROPLANE

The Canadians ordered 25 Oxford Is pre-war for the Royal Canadian Air Force, diverted from RAF orders. They were reserialled as RCAF 1501 to 1525, assembled by Canadian Vickers at Montréal, Québec, and issued to the Central Flying Training School at Trenton and 1 FTS at Camp Borden, both in Ontario.

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IN ACTION AT HABBANIYA

DATABASE ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL

ABOVE: A well-known shot of No 1 SFTS, RAAF Oxfords from Point Cook over the Melbourne Cricket Ground. RAAF MUSEUM ARCHIVE

This was ahead of the development of the Empire-wide training scheme, as was the transfer of several RAF advanced training units — shipped to Canada complete with equipment and personnel — between May 1940 and May 1943. Some 532 Oxford Is and IIs and 188 Wasp Juniorpowered MkVs were sent, mainly for use by the Service Flying Training Schools.

AUSTRALIA

After the start of the war, Oxfords were exported to Australia. There,

ABOVE: RCAF Oxford V EB666 over the snowy Canadian wastes.

AEROPLANE

the RAAF type prefix A25was allocated but the Oxfords retained their RAF serials and camouflage, over time adopting local white and blue roundels and yellow training bands. In total, 391 Oxford Is and IIs were shipped over. The first aircraft, P6878, arrived on 28 October 1940 and the last, LW999, on 20 March 1944. Used with Ansons at Empire Air Training Scheme schools for instruction in flying, navigation, gunnery, radio operation and bombing, RAAF-operated

BAT WINGS

The Beam Approach Training (BAT) Flights instructed newly qualified night fighter pilots in instrument landing practice. Their Oxfords carried distinctive yellow triangles to warn other aircraft to keep clear, since the pilot should have been flying on instruments and only responding to audio signals with the cockpit windows screened, and a check pilot monitoring. Many of the techniques developed in this role led to airliner blind landing technology and procedures. The RAF Museum’s Oxford I, MP425, is in such a scheme, having undertaken the role with No 1536 BAT Flight at Spitalgate, Lincolnshire. Later, civilianised as G-AITB, it went to Air Service Training and continued to train BOAC pilots in instrument flying. RIGHT: RNZAF pilot Edward Flemming training in the UK in a BAT Flight Oxford, ‘T for Tart’! VIA TONY FLEMMING

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DATABASE

The MkI was the turret-equipped version for bombing, gunnery and general purpose training, and the MkII was used as a multi-engine pilot trainer, also for navigation and radio training. But, even pre-war, many had the turret removed, and the majority of Oxfords weren’t delivered with it fitted though the turret base ring remained built-in. With only one seat for the navigation and wireless operator’s positions, and the Anson and Oxford both able to be configured with multiple positions for each role, the Oxford majored in pilot training. Most of the Airspeed machines flew throughout the war in one task without being refitted for variant roles. The design essentially remained the same. An ambulance version was the only structural variation, equipped with a larger entry door to enable the insertion of stretchers into the cabin. In 1938 a single Oxford, L4539, was experimentally fitted with a Maclaren castoring undercarriage as a drift correction device. Though it was made workable for crosswind landings up to 30° out of wind, problems in terms of ground handling and retraction meant that it was not adopted in practice. The concept was eventually developed into the Maclaren pram. Another one-off which did not receive a designation was Oxford N6327, fitted with twin vertical tail surfaces for spin recovery testing. Though the Oxford was designed as a purely military type, 1938’s fourth production example L4538 was initially retained by Airspeed, going on to British Airways as G-AFFM for blind flying training and other radio navigation tasks. As such it had the manufacturer’s designation AS40. The aircraft was lost on 20 November 1939 when it flew into barrage balloon cables. A single Oxford, P1864, was fitted with Cheetah XV engines with feathering Rotol constant-speed airscrews, and thus became the MkIII. Intended as a multi-crew trainer, the version was abandoned

Oxfords were also found as hacks and communication machines with Nos 1, 2 and 5 Communication Units, and remained in service as trainers and communication aircraft until 1953.

OTHER COUNTRIES

More than 500 Oxfords were sent to South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. The South African Air Force examples were operated at Nos 21, 26 and 42 SAAF Training Schools at Kimberly, Pietersberg and Port Elizabeth respectively.

After the war, the British donated 30 Oxfords to Belgium’s reconstituted Militaire Vliegwezen to form a flying training school. These followed six transferred in April 1944 to the Force Publique in the Belgian Congo, remaining in use there until 1955. Two went to Norwegian Air Lines as trainers and were later passed on to the Royal Norwegian Air Force. In 1948, in excess of 15 exRAF Oxfords (and Consuls) were refurbished by Airspeed for the Union of Burma Air Force.

ABOVE: A Burmese-operated Oxford, serial UB348, and rocket projectiles. Firing these from the wooden Airspeed aircraft must have been interesting! VIA PETER R. ARNOLD

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

ABOVE: A staged shot of a ‘wounded’ airman being loaded into an Oxford by three nurses in flying kit shows the ambulance version’s modified entry door. VIA JAMES KIGHTLY after this one was built, and the pilot trainer equivalent, to be known as the MkIV, was never built. The final mark was the Oxford V (AS46), developed in the UK with Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-6 Wasp Junior engines and Hamilton Standard propellers. AS592 was the prototype. The majority of these were used in Canada.

Equipped with pod-mounted forward-firing guns, they even had four sets of underwing rails for paired unguided rocket projectiles. This configuration was tested by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, and the notes

would no doubt make interesting reading. Other operators included the air arms of Argentina, Ceylon, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, the Free French, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey.

ENGINE TESTBEDS

Oxford AS504 became the sole in-line engine-equipped Oxford, being fitted with two de Havilland Gipsy Queen IV (also known as Gipsy Six IIIS) units as a testbed. A downgrade in horsepower terms — the Queens gave only 250hp rather than the 375hp of the Cheetah X — it went on to the A&AEE. Incidentally, it has sometimes incorrectly been listed as the Oxford IV. AS504 was eventually returned to MkI standard, the original Cheetah mountings having been retained. A later test platform was the former LX119, registered U-7, then as G-AJWJ. In 1947 it was converted by Miles Aircraft into the AS41 for testing the 515hp Alvis Leonides with constant-speed propellers, spinners, and the rarely seen apron-style undercarriage doors. Rounding out the Airspeed designations, the AS42 was an Oxford I re-designated for specification T39/37 for the RNZAF, while the AS43 was a survey version of the AS42, itself a designation change reflecting RNZAF equipment requirements.

ABOVE: Oxford AS504 looking somewhat ungainly with its two Gipsy Queen IV in-line engines. AEROPLANE

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| Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

VARIANTS AND MODIFICATIONS

Technical Details

Eminently practical for a range of training tasks, the Oxford could be usefully adapted

O

ABOVE: The cabin and well-laid-out cockpit of a typical RAF Oxford. AEROPLANE

f completely wooden, semi-monocoque construction, the Oxford differed from the Anson, which (initially) had a wooden Fokker wing under a fabric-covered steel frame fuselage. While the Oxford’s Envoy heritage

was evident, the fuselage windows were reduced in number, while the fuselage itself was widened, and could be equipped with side-byside cockpit seating and full dual controls. In the cockpit, Flight noted: “a really modern array of controls and

instruments has been planned in complete detail and, as a whole, almost for the first time”. Compared to what had come before, it was remarkably logically laid out, with the standard RAF blind flying panel centred in front of the left-hand seat for the pupil or first

ABOVE: Practice smoke bombs being fitted to an Oxford’s under-fuselage bomb rack. AEROPLANE

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DATABASE | Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

Airspeed Envoy

Airspeed Consul

Airspeed Oxford

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DATABASE ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL pilot, and a full set of engine and hydraulic controls on a central pedestal. This, notably, included an unconnected ‘dummy’ propeller pitch lever for the fixed-pitch airscrews to enable teaching of the proper cockpit drills for future types. The instrumentation for the instructor (or second pilot) did not feature the panel though all the instruments were present. The fully glazed canopy had port and starboard direct-vision panels and side windows that could be opened in flight. After early experience, the upper glazing was tinted or fitted with blinds. Visibility was excellent in most directions, only obscured by the nose and engine nacelles. A blind flying hood could be rigged over the pupil pilot’s head inside the canopy, although tall pilots, even with the adjustable seat fully depressed, found it too low. The wireless operator’s position faced aft on the starboard side with a seat on the rear of the centresection decking. The navigator’s position was the second pilot’s seat slid aft, enabling the use of a folding chart table. A trailing aerial and retractable directionfinding loop were fitted. Over the centre section, behind the cockpit, was an escape hatch with two skylights. The open bulkhead structure behind the pilots’ seats was designed to prevent the cabin being crushed if overturned. On the port side, aft of the pilot, was the electrical panel, which included an altimeter. The main crew entry door, a distinctive and effective triangular shape, could be jettisoned in an emergency, and had one of the four cabin windows in it. It was possible to access the rear fuselage in flight by way of a drop-down panel, which revealed two flare chutes. There was provision for a camera aperture and mount in the main fuselage floor. The nose interior, with a permanent glazed section, could be configured with a bomb aimer’s position, with the righthand (instructor) pilot’s controls being removed for access. A course-setting bombsight was then installed, plus an air speed indicator, altimeter and watch on an instrument panel above, with a prone-position bench and bomb release gear. Light series carrier racks could be fitted to the wing centre section for the use in training of 12 smoke bombs, weighing either 8.5lb or 11.5lb. Other bomb loads were listed. The clean and effective design meant that the Oxford retained excellent performance and

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ABOVE: A good view of the Oxford I’s turret installation, as a visitor to No 3 FTS is shown one of the early service examples. AEROPLANE

handling characteristics as well as a comfortable — if not large — cabin. Examining the type’s fit-out reveals that it was, for the time, comprehensively equipped. Almost nothing a trainee would encounter in a service aircraft of the late 1930s was left out. The Oxford was of all-wood construction. The plywood-

covered, spruce frame-panelled fuselage was of semi-monocoque configuration, initially using casein and later synthetic glues. It sat on a wooden wing centre section, to which the engine mounts and rearwards-retracting undercarriage were also fitted. A pair of outer extension planes were attached; the landing light was in the port

Specifications Envoy

Oxford (MkI)

Consul

Two Wolseley AR9 MkII radial engines, 200hp (150kW) each or two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial engines, 345hp (257kW) each; other engine types also used

Two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X radial engines, 350hp (260kW) each

Two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X radial engines, 395hp (295kW) each

34ft 6in (10.52m) 52ft 4in (15.95m) 9ft 6in (2.90m) 339 sq ft (31.5 sq m)

34ft 6in (10.52m) 53ft 4in (16.26m) 11ft 1in (3.38m) 348 sq ft (32.3 sq m)

35ft 4in (10.77m) 53ft 4in (16.26m) 11ft 1in (3.38m) 348 sq ft (32.3 sq m)

5,380lb (2,445kg) 7,600lb (3,454kg) Three crew

6,047lb (2,749kg) 8,250lb (3,750kg) Two pilots, six passengers

POWERPLANTS

DIMENSIONS Length: Span: Height: Wing area:

WEIGHTS Empty: 4,057lb (1,840kg) Gross: 6,300lb (2,858kg) Crew/passengers: One pilot, six or eight passengers ARMAMENT

One 0.303in (7.7mm) Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turret; 12 11.5lb (5kg) or 8.5lb (3.8kg) practice bombs carried externally PERFORMANCE Max speed: 210mph (338km/h) at 7,300ft (2,230m) Cruise speed: 192mph (309km/h) at 7,300ft (2,230m) Range: 650 miles (1,046km) Service ceiling: 22,500ft (6,858m)

192mph (309km/h) at 8,000ft (2,440m) 160mph (257km/h) at 7,500ft (2,286m) 925 miles (1,490km) 19,500ft (5,945m)

190mph (306km/h) 156mph (251km/h) 900 miles (1,449km) 19,000ft (5,800m)

wing leading edge, and a pitot head beneath the starboard one. All three wing sections had two wooden box spars, laminated spruce booms and ply webbing. Ply apron strips strengthened rib-spar joints. Tail and control surfaces were constructed separately; each sub-assembly was jig-built and could be made at different locations in sub-contracted production. The nose and engine nacelles were fashioned from formed light aluminium alloy. A five-part split flap was operated — like the undercarriage — by hydraulic power from a pump on the starboard engine, and with a manual hand-pump back-up system. The brakes were pneumatic, running at 200psi from a starboard engine-driven compressor, and actuated by thumb control levers in the middle of the control yokes. Two 49-gallon centre-section fuel tanks were supplemented by a further pair of 29-gallon gravityfed tanks fitted to the outer wing sections. Two oil tanks with integral oil cooler radiators were contained in the upper engine nacelles.

THE TURRET

The Oxford I was fitted with a gun turret ring for the Armstrong Whitworth ‘birdcage’-type turret, and a .303 Vickers K machine gun. This form of turret was fitted to several other types of the period, including the Anson, and had a single flexibly mounted pan-fed machine gun located in a freelyrotating cupola. The gunner’s tip seat was connected by a mechanism that enabled him to retain sighting over the gun at high elevation. Power was provided by the gunner’s muscles, the unit being pushed around by his feet on the fixed deck below. Firing abeam proved somewhat difficult as the gun was pushed aft by the slipstream, and wind balance vanes were added to the turret’s rear for compensation. On the Oxford, like the Anson, the turret could be traversed through a full 360°. Some airframes had a detent rail fitted to protect the tail surfaces. The turret could be locked in position, and the gun still had limited traverse in the open slot. For training, the turret proved very useful as the protection of the Rhodoid acrylic-glazed cupola meant gunners could dispense with some of their protective clothing; as a direct result, gunnery scores improved noticeably. If the turret was not fitted, a ‘dumb-bell’ with two weights was carried on the mounting ring, and the cover unit had skylights.

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Consul

A

t the end of the war, as well as 40 Oxfords that had been civilianised and registered, more than 150 were converted into a civil airliner version as the Airspeed AS65 Consul. It was successful for a period and ensured the survival of a handful of examples of the Oxford family, though all the Envoys had disappeared by the 1960s. The Consul was able to provide a cost-effective light transport twin, predominately popular around the British Commonwealth and Europe. Despite the wooden construction, the type seems to have been effective. It was described in Flight during April 1949 as follows: “The airframe being basically that of the proven Oxford trainer and the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X engines having an inter-overhaul life of 1,250 hours, the Consul continues to give satisfaction in numerous roles and in exacting climates. Of variants in service, the most familiar is the fiveto-six-seater, to which modifications (eg for photography) can be made to order. Especially appealing is the Consul Convertible, which, with its larger door, is truly a general-purpose aircraft. The five seats can be folded against the cabin sides to give clear floor space for freight.

“Cruising at 127mph, with pilot, four passengers and 120lb of baggage, the Consul has a range of 870 miles. The Sperry AL1 Pilot Aid is a valuable fitment for long flights”. Consuls were offered for £5,500, regarded as an attractive price. It included dual controls and covers but no radio. Changes to the Oxford airframe were mainly in the fuselage and relatively simple. The nose (on all examples apart from the prototype) was extended and converted into a baggage compartment, with another such compartment aft of the cabin. Double doors were fitted to the window-equipped cockpit bulkhead, separating the cabin and cockpit in a manner the Oxford had never needed, and more windows fitted to ensure a better view out for the passengers. The tailplane was ‘reset’ to enable a centre of gravity forward of the Oxford’s, and enhancing stability in the climb. The first example was G-AGVY, the former de Havilland-built Oxford V3679, delivered in what became the standard dark blue and gold Consul scheme. It went to the Bata Shoes company as an executive aircraft

Consul G-AHEG Swain Holdings

CHRIS SANDHAM-BAILE SANDHAM-BAILEY E

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| Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

A post-war civil conversion gave some surplus Oxfords a new lease of life

ABOVE: A very fine study of the first Consul, G-AGVY, which went to Bata Shoes. AEROPLANE

for travelling between its European factories. How the firm compared the Consul to its pre-war all-metal Lockheed 10 would be an interesting question to answer. Airwork took on official distribution of the type, with former Oxford T1206, now G-AHEG, as its demonstration machine. Seventy were sold in the first year to British firms alone. Variants were few, the standard configuration proving more than adequate. Perhaps surprisingly, the wooden construction was fine in almost all climates, the type being popular throughout Europe and the Middle East, and even in Indochina with several French operators. Consul Convertible G-AJWR was exhibited at the 1947 Radlett SBAC show. Oxford noses with modified glazing were refitted to F-OHAJ and F-BHVY for photo survey work in French West Africa. One Consul, G-AKCW, was given a pair of Alvis Leonides engines for testing (following on from the Oxford noted previously) and clocked up a respectable 188.5mph in the 1950 Daily Express race, flown by R. Milne with its three-bladed variable-pitch metal propellers. According to historian H. A. Taylor, the Consul was “Airspeed’s only financially successful civil transport venture”. As well as charter airlines, they went to private individuals, including aristocracy. In 1947, Prince Aly Khan acquired his own Consul (G-ALJP) at a similar time as he was posted as permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, while Spain’s Duke of Almodóvar del Rio attended the Royal Aero Club’s International Air Rally in his Consul (EC-ACZ) the following year. Five were supplied to the Ministry of Civil Aviation Flying Unit during 1947 to train and test pilots in instrument flying and blind approach techniques, harking back to the work done by Oxfords with the BAT Flights in wartime. Another two, ex-British South American Airways Corporation, were flown by BOAC for the same task.

Insigghts

Pleasant to fly, the Oxford’s more demanding characteristics rendered it a good trainer

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riginally developed because the Air Ministry believed the docile Avro Anson was too challenging to use as a trainer, the Oxford proved to be the more demanding machine of the two, and arguably resulted in the production of better pilots. Most accounts cite the Oxford as a pleasant aircraft to fly, and note that it encouraged precision, particularly on take-off, approach and landing. Another almost universal impression was that Oxfords could become prone to heavy pre-stall buffeting, and unpredictable in wing drop. In 1938, a Flight reporter noted: “The controls appear to be everything that they should be, and the aileron control in particular is a good deal more pungent than is usually expected in comparatively large aeroplanes; their effect is equally vigorous at comparatively low gliding speeds, and does not seem to differ one way or the other when the flaps are in the fully down position.” Display doyen David Ogilvy recalled the Oxford thus: “Many people tend to consider the Avro

ABOVE: An RAF Oxford about to go night flying. AEROPLANE

Anson and Airspeed Oxford in almost a single breath, although in practice they were very different aeroplanes and had few features or qualities in common. Both were Cheetah-powered low-wing twins, but there the similarities stopped. Their duties overlapped as both served on communications work; however, the relatively tame Anson shone as an uncomplaining loadlifter while the Oxford had a sporting spirit that made it more tricky to fly and therefore more suitable for the pilot training role. “On take-off the Oxford showed its real worth as a pilot trainer; the pronounced tendency to swing to starboard called for positive corrective action by generous use of the rudder and by applying power gently, leading with the starboard throttle. This was a much more significant quality feature than is the case today, for trainees were destined to graduate onto more powerful tailwheel piston twins, some of which had very strong determination not to go straight ahead unless forcibly compelled to do so! Here the Oxford could reveal one of its less charming

characteristics. A high percentage of the lift was generated from the wing centre section between the fuselage and the engines. Dented or badly fitting fillets or panels could lead to stalling at the wing roots and there are several recorded cases of aircraft needing extended take-off runs or even failing to get airborne. “If all was well the Oxford would lift off cleanly at about 65mph and accelerate reasonably rapidly to the modest safety speed of 85mph — the figure at which directional control would be possible in the event of an engine failure — on the way to a recommended climb speed of 110mph… Once settled into the cruise, with 2,100 and -1 boost generating about 120mph, the ‘Oxbox’ revealed its generally pleasant handling characteristics, with controls that were light, effective and rapid in response to small displacements. At slightly less economical power settings leading to a modest increase in airspeed, the ailerons in particular were surprisingly crisp.” In May 1943 Flight published an account of a night flight at an Advanced Flying Unit: “Now we had an opportunity of appreciating

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

ENVOY, OXFORD AND CONSUL

DATABASE

the qualities of the Drem lighting system — which may not be described in detail — for by its aid even a novice like ourselves could see the right way down to approach the flare path. And as our Oxford

made its straight approach we saw also the value of the glide-path lamps which flank the beginning of the flare path. These lamps are so devised that while the pilot holds to the correct gliding path they

THE LAST FLYER

After retirement from service, almost all of these Airspeed aircraft disappeared. One Consul was restored for Singapore Airlines as VR-SCD, representing the original Malayan Airlines machine that was the first airliner in post-war service there, and displayed in the late 1980s for the 40th anniversary of that event. It is now stored in New Zealand. Other surviving examples are presented as Oxfords, some having been Consuls for a period, others never modified. The last operational example of the entire family was the Oxford I flown by the remarkable Skyfame Collection at Staverton. Built for the RAF as V3388, it was operated as G-AHTW by Boulton Paul Aircraft for 14 years as a company machine, before being acquired by Skyfame’s Peter Thomas. One of the aircraft flown regularly by that pioneering operation (along with Anson G-AMDA), it was displayed in the expert hands of David Ogilvy, but eventually it proved unviable to continue and the Oxford was grounded in 1972. Upon the collection’s sale, it was delivered by road from Staverton to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in March 1978. During the early 2000s it was decided that the Oxford would be suitable for Duxford’s forthcoming AirSpace hangar, and it was put into a major conservation programme in the hands of Andy Robinson and his team. Despite its long service with Boulton Paul, the aircraft

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

show him a pair of coloured lights. Should he be too high or too low he will see lights of other colours. The squadron leader instructor was piloting, and the reassuring pair of lights remained steadily visible

all the way in; only when we were within a few yards of them did a glimpse of white peep momentarily from below the ‘safe’ colour; it was a perfect approach and a perfect landing.”

is remarkably original inside, including most of its wartime systems such as the turret base and flare chutes. On completion of the work in 2006, it was suspended from the roof of AirSpace, where it remains on show today.

ABOVE: Oxford V3388/G-AHTW of the Skyfame Collection flying at Staverton on 23 April 1967. ADRIAN M. BALCH

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| Envoy | Oxford | Technical Details | Consul | Insights

ABOVE: Early production example L4576 being manoeuvred for the camera in 1938. AEROPLANE

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Books Book of the Month

Warlike Sketches 1939-1945 by Arrol Macfarlane

Some of the most unsung heroes of the Second World War in aviation terms are, arguably, the pilots who flew air observation post aircraft. Their exploits in performing artillery observation, liaison and many other missions very close to the front lines have been covered in some fine volumes, a splendid example being ‘Grasshopper Pilot’ by Bill Cummings (Kent State University Press, 2005) about life as a US Army Piper L-4 pilot. Here we have a British equivalent, its author having flown Austers of various marks with No 657 Squadron, RAF from early 1944 until after the end of the war. This service took him from Algeria through Italy and on into north-west Europe, concluding with attachment to the forces of occupation in Germany. Along the way, Macfarlane experienced many adventures in these vulnerable light aeroplanes, regularly flying right into harm’s way when helping direct naval and artillery fire ‘over the horizon’. He completed 389 operational sorties, 263 of them on artillery shoots. Most of the time he and his colleagues had to fly from advanced landing grounds which, he says, “would have been considered suicidal in ‘civvy street’”. The account of flying in a two-ship of Auster IIIs across the Algerian desert from Châteaudun-du-Rhumel to Biskra, crossing some very inhospitable terrain — and all with the aid of just one lessthan-adequate map in the hands of the formation leader — is quite something. Other highlights are many; I enjoyed the vivid stories of operations in Germany after VE-Day, such as the sortie with a senior officer to seek out a hunting lodge in the Harz mountains “for his personal use”. Photos are mainly of the ‘personal snapshot’ variety, and as such interesting in their own right, even if reproduction on the paper stock used isn’t great. There are some typos, though it must be said that the intention of Macfarlane’s niece in bringing the volume into print was to leave the text very much as per the original manuscript, as written in 1955 with the aid of his wartime diaries, logbooks and other records. Only factual errors have been corrected, while misspellings of, for instance, place names are generally amended in square brackets. It certainly retains the air of period authenticity throughout. One might say that the book is better for it. By turns charming and gripping, amusing and poignant, yet never anything other than insightful, ‘Warlike Sketches’ documents very well an aspect of the conflict in Europe that merits further study and greater recognition. A thoroughly excellent read, and great value too. Ben Dunnell ISBN 978-1-5371-1271-8; 6 x 9in softback; 328 pages, illustrated; £7.50 from amazon.com

★★★★

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

He 162 ‘Volksjäger’ Units

by Robert Forsyth published by Osprey Publishing

The format of Osprey’s ‘Combat Aircraft’ series is well-known. Good value, well-chosen author, decent paper, high-quality reproduction and new colour artworks — no wonder it’s reached its 118th volume with this one on Nazi Germany’s ‘people’s fighter’, one born of desperation on the part of the Third Reich, but not destined to change the course of the European air war. There have been bigger tomes on the He 162, but this is an undeniably useful and concise account of the type’s genesis and its brief operational use. Robert Forsyth’s writing is always highly readable and bears the hallmarks of detailed research, and so it is here. He peppers the text liberally with extracts from period documents and first-hand recollections from those who flew the Luftwaffe’s second operational jet fighter. Given how tricky it was to fly, the idea that Hitler Youth members could ever have piloted the machine with only limited training seems even more absurd. With a wide range of photos and Jim Laurier’s beautiful artworks, the purchase price of a penny less than 14 quid looks all the more reasonable. Nicely done, as usual from Osprey. Ben Dunnell ISBN 978-1-4728-1457-9; 7.25 x 9.75in softback; 96 pages, illustrated; £13.99

★★★★★

Reviews Rating ★★★★★

Outstanding

★★★★★

Excellent

★★★★★

Good

★★★★★

Flawed

★★★★★

Mediocre

Enough said

‘A useful and concise account’

Made on the Isle of Wight

by David L. Williams published by The History Press Considering its size — it covers less than 150 square miles — the Isle of Wight has produced a surprising number of high-tech products in the aviation, automotive, marine and space industries. Yes, this volume does indeed cover a few product areas not normally featured in Aeroplane, but surely includes enough of aviation interest to justify the purchase. There are, of course, crossovers between these industries. S. E. Saunders Ltd of East Cowes was primarily a boat-building company until 1923, when it took on designer Henry Knowler. He would be appointed chief designer of

‘A good, balanced overview’

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ð

Books Saunders-Roe (as the company became in 1929) and be responsible for all the company’s flying boat projects up to and including the Princess and the never-built, sixengined, Avon-powered Duchess. Britten-Norman, the company name with an island connection that perhaps most readily comes to mind, was involved with crop-spraying and hovercraft development alongside its more widely known development of the Islander family. Today, Britten-Norman’s activities largely take place at Lee-on-Solent on the mainland, but GKN Aerospace still has a presence in East Cowes. In this volume, Williams provides a good, balanced overview of the island’s industries, illustrated by a wide selection of photos in black-and-white and (eight pages of) colour, all decently reproduced. Denis J. Calvert ISBN 978-0-7509-6754-9; 9.2 x 6.2in softback; 224 pages, illustrated; £20.00

★★★★★

Commercial Aviation in Britain in the 1970s by Malcolm Fife published by Amberley

This is a surprisingly fact-filled volume, which details the commercial aviation scene in Britain in the 1970s. At the start of this decade, air travel for the masses was in its infancy, the state airlines (BEA and BOAC) still controlled the major foreign routes and British independent airlines were mostly flying turboprops on charters and bucket-and-spade routes. Where this title scores is in its listings and its analysis — lists of airlines at certain dates (there was a high airline mortality rate), their fleets, passengers carried, cargo tonnage and so on. Photos, by the author, are numerous and all in colour, albeit with a mediocre standard of reproduction. Many feature familiar airlines such as British Caledonian (advertising strapline ‘We never forget you have a choice’), Spantax (remember those wonderful, smoky Convair 990s?) and Aeroflot (‘We never forget you have no choice’). Too many of the companies illustrated no longer grace our skies. Airlines such as Dan-Air, which survived the decade in question but succumbed to a takeover in 1992, and Laker may have left their mark, but what about Humber Airways, Tradewinds and Macedonian Airways? This does not aim to be the definitive work on the subject, but it certainly holds the interest. Denis J. Calvert 122 www.aeroplanemonthly.com

ISBN 978-1-4456-5303-7; 9.2 x 6.5in softback; 96 pages, illustrated; £14.99

★★★★★

British Airways Colouring Book by Paul Jarvis published by Amberley

Published in association with British Airways and featuring a selection of drawings based on the airline’s — and its predecessors’ — posters and artwork, this attractive volume is printed in black and white and is, well, ready to colour. It offers 48 line drawings; the right-hand page features the drawing itself, while on the opposite side are a few lines of subjectt detail. There’s everything here from an illustration of an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy (the first Argosy) at Croydon Airport, three Comet 1s in formation, a cutaway Viking, a BOAC ‘jet route’ map, a BOAC poster advertising “15 days in East Africa for £153” (offer now closed), a nicely coutured BA stewardess of the 1980s and a Concorde making its final flight over the Clifton suspension bridge to a more recent advertisement proclaiming the advantages to the traveller of the ‘Atlantic alliance’ of BA, Iberia and American Airlines. There is no overt advertising, save perhaps the ever-so-slightly ridiculous explanation of BA’s 1975-granted coat of arms and its instantly forgettable motto, ‘To fly, to serve’. For the right person in the family, who absolutely does not need to be an aviation enthusiast, this could be a good, fun buy. Denis J. Calvert ISBN 978-1-4456-6612-9; 6.5 x 9.2in softback; 96 pages, illustrated; £12.99

★★★★★

Mikoyan MiG-17

‘Surprisingly fact-filled’

IISBN 978-1-8578-0372-3; 11.4 x 8 8.7in hardback; 480 pages, iillustrated; £39.95

★ ★★★★★ ‘Could be a good, fun buy’

FlightCraft 11: English Electric Lightning

by Martin Derry and Neil Robinson published by Pen & Sword Aviation p

‘The only game in town when it comes to the MiG-17’

by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov published by Hikoki Publications Big subject, big book. The MiG-17 was essentially an outgrowth of the MiG-15bis, taking that aircraft’s fuselage, tail unit and engine and fitting a new wing with a 45° (rather than 35°) sweepback. The result was an improved and transonic fighter that became standard WarPac equipment through the ’50s and ’60s and was supplied to many friendly (to the Soviet Union, that is) nations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. This is a truly comprehensive tome, detailing every aspect of the aircraft. Suffice to say that if you’re familiar with previous titles in this ‘Famous

R Russian Aircraft’ series, you’ll know eexactly what to expect. Those who — llike your reviewer — lived through the C Cold War came to accept that the only aavailable photos of Soviet aircraft w were the fuzzy, ‘taken through the b bottom of a milk bottle’ ones that u used to appear in Western recognition jjournals. Then down came the Berlin W Wall, followed by a period of détente, aand suddenly all those great shots tthat had been hidden in the archives ffor so long came out into the open. It is a pleasure to be able to say that the images in this volume are excellent, well chosen and well reproduced. Most are in black-andwhite, but there’s a fair smattering of colour. If you want to know anything and everything about the MiG-17, this is the only game in town. D Denis J. Calvert

‘Reproduction should be better’

IIt is a fine balancing act to produce a ssingle volume on an aircraft type that aappeals — and sells — to both the hardened enthusiast and the h d dedicated modeller. That the volume h here largely succeeds in this aim is a ttribute both to the authors and to ttheir choice of subject matter. It is p primarily photographic, although the ttext does cover the distinguishing ffeatures of various marks of Lightning and their use by RAF squadrons and export customers. This information is concise and well summarised. There follows a 16-page section of colour profiles (plus the odd plan view) of representative Lightnings, intended primarily to show the markings carried, and a review of all the kits (in 1 1:24 to 1:144 scales) issued to date. The illustrations are copious, ccomprehensive and almost all in ccolour — or, at least, in colour where it w was available. Reproduction, though, sshould be a whole lot better. Colour b balance is very variable; some blue sskies are impossibly blue, while many sshots are ‘claggy’ with detail lost in the sshadows, this being especially aapparent with RAF Germany aircraft iin their later dark green scheme. D Denis J. Calvert ISBN 978-1-47389-0558; 11.7 x 8.3in softback; 96 pages, illustrated; £16.99

★★★★★ AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

KOREAN WAR

North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in 1950 was the start of a three-year-long war that saw Russian and Chinese backed North battling American and United Nations forces in the skies over the 38th Parallel. This 132-page special tells the story of those brave airmen through a series of remarkable interviews and historical analysis. FEATURING: Helicopter Angels The Korean War saw useable helicopters enter the battlefield for the first time The Superfortress Arrives When it came to heavy bombing against North Korean targets, the World War Two-era B-29 was the best the USAF could muster Corsairs and Night Fighting Tigercats The US Marine Corps’ carrier-borne fleet of fighter and attack aircraft joined the fray in August 1950 and were immediately put into action

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OPE R ATI ON ‘ T HWART ’ PIONEER S

Thwarting the

GUERRILLAS As the campaign against British control of Cyprus stepped up a gear in late 1958, the RAF had to increase its presence. Airlifted into the theatre at short notice, the Scottish Aviation n Pioneers of No 230 0 Squadron had a key role to perform WORDS: DAVID NICHOLAS

124 www.aeroplanemonthly.com

F

ollowing Britain’s withdrawal from the Suez Canal Zone during the mid-1950s, the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean — then a British colony — was developed as a major base. However, in Cyprus as elsewhere, there was a growing trend towards self-determination. Things there were further complicated by the desire of the majority Greek Cypriot community for a union with Greece, otherwise known as enosis: something the Turkish Cypriot minority vehemently opposed. In early 1955 the United Nations refused to consider a formal Greek request for enosis. There emerged a shadowy Greek Cypriot guerrilla force known as EOKA (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston, the National

Organisation of Cypriot Fighters). EOKA was led by the self-styled Gen George Grivas, a retired Hellenic Army colonel who was a focal point of antiBritish activities. For some time he had been organising the smuggling of arms into Cyprus for his group’s use. The insurgency was heralded during the early hours of 1 April 1955 by a number of bomb explosions at police stations, military posts and government offices across the island. So began a long and difficult counter-insurgency campaign, which was to last until an independence agreement was signed in 1959. While the RAF was present in strength on Cyprus, it was largely focussed on, and equipped for, more conventional intervention roles and to counter the burgeoning

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

Soviet influence in the area. Despite significant striking power, it quickly became apparent that the most meaningful contributions by aerial assets would be maritime patrols to stop the flow of arms and photoreconnaissance to update maps and so forth. For direct support to troops on the ground, light aircraft such as Austers and helicopters like the Bristol Sycamore quickly proved their worth. The Austers of Nos 1910 (AOP) and 1915 (Light Liaison) Flights at Nicosia and later Lakatamia were used successfully in the spotting, road recce and propaganda roles. They afforded great flexibility to Army units, though helicopters provided the main ‘offensive’ capability. As the campaign continued through 1956 and 1957, the Austers demonstrated the utility of light aeroplanes. With the internal security situation deteriorating and a spike in EOKA-inspired violence during 1958, additional aircraft were required to support ground forces in the very difficult terrain of the Troodos mountains and the Kyrenia Range. On assuming the position of director of operations in October 1958, Maj Gen Kenneth Darling made just such a request. The first aircraft to be ordered to move in support of Operation ‘Thwart’ were six Scottish Aviation Pioneer CC1s from a detachment of No 230 Squadron, based at Dishforth in North Yorkshire. The unit was under the command of Sqn Ldr W. J. Simpson DFC, a former Pathfinder pilot originally from New Zealand. The compiler of the squadron’s operations record book noted that 230 “was preparing itself to face the rigours of a Yorkshire winter when news of move overseas broke on 18 November”. Preparations were completed the following week and the aircraft broken down. The first Pioneer was loaded into the cavernous hold of a Blackburn Beverley from No 30 Squadron that left Dishforth for Nicosia on the 26th, with Flt Lt John Wallace and the advance party. The CO departed on the second transport with Flt Lts Roy Burgess and Ted Douglas. It arrived at Nicosia a little after 17.00hrs on the 27th, when unloading began under floodlights. The third Beverley followed the next day, and at 12.30 the CO conducted the initial air test from Cyprus in Pioneer XL557. He noted it as “quite a historic moment”. Further air tests of re-assembled aircraft were conducted on the 29th. By dint of much hard work, by the end of November No 230 Squadron had four serviceable aircraft, eight pilots and 14 groundcrew in theatre, and was declared ready for operations. However, it found that the Nicosia station’s working day only lasted from 07.00 to 13.00hrs, and that the allotted domestic site was in a dilapidated state. This created many problems, but 230’s airmen “quickly found out

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

all the useful tricks”. Soon the ops site and tent lines were set up and made comfortable, though knocking the tent pegs and aircraft picket stakes into the Cypriot rock led to many an oath. As a frustrated Derek Smith said, “They curl!” The squadron soon had its ‘patch’ established. It identified its squatter’s rights with a splendid sign and a rendering of the No 230 Squadron badge painted — entirely from memory — by Cpl Butcher.

RAF hospital at Akrotiri. A number of familiarisation trips allowed all the pilots to become acquainted with the area, described variously as everything from “beautiful” to “a horrible desert”. The build-up to full strength was hampered when XK370 developed a slow-running engine, while a major snag was found during the acceptance check on XL558, the last to arrive. Nonetheless, on the 3rd the unit put up five aircraft for the benefit of the press, though the Cyprus Mail’s photographer

OPPOSITE: With SAC Cornwall supervising outside, Flt Lt Peter Goad starts up Pioneer XL555 for a sortie at Nicosia. ALL PHOTOS NO 230 SQUADRON

‘Sorties into small strips would exploit the Pioneer’s short landing capabilities’ At Nicosia, Simpson was informed that his squadron was to fly in the light transport role under taskings directed by the Tactical Air Control Centre (TACC), within the headquarters of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Cyprus. The Pioneers would also be used for communications tasks, flying a scheduled service for staff officers and VIPs between Nicosia and the HQ Middle East Air Force at Episkopi. There would be sorties into small strips all over the island, exploiting the Pioneer’s short landing capabilities to the full. 230’s first operational sortie in theatre was flown on 1 December when Ted Douglas took some casualties from Nicosia for treatment at the

almost fell out of the open door of the aircraft in which he was flying, in his eagerness to get his snap. It was felt that the publicity might just put the CO on EOKA’s hit list… Scheduled services began on the 8th. From then on all personnel were on duty daily, a period that increased with night flying trials. The director of operations requested that 230 be proficient in the supply-dropping role, so formal training on the Nicosia drop zone (DZ) began, using packs provided by the Royal Army Service Corps. Working conditions gradually improved, not least thanks to Flt Sgt Gillatt’s sterling efforts in constructing a coffee bar in the duty tent. Coincident with 230’s arrival came

BELOW: A partly dismantled Pioneer ready for loading into a Beverley at Dishforth on 24 November 1958.

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OPE R ATI ON ‘ T HWART ’ PIONEER S

ABOVE: Flt Lt Len Sandbach (left) discusses a familiarisation trip with Flt Lt Peter Goad (centre) and the CO, Sqn Ldr W. J. Simpson DFC. ABOVE RIGHT: Cpl Butcher stands by the sign and badge that he painted to proclaim No 230 Squadron’s ‘turf’ at the Cypriot base. BELOW: A line of 230’s Pioneers headed by XL557, the first to fly in Cyprus when the CO took it up on an air test at lunchtime on 28 November 1958.

an outbreak of EOKA-inspired arson against private vehicles in the Nicosia suburbs that gave rise to much concern within the ISF. Thus on 20 December a Pioneer flew a patrol over the affected area, carrying observers from the Royal Berkshire Regiment during the afternoon period when the curfew was lifted. Direct support was given to the ISF in the form of visual reconnaissance and road convoy escort. With the initial rush over and a routine established, it was decided to reorganise the detachment into two flights under Flt Lts Mick Lloyd and Roy Burgess, and to begin a system of shifts. This, it was thought, would allow an equal spread of tasking among the pilots and, the diarist quipped, “prevent the CO from ‘hogging’ the bulk of the flying!” The pace slackened significantly as Christmas approached, mainly because

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of the announcement of a truce by the EOKA leadership. In all, during December 230’s Pioneers flew just in excess of 190 hours on operations and carried more than 350 passengers. Training was not ignored either, as Fg Off Derek Smith’s conversion process began. He had joined the squadron just three days before deployment.

❖

Although 1959 saw a continuation in the marked decrease of EOKA-inspired trouble compared with the ferocity of the previous year, 230 continued to support Operation ‘Thwart’. The truce held through January, but the unit’s tasking schedule remained hectic as the directive to keep road movement through certain areas to a minimum remained in force.

Things began with some interesting trips on 2 January to the villages of Agros and Alona in the Troodos mountains, where the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment was based. These locations were inaccessible to road transport in periods of bad weather. Some trial drops were flown by the CO onto a difficult DZ behind the Agros police station. Flt Lt Hampton, however, had no luck finding a suitable DZ. Eventually it was decided that drops could only be made into Agros and the courtyard of the Kykko monastery, which was the battalion HQ. Operation ‘Mare’s Nest’, a major ISF effort conducted by 3 Brigade to clean out EOKA pockets in the mountains to the south of Xeros, began on the 6th. Before it started the CO flew the participating unit commanders (from the Royal Horse Guards, Grenadier

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

Guards, Lancashire Fusiliers, Welch Regiment, Black Watch and the Parachute Regiment) on an extensive reconnaissance of the rugged terrain. Then the cloud, rain and snow arrived. The Cyprus Mail’s account gave a vivid description of the conditions: “In thick mud, with teeming incessant rain and a temperature not much above freezing point, British troops pressed on yesterday with their large-scale operation in the northern Troodos region. In the mid-morning downpour patrols of soldiers searched the wooded slopes. Horses and trucks entering the cordon area were stopped and questioned by Greek-speaking soldiers.” With heavy rain washing away many of the mountain roads, after the Army lost a driver over the edge of one road in the slippery conditions 230’s Pioneers were for the first time requested to conduct supply drops to troops engaged on the ground. Flt Lt Len Sandbach therefore flew a ground liaison officer to locate suitable DZs, and the CO landed at Xeros to confirm details with the brigade HQ. Once some initial resistance from the air HQ had been overcome, Sandbach made the first live drop on the 9th. Each load comprised 10 45lb packs. In all, 114 drops were made over the next 10 days in challenging country and extremely poor weather that tested the pilots’ skills to the full. Despite the difficulties, some very good results were achieved and almost three tonnes of supplies were delivered. The CO wrote at the time: “Supply dropping was considered the highlight of the Cyprus detachment. Working directly with the Army in the field gave the squadron a sense of direct participation in operations. The only dissatisfied customer was a Grenadier

AEROPLANE MARCH 2017

Guardsman who foolishly strayed into the undershoot of a DZ and received a personal ration delivery in the shape of a 45lb pack. He was a sad and sorry Guardsman for a few days.”

❖

Speaking at a press conference in his HQ at Xeros, the brigade commander Brig Tony Read said: “The operation, which involves about 1,000 troops, covers an indefinite area over about 600 square miles and is always moving. New techniques are in the process of being tried out [referring to 230’s resupply task] and old ones refined. We are patrolling very wide and in difficult country. The chief transport is feet, vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft and a great deal of progress has been made in ground-to-air cooperation in the Cyprus hills.” When asked, the brigadier refused to give the operation’s codename, but reflecting on the weather he said, “‘Mudlark’ will do”. A journalist noted that, even as he spoke, “a Pioneer aircraft roared overhead on

the Kyrenia Range on the Cyprus ‘panhandle’. It involved the Pioneers conducting a further 28 supply drops to the troops engaged. Having built up to its full six-aircraft strength, the squadron flew more than 200 hours in January, carrying almost 550 passengers. Parachute drop trials were conducted during half a dozen sorties flown by the CO in concert with 138 Supply Platoon, RASC, which also provided the air dispatchers. Clearance was given on the 19th. With the intensity of operations and the sometimes poor weather, there was real pressure on the groundcrew, to whom the CO gave unstinting praise: “The greatest strain was placed on Warrant Officer C. P. Gilbert, the SNCOs and airmen who worked very hard indeed under often unpleasant conditions in the open. Despite this, they remained unfailingly cheerful and diligent and cannot be too highly praised.” With peace talks taking place, initially in Zurich, no military operations were undertaken in February. The bulk of 230’s

ABOVE: Pictured en route to the Troodos mountains on a resupply sortie during Operation ‘Mare’s Nest’, Pioneer XL558 was the last of the six aircraft to be delivered.

‘Supply drops in challenging country and very poor weather tested the pilots’ skills’ its way to drop supplies to isolated troops”. Operation ‘Mare’s Nest’ was concluded on the 19th with a number of significant arrests. That same day, the CO and Hampton supported Operation ‘Bridgemarker’ between Episkopi and Akrotiri in connection with a visit by the Secretary of State for War, Christopher Soames. Operation ‘Grey Dawn’ began on the 29th, in

tasking from the TACC was in the communications role, mainly on its thrice-daily service shuttling passengers, light freight and official mail between Nicosia, Kermia on the south-east coast, Episkopi and Limassol. There were some VIP flights, too. Visual reconnaissances over the Kyrenia Range, codenamed ‘Searchlight’, gathered intelligence on the movement of certain civilians and

ð

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OPE R ATI ON ‘ T HWART ’ PIONEER S

ABOVE: Pioneer XL557 conducting No 230 Squadron’s first free drop of a package, a capability that was soon used on operations.

vehicles. The pilot was briefed carefully before every trip, each of which carried a trained observer — usually an Army officer — who did the spotting. Concentrating on flying the Pioneer just above its stalling speed of about 45kt while keeping clear of the terrain was no mean effort when conditions

conditions were often clear, frequent storms brought snow and high winds to the mountains. After a resupply trip to an isolated outpost manned by 25 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery on 14 February, one of the pilots said with some feeling: “Very turbulent conditions were experienced on all

‘The Pioneers were flown just above stalling speed, no mean effort in turbulence’ RIGHT: With flaps and slats extended, Pioneer XL702 claws into the air from a small strip, a task for which the aircraft was ideally suited. MoD

were turbulent. A number of unknown EOKA hides were discovered. One of the pilots involved said: “Two hours of this flying at low level in the valleys was exhausting and frequently hazardous.” A few photographic sorties were carried out, and although weather

drops and the air currents in the Kyrenia Range caused the parachutes to drift in all directions, and in one instance a parachute was actually seen to climb up the hillside, half circled and finally descended more or less on the DZ!”

A conference of all the interested parties was held at Lancaster House in London on 17 February. Two days later a draft peace agreement was initialled by leaders of both the Greek and Turkish communities, paving the way for the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus. Although the details took many months to finalise, the campaign was effectively over. Some of the air reinforcements were stood down almost immediately, but Sqn Ldr Simpson was informed that No 230 Squadron would remain in situ until the political situation was clarified. The Pioneers continued to be much in demand for communications work in early March, but after just one more ‘Searchlight’ sortie these were stopped. A few missions to fly battalion commanders over their operational areas carried on, though Security Force operations had ceased on 1 March. It was during a flight into Limassol on 6 March that the unit experienced the only major incident of the detachment when XL702 suffered a brake failure on landing and hit an obstruction, causing significant damage. On the 19th the CO was instructed to prepare to return to the UK. The last flying in Cyprus was on the 25th, after which the detachment was airlifted back to Dishforth. Although the anti-EOKA campaign largely ended shortly after its arrival, 230’s record was impressive. Its six aircraft flew almost 1,600 sorties in nearly 800 flying hours. Apart from dropping a considerable amount of supplies, it had carried more than 1,500 passengers — not bad for a fiveseat aircraft. Simpson summed it up thus: “A book could have been written about the four months the squadron spent in Cyprus. There were many happy and amusing incidents, and there were many frustrating and annoying moments, but on the whole the detachment was voted an ‘experience’ and something not to have been missed.”

FAR RIGHT: To qualify for the General Service Medal with Cyprus clasp, servicemen had to serve on a unit in Cyprus between 1 April 1955 and 18 April 1959. The personnel of No 230 Squadron were thus eligible.

VIA GRAHAM PITCHFORK

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S U B S C R I B E R S C A L L F O R Y O U R £ 1. 0 0 D I S C O U N T ! 096 RAF Squad direct fp.indd 131

26/01/2017 09:32