Aeroplane Monthly Magazine 2001-02 (334)

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RIGHT The best

seats in the house. Assistant Editor Tony Harmsworth (left) and Editor Michael Oakey in the cockpit of Mosquito prototype W40S0 at Salisbury Hall on the 60th anniversary of its maiden flight.

Unforgettable ON NOVEMB ER 25, 2000, the 60 th a n n iversary of th e first fli ght of de Ha villand Mosq u ito prototype W40 50, I had th e oppo rt un ity - along w ith Assista n t Ed ito r Ton y Harmswo rt h and a gro u p of Aeroplane prizewinn e rs - to take it in turns to sit in th e pilot's sea t of that very aircraft, preserved in th e Mosq u ito Aircraft M useu m a t Sa lisbury Hall, n ear St Albans, w here it w as design ed in 1940 . Is there a surviving wartim e protot ype, an ywh ere in th e w orld, th at is m ore sign ifica n t than W4050? I ca n 't th ink of on e . To sit in its crampe d a nd pa tina ted int erior, h olding th e co n trol co lu m n, resting o ne 's feet on th e ru dde r . peda ls and soaking up a ll that history, was a m em orab le experie nce. See page 17 for m ore pictures, an d the n ew spages for details of a n ew restoration appea l laun ched by th e mu seum to ens u re its permanent su rvival. Meanwh ile, in thi s m on th 's issue we celebrate th e 60 th an n iversa ry of anothe r wa r-win n ing British a ircra ft: th e Avro Lan caster. On a sad der n ot e, wa rt ime Hawker Typhoon pil ot a n d o u tsta n ding Aeroplane au tho r J ohn SEPTE MBE R21. ' 94 5 Go lley died during Novem be r. His distin ctive, ebu llie n t style first graced th ese pages in 1984; hi s m ost recent work appea red during 20 00, and we still ha ve so me of his ma te rial in th e pipeline. An appreci ation by another Aeroplane stalwa rt , Bill Gu nston . appea rs o n page 32 . THE A E~OPtANE.

M ichael Oakey EDITO R •

VOTE FOR YOUR NEWSAGENT AND YOU COULD WIN £l,OOO! Does your newsagent give excellent service? Then vote for him or her in our Newsagent of the Year scheme, and you could win a cash prize. See page 13

Lau nched as a mo nt hly magazine in 197 3 by Richa rd T. Ri d ing (Editor until 1998 ). Aeroplane traces its lineage back to the wee kl y Tile Aeropla ne. foun ded by the legendary e. G. Grey in 19 11 a nd pub lished until 1968.

FEBRUARY 2001 Vol 29 No 2 Issue No 334 (on sale December 29)

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NEWS

All the latest preservation news, present ed by Tony Hannsworth

18 SKYWRITERS Readers' letters

21 FLYING VISIT Test pilot John Farley is the fo urt h subject in Melvyn Hiscock's series of potted interviews

29 LOOKING BACK Til,' Aeroplane of 50 yea rs ago -

February 1951

74 HIGH SOCIETY • Cross and Cockade is this month 's subject

81 NAVIGATOR 81 Book reviews 82 Internet review 84 Read er offers 84 Information Excha nge 86 More reader offers 86 Arrivals - product reviews 88 Airshows & events 90 Next month in Aeroplane 91 Aeroplane services

96 CROSSWIND John Mayna rd's com ment colum n

PAGE 34

ea ures

A Lancaster I of 44 Sqn, which made the type's first operational sorties in March 1942

22 TIME KEEPERS Paul Rhyn a nd Erich Gaudet salute the Antique Airplane Association of Switzerland

30 PERSONAL ALBUM Rare colour pictu res of America n World War two bomber nose-a rt

32 JOHN GOLLEY An appreciation by Bill Gunston of the author and wa rtime Typhoon pilot, who died during Nove mber

75 BOMBER BOYS DESCEND

ON BUCKS Ian Frimston reports on a gathering of wartime bomber veterans at the Aces High art gallery

76 AGARDEN OF FLOATPLANES Derek O'Connor investigates Ca nadian seapla ne restoration specia lists Redditt Aviation Aeroplane, February 2001

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Farewell to a fighter pilot: John Golley

PAGE 32

SOPWITH DOLPHIN 53 TYPE HISTORY Philip Jarrell recounts the history of the Sopwith SF. I Dolphin, the world's first true mult i-gun fighter

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57 SCALE DRAWINGS Three-view by Giuseppe Picarella

61 THE DOLPHIN AT WAR Outstanding performance made the Dolphin J Iormidablc adversary, as Philip Jarrell relates

65 FLYING THE DOLPHIN Pilot 's perspectives evalua ted by Philip Jarrett

67 DOLPHIN ANATOMY Philip Jarrell describes the fig hte r's str ucture, with cutaway drawing by David R. Jones

71 DOLPHINS IN BEING Replica and restora tion work keeps the type ali ve, as Philip Jarrell explains

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Dolphin development

PAGE 53

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• Priceless art (and metal) bound for the scrapheap

PAGE 30

Ne . Just when . . , . ytg~tor you think it's allover ••• ,

Our n ew Navigator sectio n at the back of the magazine tells you all you need to know about the lat est books, videos and aviat io n prod ucts, plu s events. museum ex h ibitions a nd Int ernet sites worth visiting - see page 8 1 Aeroplane, February 2001

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- 1927 US Navy fighter set to become world's oldest flying Boeing APPROACHING THE END of a secretive restoration in Utah is an original 1927 Boeing FB-5, A7123, which will soon become the oldest flying Boeing aeroplane in the world. It is one of three of the type discovered dismantled at a trade school in the late 1950s. The other two were soon sold, one, A7114 going to the Smithsonian Institution and the other, A71 04, to Ed Maloney for his museum in Claremont, California. A7123 then disappeared, only now to emerge on the brink of a new flying career. The restoration is being carried out at the workshops of George Rice at a secret location in Utah, on behalf of its joint owners, Gordon Wheeler and Fred Peters from California. By the early winter of 2000 the Boeing had been assembled and rigged, and the 520 h.p. Packard 2-A 1500 engine had been installed, ready for ground-running. The fighter has been painted in the markings it wore with VF-6B, operating from the carrier

ABOV E Genuine Boeing FB·5 A7123 is now coming together at a secret location in Utah, USA.

USS Langley during 1927. The first Boeing FB-5 flew in October 1926, and a total of 27 were built for the US Navy. All 27 were delivered to the Navy on the same day, being rolled out of the Boeing factory on the waterfront at Seattle, straight on to a barge, which then sailed the short distance out to the USS Langley which

Beaufighter arrives at Scottish museum THE MUSEUM OF FLIGHT at East Fortune, near Edinburgh, unveiled its recently-acquired Bristol Beaufighter TEl 0 RD220 on December 12, a day after it arrived at the museum in four crates following its journey from the South African

ABOVE Ex-Beaufighter

pilot John Edgar in the cockpit of RD220.

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Air Force Museum at Pretoria. Allan Wilson, the Deputy Minister for Sport and Culture in Scotland, officially welcomed the aeroplane to its new home, and former Beaufighter pilot John Edgar of No 603 Squadron, who flew the Beau out of Scottish bases during the war, reacquainted himself with the snug cockpit of Bristol's hard-hitting twin. Afive-year restoration of RD220, which is one of only three surviving British-built Beaufighters, will begin soon. Curator of the museum Adam Smith, whose initiative secured the aeroplane for East Fortune (see News, November 2000 Aeroplane and Fortune Favours the Bold, January 2001 Aeroplane) will soon take up an appointment at the EAA Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA.

was at anchor in Seattle harbour. Two units, VF-l Band VF-6B, operated the FB-5s from the Langley. When the newer Boeing F2B became available in early 1928 some of the FB-5s went to the Marine Corps at VF-6M in San Diego, and later to various aviation trade schools. As George Rice approaches

the end of the restoration, there are enough parts left over from the mass of components that were liberated from the trade school 40 years ago to build up one more FB-5. Coincidentally, A7114, which had been on loan from the Smithsonian to the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum at Quantico for many

years, is now back at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's restoration workshops, being prepared for inclusion in the museum's new development at Washington's Dulles Airport, which is due to open in December 2003. The other FB-5, A7104, is now on display at the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino, California.

Champlin sale finally goes through o

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THE SALE OF THE Champlin Fighter Collection at Falcon Field, Arizona, to the Museum of Flight (MoF) in Seattle was finally completed on December 1, 2000, after months of wrangling over the contract in a deal described by museum staff as "a monumental battle of lawyers". One of Champlin'S prize exhibits, Focke-Wulf 1900-13 NX190DIWerknr B36017, is not now included in the deal, and

is for sale. Although it was restored to flying condition nearly 25 years ago, a piece of propeller gearing was missing and it was not flown. Doug Champlin has now traced the vital part, and the '190 will be sold as an airworthy warbird. "I have mixed emotions about the sale", says Champlin. "I'm both excited and pleased to see the collection going to Seattle, but I'm sorry to let go of this significant part of my

life. Ultimately, though, the MoF is the right place for the Collection." The fleet comprises 25 fighters, includinq Normandy veteran Spitfire MJ772 and sale surviving nightfighter Lockheed P-38 Lightning, NL3JB. The Champlin fighters will not move to Seattle until 2003, where they will be . housed in a new MoF building erected to celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight. Aerop la ne, February 200 1

News complied by: Tony Harmsworth Tel: 020 726, 555' Fax: 020 726, 52 69 Email: ant hony_harmsw ort [email protected] OR Write t o our usua l address

PROIE[T5 • RIR5HOW5 • PEOPLE

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lleurs in Brief

ON NOVEMBER 29, 2000, the RAF Museum announced that it has been awarded £4·77m by the Heritage Lottery Fund to erect a new landmark building which will increase Hendon's display space by a third and enable 30 more aircraft to be put on show. Museum director Or Michael Fopp tells Aeroplane, "The new developments will open in Oecember 2003, and will be the main British contribution to the Centenary of Powered Flight." The total cost of the development is £7·3m, much of the additional money having been acquired through the museum's fund-raising efforts, and through the MoO, which has paid for the capital development and the additional land. The project will include the relocation of the historic Grade 2-listed GrahameWhite hangars from the East Camp side of Hendon to a new location closer to the museum. The museum's collection of First World War aircraft will be housed in the Grahame-White hangars. The new building will contain a Milestones of Flight exhibition; some of the likely exhibits are a Bhiriot XI, Messerschmitt Me

Mosquito proto

ABOVE An impression of the Royal Air Force

Museum's planned new buildin9 at Hendon.

262, Me 163 and Kawasaki Ki-100 currently at Cosford, and the Bristol Bulldog, D.H. Mosquito and newly-restored Spitfire F.I, which will be moved in from their current display spaces at Hendon. Several aeroplanes will be suspended from the ceiling (a prospect which will be greeted with alarm by some enthusiasts). Sue Bowers, Heritage Lottery Fund manager for London, says, "It is only right that the RAF Museum's diverse collection be given the space it deserves to explain our aviation history fully." The museum will spend £300,000 of grant to improve its interactive, science and technology displays, positioning the RAF Museum Hendon as a key science and technology authority. Michael Fopp says, "We aim to compete with the best in London. Our new development will be geared towards more education, more access, more variety - and in turn, more visitors."

pe to be restored IAN f RIMSTO N/f UJll AB

APROJECTTO RESTOREthe prototype de Havilland Mosquito, W4050, was announced at Salisbury Hall. home of the Mosquito Aircraft Museum (MAM), on November 25, 2000, the 60th anniversary of its maiden flight. Asurvey of W4050 will soon begin, employing methods utilised in the recent survey of the museum's Mosquito Tl35 TA634 (see Database, November 2000 Aeroplanlt). When the survey is complete. restoration work is scheduled to begin in mid-2001. and is expected totake about five years. The fuselage and wing will be restored at Salisbury Hall, with •••• M

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other components being refurbished off-site. The project will be controlled by ateam from the MAM led by Ian Thrsk, who oversaw the restoration of TA634. The Mosquito Aircraft Museum is currently seeking sponsorship and support fromUK aerospace organisations toassist with the restoration. and the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust has taken an early lead in agreeing to restore W4050's Merlin engines. The project to restore what must, by any definition. be among the world's top fivehistoric aeroplanes. is desperately in need of funding assistance, and anyone who can help is asked to _

contact museumchairman Philip Birtles at The Mosquito Aircraft Museum, PO Box 107. Salisbury Hall. St Albans. HertsAL2 1EX, or call himon 01 462 483307. _ _ •• • • • • • • • _

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Archceopteryx to fly again GRANGER ARCHJEOPTERYX G-ABXL, left, which has been based at Old Warden with the Shuttleworth Collection since 1968, but not flown since the mid-1970s, was taken to Don Cashmore's workshop at Radcliffe-on-Trent on December 13 for restoration to flying condition. The project is being funded by Richard Granger, son of John Granger, who with his brother Francis built the parasol-wing tailless Ultra-light at Nottingham between 1927 and 1930. The aircraft will be restored using the original drawings and, when completed, probably in about two or three years, will be painted in the apple-green colour in which it flew until it went into storage at Chilwell, Nottingham, in 1936. Aeroplane. February 20 0 1

• CLEAR-UP OPERATIONS at the Brooklands Museum are in full swing after the floods of early November, reported last month - but the waters may yet rise again: see page 9 for the latest, plus details of the museum's flood appeal. • THE AUTOUNOTECHNIK Museum at Sinsheim, near Heidelberg, Germany, took delivery of a Tupolev TU-144 "Concordski" on November 8, 2000. The supersonic airliner was taken from Rotterdam to Sinsheim by road, blocking all three lanes of the 'A6 Autobahn in the process. • THE TWO SURVIVING Martin Mars flying-boat fire bombers, based at Sproat Lake, British Columbia, were expected to have their funding cancelled in late 2000. Helicopters, which are more cost-effective, may well replace them, but the Mars may continue to fly as a tourist attraction. • A JOINT TEAM from the The Netherlands Constellation Foundation and the Aviodome Museum at Schiphol will soon travel to Avra Valley in Arizona to determine how L749 Constellation N749VR may be transported to Holland. A fund -raising campaign, like the one that brought DC-2 NC39165 to Holland in 1999, is being set up. • The replica of Kingsford Smith's Fokker F.Vllb/3m Southern Cross, VH-USU, operated by the Southern Cross Replica Association (SCR), is now licensed to carry SCRmembers as passengers. The SCR is raising money to pay for a permanent home for the aircraft at Parafield airport.

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- P-82 moves to San Diego for completion to airworthiness CONFEDERATEAIR FORCE (CAF) North American P-82 Twin Mustang N121021 44-65162 was flown from Midland, Texas, to the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar in a USAF Lockheed C-5 Galaxy of the 433rd Airlift Wing on November 18, 2000. Two days later it arrived at the CAF hangar at Gillespie Field, San Diego, California, where its long-term rebuild to flying condition will be completed. The P-82 has not fl own since it was badly damaged in a landing accident in October 1987, during the CAF "Airsho 87". Following an engine failure, the P-82 stalled and dropped to the ground from a height of about 30ft, ending up on the grass alongside the

runway. The propellers were written off, the Allison engines were shock-loaded and the starboard undercarriage was ripped off. Although structural

repairs were completed within a couple of years, funding problems and difficulties in locating counter-rotatinq propellers put the project on hold during the 1990s. Bill Cusick, the CAF's P-82 Squadron Leader, has made the move to Gillespie Field a priority, and is grateful for the support of the USAF, and in particular Randy Cunningham , in moving the aeropl ane to California. The P-82 arrives at Gillespie by truck from MCAS Miramar. LEFT

One of only four complete survivors of the type, the CAF's Twin Mustang was found displayed on a plinth at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), San Antonio, Texas, early in 1966. The USAF donated it to the CAF in May 1966, and it was transported to Kelly AFB and made airworthy for a ferry flight to the CAF's base, then located at Harlingen. It flew to Harlingen in January 1969, and much of the following decade was spent rebuilding the aeroplane, which then became a regular participant in CAF shows.

Confederate Air Force P-82 N12102 being towed into its hangar at Gillespie Field, San Diego.

ABOVE

The other P-82 survivors are F-82B 44-65168, on display at the USAFMuseum at Dayton, Ohio; F-82E 46-256, which is being restored to flying condition at Anoka, Minneapolis; and an F-82E at the USAF base at Lackland. The second prototype Twin Mustang, XP-82 44-83887, still exists, albeit incomplete, with Walter Soplata in Ohio.

Rare Italian trainers take flight again TWO HISTORICITALIANmilitary training aeroplanes fromthe 1930s have recently taken to the air in their homeland, following many years of restoration work. In Milan. Caproni Ca 100 I-ABMT, owned by Gerolamo Gavazzi, was flown again in late September following a tour-year restoration by Felice Gonalba and his teamat Sezione Sperimentale Volo a Vela (The Experimental Division of Seaplaning). The Ca 100 was saved from dereliction

in a hangar at Bresso airport during 1996, and has been restored in the markings it wore when it was was taken on charge by the Regia Aeronautica during 1934 with the serial number MM.55914 It will appear at airshows in Italy during 2001. The design 01 the Caproni Ca 100 was inspired by the de Havilland O.H60 Moth. and more than 2,500 examples were built. Only five are thought to have survived, with two. I-GTABand

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sGerolamo Gavazzi's Caproni Ca 100 has r e c e n t l y flown following a four·year restoration.

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I-DISC. exhibited at the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle, and I-BIZZ at the Caproni Museumat Trento. Gavazzi also owns the only other flying Caproni C.l 00, I· ABOU/MM.65156. a floatplane version. whichwas restored at Gonalba's workshops at Linate. I-ABOUis the oldest Italian-built aeroplane in flying condition (see Aeroplane, October 1999). The other recently restored

trainer to emerge in Italy is Avia FL-3 I-AVIG, which is owned by Luciano Sorlini and was rebuilt bV his Motori Avio engineering company at Montegaldella. Although the type was designed in the 1930s. I-AVIG was not built until 1941. and was in storage until the end of the war. It was assembled following the end of hostilities, and became the first aeroplane on the Italian civil register post-war. It has been

Luciano Sorlini's newly·restored Avia FL.3 I·AVIG. ABOVE

painted in the markings of the Regia Aeronautica Flight School. and will appear at Italian air events aiong with Luciano Sorlini's North American T-6 MM53785/I-LSBA. The next project to enter the Motori Avio workshop will be a Fiat GA6 two-seat trainer. Aeroplan e. February 2001

FInDS • PRO) Stinson Trimotor joins Anoka museum THE LATEST RESTORATION for Greg Herrick's Golden Wings museum at Anoka, Minneapolis, is 1931 Stinson SM-6000B Trimotor NCll153, which flew again in July 2000 after a three-year restoration at HO Aircraft, reports Xavier Meal. It is one of only two surviving Stinson 6oo0s, the other being NCll170, owned by Kermit Weeks in Florida. Herrick bought the Stinson (42 of which were built as a low-price nine-seat competitor to Ford and Fokker trimotors) in 1996 from the Evergreen Airventure Museum in Oregon, and had it ferried to Anoka. __

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Greg Herrick's Stinson SM 6000B NC11153 in flight over Minnesota during the summer of 2000.

sheets were carefully removed repaired, and new formers and The largest task facing HO by the HO team, they weighed stringers were attached before Aircraft boss Dan White and the aeroplane was fabrichis team during the restoration in at more than l,600Ib! AXin covered. The 300 h.p. Lycowas the removal of the nonplywood floor had also been installed during the Stinson's ming R-630-13 engines and standard aluminium skin that agricultural period, and the HO propellers were overhauled, covered the entire airframe. In and California-based historian the early 1950s NCll153 was team replaced this with %in aircraft-grade plywood. being used as an agricultural John Underwood provided hack, and to make it more Original Stinson drawings photographs of NCll153 while were acquired, the steel-tube it was in service with American robust the entire airframe was fuselage was cleaned and Airlines, which were of great "metallised". When the riveted _.._.._ _-_ __.._.._ -.-_.-_.....•.•._-_ .. _ _-_.._--- ---_." _.........•.-.. __ _ _.. _ _ __

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assistance in replicating the original 1932 colour scheme. All the hard work paid off when NCll153 was awarded the Best Transport prize in the Antique category at Oshkosh, and then the Grand Champion prize at the National Fly-in of the Antique Airplane Association at Blakesburg, Ohio, in September. -

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Canadair Yukon HC-AZH flying from Guayaquil Airport, Ecuador, in the late 1970s

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EXCITING RUMOURS from South America suggest that the only surviving former RCAFCanadair CC-106 Yukon, HC-AZH/15512, is about to be reactivated at Guayaquil. Ecuador. after 15 years on the ground. Acompany based in Burundi. City Connexions, is understood to

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have sent an engineer to Guayaquil. and the Yukon's Rolls-Royce Tyne engines have been ground·run, with a ferry flight to Africa expected early in the new year. The Yukon, aCanadian development of the Bristol Britannia. is one of a pair that

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were last operated by Andes Airlines at Guayaquil. The second Yukon, HC-AYS, has now disappeared, and is thought to have been broken up for spares. City Connexions already operates four Canadair CL-44s. the more numerous swing-tail development of the Yukon. ......... _._ ........ _ - - - _ .. _-._...... ........ _.

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More Barracuda bits for Yeovilton THE FLEET AIR ARM Museum's rebuild of Fairey Barracuda DP872 received a major boost in December when substantial pieces of Barracuda wreckage, recently recovered from the Isle of Jura off the west coast of Scotland, arrived at Yeovilton on the back of a truck, reports Glenn Sands. The wreckage, from Barracuda

ABOVE

LS931 , which crashed whilst on a navigational exercise in January 1945, includes sections of the wings and rear fuselage, and will be added to the stockpile of components held for the continuing rebuild. The nose section of Barracuda DP872, which crashed into a bog near Lough Enagh in Northern Ireland in August

The rear fuselage of LS931 on Jura.

Aeroplane, February

2001

ABOVE

The remains of Fairey Barracuda LS931 being unloaded at Yeovilton.

1944, has been on display at Yeovilton for some time. FAA Museum Curator David Hobbs says, "We now hold enough parts to restore a Barracuda fUfly, and are no longer appealing for parts. What we are in desperate need of is photographs of either LS931 or DP872 in FAA service. If anyone can help, I would ask them to get in touch with the museum." Visitors to Yeovilton will

shortly be able to see restoration in progress on one of the museum's long-term exhibits. The former storage hangar attached to the Carrier Exhibition will soon be home to Vought Corsair KD431 , which is one of the most original Second World War examples to survive. Thanks to a donation in memory of Corsair pilot Rear Admiral D. G. Parker CB DSO DSC AFC, the museum will be able to carry

out a long-awaited restoration on the aircraft. Mystery surrounds the Corsair's actual wartime service history and the museum is still looking for clues about where it served. Underneath the aeroplane's current blue scheme are remains of a camouflage scheme and wartime codes; it is hoped that during a stripdown this will provide further clues.

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76-year biplane record broken

Beamont flies in 2-seat Spit Eminent test- and combat pilot Wg Cdr Roland Beamont had a 30min flight in Carolyn Grace's Spitfire Tr.9 ML407/G-LFIX from Boscombe Down on October 4. "My flight with Carolyn was a joy", he says. " Sh e has a very sure pair of hands."

ONNOVEMBER17 Robert Ragozzino landed his heavily modified Boeing Stearman B75N-1 at Wiley Post Airport. Oklahoma City. and in so doing broke the 76-year-old record for a round-the-world flight in an open-cockpit biplane. reports Gilles Auliard. The 23.000-mile journey took 170 days. just breaking the previous record of 175 days. set during the summer of 1924 by two Oouglas World Cruisers flown by United States Army Air Corps crews. Ragozzino had leh Oklahoma on June 1, and proceeded across the Atlantic via Iceland to Britain. on to Paris. Egypt. Saudi Arabia. South-east Asia. Japan and Russia, before returning to the USA via Alaska. He had hoped to complete the journey in 45 days. but was beset by bad weather. mechanical problems and

difficulties with the Russian authorities. In Japan. landing and hangar fees totalled $10.000 and threatened to bankrupt the enterprise. The money was scraped together and the flight continued, although soon aherwards bad weather forced Ragou ino to make an emergency landing at a restricted Russian airtielc The authorities impounded the aeroplane. and it was only released after the US Government intervened on Ragozzino's behalf. Numerous attempts have been made to break the 1924 record. several of themduring the past decade. The most notable was in 1993 when Frank QUigg. a Canadian pilot, leh Vancouver in his Waco. He reached Bombay in 15 days. but contracted hepatitis and had to abandon the attempt. QUigg became an adviser for

ABOVE Robert

Ragozzino's heavily modified Stearman , N75939, at Wittman Field, Oshkosh, before his record-setting round-the-world flight.

Ragozzino's 2000 world flight. his generous assistance being a major factor in the success of the project. Modifications to Ragozzino's Stearman included the installation of a 450 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engine. and a large 150 USgal drop tank. bringing the total fuel capacity to 280 US gal. which gave the aeroplane a range of 1,700 miles. Records are made to be broken. but to break an aviation record that had stood for 76 years must be a record in itself!

Strikemaster crashes

Kemble bags another Hunter

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A NEW RESIDENT in the Delta Jets hangar at Kemble is Hawker Hunter T.7 G-VETAlXL600, which was ferried from its former home at Bournemouth by its new owner Gordon Hannam, seen above deploying the braking parachute on arrival at Kemble on November 13. Hannam is a former Royal Air Force Red Arrows pilot, flying as Red 3 in 1984 and Red 5 in 1985-86. Kemble is rapidly becoming the home of the Hunter, with Oelta Jets looking after four airworthy examples and another two under restoration. On July 21-22 the Gloucestershire airfield will host a display to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hunter's first flight. Up to 15 Hunters are expected, with a Diamond Nine formation and a series of solo routines interspersed with displays by other Hawker aeroplanes, including the Hurricane, Sea Fury, Sea Hawk, Harrier and Hawk. A Hunter pilot and groundcrew reunion will also take place. Kemble has great historical associations with the Hunter, having been the base of 5 MU, which serviced and modernised Hunters from 1954 onwards. From 1955, Hunter trainers of the Central Flying School were also based there.

news in Brief A FORMER BOTSWANA Air Force BAC Strikemaster, G-BXFXlZG811 , operated by Global Aviation, crashed near Louth, Lincolnshire, at 1330hr on Oecember 9, killing pilot John Anthony West, 51 , and seriously injuring the passenger, engineer Tony Lyth. Both men are reported to have ejected from the

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aeroplane at low level after the Strikemaster failed to come out of a spin. The Strikemaster had taken off from Humberside International Airport at 1240hr; it came down 40min later near the A631 road. There was no fire after impact, and the wrecked machine appeared to be

almost complete but badly broken up, having landed on its belly. As these pages went to press the Air Accidents Investigation Branch had begun its enquiries into the crash. The Strikemaster was one of eight imported into Britain from Botswana in 1997, and registered G-BXFP-G-BXFX.

• THE SECOND PROTOTYPE Naval Westland Lynx, XX910, was delivered to the Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare for permanent preservation on December 5. First flown in April 1974, XX910 was the first Lynx to be looped. while rehearsing for the

Farnborough Air Show in 1976. It last flew in 1981 while with the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, and until recently was used for various ground trials with the Defence Evaluation Research Agency at the Hampshire airfield,

Aeroplane. February 2001

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FInDS • PROJE[TS · RIR[RRFT · mUSEums • RU[TIOnS • PEOPLE roo

useum coun s

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- Damage being assessed as more floods threatenSINCE WE REPORTEO the flood at the Brooklands Museum in last month's Aeroplane, staff and volunteers at the Weybridge site have been busy clearing up the damage, which is proving more extensive than was first thought. In addition, as these pages went to press in mid-Oecember the River Wey, which runs alongside the site, was in danger of bursting its banks again. Aviation curator Julian Temple says one of the main areas of damage is the 1947 Stratosphere Chamber building, which backs on to the main Clubhouse and was used for climatic testing of airframes. The foam insulation on the floor around the giant cylindrical chamber became soaked and expanded, and a number of artefacts, including aircraft display models stored next to the chamber, were crushed against its underside when the floor was pushed up 2ft above its normal level. Soaked archives had been taken to Harwell for freezedrying treatment, but owing to a backlog of work there Brooklands has not yet heard the extent of the damage. Most of the film archives were saved, but six rolls of cine film that were sent to a photographic laboratory for treatment are said to be .__ _-_ _

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through the time-consuming g " task of dismantling, drying out ~ and re-spooling each tape. s~ A rare, functioning Second § World War American AN-T-18 c ~ Link Trainer was damaged, its electric motor, which is at ground level , being deluged. Julian Temple says, "We still don't know when the museum TOP Canada geese swim will reopen, but the winter programme of special events past Vickers Vanguard G-APEP at Brooklands will go ahead. The first is the traditional New Year's Day on November 8 . classic car gathering, and on ABOVE Clearing up in January 13 cars taking part in the Clubhouse. the Monte Carlo Classic Car Challenge will gather at beyond repair. The large video collection, which includes the Brooklands before they head Mobil Oil Co archives, was south to Monaco." Museum waterlogged, but a museum director Morag Barton volunteer who used to work in encourages people to visit the the video trade is going museum on these days, saying __ _ __ _-_ _-_ __ _--_..__ __ _--_

MARK REBHOLZ, captain of Vickers Vimy replica NX71MY Silver Queen on its UK-South Africa flight (see A Tim etraveller'sJourney in last mont h's issue) is to come to Brook lands in the spring to g ive an ill ustrated ta lk on the voyage. The event is a j oint venture between the Vimy project, Aeroplane and the Brooklands Museum, t o raise fund s to repair flood damage at the Surrey museum -the site ofthe Vimy's departure on the ' Africa run in 1999. A provisiona l date of Sat urday evening, March 3, 2001 has been set - put it in your dia ry now, and look out fo r mo re deta ils next month .

"The best way to support us is to attend our events." Contractors are expected to start renovation of the Clubhouse early in the new year. An appeal for funds to help make good the damage was __

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launched by Prince Michael of Kent at Brooklands on December 13, and anyone who can help should contact The Director, Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Rd, Weybridge, Surrey KT1 3 OON. _.. __ _ _ _ -.-._.. __ .. __ .. .. __ ..--- -.--.._.. .. __.~_

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Grant improves atmosphere at Rhinebeck THERHINEBECK Aerodrome Museum in New York State has announced the receipt of a S25,000 (£17,250) grant from the Thomas Thompson Trust in Boston, which will go directly towards a climate-control system for the aerodrome's

"History of Flight" museum building. The grant is conditional on the museum raising S50,000 towards the project by April 17, 2001. The addition of the climatecontrol system will allow the museum's outstanding

Rhinebeck's SPAD VII replica is painted in the markings of French ace Charles Guynemer.

ABOVE

Aeroplane. February 2001

collection of aeroplanes and vehicles to be better preserved, and will also provide a more comfortable atmosphere for visitors. Currently the museum is closed between November 1 and May 14 each year, and the system will allow the collection to be opened to the public throughout the year. The Rhinebeck Museum, established by the late Cole Palen in 1959, has welcomed more than five million visitors since it opened. Until 1993 the museum, which stages airshows every weekend during the summer, was operated as a private collection, but following Palen's death that year it became a non-profitmaking corporation.

Nieuport 11 replica N9163A is painted in the Lafayette Escadrille colours of Victor C hapman, the first American to lose his life in WW1. ABOVE

The Rhinebeck Museum is seeking.assistance to reach its S50,000 target, and those who contribute more than S250 will have their names displayed in a prominent location in the

museum. For more information contact Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum, PO Box 229, Rhinebeck, NY 12572, USA, or visit the museum's website at www.oldrhinebeck.org.

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RESTORRTIon · REBUILDS • REPLI[RS ve erans

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- New exhibition hall includes ace Sakai 's Mitsubishi Zero ONE OF THE STAR exhibits of the Australian War Memorial's new AS20m Bradbury Aircraft Hall in Canberra, which has just won a major award, is a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero flown by Japan's fourth -highest-scoring fighter pilot of the war, Saburo Sakai, who died on September 22, 2000, aged B4. The Zero, 5784, was flown by Sakai in June-July 1942, when he was Shotai leader of the 204th "Tainan" Kokutai based at Rabaul. It was later abandoned on New Britain after it had been damaged by Allied strafing, but Sakai went on to score a total of 64 victories (for his obituary, see News, Oecember 2000). The new hall is dedicated to Air Power in the Pacific from

1941 to 1953, and the War Memorial has an amazing collection of genuine combat veteran aeroplanes with which to tell that story. Displayed at ground level below the suspended Zero is Curtiss P-40E A29-133, which fl ew 92 ops with 75 Sqn while defending Milne Bay in New Guinea in the summer of 1942; it was hit three times by enemy fighters and four times by ground fire during the campaign. The most famous "kill" attributed to an Australian aircraft was scored by Commonwealth Wirraway A20-103, in which Fit Lt J.S. Archer, accompanied by his gunner Sgt J.L. Coulson, shot down a Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar (although for many years

The AWM Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 is d i splayed on a mock-up section of carrier deck. ABOVE

Swiss Piaggios retire AFTERNEARLY 40 YEARS' service, the last five Piaggio P.149s flown by the Swissairoperated SRAS Aviation school were due to be retired at the end of Oecember 2000. All nine aircraft have already been sold to a new owner in the USA. More than 1,200 Swissair pilots have been trained on the Stelio Frati-designed P.149s, which, owing in part to the

reported as a Zero) over Gona, New Guinea, on Boxing Day 1942. A20-1 03 is on display on the ground floor. Australian involvement in the Korean War is represented by a Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 which has been painted as VX730, although its actual identity is probably TF925. Navy records for the aeroplane are incomplete, but during restoration four areas of battle damage and 21 mission markings were found; so, subject to confirmation, it is assumed to be a Korean combat veteran. It is displayed on a mock-up section of HMAS Sydney's flight deck. The only Australian-built D.H. Mosquito to survi ve, PR.41 A52-31 9, is

Japanese ace Saburo Sakai's Mitsubishi Zero V·173 hangs in the new AWM building. BELOW Curtiss P-40E A29·133 (formerly RAF ET730) flew 92 operations with 75 Sqn RAAF. ABOVE

also on show in the new hall. On December 1, 2000, the War Memorial was named Australia's best major tourist attraction at the annual Australian Tourism Awards ceremony in Canberra.

The next stage of the AWM's development will be the opening of the ANZAC hall in May 2001 , where Avro Lancaster W4783 "G-George", which fl ew 90 ops during the war, will be displayed.

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increasing cost of fuel for their thirsty 270 h.p, Lycoming engines, are being replaced by Piper Archer lis. Twelve Piaggio P.149s flew with the school, primarily as IFRtrainers, the first, HB-EBV, being delivered in April 1961. The P.149 had first flown in 1953, and Piaggio built 76 aircraft for the Luftwaffe before Focke-Wulf took on production in 1957, building a Piaggio P.149 HB-EFX is a Focke-Wulf-built aeroplane; it has now forsaken its Alpine environment for a new home in the USA.

T h e Piaggio P.14gs have been used to train more t han 1,200 Swissair pilots since 1961.

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and in 1981 they were fitted with exhaust noise suppressors, Area Navigation Systems and uprated propellers. Two P.1 49s were lost in accidents while serving with the school: HB-EBW, the second to be delivered in 1961 , crash-landed on the

further 190 examples. The first five delivered to the Swissair school were built by Piaggio at its Albegna factory in Italy, the following seven being P-149Ds built at Bremen for the Luftwaffe. Delivery of the former Luftwaffe examples began in the summer of 1970,

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Zurich-Aittatten railway station after engine failure in 1970, and HB-EEO crashing at Baar in 1986. With the exception of HB-KIU, sold in 1996 to the Piaggio Club at Altenrhein, the remainder of the fleet soldiered on until withdrawal began in summer 2000. Aeroplane, February 2001

RESTORRTIOB • REBUILDS • REPII[RS • Auto-Air Racing Museum gains 1947 Thompson Trophy entrant GOODYEAR F2G Super Corsair NX5577, which finished second in the Thompson Trophy at the 1947 Cleveland National Air Races, fl own by Dick Becker, is currently being restored at Kindred, North Dakota, by Bob Odegaard on behalf of the Crawford AutoAviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Odegaard, who flew his own F2GNX5588N during 1999 following a three-year rebuild (see December 1999 Aeroplane) is rebuilding NX5577 to high-standard static condition, giving the Crawford Museum the option to put it back in the air in the future. Several pre- and post-war racers, including a rare P-51 K Mustang flown in the 1949 Bendix trophy race, are already on show at the museum. Only ten F2Gs were built, and three of them survive. The Crawford Museum aeroplane was saved from scrapping by legendary collector Walter Soplata during the 1950s, and

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Champlin Fighter Collection, stored at his farm in Newbury, Odegaard continues to operate ABOVE F2G Super Corsair Ohio, along with many other F2G NX5588N, which won both NX5577, seen here in which is due to move to historic machines. It was Seattle (see News, page 5, this the Rolls-Royce and People's the 1980s while stored bought by the Crawford issue) displays F2G-D N4324 in Choice Trophy's at the Reno Air at the Soplata farm at Museum in 1999. The a US Navy scheme, and Bob Newbury, Ohio. Races in 1999. _.. _..-.. _----_._._--_ _-_ _---_.. _---- -- _.. __.._ _.. .. _._----_ _----_._._-----_ _--_.. _ _---- _-----------_.._.._------_.._---_._- --_.. __.._---_.._-_.._._--_ _.. _.. __ .-."_.. _-_ _-- --- - ----.. _-----_._.----------._---_. _~--_

"H eav ies " hit New York State THENATIONAL WARPLAN E Museum (NWM) at ElmiraCorning airport, New York State, staged its 12th annual "Wings of Eagles" airshow on September 22-24, 2000, and managed, despite poor weather, to attract six fourengined Second World War bombers to the event. Half of the four-engined bomber contingent comprised Boeing B·1 7Gs: David Tallichet's N3703G Memphis Belle, the Yankee Air

Museum's N31 93G Yankee Lady and the National War Museum's own N9563Z Fuddy Duddy. The Canadian Warplane Heritage managed to fly its Avro Lancaster KB926 in to Elmira through the clag on the Sunday of the show, and the Confederate Air Force (which will soon be changing its name) sent Boeing B-29 N529B Fiti and Consolidated LB-30 Liberator N24927 Diamond Lit. The only Percival Provost

National Warplane Museum flagship B-17G Flying Fortress Fuddy Duddy over Elmira . ABOVE

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currently flying in the USA, ;=: WV4351N435WV, owned and o ;;;> flown by the expatriate former ~ head of the Jaguar car firm in the USA, Mike Dale, made an unusual sight at the show. Acurrent restoration project at the NWM is the only surviving Douglas BTD-l Destroyer, BuNo 04959, a type intended as a replacement for the Douglas Dauntless in US Navy service. Only 28 ABOVE The only surviving Douglas BTD-1 Destroyer Destroyers were built, and is currently being restored by the NWM. none went into service. The 12

The only Percival Provost flying in the USA, N435WV, was flown to Elmira by owner Mike Dale.

ABOVE

Destroyer is on loan from the Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, and was delivered to Elmira in October 1998, •

after many years on display at the now-defunct Florence Air and Missile Museum in South Carolina. Aeroplane, February 200 1

FInDS · PROJE[IS · RIR[RRFI • mUSEums · RU[IIOnS · PEOPLE _ _ _ __ '~

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Private collector buys DC-3 "biscuit bomber"

There's a Clog in the car park

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FOLLOWING THE SALE of famous Californian biscuit manufacturer otis Spunkmeyer to new owners, one of the two Douglas DC-3s that the company had operated on pleasure flights over the San Francisco Bay area has been sold. Aircraft collector "Bud" Field, who has a growing fleet of vintage machines based at various airports around the San Francisco Bay area, has bought DC-3 N97H, and it is

now undergoing maintenance at Stockton Airport. Field's collection includes a 1931 Stearman 4CM-1 in Standard Oil colours, a 1929 Travel Air 4000, a 1936 Stearman PT-13 and a 1931 Aeronca C-3. Several aeroplanes are kept at Schelville, Northern California, and others are based at various airfields in the bay area, but Bud intends to move the entire collection to Hayward, California, and

Bud Field's DC-3 has been painted in his house colours, and bears the legend of his proposed museum.

ABOVE

establish a flying museum. The other Spunkmeyer aeroplane is Douglas C-41 A cln 2145, which was the very first military variant of the DC-3, delivered in August 1939. It was originally used as a VIP transport by USAAF General "Hap" Arnold.

THE REMAINSOFTHE Blohm und Voss Bv 138 flying-boat raised from the seabed off the Danish island of Zealand last spring (see News. August 2000) is currently silting in the car park at the Danmarks Flyvemuseum at Billund in central Denmark. The fuselage and the tubular wing spar have now been cleaned and coated with an oil-based preservative in an effort to arrest the process of corrosion. The recovery of the "Flying Clog" was mounted on a very tight budget by a team of sports divers in close co-operationwith the Flyvemuseum. and the only help received from official Danish sources was the use of acrane. Aspecial lifting frame had to be strengthened after the mud-filled fuselage broke away on the first liftingattempt. fortunately without causing much additional damage. Once the Bv 138 was beached , it took 5hr to pump out 50 years' accumulation of mud. The identity of the Bv 138 has not yet been established. but it is known that it was sunk during a strafing demonstration by an RAF Hawker Typhoon at an air display on June 17. 1945. It is planned to display it in "as found" condition, with the gaps in the fuselageallowing aview of many of the f1ying-boal's original systems still in situ,

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- SAAF80th focuses on post-war c1assicsTHE 80THANNIVERSARY of the South African Air Force was celebrated at Ysterplaat Air Base near Cape Town on October 28, with some of the now-familiar historic British types operating in South Africa appearing in the display either in multiples or in new paint schemes. The second Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer to be put back in the air by Mike Beachyhead's Cape Town-based Thunder City (TC) organisation, ZU-AVI, joined TC's first Buccaneer, ZU-BCR, for the debut appearance of a privatelyowned Buccaneer duo. An expert commentary during the Buccaneer display was provided by Barry Pover from Classic Jets at Exeter, who has been instrumental in getting the Buccaneers and Lightnings now operated by TC back into the air. Avro Shackleton MR.3 1722, operated by the SAAF Historic Flight, was repainted in its 35 SQn colours during the weeks leading up to the show, the work being sponsored by Plascon Paints and supervised by 35 SQn veteran Warrant Officer "Pottie" Potgeiter. Among other historic types appearing were Warbird Trust BAC Strikemaster ZU-PER, flown by Gideon Langeveld, and a Convair 580 from Court Aviation, in a scheme very reminiscent of that seen on Court Line Lockheed TriStars in Britain during the early 1970s.

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s The only airworthy Avro Shackleton MR.3 in the world, 1 7 2 2 (ctn 1532), operated by the South Afri can Ai r Force Historic Flight, was repainted during the r u n -u p t o the Ysterplaa t a i rs h ow .

ABOVE

The t w o Thunder C ity-operated Buccaneers, ZU·AVI a nd ZU-BCR, m ade their first public appearance a s a duo at Y sterplaat. BELOW

Seventies chic: Convair 580 ZS-LYL, wearing an almost i d e n t i c a l livery to that seen on Court Line Lockheed TriStars. ABOVE

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Bristol aviation museum for Filton? THEESTABLISHMENT of an aviation museum at the historic Bristol Aeroplane Company site at Filton in Bristol is to be the subject of a feasibility study, with the assistance of a grant fromthe Area Museum Council, reports the Bristol Aero CollectionNewsletter. Consultants will soon be appointed, and South Gloucestershire Council is said to be very supportive of the principle of establishing the museum. A reference to the museum has been included in South Gloucestershire Council's local plan, and the Bristol Aero Collection is keen to co-operate in any way it can, although it recognises that the museum is a long-term prospect. Meanwhile, South Gloucestershire Council is nearing completion of its pilot Aviation Heritagewebsite project, which is being prepared in conjunction with the Rolls- Royce Heritage Trust, Rolls-Royce, BAESystems and BAC.

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Despite the recent s c ra p p i n g of several World War Two wrecks on some of the Pacific Islands, this Consolidated B-24 L iberator wa s still to b e found languishing at Popondetta , Papua New Guinea , during July 2000. ABOVE

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Aeroplane, February 2001

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PBY·5A Catalina c/n 1656, which retains the rare nose turret, is currently under restoration at Quito.

NC731 M, which was flown from San Diego to Quito by Teodoro Gildred in 1981, is also displayed inside, along with a Brazilian-built Fairchild PT-19A Cornell, presented to

Ecuador by Brazil in 1947. During 1954 the Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana ordered a batch of 12 Gloster Meteor FR.9s and six English Electric Canberra B.6s as part of a

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AT THE ECUADORIAN Air Force Museum at Quito, in the Cordillera Mountains north of Cotopaxi, two American aeroplanes designed during the 1930s, a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina and a Douglas B-23 Dragon, are currently under restoration. The Catalina is being restored to represent one of the three PBY-5As that saw dual use in Ecuador, operated by the air force on patrol duties and also used by the Quito based Transportes Aeros Militares Ecuatorianis (TAME) on supply and communications flights to the Galapagos Islands. The Dragon, HC-APV, which is currently dismantled, was operated by Ecuatoriana from Mariscal Sucre Air Base at Quito from 1968-1975. It achieved fame earlier in its life when, in the mid-1950s, registered N400W, it was used as an executive transport by Juan Trippe, the founder of Pan American World Airways. Among the lighter types on show indoors at the museum are a Macchi-built Hanriot HD-1 named Telegrafo, which, on November 26, 1920, was flown by Capt Elia Luit over the Andes, from Riobamba in Brazil to Quito. Ex-USAAF Stinson V-77 Reliant

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programme of modernisation. The Meteors were ex-RAF machines refurbished by Flight Refuelling at Tarrant Rushton before being delivered to Ecuador in 1955, and FF-123,

UI 0 originally delivered to the RAF as WH554 in early 1952, is on show at Quito. The Canberras were new-build aeroplanes for Ecuador, and one, BE-803, is displayed alongside the Meteor. Among the other types on show are Douglas DC-6B HC-AVH, one of six operated by TAME; North American B-25 Mitchell N9069Z, which was impounded at Quito in 1970 and has been painted as a Fuerza Aerea Ecuatoriana machine; and camouflaged Avro 748 freighter HC-AUD. Sporting a rather home-made canopy. Meteor FR.9 FF-123 is one of four of this rare variant of Meteor to survive in Ecuador.

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The oldest aeroplane at Quito is a Macchibuilt Hanriot HD-1 which made a record-setting flight over the Andes in November 1920.

ABOVE

Gnat for Newark Convair 440 flies fish AWELCOMEADDITIONto the dwindling ranks of operational Convair twins is recentlyrefurbished Convair 440 )(A-SOG. which entered service with Aerocedros in Mexico during summer 2000, lIying cargoes of fresh fish and lobsters fromthe Baja Peninsula to Southern California for the restaurant trade. Based at

Aeroplane. February 200 1

Ensenada, south of Tijuana. Aerocedros. which operates three other Convair 440s, is owned by theEnsenada Fisherman's Co-operative. Originally operated bythe Luftwaffe, )(A-SOG (cln 472) arrived in Germany in March 1959. It had been built in 1957, but spent the first 18 months of its life in storage, awaiting a

buyer. Following Luftwaffe service, initially as CA+031 and then as 12+04. it passed to the Norwegian airline Norfly in the late 1960s and flewwith it for many years. registered LN-MAM . In the early 1980s it went back across the Atlantic and served with Laredo Air inTexas as N411 GA, before sale "south of the border" in early 2000.

THE NEWARK AIR MUSEUM'S latest acquisition, Hawker Siddeley Gnat T.1 XR534, arrived at the museum's Winthorpe Showground site on December 2, making a short journey from Durham-onTrent where it had been stored in the garage of a local motor mechanic. The purchase of the Gnat was made possible thanks to help from the Science Museum PRISM Grant Fund, which contributed 50 per cent of the cost of acquisition, the rest being gained through donations from museum members and the public. Gnat T.1 XR534 entered service with the Central Flying School at Little Rissington in May 1963. It flew with No 4 Flying Training school, and was involved in several accidents before being retired to RAF Valley in Anglesey in December 1977 for gateguardian duties. Museum trustee Howard Heeley says, "The museum has been looking to acquire a Gnat for more than 15 years. On behalf of the museum trustees we would like to thank the PRISM Fund for their grant, and also the support of our own members and general public for their generosity, which helped secure the Gnat".

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via res ore AT THE HISTORICAL INSTITUTE of the Army of the Czech Republic Aviation Museum at Prague's Kbely airport, an Avia S-199, UF-25, the fuselage of which had been on show for many years, has now been fully restored and is on display. The Junkers Jumo-powered post-war Czech development of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 shares cramped museum space with an example of the two-seat training Avia CS-199, UC-26. The prototype Avia S-199 first flew in March 1947 at Katowice, Prague, and a total of 609 were built, 58 of them as two-seaters. Production of Bf 109G-14s had been under way at the Avia factory when Prague was liberated in May 1945, and when, in the absence of any other fighters, production of the Bf 109 was resumed for the post-war Czech Air Force, a shortage of DaimlerBenz OB605 engines necessitated a redesign to accommodate the Jumo 211 engine, which was available in large numbers. The Jumo was originally designed for Luftwaffe bombers, and was heavier and less powerful than the OB605; the resulting "stopgap" fighter developed an unenviable reputation for sluggish acceleration, tricky handling and a nightmarish take-off swing. Kbely was the first airfield to be used by the Czechoslovak Air Force, and during the 1920s and 1930s was the setting for some of Europe's most prestigious airshows. One type, the Letov S-20 of 1926, that would have appeared at some of those shows, is on display at the museum. The fighter, marked El0, is a partial replica constructed using many original parts, including a 300 h.p. Skoda-built Hispano-Suiza 8Fb engine. Ninety-five S-20s were built, and 20 were delivered to lithuania. The wing of another S-20 is in storage.

Lost & Found Undiscovered Dolphins

ABOVE RIGHT The Letov S-20 is a partial replica,

but the museum also holds the wing of an S-20J. B ELOW Two-seat Avia CS-199 UC-26 has been on show for some years in cramped conditions the wing belongs to a Mraz Cap (licence-built Fieseler Storch).

BELOW Single-seat Avia S-1 99 UF-25 is now fully

restored and on show; note the bulged canopy.

16

EVEN WITH FAMOUS aircraft types, it is not unusual for photographs depicting specific variants or machines in particular markings to be undiscovered. As readers of the Database feature in this issue might realise, the Sopwith 5F.l Oolphin is certainly no exception. Photographs and data relating to the French-built Oolphin lis are scarce, but so far not a single photograph has been found of Dolphins in American or Polish markings, even though there were ten of the latter and they were flown operationally in 1920. Another Oolphin conspicuous by its pictorial absence is G-EATC, which belonged to the Aircraft Disposal Company owned by Handley Page. This machine,

ABOVE This study of the second British-built

Dolphin II, 03615, at Villacoublay is unusual, as it depicts the aircraft with short exhaust pipes for its 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine, rather than the long ones normally associated with this type. There are two possibilities; either the short exhaust allowed too much hot air to impinge in the radiators, impairing their efficiency, or the long exhausts cranked over the radiator were deemed unsatisfactory.

built by Hooper & Co in Chelsea, London, as 05369, was registered to Handley Page in May 1920 for demonstration and overseas ferrying. Unless a picture turns up, we might never know whether the registration was actually applied to this Oolphin, and whether it flew in this guise. The other Dolphin yet to be found is the one-off two-seat dual-control trainer

conversion produced by No 34 Training Oepot Squadron at Scampton. This unique aeroplane served alongside several examples of another two-seater conversion carried out by this unit under the direction of Capt lE. Guttery, the Technical Officer of the 23rd Training Wing, the two-seat Sopwith Camel. Fortunately we do have photographs of this beast. PHILIP JARRm

Aeroplane, February 2007

COMPETITION WINNERS

The winners of our Mosquito Competition in November's Aeroplane had a memorable day at the Mosquito Aircraft Museum on the "Wooden Wonder's" 60th • anniversary

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TOP Prizewinners had

the chance to sit in the cockpit of W4050. ABOVE Tony Harmsworth talks with the museum's Ian Thirsk, who wrote parts of our November Database on the Mosquito. • Aeroplane would like t o t hank th e M osquito Airc raft Museum (es pecially Phil ip Bi rtles, Ralph Steiner, Reg Davey and Ian Thirsk), and Tim St aples of Diverse Im ages, fo r helping t o make th e day a success

N SATURDAY, November 25.2000 the 60 th anniversa ry o f th e fi rst night of the de Havilland Mosquito - a grou p o f e n th us iasts bra ved pouri ng rain a nd M25 tra ffi c to as sem ble a t th e Mosquito Aircraft Mu seum at Salisbury Hall. The gro up co m p rise d te n A eroplane pr izewinne rs, plu s spouses /sons /nep hews / friends, a nd th e Ed ito r and Assistant Ed itor. After a light lunch and a n introdu ctory tal k by mu seum cha irma n Philip Birtles - durin g w hich he a n no u nced the project to ensure the futu re p rese rvati on of Mosquito p ro tot ype W4050 (see thi s month 's news pagcs ) - e ve ryo ne em ba rke d on a tour of the museum. It began with a n oppo rt u n ity 10 climb in to th e cockpit of W40 50 itse lf. and during the afte rn oon e ve ryo ne was able to have a close look a t th e mu seum 's ot her ex h ibits, as we ll as th e cha nce to try the pilot 's seat of Mosquito TT. 35 TA63 4 for size. To mark th eir vi sit, ea ch prizewinner was a ll ocated a free Y,,,th -sca le han dcra fted pewter m odel of W40 50 by Brigh to n- based m od el co m pa n y Diverse Im ages - th e protot ype

TOP Prizewinners in front of Mosquito prototype

W4050 on November 25, with Aeroplane Assistant Editor Tony Harmsworth (centre left, in grey suit), Editor Michael Oakey (centre, leather jacket) and museum chairman Philip Birtles (centre right, light raincoat). ABOVE Philip Birtles guides the Aeroplane group during their tour.

mode l o f th e protot ype, so 10 spea k. was o n displa y a t Sa lisb ury Hall on the day, and prod uct ion w as ge tt ing in to fu ll sw in g Ir.1 d urin g Decembe r. W

WINNERS Former wartime Mosquito navigator Reg Davey describes some of the Mosquito's finer points to the Editor.

RIGHT

Aeroplane. February 2001

The following winners all correctly identified November 25. '940 as the date of the Mosquito's first flight: Pet er Bockh of Brook s Green, West Su ssex Anth ony Hatch of M aidenhead, Berks Reg Thomas of Tring, Hert s Robin Hart of Rotherfield. East Sussex John Halliday of Gawsworth, Macclesfield, Cheshire Andrew Bell of Deddington. Banbury, Oxon Daniel Hayw ard of West M oor s, Fern dow n, Dorset Brian E. Farren of Bal sall Common . Coventry David Vincent of Colcheste r. Essex Neil Bradley of Ansley, Nuneaton. Warwicks

'7

Write to: Aeroplane, Ki ng's Reac h Tower, Stamford Street, London SE, gL5 or email us at aeroplane_mont [email protected]

Spitfire Down SIR - I feel I have to respond to Tony Spooner's letter in November 2000's edition of Aeroplane if only to dispel any suspicions that I was indeed "cocking a snook" on the auspicious occasion when the AOC Training Command was paying an official visit to Sywell EFTS. I have to say forthwith that I was totally unaware of his visit. Although as Tony mentions, Sywell was one of the largest EFTSs on outbreak of war where Tiger Moths buzzed around like flies over a jampot, it also accommodated a bomber repair organisation of Brooklands Aviation and managed by an old pre -war friend, Tommy Bancroft. On this particular occasion I had flown over in a Mk II Spitfire on test from either Eastleigh or Castle Bromwich to check out a repaired Wellington. Almost always during these visits Bancroft would ask if I would mind giving his workforce a display with the Spitfire before I left. I always presumed that he had cleared formalities with flying control, as at no time did I later receive any criticism or reprimand. I wonder if Tony remembers the awful winter of that year when Sywell became so churned and

waterlogged that it was positively dangerous for certain types of aircraft. During one of my frequent visits , when taking off amidst pools of mud and water, my Merlin carburettor intake plunged into such a deluge, unseen in one of the deeper holes, that caused it to stop in a most protesting manner when I was almost clear of the airfield at some 75-1 OOft with the undercarriage retracting . There was a manor house obstructing my landing with , in the foreg round , a grass paddock that adjoined the airfield boundary of about 200yd leading up to the solid dry-stone wall surrounding the house. I had therefore no choice other than to strike the house or force the Spitfire on to the paddock at high speed, churning up an enormous furrow in the soft ground before coming to an abrupt halt with its nose almost touching the immovable wall. I could not ag ree more with Tony concerning Sidney Cotton's contribution to the war effort. Like so many others in war, he undertook demanding assignments at great risk but devoid of the limelight.

Sidney Cotton was one of those bright, enthusiastic individuals who would not accept lesser mortals easily, His one aim would be to achieve success in any field to which he gave his mind and attention, but always to serve his country to the best of his ability. I am delighted that a biography concerning this remarkable Australian is about to be released concerning his early days and the achievements reached in later life. ALEX HENSHAW MBE Newmarket Suffolk

Bf 109E "White 4" SIR - Ken R, Johnson 's article in the July 2000 Aeroplane on the history of Messerschmitt Bf 109E "White 4" captured my full attention . I had once seen th is aircraft and even had my picture taken sitting in what remained of the cockpit of "White 4" in June 1964. It was then resting in the backyard of the home of the late Geoff Rowe at Carp, near Ottawa . Obviously the Messerschm itt was not returned to England in 1961 . Since the picture was taken following the second

annual convention of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society held in Ottawa, there is no doubt of the date. I don 't think "White 4" returned to the UK until the late 1960s, although certainly before 1971 when Geoff and his family moved to Victoria, BC. Geoff prepared an operational history of his much prized relic for our Vol 2, No 2 Journalwhich agrees with your account. He didn't mention the later lODE (Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire) or the Bu ndles for Britain connections. Geoff was a dedicated enthusiast and would have been gratified to learn that his beloved '109 is now part of a Battle of Britain exhibit. He expressed this hope in his story. WILLIAM J. WHEELER Editor The Journal of the Canadian Aviation Historic Society Markham Ontario Canada

Great Raids SIR - Re: Schweinfurt, August 17, 1943 (November 2000 Aeroplane). Although not part of the mission,

William Wheeler sits in the remains of Messerschmitt Bf 1 0 9 "W h it e 4 " in Canada in 1964. The aircraft was subsequently returned to England where it was restored after more than 25 years in storage; it is now on permanent display in the I m pe ria l War Museum at Duxford. ABOVE

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I I have since throughly researched the events of August 17, 1943, and feel that Glenn Sands produced a good recou nting of the "Fi rst Schweinfurt" within the confines of the short space available, Perhaps the captions to the pictures were not of his making, but in any case the one to the aerial picture on page 29 is not correct. It is actually of Liege, Belgium, I used its sister exposure (USAAF No 25621 AC) in my book Forteresses sur I'Europe which, published in 1980, minuteiy reconstructed the various raids on August 17, 1943, a day which saw no fewer than 17 "premieres" in the ai r war. On the said picture, the Meuse river is clearly seen with, at centre, the Port of Monsin; th is indeed looks somewhat like the river Main and its "fishbones" at Schweinfurt. "My" picture also shows probably the same debris of an enemy aircraft going down which , according to my analysis, are of a Fw 190 which crashed at Thier Xhavee, north-east of Liege, pilot killed, unknown to me. As for the picture on page 30, the B-17 plunging into its final flight is that of Lt Max Pinkerton, 351st BG, whose complete crew were made PoW; the aircraft, Cannon Ball, crashed at either Bad Honnef or Bad Ems, which are cities some 30 miles apart. A further small point is the mention (page 29) of "9th Air Force 17, raids over Southern Germany . . . ne) . prior to August 10, '43". There had . n, actual ly been only one such raid ; )\0 _ on August 13, and that was against Wiener- Neustadt (not Weiner) in Austria, not in Germany. Whilst on page 30, the main B-26 Marauder diversion was against the Luftwaffe airbase at Brias-Sud, near St-Pol, there . were also RAF Mitchells against Calais, belonging to the RAF's 320 Sqn fiying its initiai mission on that ay. Again, a point in relation with he fuzing of bombs (page 31). hat operation (for instance :;'osec ose and Y., or :;'oosec tail on that ay) took place before leaving the round. Once in the air, nearing the rget, it remained for the ombardier, or sometimes the ngineer, to pul lout the safety ins, th us rendering the issiles "live". Perhaps, finally, a mention ought have been made in relation to en Adolf Galland (page 30) Ithough I quite realise space was ,s't» t a premium . Galland's brother, . iihelm "Wutz", Kommandeur of in 19iJG.26, was kil led at about ,an zs332hr when his Fw 190A-6 d. ashen at Hees, Belgium, a victim bruary irop/ane, February 200 1

letter of the month Tiger recollections SIR - The article on the Tiger Moth Diamond Nine team (November Aeroplane) brought on a rush of nostalgia when I saw the photo of G-AOJJ. In the mid -Fifties I obtained my PPL at Christchurch Aero Club, who had a fleet of five bright-yellow Tiger Moths - and G-AOJJ was one of them. I flew 'JJ many times, and kitted out with Mae West and dinghy I once flew her from Christchurch to Jersey for a day out, keepi ng close to any ships that were about in case the unthinkable happened, and much to the consternation of air traffic control and the disbelief of the Customs man at Jersey. "You flew over in that thing?", he said, with a wry grin. I enclose a photo of myself flying 'JJ in 1956, heading back to Christchurch having flown to Eastleigh for afternoon tea, which was a regular jaunt for club members in those days as was Bembridge, Shoreham and Fairoaks. I understand that one of the other club Tigers, G-ADWO, is now hanging up in the Southampton Hall of Aviation, but where are the others? Happy days. DAVID TOWNEND Bristol, Avon

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ABOVE Aeroplane reader David Townend returns to

Christchurch after dropping in at Eastleigh for afternoon tea.

of Lt Glen Schlitz flying a 56th FG P-47, a unit which lost three pilots in the same battle, near Liege again. ROGER ANTHOINE Peron France

Prefects

&Tutors

SIR - In his letter recalling Gatwick 50 years ago (November 2000 issue), Leslie Sarjeant asks about the fate of Avro Prefect G-AHRZ . According to a letter in the February 1957 issue of Air Pictorial, someone in Burton-onTrent moved Prefect G-AHVO and Tutor G-AIYM by road from Croydon in July and August 1950, and was rumoured to have also moved G-AHRZ from Gatwick and acquired the wreckage of Tutor G-AKFJ, which crashed at Doncaster on July 30, 1949. In 1963 the fuselage of G-AHVO was reportedly at Ramsgate, so there may still be Avro parts waiting to be discovered somewhere. VIC SMITH Ickenham Uxbridge Middlesex

Mitchell memories SIR - With regard to the book just published on Sir Wilfrid Freeman (reviewed in Aeroplane, October 2000), the following three personal letters will be of interest, showing as they do the close relationship that existed between Sir Wilfrid and my father, R.J. Mitchell. 1. The first letter, written in his own hand, records the response from Sir Wilfrid to a letter from my father informing him that he was seriously ill with terminal cancer. "Air Ministry, Savoy Hill, WC2, dated March 16, 1937. "Dear Mitchell, I have had it in mind for some time to write to you but felt that you did not wish to be worried with letters, You must not worry yourself with thinking that you have let us down - you have never done that, and I hope your B.12/36 (bomber) wi ll be a great success and as good as ever you could wish. I can assure you that your illness has been a blow to the whole Department - but the blow is not because you cannot get on with this aeroplane, it is only ou r grief at the il lness of a personal and greatly respected friend.

"Yours sincerely, Wilfrid Freeman". 2. Mitchell's reply. "Hazeldene, Russel l Place, Southampton, dated March 20, 1937. "Dear Air Marshal Freeman, I was delighted to receive your letter of the 16th instant. It is extremely kind of you to write to me in this way. I must admit that I have been rather worried that ci rcu mstances have arisen which will prevent me from taking very much further interest in the B.1 2/36. I have always been very enthusiastic about the design. I have felt that my enthusiasm had quite a lot to do with your decision to place an order. I am very pleased to be able to say that I have always trained my staff to be thoroughly up to date with all new ideas and proposals being carriet out at Supermarine. I feel very confident that they will be able to carryon without me, with complete success, particularly as the close co-operation of the Weybridge staff has always been available. I shall always feel extremely grateful to you for the friendly sentiments expressed in your letter. I now feel very much happier about everyth ing. "Yours sincerely, R.J. Mitchell". 3. Letter from Sir Wi lfrid to Mrs R.J. Mitchell. "Air Ministry, Savoy Hill, WC2 , dated December 8, 1939. "Dear Mrs Mitchell , Now that War has come and the Spitfire has proved itself to be a truly wonderful weapon, you must be as proud as we are grateful for the genius of your husband. I would like you to know how much the RAF appreciates Mr Mitchell 's work. "Yours sincerely, Wilfrid Freeman". The above letter was written 2 ~ years after my father's death on June 11, 1937 and understandably was received with great pride and appreciation by my mother. Sir Wilfrid was at the time the Air Member for Research and Development. DR GORDON MITCHELL Lower Slaughter Cheltenham Glos

Spitfire limitations SIR - In Aeroplane's interesting Battle of Britain special (J uly 2000 issue), it was claimed the Spitfire served decisively in every theatre of World War Two . Surely this misleading impression requires correction. Our own Alan Deere in Nine Lives laments the inability of Spitfi re pilots to accompany the P-38s, P-47s and P- 51 s escorting B-17s and B-24s over Germany. 19

READERS' LETTERS

General Kepner stated; "The P-38 first struck the Luftwaffe in the vitals over its own territory, the P-47 broke the back of the Luftwaffe, and the P-51 delivered the coup de grace." No mention of Spitfires there. In Plane Speaking, Bil l Gunston quotes a Russian colonel asking: "What was so special about the Spitfire? It was only when we re-equipped with P-39 Airacobras that we really made our presence felt. " In Wings over the Pacific, Alex Horn writes: "The Spitfire had limited use in the Pacific because of its small range of operation. The Corsairs did the real work, while the Seafires stayed with the ships for their protection ." It was the Lightning, Hellcat and Corsair that devastated the Japanese air forces, with something like 10,000 victories between them . Plus much good work done by the P-40s, which downed hundreds of the "superior" Zeros in the hands of my countrymen, Aussies and the men of the AVG . Nothing comparable was achieved by the Spitfi re, which was mainly conspicuous by its absence . The Spitfi re's record in World War Two is distinguished enough as it stands,.without unwarranted claims being made on its behalf. Sincerely from Down Under. MAURICE HENDRY Manurewa New Zealand

Junkers junkets SIR - Re the caption to the photograph of Ju 5213m D-AXOS (Historic Colour, November Aeroplane) ; Sqn Ldr Chapman errs in several respects when he notes that it "carried PM (Neville Chamberlain) to Croydon from Hitler, September 1, 1939". The only visits to Germany for meetings with Hitler made by Chamberlain were his three return flights made between September 15 and 30, 1938, from and to Heston by British Airways Limited 's Lockheed airliners. Secondly the Ju 52/3m D-AXOS had been put at the disposal of Sir Neville Henderson, British Ambassador to Germany, when he arrived at Croydon on the morning of August 26, 1939, for urgent talks with the Government. He returned to Berlin from Heston on the evening of August 28. Thirdly, the last DLH flight to leave Croydon before the outbreak of war was D-AXOS on August 31, 1939. HUGH J. YEA Bexhill-on-Sea East Sussex 20

Astreet named Beamont Reader Fred Dolman of Ipswich sent in the accompanying photograph taken in June 2000 at the former wartime RAF base at Volkel in Holland, where he had taken a group of 20 Typhoon squadron veterans who had been stationed there in 1944- 45. One of the events laid on by their Dutch hosts was the unveiling near the Typhoon Museum of a new street sign Roland Beamontstraat, named after the renowned test- and com bat pilot (see One of the Few. September 2000 Aeroplane). The unveiling ceremony was performed by Bob Barckley, formerly of No 3 Sqn.

Aeroplane). Although I never met him , I did have a, perhaps remote, connection with his speed record in the FD.2. It was one of the early records flown at high altitude rather than at sea level. At the ti me I was a Flight Com mander on 29 Squadron at Tangmere with Meteor NF. l l s. We had Gee Mark III and were asked to set up the radar entry and exit gates for the course for the record attempt. I flew the sortie myself and my navigator on this occasion was, if my memory serves me, the Squadron Nav-Rad Leader now Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss KCB KBE . GP CAPT D.A.P. SAUNDERSDAVIES RAF (Retd) Ower nr Romsey Hampshire

Massie remembered SIR - Your November issue is of

Former Typhoon pilots meet at Volkel for the opening of a new street named in honour of Roland Beamont. From left; Bob Cole, Bob Barckley (both ex-No 3 Sqn), Eric Edwards (exNo 175 Sqn) and Geoff Murphy (ex-No 245 Sqn).

ABOVE

Meteor crash SIR - Hughie Cullens recalls the Meteor crash near Blaby in August 1945 (see tnformation Exchange, November 2000 Aeroplane). I was also at Whetstone Park that day and remember the Meteor flying a circuit on its arrival with a low pass over the field. It climbed away and commenced another circuit. Having got about a quarter of the way round it turned over on its back. The commentator on the ground then told us that the pilot was going to carry out the same manceuvre upside down. At this point the aircraft came down in an are, hitting the ground vertically. I and my two friends jumped on our bikes and were the first to reach the crash site. There was a large hole in the ground with small pieces of wreckage of one sort or another scattered on the surface. Being a little older than Hughie (I was 14 at the time), I remember that it was a Vl on display, not a V2. I have good reason to remember because I managed to acquire some of the glassfibre insulation from around

the fu el tanks. I stowed it in my wallet which proved quite painful whenever I put my fingers in afterwards! Some say I've never recovered! May I take this opportunity to say hello to another of your recent correspondents, Jim Morrow? He and I were members of 1461 Squadron ATC and swatted together for our Proficiency certificates. At least mine got me off a month's squarebashing at Cardington. I notice that The Aeroplane Spoiler is now available on CDROM; it would be nice to see it in book form or in extracts in Aeroplane itself. What a great little paper it was, and fitted schoolboy pocket money perfectly! GEOFF HUNT St lves Cambridgeshire [Would other readers like to see some extracts from The Aeroplane Spotter published in Aeroplane? Let us know - Ed]

Speed record SIR - I read your potted interview with Peter Twiss with great interest (Flying Visit, Novem ber

unusual interest to mel Your Mosquito mark by mark section admits to covering main variants only, but I would like to make a claim that the PR.35 should not pass unnoticed. The PR.34 and the Bm .35 are well known, but in 1950 just eight B.35s were converted to the PR variant, for work on night photoflash duties. Only four PR.35s entered regular RAF service - on B Flight of 58 Sq uad ron at Benson. There were only four pilots on the flight. I was one! Best wishes. Keep it up . . . DAVID OGILVY OBE FRAeS Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association British Light Aviation Centre 50a Cambridge Street London SWI V 4QQ

Zurabatics SIR - In the October 2000 issue of Aeroplane you have excelled yourself again: it's a wonderful issue. Apart from the wonderful Battle of Britain pieces, I found particular interest in an item in the news section about Jan Zurakowski being honoured in Los Angeles at the end of September by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. The piece also alludes to the earlier naming of a building after him by the Canadian Forces at their base at Cold Lake, Alberta. It may interest those who bel ieve as I do that this quiet, retiring man is among the elite of the world's leading test pilots that this year he also has been recognised in Kingston, Ontario, and in Toronto, where he has received honorary degrees. All this recognition is long overdue and I'm sure many others share the pleasure I take in in seeing that his remarkable aviation Aeroplane. February 2001

talents are at last being shown appreciation by a wider audience. In the same news item, reference is made to his "falling leaf" Zurabatic in the Avro CF- l 00. I would suggest that the aerobatlc rnanceuvre in that aircraft for which he is best remembered is the tailslide, which he admirably demonstrated in the UK at the Farnborough airshow in 1955. I had the privilege of being the team leader for the CF- l OO 's ground support on that occasion (see Showing off the CF-l00, January and February 1998 Aeroplane), and the spectacle of tons of metal aircraft sliding tail-first down the sky under perfect control for hundreds of feet will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it.

JOHN PAINTER Bath Ontario Canada [An article on Jan Zurakowski is in preparation for a forthcoming issue - Ed]

On rotation SIR - Your item on engine rotation (Questions in the Air, September Aeroplane) I think solved something that had puzzled me for some years . I worked as an eng ine draughtsman for de Havilland Engines, which eventually became the Small Engine Division of RollsRoyce at Stag l ane and leavesden , retiring in 1991 . During my latter years I specialised in blades, vanes and nozzles for jet engines. Due to rationalisation , at this stage one had to obtain printouts of aerofoil sections from Rolls-Royce at Derby, When I received the first ones from Derby I found that the sections were opposite-handed to our blades and that Derby blades rotated in the opposite direction to ours. Derby had assumed that our blades rotated in the same direction as their own, This set me to wonder what governed the direction of rotation. I assumed that as in most respects it does not really matter, that de Havilland had chosen to rotate their jet engines in the same direction as their piston engines and the same with Rolls-Royce . It was only later that I found out the Griffon rotated in the opposite direction to the Merlin. This puzzled me, but Tony Downs has solved the problem for me.

A. TANNER Harro w Middlesex

Spitfire Trio SIR I notice on page 9 of the December issue of Aeroplane that Historic Flying Ltd is offering three airworthy Spitfires for sale at an expected price of £4 million , It Is a sobering thought that in August 1940 you could have bought the whole of RAF Fighter Command for that money and still got some change! I wonder what Messrs Mitchell and Camm would make of those relative values?

E. ROADNIGHT Yeovi! Somerset

Aeroplan e, February 2 0 01

It.1 What is your first

It.1 What do you see as the

Ul aviation memory?

Ul best aviation invention?

Looking out of our attic window at Hastings a few months before World War Two and seeing a Zeppelin going along on a westerly heading, My parents frightened me by saying that I should not be up there when "those things were about" .

The modern large turbofan engine because it has had such an effect on the way the world operates.

It.1 When was your first Ul flight?

AMY JOHNSON MEMORIAL TRUST SCHOLARSHIP 2001 THE AMY JOHNSON Memorial Trust is offering for open competition a scholarship worth up to £1,800 to assist British women holders of a Private Pilot's Licence towards the cost of obtaining their first professional licence (BCPl , CPl or ATPl). This does NOT include I/R or Multi-Engine Rating. Candidates must be British SUbjects by birth and reside permanently in the United Kingdom with a date of birth on or after January 1, 1966. Candidates must have completed and passed all the ground and medical examinations required for the licence issue by the closing date for applications. Holders of the BCPl , CPl or ATPl issued on or after June 1, 2000, are eligible to apply. The scholarship will be awarded by a selection committee whose decision will be binding and final. The closing date for applications is February 28, 2001, with interviews anticipated in early May. Application forms are available from:

Mrs M.E. Tucker, Hon Secretary, Amy Johnson Memorial Trust, 12 Church Lane, Merton Park, London SW193PD. Please remember to enclose a full-size A4 stamped addressed envelope.

Detailed die-cast scale models for the adult collector Information hotline ~ Tel 0845 603 9070

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Harrier test pilot JOHN FARLEY (above) talks to MELVYN HISCOCK about his career

In 1949, in a Miles Messenger that was doing trips for five shillings from the fiel d just west of St Leonards that I used to go to with the local aeromodelling club. The chap was kind enough to find and orbit the village shop where we lived. I can clearly remember thinking our street looked very strange from above ,

It.1 What prompted you to Ul learn to fly? I guess living under the Battle of Britain as an eight-year-old.

It.1 When was your first Ul solo? On January 12, 1956, at Hullavington, in a Piston Provost after 11 .1 5 hours (in those days they made us recover from spins before letting us off!)

It.1 Can you remember a flight Ul that sums up for you what flying is all about? Actually yes, it was my first solo aerobatics sortie at Hullavington. That day had lots of sharp-edged cumulus, around which I did (poor) aeros. I remember being quite excited by It before realising I had better get on with some work or they would be finding reason to chop me.

It.1 Do you hold any aviation Ul records? None that I would want my family to read about.

It.1 What do you consider Ul your best achievement? Managing 128 landings in the original P.11 27 prototype, XP831 , without bending it. That thing needed more skill than I had, so the outcome rather depended on one's luck. I hated having to rely on having more of that than Bill Bedford had in it at Paris,

It.1 Do you have any Ul unfulfilled ambitions? Aviation-related, nope. I do have some regrets about not flying certain aircraft, Typhoon (the proper one, that is), Fw 190, Mosquito and a few others.

It.1 Who, or what, has most Ul influenced your career? For the "who", I find it impossible to decide between four guys. Sammy Wroath: Sammy was the first ever Commandant of the Empire Test Pilots School and went back for a second tour in 1954. He was kind enough to suggest I was the sort of "chap we like to have come here" but that I "would have to go away and learn to fly first" . Bill Waterton, Gloster's CTP in the early 1950s, for his preface in his book The Quick and the Dead. It shaped my views on the role of the test pilot. Frank Ashley, a BristolSiddeley engines man who set up the Pegasus engines in the early Harriers at Dunsfold. At that time the engine did not take kindly to a change of fuel specific gravity, so if the engihe was set up according to the book there was a good chance it would let you down on slightly different fuel overseas, Frank used to ignore the book and set it up for the fuel he knew I would be faced with away from base. To say his skill kept me alive is no exaggeration. Jim Cramond, my CM aviation medical examiner. As such he kept my body usable for what I needed to do for all of my time at Dunsfold. He even sorted out my kidneys when they quit. That took 11 months, but it was thanks to Jim that I got into the prototype YAV-8B in 1979. As to the "what", I suppose it has to be the nozzle lever. My wife feels I would have had a career even without it (aaaah!), but I reckon it would have been a lot less fun!

It.1 What was your worst Ul aviation moment? My worst moment was ciimbing down the ladder after a MiG-29 flight. I was pleased to have flown what for me was the best-handling fighter wing ever but what made it so bad was knowing I would probably never do it again.

It.1 What is your favourite Ul aeroplane? The Harrier just because it can do so many things that other aircraft cannot. The Vulcan , though, was the best of the rest.

It.1 What is your least Ul favourite aeroplane? There is no such thing. 21

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The Antique Airplane Association of Switzerland recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and it now has more than 400 members and a vast fleet of aircraft. Report by PAUL RHYN, with photographs by ERICH GANDET

One of the flagships of the AAA is this magnificent Howard DGA.15P, shipped to Switzerland in 1993 and the only example of the type in Europe. For the full story on N42429 see Aeroplane, April 1997.

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HE FORMING OF THE Antique Airpl ane Associ ation of Swit zerland (AAA) in the 197 0s occurred in a de cade fi ll ed w ith co n tras t. Th e world was shaken by the o il crisis, wh ich caused the price o f crude oil to quadruple in jus t a few m onth s from 197 3 to 1974 . On the ot he r ha n d, th e gia nt Boeing 747 a nd the su person ic Co nco rde appeared at th e world's major airports. At the sa m e time Piper and Cessna, th e lea di ng America n ma n ufacturers in th e ge ne ra l-avia tio n ma rket, p rodu ced a ircra ft wit h ever-greater speed, com fort a nd re li abili ty, in their thou sands. It hardly seemed the kind o f enviro n ment in whi ch vin tage aviation wou ld fl ourish . Today, aga inst man y odds, the AAA ha s esta blish ed itself as one of Europe 's largest vin tage-aviatio n associat ions. In ret rospect, its

history co u ld we ll ha ve turned o u t quit e differentl y. En th usiasm for vin tage a eropla nes alo ne overca me the man y adversi tie s a long th e way. In September 1974, in the airport rest aurant a t Bcrne -Belpm o os. Werner Ulm e r, th en owner of Tiger Mot h HB-UBC, mel up w ith four othe r ow ners o f histo ric a ircra ft. The y a ll sha red a great love of well-tend ed a nd -prcserved aircraft that ca n still be flown , rather th a n being co nd em ned to spend ing the rest of th eir da ys o n th e gro u nd as mu seum pieces. Together th ey formed the AAA. Ulm er designed th e emblem whi ch is still used today in sligh tly modified form . At the tim e th e re were no pla ns to expan d the Association in an y way, but sho rtly a ft e rwards, in 1975, Erich Henselc r o f St Ga ll e n, owner of tw o Piper L-4s a nd, lat er, Bucker Aeroplane, February 20 0 1

Bu 131 Jungmann "A-IS ", suggested \0 founder member Peter Haberli tha t a vintage club be formed . A dynamic entreprene ur, Hense ler was conv inced that a large circle of pilots and aerop la ne e nth us iasts co uld be won over if effo rts to acqu ire new me m be rs we re intensified. After some h esitation Ulmer was persuaded by the prospective benefits, and transferred "his" AAA and the Association chairma nsh ip to Henseier. Initial signs of success followed rapidly, and In a short time the AAA numbered som e 3S members. The first highlight of the fledgling association wa s a vintage event in Sitterdorf on May IS and 16, 1976. This was fo llowed in Ma y 1977 by a meet ing with amateur aircraft builders in Altenrhein. After a prolo nged pau se the AAA m embe rs got toget her aga in in Ju ne 1982, o n th e occasion of the Belpmoos eve nt at Berne-Belpmoos Airport. During th ese yea rs the AAA was essentia lly supported by Erich Hense ler. However. his professiona l work began to occupy more of his time, and the end of th e Association ca m e threateningly close. Aeroplane, February 2001

Pilatus P-2 HB-RAM, one of the Association's earliest participants. Th e 465 h.p, Argu s AS.410 engine is now rare.

BELOW

After the annual ge nera l mee ting (AGM ) in 1984, the AAA discontinued all of its activities. Fortunately, other vintage-aircraft owners took up the fragile th read . After th ree years of inactivity the AAA ha d all but fa llen into oblivion . At thi s point Hans- Peter Kostli, late r to fo u n d th e av iation mu seum in Alte n rhei n. together w ith air fo rce instru ctor Roger Strebel a nd Bu cker specia list Albert Zeller, decided to establis h a new vintage club. Henseler sugges te d "reviving" the suspen ded AAA. Kostll. Strebel a nd Zeller th us became the seco nd fo un ders of th e AAA along w ith Habe rli. who looked after the adm inist ra tive side. On the day after its renaissance in the Hotel Derby in Wil, the associat ion already had the backing of some 40 co m m itted members. Tragically, Erich Hen seler did not witness the AAA's reviva l. In December 1987, shortly after his proposa l to reactivat e the association, h e an d h is pa rt ner died wh en hi s Cessna 42 1 cras hed. Th e n ew cha irma n, Kostli. tackled his task w ith grea t vigo ur. Th e first AAA news lett er notified its m embers of a ge ne ral m eeting sched u led for th e spring, a n airs how to be h eld in Bre itfeld. St Gallen, in the summer, and a social eveni ng, includin g a fil m presenta tion and speeches, in the w inte r. The Associat ion thrived and, qu ite w ithin the plans of its founders, newsletter 1/88 featured offers for exchange, purchase and sale alongside other classified advert isements, such as o ne looki ng for "a sassy girl to keep me company in my rattl etrap". (Unfortuna te ly. th ere is n o record of thi s adve rt isement 's success - or o therw ise.) In newsletter 2 /88 Hans-Peter Kostli proudl y a n no unced 18 new members, taking th e tota l co u nt to 60. Th e first AAA excursions were o rgan ised . A gra nd initial success was achieved wit h wi th the a rrival of 12 aeroplanes, including a Piper L-4, a Bucker J ungmann and Jungmeister, a Sipa 903, a KZ. VII and a Maule at the vintage aircraft meeting on the Whit Sunday weekend of 1988 at La Perte -Alais in France. Subsequently, AAA members attended the Popu lar Flying Associat ion ra ll y at Cra n field a n d the Reseau d u Spo rt de I'Air (RS A) m eeting in Mou lins. There w as a m ark ed AAA presence at airshows. Associat ion m embers a nd th eir aircraft w ere a definit e asse t at th e August event in

SWISS PRESERVATION

I

Mignet H.M.8 HB-YEI was built by AAA member Walter Haug, working only from a sketch in Henri Mignet's 1928 book. ABOVE

Built by Classic Aircraft Corporation, this Waco YMF·5 Super is one of only three in Europe. HB-UPZ is also known as the " Blue Wizard ". FAR RIGHT

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N930AJ is one of four seaplanes in the AAA. The owner of this colourful DHC-2 Beaver, Jvan Aeberli , is also the President of the newly-formed Seaplane Pilots Association of Switzerland (SPAS).

BELOW

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Alie n rhe in in 1988, 10 which Zeller managed 10 a ttract m ore tha n 30 vin tage aircraft. On th is occasion , AAA member Peter Sch m id paraded hi s bri ght gree n Bri sto l Syca mo re heli copt er in Iro n t 0 1 90,000 specta to rs, while Uc li Hau serrn ann . a Swiss Ai r Force pilot w ho h ad rece ntl y join ed th e AAA, showed 0 11 th e first civil -lice nsed vintage jet , de Havilland Venom J -1 6 30/H B-RVA . At th is po in t the committee had alrea dy begun 10 conside r ex pa ndi ng its ra nge 01 oilers 10 n on-ll yin g m embers. To m ak e m em bership more attra ct ive, plan s were drafted 10 organise passenger Iligh ts. es pecially during the plann ed AAA meet ings . Th ese even ts (w ith n o sta ndard a irs how ) lor pilots, hel pers, relati ves a n d ama teurs, were h eld 10 fost er com pa n io nsh ip in a rela xed and co ngen ial atmosphere. Th e Iirst. w hi ch in th e m ea nt ime had be com e w idely k nown as th e "MIFAS " (members ' fest iva l) mee ting, w as h eld in Saa ne n in J u ne 1989 . Specia l ackn o w ledgeme n t w a s given 10 the co -o pe ra tio n es ta blish ed between the AAA and the Fe dera l Office fo r Civil Avia tio n, whi ch was re fl ected in a series of regul ati ons

ada pted 10 the specific need s of vin tage aviatio n . AI the 1991 AGM the AAA, which had grown to 17 5 m em bers, agreed \0 ca tegorise th e aero pla nes in accorda nce wi th th e co m monl y applied internation a l sta n dards : "A n tiq ue ": aeropla nes bu ilt before 194 5; "Class ic": aeropla nes more than 25 years old co nstructed afte r 194 5; "Wa r bird s" : o u t-o f-s e rv ice military aero p lan es; "Re plica ": cop ies of "a n tiq u e " or "classic" aerop lanes. A total of 292 active members a nd 167 aero p lan es wa s report ed a t th e AGM at the Hurlimann brewe ry, Zu rich, in 1994. Th e in crease in members hip was partly due 10 the presence o f the AAA in th e Swiss avia tio n magazin e Cockpit. One plea sin g devel opm en t w as that more membership appli cations were com ing in from non-fl yers. wh o had p revi ously believed that only pilo ts or a ircraft owners wo u ld be a llowed 10 join. Frit z Fa h rni co n ceived an unu su a l plan fo r the MIFAS m eeting. His intenti on w as 10 take 011 a nd la nd lrom a fi el d a bove Nc uchaic l in the J ura mounta ins. miles away from the usual airfields. The area w a s se lecte d a nd th e n ecessary pape rw ork an d procedures initi ated , but . becau se the perm issio ns were n ot issued in tim e, th e eve nt had 10 be h eld in Pon tarlier in Fra nce . Eve n so, the meeting was a thorough success, w ith 67 aero -

Aeroplane, February 2 0 0 1

Klemm 35D HB-UBK is the only airworthy Klemm in Switzerland and has won several prizes since it first flew there in 1973. The owner of 'U BK , Werner Ammann , is a captain for Edelweiss Airlines. LEFT

Antique Airplane Association of Switzerland: Members' Aircraft Type

Registration

Type

Registration

Type

Aero '4S Aeron ca Champion Aust er Autocrat Auster V Beagle Terrier Beech Bonanza Beech Debonair Beech E-18S Beech Twin Bona nza Beech UC-4SJ Bell 47G Bellanca Crusa ir Boein g Stearman

HB-EKC HB-ETD, 'ETF HB-EOF HB-EOP, ' EOW, D-ELYD HB-EUD HB-EBG, 'ECD, 'EGS HB-EHO, ElF HB-GJG HB-GAF N4S N HB-ZBF HB-DUN HB-RBG,I-KJNG, G-BSDS, NSSo97, N9 Z1WS HB-UXL HB-UPC HB-RXA H B-U RD, 'u RM, 'UTH, 'UTN, 'UUD, 'UUE, 'UUM, 'UUN, 'UUO, 'UUP, 'UUR, 'UUS, 'U UT, 'UUW, 'UVH, ' UVM , D- EAVV, 'EDBI, ' EEGN, HOM, ' EEVV HB-MI V, 'MIZ, 'M KM, 'MKN , 'MKP, 'M KR, D-EKRE

D.H.Tiger Moth D.H. Vampire

HB-UCX, 'u PM, 'u PP HB-RVE, 'RVF, 'RVH, 'RVK, U-1206 HB-RVA N130WA, N700 W B, N930AJ, N7241R HB-TUG HB-YER HB-FAA, ' HAG, D-EFSC N64784 HB-XAJ HB-ERB HB-EMI, 'ERO D-EGBR G-B FPL HB-DCQ,'DVD HB-SPH HB-UCI HB-UCV HB-RVP, 'RVO, 'RVS F-BXCP, 'G HN U N42429

Pilat us P-2 P-3

Bolkow Bo 207 Bolkow Bo 208 Bristol Sycamore Bucker Jungmann (inc CASAl

Bucker Jungme ister

Cessna

'4° 'S0 '7° 172 '7S

177 182 '9S 210 310 320 Champion Challenger Cita bria Christen Eagle Comte AC -4 D.H. Gipsy Moth D.H. Leopa rd Moth D.H. Moth Major

Aeroplane, February 2001

HB-CAG HB-CBX, 'CMS, 'CVD HB-CKA, N170ER HB-CBS, 'CIU, 'CNF HB-CMC, 'CRM, 'CRY HB-CWC HB-CBG, 'CML, 'CVV HB-C1Z, PH -NEN N8288M HB-LFP HB-LCY HB-UAL HB-UAW N246RL HB-ETI HB-AFO G-APKH HB-UPE

D.H . Venom DHC Beaver DHC Chipmunk Denney Kitfox Dorn ier Do 27 Douglas DC-3 Enstrom 280FX Erco Ereoupe Fairchild Argus , Focke-Wulf Stieg'itz Fo kker D VII (R) Gardan Horizon Gardan Minicab Grumman AA-S Gyroflug Speed Canard Hawker Hunt er Holste Broussard Howard DGA-1S Jodel D.l1

D.1l2 D.140 DR. 2S0 DR·lOS0110S1 Klemm KI 3SD Laverda Faleo Luscom be Silvaire Maule M .Ms Meteor FloSS Mignet HM-8 Mooney M .20 Morane D.3801 Morane-Saulnier MS·3 17 MS. SOS Rallye Nord Norecrin North American T-6 North American T-28 Oberlerchner JOB-1S Piaggio FW P.149

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HB-SOH, 'SUL, 'SUV, 'SUY HB-SOU, 'svv HB-SFE HB-EE Z, 'KBJ HB-E BZ, 'EFP HB-UBK, D-EFES HB-UOD HB-DUX, 'DVW, 'DWF HB-ETN HB-EAE HB-YEI HB-DEZ, 'DUP, 'DVR, 'DWC HB-RCF HB-RAO HB-EJJ HB-EDY, 'ERM HB-DAG HB-RAJ, 'RCN, 'RCP . HB-RCT HB-ELD, 'KEV HB-KIU, D-E FOX, 'EFVI

Registration HB-RAR, 'RAT HB-RBO, 'RBP, 'RBT, 'RBV, 'RCE, 'RCG, 'RCI , 'RCL

Piper Aztec Cherokee

HB-LDH HB-OMS, 'OW E, 'OZG, 'PCI, N986AF • HB-OOF Clipper HB-ELO, 'OBF, 'OCI, Cub 'ODC, 'ODX , 'ODZ 'OER , 'OFK, 'OGA, 'OGG , 'OGZ, 'OIA, 'ONC , 'ONG, 'OSY, 'OUN, 'OUP, 'OUR, 'OVF, 'OXT, 'POO Cub Cruiser N3S0 21 HB-OVC Super Cruiser HB-OPP, 'OPU, 'ORZ, Super Cub 'PHP, 'PPJ, D-EGHU, N9S 6HD HB-ODL, 'OPL Tri-Pacer D-EDII Pitts S.2B HB-SPM Potez P.600 Robin DR.40 0 HB-EQL Sci ntex Super Emera ude PH -MOT HB-SP P, SPT, SPU Si pa S.903 Smaragd CP.301S HB-SEF HB-2018 Sportavia RF-SB HB-UPR, 'UPS, Stampe SV-4 D-EB HL, 'EBHR, F-BFCF, ' BM KL Stinson 108 HB-TRS, N938PD HB-LSK STOL UC-1 Tw in Bee Technoflug Picchio HB-22SS Tipsy Nipper HB-SPQ HB-TBV Uetz U3M Pelikan OE-EAS Vought Corsair HB-UPZ WaeoYMF HB-DCA Wassmer WA.40 Yakovlev Yak-18T RA-44446 Yak-S2 CCCP-01l48 Ya k-ssM RA-44S00 Zlin HB-TCB, 'TCC Z·3 2 6 HB-TCG, 'TRG, 'TRJ, 'TRQ Z·S26

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SWISS PRESERVATION

Built in 1957 for the German Air Force, and subsequently re9istered as D.HALD, Bristol 171 Mk 52 HB-RXB is painted in the markings of the RAF VIPlTransport Wing. Peter Schmid, who owns the helicopter, founded an organisation called Sycamore Flyers Switzerland in 1989. ABOVE

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planes an d alm ost 2,000 visitors in att endance. In 1995 th e AAA members ope ned th e sea so n w ith ano ther trip 10 Wi nzeln, a nd were later give n a wa rm welco me at Margo t a nd Man fred Pflurnm 's private mu seum of aviation in Schwenningen. The su m m e r fly-out took 14 AAA aircra ft across Austria, Hunga ry, Slovak ia, the Czech Republ ic a nd Ge rmany. Following ea rl ier events in Saa ne n. the MIFAS meeting was held on the air force fi eld a t St Ste phan , in th e Berncse Oberlan d. for th e fi rst tim e. Much of th e cred it fo r the success of the eve nt goes to th e exce lle nt hosp italit y of the co-organising Hunt er Associa tion a nd th e Fede ra l office for air force bases. At the 1996 AG M in Rorsch ach . th e Associa tio n cha irma n sh ip passed fro m We rner Heeb to Pete r Zw eifel. a nd m embers we re treat ed to a visit to the new a via tio n m use u m in Alte nrhe in . First open ed to the pub lic in April 1995, this mu seum w as es ta blished by former AA A chairma n Han s-Peter Kostli a nd a mu ltitude of helpe rs. Its objective w as to present all ex h ibits not o n ly on the gro und, but also airbo rne. Th e hi ghligh ts of the fl ying seaso n incl u ded a trip orga n ised by Fritz Fahrni across n orth ern Ge rma n y to highl y aviation fri end ly Denmark, a nd th e th orou gh ly success fu l MIFAS even t o n Sch me rla t Airfield, orga n ised in co -o pe ra tion w ith th e Scha ff ha use n

glider cl ub. Hans Goldinge r organi sed seve ral wi nter eve nts at w hich AAA pilots we re able to bru sh up th eir m eteorology a nd na viga tion . In 1997, ye t another record yea r in the AAA's hi story, m embership figures increased a nd th e excursion s were a tte nded by record numbers of part icipant s. For th e first tim e th e AG M wa s hel d across the Swiss border in Mulhouse. Th e sum me r fly-ou t in Ju ly-A ugust to Engla nd , th e Mecca of vin tage aerop la ne ent h usiasts, proved to be a uni que event. The fleet of 32 aeroplanes fl ew via Lc Tou qu et to Rochester, Ken t. w here th ey w ere given a n unbureau cratic w elcome by the tower an d th e im mi grati o n office rs. The fo llowi ng day was wet a nd ra in y, but the trip 10 th e world-famous Sh utt lewort h Co ll ection at Old Ward en compensated fo r an y disappoint m en t ca used by the weat her. Th e fly-o u t. orga n ised by Fritz Fahrni in th e proven fa shion, wa s a success in all respects. Still. some logistical and safety- re la te d cha llen ges d id arise. ow ing to the la rge number of pa rt ici pa ting aeropla nes. Fo r safety's sake. a li m it 0 1 32 aeroplanes was imposed on subsequent excursions. The MIFAS m eeting in St Ste pha n, w h ich was held und e r ideal co nditions, again set new sta nda rds. Th e nostalgic high li ght a t this m eeting was a se ries of Hunt er fl igh ts from St Stephan. The 1998 fly-out over t he Asce nsio n ba nk holida y took the 25 part icipating aeroplanes to Pa ri s and received a tremendou s response. The varied programm e had som eth ing to offer fo r eve ry taste; a n impressi ve visit to th e battl efi elds a nd m emorials of Verdu n, a visit to th e co mpa ny mu seum of jet engine manufacturer SNECMA a nd a stroll thro ugh th e streets of Pa ris. In orga nising th e sum m e r e ve nt. Fahrni was prompted by th e wish ex pressed by man y participant s to head so uth . A fl eet of 28 vin tage aeroplan es w inged th ei r w a y to n orthern Spa in , w here they received hu ge m edi a atte ntion by local television and newspape rs. A first was achieved wit h MIFAS 1998; it was th e firs t time a MIFAS meeting had been held on a con trolled airfield . In respon se to a request from Grenche n, th e co m m ittee decided to ta ke the plunge. A crow d of spectato rs an d num erous vis iting aeropla nes , su pe rvised by a n un de r-

Vampire Trainer U-1208 was used as a trainer in the Swiss Air Force from 1956 until 1990, when it was purchased by the aviation museum at Altenrhein and reo registered as HB·RVF. The aircraft was then used for jet pilot training at the museum. RIGHT

I

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• A well-illustrated hardback book on the AAA, in German but with an English introduction, has recently been published - see last month's Navigator pages.

26

Aeroplane. Februa ry 20 0 1

;::::> p

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sta nd ing a ir traffic co n tro l, reward ed th e com . , nuu cc s co u rage . At th e 1999 AGM in th e Dubcndorf Aviation M useum, cha irman Peter Zwe ifel re ported o n the flourishing Association, which by then comprised 400 members and more tha n 200 aeroplanes. The tra dit ional sum mer fl y-out wa s initiall y planned to be o n th e eastern Adria tic coas t. However. a cha nge soon became in evitabl e in view o f th e political tension in this region , and the trip fina lly took 25 aerop lanes across the Netherlands and Denmark to south ern Swede n. The M fFAS event gradually established an a lternat ing rhyt hm be twee n th e hom e base o f St Ste pha n a nd o the r a irfields . The venue in 1999 wa s St Ste pha n, wi th participa tio n by the highl y act ive a nd hospitabl e Hunt e r associat ion . In exce llent wea ther and with great publ ic int e rest som e 80 aerop la nes visited the former m ili tary air base. A futuris tic touch co n tras ting the pa rked vi n tage a ircraft was give n to th e meetin g o n Su nday morning by th e disp la y, o n the gro u nd and in the air. of th e ex pe rime n ta l Stingray a ircra ft, const ructed in Switze rla nd a nd supported exclusively by a pneumat ic in fl a table struct u re. Although St Stephan airfield cha nged hand s in 2000, it is hoped tha t th e J'vll FAS eve nt may still be held there in future. Th e id ea che ris hed by a handfu l of vintage a ircraft a mate u rs ha s co me a long way. Success co uld not always be take n for granted, nor was the development of the AAA a lways ent irely free of obstacles, bu t enthusiasm fo r vintage a ircraft ca rried the idea th rou gh. Anyo ne can be come a m ember of th e A AA. One thin g worth rem embering is th at th e spirit o f the Associa tio n is a t its best during the M IFAS m ee tings, w he n amate ur vintage aircraft enthusiasts join to share thei r co m m on passion in a d irect. co ngen ial a nd straig htforwa rd atmosp here . Membership of the Ant iq ue Airpl an e Associa tion o f Sw itze rla nd is ope n to a ll vin tage -aircraft amat eurs, pilot s a n d non -pilots a like. More de ta ils o f t he Associa tio n ma y be fo u nd via the Int e rn et a t www.a -a-a .ch . and from the AAA Sekretariat . Postfa ch . CH -8604 Vo lkctswi l/Sw itzer- t;1 lan d; te l/fax +4 1 194 5 192 4. W Aeroplane, February

200 1

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Maule M-4 HB-ETN was built in 1965 and is regarded as another of the f la gs h ips of the AAA. ABOVE

Originally registered as G-ACGS, D.H.85 Leopard Moth G-APKH was re-registered in 1963 and emigrated t o Switzerland in 1991 . LEFT

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Former French-based Stinson 108 F-BBSV was registered in Switzerland in 1965 and is t he only airworthy example in t he country. BELOW LEFT

The AAA Members' Festival a t Saanen in June 1989. Visible in this shot of the "A ir Park" are a P-51 , the P-2 and a pair of DHC-2s. BELOW

27

The Tradition Of German Watchmaking

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Enduring Value. The hi st oric Tutim a Flieger Chronog ra ph . The

authentic replica of the famous Tutima Chronograph Glashutt e of 1941. One of t he most striking w ristwatches of our day. Now also w it h ca libe r Va ljo ux 7750 or w ith th e fun ct io ns of the modern Tutima NATO Chronograph (caliber Leman ia 5100 ).

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., TRADITION SEIT 192 7 To o btai n you r free booklet TUTI M A INSTRU M ENT WATCH ES pl ease co ntact : D.J.J. Di st ri buti o n Ltd .. 2/6 M inst er Gat es · York· No rth Yorks hire · YOl 7HL · Ph : 01904 - 679707 . Fax: 01904 ·673370 E-m ail : [email protected] . www.tutima.com

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wa s set u p by Ca pta in Cha rles Bla ir, a PA A p ilot, fl yin g a No rth America n Mu sta ng smgle-englned fighter. To achieve the necessary range, Blair had hi s Mustang m odified to ca rry 86 5ga l o f fuel int e rn a ll y - e xte rna l fuel ta n ks were n ot use d. He took off from Idlewil d Airport , New York, at 09 50 h r GMT a n d la n de d a t 17 38 h r GMT on Jan uary 3 1. Th e elapsed tim e of 7hr 48 m in represents an average speed of 442 m .p.h . for th e distan ce o f 3,450 mi les.

Navy Beat the RAF FOR THE FIRST tim e sin ce the war, the Royal Nav y beat th e RAF in th e a n n ual int e r- Se rvi ce s Rugby Foot ball m at ch . In thi s th o rou ghl y w e ll-fo ugh t ga me pla yed a t Tw irke n ha m, th e sco re was Roya l Navy, a penalt y goa l a nd a try (6 poi nts ) to a goa l (5 points).

First flight of the Ambassador Flying-boat Fighters A STATEMENT WH ICH will aston ish many people was m ad e in the Ho use of Co m m o n s last we e k when th e Secre tary o f Sta te fo r a ir, rep lying to a q u estion by M r C.I. O rr-Ew ing MP (Co n se rva tive, He ndon Nort h) sa id that th e re was no Roya l Air Force requirement for fl ying-boa t fighters of the SR.A/I ty pe . Mr Orr-Ew ing had asked w het her the Mi niste r was satisfi ed that su ffi cie n t prio rit y wa s being give n to the de ve lopm ent a n d p rod u ctio n o f th is fl ying-boa t figh ter and after Mr He nd e rso n had given h is a nsw e r, Mr OrrEwi ng said th e re was considerable d isq uiet a bou t the de fen ces of Hon g Kong, w he re th e ai rfield s we re th rea re ncd wi th a rt illery bombardmen t a nd th at figh ters of t his typ e m ight provide a very desirable means of defending bases of th is ki nd . Mr He n de rso n sa id that h e had tak en th e best a dvice avai lable to h im in his offi cia l po sit ion , a n d it wa s not co ns ide red th at this typ e o f a ircraft had a ny utilit y to the Royal Air Force.

Although the USA received particulars of the design of the Saro SR.Al1, interest in the type both at home and abroad was scant, the type being unable to keep pace with the developments being made in the new generation of landbased fighters. The SR.Al1 made its final public appearance at the Festival of Britain in June 1951.

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SPORTSMAN PILOT

CI I II

Aer Lingus to Order Viscounts

A RECOR D FLIG HT from Montrea l to Lo ndon mad e durin g last w eek re ca ll ed th e spirit o f sim ila r lon gdista n ce re cords es ta blished before th e wa r. Th e record Aeroplane, February

A CHAPTER IN THE HI STO RY o f th e development of rotary-winged a ircraft in this co u n try ca m e to an end re ce nt ly w he n it was a n noun ced tha t the devel o pm e nt o f cur re n t typ es o f Cie rva heli copt e rs wa s being ta ke n ove r by Sa u n de rs-Roe w ho h a ve a lso acqu ired Cie rvas fa ctory a t Sou tham pto n . No indicat ion ha s been give n a s ye t as to SaundersRoe 's fu t ure pla ns in the ro tary- w ing fi e ld, a lt ho ugh , p re sum abl y, w he n th a y h a ve co m pleted t h e de vel o pm e nt of the seco nd Air Horse a nd Skeeter pro totype s, they migh t wish to develop th e ir own helicopters.

INCREASED OCEAN FR EIGHT cha rges a re th e rea son fo r in crea ses in the p rice s o f petroleum produ cts int rodu ced by variou s companies . All aviation fuel. including tu rbo fuel. is su bject to a n in crea se of \l,d a ga llon, the new p ri ce a pplying to a ll methods of delivery and a ll pa rts o f th e co u n t ry. A redu ction in p rice by \l, d h ad bee n a nnou n ced b y th e le ad in g pet role um It.t companies on ly a few weeks previously. ~

THE FIR ST PR OD UCTION Dassa ul t 4 50 Ouraga n has bee n com p leted a nd fo r so m e wee ks has be en unde rgoi ng its o fficia l accepta nce te sts be fo re deli ve ry to the Fre n ch Air Force . Meanwhile the prototype Dassault 452 Mystere has been com pleted a n d will sh ort ly co m m en ce its flight tria ls. The M vste re is a deve loped ve rsion o f the Oura gan w ith a full y sw e pt w in g.

Record Breaking in the Old Style

Cierva Ceases

Petrol Goes Up Again

French Flight Trials

AER L1 NGUS ANNO UNCED last w e e k th a t it had decid ed to o rder th e Vi cke rs Viscou n t to re place its Il eet of DC-3s. The q uestio n o f re placing its fl e et has be e n under co nside ra tion by the co m pa ny's five-man boa rd for so me time a nd o ne of th e d iffic u lties ha s bee n to fi nd a n a ircra ft su itable for Ae r Lingu s's rou tes, n early a ll o r w h ich a re com pa ra tive ly sh o rt .

THE FIRST FLI GHT o f th e first p ro du cti on Airspeed Am bassa dor wa s m ade at Ch ristch urch o n J an ua ry 12 . Th is is actually the fourth Ambassador a irframe, fol lowing two prototypes and one pre-produ ction model.

LI GHTWEIGHT

MOTOR

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CYCLE

From airport to town? Take I "CO RGI", En il)" stow ed. weight 9Slbt., l ite fo lded 5l illl. IOl'lg lC 1)ms. wide

The hUge Cierva W.11 Air Horse helicopter was completed by Saunders-Roe, but after tethered testin9 was put into store at Byley and eventually broken up. ABOVE

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125 miles per lilian. 1SO miles one fi ll ing! De li nltc l)" alrminded! BCing the c;v,I, an version of the paratrooper's "WELBIKE "

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Based on the Excelsior Welbike used by airborne troops, the Corgi was a 97 c,e, runabout, easily stowable in one's D.H. Rapide!

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200 1

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READERS' PHOTOGRAPHS

These rare colour photographs, submitted by FRANCO VEGLIO of Berne, show some of the many USAAF bombers which landed in neutral Switzerland and were interned during World War Two. All those shown except The Wickie and Tequila Daisy were flown to Burtonwood , Lancashire, in the autumn of 1945 for scrapping

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Durin9 a raid on Munich on JUly 11, 1944, Consolidated B-24J 44-40168 Tequila Daisy of the 857th Bombardment Squadron, 492nd Bomb Group, based at North Picken ham, Norfolk, had two of its engines knocked out by flak and limped into Diibendorf, where its nosewheel collapsed. ABOVE

An unidentified Liberator in the process of being broken up at Diibendorf. In total 71 bombers were flown to Burtonwood post-war, and were subsequently scrapped there, while those remaining in Switzerland were also broken up, yielding 345 tons of scrap metal to the Swiss.

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RIGHT Five Liberators of the

15th Air Force landed in Switzerland on July 20, 1944, after a Friedrichshafen raid. The Wickie was B-24G 42-78207 of the 459th Bomb Group, which arrived at Diibendorf with one engine shut down; the Swiss reported no other damage.

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More than 1,100 8th Air Force bombers attacked Southern Germany and Bavaria on July 21, 1944, and 31 were lost, seven Liberators landing at Diibendorf and one crashing. Little Sheppard, B·24H 41·28711 of the 712th BS, 448th BG, based at Seething, lost three engines but skidded into Diibendorf. Note the 21 mission symbols. ABOVE

Aeroplane. February 2001

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RIGHT The complete

ABOVE The bomber park

nose of a Liberator is cut away for scrapping at Diibendorf in 1945.

at Diibendorf in 1945 showing B-24H 42-95218 wearing the 6X code of the 491st BG, Metfield (landed July 21, 1944), B-17G 42-102457 Gloria of the 94th BG and B-24H 42-52559 Miss Fortune of the 467th BG (both landed July 12, 1944).

BELOW The only

Deenethorpe-based 401st BG aircraft to be interned in Switzerland was B-17G 42-107092 Freckles (on the other side it was named Umbriago). Virtually everything went wrong for it on July 31, 1944, and it was escorted into Diibendorf by a Swiss Bf 109E.

BELOW Following failure

of No 3 engine and fuel shortage on a mission to Lechfeld, its 51 st, on September 12, 1944, B-24H 41-28989 Reddy Teddy Too of the 15th AF's 455th BG arrived at Diibendorf with fighter protection and made a safe landing.

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BELOW Wearing the shark's-mouth marking of the

756th BS, 459th BG, 15th Air Force, B-24J 44-41075 was damaged over Munich and flew into Diibendorf. Here a mechanic works on it before its post-war flight to Burtonwood.

ABOVE B-24H 42-94785 Struggle Buggy was one of

38 aircraft from the 489th BG at Halesworth sent to the marshalling yards at Saarbriicken on August 11, 1944. It was the Group's only loss; hit by flak and with two engines out, it was directed by a Swiss fighter to Diibendorf. Aeroplane, February 200 1

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OBITUARY

Well known to Aeroplane readers , author and former World War Two Hawker Typhoon pilot JOHN GOLLEY

died peacefully on November 16. This is the tribute that BILL GUNSTON OBE FRAeS

delivered at his funeral at Farnham on November 30

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John Golley shortly after receiving his RAF commission during World War Two. He recounted his and his comrades' Typhoonflying experiences in the book The Day of the Typhoon (Patrick Stephens, 1986) and in a two-part article under the same title in Aeroplane of M arch and April 1984. ABOVE RIGHT

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N JANUARY 1986 1 was asked to review a book ca ll ed Day of the Typhoon . Eve ryone kn ew Typh oon s used to fire ro cket s a t Germ an tanks. Likewise, eve ryo n e kn ew th at th ese w ildly un guid ed mi ssiles n ever act ually h it th eir ta rgets, so I was amazed to sec clear pictures of Tigers with thei r 88mm turret blown of I. a nd Pa n zc rs ups ide -down . 1 bega n to rea d. So me hou rs la ter I m ad e a teleph on e ca ll : "Is th at John Goll ey? You rea lly mu st stop do in g thi s, I' ve be en readin g Day of the Typhoon . I co u ld n't put it do wn , a n d I've lost a w h ole work ing da y! " Thill ca ll cha nged m y li fe. John was born in 1923 into a la rge South London fam ily. When he was te n years o ld his fat her was accide ma lly killed . At o nce Joh n becam e th e fam ily's lath er-fi gure, as th e person everyon e went to for h elp and advice. In 194 0, aged 16, h e vo lu n tee red for th e RAE While wa iting to be ca lled up he worked at th e offices of Surrey Co u nt y Co u n ci l. One day. going to work in a Sou thern electric train , h e wa tched a Do rn icr Do 17 orbiting n earb y. Su dde n ly the bomber swo oped on th e tra in . with bombs a n d ma chine-gun lire. At o nce, it was John who too k cha rge and prevent ed pani c. In 1941 John bega n tra ini ng as a pilot. at Moose Jaw and Medi cine Ha t in Ca na da. Re turning with the coveted w ings, he was picked fo r fi ght ers (wha t e lse? - h e was a born

figh ter pilot) . He learned h is tra de o n Hu rrica n es, bu t ca m e closest to deat h in a Cu rt iss Toma hawk . A careless girl in th e WA AF forgo t to replace th e ca p o n th e fuel fill er. a n d John found himself fl yi ng a glider w ith one whee l locked up and the other locked down . This put him in hospit al for wee ks . In 194 2 John co nve rted to the Typhoo n . With a 2,200 h .p . Napier Sabre, it was th e most powerful single-cngincd fig hte r in the world at th at tim e, but it had a bad reputation. Joh n wa s lu ck y never to ha ve had th e tail fall ofI. but h e did ha ve a few dcad sti ck (ta iled e ng in e) landin gs. And e ve ryo ne h ated ha vin g the ca rtype doors bolted shut a n d the roof locked. so that escape was im possible. D-Day, J u n e 6. 1944. saw Joh n over th e Norm and y beach es, on a specia l reconn aissance w ith 245 Sq n . Th ankfu ll y, by thi s tim e the Typhoons had sliding bubble ca n o pies. Soo n h e was in the thi ck o f th e fi ghting, with ca n n o n, bo mbs a nd ro ckets. The "da y" m en tion ed in the book title was in m id-A ugus t 1944 w hen th e 6t h SS Pan zer Divis ion was ca ugh t o n a road in da ylight. Every "Tilly" in th e 2 n d Ta ctical Air Force w as ca lled up. Th e tank s occupi ed more th an six miles of ro ad , a nd fo ught ba ck with 88 m m a n d more than 100 20mm gu ns. but by lat e a fte rnoon the ent ire divisio n was a shambles of wrecked and burn ing vehicles. One day John was sh o t do wn , cras h ing a lmost on th e Germa n front lin e. He m an aged to evad e capture, and a ft e r runn ing with his head down for seve ra l m iles h e ca me upon an All ied a irstrip. Th e first thing he sa w wa s a 13 - 17G. Th e re was n obod y abou t so - n e ve r having been in one - he climbed in . It wa s at o nce a ppa re n t that thi s was a special 13-1 7 . Th e int erior was full of la rge maps. leath er ar mcha irs, and a bi g refr igerator. Grabbin g a bottle of Co ke, he made a ha st y ex it. to co me la ce to face with th e Su preme Allied Co m m a nde r. Jo h n th rew th e sma rtes t sa lu te o f his life. General Eisen hower aske d "W h a t arc yo u doing w ith Illy Co ke? " John sa luted aga in. "Ike" then gril led J ohn on his unit. their problems, th eir ach ieve me n ts a n d what might be done to make them more effective . He then sa id. "Go to th e marqu ee and tell them th e Su p reme Co m ma n de r says yo u ca n h ave any tliinq yOll want!" Jo hn sa lu ted . O n his way h e was int ercept ed by a furious RA F sq ua dro n leade r, wh o demand ed to know wh at had been sa id . Jo h n. a t the tim e a se rgea n t. tapp ed th e side of his nose a n d sa id, "State secret ". A day or two la ter John wa s se n t hom e on a bricl lca vc. He arrived at h is mother's h o use at the sa me tim e as the postman . w ho han ded over a tel egra m. Guess ing it was fro m the Air Mini stry. J ohn ope ned it. It read "REG RET Aeroplane, February 2001

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TO INFO RM YOU YOUR SON IS MISSING BE LIEVED KILLED" . Soo n J o hn rece ived a fi eld co m m ission, and one day h is CO said "Wizard show, Jo hn, I' ve put you up for an im m edi ate DFC". I sa id to John, "But you never put that after your name?" . He replied "I n ever got it. th e CO go t the chop n e xt day ". So I persisted . "W hy didn 't you m ent ion it to his successor?" Jo h n had a short fuze, a nd he exploded; "We had other things to do. We had three COs killed in three weeks. We co u ldn 't bother about some chap n ot gett ing a go ng h e 'd been p rom ised ". Not for J ohn a petul ant su lk. In stead h e fl ew ro u nd th e clock, a nd desp ite cou nt less close calls he survived, logging 103 operationa l sorties. The Typhoon squadrons suffered the high est casua lty ra te of any force in the war. w ith the sing le exce ptio n of the Germa n U-boa ts . Afte r th e war Jo h n d id a tw in -engin e co nvers ion on Oxfords (a nd flew Mosq uitoes), a nd then was actually sent to Oxford to attend a course at the University. He also instructed a n u m ber of pil ots fro m Allied co untries, n ot a bly No rway a nd Th e Nethe rlan ds. How ever, in John's words, "I do ubted tha t I'd make Air Marshal. so I returned to Civvy Street" . He began work for a mass -observation company, who sent him to live among the coa lminers of Sout h Wa les. J ohn ad mi re d these w on de rfu l men , a n d wrote a book abo u t th em (title Down to Earth), w h ich h e never offered to a publisher. In Ju ly 194 8 he married Peggy, and they soon produced Angela and then Tony. John beca me a feat ure w riter on Scope, in ter vie wi ng "ca p ta ins o f indu st r y ", a n d th en becam e Adve rt ise ment Director o f Adp rin t, whose magazine Future was the British equivalent of Fortune. In 1953 he was h ired by Lew Grade to set up market ing for th e pion eer ATV television sta tion in Birm ingham . He worked with Ned Sher rin, Noelle Gordon a n d Reg wa tson (w ho later created Neiqhboursi , and directly with Lew and with Val Parnell. He set up J im 's Inn , fronted by Jimmy Hanley, and then , wit h Avril Ange rs a n d Ray Cooney, partn ered Jo h n Slater in Slater's Bazaar. By 19 57 Jo h n ha d a fiv e -yea r co ntract run n ing ATV's e n tire direct-selli ng organization, but he persuaded Lew Grade to tear it up so he could form his own company. Th is com pa ny was ca lled Go lley Slate r. II grew rapid ly, offering th e co m plete ra nge o f adve rt ising in a ll m edi a, pu bli c relations and sales training. John created more than 1,000 TV commercials. By 1980 he had turned down tempting offe rs from Maurice Saa tch i and Ma rt in So rrell. a n d in 1999 Go lley Slater's turn over w as n ot far sho rt of £ I00 m illi o n . Joh n ha d lon g since dise ngaged from the fre netic day -to-day operations, whilst rema ining Cha irman. What he wanted to do was write books. As well as Day of the Typhoon (w h ich was rep rint ed la st year) h e wrote The BiH Drop, H u r r ican es over Murmansk a n d Aircrew Unlimited. As soon as I met him in 1986 I said, "I' m sup posed to be writing the biography of Sir Frank Aeroplane, February

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Wh it tle. but I' m overworked, a nd lettin g h im down. Ca n yo u h elp? ". J ohn did m ore th an tha t: h e w rote th e book, a n d the n w en t o n to write John Cun n inqh am . Th is is a biograph y th at many authors had wanted to write, but all had been gently de flected un til. in John Galley, the fa mo us n ight -figh te r an d test pil ot fo u nd a tru e k in d re d sp irit. In 1988 Jo hn w a s ap proached by fa m o us silh ou en e art ist Michae l Pierce, w ho sa id, "I have an idea for a product to hono u r the men who won th e Bat tle of Bri ta in, a nd wan t 10 get it ou t for the 50 th a n n ive rsa ry in 1990 ". Cu tt in g a long story sho rt, Jo h n , M ike a n d I crea ted So Few. In pa rtne rs h ip w it h Air Vi ce -Marsha l Freddie Hurrell CBE, th e RAF Be nevolent Fund Director of Appea ls, we produced 40 1 massive nu m bered copies, each gua ra nteed n ot to det erio rat e in 500 yea rs. We took No I to Bucking ha m Pa lace a n d h a n d ed it to He r Majesty, a n d sold th e o ther 400 at £ 1.600 each . This raised more money for the Fund tha n any p re vio u s prod uct or event in the Fund's 80 -yea r hi story. Th e 25 cha ps featured in So Few a ll sa id, "Yo u must do so m eth in g fo r Bo m be r Com ma n d, they ha d a much rough er job" . So we followed w ith So Many. Aga in the dea l was 401 at £1,600. Then W.H . Smith sa id, "Fa n tastic. how abou t a popula r editio n?". So we did a beau tifu ll y- bound editio n o f each title, printed o ff th e sa me fil m bU I o n ordin a ry m at e ria ls, an d each ma de th e n on -fiction best -sell er list. one reach ing No 3 and the other No 2 . Again, these generated a la rge su m for the Fund. Jo h n mea nwh ile gave ta lks to clu bs a n d schools, be ing discon ce rted by a furio u s sch oo lgirl w ho as ked, "D id it n eve r occur to yo u th at there were men in those ta nks?" . He a lso re pre sented the RAF on a tri-Service lecture cruise by the sh ip Cun ard Princess. Not lea st , w ith Ton y Allard h e wrot e a pla y about con fl icting emo tions in th e Bat tle o f Brita in, Freedom to Forqet, w h ich wo n exce llen t reviews a n d p la yed 10 fu ll houses at The Rcdgra ve. Farnham. His integrity was absol ute . He went straight to th e heart of a ny p rob lem . He did n't su ffer fools gladly, and on occas ion h e h ad a sho rt fuz e, h illi ng th e edge of th e table w it h his fingers a nd sayi ng, "No, no, no, yo u're no t listening!". I like to think he is now reunited wit h No 245 Sqn, with a glass of beer a nd h is favo urite pipe . If he h as a spa re h a n d. it It.I wi ll be h ill ing the ta ble . u.J

Bill Gunston (left), Mike Pierce (centre) and John Golley with copy No 1 of the folio So Few (see Aeroplane, August 1990) at the Royal Air Force Club in September 1990, just before they went to Buckingham Palace to present it to HM The Queen. Some of the Mike Pierce silhouettes from the book were reproduced in Aeroplane's series One of the Few during the Battle of Britain 60th anniversary period in 2000.

ABOVE

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John flew

round the clock and despite countless close calls he survived, logging 103 operational sorties on Typhoons

LEFT A typical article by John Golley in Aeroplane - this one was published in our May 1998 issue.

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PHOTOG RA PH IN THE Jul y/Au gu st 1999 issue of Germa n aviat ion magazin e Jet & Prop show ed a n RAF prison er together with his capto rs. His name was Flying Office r George, an d th e location was Bargstcdt . n ear St ade, a few miles west of Hamb urg. The read er w ho su bm itted it. Dietrich Alsdorp. wanted to know w hat ha d happened to the prisoner, and the maga zine's editor was in terested e no ugh to research th e circu ms ta nces, with so me init ial help from m e. On Se pte m be r 2 5, 1944, Air Ch ief Marshal Sir Art h ur Ha rri s recei ved a d irective req uiri ng Bomber Co m ma nd to co nce n tra te on destroy ing the e ne m y's synthetic oil plants a nd transpo rt system . Altho ugh Ha rri s o ppose d th is policy, cont endin g th at the a rea bombing of Germa n cities was the best method o f bringing the war to an end, he grudg ingly d ive rted so me of his Com ma n d's efforts to these objectives. The photograph in Jet & Prop was a result of th is o il ca m pa ign . Bomber Co m m a nd devoted th e night o f November 11 -1 2, 1944, to att a cks o n th e Rhena nia-Ossag refinery at Harburg. across the Elbc from Hamburg, a nd the He esch Benzin refinery in the wambe l district of Dortm u nd , in the Rui n. Nu m ber 5 Gro u p was ordered to a ttack Harburg with 237 Avro La ncas tc rs a nd eig h t de Havill and Mosquitoes, and among these was the ma rker force of No 83 (Pa th finde r) Sqn . based at Co n ingsby, Lin col nshire . Numbers I and 8 Gro ups despat ch ed 209 La ncasie rs a nd 19 Mosquitoes to Dortmund . The other Groups were ordered to sta nd by fo r possibl e dayligh t o pe ra tio ns in support of the All ied gro u nd fo rces. This was the first occasion that Bomber Co m ma nd had visited Harb u rg. a ltho ugh th e US Eigh th Air Force had a lrea dy m ade six daylight a tt acks in the su m m e r a nd a u tu m n of 1944. La ncaster III P131 88, coded OL-A, was one of 12 from 83 Sqn wh ich took off on this attack, a t 1638hr. The crew was one of th e most ex pe rie nced in the sq ua d ro n . Th e pilot was an Aus tra lia n, Fit Lt David ("Curly") Four of the seven crew of PB188 pose with their (ground) transport. From left to right: Fit Lt David ("Curly") Jennings (pilot); Pit Off Albert Mathews (rear gunner); Pit Off Brian Hayes (mid-upper gunner) and Pit Off Gordon ("Bill") Hughes (wireless operator). RIGHT

Aeroplane, Februa ry 2001

LANCASTER SORTIE

While investigating the fate of a Royal Air Force prisoner of war, ROY NESBIT unravelled the full story of an 83 Squadron Lancaster's last bombing raid over Germany

One of the photographs which prompted the enquiry into the fate of the other crew members of Lancaster OL-A of No 83 Sqn. It shows navigator Fg Off Phil George under guard at Bargstedt, near Stade in northern Germany.

LEFT

Jen nings DFC. His navigat or WJS Brit is h, Fg Off Phil George . The w ireless operator (WOp) WJS Austra lian . Fg Off Gordon ("Bill ") Hughes. A third Austra lian WJS mid-upper gunner Pit Off Brian Hayes DFM. The rear gunner WJS British, Pit Off Albert Mathews DFC, as were both the flight engineer. Fit Sgt Stanley Burleigh, and the bomb aimcr/radar operator. WO H. W. (Be rt) Turton . There was no irucruion to use the bombsight. for the load was to be dropped by "bli nd ma rking" wit h the Gee-H radar sys tem filled in such specialised a ircraft. Six of the seve n me n in the crew su rvived to become pri soners. Th ree ha ve been locat ed. a nd a no ther h J S died but h J S left a vivid accou nt. Th us th e eve nts of th e fli gh t may be reconstructed from their reco llections. Th e crew had bee n briefed to back u p the targe t indi cators dropped by the Master Bomber in one of the Mosquitoes, with the unenviable job of orbiting the target area from 1900hr until the main bomber strea m arrived 15min later. They were also given the additional duty of "Com ma nd Wind Broadcaster". which meant that navigator Phil George had to calculate the wi nd veloci ty en rou te to th e target a nd pJSS the in forma tion to WOp Bill Hu ghes, w ho wo uld se nd it to Bom be r Co mma nd Headqua rte rs for relayin g to a ll a irc raft in the o pc rarion . The La ncaster WJS loa ded w ith two gree n flares. J red target ind ica tor (TI l. J medium-capacity bomb of 1,0001b with J l 2h r de lay and seven more such bombs with omi nou s six-day dela ys. Aeroplane, February 2001

The ro u te to th e ta rge t took th e La ncaste r over the North SeJ to th e COJst o f Germa ny and then u p the rive r Elbe to the targe t. The USUJ I ro u tine WJS fo llowed in the early part of the flight. The navigation lights and identification friend or foe (IFF ) were switched of I. the guns tested with short bursts into the sea, and all instruments were checked. The oxygen system WJS checked at 10,000ft and all crew members were connected with it. Ph il George made his calcula tions and discovered that the fo recast w in d WJS in correct, an increase in speed being req uired . Th is in fo rm ati on WJS rad ioed to Bomber Co m ma nd an d a ll ot he r a ircra ft we re inform ed. The fl ying tim e to Ha rhu rg after cross ing th e COJ st WJS abo u t 12 mi n . By thi s time the La ncas ter was at 2 3,000ft. Flight engineer Stanley Burleigh had moved in to the front turret. It became evident that the defenders had located the approa ching bomber strea m on their radar. for searchlights were weaving around their blue master light s. David Jennings kept the Lan caster weaving constant ly, seeing bursts of flak to starboard. Ye llow flares ahead on the port bow ind icared a p robabl e assemb ly poin t fo r n igh tfi ght ers. Bert Tunon reporte d six a ircra ft on his radar scree n , but since th ese we re on th e sa me head in g they were ass u med to be RAE The flak beca m e more in tense as they neared the target. From the rem tu rre t. Albert Mathews reported aircraft going down in flame s a couple of miles behind, followed 35

LANCASTER SORTIE

The target for N o 5 Group on the n ight of November 11-1 2, 1944, was the Rhenania-Ossag oil re fine r y at Harburg. La nc a st e r A-Able of 83 Sqn was shot down before it reached this o bj e c ti ve . RIGHT

•

This photograph was taken in June 1 945 when two of the PoWs returned to No 83 Sqn from Germany. Fourth from left, Fit Lt David Jennings; far rig ht , Pit Off Bill Hughes. All the others w ere members of the groundcrew. They are ' standing in front of "ne w" Lancaster OL-A of No 83 Sqn. BELOW

by e no rmo us fl ashes as th eir bombs ex ploded . Bill Hugh es searched the fre quencies o n h is wireless set for e nem y vo ices d irecting n igh tfigh ters. To his surprise he h eard a woma n giv ing th ese, an d drown ed h er o u t w ith blast s o f e n gine noise e ve ry l Oscc. But th is actio n did not stop th e e n em y activity, [or th e gunners soo n report ed night fi ghters in the vicin ity. David Je n ni ngs was a le rt [or directi o n s, and was not surpr ised whe n A lbe rt Ma t hews warned tha t a n e ne my a ircra ft w as track ing th em aft er Be rt Turton h ad pick ed it up o n his radar scree n . He w as to ld to be ready to "corkscrew port ". Upo n receiving th e word "go ", h e bank ed the Lan cast er 90° a n d dropped 2,000 h , then levelled o u t an d sk idded in to a climbing tu rn . The gunne rs repo rted ca n n o n [ire streaki ng a bove the a ircraft. By the n they were 8 m in away [rom th e ta rget, a n d this manrcu vrc w as repeat ed twi ce more befo re they rea ched it, havin g successfu lly sha ke n 0[[ th eir p ursu ers. Je n n in gs le vell ed o u t a t 23,000h a n d encountered a myriad of searchl ights . Then ca me a su dden a n d trem en dou s cras h as a sa lvo of hea vy fl ak exploded a ro u n d th em . The Lan ca ster fi ll ed wit h sm o ke, the sta rboa rd engines and wing ca ugh t fire a n d sp u rts of flam e a ppea red on th e port wing. He ord ered th e fire ex ting u ishers to be u sed, bu t these proved ineffect ive. Then he put the ma chine into a dive in th e h ope of putting o m th e fires, but th ey w ere ju st as strong when h e pull ed out. He ordered Bill Hughes to repo rt the sit u ation to base, but was told that both the wire less set and th e radar w e re sha tt ered . Fro m behin d th e cu rta in th at sh eltered his n avigator 's pos ition, Phil George saw that a large sectio n of th e roo f ove r hea d h ad disapp eared . He climbed o ve r th e m ainspar to see that flames w ere sp read in g a lon g th e fu sel age , ca us in g a m m u n itio n in bo xe s and o xygen bot tles in the rack s to exp lode in all direct ions. It ~ was clea r th at the bomb load co u ld ex plode a t ~ a ny m om en t, so Jen ni ngs gave the o rder the ~ bale o ut. z S All se ven m en left th e blazin g Lan caster as Aeroplane, Februa ry 2001

---

----

A Lancaster III prepares to take off on a night bombing raid. Although the idea of a special pathfinding force was first used by the Luftwaffe in raids over Britain in 1940, it was the RAF which exploited the idea to its full potential, using improved navigational techniques to mark targets accurately for Main Force squadrons.

LEFT

best th e y co uld. The rear gu n ne r tu rn ed his turret a nd fell out backward s th rough th e ope ning. Bria n Hayes was wedged in his miduppe r turret. wea ring heavy fly ing gear. but strug gled ou t to find th a t his parachu te pack, left und erneath, was scorched. Nevert h eless he cl ipped it on a nd loo ked towa rd s th e e n try door at th e rear of th e sta rboard side, bu t it a ppea red to be jamm ed, a nd th e a rea arou nd it was burni ng. He clambered forwa rd over the burning bomb ba y a nd man aged to lea ve th rough th e fro nt esca pe ha tch . Bert Tu rt on, Stanley Burleig h and Phil George also left by thi s hatch, the latte r barely able to sq ueeze h is 6ft 2in fra me throu gh w ith a forward roll . Bill Hughes, who described th e infern o in the fu selage as "li ke a gas ring", sa w Ph il d isappear. He dash ed to th e rear doo r, w ith fl am es sea ring hi s face a n d hand s, a nd ma naged to w re nch it open in time to dive o ut. Th e ca pta in left his pil ot's sea t a nd sa w th at everyo ne seemed to have left. He a lso ma de his way to the fro nt ha tch and ba led o ut. at an a ltitude he estimat ed as 20,000 ft. David Je n n ings passed out, possibl y fro m lack o f oxygen , but ca me to wh en descendi ng thro ug h th ree laye rs o f clo uds. He ke pt bru shing o ff sno w fl a kes to prevent his clo thes from beco m ing wet. Then he cras hed th ro ugh trees a nd was le ft sus pe nded a bove th e gro u nd. After a w h ile in th is awkwa rd situa tion he heard vo ices, a nd a light was shone in hi s direction. A voice sa id "Ka merad" a nd a rifl e w ith a ba yonet was pointed at him. He p ush ed the release butt on on h is ha rn ess a nd fell abo ut l Oft to th e gro u nd . Th e jar jerked hi s false teeth from his m outh, a nd he used hi s li ght er to sea rch for th e m . He had descended on a farm at the edge o f a pine forest a nd was ta ke n to a gua rd ho use abo ut a m ile awa y, w here he was sea rched and his personal equ ipment was removed . Phil George a lso re me m be rs descend in g throu gh la ye rs o f cloud . Since th e heating in th e La n caster had its o utlet near th e navigator's cha rt tabl e, he was wea ri ng o nly his battl edress, w itho ut ex tra fl ying clo the s, a n d th us Aeroplane, February 2001

became extremel y cold. He instin ctively cl u ng to the parachute shro uds, a nd his ha nds froz e to th em. His memory o f h is land ing a nd its immediat e afte rmat h is un clear. but he now knows th at he fe ll nea r th e village of Bargstcdt. w he re he wa s captu red. It seems th a t he was ta ke n the fo llowing m orning to a local Gas thoL und e r gua rd from the Volkst u rm . He rem em bers th e local ladi es eye ing his parachute mat erial w ith interest a nd for eign workers com ing in , so me o f w hom ga ve him a surrcptio us V sign a nd even bou ght beer for h im. He was thu s not too bad ly treated, an d was soon re u n ited with o the r crew m e mbers. Bill Hugh es also passed o ut w he n he ba led o ut o f th e rear door on th e sta rboa rd side. He wa s still in free fall wh e n he ca me to, a t a height he estima ted as 4,000ft, a nd pulled th e ri pcord . The parachute o pe ned an d he co u ld see light s a ll aro u nd , but th e gro u n d below was jet bla ck. Then he plunged in to wat e r, for h e had fa llen in to a cana l abo ut 20ft wide. He un clipped his parach ute ha rness and swam to the ban k, w he re he fo un d many houses. The ta rget a rea was rendered vis ible by search ligh ts and flak, so he hea ded in th e opposite direction, ru n ning dow n a cou ple of stree ts a nd th en past padd ocks. A stick o f bombs fe ll abo ut 75yd awa y, send ing h im fl ying. The main bom ber force had a rrived, a nd th e sky was a mass of fl ashes a nd thund erous ex plosio ns. He ke pt o n, half ru n n ing, blu ndering int o trees a nd eve n fallin g in to a n ice -cold creek. It bega n

Brian Hayes was wedgeg in his mid-upper turret, wearing heavy flying gear, but struggled out to find that his parachute pack was scorched

The mid-upper turret of the Lancaster. Brian Hayes, jammed in with his bulky flying suit, had difficulty extricating himself quickly when PB188 was hit by heavy flak and caught fire . LEFT

37

-

-

LANCASTER SORTIE

Someone with a badly burnt face was ushered in. "Who are you?", asked Jennings. "I'm Billy", said Bill Hughes, almost unrecognisable

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2i ~ The crew's known survivors as they are today. TOP Mid·upper 9unner Brian Hayes at his home in Australia. MIDDLE Pilot David "Cur ly" Jennings now lives in Tasmania. BOTTOM Navigator Phil George lives in Dorset, a n d was photographed r e c e n t l y with his daughter.

snowing heavil y as he entered a forest. but the moon began to sh ine through the clouds. He h eaded east by the sta rs . His face was agonisin gly h ot . a nd h e sa t down a n d ru bbed sno w into it, w it h o u t effect. So me co n de nse d m ilk from a tube in hi s escape kit gave so me re li e f. Whe n da w n came he could see t hat h is hand s were h orribly burnt, with even a bare knu ck lebone showing. He had no h a ir on his h ea d. a nd h is clot hes were pa rtl y burnt away. He even tua lly w alk ed or cra w led m ore th an 15 mi les fro m w h ere h e h ad desce nd ed. His fa ce h ad swollen u p like a ball oon. h is bo tt o m lip was terribly gas hed a nd he cou ld not see out of one eye . He fell asleep. but was w oken in bright sunlight wi th dogs barking and so ld ie rs yelli ng a nd po inting t heir guns a t h im . He stood up an d su rre n de red . "All es ka put ". they kep t sayi ng, a nd m arch ed h im to a barn w h e re th e y re lieved hi m of a ll h is possessio ns. Then he wa s told to march o n, unde r guard. A German got off his bike and began to hit him . knocking him to til e ground , but one of the guards h it h is as sa ilant on t he h ead w it h his rifle . They a rrived at a no t her sma ll village. wh ere h e was locked in a room . Brian Hayes wa ited unt il h e was in a n upright position before pulling the ripcord of his burnt para chute. o ffering up a very qui ck pra yer as he did so. To h is intense relief the ca nopy o pened a nd the h arn ess too k his w e igh t. He h it the gro u n d w it h a g rea t jo lt, ca us ing pa in s 10 shoo t u p h is back . Loo king around in a darkness illu mi n a ted by th e distan t target area . h e co u ld see that he had landed in o pe n h earhland with little cover. He managed 10 hid e his para chut e in the ban k of a small stream a nd . w ith t he aid of h is pocket co m pass. began to ta ke te n ta ti ve steps so u t h -wes t, towards t h e di sta nt Du tch bo rde r. He ma de slow prog ress on th e fi rst day. suffering pain in his legs and ba ck, pa ssing sm a ll streams. farm s and livestock . The next two days w ere mu ch th e sa m e, and h e ate spa ringly from hi s esca pe pa ck. Alter t he third n igh t h e awoke to see shee p aro und hi m a n d a Ge rma n she p he rd . The Ge rma n d isapp eared in one directio n a nd Ha yes in th e o ther. He t ried to h ide, but a truck with armed youths an d a Gefreit er in cha rge pulled up and he w as qui ck ly ca p tu red . The Ge r m a ns took him to a local cell. from w here he wa s taken to a room

for interrogati on by a Hauptmann o f the wchrma cht. the local vill age leader a n d a Gestapo offi cer who a ccused him of sp ying and th rea te n ed in ca rcerat io n in a co n ce n t ra tio n ca m p . Bu t th e Ha uptm ann co n fir me d th at h e was a gen u ine RAAF officer. From there he wa s m ade to walk about eigh t miles to a rail wa y sta tio n . und er the gu a rd of a rm ed cyclists who protected him fro m in furi ated civilians. and pla ced on a trai n w ith h is escorts to Dulag Lu ft. t he in te rroga tio n ce n t re a t Obcrurse l n ea r Fran kfurt -a m -Main . On t he seco n d day of his ca p ture David Jennings wa s led out under armed gu ard and put in a tru ck with two a irm e n fro m an other cre w. The tru ck set o ff and othe r RAF person n el were p icked up . Then someone with a ba d ly burnt fa ce was ush ere d in . "W ho are yo u ?". aske d Je n n ings. "I' m Billy" , sa id Bill Hug hes. w ho was almo st unrecognisab le . ph il Geo rge was the ne xt to be pick ed up. a n d the tru ck th en arri ved at a large ai rfield . Je n n in gs and Hu ghes w ere lo ck ed in the sa m e cell. a n d a requ est for a doctor wa s met wit h a roll of to ilet pa per. w h ich Dav id u sed to bi nd up Bill's wo u n ds as best h e co u ld . The part y wa s t he n tra n sp o rt ed to a tra in . and off it wen t. During a stop a t Kassel the gu ards h ad to prot e ct the prisoners fro m a n a ng ry mob . Eve nt ua lly th e train too k th em to Du lag Lult. wh e re Bill Hug h es was at la st admitted to h ospital. Th e ava ilab le spa ce does n o t perm it a n acco un t o f t h e ex periences o f th ese lo u r men in prison ca m ps. All survi ved th e war, but Bill Hughes died so m e years ago . As regard s Albert M ath ews, David Jennings w as told a t Du lag Luft t h a t he h ad been killed in a gu n fig ht. No deta il s are ava il a ble, but it wa s known th at h e ca rrie d a revolver, w h ich h e ma y ha ve used to pro tect him self fro m a n a ngry m ob . He h ad been co m m issio n ed from warra nt offi cer and a w a rd ed a DFC onl y a few da ys before. Hi s bod y w as neve r fo u n d. a n d he is regi st e red as "n o k now n g ra ve ". The re w a s conside ra ble destru ct ion in Harburg. w ith 5,205 people bomb ed o u t a nd 119 killed . No in form at io n is a va ila ble fro m t h is research co nce rn ing t he ot her two members of the cre w, Stanle y Burleigh a n d Bert Turton , except that the y a lso be cam e pri son ers a n d survived the w ar. Burleigh 's lon g-overd ue t;1 DFM was not ga zetted unt il 194 6 . ~

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OL·A on display after the war. This machine replaced the original OL·A which was shot down on November

11 ,1944. Aeropla ne, February 2001 •

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In the middle years of World War Two the advent of the Avro Lancaster reinforced British hopes of victory. In The Aeroplane's issue of August 14, 1942, technical editor PETER MASEFIELD (now Sir Peter) wrote an account of its conception , construction and production , of which this is an abridged reprint VRO LAN CASTER four-motor heavy bombers are like ly to go down in history as one o f the grea tes t warw in n ing ele me n ts o f thi s World War. The La ncaster is certa in ly the best a ll round heavy bomber in the wo rld today. It is ca pable of ca rrying a load of more tha n seve n tons of bombs, capable of fl ying to the farthe st point of German territory with a heavy bomb load, able to fl y at a maximum speed of little short of 300 m.p.h. when light. It is well defended with ten guns in four power-operated turrets and, perhaps most important of all, is the easiest heavy bomber to produ ce whi ch has yet been designed . Lancaste rs are now coming out to the squadrons in la rge n u mbe rs. The La ncaste r's high qu alit y is shown by a n ex tract from th e o fficia l RAF test rep ort a lways cold ly d ispass io nate. It reads: "The air craft is e m inent ly su ita ble for operat iona l duties. The performance and handling cha racteristics with full load surpass those of any other bomber. Even with two engines stopped Aeroplan e, February 2 0 01

on one side th e performance is except ional. Bau lked la n di ngs present no difficu lties even w ith 60,0001b loaded weigh t. Take-o ff an d ni ght landin g a re stra igh tforward. Man oeuvrab ility is good a nd evas ive tactics easy." The des ign and construct ion of the La ncaster is a resu lt of fi ne plan ning a nd teamwork on the part of its parent company, A. V. Roe a nd Co Ltd, of the Hawker Siddeley Group. Production is so widely dispersed through numerous different works that all its features cannot be seen even in a day of constant travelling. Yet at each assembl y po int components come together smooth ly and at a speed w hich would have been considered im possible a short wh ile ago. Credi t fo r thi s must go to Mr R.H. Dobso n CBE FRAeS, man agi ng director of Av ro, w ho has led a nd in spi red th e team; to Mr R, Cha dw ick FRAeS, ch ief des ig ner, w ho has si mp lified the design to an ex traord inary ex tent; to M r C.E. Fielding, a director of th e company specially concerned with planning and "processing"; to Mr S.D. Davies BSc AFRAeS, ch ief of

ABOVE J.H. Clark's

cutaway drawing of the Lancaster Mk I first appeared in The Aeroplane of October 23, 1942. More recently we reproduced it at double-page size, with full key, in our Cutaway Kings article on Clark in December 1998's Aeroplane.

39

LANCASTER PRODUCTION RIGHT Instrumentation

was installed in the Lancaster's cockpit before the forward fuselage section was mated to the rest of the airframe. Here, RAF servicing and r epair mechanics work on a squadron aircraft.

There are some 50,000 different parts on the Lancaster, not including nuts and bolts, and counting such items as engines and turrets as one •

OPPOSITE J.H. Clark's

drawings of the Lancaster's structure and sub-assembly breakdown, from The Aeroplane of August

14, 1942.

the Ex pe rim enta l Departmen t, a nd to all their team s wh o ha ve work ed da y a n d night to turn out Lan casters in record tim e. The Lan caster is a Iour-engi ned mi d-wing mo noplane of all me tal stressed -skin constructi on , with twi n fi ns a nd rudders a nd a fully retractable undercarriage. Two versions a re com ing into se rvice, the Lan caster [ w ith fo ur 1,280 h .p . Ro lls-Royce Merlin XX engines and the La ncaster II wi th fo ur 1,600 h. p. Bristol Hercul es radials. Th e Lan caster I is th e version whi ch w e inspected in detail recentl y. Th e first Lan caster protot ype, BT308, powered by fo ur [,1 4 5 h.p, Merlin Xs. had a top speed of 307 m .p.h. a t a loaded weigh t of 50, 000l b. The w eight w as limit ed by th e stre ng th of the und ercarriage beam s whi ch, on this mach ine, were th e same as th ose of its predecessor the Manchester. Th e seco nd prototype Lan caster - L7 527 wa s mu ch modified in det ail design and was used in co ns truction as a mock -up of prod ucti on me thods a nd fitti ngs and a great deal of experimental flying has bee n done wit h it. Meanwhil e produ ction had sta rted on th e Service version of th e Lan caster. Th e produ ction ma chines of th e new design - th e Avro 683, the Lancaster I - made their first opera tional flig h t in the m iddle of March 1942. By th e tim e th e Lan caster I had co me int o service it wa s powered with four 1,2 80 h .p. Rolls-Ro yce Me rlin XXs, heavy armament had been added and th e loaded weight ra ised to 60,000Ib. Natura lly the addi tion of th e top a nd und er turret s takes off som e speed, but the ma ximum speed is still n ot mu ch less th an 300 m .p.h . - when fl ying li ght. The Lancaster II, wit h four [,600 h .p, Bristo l Hercules motors, is a little faster becau se of its ext ra powe r.

Production Proba bly the most int e resti ng aspect of th e prod uctio n of the Lancaster is the use made of pre produ ction plannin g to ac hieve high output. Th ere is in fa ct a "Pre- Prod uction Departm ent " 40

in cludin g Prog ress an d Sche d u le sectio ns , w here a detailed study is made of every production operation. The extent to which this is carried is see n w he n one discove rs th at the re a re so me 50, 000 different part s on the Lan caster, not in cluding nut s a nd bo lts a n d coun ting such items as engines and turrets as o ne. And on these 50,000 parts there are someth ing li ke half a milli on m anu facturing o pe ra tio ns . Drawings pass from th e Drawin g Off ice to th e prin t room, w here blueprint s are made, and from there to the various constructors. For instance, a full set go to Canada w here the La ncaste r II Isic] is in produ ction . They also go to th e Progress Section a nd th e Sched u le Section . In the former each draw ing is exam ined by a planning engineer who decides how each part sha ll be mad e, wh ich tools w il l be need ed, w hat fl oor space required, how mu ch subco ntract ing is necessa ry a n d so fo rth . The jig and tool department allocates the tools. At the same time a book is made up to go wit h the job to the wo rks, giving exact instructio ns of how th e operations ma y be don e. If the works have a better idea it is exam ined ca ref u lly. In the Schedule Section each drawing is examined so that a complete sched ule of ma te ria ls required can be drawn up. In thi s way th e pre-p rodu ction side of the works ca n ga uge th e exact needs of the production programme, rates are fixed and the number "off per hour" of every part is est ima ted . In th e first place with every new part a hand -made version is se n t dow n to the wo rks from the ex perimenta l department so that by the time the draw ings and details come through from the PreProdu ction Departm ent (abo ut a mon th lat e r ) the w orks has we ig hed up th e job. In the production of the Lancaster about te n per cent of the workers are skilled tradesmen and about 40 per cent a re women. An average of abo ut 6 1hr a week is worke d - 64 h r one wee k, 57 the ne xt, a nd labour o n th e prod uction programme is plan ned and arranged w ith the Min istry of Labour 12 months ahead . As a res ult of all th is carefu l plannin g and as a result of ca ref u l a nd pa insta king design to ac hieve the simp lest res u lt, th e man- ho urs on the Lancaster have been got down to an extra ordinary extent - to a figure somethi ng like o ne- th ird of th at at o ne tim e ex pect ed o n fourmotor bombers. In that way th e striking power of th e La ncaster is treb led. In the works, production is broken down into three mai n port ions - fuselage, wi ngs and tail. These a re divid ed into a tot al of 36 di ffere nt assem blies such as ce ntrc -secto n. o ute r wing, w ingtip, aileron, flap, etc. The wing is in 14 assembl ies - not includ ing the centre section, w hich is common to th e fuselage a nd th e e ng ines . Th e fu sela ge is in se ve n sectio ns, including th e tail tu rre t, a nd th e tail unit in eight sections. Much use is made of both the drop hammer a nd th e ru bber press for produ ction of pan els a nd pressed sections. Alm ost all doub le cu rva tu re pa ne ls a re forme d und e r drop ham me rs. A big 6,600-ton two -ram hyd ra ulic press with a ru bbe r platen and abou t 6,000lb/ in' pressure is used to fo rm pressed sections . ft is load ed fro m both sides a nd saves hours of labou r. Aeroplane. February 2001 •

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BELOW Lancaster wi ng/fuse la g e centre sec t io n s, complete wi t h undercarriage and inner engine

mounts, await mating with outer sections.

Th e mainplan cs of th e Lancaster are built up on two mal nspars wh ich have U-section cha n nel booms a nd plat e webs. The booms are machined o ut of ex truded ba r 29ft long made of L4 0 (RR56 ) alloy. The ma ch ine sho p in w hich thi s work is done is arra nged in longitudi nal lines and th e part under ope ratio n sh uttles backw ards an d forwa rds up and down the length of th e shop as th e w ork is don e on it. The booms are chan nelled ou t by ex cell e nt Wadkin cutt e rs aft er havin g been hydrauli call y clam ped down o n th e bed s. These hyd rauli c cla m ps ca n be fi tted by one man in seve n minutes, compared w ith 11,h r for two m en with ha n d clamps. Having been cha n nelled, milled w ith a va riable-a ngle cutter an d straigh te ned. the booms a re jig-drilled wi th th e webs a nd pa ssed thro ugh for assembl y. An interesting feature is that at a certain point in th e shop all fa brica tion stops an d beyond tha t point all asse mbly. an odising a nd treatm ent begins . Throughout fabri cation a ca refu l ma chine loading sys te m is observed so that each m achine is loaded three ope rations ah ead. th us saving tim e a nd keeping a close check on a ny sho rtage of m at erials. The spa rs pa ss on and a re assembled in vertical jigs in whi ch each w ing is worked on w h ile it sta n ds upright o n its trailing edge. Th e spar booms are bolted to th e webs on the insid e of each spa r with the cha n nel bolted on through the bottom of th e U. Th e ce nt re -section of the w ing is integral with th e centre-section of the fu selage; there is th en a n outer wing pa nel on ea ch side with sepa rate leading and trailing edges attached to the front and rear spars a nd se pa ra te wingtips . Top-hat -section chord w ise stringe rs are now used in th e wi ngs instead of the Z-section stringe rs formerly employed. The top-h at stringers take m ore co mpressive loads in th e skin. w hich has also been thi ckened to ca rry the heavy loaded weight. Flush-riveting on th e wings has been superseded also by mu sh room -head ed rivet s. The reaso n for th at is that it saved th e bu ckling of the skin by co unte rsin king an d flush -riveting w ith sem i-skilled labour. Th e asse mbled section of th e wing has all th e eq u ipme n t fitt ed before ge ne ra l asse m bly

Avro Lancaster I data Dimensions Spa n Length Height Net w ing area Gross wing area Aspect Ratio Tra ck

102ft o in 69ft 4in zoft oin 1,20 5ft ' 1,297ft ' 8'0:1 24ft o in

Powerplant Four Rolls Royce Merlin XX, 1.260 h.p. each at 12,250ft in low gear, 1,175 h.p. each at 21,oOOft in high gear Weights Empty (approx) Maximum bomb load Norma l loaded wei ght Ma ximum overload

35,0001b 15,80 01 b 60,0001b 63,0001b

Loadings Wing (on net area) Power

49'7 Ib/ ft ' n -Blb/h.p,

Armament Ten 0 '303in Brow ning machin e-g uns in f our Nash & Thom pson hydrau lically-operated turrets. Nose t urret, two guns; ventral turret, two guns; dorsal turret, two guns; ta il turret, four guns

begins. The four welded ste el tubular (T45) engine m ountings a re attach ed to the fro nt spa r a nd th e und ercarriage beams add ed to th e inner mount ings. These beam s are cast in DTD 300 in one piece a nd save som e 50 fabrica ted pa rts such as were u sed o n th e prototype. Th e o n ly cha n ge m ad e for in stall ati on of Hercules in stead of Merlin motors is in the m ountings forward of the undercarriage beams on th e inne r nacelles. Th e o uter nacelles are identical with those of th e Beaufighter II fo r the Merlin a nd Bcaulightcr I for th e He rcules - an interesting feature of co-o pe ration . Equ ipme nt is added as th e assem bly progresses. For instan ce. th e tank for th e propeller de-i cing fluid - mad e of tran spa rent cell ulose acetate - is slung behind th e front spa r in each inner nacelle. Th e oil tan k of 42gal (371,ga l oil space and 4 1,gal air space) is slung in fron t of the spar in each nacelle. behind the fireproof bu lkhead. Six fu el tank s are in stall ed - th e biggest of 585 gal - w ith a tota l ca paci ty of 2.1 58gaL eq ua l to abo ut 15.0001b of fue l.

Fuselage Assembl y of th e fuse lage begins with th e cen tre-section. The first m ember of all is th e fl oor. whi ch is an integra l part of the stru cture halfwa y down th e cros s-section and stressed to bear th e weight of the hea vi est bom bs. Th e fl oor is assem bled in vert ical jigs to save flo or spa ce and for ease of access. Th e skin is atta ched to the assembled cha nn el frame s. From th e ve rtical jigs the fl oor passes to horizo nt al jigs for assem bly with the fuselage Usection hoop-fram es, w hi ch have co m e from the rubber press. Aft er the frame s are in position th e forme rs a re added. Fina lly. th e skin is attached in lengthwise pan els. flu sh -rivet ed . The next stage is to ins tall all eq uipme nt and fittings. Another line is drawn across the works a n d no section can pass th at division until all th e eq uipme n t is com plete . All drilling and rivet ing mu st be done here. so that final ass embl y 42

Aeroplane, February 200 1

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T he heart of the La nca st e r: the reinforced fusela ge floor/bomb beam and the massive wing centre section. This illustration w as first published n ot in The Aerop/ane b ut in Flight of August 13, 1942. LEFT

ca n be don e w ith sc rewd rivers and pli ers o nly. An d so a t this stage th e fi ve m ain sectio ns o f th e fu sel age a pproach co m p le tio n - the nose section w ith front turret a n d rudder ped a ls, th e front sectio n, incl u ding the cock pit ca no py and sun blin ds, p ilot's floor assembly. instruments and leads, the ce n tre -sectio n w ith the wing. the rear centre -section with fl are tubes, a n d so forth, a n d the rear section . incl uding th e e ntrance door and dorsa l turret. Afl the electrica l eq u ipmen t is added, fed by two ge n era tors feedin g two se ts of 24-vo lt batt eries of 48 a m ps eac h . The four Rolls- Royce Merlin XX engines a re in stall ed in separa te power eggs. Each com es in as a complete un it with rad iator, cowling and ex ha usts a n d merel y ha s to be m ounted and co u pled u p . Each engine drives a de Havilland Hydromati c three -b laded fully -feathering prope ller 13ft in dia meter. Evidence of the close work ing o f the Uni ted Na tio ns is that on so me La ncaste rs Ame rica n -ma de Hamilton Hydromari e prop ell ers a re in stall ed a n d a re full y in te rch a n gea ble with the D.H. prope lle rs. The Me rlin is probab ly in bigger quantity produ cti on th an an y othe r aero -engine in th e world. so the Lan caster will be well su pp lied . And so the Lan caster begins to take shape on the final assembly fl oor - the product of many disp ersed shops reach ing o ne of ma ny asse m bly plants. Th e m a chin e begin s to ass u m e it s hu ge size, to we ring o n it s w hee ls - each Sft 6in in d ia me ter - 20ft above the floo r. A thing that strikes one im m edia tel y is the huge sin g le -bo m b co m pa rt m e n t 33 ft long unde r th e fuselage. cl osed by onl y two great doors. ea ch curved to follow the lines of the fu selage itself. Th is sim pli fica tio n to two doors. which can be opened h yd rauli call y in five secon ds, is typ ical of th e sim p licity in design on w h ich Mr Ch adw ick in sists, a n d co n trib u tes largely to th e speed of p rodu ction. Electrica l circuits are co n n ected to the bo m b doors so that the bombs ca n n o t be relea sed u nt il th e do ors are open. An emergency air system is fill ed in cas e of hydrauli c failure. Incidentall y, the Lan caster ca n a ccommodat e the biggest bombs ye t co n tem pla ted; a 4 .0001b bomb fit s sn ug ly in sid e, reinforced by a n asso rt me nt o f SOO -po u nders. Alte rna tively, six 2,OOO Ib bombs ca n be acco mmoda te d. wi th Aeroplane. February

20 0 1

m ore SOO-pou nders as make -weights. Th ese loads. w h ich by no m ean s ex ha ust th e p ossibilities o f th e Lan cast er, a re a sign ifica n t com m en tary o n its powers a s a bomber.

Flying The co m pleted Lancasters are towed out - in an impressive number each da y - on to the aerodrome for test flight and delivery. We were fortunate in both watch ing a demonstrat ion fl ight by Cap t E H. Brown. Avro's chief tes t pilot. a nd a lso fl yin g in a Lan cast er w it h Mr W. Tho rn, hi s assista n t. In th e open th e La ncaste r is so we ll pro po rtion ed tha t it does not appear big for a ll its wingspan of 102ft and its loa ded weight of 26 ·8 tons. Wat ched from the ground. its vertical banks. long sustained climbs at a steep angl e. and remarkably sma ll turn ing circle are proof of its m agnifi cent h andling q ua lities. Th ese impressi ons a re rein forced wh en fl ying in th e Lan ca ster a n d p erform ing th e sa me rn a n ceuvrcs . In fa ct, th e Lan ca st er, des pite its size. is one of th e sweetest aerop lanes o n the co nt ro ls yet bui lt - resem bli ng the Avro Tuto r in this re spect. The a ilerons in particlar are extremely light and posit ive. The take -ofI, light ly loaded. is fast and a specta cul ar clim bing turn is possible as soon as rea so na ble h eight h as been ga ined. In a ll co n dition s th e Lan ca ster gives o ne th e feelin g o f reserve pow er a n d rob ustness . Altoge ther. in design , in prod uction. in fl y ing, in fighting, in bo m b- ca rryin g and in maintenan ce. the Lan caster is a magn ifi cent aeropl ane . a worthy representative of the British a ircraft industry and . in its class, u ndo ub ted ly the best m achi n e in the world today. Dayligh t raids on Augsb urg and Da n zig, h ea vy night ra ids o n Co log ne, Esse n, Hamburg a n d Du sse ldorf a re evidence o f its wa rlike q ua li ty. Every La ncaster prod uced is a contribu tio n to victory th rou gh the strikin g power of the air. In con gra tu la ting Mr Dobson. Mr Ch ad w ick. their teams, and every man and woman work ing on the Lan caster. one can -honestly say that in it t hey are p rod u cin g a war-wi n n ing bom ber. We ca n not h ave too ma ny Lancasters, a n d th e mo re there a re th e qu icker th e It.I wa r w ill be wo n . W

In the open the Lancaster is so wellproportioned that it does not appear big for all its wingspan of 102ft and its loaded weight of 26·8 tons

I

43

QUENTIN WILSON

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ABOVE Flight trials on the Handley Page laminar-flow wing were carried out by

PA474 using an adapted Folland Midge wing. RIGHT The Lancaster's research flights provided information for the development of radical designs such as the Handley Page H.P.117 flying wing. Here an observer monitors test equipment inside PA474.

I

"

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ABOVE Air-to-air views of PA474 in its College of Aeronautics days are rare. It is seen here during one of many tests carried out

to investigate the effects of boundary-layer fences, vortex generators and different wingtip shapes.

44

Aeroplane. February 2001

A Rare Survivor BUILT BY Vickers-Armstrongs at Chester in '945, Avro Lancaster I PA474 was intended for the RAF's Tiger Force, created to attack the Japanese ma inland . When t his plan was abandoned f ollow ing t he dropping of the atom bombs, th e aircra ft w as t emporarily store d w ith 38 M U at L1 andow before joining 82 Sqn at RAF Benson in 1948. From there it undert ook photographic survey work in Africa, operating out ofTakoradi in Ghana. Upon its return to the UK the La ncaster was issued to Flig ht Refuelling Ltd, and in ' 9 S4 it moved to the College of Ae rona ut ics at Cranfield f o r tri als work. In 1964 PA474 was returned to RAF cont rol and ta ken on charge by t he Air Historical Branch for preservation at Wroughton, pending establishment of the proposed RAF Museum. A few months later it went to Henlow and then, in August ' 9 6 5, it was flow n to Waddington at t he request of t he CO of 44 Sqn , th e f irst unit t o be equi pped wi t h th e t ype durin g Worl d War Tw o. It was decided to ret urn t he aircraft to full airworthy condition for occasional commemorative flights. The Lancast er was transferred to the BBMF in November '973, and has remained with t he unit ever since. In order to proion g th e ai rfra me lif e t he aircraft is kept as light as possible for d ispiay purposes. All th e armour plat e an d ammunition t an ks and t rack have been removed, wh ilst the fuel load is normally kept to i.ooogal, and a maximum all-up weight of 47,ooolb aimed at. It remai ns a significant fly ing memorial to th e personnel of Bom ber Command w ho lost th eir lives in th e Second World War. GS • Lancaster PA474 was t he subject of a Preservation Profile in December 1982'S Aeroplane. For a photocopy of the article, send £l.35 in stamps, or a cheque or money order for £l.35, made payable to IPC Media, to La ncaster Profile, Aeroplane Edito rial, King's Reach • Tow er, Stamf ord St , London SE, 9 LS After service with No 82 Sqn on photorecce duties in Africa, PA474 was transferred to the College of Aeronautics. This picture, taken outside the College hangar, illustrates the blanked-in nose turret area. The badge of No 82 Sqn is clearly visible on the nose in some of these pictures.

The Lancaster arrived at the College of Aeronautics on March 7,1954, having escaped being turned into a pilotless drone by Fli9ht Refuelling Ltd. It is seen here at Cranfield in October 1958.

ABOVE

LEFT

Lancaster PA474 was used extensively by the College as a flying laboratory with aerofoil sections mounted vertically on the top of the fuselage. These were instrumented , and airflow visualisations were photographed in flight by an EMI Electronics camera mounted above the wingtip. BELOW

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Aeroplane, February 2007

45

BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL FLIGHT

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•

Along with the other aircraft of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Avro but while the aircraft are Lancaster PA474 hibernates during the winter months inactive, their crews remain busy, as LOUISE BLACKAH reports Heading for home: BBMF Lancaster PA474 takes off from RAF St Athan bound f o r its base at Coningsby. This picture was actually t a k e n not at the end of t h e 2000 flying season but back in March, after its winter 1 9991 2000 overhaul and repaint in the colours of EE176 Mickey the Moocher (see Aeroplane, June 2000). ABOVE

With cowlings removed from its No 2 engine, and leadingedge panels hinged back, PA474 undergoe s winter maint e na n c e at Coningsby. RIGHT

PULL-oUT CENTRE-SPREAD

PA474 airborne over Sark in the Channel Islands in 1992. MIKE VINESI PHOTO LINK POSTER OVERLEAF

UR ING TH E AIRSHOW SEASON th e Battle of Br itai n Memor ial Flight (BBM F) feature s stro ngly in most British d ispla ys. and also ta kes part in ma ny commemo rat ive eve nts in the UK and Europe. Altho ug h most of its aircraft are n eith er see n nor heard d uri ng th e winter m on th s. th e gro und crew ma inta ins a tight servici ng schedu le. Flying for a ll o f th e a ircra ft except th e Da kota and the two Ch ipm u n ks draws to a close by the e nd of Septe mber. In a splendid co ncl usion to th e 2000 seaso n. on Lin colnsh ire's Lancaster Association day. Sunday September 24. a large crowd o f ve tera ns and en th usias ts ga the red to wa tch th e La ncaster. fi ve Spitfi res a nd th e Dakota fly their last sort ie for 2000.

Meticulous record s a re ke pt o n a ll the a ircra ft . logging time fl o wn. repa irs made. problem s identified. etc. Some records da te back to th e I 940s a nd make ve ry int e resting reading. The differen t types of aircraft have separate servicing schedu les. For exam ple. the Dakota has a m ajor se rvici ng cycle o f eigh t years. much of th e work bei ng ca rr ied out by Air Atlanti que at Cove n try. This w in te r th e Dakota is o n Primary Star. a n in-depth se rvicing at Con ingsby. The ailerons will also be re -covered by Vin tage Fabrics in Essex. a job th at is done eve ry 6-8 years. The Lan caster. Spitfires and Hurricanes run 10 sim ilar schedu les. but ove r six ye a rs. Major serv ici ng on them is ca rried o ut at St At han. The first w in ter job for th e BBMF at Conings by is to X-ra y the Lan caster a nd Dakota w ings. fi ns and fl a ps to de tect cra cks or other damage. Peel ing paint work can somet imes resem ble a crack. bu t rarely is a ny se rio us da mage fo u nd. and this wou ld easily be rect ified by the ground crew at Co ni ngsby, who this wi n te r have iden tified crac ks in th e lop sk ins o f two Spitfi res and will reskin the relevant areas. All of th e aircraft a re raised o n jacks an d all wh eels a nd und ercarri age legs a re remo ved from the Spitfires. The undercarriage mountText continues on page 51 Aeroplan e, Febr ua ry 2001

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BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL FLIGHT

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ing pin ties are checked for cracks. Th is check is not necessary o n th e Hu rrican es, as the un de rca rriage in stallat ion is different. The testing of th e La ncaste r a nd ot her aircra ft's w ings, flaps and fi n s is not done by the groundcrew at Co ningsby. The regio nal NDT (No n -Destructive Testing) team , based a t RAF Wadd ington, p rovid es both th e eq uipme nt a nd th e personn el for th e X-ray procedure a nd also eddy- current tests, w hich check for cracks or flaw s wi th in bolt -holes by the use of an electric curre n t passed down th e hole. Readings a re tak en, and if the cu rre nt passes throu gh a crack or into a fl a w th is wi ll regis ter immediately. Taking the X-rays involves use of a portable unit; by placing film at set intervals along th e w ing, a n overall picture is asse mbled. This process tak es place ove rn ig ht wh en th e ha ngar is empty, as salct y measures need to be in place owing to risk of radiation from the X-rays, and normally takes two nights to com ple te. This wint er, the Lan caster's No 3 eng ine is being cha nged ow ing to low o il pressure, noti ced during its last fl ight on September 24 . The other e ngines will have a rou tine service. During th e wi n ter th e gro u ndcrew take th e oppo rt u n ity to work o n restorati on proj ects on the Lancaster, a imed a t retu rning the aircraft to its original wartime co n figura tio n . Before PA474 was se lected for preservati on ma ny origi nal inte ri or part s were removed, beli eved "su rplus to requiremen ts". Wi th th e restoratio n work now being undertaken, an eve r truer representat ion of an operational Lan caste r is now being p resented to th e public. During the last two yea rs th e a m m u nition track ing to th e rear turre t has been resto red, as ha s th e hydrauli c piping to all turrets. The cur re n t project is to re insta ll the origi na l auto pilot syste m . Th is is well in hand: the syste m co mpo ne nts ha ve been fitted a nd all that awai ts complet ion is the accompan yi ng Aeroplane, Februa ry 2001

pipewo rk, w hich will have to be made anew. An H,S radar dome is also curre ntly being obtai ned w ith th e int ent ion of fi tting t his by th e e nd of 200 I . In the mea ntime, work is proceeding o n all the other BBMF aircraft. Flying-co ntrol cables are checked and rep laced if wo rn and paintwork is to uched up w he re needed . Th e fa bric is checke d on th e Hurri cane a n d on th e rudd er a nd eleva to rs of the Spitfires. The ai rcrews are not idle during the winte r months either. The ir flying time has to re main cu rre nt. a nd to do this th ey ha ve to ens u re th at they fl y eve ry 28 days. Th e Lancaster pilot s fl y the Dakota duri ng the win ter mont hs, and the fight er pilots use the Ch ipm un ks. Flying the BBMF's other aircraft is not a chore for th e aircrcw. as they begin train in g on the sma ller aircra ft wh en th ey fi rst join th e Flight. The Lan caster pilots learn to fly th e Dakota before graduating to the Lane as copilot a nd event ua lly ta kin g over as captain . Th e gro undc re w w ork tow a rds beginnin g ground runs in March a n d fly ing in April. in readiness for AGes approval in mid -April. Wit h som e crew mem bers on ot he r d uties a nd also so me personnel o n deta chmen t to the Fa lkla nds, a ny major prob lem s not resolved by this time result in the ground crew working shifts through the night to meet their targets. With the hard work of the dedicated gro und a nd aircre w (not fo rgetting th e sta ff in th e offices who han dle th e schedu ling a nd publi c relations), the BBMF is well on target for a t;1 busy, successful 200 I seaso n . ~

W ith th e cowlings and No 3 engine removed ready for a replacement , the underslung radiators a nd compl ex pipework are revealed. Note that the starboard mainwheel has also been removed for maintenance. LEFT

The fuselag e interior stripped for servicing , revealing the flap jack mounted on the floor. LEFT

. W int er is a good time to visit th e BBMF and take a gulded t o ur (wee kd ays on ly), since most of th e ai rcraft are present. See our Aeroplane 2000 Airshows & Museums Guide su pp lement (published with t he Apri l 2000 issue) for details, or call 01526 3440 41

,,

Meanwhile ... Senior Aircraftman Jamie Farr inspecting Hawker Hurricane PZ865. RIGHT

Corporal Arnold working on the port engine of Dakota ZA947. The BBMF fleet was listed , with potted histories of each aircraft, in Merlin Magic in July 2000's Aeroplane. LEFT

51

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• During early 1917, in an attempt to resolue some specific shortcomings of the combat-tested Sopwith Camel, chief designer Herbert Smith designed the world's first true multi-gun fighter - the Sopwith Dolphin. PHILIP JARRETT describes its euolution

This month Welcome to Aeroplane's fourth Database section, our regular in-depth examination of a specific subject, which this month focuses on the Sopwith Dolphin:

• Type History Conceptionand development • The Dolphin at War Thefighter in action • Flying the Dolphin Pilots' perspectives • Dolphin anatomy & cutaway Constructionlaid bare • Dolphins in being Relics and reproductions

TOP Part of an inboard profile drawing of the Dolphin produced by the Sopwith Aviation Co. The full illustration appears on page 67.

Aeroplane, February

2 00 1

T ISCURIOUS that the name of one of the friendliest and most playful of animals should have been bestowed upon a fighter aeroplane that bristled with guns. It might seem equally curious that the same aircraft owed its most distinctive features to a particular shortcoming of one of the greatest fighters of the First World War, the Sopwith Camel. For although Camel pilots relished their mount's agility and manceuvrability, their view from its cockpit was considerably restricted by the upper wing, beneath which they sat. Although this impediment was mitigated to some degree by the provision of a small cut-out in the centre section, the pilot's view upwards and rearwards was lamentably poor. With this serious deficiency foremost in his mind, Herbert Smith, chief designer of the Sopwith Aviation Co Ltd of Kingston -upon-Thames, Surrey, set about the task of designing the Camel's successor, designated 5F.1 in the company's

system, in the spring of 191 7. His solution was to do away with the upper wi ng centre section altogether and attach the wing panels to a rectangular frame of tubular steel positioned low over the cockpit. With his head protruding through this frame , the pilot had an uninterrupted view of the upper hemisphere. As this arrangement placed the upper wings further aft than was otherwise desirable, the aeroplane's c.g. and centre of lift were restored to their required positions by moving the lower surfaces forward, thereby giving the wings 13in of backstagger. One feature of the Camel inherited by the new machine was the closest · possible grouping of the greatest masses, in the form of the engine, armament, fuel tanks and pilot, in the fuselage . This would endow the aircraft with the high degree of manceuvrability required of a fighter. A major departure from previous Sopwith single-seat fighter designs (with the sale exception of the Hispano-Suiza-powered triplane, of

which only two were built) was the selection of a stationary, inline engine instead of a rotary. The selected engine was the water-cooled 200 h.p. geared Hispano-Suiza V8 that had already been chosen as the standard engine for two new fighters then on the verge of large-scale production, the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a and French Spad 13. The engine installed in the 5F.1 /1, as the first prototype was officially described, was a French-built unit, No 101 37, turning a Lang twobladed wooden propeller of just over 9ft 5in diameter. Its water was cooled by a large frontal radiator that gave the new fighter a deep, bluff nose that did nothing to enhance its lines. This visual bulkiness was reinforced by the fuselage, which filled the gap between the upper and lower mainplanes, bringing the cockpit rim level with the frame to which the upper wings were attached. The two fixed Vickers 0·303in machine-guns were mounted beneath the top cowlings and provided with Constantinesco

53

TYPE "ISTORY synchronising gear to enable them to firethrough the propeller arc. The airframe structure was typical of the time, comprising a fabriccovered, wire-braced wooden framework, with the exception of the aluminium engine cowling panels and areas of plywood covering in the region of the cockpit, and the tubular framework of the wing trailing edges and tips and the tail surfaces, which featured a Camel-type fin and unbalanced rudder. The pilot was positioned immediately behind the engine. Under his seat was the 20gal main fuel tank; a 7gal gravity tank was beneath the top-decking immediately behind his head. The two-spar wings had two bays, and the bungee-sprung, split-axle main undercarriage was attached to the fuselage by cross-braced ash struts. The new fighter, now named the Dolphin , was passed by Sopwith 's experimental department in May 191 7, and made its maiden flight shortly thereafter. Once company test pilot Harry Hawker had completed the manufacturer's trials, the Dolphin underwent an official test at Brooklands, the airfield used by Sopwith, on May 22. At a loaded weight of 1,8801b it attained a speed of between 143·88 and 146·1 8 m.p.h. at 5,000ft, the needle of the specially calibrated airspeed indicator going well past the calibrated limit at ground level. By early June, when the Dolphin went to Martlesham Heath for its official assessment, the plywood top decking aft of the cockpit had been

The first Dolphin displays its ugly lines at Brooklands soon after completion, probably in May 1917. LEFT The first prototype at Martlesham Heath in June 1917, after the ply fuselage top-decking had been extended aft. BELOW LEFT The second Dolphin prototype at Brooklands in its initial form, with a redesigned nose, small triangular radiators in its upper wing roots and cut-euts in the lower wing roots. BELOW The cockpit of the second Dolphin at Martlesham Heath, showing the small windscreen fitted round an Aldis sight. ABOVE

"The radiator was inefficient ... the carburettor was inaccessible, the magnetos were troublesome and the pilot was liberally covered with oil thrown out by the engine" extended one bay further rearwards. This was probably doneto facilitate the pilot 's entry into the cockpit, which had to be gained by ascending the port side of the fuselage by means of footholes until he was on thetop decking, then lowering himself in through the upper-wing attachment frame. In addition , some 20lb of lead had been put in the tail to correct nose-heaviness. Only quick performance tests were possible, because the aircraft was urgently required for testing in France. Although controllability was good in all axes, the machine exhibited a slight tendency to spin when turning to port, and was tiring to fly "all-out" owing to the need to apply "strong left rudder". The radiator was inefficient. To rectify the 54

shortcomings it was recommended that the lower wings be moved forward 3in, a balanced rudder be fitted and that the cooling systembe redesigned. Moreover, the carburettor was inaccessible, the magnetos were troublesome and the pilot was liberally covered with oil thrown out by the engine. It was also observed that there was nothing to protect the pilot's pronudnq head and neck if the aircraft turned over on landing, and it was suggested that curved tubes be fitted on each side of the fuselage as a safeguard. In speed trials between 10,000 and 18,000ft the first Dolphin attained 123·5 m.p.h. at 10,000ft, and 110 m.p.h. at 18,000ft. It could reach an altitude of 1,000ft in 44sec (1 ,363ft/min), and took 9min 25sec

to reach 1O,OOOft and 24min 50sec to reach 18,000ft. Its approximate ceili ng was 23,000ft. On June 13 Capt (later Sir) Henry Tizard flew the aeroplane to France, suffering the unwelcome attention of British anti-aircraft gunners whose inaccuracy fortunately left the prototype and its occupant unscathed. On the 14th it was sampled by Capt William (Billy) Bishop of 60 Sqn, Royal Flying Corps (RFC), who up to that time had been flying rotary-engined Nieuports in combat. He spoke of the Dolphin in highly complimentary terms, finding the view "exceptionally good", the gun breeches within easy reach for clearing jams and the aircraft "extraordinarily quick in turns and very handy". Another favourable comment was sent to the Director

General of Military Aeronautics by Maj-Gen Hugh Trenchard , who preferred it to the Spad 13. Meanwhile, Sopwith had pressed on with the manufacture of further Dolphin prototypes. The second aircraft, the 5F. 1/2, had a far more elegant nose, as the large frontal radiator had been replaced by two small units in the underside of each upper wing root. The vertical tail surfaces now comprised a rudder with a horn balance that overhung a tiny oblong fin, and cut-outs were provided in the lower wings, just outboard of the undercarriage, in an attempt to improve the pilot's view downwards. This aircraft, which also had a French-built engine, was undergoing flight testing at Brooklands in the first Aeroplane, February 2001

Database

SOPWITH DOLPHin

•

As well as having the flank radiators which had been fitted to the modified second prototype, the third Dolphin had the two additional upward-angled Lewis guns, making it a four-gun fighter. ABOVE

The third prototype at Martlesham Heath, after the height of the fuselage rear top-decking had been reduced.

ABOVE

The fourth prototype was essentially similar to production Dolphins, apart from its ash undercarriage vees and 1 in greater backstagger.

ABOVE

half of July, and during this period its tailplane was replaced by a new one. The machinewas then returned to Kingston to have the wing-mounted radiators, which had proved entirely inadequate, replaced first by larger units located further torwarc in relation to the wing chord, and then, aller further manufacturer's tests, by 5in-wide rectangular blocks on the fuselage flanks, just aball the cockpit. In this form the second Dolphin went to Martlesham Heath on July 27 for its official tests. It was flown with both two- and four-bladed propellers. Theprincipal findings of these tests were summarised in a Preli minary Performance Report issued by the Aeronautical inspection Directorate: "This was the second machine of the type; originally it was to have radiators carried in the top plane, but these were removed, and it underwent the . . . trials with two block radiators, one on each side of the pilot's cockpit; these were satisfactory. The abolition of the radiator in the front of the fuselage made it possible to streamline the entry to better purpose. The view upwards fromthis machine is good, owing to the open centre section of the top planes. There are gaps in the

lower planes, but they are of iittle value and the downward view is very bad. This machine was lined with a balanced rudder, giving an improvement over the first type. Length of run to unstick, 60 yards; to pull up with engine stopped, 90 yards." This aircratt attained 128·5 m.p.h. at 10,00011, and 124 m.p.h. at 15,00011. It could reached 1,00011 in 40sec (l ,500fVmin), and took 8min 15sec to reach 10,00011 and 18min 20sec to reach 17,00011. Its approximate ceiling was 25,00011. The official report stated that all of the controls were now light, stability in all axes was neutral and controllabiiity was good. It recommended cutting away part of the top cowling to improve the forward view, and fitting a cock to enable one radiator to bebypassed if damaged, so that all of the water passed through a single radiator. This machine returned to Kingston on September 26. At some point, probably later in its life, this Dolphin had its rear top-decking reduced in height, a modification that became standard on production examples. By this time a third prototype had been completed, and was undergoing company trials. During the intervening months Herbert Smith had been asked to examine the possibility of supplementing the two Vickers guns with two 0·303in Lewis machine-guns "on both sides of the pilot attached to the centre-section tubes". There was naval interest in the Dolphin at this time, and it might well be that the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) thought that its impressive high-altitude performance and unobstructed upward view made it a promising anti -airship fighter, especially with a pair of upward-firing guns. Trenchard, on the other hand, was concerned that the additional weaponry would compromise the aircrall's performance, and expressed a wish that no more than three guns be carried.

•

.

-

" ~~ ' -' •

The Martlesham-developed crash pylon ("cabane"), probably seen here on C3778, was not popular, and neither did pilots like it as an alternative location for the Lewis gun. LEFT A close-up of the cabane and its Lewis gun.

ABOVE

Aeroplane. Februa ry 2 001

55

TYPE HISTORY Consequently, when the third Dolphin was delivered to Martlesham Heath on October 18, after suffering delays caused by magneto and engine problems, it carried a pair of stripped Lewis guns on the foremost transverse tube of the wingattachment frame. These were angled upwards at a mean angle of about 30°, and had limited movement up and down a three-position ratchet. The useless cut-outs in the lower wings had been eliminated, and alarger fin, with a cut-out for the rudder horn, had been fitted. The aircraft spent much of its time grounded by problems with its oil tanks and engine, and it seems that an on-sitefuselage modification entailed cutting down the rear top-decking, as on the second machine. In mid-January 191 8 its full-throttle endurance at 15,000ft was being investigated. The delivery to Martlesham of the fourth and final Dolphin prototype was delayed first by the need for a new engine and then by adverse weather that kept it grounded at Brooklands. It arrived there in the second half of October 1917, but was at No 1 Aircraft Depot (AD), St Omer, in France by the 29th. It was tested by pilots of No 1 Aeroplane Supply Depot, who found it ". .. quite controllable aI 20,000ft, losing no height on steeply banked turns". Afew weeks later it was decreed that that Dolphins issued to RFC squadrons were to have only one Lewis gun fitted on the central frame, and towards the end of December it was stated that this was to be the right-hand weapon. On November 15 the fourth prototype was flown from St Omer to Bailleul, home of 19 Sqn, by the unit's CO, Maj W.D.S. Sanday. The squadron, whichwas then flyi ng Hispano-Suiza-engined Spad 7s, was to be the first to have Dolphins. Twelve of the squadron's pilots had

Sopwith 5F.l Dolphin data Powerplant Dimensions Span Length Height Wing Area Chord Backstagger Dihedral Incidence Weights Empty Military load (inc. pilot) Loaded Wing loading Power loading Performance Max speed 5,000ft 6,500ft 10,000ft 13.000ft 15,000ft 16,500ft Time to height 6,000ft 6,500ft 10,000ft 15,000ft 17,OOOft Service ceiling Endurance

1st Prototype

2nd Prototype

Dolphin I

Dolphin II

Dolphin III

200 h.p. geared Hispano-Suiza

200 h.p. geared Hispano-Suiza

200 h.p. geared Hispano-Suiza

300 h.p. direct-drive Hispano-Suiza

200 h.p. direct-drive Hispano-Suiza

32ft 6in 22ft 3in 8ft 6in 263·25ft' 4ft 6in 13in 2Mo

32ft 6in 22ft 3in 8ft 6in 263·25ft' 4ft 6in 12in 2Mo

32ft 6in 22ft 3in 8ft 6in 263·25ft' 4ft 6in 12in 2Mo

32ft 6in 22ft 3in 8ft 6in 263·25ft' 4ft 6in 12in 2Mo

H~o

32ft 6in 22ft 3in 8ft 6in 263·25ft' 4ft 6in 13in 2Mo 1)("

17~o

17~o

17~o

1,3501b 2811b

1,4061b 2811b

1,4951b 2811b

1,3911b 28 11b

1,8801b 7'12Ib/ft' 94 Ib/h.p.

1,881 1b 7·3Ib/ft' 94Ib/h.p.

2,0031b 7·81blft' 96Ib/h.p.

2,2861b

2,0001b 7·65Ib/ft' 94 5Ib/h.p.

145 m.p.h. 123·5 m.p.h. 119 m.p.h. 116 m.p.h. 113·5 m.p.h. 5min

131 ·5 m.p.h. 128·5 m.p.h. 126 m.p.h. 124 m.p.h.

128 m.p.h. 123 m.p.h. 119·5 m.p.h.

139·5 m. p.h. 137·6 m.p.h' 134·5 m.p.h. 131 m.p.h.

117 m.p.h. 113 m.p.h. 110 m.p.h. 107·5 m.p.h.

4min 25sec

9min 25sec 17min 20sec 21min 55sec

8min 15sec

approx 23,000ft 2Xhr

approx 25,000ft 1Xhr

6min 24sec ll min 40sec 20min 12sec

18min 20sec

4min 42sec 7min 55sec"

6min 18sec llmin 18sec 21min 48sec

17min 33sec'" 21 ,000ft

25,590ft

19,000ft

Armament First and second prototypes: Two 0·303in Vickers machine-guns with Constantinesco interrupter gear. Dolphin I & III: Two 0·303in Vickers guns and one or two 0·303in Lewis machine-guns on upper wing centresection frame. Four 251b Cooper bombs on an underfuselage carrier Notes 'at 9,840ft. " to 3,000m (9,840ft). '" to 5,000m (16,400ft)

sampled the Dolphin by December 7, and it was well received. On December 7 Sanday reported that, although the weather had ruled out lengthy tests, his pilots were "delighted" with it. The Dolphin

seemed to handle perfectly at all altitudes and lost none of its controllability at 15,000ft. Although it was very stable and cou ld be flown hands-off for long periods, it felt the effects of a very strong and rough

wind during the first 2,000ft "rather more than a Spad". The view was described as "perfect". Deliveries of production aircraft, which had the wing backstagger reduced to 12in and streamline-section steel tube

-

Sopwith modified C3858 for nightfighting , increasing dihedral, adding protective half-hoops over the inner interplane struts and fitting a variable-incidence tailplane. This picture was taken at Brooklands on February 19, 1918.

ABOVE

56

Aeroplane, Febru ary 2 0 0 1

Original prototype with Model A 150 h.p. HispanoSuiza (below), Dolphin I with Model D 200-220 h.p. Hispano-Suiza (below centre) and Dolphin" with Model H 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza (bottom)

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• G GIUSEPPE PlCARELLA 2000

TYPE HISTORY RIGHT This Dolphin, 03615, is

believed to have been the second British-made machine to have a 300 h.p. Hispano engine fitted in France. The top cowling completely covers the Vickers guns, and the long exhaust pipes are carried over the radiator blocks. Note the MoraneSaulnier AI monoplane in the background.

•

-

-

-•

RIGHT A French-built Dolphin

II, this machine bears the SFA number 007 on its rudder.

RIGHT The tailplane variable-

incidence screwjack incorporated in the sternpost structure of a Dolphin II.

"One continuing concern about the design was the danger to pilots if the aircraft ouerturned on the ground" 58

undercarriage vees instead of the ash vees of the prototypes, soon followed. The first three production Dolphins, C3777, C3778 and C3779, were delivered to Martlesham Heath on November 21, 23 and 30 respectively. InJanuary and early February 1918 the first two were engaged on performance tests without their top gun mountings. Work continued on improving the breed. After testing honeycomb radiators 5:.1in and 8in wide and a 5in corrugated radiator on C3778 at Martlesham, the 8in blocks were adopted as standard . InFebruary 191 8, following air-to-ground machine-gun practice in Dolphin C3847, Capt W.HK Copeland found

that a spent cartridge case from a Vickers gun had punctured the starboard radiator, and that several more werejammed against the radiator grille. This was temporarily overcome by fitting 1in wire netting over the shutter position, but redesigned case chutes provided the ultimate solution. Asingle operating shutter for both radiator shutters, developed at the Front, replaced the two separate levers initially fitted. One continuing concern about the design was the danger to pilots if the aircraft overturned on the ground. This possibility was increased by the unreliability of the Dolphin's HispanoSuiza eng ine, and the consequently increased likelihood of forced

landings. It was for this reason that the aircraft acquired the unfortunate sobriquet of "Block Buster" among Service pilots. In late January 191 8 quick-release devices were devised for the cross-bracing of the centresection and the fuselage bay beneath it, and could be fitted to either side of the fuselage. However, the port side was preferable, as the three-ply panel on that side was easily pushed out. Unfortunately, technical orders initially specified that the quick-release fittings be fitted to the starboard side, and the aircraft being delivered to France had them on that side. Moreover, the top (Lewis) gun fitting on the starboard side also inhibited egress. The latter problem was temporarily resolved by simply moving the fitting to the port side, but a modification calling for the quick release to be fitted on the port side was soon issued. An obvious alternative solution was to fit a protective pylon over the cockpit; Martlesham's Testing Squadron produced one and tested it onthe three production machines in their charge. This "cabane", as they called it, was fitted to C3779 at Orfordness, but it crashed on February 5, killing its pilot. Of the remaining pair, C3778 eventually served as a Home Defence aircraft at Martlesham, and C3777 finished up as an instructional airframe at the Uxbridge Armament School. In service, though, it seems that neither the quick-releasefittings nor the cabane were really necessary, as most inverted Dolphins cameto rest with their tails pointing upwards at a sufficient angle to allow their pilots to crawl out. In fact the cabane was decidedly unpopular, and official suggestions that it could be used as an alternative mounting for the Lewis gun were dismissed on practical grounds. As the resu lt of a fatal accident, in which a Dolphin lost its lower wings in flight and broke up, the two Aeroplane Supply Depots in France were Aeroplane. Februa ry 20 0 1

SOPWITH DOLPHin

Database

• ABOVE Sopwith-built E4698

displays the lower thrust line and right-handed propeller of t he Dolphin III, with its ungeared 200 h.p. engine. This aircraft eventually went to No 10 TDS at Harling Road, and was at Cranwell in June 1919. Built by Darracq, Dolphin III C8043 is seen here as "Y" of 79 Sqn at Bickendorf, near Cologne in Germany, in 1919.

LEFT

instructed in January 1918 that none of the type was to be flown until the attachments of the front spars of both theupper and lower wings were reinforced by riveting and welding 14-gauge steel plates to the wing butt fittings. As early as late 1917 the Technical Department had been discussing with Sopwith a nightfighter version of the Dolphin. The outcome was the appearance in mid -February 1918 of aspecially adapted machine, C3858, incorporating the recommended alterations. The dihedral angle of the wings was increased from 2;h° to 40 , and tubular half-hoops were fitted above the inner interplane struts on thetop surtace of the upper wi ng to enable the pilot to escape from an inverted aircraft. Avariabie-incidence tailplanewas fitted, operated by a screwiack just forward of the fuselage sternpost. Deliveries of Home Defence Dolphins had already begun, however, and it is doubtful whether these modifications were ever incorporated' although navigation lights and brackets for Holt flares were Iitted on their lower wingtips. Aeroplane, February

2 0 01

The Dolphin II The designation Dolphin II came to be bestowed on aircraft powered by the 300 h.p. direct-drive Hispano-Suiza engine. Deliveries of this engine to meet British orders were expected in 191 8, and late in November 1917, with the Air Board 's consent, an early production Dolphin was allocated to the French, who wished to install a 300 h.p. engine in the new fighter. Sopwith had been promised a 300 h.p. Hispano-Suza, but this appears never to have been delivered. However, one such engine was installed in the French machine. The work was carried out in Paris with the assistance of Sopwith personnel and, according to the company's representative in France, was done "more or less by ru le of thumb". Harry Hawker went over and gave it a thorough "wringing-out" despite some doubts over its strength, but on Aprii 18, 1918, a French pilot stalled it in a steep climbing turn just after take-off and crashed, killing himself and wrecking the machine. A second Dolphin, D3615, was then similarly re-engined in France

with a 300 h.p. Hispano-Suiza 8Fb, and at least four French pilots put it through extensive tests at Villacoublay in June, July and August. They all praised its good handling and the excellent pilot's view. Sopwith's French representative then offered to send the aircraft to England for the RAF to try. Although therewas no definite plan to power RAFDolphins withthe 300 h.p. engine, the possibiiity of testing the aircraft was mooted. In the end, however, the idea was rejected. On June 20 and 26 the 300 h.p. Dolphin had been flown by It Edwin M. Post of the United States Air Service (USAS), who submitted highly complimentary reports of its flying qualities. In the summer the USAS ordered the type for its fighter squadrons, planning that 2,194 be delivered to the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) between August 1918 and June 1919. These were to be built by Societe Anonyme de Constructions Aeronautiques (SACA) in Paris, but by the time the Armistice was signed SACA had not completed a single Dolphin for the

AEF, and all work was stopped. It was reported, however, that five Sopwith-built Dolphins had been shipped to SACA for reconstruction with the 300 h.p. engine, and that early in January 1919 they were crated for shipment to the USA. It is presumed that these five were from a group of eight allocated to the USA, but American sources indicate that the AEF received only five. At the end of November one anonymous and engineless Dolphin arrived at the Airplane Engineering Department at McCook Fieid, Ohio. It was assembled, put in flying condition and "delivered to the exhibition hangar", but there is no record of it being flown . It might have been the Dolphin allotted US Army serial 94071. Whether any other Dolphins reached the USA is unknown. Because the engine cowling of the Dolphin II was of greater volume than that of theDolphin I, the twin Vickers guns were completely enclosed by it. Other distinguishing features were the long exhaust pipes, shaped to pass over the tops of the radiator blocks, and a variable-incidence tailplane. 59

TYPE "ISTORY The number of Dolphin lis built in France is also unknown, but photographs depicting one beari ng the Service des Fabrications de I'Aviation number 007 suggest that at least seven might havebeen produced. In the autumn of 1918 the French were considering a possible 300 h.p Hispano-powered singleseater to replace the Spads VII XII and XIII, and the Dolphin was mentioned

as being among the types tested. However, it had not undergone the required evaluation by operational French pilots. .

and English users, largely because its reduction gearing was subject to frequent failures due to fracture, and by early 191 8 one engine was experimentally converted to direct driveby simply removing this gearing. Eventually a sample engine was sent to the RFCand installed in Dolphin C8194, and on September 22, 191 8, this aircraft arrived at MartleshamHeath for trials. These

The Dolphin III This designation was applied to Dolphin Is fitted with ungeared 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engines. The geared version of the engine had proved troublesome to both French

had been completed by October 12, and the engine was then run on a testbed. Although the engine required some modification, it was an improvement on its geared forebear and was installed in many late-production Dolphins. Dolphin Ills may be recognised by their lower thrust line and suitably modified nose cowlings, and righthanded propellers.

Sopwith Dolphin production in Britain Serials

Quantity

Constructor

Contract No

Oate

Remarks

C3777-C4276 C8001 -C8200 0 3576-03775 0 5201-05400 E4424-E4623 E4629-E5128 E9997

500 200 200 200 200 500 4

Sopwith Oarracq Sopwith Hooper Sopwith Sopwith Sopwith

AS 17137 AS1 8920 AS35977 AS 17566 AS3294 35A/305/C.195 AS38905

29.6.17 13.7.17 29.1 1.17 28.6.17 6.4.18 13.3.1 8 10.1 2.17

F7034-F71 33 J1-J1 50 J151-J250

100 150 100

Darracq Hooper Darracq

35A/ 1459/C.1545 35A/2593/C.3367 35A/3014/C.3445

8.6.18 13.9.18 13.9.1 8

Completed 20.4.18 Completed by 7.9.18 Completed 1.6.18 Completed by 10.5.19 Completed by 31.7.18 300 cancelled 8.1 1.18; completed by 7. 8.19 Possibly a retrospective contract to cover the four privateventure prototypes. Only E9997 known; delivery not confirmed Completed by 18.1 .1 9 41 cancelled 15.1 .1 9; Remainder completed by 19.7.1 9 65 completed by 10.5.1 9

Total ordered 2,154; total completed , including the fou r prototypes, 1,778 In addition to the foregoing, many Dolphins were reconstructed at the Service's Aircraft Oepots and allotted new serial numbers

Sopwith's " Dol p hi na r iu m" at Canbury Park Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, with Dolphins of the first production contract, for 500 aircraft, filling the factory. The rudder of Sopwith pusher seaplane No 124 may be seen on the r oof divider i n the middle dist ance, and the fuselage of a seaplane, possibly an Admiralty Type 807, is stored with other parts against the end wall.

ABOVE

60

Aerop lane, February 2001 •

SERUICE HISTORY

SOPWITH DOLPHin

Database

-

The Dolphin's outstanding performance both at low leuel and at altitude brought uictories in the last year of World War One. PHILIP JnRRETT recounts its wartime seruice. PART FROM ITStroublesome engine, the Dolphin proved an effective and potent fighter. In capable hands it could match anything the Germans could put up over the Western Front, and was able to engage the high-flying Ru mpler CIV and CVII two-seat reconnaissance and photographic aircraft, which could attain 24,000ft. The first aggressive use of a Dolphin occurred on December 12, 191 7, when Capt P. Huskins of 19 Sqn took off from Bailleul in the fourth prototype, in company with four Spads, to pursue some Gotha bombers that had passed over the aerodrome at 1407hr. Although he was catching up with the enemy machines as they neared the front lines, he had to break off his pursuit because he was not allowed to take the prototype across the lines. The squadron received its first production Dolphins, C3789, C3794 and C3820, on December 28, and C3788 arrived on the following day. By January 9 the unit's re-equipment with the new fighter was complete, and the fourth prototype had been given the military identity B6871. As the first user of the type, the squadron adopted a dolphin (the mammal, not the aeroplane) as the central feature of its badge. Major Cecil Montgomery-Moore, an American who flew Dolphins with 19 Sqn, recalled that when the aircraft arrived from England they had a lever on the side of the control column to operate the Vickers guns. As soon as they received the Dolphins they removed the lever and replaced the short bolts that secured the inverted triangular grip at the top of the column with longer bolts, to which they attached a Aeroplane, February 20 01

•

I

.

thumb piece to fire the guns. This avoided the need to take a hand off the stick to fire. He stated that the single movable Lewis gun's greatest value was " . .. as a nuisance. If a group of enemy aircraft were overhead, you could fire a few bursts at them while flying level. They'd break up in no time." The first enemy aircraft to fall to a Dolphin 's guns was an Albatros scout brought down by Lt O.C. Bryson on March 8, and by the end of that month 19 Sqn had claimed almost 30 victories. Early Dolphin exponents

included Maj A. D. Carter (29 victories; 14 on Dolphins) and Capts J. Leacroft (22; 8); J.D. dePencier (8; 6) and P. Huskinson (11; 4). It became quiteusual for the Dolphins to carry bombs so that targets of opportunity could be attacked during routine patrols, but when the German offensive opened in March four 251b Cooper bombs were carried on ground-attack sorties, The crash cabane was not liked, and as a Lewis gun mounting it was considered inferior to the wing-attachment frame, as sighting was "extremely difficult", it

A dramatic impression, painted by Joseph Simpson in 1918, of 19 Sqn Dolphins en9aging German Pfalz and Albatros scouts.

ABOVE

was possible to shoot thepropeller, and the gun could not be traversed. On October 30 the squadron's Dolphins were involved in the last big battle involving the type. Twelve aircraft, led by Capt J.D. Hardman (nine victories on Dolphins), were escorting the Airco D.H.4s of 98 Sqn when they encountered theFokker DVIIs of

6,

SERUICE HISTORY

UBy the time of the ftrmistice 19Sqn's

Dolphins had scored at least 130 uictories"

,

--" ---s 0

•

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C

TOP A pilot of 23 Sqn with his Dolphin, fitted with a carrier fo r four Cooper bombs beneath the fuselage. Dolphins of 23 Sqn lined up at Bertangles in March-September 1918.

ABOVE MIOOLE

Dolphin D3584 "V" of 79 Sqn at Bickendorf in November 1918, with a camera-gun on the wing mounting frame , aligned with the Vickers guns, and white camshaft fairings and wheel

ABOVE LOWER

centres.

JG III over Mons. In the ensuing melee Hardman shot down two D.Vlls and three other 19 Sqn pilots claimed a further four. The D.HA crews claimed an additional five enemy fighters, but only three Dolphins returned to base, four D.HAs crashed behind enemy lines and two crashed on their own airfield. By the time of the Armistice 19 sen's Dolphins had scored at least 130 victories. The unit was one of the last to relinquish the Dolphin, disbanding on December 31, 191 9. In December 191 7 newly-formed 79 Sqn at Beaulieu, Hampshire , began to equip with Dolphins, and on

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62

February 20 the following year it moved toFrance, establishing itself at Estree-Blanchetwo days later. Combat operations began on March 6, when the unit moved to Champien, and on March 23 Lt D.W. Lees in C3798 sent a German two-seater down in flames to claim the squadron's first victory. After several changes of airfield caused by the German offensive, during which time the unit suffered heavy casualties owing to the combined effect of engine troubles and the perils of ground-attack operations, it settled at Ste-Marie-Cappel on May 16. On June 27 Lt F.I. Lord, who was to end the war with 12 victories on Dolphins, shot down a pair of Albatros scouts and a Fokker Dr I tri plane. Lieutenant E. Taylor of 79 Sqnwas one of the few Dolphin pilots to attack enemy kite balloons, always a dangerous occupation. After destroying one on August 15, two on August 23 and another on the 24th he failed to return from the last patrol. New Zealander Capt R.B. Bannerman, who joined the unit in the summer, destroyed a balloon and 15 enemy aeroplanes, and brought down another out of control to bring his tally to 17. Fellow pilot Lt Francis "Razors" Gillet, anAmerican destined to become an outstanding exponent of theDolphin and one of the USA's top aces of the war, had opened his account with akite balloon onAugust 3. After unsuccessfully engaging another kite balloon on August 18 he was attacked by a Fokker 0 VII, got on to its tail and fired 100 rounds into it at close range. The German fig hter dived straight into the ground. Gillet continued to fight aggressively, and by the end of September his tally had risento ten balloons and aeroplanes. September 28 was 79 Sqn's most successful dayof the war, the unit destroying seven German machines in combat. On November 4, thelast

day when there was a great deal of air combat activity, the squadron claimed another four enemy aircraft. In nine months at the front 79 Sqn was credited with 64 aeroplanes and nine kiteballoons. Gillet had 17 confirmed victories, plus another three on November 10 that were unconfirmed. He was awarded the DFC and Bar, DSM and Croix de Guerre. The squadron moved to Nivelles in Belgium on November 26, and then, on December 20, to Bickendorf, near Cologne, Germany, with theArmy of Occupation. It was disbanded on July 15, 191 9. The third Dolphin unit on the Western Front was 23 Sqn, which had its Spads replaced by the new Sopwith fighter in April 1918. It used them on operational patrols and groundattack, with low-level work predominating. The unit gained its first Dolphin combat victory on May 31 , when Lt H.AJ Goodison, flying C3871 , and Lt H.E. Faulkner in C4130 sent a German two-seater down in flames. On June 3 Goodison, in C4150, brought down a Pfalz 0 III, following this with aFokker 0 VII on June 27. This brought his total tally to 5, qualifying him as an ace. In September Lt HA White, anAmerican , joined the squadron and went on to claimseven confirmed victories on Dolphins. Another American, Capt J.w. Pearson, who joined 23 Sqn just as it was converting to Dolphins, ended the war with 12 victories. Canadian Arthur Fairclough initially flew Spads and Dolphins in 19 Sqn, claiming 14 victories (5 on Dolphins) before he was promoted captain and joined 23 Sqn in May 191 8 as a flight commander. He then added another 5 to his tal ly, bringing his score to 19. Lieutenant H.N. Compton, another Canadian, claimed 5 victories with 23 Sqn. The unit remained on the Continent, at various bases, until it returned to theUK in mid-March 191 9, then being based at Wadding -

The pilots of 87 Sqn prepare to take off from Hounslow. The nearest aircraft, "Q", could be C4159; second in line is C4161 /"P".

Aeroplane, February 20 0 1

SOPWITH DOLPHin

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Sopwith's .Dolphin ~< nightfighter ~ conversion, C3858, £1 with 14 1 Home ~ Defence Sqn at Biggin Hill.

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This 87 Sqn Dolphin has the wing-mounted Lewis guns attached to the upper surface of its lower wings, inboard of the inner interplane struts but clear of the propeller disc.

ABOVE

Hooper-built Dolphin J9 a t Kenley Aircraft Acceptance Park after allocation to 93 Sqn, wearing the unit's white triangle symbol on its fuselage. ABOVE

ton until it was disbanded on December 31 that year. The fourth and final Dolphinequipped squadron on the Western Front was 87 Sqn, which was formed from a nucleus at the Central Flying School, Upavon, Wiltshire, in September 1917 and arrived on the Continent in April 191 8. During its first months in France it operated against high-flying German two-seaters, and in one noteworthy period disposed of eight inten days. Eight of its pilots became aces, the most noteworthy being Capt AW. Vigers (14 victories); Capt AAN. Pentland (23; 13 on Dolphins), an Australian; Lt L.N. Hollinghurst (11) and Capt H.J. Larkin (11), another Australian. This squadron made some adventurous modifications to its Dolphins. After frozen guns had rendered highaltitude engagements abortive, experiments were conducted in heating the oil that caused the guns to fire by means of electric coils and elements. An oxygen tank was fitted behind the pilot, near the fuel tanks, feeding oxygen under manual control to a face mask. As he had some doubts about the vulnerability of this device to machine-gun fire, Lt Hollinghurst and "Guns" Knight, the armament officer, rigged up an oxygen tank in a discarded Dolphin fuselage and Knight fired at it, whereupon it exploded violently. Believing that he already had enough danger in his life, Hollinghurst had his oxygen tank removed ; most of his fellow pilots did likewise. Aeroplane, February 200 1

Although the two angled Lewis guns originally provided should have been effective in attacks made from below and behind, it was found that it was far more effective to use the Vickers guns, with their more accurate Aldis sight, in a dive-and-zoom attack. As the Lewis guns were therefore "almost useless", an 87 Sqn flight commander suggested that they be mounted on the lower wings, just outside the propeller arc. Knight designed the installation, and with the weapons angled to converge at 100yd, and the Vickers guns converging at 50yd, a large spread of bullets was obtained. All of the guns were sighted using the Aldis sight and fired frorn the control column. Hollinghurst wrote that, even though the Lewis guns cou ld not be reloaded once their ammunition drums were spent, and stoppages could not be cleared, this installation "proved to be very popular with the pilots". It also allowed special ammunition for balloon attacks to be carried, as there was no risk of "late shots and damaged propellers". Hollinghurst said that the relocating of the guns had no apparent effect on the performance of the aircraft, and the extra weight and vibration of firing did not cause any structural failure. Prophetically, he added: "The possibility of sinking guns into the planes and carrying the ammunition between the fabric surfaces on a belt might be considered in the design of future multi-gunned

AT THE END of October 191 7 the Home Defence Brig ade was reorganised as No 6 Brigade, commanded by Brig-Gen T.C.R Higgins. On December 22, having been asked his opinion regarding aircraft with the best potential for nightfighting , Higgins expressed a preference for a two-seat pusher as the ideal type for attacking German airships and night bombers, but remarked : "The only tractor machine which approaches the ideal for night fighting is the Sopwith Dolphin, and in view of the fact that this machine is already in production .. . effo rts should be made to ailot as many of these to 6 Brigade as the demands from other sources wiil adm it". Sopwith's modification of C3858 for nightfighting has already been mentioned , but such was the urgency of putting the type into service with Home Defence units that it was decided to deliver unmodified aircraft and have the alterations carried out on the squadrons. The first unit to receive them was to be 141 Sqn, in January 191 8, foilowed by 143 Sqn in Febru ary, 78 Sqn in March and 11 2 Sqn in May. Althoug h 141 's first Dolphin did arrive in January, it was crashed. More arrived during the next six weeks and the unit moved to Biggin Hiil, but its operations were fl own by the B.E.12s provided as interim equipment. The pilots found tha t the Dolphins were far less stable than expected and tended to spin eas ily from a left-hand turn . The squadron received the fuil y modified C3858 in March , and although Maj Babbington, the CO, found that its adjustable tailplane and increased dihedral improved stability, he reported that the rudder made the aircraft "tricky" and he considered the Dolphin insufficiently stable to fly on a night with no visible horizon . On March 19 Lt-Col Christie, the CO of 49 Wing , told Brigade that the Dolphin could not be recommended for operations on dark nights, that pilots of considerable skiil would be requi red even on moonlit nights, and that its engine was too unreliable for night opera tions. The upshot was that the Dolphin was rejected for this role. me Defence Dolphin nightfighter C3803 at Sedgeford, with . underwing Holt flare .brackets, wingtip navigation light ,a"n d the t es 0 f It " • I" e I 5 ·w h IO , overpainted... ~ ,, " .. J.

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single-seat fighters" . Although by late June 191 8 Sopwith had already designed and built the Snark triplane to have four Lewis guns beneath its lower wings in addition to its two fuselage-mounted Vickers guns, it was to be quite some time before wing-mounted guns became accepted practice. By the war's end 87 Sqn had

amassed more than 90 victories for the loss of only six pilots killed in action and three taken prisoner. It returned to the UKin February 191 9, and was based at Ternhill until it was disbanded on June 24. A number of other Dolphin squadrons were forming in 1918. In July 90 Sqn at Brockworth, Gloucestershire, formed fromNo 10 TDS, had 63

SERUICE HISTORY

T he LoU jeUisonable fuel tank after release from Dolphin D3747. ABOVE LEFT One of the RNAS's two Dolphins, C3785, at Dover, with eyes and jaws painted on its cowling. ABOVE

DOLPHINSWEREalso used byTraining Squadrons, Training Depot Stations, at the Central Flying School at Upavon, the School of Special Flying at Gosport and the North-East Area Flying Instructors School at Redcar, and at Fighting Schools. Although there was no purpose-designed two-seat trainer version, one Dolphin, C8022, was converted to a dual-control trainer at Scampton by No 34 Training Depot Squadron of the 23rd Training Wing. Two Dolphins fromthe first production batch, C3785 and C3786, were delivered the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in December 191 7. After completion on December 29, C3785 went to RNAS Dover early in January 191 8 and remained there until at least June. Although it seems not to have been flown operationally, its nose was adorned with eyes and aggressive-looking "shark's teeth". The second aircraft, C3786, was delivered to Dover on December 6, 191 7, had joined No 1 (Naval) Sqn by mid -December and 4 (Naval) Sqn (204 Sqn RAFfrom April 1) byJanuary 23. After being damaged and repaired it joined 23 Sqn on June 9, and on the 29th Lt HA White was flying it when he shared in the destruction of a Fokker DVII. On July 11 it was the mount of Lt APearson when he sent an Albatros DV down out of control. Dolphins used for experimental work included D3747, fromwhich a Lott jettisonable main fuel tank was successfully jettisoned in flight at Brooklands on June 25,

acquired a few Dolphins, but was disbanded on the 29th to re-form as a Home Defence unit. Number 91 Sqn at Kenley, London, had 14 aircraft at the end of October, and was due to be fully equipped by November 10. It is recorded as having gone to France on November 28, and was disbanded onJuly 3, 191 9, never having become operational. At Port Meadow, Oxford, 93 Sqn, due to complete

1918. Subsequently shots were fired at the tank at Orfordness, and the resulting distortion of its attachment fittings madejettison impossible. ADolphin equipped with a Calthrop Guardian Angel parachute was demonstrated in France in 191 8. At the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, C4191 was involved in experiments concerning rotation of the slipstream in January 1919, and D8194 was engaged in tests of the Rotoplunge fuel pump in February. Asingle Dolphin, D5369, joined the British civil register, being registered to Handley Page Ltd as G-EATC on May 7, 1920. Handley Page owned the Aircraft Disposal Company, and planned to use the aircraft as a demonstrator in a bid to gain orders.

equipping by November 30, had six Dolphins on strength, though they were still at Kenley Aircraft Acceptance Park. It had 16 aircraft by November 4, of which two were at Hendon and the rest at Kenley, and was due to go to France in December. While working up, 85 Sqn had at least 14 Dolphins, but when it went to France it had S.E.5as. Dolphins were also being supplied to 81 Sqn, which

was absorbed into 34 TDSat Scampton in July 191 8 and then became 1 Sqn, CanadianAir Force. It was based at Upper Heyford , Oxfordshire, from November 25 and due to go to France in December. It relinquished its Dolphins for S.E.5as in April 1919, then moved to Shorehamfrom May 2, 1919, until it was disbanded on January 28, 1920. It was • engaged only in training.

Eight Dolphins of 81 (Canadian) Sqn (later No 1 Sqn, Canadian Air Force) at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire.

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FOLLOWINGTHE ARMISTICE, a border dispute caused the Russo-Polish war, and in 1920 Britain presented 30 aircratt to Poland. These included ten Dolphins with geared engines: F7128, J153, J162, J169, J178 and J181 , which left aboard the 55 Neplun on April 1, 1920; and F7 120, J1 39, J151 and, probably, E48 15, which left aboard the 55 Warszawa on April 21. They were not well received, the Head of the Field Aviation reporting that Polish pilots believed that "these arcratt were withdrawn from use by the Allies as being dangerous for the pilot" , and proposing that they should not be flown. This malicious rumour damned the Dolphin in Polish eyes. In late May all ten went to Warsaw and were allotted the Polish serials 21.01-21.10 Early in August some were issued to the 19th Fighter Squadron, defending Warsaw against fhe Bolsheviks. The unit flew some 15 sorties during the Battle of Warsaw; by the end of August only one Dolphin, 21 .04, remained serviceable, and by early September all were unserviceable owing to faulty gun synchronising gear and lack of propellers. The Dolphins were offered to the American pilots of 7th Kosiuszko SQn when the 19th received Spad XIlis in late September, but the offer was declined and three went to the 18th Sqn at Grudziadz in October. Only one remained flying by March 1921. At least two of the remainder were used on the Bolshevik Front by the 1st Zaporski (Ukrainian) SQn from late October 1920. After the Ukrainian retreat the unit returned its aircraft to the Poles on February 22, 1921 . Five Dolphinswere stored in Warsaw in April 1921 , and although 21.08 was restored to airworthiness, nobody wanted to fly it. By early 1922 there were only four Dolphins awaiting overhaul, but the work was never carried out and they were written off at the end of the year. Aeroplane, February 2001

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What was the Dolphin like to fly? first impressions were often far from fauourable, as PHILIP JnRRETT reueels in this suruey of pilots' opinions ESPITE THEIR understandable misgivings about the dangers of turning over a Dolphin on the ground, Service pilots (other than those on Home Defence squadrons) liked the aircraft. However, they initially approached it with some trepidation, partly because its backstaggered wings were reminiscent of the unloved Airco D.H.5. Major Montgomery-Moore of 19 Sqn wrote: "Everyone was scared stiff of Dolphins because you really had to fly them; they were not at all forgiving .. . if you took your hand off the control column for a minute, the aircraft would drop like a stone and that would be the end of you. The Dolphin was powered by the venerable {sic] Hispano-Suiza eightcylinder engine, which tended to make the aircraft a bit noseheavy . . . On the other hand, there was no gyroscopic effect to worry about. In the final analysis, it was all a matter of knowing the aircraft and concentrating on what you had to do." He also says: 'The Dolphin was more manceuvrable than the old Aeroplane, February 2 0 0 1

Spad and was generally a tougher aircraft; it could sustain more combat damage and still hold together". Another 19 Sqn pilot, L.J. Delaney, gained a bad first impression of the Dolphin when he flew it in a training unit at Scampton, but upon being posted to 19 Sqn and sampling a well-rigged machine, his opinion changed dramatically. "On my first flight after nearly two months away

fromDolphins my experiences maybe imag ined. The machinewas so sensitive that I do not remember making the first few turns. It seemed that one had only to think of a right turn and you were round . The slightest movement of the joystick and the machine rocked like a cork on a rough sea." Writing in 1967, Wg Cdr W.M. Fry, who flew Dolphins with 79 Sqn,

ABOVE A pilot in full flying

gear must have found entering the Dolphin's cockpit quite an exercise, as he had to climb up over the upper wing and descend through the open centre section. This is C3797.

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recalled: "There seemed to be a prejudice against, and a lack of confidence in, the Sopwith Dolphin , , , but looking back on it, we were only suffering from teething troubles and comparatively inexperienced mechan ics. The geared Hispano-Suiza engines certainly were not of the highest quality workmanship and therewere a lot of engine failures. I remember one very unusual occurrence when one day, soon after we left the aerodrome in formation , there was an explosion in the cockpit of one of the aircraft flying on my left hand. It went straight down, out of control. and crashed. No-one knew what had happened in the machine. Looking back, the Dolphin was a splendid mach ine, strong, easy on the controls, no flying vices, and owing to its large wing surface it had an excellent performance high up. In fact, I should think at the time it had a better performance at, say, over 15,000ft. than any other British or German machine. Its armament was also first-class for those days." Major W. F.J. Harvey, who flew Bristol Fighters with 22 Sqn in 1918,

the two machines circle round and round, each trying to get on the other's tail. With the normal biplane with the full centre-section the other aeroplane is frequently out of sight, blocked from view by the pilot's own aeroplane's centre-section and top plane. With the Dolphin the other aeropiane could be watched all the time with a consequent gain in tactical manoeuvring. "On the controls the Dolphin, though not showing any great sensitivity, was satisfactory and reasonably well balanced. There were rumours and counter-rumours about it at first, but the machine showed itself to be fairly well balanced on the controls." Lieutenant L.N. Hollinghurst of 87 Sqn wrote: ".. . the Dolphin was easy to fly and was strong and manoeu vrable. The pilot had an excellent view and, in my opinion, it was one of the best war machines ever built. Unfortunately, it stalled rather quiCkly, and that, and the peculiar shape of the nosewhich prevented the inexperienced pilot keeping the nose on the horizon. increased pupils' dislike." Some of the foregoing impressions

A Dolphin I taxies out for take-off. This one has its single Lewis gun mounted on the port side. ABOVE

RIGHT A factory

shot of a Dolphin cockpit, minus the twin Vickers guns. The central instrument is a n Air Compass Type

5 /17. Another Dolphin cockpit, this time showing how far the gun butts intruded. An unusual contoured windscreen is f itte d here, rather than the more usual "Avro LEFT

ty pe".

"The unusual draught from in front of this back-stagger blew the lower half of my long leather flying-coat ouer my face, which Icould not claw away until I was at about 300ft" had a rather disconcerting experience when he sampled a Dolphin the following year, while wearing a long leather flying-coat. "At about 50 m.p.h. before take-off," he recounted, "the unusual draught from in front of this back-stagger blew the lower half of the coat over my face which I could not claw away until I was at about 300ft - my only 'blind' take-off." Major Oliver Stewart wrote: "Those who did not fly in these aeroplanes dreaded having to, but those who got used to them found themwarm and comfortable, and were enthusiastic about their good qualities as a fighting machine . . .. Especially valuable. according to Dolphin pilots, was the upward view when engaged in the circular chase type of combat. In this

66

are contrad ictory, but it should be borne in mind that they are subjective, depending on pilots' varying levels of skill and experience, and on the talents of riggers and mechanics. Lieutenant Edwin Post of the USAS reported as follows on the 300 h.p. Dolphin II: "At 5,000m I made a series of turns, all fairly sharp, a few vertical and gained 200m in 7min. The machine handled perfectly and had no tendency to slip off or go soft on the controls, and fromthe reserve of power I should estimate its ceiling to be wel l over 7,000m . .. It sideslips easily, dives very fast ... in a stall from no mailer what position the Dolphin has no tendency to tailspin but slowiy falls into a nose-dive, its balance being perfect ... It is

exceedingly steady in flight which will facilitate accu rate shooting .. . The landing . .. was extremely easy and at about 50 m.p.h. on the airspeed indicator. .. The machine lands so slowly that there should be very few landing accidents." He added that the Dolphin's manoeuvrability was "extraordinary for a machine carrying such a load [359kg]. and high up handles better than the regular Spad which seems to . .. have nothing under it at 5,000m." He later reported that the Dolphin manoeuvred perfectly, performed all aerobatics and gave the pilot ideai vision. At 1O,OOOft it had a 300ft chandelle (a manoeuvre in which speed is traded for altitude while reversing flight direction) and 0 made a 180 turn in 8sec.

Ace S.E.5a pilot Cecil Lewis sampled an opponent's experience of a well -flown Dolphin when he engaged one in mock combat over St Omer. Unbeknown to him, it was piloted by Capt W.J.C.K. Cochran Patrick. the chief test pilot and "one of the finest pilots in the force". ". .. 1 turned on the stranger's tail". he wrote. "It was then that he saw me and pulled into a tight vertical turn. So did I. But he was tighter and he gradually worked round. So I flick-rolled on to the other bank. So did he. Now he was neatiy tucked in beh ind me and I was a dead man . . . I dropped on to the deck . .. When I walked over to greet my adversary . .. it was Patrick. .. . "Hullo, Lewis," he laughed. 1;1 "Still learning to fly?" ~ Aeroplan e. February 200 1

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PHILIP JnRRETT describes the Dolphin's structure. In spite of its unorthodox configuration, the aircraft used the conventional construction techniques of the late first World War period

PART FROM ITS unconventional backstaggered wings, the Dolphin's structure was typical of late-First World War aeroplanes. It comprised a wooden framework held together with metal fittings and braced with stranded steel cable and streamlinesection Rafwires, and covered with

linen except for the forward fuselage, which had ply panels and formed engine cowlings of sheet aluminium. The fuselage was awire-braced box girder consisting of four longerons divided by vertical and transverse struts into twelve bays. The small triangular first bay was unbraced; the remaining five bays of the forward fuselage, which con-

tained the engine, cockpit, guns and tanks, were braced with streaml ined Ratwires, while the six bays that formed the rear fuselage were braced by stranded cables and turnbuckles. Two horizontal longitudinal engine bearers were carried on front and rear steel bearer plates fixed to the insides of the vertical struts of the first two bays, and were supported by

This manufacturer's inboard profile graphically portrays the manner in which the greatest masses were concentrated in the smallest possible space, with the pilot, engine, tanks and armament tightly packed into the forward fuselage. ABOVE

Another view of the first batch of Dolphins under construction at Can bury Park Road, taken at the same time as the picture on page 60, but from the opposite end of the factory. RIGHT

Aeroplane. February 2001

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BELOW The Dolphin I's 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza installation.

1 Norman vane sights 2 Aldis gun sight 3 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine 4 Reduction gear 5 Drift w ires 6 Link chutes 7 Hinged radiator shutter 8 Starboard flank radiator g 20gal main tank 10 7gal gravity tank 11 Axle pivot 12 Landing wires 16--. 13 Flying wires 14 Compression strut 15 Nose riblets 16 Aileron connecting cable 17 Pitot head 18 C3786 - Sopwith-built 1 g Horn-balanced rudder 20 Fabric lacing

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BELOW The Vickers guns above t he cylinder blocks, with t he r a d ia t o r header tank immediately in front and just below them.

c.' BELOW The forward fuselage , including the inst r um e nt panel, magazines, control column , rudder bar and radiator shutters.

BELOW The twin Lewis guns on the wing attachment frame. The magazines for the Vickers guns are also shown.

68

a pair of stout diagonal bearers that formed the lower members of the first two bays, A U-shaped transverse steel bearer was fitted to the front of the horizontal bearers, and in front of this was an oval frame of welded steel tube, with tubular crossbracing, to carry the cowling panels, The streamlined and cross-braced centre-section cabane struts were mounted above the 3rd and 5th vertical struts, and carried the tubular steel wing attachment frame . RIGHT An instrument panel diagram from the Dolphin parts schedule. Top row, left to right: oil pressure, compass and crosslevel , engine temperature; middle, clock; bottom , left to right: airspeed, magneto switches, maker's plate, main tank gauge, gravity tank gauge.

It would have been difficult to install this in the 200 h.p, version without compromising the Lewis gun armament, as in this aircraft an ammunition boxfor three Lewis drums was attached beneath thepilot's seat. Photos also exist of a detachable cylindrical petrol tank, located in the same position as the original cylindrical tank. Al l versions, however, had a 7gal gravity tank in the fuselage topdecking immediately behind thepilot, with a small locker behind it. Aspe-

Between the engine and the foremost cabane struts were the steel-tube bearer for the twinVickers guns, their magazines and the chutes for the spent cartridges. There was evidently some variation in the disposition of the main fuel tank, On the 200 h.p. Dolphin a cylindrical 20gal main tank was located in the bay behi nd the pilot's seat. However, Sopwith photographs of a 300 h.p, Dolphin II show a trapezoidalsection tank beneath the pilot's seat.

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Sopwith Dolphin I cially contoured oil tank of about 5gal capacity was carried beneath the nose, fitting snugly under the engine, and the 7 ~ga l radiator header tank was plumbed in between the cylinder vees at the front of the engine. The cockpit occupied the 4th and 5th fuselage bays, the pilot being seated in a woven wicker seat. He had a conventional control column with a triangular grip at the top, with two lever-type thumb-operated gun triggers in its centre, The rudder bar, provided with adjustable leather footstraps, was directly beneath therear of the crankcase, The arrangement of instruments on the front panel varied to some degree, but the compass and inclinometer dominated the centre, with the magneto switches below and to the left. On thepilot's right were the pressure cocks to the top and bottomfuel tanks and their hand pump, plus the lever to operate the radiator shutters. On his left were the tank selector cock and the combined petrol and throttle control quadrant. The radiators flanked the cockpit bay, with their adjustable Aeroplane, February

200 1

shutters immediately in front. Aft of bay 6 the fuselage was empty, apart from thevarious control runs to the tail surfaces, A simple fairing of formers and stringers continued the line of the top-decking, The fuselage terminated in a steeltube sternpost incorporating a mounting for the steerable tailskid and its control lever at the bottom, and an anchorage poi nt for the skid's bungee spring at its top. The wooden tailskid with a steel shoe initially fitted was replaced by a steel unit in the iate summer of 1918. The simple main undercarriage comprised a pair of braced streamlined steel-tube vees separated at their bottom ends by a split-axle spreader comprising a central fixed axle withvertically-pivoting axles hinged to each end, thewheels being attached to their outer extremities, The forward fuselage of a Dolphin II , showing the revised front ring to accommodate the ungeared 300 h.p. engine.

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STRUCTURE

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ailerons on each sidebeing linked by a cable. Cross-braced, streamlinesectionwooden struts formed two bays of interplane bracing each side. The tailplane was built up on two spars and had a tubular framework. The one-piece unbalanced elevator

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hinged to its rear spar had a tubular framework and a vee cut-out to allow for rudder movement. Asmall fixed tubular-framed fin with a curved nose incorporated a cut-out for the horn balance of the tubular-framed It.I rudder, hinged to the fin post. ~

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forward fuselage with main and gravity tanks, streamline-section undercarriage struts and the split axle in the spreader bar. BELOW Diagrams from the parts schedule, showing wing structure and fiittings , the tail surfaces and undercarriage detail.

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PRESERUftTlOn

no Sopwith Dolphins surulue intact, but a replica has flown in the usn and painstaking work in England will produce a static reproduction incorporating many original parts, reports PHILIP JnRRETT

SOPWITH DOLPHin

LTHOUGHTHEREARENO known complete surviving Dolphins, one reproduction has been built and another, using many original components, is under construction. In the late 1960s!early 1970s the late Cole Palenwas cutting back on the use of genuine vintage aeroplanes at his Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in NewYork State, USA, and seeking subjects for essentially accurate replicas. American -built Hispano-Suizas were available, and Cole had a complete set of Dolphin drawi ngs, so Andy Keefe, the Floridabased constructor who had worked on other replicas for Palen, set to work on a Dolphin in May 1976. As he wanted the ai rcraft to perform in

displays, rather than make operational flights over the Western Front, Palen elected to keep the structure as accurate as possi ble but accept certain changes. For example, the on ly fuel tank fitted was a non-authentic oval one where the cylindrical main tank wou ld have been . After 4,000 man-hours his Dolphin was complete. Powered by an ungeared 150 h.p, Simplex-built Hispano-Suiza turning a 180 h.p. Hisso propeller, it was certificated in the "experimental" category in summer 1977 and reg istered N471 66. Although damaged on its maiden flight, the Dolphin was soon flying regularly. To improve cool ing, Palen replaced the Waco 10 radiator core with a modern unit, but he was not

Database

enamoured with his Dolphin's handling and found it difficult to judge the correct landing attitude and avoid stalling in. Then, on September 30, 1990, the aircraft suffered engine fai lure and crashed on to the tall trees surrounding Old Rhinebeck. Pi lot Dick King escaped unhurt, but the Dolphin was badly damaged. At present the wings have been restored and await re-covering, the tail surfaces are restored and recovered, and the fuselage is "well on the way". However, work has stopped owing to more urgent projects. It is hoped that donations might be collected to enable the Dolphin to be completed and fly again. The second Dolphin is taki ng shape at the RAF Museum 's restora-

Mike Vines of Photo Link took his air-to-air studies of Cole Palen's Dolphin flying in the vicinity of Old Rhinebeck in September 1990. A week later it crashed into trees, suffering major damage.

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Acknowledgements The author offers grateful thanks to Jack Bruce, the late Pete Capon. Norman Franks, Barry Gray, Darren Hammond of the RAF Museum restoration centre, David Jones, Wacek Klepacki , Paul Leaman, Stuart Leslie, Tony Mellor-Ellis, Les Rogers. Dan Taylor, TPR Photographic Laboratories, Mike Vines/Photo Link, and the other members of Cross & Cockade International whose resea rches contributed to this Database section

ABOVE The fuselage of the RAF Museum's Dolphin takes shape at RAF Wyton in November 2000.

Original components from several sources are being incorporated in this reconstruction.

Aeroplane, February 2001

71

PRESERunTlOn tion centre at RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire. In 1967 the late Doug Bianchi of Personal Plane Services appealed in Exchange & Mart for old ai rcraft parts, and was offered a col lection of Sopwith Dolphin components. InJune that year the RAF Museum purchased these from Mr Liming of St Leonards, Sussex, thereby acquiring nose, top and under cowling panels, the main and gravity fuel tanks, two radiators, a header tank, a section of bulkhead, three wheels and one half-axle, a pair of centre-section struts, a fin , two metal fittings, a maker's nameplate and an engine data plate. These were all from Dolphin 05329, from a 200ai rcraft batch built by Hooper & Co Ltd of London and delivered between March 191 8 and May 10, 1919. Duri ng 1968- 70 construction of a Dolphin was begun at RAFHenlow, using these components. Then, about April 1977, the museum purchased a 6ft length of rear fuselage from C3988, a Sopwith-built mach ine, from Kent Arms Sales at Bexley. In 1997 restoration was proceed ing at Cardington using these parts, the machine being given the identity of the rear fuselage section. Also incorporated are an original tailplane and elevator donated by the ShuttleworthTrust. Work continued after the move toWyton. It is planned to install an original 220 h.p, Hispano-Suiza engine from the museum's inventory. Unfortunately this exciting project has always been vi rtually a one-man task, undertaken first by John Chapman and then by Darren Hammond, and relocations have also hindered progress. Nevertheless, in due cou rse a fine Dolphin should be on display in the UK. Bruce James at the museum's restoration centre would be pleased to hear via the Editor from anyone who can offer original components , especially the standard Sopwith "SL" parts It.t used in the wings. W

•

Another view of the RAF Museum Dolphin under construction at Wyton. The original tailplane and elevator came from the Shuttleworth Trust, and a 6ft length of rear fuselage from C3988 turned up in a sale. This will be the new machine's identity. LEFT

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DARRE N HAM MO ND PHOTOGRAPHS

Aerop lane, Febru ary 2001

72 •

SOPWITH DOLPHin

BELOW A-D A: Incorporated in the undernose fairing, the oil tank fits snugly beneath

the ply panel under the front of the engine, with its filler tube protruding through the panel. B: The two fuselage-flank radiators, exhaust pipes, and the radiator header tank. C: A threequarter-rear view of the forward fuselage, showing the supports for the engine bearers and the inter-bay bracing. D: The restored gravity tank, which will be mounted in the fuselage top-decking, behind the pilot's shoulder blades.

Aeroplane. February 2 0 01

Database

ABOVE The American fondness for leaving the fabric covers off spoked wheels detracts from the authentic appearance of Palen's Dolphin, which was finished as E4514, flown by Maj Cecil Montgomery-Moore of 19 Sqn.

73

HIGH SOCIETY

•

Cross Be Cockade International Contact: Roger Tisdale, Membership Secretary, 5 Cave Drive, Downend, Bristol BS1 6 2TL; tel 01 17 939 5945, email [email protected]

; Membership: 1,228 worldwide

Subscription rates: £22 per annum in the UK. £27 (544) in the USA, or £33 (554) to receive the journal by airmail (which takes about a week compared to 12 weeks by surface mail). £27 per annum mainland Europe and rest of world, or £33 to receive the journal by airmail

What you get: Members receive four issues of Cross & Cockade Journal a year. Regardless of the time of year that you join, you will receive all of that year's journals. Back issues, reduced-price books and other goods are available to members. Access to many enthusiasts wi th similar interests who are eager to exchange information and co-operate on research

RI GI NALLY FO RMED IN the US A in 1959, Cross & Cockade was crea ted to ena ble ent h usiasts to sha re a com m o n in te rest in First World War a viation . When th e American arm fou ndered, th e Eng lish sectio n, which had grow n steadily a n d laun ched its ow n journal in 1970, became an in de pe n dent in terna tio n al o rgan isat ion . Th e q uarte rly Cross & Cockade In ternational Jo urnal w h ich eve ry member receives as part of the su bscription is a well-produ ced A4- sized, 60-page pub li ca tion o n h igh-qua lity paper. packed with well-researched fa ctual a rt icles by leadin g specia list historians o n the aircraft , pilots a nd air arms of the First Wo rl d War. Th e jou rna l is illust rat ed with rare photograph s reproduced to a high sta n da rd. In cl uded with each Journ al is a n eight -page su pplem en t w h ich keeps m embers up to dat e w ith C&Cs activities a nd provid es a point of con tact for those seeki ng help with resea rch . Activities incl ude reg ular meet ings in cent ral London a n d elsewhere in the UK. Th e London m eetings, on th e second Friday of every month ex cept April a nd Augu st, are held at th e Hoop a nd Toy pub in Th urloe Place, So uth Kens ington, close to So uth Kensington underground sta tion a nd th e Science Museum. Meet ings sta rt at I 900hr a nd fi nish at 2 I Ouhr, a nd th e re is a cha rge of £3 per head. Th e room has video facili ties, and th e pub serves good, reasonabl ypriced food and drink. The society 's ann ua l general meet ing, traditionall y held in th e RAF Muscum, Hendon, in Apri l, is a not her event where membe rs ma y gather to enjoy a fi lm show, book sale. an d, of course. th e de lig hts of th e ve n ue itself. Past yea rs have see n organi sed weeken d sem ina rs w ith a programme of ta lks as we ll as specia ll y ,

C&C members view the Memorial Flight Association (M FA ) S.E.5a project at La FerteAlais, guided by t h e MFA's UK re p re se nt a t ive (and Aeroplane a ut hor) Melvyn Hiscock (left). ABOVE

-e

••••

-

The Cross & Cockade stand at the Shuttleworth Pageant at Old Warden on September 3, 2000.

ABOVE

arra nged visits to n ea rby sites of int erest (such as Ca rdin gto n wh en it hou sed th c RAF Museum 's restoration cent re ) a n d a dinner. Membe rs have also enjoyed o rga nised trip s to Fran ce, vis iting such places as the Musee de I'Ai r a nd La Fcrte- Alais . If yo u have a growing or lon g-standin g inte rest in First Wo rld War a viation , this is the ideal socie ty for you . Writc in for furth er details. visi t the C&C w ebsite (ww w.crossa ndcocka de.com ). drop in on a loca l meet ing. o r visit the society's sta nd at two of th e Shutt lewo rt h Collectio n's sum me r Sun day displa ys. You will receive i:'I a warm wel come . u.J

Society-aims - - - - - - - - - - --

1 To help broaden the field of knowledge of all aspects of aviation of the 1914--1918 period, and further the study of the SUbject 2 To enable those with a common interest in any aspects of First World War aviation to share their interests and meet fellow enthusiasts Pilots and groundcrew of No 1 Sqn RAF with their Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5as at Clairmarais, nea r St Omer, in July 1918. The unit had re -e qu ippe d with S.E.5as that January•

LEFT

•

74

Aeroplane, Februa ry 2 0 01 •

•

AVIATION ART

The Aces High Aviation Gallery in Buckinghamshire hosted a gathering of RAF bomber veterans in November. Report and pictures by IAN FRIMSTONI FUJI LAB

escen

ABOVE Air Commodore

D.M. Strong (left) , Bill Reid VC (centre) and Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom. TOP Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom & Air Cdre Strong sign one of Robert Taylor's books for the artist (centre).

on

WET AND WINDY DAY at Wendover. Bu ck inghamshi rc on Sa turday, November 25 , 2000, saw a v C, a Kn igh t o f the Realm a n d six o ther wa rriors o f th e a ir meet for a boo k sign ing with renowned av ia tion a rt ist Robert Ta ylor. The occa sion wa s th e thi rd such m eeti n g (see A Pack of Aces, Februa ry 2000 Aeroplane), t he pur po se bein g to ra ise fu nd s lo r t he RAF Benevo le n t Fu n d. Each yea r th e fund h elps o n average 30,000 ex -serviceme n and wo me n a nd their fam ilies. Last year so me ( 15 m was spen t. some of whi ch went to fund the run ning costs of the two residential homes operated by the Fund, as well as work ing with the Roya l Air Forces Associat ion. A m ost welcome dona tio n was rece ived Iro m Aces High Art Ga lle ry, wh o o rga n ised th e eve n t. Present aga in this year was Air Marsh a l Sir Ivo r Bro om , w ho flew and a lso served wi th No 107 Sqn in Ma lta, ca rrying o u t low -leve l ra ids aga inst sh ipp ing, befo re beco m ing one of th e first th ree Mosq uito instructors in

ABOVE & RIGHT

Examples of Robert Taylor's superb bomber paintings were on display in the gallery.

Aeroplone, February 2001

• The Aces High Avi ation Gallery is at No 25 The High Street, Wen dover, Bucks HPn 6 DU (tel 01296 625681; ema il enq uiries@a ceshighgallery.co.uk; w ebsite w ww. aceshighga liery.co.uk)

75

RESTORATION INDUSTRY

•

The Story of Redditt Aviation A chance sighting of a swarm of seaplanes whi le he was on a train passing through Western Ontario, Canada , roused DEREK O'CONNOR'S curiosity. He investigated and discovered Redditt Aviation , a maintenance and restoration company specialising in Beech 18s

•

URING A LEI SURELY rail j ourne y across th e vastness of cent ra l Ca nada in late 1998 I was jerked ou t of my tea -an d- m u ffin -indu ced reve ri e w he n th e train stopped briefly at Redditt . a tin y halt on a rocky wooded hill side in Western On tario. an a rea dott ed with names such as Moose Lake. Octopus Lake a nd Black Sturgeo n

River. There. close to the track and loosely arrayed before a corruga ted hangar a nd othe r build ings. was a veritable garde n of land ed seaplanes. mai n ly Cessnas. but with th ree appa rent ly servicea ble Beech I 8s o utsta n ding among them. Two of th ese had two-bl ad ed propellers. wh il e th e third exa m ple sported three-blad ed unit s. To o ne side. amid lon g grass a nd rail wa y debris. were the fo rlo rn corpses o f two Beech 18 la nd pla nes. sails engines a nd ou ter wi ngs. apparent ly ca n n iba lised . Yet a not he r Beech 18. a black-nosed version w ith out engin es but with wings. had been deposit ed behind a Piper Super Cub Iloarplane. Intrigued. I took so me ha sty photographs through the train wind ow before it pulled a lit, then plied th e stewards w ith questions abo ut the aircraft and the site. My enq uiries drew o nly blank loo ks and expressive Fre nch Cana dia n sh rugs. Th ere being no com pa ny name -board to help me. I co u ld only ass um e that th e site was well -known locall y as th e place to take yo ur Iloatplan e for a n oil a nd Iil-

.Aeroplane. February 2001

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Beech E18S C-FMQS was trucked in pieces from Oklahoma in the USA and assembled as a freighter for Gold Belt Air Transport using components from a Tri-Beech.

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ter cha nge, o r indeed for a complet e rebuild . Where the a ircra ft land ed or alight ed , o r took off from , wa s a mystery, as fro m the train I co uld see no airstrip or co n ve nient stretch of wa ter. Back in the UK, w ith enco urage me nt from A eroplane 's Edito r a nd w ith th e ass ista nce of the Ca na dia n Hi gh Com m ission in Lo ndon , I eve n tu a lly established co n tact wit h Rollie Harn m e rst edt. the owner of Redditt Aviation (for su ch it wa s ) from 1986 until December 1998, when he retired after com ple ting 46 yea rs in a ircraft mainten an ce, mu ch o f it spent as a humbl e "grcaseball " in th e su b-a rctic ternperat ures o f th e Ca nad ia n north. Plainly a man wedded almost as mu ch to avi ation as to his wife and business partner Anne. Rollie related the origins and development of the enterprise tha t became Red ditt Aviation, begi nn ing with its inceptio n in 19 58 . Tha t was the yea r wh en, as pa rt of its tra nsition fro m steam to diesel, th e Ca nadian Nationa l Ra ilways shut down its servici ng termi na l at Redd itt,

Aeroplane, February 2001

,

the reby bringing deep econom ic gloom to the sma ll com m u nity th at had grow n up aro u nd it ove r the yea rs. In 1961 , however, th e p res ide nt of On tario Cen tra l Airlines (OCA), Ba rney Larnm. decided to relocate OCA and its fleet of 30 landplanes. seaplanes and ski-bo rn e aircraft at Redditt. Hith erto, OCA's repair hanga r and fl oat plane base had been o n th e wat erfront of the sce nic Lake of th e Woods at Ken ora. to the sou th o f Redditt, while its lan dplanes opera ted o u t o f Ken ora Airport. so me ten miles away. Seasonal changeovers from floats to wheels a nd vice versa had been a twi ce-yearl y organisati onal nightma re for OCA, altho ugh less so in w inter, w he n the la ke fro ze over a nd co uld be used as a runway. OCA's move was n o sim p le re lo catio n . La rnms inge n io us plan in clu d ed t u rn in g Re dditt's defu nct railwa y ya rd int o a 3,700 ft a irstrip wi th an a ll -weather base o f ci n de rs a n d gravel, co n ve rt ing the old roundh ouse int o a h an gar a n d dred ging part o f th e Black Rive r to provide bett er acce ss to nearby Co rn Lak e for sea pla nes a nd fl ying -boat s. Co n ve rs io n of th e roundh ou se n ot o n ly entailed removing th e loco mo tive turnt able and fill ing in the servicing pit. but also crea t ing a door opening of 106ft. j us t la rge e no ug h to allo w access for a Consolidated PBY-5A Ca nso a m ph ibia n fl yin g-boat, whi ch, w it h its w ingtip fl oat s retra cted , spans 104ft. Th e pla n a lso requ ire d th e co nstructio n of a seaplane ramp on th e river, wit h h yd ra ul ic do lli es to haul sea pla n es th e three -quarters of a mil e between river and hangar. OCA began opera ting from Redditt during

ABOVE The rugged

Norseman, one of the great workhorses of the Canadian bush, is represented here by C-FKAO. The type is equally happy on wheels, floats or skis.

The plan required the construction ofa seaplane ramp on the river; with hydraulic dollies to haul seaplanes the ~ of a mile between river and hangar

A gathering of assembled floatplanes at the Redditt works. The four Cessnas in the centre are flanked by a pair of Beech 18s. LEFT

77

RESTORATION INDUSTRY RIGHT Barely

recognisable as a Beech 18, this Vancouver Island Air modified D18S, named Seawind, has a single fin and rudder, a long nose extension , extended high-flotation floats , a two-piece windshield and Hartzell propellers. Its gross weight is up to almost 9 ,3001b from 7 ,825Ib, and it was due to have Orenda Thunderbird a ut o m o b ile -t y pe V8 engines installed when this picture was taken.

BELOW RIGHT Beech 18

C-GAIV, in a sad state of disrepair, arrives at Redditt for a spell of tender loving care that will see it restored to airworthiness. BELOW This is how Beech 18 C·GAIV looked in 1992, several months after it had been trucked to Redditt in a derelict st at e . Its owner has recently sold it for CS325,000 (£150,000) with half-timed engines.

th e w in te r of 196 1-62, so me light a ircra ft m aint en an ce rem ainin g tempo raril y a t Kcnora. It w a s then that Ro llie Hamrn crstcdt a p pea red o n th e scen e, as o ne o f th e two hangar fo remen . Ea rly w ork a t Redditt in cluded ex tensive m od ifi ca tiun o f a PBY- 5A Ca n so for No rth Airlines a n d of various Gr u mman G -2 1 Goose fly ing-boa ts. Sho rt ly thereafter OCA purchased for its own use an e x-Royal Canad ian Air Force (RCAF) Ca n so w ith a semi clipper bow. In the process o f comple tely demi liia ri sing t h e a ircraft th e fli ght e ngineer's station was rem o ved , th e air ru dder was modified to PBY-6A co n figurat io n , ca rgo doo rs, esca pe ha tch es a n d to ile ts were in st all ed a n d passenger sea ts were fitt ed , together with m odern a vio n ics a n d va r io us crea t u re com fort s d eni ed th e military. In Ma y 19 6 3 O CA co m p le ted its move, a n d sta ff a t Kcn o ra w ere offe re d th e choice of a tran sfe r to Redditt or, as Rolli e un comp romi sing ly puts it. Norma n Tc bbiu- st ylc "packi ng it down the road" . Th e co m pa n y then began to move in to insurance work , restoring severely damaged o r even written-off airframes to a irwort hy condi tio n . Accord ing 10 Rollie it was sa id a t th e tim e, o n ly h a lf in j est: "Give u s a se ria l numbe r plat e a nd some m o n e y a n d w e will d eliver an a irc ra ft ".

Wh en a number o f Beech D I SS Ex ped iters were decl ared surp lus by th e m ilitary in 196 5, O CA w a s qui ck to purcha se seve ra l. It arran ged for th e first a ircra ft to be m odified b y Bri st ol (Ca na da) o f Winnipe g, th e Ca n ad ia n manufact ure r of Edo fl o at s, so t h at a n ea rly assess me n t of th e type 's o pe ra tio na l ca pa bilities co u ld be m ad e . The D I SS was th e first post-wa r ve rsion of this ubiquitous aircraft, with e igh t seats instead of the usual six, in creased payload a nd range, and a 20 per cen t in crea se in all -up weigh t. When t he assessme nt p ro ved satisfa ctory, o the r Beech D I SSs were m o difi ed by O CA, using Edo float-in st a ll ati on k its bou ght fro m Bristo l. Th e ai rcraft w ere effectively g u tted before being refurbi sh ed in side and out. Modifi cat ion s incl uded new sea ts and avioni cs, plu s the in st all ati on o f a large ca rgo d oor a n d a n overh ea d esca pe h at ch. Pro m ot ed su pe rint e n de n t of m aint e nan ce in 19 6 5, Ro ll ie was a ke y pla ye r in OCA's m ove 10 acqu ire Do uglas DC - 3s, of w hich it was to bu ild up a fleet of te n . First to arrive, a n d to go stra ight in to service, was a DC -3 modified as an executive tra nsport with, Ro llie q u ips, "all th e bells a nd w h istles " still fille d. It w a s foll o w ed by an ex- RCAF w heel /sk i-eq u ip ped C-47A, alrea dy fitt ed with sea ts fo r 24 pa ssengers and a large ca rgo door. Thi s, \0 0 , went a lm o st stra igh t in to se rv ice, mov in g stores and personnel to a n d from the loggi n g ca m ps, not ab ly a ro u n d Bal l Lake in th e north ern USA. In 1972 OC A su ff ered a ca tas trop h ic lo ss o f bu sin ess w he n m ercu ry polluti on in th e river system ca used th e closu re o f m an y o f t he

Aeroplane, February 2001

camps, including Ball Lake. Th is led in 1973 to th e shutting down of Reddi tt and the transfer of Il oatpl an e opera tions to Giml i. Man itoba. Att empts by Rolli e Harnrn crstcdt a n d a co lleagu e, Ne il Wal sten, to bu y th e bu sin ess from Barney Lamm in 197 5 we re fores talled by a bid from the Nort hern Service Ce n tre. wh ich ran Redditt until it wa s closed down again in 198 3. Not a man to be lightl y deflected , Rolli e. with h is w ife Anne, purch ased the plant in 1986, renaming it Redditt Aviation In c. To o uts ide rs it might h ave seemed tha t they h ad bou gh t th emse lves a bit o f a n aerona ut ical pig in a poke. The m ain han gar was dereli ct. equ ip me n t need ed re p lacing a n d a lOtal over ha u l of the opera tion was th e first priority. Moreover. custo m ers had drifted awa y and needed to be tra cked down and persuaded to return 10 Redditt. Times were hard to begin with , a n d th ey struggled along w ith three 10 four sta ff. su bsistin g initiall y on p ri vat e- ai rcra ft ma intena n ce a n d repairs. But. as its reput ati on gre w, Redd itt began to regain co m me rcial bu sin ess until. by 1991 , a fter th e o ld ro u n dho use h angar had bee n de molished a n d a n ew insul at ed steel ha n gar erected, it was maintaining more than 30 aircraft o f variou s types. The co m pa ny a lso drifted int o the m ain ten an ce of Beech 18s, un enthusiasti call y as fa r as Rollie wa s conce rned . "I had alwa ys hat ed th is aircraft, " he co n fesse d , "b u t operators owned th e m , so there we were. " Rollie fou n d Beech 18s "p ro ble m atic" lo ma in ta in . but tolerable if ope ra tors cou ld be persu ad ed to p u t th e m int o first-class co n dition and then st ick rigorously to the I OOhr in spection periods. As Redditt Aviation 's reputation as a Beech 18 specialist sprea d, it began bein g co m m issio n ed b y would-be ow ne rs to locate a n d refurbish aircraft. Often thi s meant tracking dow n aba ndo ned dere li cts and doing an eva lua tio n , th e on ly abso lu te p rereq ui sit e being th at all pot cntlal rebuilds sho u ld have so u nd w ing spar trusses . Bu ilt o f hi gh- stren gth ch rom e steel tubing, the tr u ss-t ype centre sectio n , h eat- trea ted to a stre ngth of 180,000Ib /in ' , w a s the m ain feature o f th e design. Ch uck Sloat's 0 11 the Beech , in A eroplane for March 1992, mentioned that in the 1960s a number of Beech 18s w ere lost du e to tota l spa r failure, probab ly as a res u lt o f opera tors ex ceed ing re commended w eight lim its a n d so ove r-stress ing the spa r. As a co nse q uen ce m odi fi cat io n k its be ca m e ma ndatory, wi th atte ndan t costs that som e owners found so prohibitive that they were forced 10 ground their a ircra ft. Co m plete re storati on o f a dereli ct Beech 18 would norm all y take a n en tire wint er. sand wiched between the servicing of Piper Cu bs a nd Supe r Cu bs, Cessn as of various types , de Ha vill and Ca n a d a Beave rs a nd Otters , Noord uy n No rse me n a n d Be lla ncas . Roll ie cites th e examp le o f a Beech 18 th at was tr u cked in as a derel ict and , over th e w in ter of 19 9 1/ 9 2 , tran sformed int o a virtually p ristin e a ircra ft that the owner wa s ab le to sell re cent Iy for C$3 2 5,000 (a bo u t £150,000 ). Anoth er wa s a Beech D18S nam ed Seawind extensivel y modified for Vancouver Isla n d Air, w ith a long n ose ex te ns io n, stret ched fl oats, Hart zell p ropell ers, a n d a tw o -pi e ce w in dscree n , becom ing, in the process, a real lest for determ ined spotAeroplane, February 2 0 01

de Havilland Canada Beaver seaplane C-GIKN has its uncowled engine run up while it sits on the beaching trolley.

ABOVE

Rollie Hammerstedt (right) with Redditt Aviation's new owner, Peter Hay.

LEFT

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ters. Even more ch a ll e nging in m an y wa ys wa s the Beech E 18S tru ck ed literall y in bits from Okla h o ma to Redditt. where it w a s refurbished and , w ith som e add itio n al co m po nents from a Tri-Beech, reassemb led as a frei gh tcr for evo ca tively- name d Go ld Belt Air Tra nsport. As fo r the Beech D 18S ll oatpl an es I h ad seen fl eetingly from the tra in w indow, Rollie to ld me th at ea ch painstaki ngly restored aircraft was worth abo u t C$350, 00 0 (£ 165,000) . Having sold Redditt Aviati on on Decembe r 30, 1998, lo Peter Ha y, a lon g-time e m p loyee, Rollie finall y put away h is toolbox a n d bowed ou t at the age of 67 . Noting th at the o pera tion is still thr iv ing, t his uns ung sta lw a rt of Ca n ad ia n bu sh av ia tio n co m me n ts a lillie w istf u ll y: "I guess I wasn 't thai impo rta nt a fte r all" . The number o f Beech 18s and ot her rugged aeri al workh orses he helped 10 rebu ild or m aint ain , an d w h ich a re still fl ying, It.1 sugges ts o th e rw ise. ~

"I had always hated the Beech 18," RoWe confessed, "but operators owned them, so there we were."

The staff of Vancouver Island Air sent this study of a somewhat overloaded Beech 18 floatplane to Rollie Hammerstedt as a Christmas greeting. This aircraft has threeblade Hartzell propellers and jet exhaust stacks.

LEFT

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Book of the Month i:1

WINGS OF STEARMAN (by Peter M. Bowers; ISBN 0-911139-28-1; available from Historic Aviation USA (tel 00 1-800-225-5575); 11 Xin x 8Y-in hardback; 200 pages, illustrated; $39.95 plus p&p). Having its origins in the Stearman Guidebooks pUblished between 1967 and 1976, this new volume has been greatly expanded and has a new layout. Some 285 photographs illustrate Stearman types from the Swallow of 1927 through to the many wel l-known variants of the PT-1 3 and 17 basic types still flying today. Lists of military serials and civilregistered aircraft from 1927 to 1941 are typical of the author's attention to detail, while the varied selection of photographs will please any Stearman buff. MIKE HOOKS

i:1

THE DAY WE BOMBED ~ SWITZERLAND (by Jackson Granholm; ISBN 1-84037-135-8; Airlife PUblishing Ltd, 101 Longden Road, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 9EB; 9~in x 6~in hardback; 246 pages, illustrated; £19.95). The author was stationed with the US 8th AAF in England and flew a number of missions; the first part of the

Aeroplane, February 2001

HIDDEN VICTORY: THE BATILE OF HABBANIYA, MAY 1941 (by ~ AVM A.G. Dudgeon; ISBN 0-7524-2001 -1 ; Tempus Publishing, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, G10ucestershire GL5 2QG; lOin x 7in hardback; 160 pages, illustrated; £16.99) Aeroplane readers will be familiar with the entertaining and informative writing of Air Vice-Marshal Tony Dudgeon, and this volume will not disappoint them. In 1941 , after serving as CO of Blenheim-equipped 55 Sqn in the Western Desert, he was sent to No 4 Flying Training School at Habbaniya, Iraq, for a rest. However, the Iraqi air force and army, with German support, surrounded the base and attempted to force its surrender. The author relates how, using only obsolete and hastily armed trainer aircraft, the enemy was not only held at bay but defeated and driven off; not without cost to the defenders. Moreover, the oil wells of Iraq and Persia (now Iran) were prevented from falling into Axis hands. This little-known but significant episode of the Second World War has been researched using personal and official sources in all three of the nations concerned , and the result is a unique account by one who was there, but at the time "had no idea what we had really achieved, and never for a moment imagined that we were fighting a battle of strategic proportions".This product of his research has clearly proved as informative to him as to his readers. A 16-page section of black-and-white photographs complements the text. PHILIP JARRETI

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programm e. It is surprising to read that there were almost 800 sites all over the UK and estimates suggest that around five per cent of the Luftwaffe's bombing effort had been diverted, saving some 2,500 lives. The fil m industry with its experience of making sets was ideally placed for making decoy sites and dum my aircraft, and both are described in detail in this fascinating, if somewhat expensive. tome. A personal minor irritation is the inclusion of numbers throughout the text which constantly necessitates turning to the back to find their meaning. Appendices list all sites with grid references, attacks on decoys etc . Recommended reading. MIKE HOOKS

This book is available to Aeroplane readers in hardback from IPC Bookshop (see panel) at the special offer price of £15.99 inc p&p book is an interesting description of his early days, the training and then the first combat strikes but on April 1, 1944 a 130-mile error in navigation saw B-24s of the 392nd Bomb Group based at Wendling unload their cargo on Schaffhausen, Switzeriand in mistake for Freiburg . Disciplinary action was taken,

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but it had been a very unfortunate episode. On March 4, 1945 the 392nd, in bad weather, were en route to hit a tank factory, became separated and , identifying a large city as Freiburg , released their load - but this time it was Zurich ; minutes before this nine B-24s had hit the railway yard at Basel. This is a very interesting story, and well worth reading. MIKE HOOKS

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FIELDS OF DECEPTION ~ (by Colin Dobinson; ISBN 0-413-74570-8; Methuen PUblishing ltd, 215 Vauxhall Bridge Road,

London SW1 V 1EJ; 9~in x 6~in hardback; 316 pages, illustrated; £25.00). This, the first book in a series compiled in support of English Heritage's initiatives to study and preserve Britain 's wartime remains, examines the building and operation of bombing decoys and the dummy aircraft manufacturing

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ACTION STATIONS ~ REVISITED (by Michael J.E Bowyer; ISBN 0-94755479-3; Cnicy Publishing, Unit 1A, Ringway Trading Estate, Shadowmoss Road, Manchester M22 5LH; 9~in x 6~in hardback, 397 pages, illustrated; £24.95). The previous 11 volumes of Action Stations, begun about 20 years ago, were very successful, and it is no surprise that the first in a new

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• BOOKS ·UIDEOS ·InTERnET · 0 series of updates should be by this author, who produced the first volume, covering East Anglia (albeit under a different publisher), so Cnicy is to be congratulated on its enterprise. This new volume is labelled Eastern England and covers a slightly larger area than East Anglia, with some 20 additional airfields and 250 photographs, many previously unpublished. Because of the new area coverage, it will be possible for all airfields to be included in slightly fewer volumes; the following ones will be eagerly awaited, a welcome update. MIKE HOOKS IT'S PLANE MAGIC (by Alan Holland-Avery; ISBN 0-9535-794-0-9; selfpublished at 8 Rosefield Road, Staines, Middlesex TW1 8 4NB; 8in x 11in, softback; 148 pages, illustrated; no price quoted). Starting as an amateur photographer, the author won a number of awards before becoming professional, and this book is a general interest autobiography. The majority of the illustrations are of airliners but there are also several accident photographs -

RIGHT The website of The Aerodrome offers a wide range of World War One aeronautical information.

Boeing 707, Bulldog, Trident and MiG-29. Printed on art paper by Ian Allan, it could be an encouragement to budding photographers, although the printers have not done full justice to several illustrations. MIKE HOOKS

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MODERN AIR till TRANSPORT (edited by Philip Jarrett; ISBN0851n-877-1 ; Putnam Aeronautical Books, 9 Blenheim Court, Brewery Road, London N7 9NT; 11in x 8Xin hardback; 264 pages, i1fustrated; £35.00). This is another in Putnam 's History ofAircraft series and is sub-titled WorldwideAir Transport from 1945 to the Present. Chapters cover a multitude of subjects from obvious ones such as airl iner evolution, airliner propulsion (listed as airline propulsion on the back cover), ground

support and others to more estoric things, structures, materials and dynamics. Each chapter is written by a wellknown aviation author and printing and production is of the usual Putnam quality, but such is the variety of topics covered that it raises the obvious question - what is the target readership? Putnam 's series on aircraft manufacturers and specific subjects has long been a cornerstone in reference books and this reviewer would like to see that range expanded to include important manufacturers such as Dornier, Heinkel, Messerschmitt and any Italian company - the latter a long-ignored aspect in UK publishinq. MIKE HOOKS

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THE SCIMITAR FILE (by till Eric Morgan and John Stevens; ISBN 0-85130-2718; Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 41 Penshurst Road, Leigh, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8HL; 12in x 8~in hardback; 232 pages, i1fustrated; (£32 incl p&p, UK, members £26). The Supermarine Scimitar served with the Fleet Air Arm from 1958 to 1966, then with the Fleet Requirements Unit

HILE THERE MAY NOT BE any sites devoted entirely to the Sopwith Dolphin, this month's Database subject, there are plenty covering World War One aviation in general , and Dolphin details appear on many of them. This review touches on a few of the many sites that are out there and which seem to be increasing in number as actual experience of The Great War is fading from the collective memory. Part of this revival of interest can be attributed to the numerous World War One flight simulator games that are available for the personal computer, including Red Baron, Dawn of Aces, WW1 Combat Flight Simulator and 17 Hours. A major site for flight sims is Wings of Honor ("Where combat simulation begins") at www.wingsofhonor.com (you may need a flash player).As well as games there are also articles on First World War history, a model gallery, forums on games and on history. TheAerodrome (www.theaerodrome.com) is a large site with information on all aspects of World War One aerial history. There are biographies of aces and specifications of aircraft organised by country as well as a rundown of contemporary medals and decorations. There is also a bookstore run in association with Amazon.com , book reviews and a World War One film list. As with the Second World War Luftwaffe, the German Imperial

until 1970. Only 76 were built, of which only three complete examples survive, although sadly none is airworthy, or likely to be. Few aviation historians have covered this elegant fighter, but Air-Britain has produced a splendid tribute covering the aircraft and its predecessors, plus projects. It is almost worth having just for the 40 pages of reminiscences from Scimitar pilots, which contain some amusing quotes - "a fun aircraft", "the supersonic bang demolished the entire roof of the Sergeants' Mess Bar", "flying Scimitars was a great experience" - but do read the story of the crash of XD223 at Singapore. With 260 monochrome and 15 colour photographs, 12 colour side views showing unit markings and 29 assorted drawings of projects, 65 pages of squadron and unit histories, names of all known pi lots and histories of every Scimitar, this is a tour-deforce, well printed on good paper. Snap it up before it sells out - and, by the way, Air-Britain offers member prices to FAAOmembers, exFAA members and their relatives. MIKEHOOKS

FOLLAND GNAT (by Victor Bingham; ISBN 1-90051178-9; J&KH PUblishing, PO Box 13, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3XQ; 9*in x 7Xin, hardback; 148 pages, i1fustrated; £23.95). Subtitled Sabre-slayer and Red Arro w, the two fields in which the diminutive Gnat was mostly remembered. this book fills a gap in modern aviation history which is otherwise dominated by much bigger fighters and bombers. As an example of its size. the single-seat Gnat fighter spanned just over 22ft compared to the Hunter at almost 34ft and Sabre 37ft. While the RAF selected the two-seat trainer and ordered 105. it rejected the fighter but Finland bought 13, Yugoslavia two and India 30, plus kits for 15 and a licence to build. Total Indian usage. including a development, the Ajeet.

Air Service has its own devotees and specialist websites. www.jastaboelcke.de is devoted to the pilots and combats of the most famous German air unit, Jasta 2. Although initial appearances may suggest the site is in German, it is in fact in English and has much information for the researcher, including a table of all the unit's pilots, their victories and fates. www.richthofen.com is. unsurprisingly, all about Jasta 2's most famous pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron".This site includes the complete text of Richtofen's autobiography The Red

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Aeroplane, February 2001

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ms· SERUI[ES· InfORmRTIon· RE[OmmEnnRTIons· EUEnTS· SHOWS exceeded RAF deliveries for the type. Appendices list preserved aircraft (almost 30 in the USA alone!) and brief histories of individual aircraft, while descriptions and drawings show proposed developments. A very useful coverage, although picture reproduction is a little on the flat side. MIKE HOOKS

CONVAIR

CONVAIR 8-36 PEACEMAKER (by Meyers K. Jacobsen; ISBN 0-7643-0974-9; Schiffer PUblishing ltd, 4880 lower Valley Road, Atglen, Pa 19310, USA; 8Xin x 11 in, softback; 88 pages, illustrated; £7.95 plus £2 p&p from The Aviation 8ookshop, 656 Holloway Rd, london N19 3POor post free from Bushwood Books, 6 Marksbury Ave, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW94JF). The landscape format suits America's mighty bomber, and readers who want to see more

photographs than used in our Database feature (Aeroplane, December 2000) should buy this inexpensive softback, described as a photo chronicle. The Chinese printers have done a good job on art paper and the only minor criticism could be that some photographs could be larger. avoiding obvious white spaces. MIKE HOOKS HEllENIC WINGS: AN IllUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE HAF AND ITS PRECURSORS 1908-1944 (edited by Fit George J, Beldecos, HAF; IABN 960-86135-2-3; Hellenic Air Force Historical Branch, 1 Moraitinis Str P. Phaleron, Greece 17561 ; 9~in x 12in hardback; 160 pages, illustrated; US$23 inc p&p.) This handsome book in large format provides a concise history of the Hellenic Air Force. from the first attempt by a Greek pilot to fly in his home country to the end of the Second World War. Translated from the Greek, the narrative is clearly written and supported with almost 300 photographs, drawings, paintings and maps. These

illustrations are of a very high quality and some are in colour. Many will be considered rare by British readers. Of special interest are the First and Second World Wars. From 191 7 three squadrons of the Hellenic Arm y Flying Corps flew over the Macedonian Front alongside the French Air Force, the RFC and later the RAF. When Italy attacked Greece from Albania in October 1940. the Royal Hellenic Air Force, equipped mainly with British , French and Polish machines, held its own against the far more numerous aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica. Then the Hellenic Army began to push back the Italians, with its RHAF supported by squadrons of the RAF. However, the Allies were overwhelm ed when the Wehrmacht attacked in April 1941 and the remnants of the squadrons withdrew to Crete and then Egypt. The RHAF began to train and re-form within the RAF. Three Hellenic squadrons operated with distinction in the Middle East, the Western Desert, the Eastern Mediterranean and Italy.

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................_----Air Fighterfree to download. l ong-established World War One aviation society Cross and Cockade International has a site at www.crossandcockade.com. A feature of this site is a very comprehensive links section. Full-sized aircraft, both historical and reproduction, are catered for by a number of sites. Aeroplane contributor Melvyn Hiscock runs an English site for the French Memorial Flight Association (affiliated with the Musee de I'Air) which has undertaken a number of restorations, including a SPAD XIII and a Bleriot XI. and has several exciting projects on the go, inciuding a Fokker DVII , S.E.5A and Albatros D III. News of all of these is to be found with photographs at www.users.globalnet.co.ukl-melvynh/ MemF.html. The World War One and "Golden Age" collection of the late Cole Palen at Old Rhinebeck, New York, is still active with its weekend summer shows and museum. Details of opening hours. prices and directions may be found at www.oldrhinebeck.orllOne thing missing is any detail of the aircraft in the collection including the replica Sopwith Dolphin, which is currently being rebuilt. This is remedied by one of the members of the Old Rhinebeck Museum , Fred Sgrosso, who has put up a site feraturing photos and info on the collection's ai rcraft at

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WARBIRDS OVER WANAKA:THE OFRCIAL RECORD OF THE 2000 AIRSHOW (by Ian Brodie; ISBN 0-79000749-5; Reed Books, Reed PUblishing (NZ) ltd, 39 Rawene Rd, Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand; 1Din x 8in softback; 96 pages, illustrated.) Now as regular as the biennial Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow itself is the souvenir colour book, which follows a few months later. The book begins with an introduction by RNZAF Hurricane and Typhoon pilot Jack Stafford and then a look at the pride of the Alpine Fighter Collection, Hawker Hurricane P3351 . The main body of the book is the show from set-up through the vintage and

civilian aircraft displays (including the Bleriot and Tummelisa from Sweden) and the RNZAF displays. to the warbirds themselves. including the unique spectacle of eight Polikarpov fighters in the air together. The many other activities that make a Wanaka weekend so special, including the military vehicles and displays ("Warhorses Over Wanaka?) and the vintage machinery and fire engines (Workhorses) are certainly not forg otten , and this is very much a "people" book, as well as one about vintage aircraft and warbirds. like the 2000 airshow itself. the book suffers a bit from the murky weather that befell Wanaka around Easter, but is brightened up by air-to-air photographs taken in better conditions beforehand by Phil Makanna and Ian Brodie. The book literally ends with a bang as the "V-2 rocket site" explodes in a series of spectacular fireballs under the assault of the "Allied air forces". l ooking at these images again, I C<¥l still feel the heat on my face! JIM WINCHESTER

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This well-produced book covers a subject which hitherto has received little attention from British air historians. ROY NESBIT

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LEFT Catch up with progress on the Memorial Flight Association's restoration projects through the group's UK-based website.

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http://people.ne,mediaone.netlfredhome. For modellers, there is a very useful discussion board at http://peasel.sr.unh.edu covering historical topics and markings details as well as information on kits and kit-building. This is a good place to pose specific questions about pilots, units and aircraft to a specialist readership. Finally, returning to the subject of this month's Database, articles on modelling two different !'..th-scale Dolphin kits may be found at www.internetmodeler.com and www.modelingmadness.com.

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Aeroplane, February

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Lots of aeronautical goodies to buy this month, at exceptionally favourable prices for Aeroplane readers Aeroplane Spotter CD-ROM Many Aeroplane readers will remember our wartime sister title TheAeroplane Spotter, packed with photographs, silhouettes, cutawaY~~a~ nd~~~~~ comparisons. Now material from all 217 issues is available to a new generation (as well as computer-equipped members of the older one!) on a CD-ROM. It Includes more than 3,000 pictures, 1,000 sets of silhouettes, a fiendish recognition quiz, 271 aircraft cartoons by Chris Wren and a full glossary of 1940s aviation terminology. Priced at just £22.95 inc p&p, it represents superb value - to order, see coupon on page 90 or call 0870 727 4156.

RAF in Action 1939-1945 ,. '" t . , "" •

RAF in Aclion 1939-1945, by eminent -::~-. _ _ historian and Aeroplane contributor Roy ~ ~ . . Nesbit, brings together a narrative history of J 9 3 the RAF's wartime campaigns with a 1m 9 - 1 9 <1 ;.•~ "z: .~~;.;~.;:;'. remarkable collection of action photographs - most of them previously unpublished from the Public Record Office. All the famous actions are covered, as well as many unsung • activities such as the Burma campaign (see Aeroplane's June 2000 issue for a sample). The photographs have detailed captions, and are complemented by wartime and modern paintings. The 256-page hardback book is available to

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saving on the retail price - and postage and packing are free. To order, see coupon on page 90 or call 0870 727 4156.

Aeroplane Ties are back! Back at last by popular demand, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the first in a new range of Aeroplane ties from our long-established supplier Anthony Prinzen features the Supermarine Spitfire. Manufactured in highquality silky polyester, it carries a fine woven (not printed) motif showing the shapely fighter's plan view and side view. The tie is priced at only £12.95 including p&p to order, see coupon on page 90 or call 0870 7274156.

Are you trying to find the answer to a thorny aviation question? Or trace an old aviation friend? Then this page may help

• Regarding the Hurricane query on page 92 of the November issue, Ian Simpson notes a similarity to an incident which befell Yugoslav pilot Lt Ernest Terek of 94 Squadron on January 15, 1944. His Hurricane, HV2B9, had an engine failure when too low to bale out and he made a wheels-up forced landing on his long-range tanks about eight miles from base and 40 miles inside the Libyan border. Having radioed a Mayday, he set off to walk 1U miles to a road where he was picked up - and told he had walked th rough a minefield! • Bernard Lowry comments that the pink Spitfires in the 1945 photog raph (Aeroplane, August) look suspiciously like white ones and wonders if, like Meteors at Melsbroek, they were painted white to preven t engagement by Allied aircraft or gunners at this stage of the war?

English Cultural Tradition, University of Sheffi eld, is appealing to former RAF aircrew andlor intelligence staff who have knowledge of a study undertaken by Sqn Ldr R. G. Woodman DSO DFC in 1951 on UFOs. Sqn Ldr Woodman flew with the secret 100 Group during World War Two, later becoming Deputy Superi ntendent of Test Flying at Boscom be Down. It is understood his papers are in the possession of an aviation historian whom Dr Clarke is trying to trace. In addition, he would like to hear from anyone regarding events between January and April 1947 when ' unidentifi ed aircraft" moving from the North Sea across East Anglia were tracked on radar - one such target was chased for some time by a Mosquito. Dr Clarke's address is 292 Bole Hill Road , Walkley, Sheffield S6 5DF (tel 0114 2345856).

• Mike Moody writes from the House of Newberry, an automobilia collection and archive • Dr David Clarke of the National Centre for located, as he says, ............................................................................................................................... ...............................................- 4 Aeroplane, February 2 0 0 1

SHOllJS •EUEnTS· InFORmaTIon ·OFFERS touch with a Swedish enthusiast who is interested in a Lancaster found on the seabed 20 mi les south of the Swedish coast. Serial numbers of three of the Merlins, all close together, have been establ ished, but not the aircraft's serial. Peter asks if there are record s whic h could identify the airframe from the engine numbers? • Terry Barfi eld, 40 Sweet Briar Road , Stanway, Colch ester C03 5HJ is seeking photog rap hs of the RAF bases at Seletar and Tengah , Singapore, circa 1950, also layouts.

• Harry Rolfe submits a photocopy showing the Mayo Composite on a mud bank on what appears to be a four-wh eel trolley, possibly as used on the apron at Felixstowe. He wonders why this trolley was used in the water instead of the usu al beaching gear and tail trolley - and how did the Composite get to be on this beach? I wonder if the beaching gear wo uld have been strong enough to take the combined we ights? "within spitting distance" of RA F Brize Norton , to say that the collection has two Fw 200C Condor tailwheels, although the re appears to be no record of Condors scrapped at Brize. Any ideas? • Denis Deacon wri tes from the Bangor ExServices Club, 47-51 High Street, Bangor, Co Down BT20 5BE with a quer y posed several years ago but not answered. The Club has

• Leo Hughes, on behalf of the Classic Boat Museum, The Quay, Newport, Isle of Wigh t P0 20 2EF, asks if anyone has practica l or technical knowledge, records, construction drawings etc of an ea rly Mk I A irborne Lifeboat w hich the Museum has acquired and is renovating - it had at one time been converted into a sailing cruiser. Also sought is a Goldfish badge for the exhibit, together with details of the donor and the circumstances which merited its award .

a two-bladed solid wood propeller, about 8ft in diameter, with the marki ngs TRI PRO 1371 11 on one side of the hut and 1822 on the other. There are four approx ;{in diameter holes diagonally interspersed by four %in holes; the prop might be from a preWorld War Two trainer ca n anyone identify it? • Peter Rivers, 21 Mount Pleasant Court, Grindleford, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S32 2JB is in

• Mrs May Tomkin, Menan-Tol Studio, Bosull ow, Newbridge, Penzance TR 20 8NR is seeking informa tion on the use of pigeons in World War Two - her fath er was pigeon keeper at RAF St Eval during 1943. • A. Schout, Pr Beatrixstraat 17, 4311 BT Bruinnisse, Netherlands is interested in the fates of Fokker G-1 s, 0-21 s and T·Ss wh ich survived the German attack in May 1940 and may have been tested by, or in service with, the Luftwaffe.

Denis Chorlton, "Shalfleet", Noads Way, Dibden Purlieu, Southampton S045 4PD has rebuilt a 1943 Hillman Utility after an 11·year stru991e and would like to finish it in appropriate RAF MT colours - there are only some 20 worldwide, so it is rare. Can anyone help him? _

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Paul van den Berg found a monument in the forest between the vil lages of Boxhorn and Sassel in northern Luxembourg consisting of aircraft wreckage and six g raves with a memorial inscribed "At this spot a British aircraft returning from a secret mission was shot down in flam es by the Luftwaffe on 21-3-1945". The graves, three Belgians and three British, quote names and dates of birth as follows; Lts J. Morel, De Winter and Corbisier, Fg Offs H.S. Johnson, F.H. Thompson and R.F. Escreet. The wreckage, two outer wi ngs, two nine-cylinder Cyclone engines with three- bladed Hamilton Standard props, parts of the centre section and a nacelle, is thought to be of a Hudson . Geoffrey Jones' boo k Attacker (W illiam Kimber, 1980) provides part of the answer. It was Hudson lilA FK803/MA-N of 161 Squadron, one of three lost by the unit that night over Germany on agent-dropping missions. The pilot of FK803 was thrown clear when the Hudson disintegrated in mid -air following two explos ions afte r a night fighter attack; although burned , he escaped. It seems likely that the three Belgians were agents.

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• Pete Rushen writes from The Fighter Collection enclosi ng photostats from an officia l publication of 1944 conce rn ing the position of exhausts on radialengined Halifaxes. However, it me rely says that the Halifax III port outer could have its exhaust on the lower port side adjacent to cylinders 6 and 7, while on the starboa rd outer and inner and port inner it was on the lowe r starboa rd side adjacent to cyli nders 10 and 11 - but it still doesn't explain why!

• John Dunford , in the week s leading up to World War Two, saw Harvard Is over North Som erset w ith dark blue fuselages and red and white horizontal rudd er stripes, apparently US Army colours. He was also surprised to see a formati on of USAAF P-39s with single longrange tanks beneath their centre sections, led by a C-47 heading north-east over South Wales in late 1942 or early '43 - he has never heard of any USAAF P-39s being UKbased - any comments?

• John Turner, 23 Girton Close, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 7PT, photog raphed the grave of 1052796 Sgt D. Macdonald, age 25 , killed on June 26 , 1942, and asks w hether anyone has further inform ation on him. M • • M • • • • • • • • • • •••• ••• _

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• Lots of new aeronautical goodies to buy this month, at exceptionally favourable prices for Aeroplane readers National Geographic videos These high-quality videos feature a trio of aviation epics: the crash of the Hindenburg airship at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937;

A selection of the latest aviation products aimed at enthusiasts, reviewed for Aeroplane by NICK STROUD

the Vickers Vimy replica's 19:: 4 :::::;;;~di UK- Australia flight, which re-enacted Ross and Keith Smith's pioneering 1919 flight and almost came to grief after engine failure over Sumatra; and Lindbergh 's 1927 transatlantic flight, the first ever solo crossing. They are available at £12.99 each (+£1.50 p&p UK, £2 Europe, £3.50 worldwide) - to order, see coupon on page 90 or call 0870

D Men of the Battle of Britain book - save £5 on RRP Our most successful special offer of the Battle of Britain 60th anniversary year, this updated edition of Men of the Battle of Britain is a remarkable tribute to Churchill's Few. With almost 600 pages and over 1,500 photographs, it is the ultimate authoritative reference on Battle of Britain aircrew, giving biog raphical and combat details of 2,917 men. It is available to Aeroplane readers for £59.99 inc p&p (add £20 for overseas orders), To order, send your name and address plus payment in £ Sterling, payable to IPC Media ltd (sorry, no credit-card orders), to Men of the Battle of Britain Offer, Aeroplane Marketing, 4th Floor High Rise, IPC Country & Leisure Media ltd, King 's Reach Tower, Stamford St, London SE1

Save £10 on Praktica binoculars - only £19.95 inc p&p* In another offer which has proved extremely popular with readers over the last year, Aeroplane has obtained a stock of these superb Praktica Sport 8x21 binoculars at a remarkable price. Ideal for aircraft observation, train identification, birdwatching and sightseeing, they are lightweight and exceptionally compact. They are also fully adjustable, and come complete with neck strap, case, and tenyear guarantee. The normal recommen ded retail price for this useful piece of kit is £29.95, but Aeroplane readers can order them for just £19.95 including p&p (overseas please add £3.50), a very substantial saving of £1O.To order, see coupon on page 90 or call 0870 727 4156

Early Aviation CD-ROM Early Aviation: The Pioneering Years Through To The First World War (The Royal Aeronautical Society Archive Series Volume 1) to give its full title, is a classic collection of over 400 photographs and illustrations of early aircraft, airships and gliders which have been digitally imaged from original glass-plate negatives and lantern slides in the Royal Aeronautical Society's extensive photographic archive. The CORaM traces the development of aviation from Henson's Aerial Steam Carriage of 1843 through to the First World War designs of Sopwith, Bristol and others. Volume 2; Aeronautical Classics is also available; it focuses on a series of illustrated monographs recording the

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early writings on aerial navigation by the likes of Sir George Cayley and Percy Pilcher. The CD-ROMs are £11.44 each including worldwide delivery and may be purchased from Archive Britain, Suite 407 Victory House, Portsmouth, England P01 1PJ; tel 023 9275 6275.

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Westland Lysander Pewter Model Diverse Images currently offers a range of more than 50 pewter scale models which are meticulously sculpted, cast and hand-painted in its studios in Brighton. In common with most of the models available from the company, this iI'" th scale Westland Lysander Mk iliA is mounted on a wooden base

These pocket-sized compact binoculars from Praktica make a valuable addition to any enthusiast's equipment collection. I

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Aeroplane. February 2001

E[OmmERDRIIO

further afield, a 17-day tour of Vietnam including a stop at Oak To airstrip. The company have also organised a 12-day Pearl Harbor 60th Anniversary Tour for December 2001 , taking in a seaplane tour of Oahu and the official Pearl Harbor Day commemorations. For more information contact Tours With Experts, Red Lion Building, 1 Liverpool Road North, Maghull, L31 2HB; tel 0151 526 0075. "Target Tirpitz" IIJ Commemorative Postal Cover The Cambridge Stamp Centre Ltd has produced a postal cover commemorating the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz, sunk by Lancasters of Nos 9 and 617 Sqns in November 1944. The cover is based on a specially commissioned painting of the Tirpitz and an inexplicably front-turret-less Lancaster by military artist Tony Jackson , which has been approved by Gp Capt J.B. Tait, Commanding Officer of No 617 Sqn at the time. Each cover is authentically signed by a wartime member of No 617 Sqn and has a unique special postmark for Lossiemouth, where the squadron is based. The cover costs £13 .95 plus p&p and may be ordered from The Cambridge Stamp Centre Ltd, 9 Sussex Street, Cambridge CBl 1PA or by telephone on 01223 363980.

RFORmRIIOR ·

Notes on German wartime aircraft, after great success with Allied types. Based on original archive material in the form of technical data and handling notes for the Bf 109, this handsome booklet includes a translation from the original German operating instructions and is illustrated throughout with authentic

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Military History Tours November 2000 saw the launch of Tours With Experts, a new tour operator set up specifically to take people interested in military history to the battlefields of Britain , Europe and the rest of the world. There are several tours of interest to the aviation enthusiast, including a twoday trip to France to view the sites used to launch the V-Weapons towards the end of the war, and

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Pilot's Notes for Messerschmitt Bf 109 Cni cy Publishing have used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 to launch a series of Pilot's

period black & white photographs. The book costs £4.95 and may be ordered from any bookshop or directly from Crecy Publishing , Unit 1a, Ringway Trading Estate, Shadowmoss Road, Manchester M22 5LH; tel 0161 499 0024, fax 0161 4990298.

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Corgi English Electric Lightning F Mk 1A & Boeing B-29 with Bell X-1 Die-cast Scale Models Major investment in new tooling sees the continued expansion of Corgi's scale model collection. As part of the Jet Fighter Power range, the company has introduced a trio of ~2 nd scale English Electric Lightnings in various markings of the RAF; an F Mk II of No 19 Sqn and two F Mk Is of No 74 Sqn "TIgers" Aerobatic Team and the No 56 Sqn "Rrebirds" team. Well up to the usual excellent standard maintained by Corgi , all the Lightnings feature both open and closed cockpits, photo-etched ladders and removable engine covers. The ~"th B-29 is also a typically faultless piece with a delightful detachable model of Chuck Yeager's record breaking Bell x-t . For details of Corgi stockists telephone 0845 603 9070.

r.l Wings & Warbirds l:.I Calendar 2001 John King has been one of New Zealand's premier aviation photographers for more than 30 years and this colourful 2001 calendar shows why. With a broad assortment of both fixed- and rotary-winged aircraft shot over the ever-photogenic backdrop of New Zealand, this collection will liven up any office or den wall. The calendar costs NZ$1 9.95, AU$16.95 or $11 .95 for US customers and is available from Saint Publishing, PO Box 8157, Symonds Street, Auckland, New Zealand.

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Aeroplane's calendar of events is published throughout the year. All information is correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of press. Dates and details can change, so please check on the contact numbers given before setting out. NOTICE TO SHOW ORGANISERS: is your event listed here? If not, contact Nick Stroud on 020 7261 6401 or fax 020 7261 5269 for free inclusion .

JANUARY 6 New Year's Day Fly-in Spitfire Flying Club, Popham Airtield, Hampshire; tel 01 256 397733

14 The USAF in England Lecture by Major Chris Comeau; Milton Keynes Aviation Society, Kents Hill Community Centre, Milton Keynes; tel 01234 215009

13 Battle of Britain Film Aircraft An evening lecture by Robert Rudhall, organised by the Milton Keynes Aviation Society, Kents Hill Community Centre , Milton Keynes; tel 01234 215009

6 Croydon Airport Collectors' Fair Croydon Airport Term inal Building and Visitors' Centre, A23 Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey; tel 01737 822200

14 The Squadron Fly-in to 2001 North Weald Airtield, Essex; tel 01 992 524510

7 Brass Monkey Fly-in North Coates Flying Club, North Coates, Lincs.; tel 01472 388850

4 South London Aircraft Enthusiasts' Fair Dulwich College, London SE21; tel 01372 725063

14 Wanaka 2000 & The New Zealand Aviation Scene London Society of AirBritain slide presentation by Peter Davison; Victory Services Club, 63-79 Seymour St, London W2 ; tel 01444811317 (1000- 1800hr)

10 Spitfire & BI 109 A Pilot's View London Society of'Air-Britain lecture by Charlie Brown; Victory Services Club, 63-79 Seymour St, London W2; tel 01 444811317 (10001800hr)

7 Test Flying the Hawker Nimrod A lecture by Fit It Charlie Brown, organised by the PFA West Midland Strut. Quinborne Community Centre, Ridgacre Road, Quinton, Northants; tel 01889 271037

20 The Air League 2001 Siessor Lecture by General Joseph W. Ralston USAF, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; The Tower Room, 10 Trinity Square, London EC3P3AX; tel 020 7222 8463

FEBRUARY

JANUARY 6 Test Pilots Seminar and Northrop N9M-B flying wing demonstration The Air Museum "Planes of Fame", Chino, California, USA; tel USA 909 597 3722

FEBRUARY 3 Women In Aviation Seminar and P-51 Mustang demonstration A seminar on the role of women in aviation which concludes with a flight demonstration of a P-51 Mustang.The Air Museum "Planes of Fame", Chino, California, USA; tel USA 909 5973722

Museum of the Month Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon N NOVEMBER2000 the Heritage Lottery Fund announced a lottery grant of £4·77 million to be awarded to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon, in order to fund a new landmark building and expand the special interactive displays already existing as part of the museum's aim to position itself as an important science and technology educational centre. Since the opening of the only national museum in Britain wholly dedicated to aviation in November 1972, a steady programme of expansion has foll owed, with the construction of the Battle of Britain Hall in 1978 and again in 1983 when the massive Bomber Command Hall was added to the main building. The museum boasts an unrivalled collection of aircraft spanning the history of aviation, from the World War One Caudron G.III in the main building to the Messerschmitt Bf 110 in the Battle of Britain Hall and through to theAvro Vulcan in the Bomber Command Hall. In addition to the aircratt exhibits there are many other things to keep visitors occupied - the Fun 'n' Flight gallery features a range of interactive experiments for youngsters to sample, and on most days a free film programme operates throughout the day. The museum is also home to one of the finest aviation art collections in the world, containing some 8,000 paintings, 88

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Exhibitions Aeroplane's guide to temporary museum exhibitions around the UK Until mid-January 2001 Tiger Model Club: Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport, Baginton (tel 024 7630 1033) Some 200 scale model aircraft of most of the aircraft that have attended NATO's annual TIger Meet celebrations since the Sixties. Until February 25, 2001 Spitfire Summer: Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Rd, London SEI (tel 020 7416 5320) A well-designed Battle of Britain 60th anniversary exhibition which dramatically contrasts the clinical German preparations for the proposed 1940 invasion of the British Isles with the grit and spirit of the home front in Britain. Until March 2001 Millennium Squadron Print Collection: RAF Museum, Cosford, West Midlands (tel 01902 376200) A unique record of aircraft involved with RAFsquadrons and other British military units at the Millennium is currently on display in the form of framed Squadron prints. Until August 2001 The RAF's Golden Age in Paintings: RAF Museum, Cosford, West Midlands (tel 01902 376200) A selection of paintings by Pamela Drew depicting aircraft from the 1950s- 60s including Meteor, Vampire, Hunter, Lightning and Javelin.

ABOVE Frank Wootton's majestic Hawker Harts over the Himalayas, painted in 1968.

drawings and prints. In December 2000 the museum mounted a comprehensive retrospective of renowned aviation artist Frank Wootton , whose vivid depictions take the tradi tion of classic English landscape painting and apply it to something close to the artist's heart - Wootton served in the RAF as an official war artist. NICK STROUD • For further information contact the Royal Air Force Museum, Grahame Park Way, London NW9 5LL; tel 020 8205 2266.

Until December 2001 Frank Wootton Exhibition: RAF Museum, Hendon, London NW9 5LL (tel 020 82052266) One of the world's leading aviation artists, Frank Wootton has a career spanning 60 years.This exhibition displays some of his best work. Aeroplan e, Februa ry 2001

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Tours f or Aviation Enthusiasts 2001 TOURS (Provisional)

THE Aviation Tour Specialists EUROPEAN SPECIAL: Apr 11-16th OSTENO-BRUSSELS-KOLN-FRANKFURT-STUTTGART-ZURICH -DUSSELDORF May 5-8th 3 nights hotel 'June 16-18th1June 22-24th inc ENT June 15-18th inc AIRPORT HOTEUENT Jun 15-19thlJun 21-25th incAIRPORT HOTEUENT Jun15-21st incAIRPORT HOTELSIENT Jul 6-8th BrusselslKoln (Opt AIRPORT Hotel) Jun 30-1 st Jul Ju11 3-15th Orly-Le Bourget-De Gaulle JuI19-29th Various Ukranian Airports/Factories Jul 20-22nd inc OstendiRotterdam

£235 £165 £55 £99 £159 £269 £59/£B9 £148 £39 £580 £45

Aug 12-20th11 2-22nd Numerous Moscow AirtieldslSHOW £889' MOSCOWBUDGEU!REAK: Aug 15-20th115-22nd Numerous Moscow Airfields £765' AIRPORT HOTEL-EX? FUGHTS-AIRSHOW-opt ST PETERSBURG-AIRBASES SI.IDKl.AAS BAJ,LOQrLMi l lAug 31 -1 st Opt BRUSSELS-ANTWERP D D: Sept 7-9th inc OstendiBrussels Sept 30-1st Comp Tour of South of England Oct 11 -14th TOULOUSE-PARIS

£59 £48 £69 £99

SOUTIiAMERICA; Oct 15118-2nd Nov BOLIVIA-ARGENTINA-BRAZIL from £1 ,710' LA PAZ-BEUNOSAIRES-SAO PAULO-RIO-BELO HORIZONTE-MANAUS-BRASILIA-MADRID AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS/LAB/LACfTAM Nov 22-25th FINKENWERDER-HANNOVER-DUSSELDORF £1 B9 AIRBUS fACTOR'li A1VSTERDAIV-DUSSELDORF-PAIRIS-BRUSSELS-FRANKFURT WEillNO BREAKS TO; • In January-february-March & April inc HOTELS from £36 'INT AIRPORT TAXES INCLUDED

20 - 25 Feb: 02 - 16 March: 01 - 12 Apri l: 13 - 19 May: 08 - 17 June:

Sharjah/ Ras AI Khaimah/ Fujarih with IL-18 option Central America & Mexican Airs how EAA Sun 'N' Fun and Florida Turkish Military Finland & Sweden "2 Airshows" 15 - 27 Ju ne: Canada - Ha milton & London Airshow s Paris Airshow 17 - 24 June: 15 - 21 JUly: Spanish Military 20 - 30 July: Dayton Airshow, Chicago & EAA Oshkosh 27 July - 01 Aug: EAA Oshkosh Weekend 27 July - 11 Aug: EAA Oshkosh, Alaska & Washington Slate 05 - 11 Aug: Jordan Military 12 - 24 Aug: Russia inc, Mak Zhukovsky Airshow & Siberia 16 - 20 Aug: Moscow Weekend 31 Aug - 02 Sept: Malta Airshow Weekend 31 Aug - 07 Sept: Malta Airshow & Italian Military 11 - 15 Sept: Jersey & Guernsey "Battle of Britain - Airshow 13 - 27 Sept: Reno Air-Races plus Oregon & Washinglon Confederate Air Force & Houston Airshows 05 - 21 Oct: 07 - 22 Oct: Asian Spectacu lar "3 Airshows" - Malaysia, China & Korea 04 -1 0Nov: Dubai Airshow & Sharjah

2002 TOURS (Provisional) March/April: Sept/Oct:

Easter at Wanaka - Hawaii, New Zealand & Singapore Japanese Airshows & Base Visits

STOP PRESS!!! - EXTRA TOUR ADDED 06-21 Feb 2001:

Austra lia n Airfa res 80th Anniversary Airshow inc. Melbourne. Sydney & Brisbane option.

For further d et ails on any of t he above tours , please co ntact:

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AM 01 /01

• 95

COMMENT

Asides - and broadsides - from the wings, with John Maynard

This month John discusses a fund-raising idea, the inventor of the angled carrier deck, some more "mythteries" and the erosion of national pride

After training at the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School in 1949-53,John Maynard served as a Pilot Officer in the RAF during his National Service. He returned to de Havilland in 1955, and in 1969 he joined BAC. He left the aircraft industry in 1973, but has continued to nourish his enthusiasm for British aviation ever since. ABOVE

The angled carrier deck, as conceived by Dennis Campbell and eventually put into practice as here on HMS Hermes, photographed in 1961. BELOW

BELOW RIGHT " s k e w e d

lines on a straight deck": HMS Albion in 1954.

AS FAR AS I AM CONC ERNED the RAF Benevolent Fu nd ca n ra ise m on ey in a ny way it wi shes, so noble is its ca use. II is j ust th at I ha ve the tin iest frisson 01 regret that its latest enterprise involves the sa le o f the original Co nco rde drawings a t £ 14 9 a go, which smacks o f !logging the famil y silve r, or selling grandads's tombsto n e to th e local garde n ce ntre . Min d yo u, ha d I had not ice o ! thi s, I m ig ht ha ve preserved some o f m y own originals. including those for va rious ohscu re presstools and a co uple o f pra ctice alpha be ts in de Ha villand 's ele gam New Times typeface - I a lways had trouble with the Ss! My d rawi ngs a lso te nd ed to be lo used up by the mug rings, obscure cheese roll blem ishes, a nd little notes from pa ssing colleag ues such as "Do yo u kno w yo ur back tyres a re fl at ? ". ' Yo u o we me th irt y-bob REMEMBER?", and, "The boss is loo king lor yo u so me th ing seems to have upset h im ." All cla ssic stuff - w ha t a bout 99p each? TH ER E WAS A STRANGE LITTL E CUSTO M at de Ha villan d a t Hatfi eld in th e ea rl y 19 50s w hich e nab led Dill' to take a leisurely breakfast in o ne of the CJ 11 teen s before sta rt ing work . In th eory, th is meal wa s inten ded for those se rv ice me n and o the rs a tte n di ng ai rcra ft

maintenan ce courses. However they were mostly in civvies. (lil t! so were we, and w ho was going to ask q uestion s. anyw ay? One of m y regular com panions Oil th ese occasions was a young lad y. underta king. as I wa s, a cou rse at the Tech nical School. It tra nspired that her fa ther wa s a Royal Navy Capta in and a na val av ia tor of great distinctio n . I w rite o f t he man w ho tho ug h t throu gh . de vised a nd promoted the conce pt o f the a ngled dec k for aircraft carriers, which has ce rta in ly cont rib uted m o re to th e cause of safety in na val av iat ion than an y

o t her device or techniqu e . Rear Admira l Ca m pbe ll, a s he became, a lwa ys maintai ned that his so-ca lled "in ve nt io n' wa s so blindingly sim ple that an yone co u ld have thought of it. Ho w eve r, th e mark of h is ge n ius was that n obod y else

ever had . Sadly, but inevitably, the Admiralt y received th e idea wit h w ha t Ca m pbell later ca lled "a n indi ffe re nce a mo u n t ing a lm o st to d eri sion ". Eq ua ll y in evitabl y, Ihe Americans embraced his idea, insta lled it o n a ca rrier, p roved it. ad opted it as sta nda rd a n d lauded him, Mean wh ile, the Ro yal Nav y, great ly adve nt urou s, pa int ed skewed lines o n a stra ight deck an d fi nally admitted it was quite a good idea . It is sca rcely surprising that. a fte r retirement , the ad m ira l took a job w ith an Ameri can helicopter co m pa ny, Denn is Ca mpbell has died aged 92. He a lways sa id tha t the h igh time of hi s life wa s his ap poinunen t as captai n of HMS Ark Royal when it w as first com m issio ned in 19 55 . He wa s a su pe rbly talented a nd e ngagingly modest ma n, 01 whom the na vy sho u ld be pa rticularl y proud , THE "MYTHTERI ES' ITEM in the September Crosswind has produ ced a host of furth er e xamples a s well as rol licking ta les of incred ible dc rring-d o. Jo h n Ve nables wri tes h om Brisbane, A ustra lia, to send m e a copy of

o ne o f Tint in 's a d ven tu res in which a moustachioed a n d o verw eig ht plain- clo th es pol icema n fall s fro m the top of a loop in Tiger Moth G-AIRJ on ly to fall ba ck in again as th e manrcu vrc is com pleted. Is the re noth ing ne w u nde r the su n? Reade r Peter Soden w rites trorn Saud i Arabia to tell of a less than popular flight sergea nt wh ose Honda 50 w as quietly m odified by subord inates insta ll ing a JATO ro cket in the luggage pa nn ie r beh ind the sadd le . It was wired to fi re a t a n appro pria te gea r cha nge, at which point the ma chine zoomed off across the a irfi eld towa rds a distant w ood w ith "Flig ht' hanging on to the handlebars, his legs strea m ing beh in d like a target drog ue. Oh well - if yo u can' t take a jo ke yo u sh o u ld n 't ha ve joined, as we used to say, By the w a y, who ca n ide nt ify Tint in 's G-AIRJ a nd give me its history? AFTE R A DAY OF LECTUR ES a t t he RAF Mu seum organised by the RA F Historical Societ y o n th e subject of hel icopters in sq uadro n se rv ice, 1re pa ired for a quiet browse at a well -known m odel sho p in Colinda le . Not un usually, a fai rly noi sy con versation wa s in progress

be twee n c us to m e rs a n d sta ll, th e s u bject be in g Luftwalle la te w ar projects, The words "w icked " and "cool" featured heavi ly until the sho p manager made mention o f Tony Buttler's rece n t ly- pu blish ed book British Secret Projects. sa yi ng ho w good it wa s. "W ha t's tha t th en , a tw o- pager?" ba yed th e no isy advocate of the Luftwaffe's ach ievements. 1 hoped a lu m p 01 m a sonry might la ll a n d fl att en him , but later, on re fl ect io n, it occurred to me that his woefu l ignorance wa s hardly h is fau lt. He was just a no the r victi m o f our nat iona l ha bit of se ll -d e n ig ra t io n , bo re do m with history, a n d denial o f nat iona l pride. At lea st the RAF Mu seum re ma ins a prin cipal a tt ract io n and the RAF Historica l Society is t hriving . As 1 re m a rked once before : w hat a funn y lot we are; o ne day we 'll It.1 kill ourselves laughi ng. W 96

Aeroplane, Februa ry 200 1

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