MOSQUITO OVER BERLIN - A VETERAN’S STORY Britain’s Top-Selling Aviation Monthly
COLD WAR
SPECIAL
AIR POWER IN THE TENSE YEARS AFTER WORLD WAR TWO • HUNTER WARBIRDS • LIGHTNING - THEN AND NOW • PHANTOMS ON THE FRONT LINE • TOP-SECRET THUNDER JETS • SOVIET BEAR OPERATIONS • SAUDI LIGHTNINGS • USAF BOMBERS
BATTLE OF BRITAIN HURRICANE New markings for airshow favourite PRESERVATION
VULCAN XM655
Facing an uncertain future SPECIAL REPORT
Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor HISTORY Hitler’s ‘scourge of the Atlantic’ in profile WORLD WAR 2 www.flypast.com
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Welcome
G
reetings! We’ve a very varied issue for you this month; one that includes a special section that looks at air power around the world during the Cold War, some fascinating World War Two stories and, of course, plenty of warbirds. In fact we’ve so many features for you to enjoy that we’ve had to increase the amount of pages in the magazine to 132! All-in-all, things have been looking very bright in the preserved aircraft ‘scene’ over the last few years, with new projects coming on line, and a steady stream of warbirds returning to flying condition. Airshow attendances have been increasing too, showing that more people are becoming interested in historic aviation. There are, however, some worrying reports starting to circulate regarding the future of important airfields, particularly here in the UK. A campaign is being waged by the Supporters of Manston Airport to save the former Battle of Britain aerodrome from redevelopment, and a similar fight is being undertaken to stop Wellesbourne airfield in Warwickshire closing and being turned into housing. The latter location is home to a ‘live’ Vulcan – B.2 XM655 – and the big delta faces a very uncertain future if the development gets the green light. (See page 100 for more details.) I appreciate that keeping airfields open isn’t always financially viable, but it will be a great pity if important parts of the nation’s aeronautical infrastructure are lost. Let’s hope for a positive outcome for these sites, and others under threat. I’ll sign off by saying that I very much hope you enjoying reading our Cold War section, and the rest of this special issue. This is the month that was...
Nigel Price Editor
Seventy-five years ago the Luftwaffe was preparing for its major campaigns against northern and western Europe. Denmark, Norway, the Low Countries and France soon fell. The scene was set for Fighter Command’s ‘finest hour’ – the Battle of Britain.
Assistant Editor Steve Beebee
Contributing Editor Ken Ellis
Advertising Manager Alison Sanders
Hawker Hurricane I AE977 has taken on Battle of Britain markings at Biggin Hill recently, to represent the fighter flown by Air Cdre Peter Brothers CBE DSO DFC* with 32 Squadron during 1940. (See pages 104-105 for more.) STEVE BUCKBY
FlyPast (ISSN: 0262-6950), March, is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854.
EDITORIAL: Editor – Nigel Price Assistant Editor – Steve Beebee Contributing Editors - Ken Ellis and Dave Unwin
MANAGING DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER: Adrian Cox EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Richard Cox
General enquiries to: Editor’s Secretary: Vanessa Smith FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK Tel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261 E-mail:
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Art Editor Mike Carr
This is the month that is...
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Features 18
Mosquito to Sabre John Falconer describes the illustrious flying career of Mosquito pilot Gp Capt John Merifield.
90
Flying Fortress Showcase A B-17G made a special flight to mark a US museum’s fifth anniversary. Frank B Mormillo was there.
100 Saving the Vulcan With its home earmarked for building development, we investigate the Wellesbourne Vulcan’s uncertain future.
104 Biggin Hill Hurricane Hawker Hurricane I AE977 has been rolled out in the markings of a Battle of Britain hero.
Contents March 2015
No.404
Front Cover
(UK): An air-to-air view of one of the last flying English Electric Lightnings airborne over South Africa. See page 34. IAN BLACK (Australia): Lockheed Hudson VH-KOY of the Temora Aviation Museum high over New South Wales in 2014. GAVIN CONROY This page, main image: Hangar 11’s North American P-51D Mustang 44-72035 ‘Jumpin’ Jacques’. See page 10 for the latest news from the North Wealdbased operator. DARREN HARBAR
18 Mosquito to Sabre
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90 Flying Fortress Showcase
104 Biggin Hill Hurricane
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Regulars
COLD WAR A SPECIAL SECTION FOCUSING ON SOME OF THE MANY MACHINES THAT PLAYED KEY ROLES IN THE COLD WAR.
44 LIGHTNING WAR
34 CAPTURED ON CAMERA
50 FIGHTING COLOURS
Photographic memories of the English Electric Lightning in war and peace.
36 THE GREAT BEAR Nikolay Yakubovich describes the early years of Tupolev’s iconic long-range bomber.
42 DAYS OF THUNDER Roger Soupart reveals how retired Belgian fighters were used to fool prying Soviet eyes.
Hugh Trevor talks to Phil Isaac about his time arming classic jets in Saudi Arabia.
Pete West artwork of five US-built bombers that served during the Cold War.
26
Geoff Jones visits the recently established Fagen Fighters collection in the US.
94
60 HUNTING HIGH AND LOW Richard Paver looks at some of Europe’s airworthy Hawker Hunters.
From the Workshop A pair of major projects is fast approaching completion at the Shuttleworth Collection. Darren Harbar reports.
52 PHANTOMS OF THE RUHR Ian Black remembers his days flying in the highly capable Phantom FGR.2.
Museums - Minnesota
106 FlyPost and ‘Ops’ Board Readers’ letters and dates for your diary.
112 Airshow The Planes of Fame collection’s Japanese exhibits take centre stage at Chino.
114 Airfields – South Africa Steve McLean pays tribute to Cape Town’s once thriving Wingfield Airport.
122 Glory Days Barry M Marsden presents a portfolio of images taken during the war by Sgt Norman Glew.
124 Pilot’s Perspective Gavin Conroy profiles Temora Aviation Museum’s Lockheed Hudson, the only flying example of its type.
130 Finals CAC Boomerang.
News
• Swedish Mustang completed • New home for US B-17 • Dove returns to flight • Spitfire arrives at North Weald • Javelin on the move
Spotlight
Focke-Wulf Condor
GIVE THE GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR! A subscription to FlyPast makes a great gift. See pages 102 and 103 for details or visit www.flypast.com to find out more about our digital packages.
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Origin and History
We scrutinize the maritime patrol type’s history.
Contemporaries Compared
We compare the Fw 200 to two similar aircraft from the same era.
Men Behind the Fw 200
82
In Combat
Condor in Profile
88
Warriors
Chris Goss highlights three men who commanded the formidable Condor.
78
80
Pete West artwork of an Fw 200 that was used as an airliner in Denmark.
The Condor achieved many early successes, as detailed by Chris Goss.
We examine the Luftwaffe’s final use of the Fw 200.
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NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE
Dove returns to flight at Coventry
The Classic Air Force’s de Havilland DH.104 Dove 8 G-DHDV made a successful return to flight on December 19 following a period of restoration and maintenance work at Coventry. The aircraft, which still bears its military colours and the serial number VP981, initially flew as a Devon C.1 with the RAF at Hendon from June 1946. It served for several years in France, at one point being used by ACM Sir Basil Embry as his personal transport. In order for it to carry fare-paying passengers it was registered as a Dove 8 by its current owners. www.classicairforce.com PHOTO-CAMERON SYS
Roadside B-17 arrives at new home Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 44-85790 Lacey Lady arrived at its new home, McNary Field in Salem, Oregon, in the early hours of December 6. The aircraft is now under cover for the first time since 1945, awaiting restoration. The bomber had spent 67 years in a roadside position near Milwaukie, Oregon, after being purchased by Art Lacey in 1947. Art’s grandson Jayson Scott led the delivery convoy to McNary Field where the B-17 Alliance Group will now begin the long process of restoring the B-17G to airworthy status. Removing Lacey Lady from the raised position it had occupied for so long and
transporting it by road involved the co-operation of numerous companies and volunteers, including Emmet International, Rick’s Crane Service, Axis Crane, Gresham Trucking, Oregon Iron Works and Parr Lumber Company. The B-17 Alliance Group is currently preparing a new facility in Salem which will enable the public to visit the project and see the restoration as it progresses. The attraction is scheduled to open later this year, and several special events will be held, including a warbird and vintage aircraft fly-in day. www.b17alliancegroup.com WITH THANKS
‘Lacey Lady’ arriving at a rainswept McNary Field on December 6. VIA SEAN O’BRIEN
TO SEAN O’BRIEN
Swedish Mustang restoration completed After nine years of work, North American P-51D Mustang 26084 has emerged from the workshop of Swedish enthusiast Pelle Lundberg. Owned by the Flygvapenmuseum (Swedish Air Force Museum), the Mustang is destined for display at the Wing F 21 Museum at Luleå-Kallax. It was originally delivered to the USAAF on January 20, 1945, as P-51D 44-72112, and saw action during the closing stages of the war. Assigned to the 354th FG, 356th FS, it was severely damaged in an accident that claimed the life of pilot Lt George E Evans at Rosières, France, on April 6, 1945. The fighter was repaired before entering storage. It was subsequently
sold to the Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) as part of a batch of 90 Mustangs, arriving in Sweden in February 1947, and taken on charge as J 26 26084. Initially assigned to Wing F 16, the Mustang was rebuilt in 1952 as a photoreconnaissance aircraft and transferred to Wing F 21. Its designation changed from J 26 to S 26, the ‘S’ indicating Spaning (reconnaissance). Sadly, the machine was written off in an accident on October 8, 1952, after 2nd Lieutenant Karl-Gunnar Irhem had to bale out due to engine trouble. The wreck was recovered by the Flygvapnet in the mid-1980s, with the remains initially being stored.
The only components that were intact were the rudder pedal mechanism and the undercarriage legs. Replacement parts, including the wheels, were
found in Sweden, and the aircraft was gradually built up with the help of a set of drawings sourced from France. JAN FORSGREN
North American P-51D (J 26) Mustang 26084 has been restored for static display in Sweden. PELLE LUNDBERG VIA MIKAEL FORSLUND
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VC10 being prepared for road trip to Cosford
Hunter to fly again at North Weald Hawker Hunter T.8C WV322 is being restored to fly at North Weald. DARREN HARBAR
Weald Aviation Services is making good progress with its restoration of Hawker Hunter T.8C WV322 (G-BZSE) at its North Weald base. The jet was built in 1955 as an F.4 and flew with the RAF’s 43 and 92 Squadrons before being converted to T.8C status in 1959. It subsequently flew with two Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm units. After retirement, it served as an instructional airframe at Cranwell before returning to the air in the hands of Delta Jets at Kemble, Glos, in 2002. After a period in storage at St Athan, the aircraft was collected by Weald Aviation in early 2014 for restoration on behalf of its new owner. Once completed, it will be painted in a Royal Navy ‘Admiral’s Barge’ scheme. “A lot of work has been required, with the aircraft virtually being taken back to nuts and bolts, with every panel
removed,” Russell Smith, Accountable Manager for Weald Aviation Services told FlyPast. “The engine has been stripped down and reassembled, new flame tubes have been fitted and all the control surfaces have been serviced. Before re-attaching the wings, modified wing spigots had to be sourced and fitted. Corrosion was treated where found, and various items were substituted with spares as required. “In the cockpit, the instrument panels were removed to facilitate side screen replacement, and refurbished. All the hydraulic systems have also been re-commissioned. They will be ready for testing once the engine is fitted, which should be done by late February. The aircraft will then have a comprehensive systems check before and during engine runs.” www.wealdaviation.com DARREN HARBAR
Vickers VC10 C1K XR808 is being dismantled at Bruntingthorpe in preparation for a move to the RAF Museum Cosford, where it will be installed as an ‘exhibit and classroom’. AM Sir Kevin Leeson, Chairman of the RAF Charitable Trust that has committed £40,000 towards saving the aircraft, visited the Leicestershire airfield shortly before Christmas to see the work being carried out. The jet will be taken by road to Cosford where it will be reassembled. Sir Kevin was accompanied by trustee Martin Hine and Ian Thirsk, the RAF Museum’s head of collections. A workforce from GJD AeroTech led by Gary Spoors is currently preparing the aircraft for its journey. Each wing will be transported in two pieces, while
Sir Kevin Leeson (centre) with representatives of the RAF Museum and GJD at Bruntingthorpe with VC10 C1K XR808. RAFCT
US Vulcan destined for conservation Avro Vulcan B.2 XM573 is likely to undergo conservation work at the Strategic Air & Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, later this year. When the museum’s restoration team has finished on Boeing EC-135C ‘Looking Glass’ 63-8049, it will turn its attention to the British jet, which
was the 101st example to be built, and delivered to the RAF in March 1963. Having participated in a joint programme of weapons testing and alert exercises in the US alongside aircraft of Strategic Air Command, XM573 made its final flight from Offutt Air Force
the fuselage and tailfin will also travel separately. Sir Kevin said: “It will make an exciting living classroom at the RAF Museum and is sure to capture the imagination of the many young aviation enthusiasts who visit. The work to prepare the aircraft for its road move is extremely challenging and the team from GJD is doing a great job. The move of the fuselage will be an amazing sight.” VC10 XR808 (often nicknamed ‘Bob’) was first operated by 10 Squadron and later 101 Squadron from October 2005. The machine spent 47 years in RAF service, amassing over 43,865 flying hours, before landing for the last time at Bruntingthorpe on July 29, 2013. www.rafct.com
Base, Nebraska, in June 1982. It was presented to the museum as a token of co-operation between the two nations, and is currently one of three Vulcans in the US. www.sasmuseum.com
Avro Vulcan B.2 XM573 awaiting conservation work at Nebraska’s Strategic Air & Space Museum. TONY SACKETOS
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Rare Comet’s cockpit under restoration The cockpit of Comet 1A F-BGNX during restoration. DHAM
Computer technology is being used to help restore the cockpit of de Havilland DH106 Comet 1A F-BGNX at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum at Salisbury Hall, London Colney, Herts. With the help of sponsor Desktop Engineering of Oxford, computer 3D modelling has been used to design new instrument panels for the former Air France jet. Three-dimensional drawings have been passed to a sheet metal fabricator to manufacture exact replicas of the port, centre and starboard panels.
When the museum re-opens on March 1 after its winter break, visitors will be able to see the results of the team’s work to return the aircraft to as close to its original state as possible. It was one of two 1952/3-built Comet 1As earmarked for use by RAE Farnborough to investigate the cause of a series of fatal Comet crashes. Ultimately, it was not needed. After nearly 30 years at Farnborough, F-BGNX was delivered to the museum in 1985. www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk PETER JEFFERY
Presidential DC-6 closed for maintenance
briefings
The National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio, is carrying out conservation work on the interior of Douglas VC-118 The Independence, a DC-6 adapted for presidential use. The work is likely to take around
three months and will reinforce the aircraft floors in preparation for increased numbers of visitors when the exhibit is transferred to the museum’s new fourth building. During this time, visitors to the
A new film-themed exhibition has opened at the Helicopter Museum in Weston-superMare. It illustrates the role of rotorcraft in films from the 1950s to the present day. The display includes part of the helicopter used in The Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night and items from the Tom Cruise blockbuster Edge Of Tomorrow. www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk
Presidential Gallery will still be able to view the exterior of The Independence, as well as walk through three other presidential aircraft, the VC-54C Sacred Cow (an adapted Douglas C-54 Skymaster), the VC-
Douglas VC-118 ‘The Independence’ on display at Dayton, Ohio. NMUSAF
121E Columbine III (Lockheed C-121 Constellation) and VC-137 SAM 26000 (Boeing 707). www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Two new aviation heritage centres are set to open in Lincolnshire. The William Farr School in Welton, based on the site of the former RAF Dunholme Lodge, has developed its own collection to be housed in a replica Nissen Hut. Led by curator Brian Riley, the RAF Dunholme Lodge Heritage Centre will look back on all aspects of the airfield’s use. At Cranwell, members of 45(R) Squadron have created the RAF Cranwell Ethos & Heritage Centre. Though primarily for the benefit of serving air force personnel, it may open to the public in the future. Both initiatives are being supported by Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire.
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Argentine Mirage begins gate guard duties
Dassault Mirage IIICJ C-709 is unveiled outside the ESFA in Córdoba on December 12. ESTEBAN BREA
Dassault Mirage IIICJ C-709 has been installed as a ‘gate guardian’ outside the Escuela de Suboficiales de la Fuerza Aérea Argentina (ESFA – NCO School of Argentine Air Force) in Córdoba. The restored jet was officially unveiled on December 12. Having initially served with the Israeli Air Force’s 117 Squadron, it was acquired by the Argentine Air Force (FAA) in 1983 and flew with IV Air Brigade’s 55 Escuadrón (named in memory of the 55 FAA airmen killed during the Falklands conflict). With 5,600 flying hours ‘on the clock’, it landed for the last time on February 27, 1988. Officially withdrawn from use
in 1991, it was transferred to the ESFA where it was used as an instructional airframe until a decision was made last year to restore it for gate guardian duties. In an initiative named Proyecto 55 (Project 55), it was given a new coat of paint, missing parts were sourced, and two additional fuel tanks were added before it was placed on display. Another aircraft restored for gate guardian use by the same team is Morane-Saulnier 760 Paris E-230. Having first flown in 1962 and retired in 1994, it has been returned to the scheme it wore with IV Air Brigade. Several new items had to be manufactured from scratch to complete the jet for display. ESTEBAN BREA
Javelin heads to Jet Age Museum
HS748 changes hands in Sri Lanka Previously on show at the Sri Lanka Air Force Museum at Ratmalana in a brown and green camouflage scheme, Hawker Siddeley HS748-2A CR833 has now been moved to Weerawila on the country’s south coast. The aircraft has been placed on display within the gardens of the Sri Lankan Air Force-operated Eagle’s
Cafe, which opened in June 2013. The airliner is accessible to the public – the cockpit is in good condition and there are tables and chairs in the cabin. Two other Sri Lankan HS748s are preserved: SCM-3101 is at the Catalina Grill in Koggala while CR831 remains with the museum at Ratmalana. TOM SINGFIELD Hawker Siddeley HS748-2A CR833 at Weerawila in Sri Lanka. TOM SINGFIELD
Gloster Javelin FAW.4 XA634 has been acquired by the Jet Age Museum in Staverton, Glos, and is expected to arrive there later this year. The jet, previously at Leeming in North Yorkshire, was put out to tender by the MoD last October. Currently without engines, XA634 is one of 50 FAW.4 variants produced and was once used to test a new air-to-air refuelling probe. It subsequently served with 228 Operational Conversion Unit. PHOTO-MICK BRITTON
The esteemed aviation author Kenneth Munson passed away recently at the age of 85. The name behind a vast number of titles, including several pocket encyclopaedia guides, his well illustrated books were a source of great fascination to many during their formative years. A stalwart of aviation publishing, Kenneth will be greatly missed.
Biggin Hill Airport has offered to make up the shortfall of £50,000 per year that the Government has said it is not prepared to provide any longer for the maintenance of the St George’s Chapel of Remembrance. The airport has recently completed a public consultation on its future, including preserving historic connections.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame, located in a building adjacent to the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio, has announced that this October it will induct four more acclaimed aviators. Among those honoured will be Brig Gen Robert L Cardenas who flew Consolidated B-24 Liberators in World War Two before commanding a Republic F-105 Thunderchief wing in southeast Asia, and the late Robert N Hartzell, a pioneer of propeller technology. Also inducted will be Korean War and NASA veteran Eugene Kranz, and the late Abe Silverstein, the aero engineer often credited as ‘the architect of the US space programme’. www.nationalaviation.org March 2015 FLYPAST 9
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Spitfire and Kittyhawk take shape at North Weald The fuselage and tailplane of the Hangar 11 Collection’s Supermarine Spitfire IX PT879 returned to its base at North Weald on January 2 following restoration work by Vintage Fabrics of Audley End, Essex. The 1944-built Spitfire, which flew with the Soviet Air Force’s 2nd squadron, 767th Regiment, 122nd Division, as part of the wartime Lend-Lease agreement, has had its elevators and rudder covered in Irish linen and a basic paint scheme applied. The current markings are based on those worn when it left the factory at Castle Bromwich. “I have always stated that PT879 will be one of the most accurate restorations to date of any Spitfire, as we had large parts of the original aircraft at Hangar 11,” owner Peter Teichman told FlyPast. “As such, we will be able to mimic exactly how she was presented when on a Russian squadron in 1944 to 1945. The next job will be to include the fine details added by the Russians. That involves adding some unique markings, most notably the large red stars partly covering the RAF roundels, which were brushed on by hand. She is going to look amazing. “The hard work of fitting out the fuselage now begins in earnest. Luckily, the Hangar 11 team either have the original items, or have acquired the missing system parts. These have been overhauled where needed, and are
sitting in storage ready for installation.” Work to return the collection’s Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 Lulu Belle to the air is also progressing at North Weald. The distinctively painted fighter (the cover star of our August 2013 issue) did not fly last year after some mild corrosion was noted in the engine bores. The fighter is currently awaiting a new Allison 1710 engine, which has been overhauled by Vintage V12s at Tehachapi, California. “While the engine was running really well, never giving trouble, not burning any oil, and with clean filters, the hours were high and the deal-breaker was the mild corrosion,” Peter recalls. “I was scheduled to take her overseas twice in 2014, but didn’t want to be over the North Atlantic listening to every beat of the motor – a decision was made to swap the engine and not fly her last year at all.” While awaiting delivery of the new unit, the team has taken the opportunity to further enhance the Kittyhawk’s originality, with many of the parts refurbished and repainted. Original items have been added to the cockpit, including a map case, electrical junction boxes and switches. The machine is also having an emergency ‘blow down’ system fitted for the undercarriage, a safety modification made to several P-40s in recent years. www.hangar11.co.uk DARREN HARBAR
The fuselage of Hangar 11’s Supermarine Spitfire PT879 with the tailplane re-attached.
The Spitfire fuselage in the hangar, with Hawker Hurricane IIB BE505 and ‘Lulu Belle’ visible behind.
Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 ‘Lulu Belle’ awaiting its new engine at North Weald. ALL DARREN HARBAR
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Argentine exhibits receive attention
Sikorsky H-19A H04 Chickasaw 51-3886 awaiting a new coat of paint.
Staff at the National Aeronautics Museum (MNA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, have begun restoring Sikorsky H-19A H04 Chickasaw 51-3886 and are also making good progress with Fairchild Swearingen Metro II LQ-MLV.
The helicopter, previously on display in a faded paint scheme, has been stripped of colour and will shortly receive a coat of primer. The MNA Friends Association is taking responsibility for the work on the Metro II, an aircraft that previously
Work is also progressing on Fairchild Swearingen Metro II LQ-MLV. BOTH ESTEBAN BREA
belonged to the Dirección Nacional de Emergencias Sociales (National Social Emergency Department) and was used to perform emergency medical evacuations. The association has recently replaced some missing flight
instruments, plus seats and stretchers, and has fitted a new access door after the original was removed by vandals. Some paintwork has also been completed, and the engines will be installed shortly. ESTEBAN BREA
Vultee BT-13 Valiant to fly again in US The American Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) is continuing to work on its restoration to airworthy status of Vultee BT-13A Valiant 42-88675 (formerly N60795). Its aim is to fly the aircraft this summer prior to delivering it to the National WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) Museum at Sweetwater, Texas. The project, which is based at Anoka County airport, near Minneapolis, Minnesota, began in July 2012. The wings have recently been mated to the fuselage, new Plexiglas fitted to the canopy, and a Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine has been acquired. AAHF hopes to complete the work by May. The aircraft, designed as a two-seat trainer, was accepted for USAAF use on June 25, 1943, but little is known of its post-war history. GEOFF JONES
briefings
Vultee BT-13A Valiant 42-88675 is being restored to fly in Minnesota. GEOFF JONES
Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, home to numerous aviation exhibits, has been allocated £3m of government funding. The award was announced by Chancellor George Osborne during a tour of the city in December. The attraction, previously threatened with closure, will now begin work on creating a new exhibition space. www.mosi.org.uk
The Shuttleworth Collection has withdrawn landing fees for pilots visiting its airfield at Old Warden, Beds. Its air traffic control tower is manned only on event days, and all pilots must seek PPR (prior permission). Chief engineer Jean-Michel Munn said he hoped it would encourage more aviators to visit the airfield.
Aviation author Gordon Kinsey passed away on December 10. Having served in the war, he went on to write several acclaimed books on subjects including Boulton Paul and the history of RAF Martlesham Heath. He also served as president of the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society for over three decades.
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Ecuadorian Mirage F.1As enter preservation Following the retirement of the Dassault Mirage F.1A from Ecuador’s Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE), several of the jets have entered (or been earmarked for) preservation. The National Collection in Quito has acquired FAE 806, one of two Ecuadorian F.1As to have claimed aerial victories, and currently painted in distinctive ‘cobra’ markings. FAE 809 is displayed at the Air Force Academy in Salinas, while FAE 803 is currently at Guayaquil awaiting allocation to a new home. The twin-seat FAE 830 has been put to instructional use at Latatunga’s technical school, and five further Mirages are stored within the same complex. Another, FAE 805, is in storage at Manta. PETER R FOSTER
Dassault Mirage F.1A FAE 806 is on display at Ecuador’s National Collection in Quito. PETER R FOSTER
Spitfire IX being worked Air cadets to restore Lightning cockpit on in Wales
Hull Aero of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire is continuing to make progress on its restoration of Supermarine Spitfire IX G-MCDB, which is based on the remains of MA764, a 122 Squadron fighter that was shot down over France on November 25, 1943. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered in November 2005 and featured in the Channel 4 documentary ‘Who Shot Down Douglas Bader?’, first screened in the UK on August 28, 2006. Hull Aero is currently using a specialised jig to work on the fuselage and cockpit area. GEOFF JONES
The cockpit of English Electric Lightning F.6 XR747 is to be restored by 20 (Bideford) Squadron ATC. The team aims to bring the cockpit to static display condition and hopefully restore some of its internal functionality. The exhibit has been loaned to the ATC by its owner, Mr A Pickles. Progress on the project can be tracked at Project Lightning on Facebook. WITH THANKS TO PAUL GUNNER
The Grade II listed officers mess at Duxford is to be converted into a business centre. The renovation will be sympathetic to the original character of the building, both internally and externally. Historical features will be preserved and intervention within each room will be minimal. Work is scheduled to begin in the early part of this year. IWM
The RAF Museum’s website has achieved two Outstanding Achievement accreditations in 2014’s Interactive Media Awards. The site, created by Itineris Ltd, won in both the Museum, Travel and Tourism categories. It was recognised for “surpassing the standards of excellence that comprise the web’s most professional work”. www.rafmuseum.org March 2015 FLYPAST 13
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Rare ‘Bird’ flying in Maryland A rare example of a Brunner-Winkle Bird BK biplane is now flying again in the US after undergoing accident repairs. Brunner-Winkle built around 240 examples of the three-seaters at its factory in Glendale, New York, between 1928 and 1931. Most were
powered either by surplus World War One-era water-cooled Curtiss OX-5 engines or Kinner radials. This example, NC727Y, was bought by Charles Lindbergh in 1930 to teach his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, to fly. Powered by a 100hp Kinner, it was restored by the
late Joe Fichera in Maryland, flying again in July 2012 after more than a decade of work. Lindbergh signed a piece of the internal plywood before selling it back to the factory in 1931, and it still bears his mark. The aircraft was damaged in Ohio in 2013, and was
repaired by Steve and Tina Thomas at Poplar Grove in Illinois. It was ferried back to Maryland late last year by Andrew King, a trip of some 750 miles and 11 hours of flying time, which included an appearance at Brodhead, Wisconsin’s Grassroots Fly-in. MIKE SHREEVE
Brunner-Winkle Bird BK NC727Y is flying again in Maryland. ANDREW KING VIA MIKE SHREEVE
Sea King replaces Wessex at Predannack Westland Sea King HAS.6 XV654 has been delivered by road to Predannack, Cornwall, where it is to be used as a training aid by Royal Navy fire crews.
It was flown by Lt P J Sheldon of 825 Naval Air Squadron on June 8, 1982, to help evacuate Welsh Guards from the burning RFA Sir Galahad at Port Pleasant
‘Retired’ Fokker F-50s head for Peru Westland Sea King HAS.6 XV654 at Predannack on November 13. LEE HOWARD
briefings
Two former Royal Netherlands Air Force Fokker F-50s, AE567 and AE568, have been sold to the Marina de Guerra del Perú, the Peruvian Navy. Both machines were retired from Dutch military service several years ago, but have been maintained in operational condition. Painted in a dark grey livery, the aircraft left Lelystad in November and made successful ferry flights to South America. ROGER SOUPART
Sikorsky SH-34J Seabat ‘Naval 52’, previously at a technical school in Maipú, Santiago, has been restored for display at Chile’s Viña del Mar naval air station in Concón. Completed with replica fibreglass panels copied from ‘Naval 51’, which is on display at the Aviation Museum of Cerrillos, it was unveiled on December 2. ÁLVARO ROMERO
HAS.1 XS885 at Predannack, which had been based there since February 22, 2006. As the Wessex is a relatively rare Napier Gazelle-powered variant, it has been returned to Culdrose pending a decision on its future preservation.
during the Falklands War. The helicopter was eventually withdrawn from use after a landing accident in 1993 and used by the Air Engineering and Survival School at HMS Sultan, Gosport, before arriving at Culdrose in January 2003. The Sea King replaces Westland Wessex
LEE HOWARD
The charity fly2help commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain with a fundraising dinner on June 3 at the RAF Club in Piccadilly. The evening includes a champagne reception, threecourse meal and auction in the ballroom. A limited number of tickets priced £150 each are available from:
[email protected]
The official documentary on the return to flight of de Havilland Mosquito VR796 in Canada by restorers Victoria Air Maintenance is now available to buy. Created with the help of public donations, the 90-minute film can be purchased on DVD, Blu-ray or via digital download. www.gainingaltitudedocumentary.com
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World War One exhibition opens at Cosford
RAF Museum Cosford’s new First World War In The Air exhibition. RAFM
RAF Museum Cosford unveiled a new exhibition area dedicated to Britain’s World War One air services on January 15. The new display, opened by Brendan Connor, Deputy Chairman of the RAF Museum Trustees, has been made possible through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund with support from BAE
Systems. The centrepiece of First World War In The Air is three famous Great War aircraft - the Sopwith Pup, Sopwith 1½ Strutter and the Bristol M.1c, the latter pair being full scale reproductions. Displayed alongside the aircraft are personal items that belonged to 2nd Lt Kevin Robert Furniss of the
RFC, who lived only a few miles from Cosford. Including letters, a flying helmet and a wash kit, the items were donated to the museum in 2013 by Kevin’s great niece. Karen Whitting, the RAF Museum’s Director of Public Programmes, said: “It is incredibly important to share these stories and experiences with
the local community here at Cosford, particularly when considering ‘local heroes’ from the West Midlands area such as Kevin Furniss. The exhibition also marks the beginning of an important phase for the museum as it gears up to celebrate the RAF’s centenary in 2018.” www.rafmuseum.org.uk
We salute you
Alouette moved to Gilze-Rijen
briefings
Aérospatiale Alouette III A-391 is on its way to Gilze-Rijen air force base in the south of Holland, where it is to be installed as a ‘gate guardian’.
Alouette III ‘A-453’ in new colours awaiting its move to Gilze-Rijen. ROGER SOUPART
The helicopter was formerly used for a similar purpose at Soesterberg, where it was displayed in a military camouflage scheme. It has recently been given new markings and now represents A-453, a machine that flew with the RNLAF’s Grasshoppers demonstration team. ROGER SOUPART
The tail section of a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was unveiled as a war memorial last November in Córdoba, Argentina. The fin, which has different unit markings painted on either side, is from OA-4AR FightingHawk C-902, originally built as a TA-4F trainer for the USMC. It crashed on February 13, 2013, near Santiago del Estero. ESTEBAN BREA
Henry ‘Hank’ Adlam - wartime Fleet Air Arm pilot who flew Hurricanes, Wildcats, Hellcats and Corsairs from aircraft carriers in the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean and Pacific theatres, later a noted artist and writer - died on January 2, aged 93; W/O Guy F Andrew - flew Spitfires with 131 Squadron until being shot down over France in 1943 and becoming a PoW at Stalag IVB - on December 16, aged 94; Air Cdre Geoff Cooper OBE - fighter pilot shot down by Israeli Spitfires in January 1949 and later CO of 45 Squadron - on December 13, aged 89; W/O Neville Croucher - flew Hurricanes with 289 Squadron and later undertook radar trials with 287 Squadron - on January 10, aged 91; Sidney Dix - the last survivor of the team that built the Gloster E.28/39, Britain’s first jet - on December 31, aged 95; Sqn Ldr Ken Dodwell - navigator with the first Wellington crew to complete a full tour of 30 ‘ops’ with 115 Squadron - on December 20, aged 94; Flt Lt John Greenwood - flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain with 253 Squadron and was later attached to 17 Squadron in Burma - on December 31, aged 94; Sqn Ldr ‘Jimmy’ James AFC* DFM - flew Bristol Bombays with 216 Squadron and later piloted VIP transports with 24 Squadron - on January 7, aged 93; Sqn Ldr Doug Nicholls DFC - flew Hurricanes with 242 Squadron during the Battle of Britain and spent three years on the Burma front flying Hurricanes with No.258 - on December 6, aged 95; Flt Lt Reg Nutter DFC - flew Hurricanes with 257 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, followed by Typhoons with 175 Squadron - on December 9, aged 93.
Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire is running an educational initiative between 18 schools in the Netherlands and Lincolnshire to mark the 70th anniversary of Operation Manna. The 1945 campaign is often regarded as the world’s first humanitarian air drop. www.aviationheritagelincolnshire.com
To mark the 70th anniversary of the war’s end and in recognition of the sacrifice made by US airmen, King’s Cliffe Brewery has produced P51 Porter Craft ale, based on a style of beer available in 1945. The brewery is located less than a mile from the runway at RAF King’s Cliffe from which USAAF units flew. www.kcbales.co.uk
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Historic aircraft trio ‘found’ in Lebanon Three former RAF aircraft, the fate of which was previously unclear, have been ‘rediscovered’ still providing useful service at a technical college near Beirut, Lebanon. The trio includes Percival Proctor V L101 which was delivered to the Lebanese Army Air Force as one of its founding aircraft in 1949. The Proctor was flown to Beirut by wartime Supermarine Spitfire pilot Wg Cdr Edward Gibbs, a former aerobatic
pilot who flew with Douglas Bader’s Tangmere Wing in 1941. Also present at the School of Arts and Crafts in Dekwaneh is North American Harvard L125 which is believed to be a former RAF machine, and de Havilland Vampire FB.5 L161. Formerly VV694, the Vampire is one of four FB.5s exported from RAF stocks in 1958. It is thought to have remained in service until the mid-1960s. JOAO PAULO MORALEZ
Percival Proctor V L101 at Dekwaneh, Lebanon, with DH Vampire FB.5 L161 visible in the background. JOAO PAULO MORALEZ
Peter Green Readers will be saddened to learn that Peter Green, a stalwart of FlyPast from its earliest days, died on December 16, aged 89. Born in Grimsby, Peter was educated at Oundle School during the later years of World War Two. After National Service in the army, Peter took up a flourishing career in car sales, eventually setting up his own highly-regarded dealership in North Lincolnshire. It was at Oundle that Peter’s love of aviation began, and he became established as an authority on many subjects, particularly British military aircraft and their markings. Peter built up an unparalleled library of reference material and a phenomenal photographic archive; all carefully filed and cross-referenced. A superb networker, Peter encouraged researchers and authors – this writer included – helping with information and illustrations, all backed by his exceptional knowledge. He was a founder member of a number of societies and clubs, many of which were pleased to convey honorary status on him. Peter was one of
the pioneers who helped to create the Newark Air Museum and he was very proud to be one of its vicepresidents. Turn to almost any worthy book published in Britain since the 1950s and you are bound to find Peter acknowledged for his efforts. He was the lead author of the seminal book English Electric Canberra published in 1992; it set the benchmark for how such works should be written. Always an avid supporter of FlyPast, Peter supplied images, snippets and articles to us from the magazine’s inception. He was always regarded as a very special member of the editorial team and played an important role in the journal’s success. It is hard to convey just how vital and comprehensive Peter’s contribution to British aviation heritage was. Those who had the privilege of working with him knew that he was a precious one-off and a constant source of inspiration. Our deepest sympathies go to Liz, Richard, Katie and family, and his many friends. Blue skies, Peter. KEN ELLIS
‘Extinct’ Belgian aircraft reproduced
The Koninklijk Legermuseum’s Renard R.31 replica is taking shape in Brussels. GEOFF JONES
An archive image of an original Renard R.31. KLM-MRA
A group of aviation enthusiasts is hoping to establish a permanent memorial to USAAF pilot Lt Gaston Riggs who was killed while trying to land his North American Mustang at Heston aerodrome in Middlesex in February 1945. The aircraft suffered a technical malfunction during a training flight, necessitating an immediate emergency landing. During his approach Lt Riggs’ fighter crashed into Grange Farm House, partly demolishing the building. If you remember the incident, or have an interest in or memories of Heston Airport and would like to share them with the group, please contact Colin Bear on 07730 919545 or e-mail:
[email protected] VIA COLIN BEAR
The Koninklijk Legermuseum in Brussels is in the process of constructing a full-scale Renard R.31 replica with the help of sponsorship from the Fonds Alfred Renard group. The fuselage is now almost complete, and is now awaiting the installation of wings, wheels and a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine. It will be finished in the colours of one of the two Belgian Air Force squadrons that flew the 34 examples built, either
9/V/1Aér or 11/V/1Aér. Designed in the 1930s by Alfred Renard, the parasol monoplane first flew on October 16, 1932, entering service in 1935 as a reconnaissance aircraft. An R.31 flew Belgium’s last mission against the German invading forces on May 27, 1940, the day before the country surrendered. No genuine examples survive today – all were destroyed during the war. GEOFF JONES
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet 161725 was mounted on a pole for display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles in late 2014. The 1983-built jet was retired from US Navy service in 1992 and had been at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah since 1996. www.californiasciencecenter.org GARY DONNISON
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AIRCREW GROUP CAPTAIN JOHN MERIFIELD
THIRST
FLYING
for
Few RAF pilots had such a varied and illustrious career as Gp Capt John Merifield dso dfc*. His story is told by Jonathan Falconer
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H
igh-explosives and incendiaries rained down on Berlin as a force of 443 Lancasters unleashed their bomb load. Less than 12 hours later a solitary aircraft set course for the ‘Big City’, as the German capital was known to bomber crews – and although it was a flying a long time after the raid, it was a vital part of the attack that preceded it. Sqn Ldr John Merifield and his navigator, Fg Off William Whalley, took off from Leuchars in Mosquito PR.IX LR428 of 540 Squadron at 09:50 on November 28, 1943. They were tasked with a post-raid photographic damage assessment
sortie, but approaching at high altitude from the north they found the ‘Big City’ covered by dense cloud. John remembered that, as he had come in over the Baltic, the skies were much clearer there, so he set course for the alternative targets discussed at his pre-sortie briefing. These were the airfields at Greifswald, Stralsund and Anklam; the Baltic sea ports of Stettin (harbouring the unfinished Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier) and Swinemünde (sheltering the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer); and a suspected radar site at Zinnowitz on the island of Usedom. With his tasks completed, John still
had a small quantity of film left, so rather than waste it he decided to photograph the test and trials airfield at Peenemünde. Flying westwards he switched on his cameras as he reached the northern tip of Usedom, using up the film as the Mosquito overflew the airfield before making for home. When examined later by photo-interpreters at the RAF’s Central Interpretation Unit at Danesfield House, Medmenham in Buckinghamshire, one frame in particular from John’s 6hrs 10mins sortie was of immense interest. On closer scrutiny it provided
Below left
Mosquito PR.IX LR428 of 540 Squadron – flown by John Merifield on his famous sortie of November 28, 1943. COURTESY AND © IVAN BERRYMAN 2015
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AIRCREW GROUP CAPTAIN JOHN MERIFIELD
Above
The page from John Merifield’s logbook recording details of the November 28, 1943 sortie in Mosquito PR.IX, LR428. MERIFIELD FAMILY ARCHIVE
Right
Wg Cdr John Merifield DSO, DFC*.
“John’s photograph revealed a tiny cruciform shape at the bottom of a launch ramp, which interpreters identified as a glide bomb” a vital missing link between ramped launch sites observed in northern Germany and similar ones photographed in northern France. John’s photograph revealed a tiny cruciform shape at the bottom of a launch ramp, which interpreters identified as a glide bomb. When combined with other intelligence, the sequence of images gave conclusive proof the Luftwaffe had
an active prototype launch site in Germany for what later became known as the V-1. Intelligence analysts concluded that a crossChannel bombardment of England by flying-bombs was imminent.
Making smoke
John was a past master of the photoreconnaissance (PR) Mosquito. In May 1941 he was posted to 1
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John Merifield’s early flying career John Roy Hugh Merifield was born in 1920 in Southampton. His father, also called John, had served as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve with Coastal Forces during World War One and was awarded the DSC. John went up to Oxford in 1938 from King Edward School, Southampton, to read modern languages at St Edmund Hall. A keen rower he also joined the Oxford University Air Squadron and learned to fly Avro Tutor biplanes, but John had his sights fixed on a career in the Colonial Service. With the slide into world war in 1939 John cut short his studies at Oxford to take a commission in the RAF. He completed his pilot training in the spring of 1940 before progressing to 1 School of Army Co-operation flying Hawker Hectors and Westland Lysanders from Old Sarum, Wiltshire. His first operational posting was in the summer of 1940 to 16 Squadron on Lysanders, followed by a move to Hatfield and 239 Squadron in September, flying Tomahawks and Hurricanes. It was not until 1941 that John found his metier when he was posted on May 12 to 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit at Benson.
Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) at Benson in Oxfordshire and gained operational experience on the early marks of PR Spitfire before converting onto the unit’s newly received Mosquito over the summer. (See the panel above for his earlier career.) Shortly before Christmas 1941 John received tragic news. His brother, Gordon, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, had been reported missing, presumed killed, in the Mediterranean on December 11. With Sgt William Whalley as his navigator, on January 15, 1942 John made the first attempt by a
long-range PR aircraft (Mosquito I, W4061) to reach Gdynia and Danzig in Poland. Cloud cover over the targets prevented any photography and the sortie was scrubbed. Flying again from Leuchars on March 3, he finally managed to photograph the Esbjerg–Gdynia–Danzig areas in an epic sortie lasting 7 hours and 55 minutes. John had one of the PR Mosquito’s earliest encounters with enemy fighters on March 30. “We were flying in W4061 over Trondheim at 18,000ft at 2,400 revs at the time. I noticed an Me 109 in my mirror about half-a-mile behind and 500ft above. It was making a trail of black
smoke, presumably because it was at full throttle. I increased revs to 3,000 and dived gently. My observer reported another ’109 on our starboard quarter about the same distance behind. “We levelled off at 14,000ft but did not seem to draw ahead. Observation of the enemy aircraft was difficult because they were dead astern and we were making a lot of black smoke ourselves. After a quarter-of-an-hour they were no longer to be seen, so boost was reduced to 6lb and revs to 2,700. “Shortly afterwards my observer reported one aircraft crossing our tail 400 yards astern but no fire was opened. Thereupon I opened up again and flew out to sea towards cloud, which was entered ten minutes later.” John received the first of several gallantry awards with the announcement on June 2, 1942 of his DFC. The citation reported that “this officer has carried out important long-distance reconnaissance flights with highly successful results. He has displayed great skill and determination.”
Left
John captured this dramatic low-level oblique photograph of a German FuGM 402 ‘Wassermann’ long-range early warning radar site at Bergen aan Zee in Holland on August 21, 1944 from a height of only 100ft while flying Mosquito PR.XVI MM355. IWM
Unit shuffle
By mid-1942, 1 PRU had outgrown itself. On October 19 it underwent a radical reorganisation into five individual PR squadrons, including 540, 541 and 544. Formed from ‘H’ and ‘L’ Flights, 540 Squadron was based at Leuchars from where its Mosquitos kept watch on the German Navy. Most sorties were flown over Norway. Created from ‘B’ and ‘F’ Flights, 541 Squadron was led by Wg Cdr ‘Steve’ Steventon until June 1943. Equipped with Spitfires and operating from Benson, its primary role was to regularly photograph enemy ports from the Baltic as far south as Spain. Also based at Benson was 544 Squadron, operating Spitfires, followed by Mosquitos. It was formed from ‘C’ and ‘G’ Flights of 1 PRU and commanded in late 1942 by John and, later, his ‘oppo’, ‘Steve’ Steventon. Over the winter months of 1942-1943, John and his regular navigator, Fg Off William Whalley DFM, along with another crew used a pair of 540 Squadron ‘Mossies’ to develop night aerial photography using the American M46 photoflash which, at 600,000 candlepower, was three times as bright as the British equivalent. March 2015 FLYPAST 21
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AIRCREW GROUP CAPTAIN JOHN MERIFIELD
V-1 flying-bomb site
Right
Taken by John Merifield on November 28, 1943, this image of Zinnowitz on the Baltic coast revealed a tiny cruciform shape at the bottom of a ramp – a V-1 flying-bomb.
Long-ranger
John, who was often described by other RAF pilots as “the best ‘Mossie’ pilot in the Air Force”, became a master of the extremely long-range sortie. On October 10, 1943 a memorable flight in PR.IX LR417 took him to Trier, Regensburg, Linz, Vienna, Budapest and back again to Vienna, Bucharest, Foggia and finally Catania in a flight lasting 6 hours 30 minutes. As if to emphasise the distance it had flown, the ‘Mossie’s’ engines spluttered and died soon after landing as John taxied in - the fuel tanks had ran dry. From July 1943, John commanded 544 until he handed over the reins to Wg Cdr Donald Walker in October. Donald’s tenure was all too brief: on November 11 his Mosquito was attacked and damaged by a German fighter near the Pyrenees. It crashed on a remote hilltop in northern Spain, killing Walker and his navigator. ‘Steve’ Steventon stepped into the breach as 544’s CO. For the next four months John was a flight commander on 540 under Wg Cdr Lord Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton and on February 11, 1944 his award of a DSO was gazetted. The next month he took
over command of the squadron, a position he held until September. In the lead-up to D-Day on June 6, No.540’s long-range sorties were interspersed with ‘ops’ to France and southern Europe. John flew to Limoges in central France at only 1,000ft on March 10 in PR IX LR422. On May 24 he was more than 750 miles from home near Vienna in PR.IX LR414 when he was intercepted by six USAAF P-51 Mustangs. Three broke away after buzzing him while two more waited until he had fired the correct colours of the day. The pilot of the last Mustang must have been unsure because he continued to shadow the Mosquito before deciding to break off. John recorded in his logbook: “Chased by Mustangs – one attacked. Landed San Severo.” John made one of the longest PR flights of the war in PR.IX LR426 on August 27. Taking off from Benson at 06:00 he flew northeast to photograph Gdynia, Danzig, Königsberg and Bromberg in northern Poland before turning south to cover Blechammer in southern Poland, Gleiwitz in southeastern Germany and Bratislava in Czechoslovakia before landing at San Severo, Italy, at 12:10. Refreshed and refuelled
he took off again at 15:10 hours to photograph Pula and Trieste, Millstatt in the Tyrol and finally Le Havre before landing back at Benson at 19:00. His total time in the air was 10 hours.
Record-breaker
A Bar to John’s DFC was announced in the London Gazette on October 3, 1944: “Since the invasion of Northern France the squadron [540] has completed many sorties against enemy communication systems and military installations. Much success has been achieved in which Wg Cdr Merifield has played a leading part. “He planned the missions, advised of the tactics to be adopted and invariably undertook the more dangerous tasks himself. On two of these his brilliant work was well proved by the perfection of the photographs he secured.” John’s operational flying was put on hold towards the end of 1944 with a spell at the RAF Staff College followed in February 1945 by command of 104 PR Wing at Coulommiers in Northern France. The wing was made up of ten PR Mosquitos from 540 Squadron and ten Spitfires from 541. However, by the time the new unit was operational on March 31,
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the demand for reconnaissance missions had tailed off. The wing disbanded at the end of July and John went to 106 Group at Benson where he and his navigator, Flt Lt Johnny Spires, set a new transatlantic speed record on September 6, flying Mosquito PR.34 RG241 westwards from St Mawgan in Cornwall to Torbay,
Above
Mosquito PR.IX LR432 spent just a few days with 540 Squadron in September 1943 before going to 544 Squadron. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Left
Flt Lt Johnny Spires (navigator) and Wg Cdr John Merifield after their record-breaking transatlantic flight. MERIFIELD FAMILY ARCHIVE
Below left
John is helped to strap into his 684 Squadron Spitfire PR.XIX on August 28, 1946 before taking off on a mercy flight to deliver penicillin.
Newfoundland, in 6 hours 58 minutes, knocking five hours off the previous best for an eastwest crossing. This record is still believed to stand for a westward crossing of the Atlantic by a twin piston-engined aircraft.
MERIFIELD FAMILY ARCHIVE
High-speed courier
In April 1946 John was posted to the Far East to take command of 684 Squadron flying Mosquito PR.34s and Spitfire PR.XIXs from Thailand on survey flights over the spreading jungles of South East Asia. During this time he flew two unusual sorties that caught the headlines. March 2015 FLYPAST 23
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AIRCREW GROUP CAPTAIN JOHN MERIFIELD
Keep it as a spare, son After John landed back following a sortie over North Korea, an impromptu parade saw him presented with the American DFC (he had previously been awarded the US Air Medal in 1943). He politely pointed out to the USAF general that he couldn’t accept the decoration as protocol required the award to be approved by the Air Ministry, to which the general replied: “Keep it as a spare, son.” Sadly, John’s widow was compelled to sell his medals after his death in 1961, but his son Peter still has the ‘spare’. MERIFIELD FAMILY ARCHIVE
Above right
John Merifield in front of his personal F-86 Sabre. The story goes that the entire RAF Sabre contingent in Korea grew moustaches and a pilot would only shave his off after downing his first MiG. MERIFIELD FAMILY ARCHIVE
On August 19 the squadron received an urgent call: vital despatches at Labuan, an island off the coast of Borneo, had to be in the hands of the Governor General of the Malayan Union, the Rt Hon Malcolm Macdonald, in time for a conference at Penang the following evening. Flying Spitfire PR.XIX PM574, John took off from Seletar, Singapore, at 06:30 the next morning and covered the 870 miles to Labuan in 2 hours 55 minutes. After collecting the despatches he took off again at 10:35 and was back at Seletar for refuelling by 13:00, landing at Butterworth, Malaya, at 15:35 in good time to deliver the documents to Penang. Two hours later he was relaxing in the mess at Seletar. With a round trip of nearly 2,500 miles in 7 hours 30 minutes, this was pretty good going for a day’s work! The Singapore Sunday Times observed wryly: “Wg Cdr Merifield
“15 July 1952, F-86. Sweep Anting area, damaged 1 MiG-15; 7 August, F-86. Sweep Sinuiju, shot at and missed 1 MiG-15; 8 August, F-86. Sweep Sinuiju, MiG flamed out and baled out over Ch’o do. Shot his aircraft down afterwards.” proved that it is possible, all in one day, to breakfast in Labuan, lunch in Singapore, have tea in Penang and return to Singapore for dinner.” A week later, John stepped into the breach again. A phone call late one evening from the Governor General’s office requested vital supplies of penicillin be flown to a remote jungle village in Sarawak, where a British resident was seriously ill with pneumonia. John took off at first light on August 28 in a 684 Squadron Spitfire PR.XIX, touching down at Labuan to refuel, and by midday he had located his target. The villagers had lit a fire in a clearing as a signal and John made a successful drop. RAF personnel had worked through the night to make special containers for the drugs so they would fit into the limited space available inside the Spitfire. News was later received at Seletar that, thanks to John’s air drop, the sick man was making a good recovery. No.684 Squadron disbanded on September 1, 1946 at Seletar and was renumbered 81 Squadron. In 1947, towards the end of John’s command, 81 became caught up in Operation Firedog, the Malayan Emergency, although by this time he was moving on again.
Sabre combat
The jet age was now rapidly transforming the face of air combat and John was among the many
pilots who made the transition from piston types. In October 1950 he was posted to Horsham St Faith in Norfolk where he joined 263 Squadron flying Meteors and Vampires. Meanwhile on the far side of the world the Korean War had erupted and the conflict quickly took a dramatic turn when Soviet-built MiG-15 Fagot swept-wing jets made their first combat appearance. The RAF’s Day Fighter Leader School (DFLS) at the Central Fighter Establishment at West Raynham in Norfolk was keen to obtain firsthand information about jet fighter tactics being used over Korea. John was one of a handful of RAF pilots the US Air Force agreed to accept on attachment to an F-86 Sabre fighter squadron to gain combat experience. In 1952 John led the second of two RAF detachments to South Korea after 30 days’ training on the F-86A at Nellis in Nevada during May and June. The five pilots were then assigned to the 16th Fighter Interception Squadron flying the F-86E from Suwon in South Korea. John was made a flight commander with the 16th, laconic entries from his logbook giving snippets of the action during his attachment: “15 July 1952, F-86. Sweep Anting area, damaged 1 MiG-15; 7 August, F-86. Sweep Sinuiju, shot at and missed one MiG-15; 8 August, F-86. Sweep Sinuiju, MiG flamed out and baled
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out over Ch’o do. Shot his aircraft down afterwards.” On September 9 and 16 during sweeps over the Yalu river, John damaged a MiG on each occasion – and on the 18th he engaged a MiG but couldn’t shoot it down. On a sweep in Sinuiju on the 23rd he “shot up loco sheds”. The RAF team claimed two MiG-15s destroyed (Flt John Nicholls on December 7 and Flt Lt Graham Hulse two days later) and nine others damaged before they returned to the UK in late December. For his 20 combat missions over Korea, John was awarded the Air Medal by President Eisenhower for “courage, aggressiveness and proficiency, in frequent encounters with high performance enemy jet aircraft”.
Rotary conversion
John was posted to the DFLS in January 1953 where he was able to pass on his jet fighter combat expertise gained over Korea. He remained there until June 1955 when he moved to a staff job at the Air Ministry, but a return to the cockpit was on the horizon. In the summer of 1957 John was posted to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where he flew the supersonic F-100 Super Sabre. His thirst for flying was sated on his next and final (overseas)
posting as station commander at Khormaksar, Aden. Between November 1958 and December 1960 he flew every aircraft type on the station’s inventory – Venoms, Twin Pioneers, Lincolns, Pembrokes, Valettas, Sycamores, Shackletons, Hunters and Beverleys, even taking up his young son Peter (the youngest of three children) in a Sycamore helicopter on several occasions. Returning to the UK he was posted to the Air Staff, HQ 38 Group, Transport Command at Odiham on March 14, 1961. During May, John began conversion to the Westland Whirlwind helicopter. On the morning of June 1, he flew 35 miles from Odiham to Upavon on Salisbury Plain as a second pilot under instruction. He was 21 hours into his conversion course. At 10:35, instructor Fg Off Barrie Armitage, with John as second pilot, took off from Upavon in Whirlwind HAR.2 XJ765 of 225 Squadron. They were performing manoeuvres over the south side of the airfield when metal fatigue in a control rod led to a catastrophic failure in the mixing unit, causing the pilot to lose control. The helicopter was seen to descend steeply into a valley about 500 yards south of Upavon where it
disappeared from view before crashing and catching fire, killing both occupants. The Times published a fulsome, but anonymous, valediction to John ‘from a friend in Germany’ on June 13: “Few met the challenges of modern fighter operations with more verve and skill than John Merifield, whose tragic and untimely death in a helicopter accident was reported recently in your columns. “He was a man of strong and infectious personality with a natural ability for inspired leadership in the air; of a ready quick wit and humour, he will be mourned by many both in his own Service and the USAF alongside whom he fought in Korea... He believed and demonstrated by example that the individual dash and courage first seen in the skies in those early combats of 19141918 and again in World War Two were still very much requisite parts of the make-up of the jet fighter pilot. The RAF have lost one of their best.”
Above left
F-86E Sabre 51-2729 ‘Heavenly Daze’. PETE WEST Below
John’s personal F-86E Sabre 51-2729 ‘Heavenly Daze’ – named after his sailing boat – in a bomb-proof revetment at Suwon, South Korea. MERIFIELD FAMILY ARCHIVE
The author would like to thank the following for their help in this article: Hazel Crozier and Tim Pierce, RAF College, Cranwell; Peter Elliott and Gordon Leith, RAF Museum, Hendon; and Peter Merifield, son of the late Gp Capt John Merifield.
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MUSEUMS FAGEN FIGHTERS
Celebrating Legen Geoff Jones reports on the recently established Fagen Fighters
P
reserve history, promote patriotism, inspire the future – so runs the mission statement of the Fagen Fighters World War Two Museum. Situated in the rural town of Granite Falls in western Minnesota, the collection was opened to the public in June 2012. The enterprise takes its name from the Fagen family: Ron, Diane and their sons Aaron and Evan. Ron’s father, Ray, was in the US 4th Infantry Division and among the first American troops ashore on Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The museum is a tribute to Ray and all veterans of what
the Fagens call “the greatest generation”. Fagen Fighters’ base is LenzenRoe Memorial Airport to the south of Granite Falls where there is a single 4,375ft runway 15/33. Two hangars and a third, just completed, form the museum’s core. There is a Quonset-style hut that salutes Col C E ‘Bud’ Anderson’s 357th Fighter Group and alongside this a period control tower.
Getting airborne Ron Fagen is a successful industrial contractor based in
collection
the US Midwest. He acquired his first ‘warbird’, the P-51 Mustang that now carries the name Sweet Revenge, in 1994. He learned to fly warbirds under the tutorship of Lee Lauderback at the Kissimmee, Florida-based Stallion 51. Ron now has over 15,000 hours in his logbook and display authorisation for the P-51 and P-40 Warhawk at airshows. From the Mustang grew the scheme that blossomed into Fagen Fighters, with the intention that it is “dedicated to re-creation, restoration and preservation of the most influential fighter
aircraft to have graced our skies”. Ron’s philosophy is that all of his collection should be airworthy. The Ray Fagen Memorial Airshow is the best place to appreciate the collection in the air – the next one is scheduled for June 20. Fagen Fighters appears at events around the Midwest and at the EAA’s Air Venture at Oshkosh. Most of the collection has earned recognition at the latter event in recent years – the P-40 Warhawk (N4420K) was voted Grand Champion World War Two Warbird in 2013. Visitors to Granite Falls can also get airborne in the museum’s PT-26 Cornell.
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gends Quality displays While Fagen Fighters is a relatively small collection compared with some around the world, the adage ‘quality rather than quantity’ is most apt. Within the Trainer Hangar are PT-19 and PT-26 Cornells, a Ryan ST-3KR and an ERCO Ercoupe. Two replicas dominate the display, a Waco CG-4A assault glider built by the American Aviation Heritage Foundation and installed in 2013 as an airborne operations tribute and a static Messerschmitt
Ryan ST-3KR and PT-26 with the replica Bf 109 suspended from the roof. ALL IMAGES AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED
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MUSEUMS FAGEN FIGHTERS
A replica of Bob Hoover’s famous P-51 guards the entrance.
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Fagen Fighters World War Two Museum Curtiss P-40 Warhawk Curtiss P-40E Warhawk Curtiss P-40 Warhawk Curtiss SB2C Helldiver ERCO 415 Ercoupe Fairchild PT-19A Cornell Fairchild PT-26 Cornell Lockheed P-38L Lightning Messerschmitt Bf 109 replica NAA B-25N Mitchell NAA P-51D Mustang NAA P-51D Mustang Ryan ST-3KR Vultee BT-13 Valiant Waco CG-4A replica
N402WR N4420K 83393 N98705 N46197 N75463 N79123 ‘14’ N325N N51LR N251L N57184 N54841 -
P-51D Mustang ‘Twilight Tear’ N251L.
Vultee BT-13 N54841 flying near Granite Falls.
Utah Beach D-Day tableau celebrating Ron Fagen’s father, Ray, and his comrades.
FAGEN FIGHTERS WWII MUSEUM
landing craft on Utah Beach on D-Day. The sand used in the tableau was specially transported from Normandy. The 4th, including Ray Fagen, went on to take part in the liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge. Recently returned from restoration in California, Fagen’s B-25 Mitchell Paper Doll, the BT-13 Valiant and further ‘finds’ will be housed in the new hangar.
Artist David Reiser at work on the museum’s latest mural.
Fighter workshop
The Waco CG-4A assault glider replica dominates the Trainer Hangar.
Bf 109 from the 1969 film, Battle of Britain. The Fighter Hangar boasts dramatic David Reiser murals depicting fighter missions over Europe and Africa that involved
aircraft types in the museum. At the far end, beneath the library, is Ron’s tribute to his father Private Ray Fagen and the 4th Infantry ‘Ivy’ Division. The special diorama shows troops scrambling from a Higgins
Co-located at Granite City, but not available to the public, is Fagen Fighters Restoration, a specialist company owned by the family. Currently being worked on is P-38 N79123 Ruff Stuff that commemorates Capt Norbert ‘Norb’ Ruff who flew over 50 P-38 missions with the 80th Fighter Squadron, known as ‘The Headhunters’. This particular aircraft, 44-27231, never saw combat and when civilianised competed as ‘Race 95’ in several 1950s Bendix
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MUSEUMS FAGEN FIGHTERS www.fagenfighterswwiimuseum.org
Benny Vlaminck of Fagen Fighters Restoration riveting the tail of a P-40.
“Fagen Fighters Restoration is one of the world’s leading P-40 rebuilders. Six full-time employees are currently working on a third example for the collection”
P-38 Lightning ‘Ruff Stuff’.
Trophies. David Tallichet owned the P-38 for many years, based at Chino, California. In 2003 it briefly joined The Fighter Collection before being acquired by Ron in 2004. Another P-51 Mustang was acquired by Ron in 2005, 44-63864 Twilight Tear and now registered N251L. The wreckage of this aircraft was found in Iceland – it was rebuilt and at one time was owned and flown by Bill Lear, of Learjet fame. In April 2010 it was registered to Ron, underwent a refurbishment and flew again on April 6, 2011. At that year’s Oshkosh it was declared Grand Champion. Fagen Fighters Restoration is one of the world’s leading P-40
rebuilders. Six full-time employees are currently working on a third example for the collection. The organisation holds sufficient spare parts to rebuild several others. The most ambitious project at the moment is a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, still with many thousands of hours of work required before roll-out. Currently there’s only one airworthy Helldiver in the world from the 7,000-plus built, so this machine will be a very welcome addition. During the author’s visit, two trucks had recently arrived at Granite Falls loaded with P-40 wings from New Zealand. The rear fuselage of a C-47 Skytrain is also on-site awaiting attention before display.
Family enterprise The Fagen family are all involved in running the museum. Son Evan is the Fagen Fighters’ chief pilot, while Aaron is in charge of the acquisition of the many vehicles on display. Ron’s wife Diane, also a pilot, is the creative designer and responsible for operations. A yellow P-51 atop a pole adorns the entrance to Fagen Fighters. This is a full-scale replica of Bob Hoover’s famous Ole Yeller. It was away on ‘detachment’ to the Paramount Pictures studios in Hollywood for the February 2014 celebration of this famous US aviator. Now back in Granite Falls it acts as a perfect waypoint for visitors.
Warhawk N402WR. The Quonset-style hut, fitted out as a wartime briefing room, alongside the control tower.
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The enormous jig for the 37ft-span Helldiver wings in the workshop.
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Preserving our military aviation heritage
MILITARY AVIATION FROM GREAT WAR TO COLD WAR
OPEN FROM 10AM 1st Feb to 30th Nov
Aircraft & memorabilia from Great War to Cold War, Lightning cockpit simulator and much more...
SIGNED FROM A27 3 MILES EAST OF CHICHESTER
! " $ $%'!& %###
! ! ! !
COLD WAR
WARRIORS WE PRESENT A FLYPAST TRIBUTE TO THE THOUSANDS OF PERSONNEL WHO FOUGHT IN THE CHILLING POST WORLD WAR TWO ERA - THE COLD WAR
34
Former Lightning pilot Ian Black selects some of his favourite images of the famous high-speed British jet fighter.
36
Nikolay Yakubovich describes the early years of Tupolev’s most famous bomber – the massive Tu-95 Bear.
42
The Royal Belgian Air Force had an ingenious – and top secret - use for its retired F-84F Thunderstreaks. Roger Soupart tells all.
44
English Electric Lightnings are famous for their air defence duties, but the type’s ground attack combat history is not so well known. Hugh Trevor interviews engineer Phil Isaac about his role in these hard-hitting ‘ops’ over the Saudi desert.
50 52
Fighting colours – USAF Cold War heavy bombers in profile.
60
Phantoms of the Ruhr. Two squadrons of RAF FGR.2s guarded the airspace of central Germany, protecting the so-called ‘Clutch Airfields’ – Brüggen, Laarbruch and Wildenrath. Ian Black recounts his time with one of these units - 19 Squadron Photographer Richard Paver goes air-to-air with several Hawker Hunter warbirds that served during the Cold War. Another one of his spectacular shots, featuring F.58 J-4086 (HB-RVU), graces our centrefold – see pages 66-67.
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CO LD WAR E E LI G HTN I N G S
ROCKET
SHIPS IAN BLACK PAYS A PHOTOGRAPHIC TRIBUTE TO A COLD WAR LEGEND - THE LIGHTNING FIGHTER BELOW
ABOVE
Although the charismatic English Electric Lightning was withdrawn by the RAF in 1988, several examples have been given a second lease of life by private operators around the world. Three of them – F.6s XR728 and XS904 at Bruntingthorpe and T.5 XS458 at Cranfield – are fast taxied at public events and are hugely popular. One airframe, T.5 XS452 (ZU-BBD), is airworthy in South Africa, and hopes are high it will be joined by others in due course. Illustrated is F.3 XP693 (ZU-BEY), flying as a warbird with Cape Town-based Thunder City in 2007.
Simon Braithwaite at the controls of F.6 XS929 as it screams over the Lincolnshire Wolds at 550mph. The Lightning was not often flown at an ultra low level, as its air intercept radar was ineffective below a few thousand feet over land. The camera ship was Lightning T.5 XS452.
BELOW
Lightning F.6 XS904 of 11 squadron carrying two dummy Red Top air-to-air missiles. Note the under fuselage mounted and retrospectively fitted Aden gun, which takes up a surprisingly large amount of the forward ventral fuel tank space. Today XS904 is kept in ‘live’ condition by the Lightning Preservation Group at Bruntingthorpe.
ABOVE
One of the very rare occasions that Lightnings and Tornado fighters flew together in formation. The English Electric jet was outclassed (eventually) by the swing-wing fighter, but for sheer adrenalin nothing came close to a Lightning.
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LEFT
Lightning F.3 XR749 of the RAF Binbrook-based training flight going vertical in 1984. The all-blue tail was applied to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the unit being formed.
ABOVE
Originally built as a T.4, XM967 served as the T.5 prototype having been converted at Filton. It was used extensively for trials flying before being retired in the mid-1970s, with (reportedly) less than 300 flying hours ‘on the clock’.
ABOVE
Lightning F.6 XR754 ‘BC’ of 11 Squadron firing the last ‘Red Top’ air-to-air missile over Cardigan Bay off the west Welsh coast in 1987. The pilot was Flt Lt Richard Heath, a qualified Lightning weapons instructor.
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CO LD WAR TU PO LEV TU - 95
RUSSIAN NIKOLAY YAKUBOVICH DESCRIBES THE EARLY YEARS OF THE ICONIC TUPOLEV LONG-RANGE BOMBER ABOVE
BEARS
The second prototype Tu-95M following an emergency landing. NIKOLAY YAKUBOVICH COLLECTION RIGHT
‘Black Six’, a first-series Tu-95M, based at Kuybyshev, September 1955. © ANDREY YURGENSON 2015
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First-series Tu-95M ‘Bear-A’. NIKOLAY YAKUBOVICH COLLECTION
W
ith its huge counterrotating propellers and World War Two-style gun position in the extreme tail, only the swept wings of the Tupolev Tu-95 looked modern when it first hit the headlines in the early 1950s. While it may have always looked anachronistic, the big Tupolev
bomber, a ‘Cold War’ icon, returned to the limelight recently as the type again ventured on long-range patrols into the North Atlantic, intercepted by NATO fighters amid the tensions of the Ukraine crisis. Best known by its NATO reporting name, Bear, the Tu-95, powered by paired Kuznetsov
2TV-2Fs, first flew on November 12, 1952. The second prototype, fitted with powerful Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops of more than
"...THE BIG TUPOLEV BOMBER, A ‘COLD WAR’ ICON, RETURNED TO THE LIMELIGHT RECENTLY AS THE TYPE AGAIN VENTURED ON LONG-RANGE PATROLS INTO THE NORTH ATLANTIC"
A Tu-95M being prepared for a mission. GENNADY PETROV COLLECTION
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CO LD WAR TU PO LEV TU - 95
"...ON OCTOBER 3, 1961 A TU-95 DROPPED A 50-MEGATON HYDROGEN BOMB OVER THE NOVAYA ZEMLYA ISLANDS IN RUSSIAN ARCTIC" TOP
A Kh-22 missile under the wing of a Tu-95K-22 at the Long-Range Aviation Museum, Engels. NIKOLAY YAKUBOVICH COLLECTION
ABOVE RIGHT
An IFR-equipped Tu95KMs. GENNADY PETROV COLLECTION
12,500shp (9,325kW) each, took its maiden flight on February 16, 1955. State testing began that year and the bomber received even more potent NK-12M engines. These enabled fuel reserves to be increased and take-off weight to reach 182 tons (165 metric tonnes). Offensive ordnance included free-fall bombs totalling 9,000kg (19,841lb) while for defence the Tu-95 carried six 23mm cannons. Capacity to carry torpedoes and mines was also planned. With the improved engines, flight characteristics – especially range – became more acceptable and the type entered service with the designation Tu-95M.
CRUISE MISSILES
In 1957 an increase in operational range to 24,000km (14,900 miles) was demanded, so the bomber was equipped with an in-flight refuelling (IFR)
36-39_Bear_fpSBB.indd 38
system. Meanwhile nuclear-capable Tu-95MAs were given a heatresistant skin with a white coating for increased anti-flash properties. At the end of 1958 the Soviet Air Force had 17 such bombers in service, and on October 3, 1961 a Tu-95 dropped a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb over the Novaya Zemlya islands in Russian Arctic. Bombers carrying free-fall nuclear weapons were vulnerable to antiaircraft defences. To increase survivability, the Mikoyan company developed the swept-wing turbojetpowered Kh-20 Kangaroo cruise missile to arm Bears, the carrier aircraft being designated Tu-95Ks. The missile had a launch weight of 27,116lb, an airspeed of up to 2,000km/h (1,242mph) and a range of nearly 500 miles. Guidance precision was about six to nine miles and the weapon had an error of 1.8 to 2.48 miles, considered sufficient for area targets. The first launch was on March 17, 1958 and the Tu-95K
carrier aircraft entered service in September 1960. The Tu-95K’s endurance was still not sufficient for a return flight to the western United States, so IFR was installed, increasing range to 5,150 miles with a single top-up and 5,800 miles for two contacts. The modified aircraft were designated Tu-95KMs. After successful launches of the next cruise missile type, the Kh-22 Kitchen, in June 1964, development began on an improved Tu-95K-22. The Kh-22 had a service ceiling and airspeed almost twice those of the Kh-20 and a radius of action of 4,350 miles, but it was designed to strike aircraft carrier groups rather than area targets. As nuclear-armed warships began to enter service with the Soviet Navy a new Bear was needed – the reconnaissance and target acquisition Tu-95RT. Its tasks included searching for surface vessels and providing target support for cruise missile-equipped submarines, warships and coastal batteries. Tu-95RTs were introduced into service with two air regiments.
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CO LD WAR TU PO LEV TU - 95
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE
A Tu-95 accompanied by MiG-17 ‘Frescos’. GENNADY PETROV COLLECTION
A Tu-95K cruise missilecarrier. NIKOLAY YAKUBOVICH COLLECTION
"AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1960S, TU-95S WERE IN SERVICE WITH FIVE REGIMENTS AT PERMANENT AIRFIELDS BUT, WITH A THREAT OF WAR, THEY COULD BE DISPERSED TO TEMPORARY SITES, INCLUDING POLAR LOCATIONS" TEETHING TROUBLES
The first NK-12M-powered Tu-95s were delivered in 1955 to the 409th Heavy Bomber Air Regiment (or TBAP) at Uzin in Ukraine; and in 1956 to the 1006th TBAP. It was soon realised that the engines and propellers had a low service life, leading to aircraft remaining idle awaiting overhaul. In 1957, the 1023rd and 1226th TBAPs at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan began to take on improved Tu-95Ms. During operations, teething troubles arose – in particular, undercarriage components needed strengthening. But the engines remained the Bear’s weakest point. Soviet Long-Range Aviation crews
successfully mastered the new type and began long-distance flights over neutral waters. The Soviet bombers did not carry nuclear weapons on these sorties which, flown to the borders of potential enemies, were intended to be a deterrent rather than a threat.
HUMAN FACTORS
At the beginning of the 1960s, Tu-95s were in service with five regiments at permanent airfields – but, with a threat of war, they could be dispersed to many temporary sites, including Polar locations. By the middle of the 1970s Bears were considered refined and reliable, but accidents still occurred,
mostly due to human factors. During the night of October 5, 1976 a Tu-95 was approaching a reserve airfield near Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan. Owing to poor knowledge of the base, the bomber was short on its approach, hit trees and power lines and burnt out. Less than a year later, on August 26, 1977, two Tu-95s collided on a training mission: they should have been flying with two minutes’ separation. The first accident with a Tu-95K was on May 27, 1966 when the
RIGHT
‘Red 71’, a Tu-95MA of the 409th TBAP, Uzin, 1958. © ANDREY YURGENSON 2015
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missile-carrier collided with a Myasishchev M-4 Bison tanker. The Bear lost part of its tail while the M-4 had two damaged engines, but both managed to land. Flight refuelling created a major challenge for crews, few pilots being very experienced in the process. During an IFR mission in 1973 the hose broke off a tanker and damaged the receiving Tu-95;
both aircraft landed safely. Ten years later the situation recurred when, on a training flight on April 27, 1983, a hose broke off a tanker and wound around the tail of a Tu-95K-22. Fortunately the airscrews were not hit, but the dangling hose began to crush the rear fuselage and wounded the radio operator. But, again, the flight ended safely.
FIND THE NIMITZ
In response to flights by USAF strategic bombers along the northern borders of USSR from January 1985, Tu-95M and ’K missile-carriers began patrols in neutral Arctic waters. The Bears usually operated from Soviet Polar airfields. Their missions, averaging 18 hours, lasted for 36 months during which the Tu-95M crews amassed 1,224 flight hours. One of the last Tu-95K-22 patrols took place in 1993 when crews received instructions to locate a large group of US ships heading for the Persian Gulf. Four Bears took off from the Russian Far East and five hours later found the vessels, including the Nimitz aircraft carrier. These were among the last flights of early Tu-95s, which were replaced by the more advanced Tu-95MS version – the Bear lives on. Thanks to Gennady Sloutskiy for his help with this feature.
ABOVE LEFT
TUPOLEV TU-95 STATISTICS Tu-95 NATO Bear Powerplant x 4 NK-12 Take-off power – hp (kW) 12,500 (9,325) Wingspan – ft-in (m) 164-9 (50.1) Length – ft-in (m) 151-6 (46.17) Wing area – ft2 (m2) 3,066 (284.9) Max airspeed – mph (km/h) 553 (890) Service ceiling – ft (m) 37,073 (11,300) Crew 8-9
Three Tu-95KMs, each carrying a Kh-20, over Tushino, Moscow, July 1961. GENNADY PETROV
Tu-95M Bear-A NK-12M 15,000 (11,119) 164-2 (50.04) 151-6 (46.17) 3,053 (283.7) 546 (880) 39,041 (11,900) 8
Tu-95K-22 Bear-G NK-12MV 15,000 (11,119) 164-2 (50.04) 151-6 (46.17) 3,175 (295) 540 (870) 37,729 (11,500) 8
COLLECTION
ABOVE
A Tu-95KM. GENNADY PETROV COLLECTION
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CO LD WAR F- 84 TH U N D E RSTREAK
OPERATION
THUNDERAGE ROGER SOUPART REVEALS HOW RETIRED BELGIAN FIGHTERS WERE USED TO FOOL PRYING SOVIET EYES
RIGHT
This close, nobody would ever confuse a Thunderage for a real Mirage 5BA, but to a Soviet satellite or a low-flying strike aircraft the deception might have worked. Dassault Mirage 5BA BD-10 served with RBAF from 1971 to 1994. ALL AUTHOR
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R
epublic’s ‘Thunder Factory’ at Farmingdale, New York, had a reputation for building robust fighters, from the P-47 Thunderbolt all the way to the A-10 ‘Warthog’. Nobody could have conceived that, even after they had stopped flying Belgium’s F-84s would still have a useful war role. From June 1955 to January 1958 the Royal Belgian Air Force (RBAF) took delivery of 180 F-84F Thunderstreaks under the US Mutual Assistance Program. The F-84Fs suffered from a
16/01/2015 16:34
high attrition rate and another 17 were acquired as ‘top-ups’ in mid1958. The ’Streaks replaced straightwing F-84E and ’G Thunderjets and formed the backbone of Belgium’s contribution to NATO in the 1950s. They were supplemented by 39 RF-84F Thunderflash photo-recce versions, delivered between 1955 and 1965. In the 1960s, both the ’Streaks and ’Flashes were phased out in favour of the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, and later, Dassault Mirage 5B. Many of the surviving
Republic jets were destined to be scrapped. A few, even though they were grounded, were given new leases of life.
WAR OF DECEPTION
The practice of keeping redundant airframes on military bases was common in NATO from the 1960s until the end of the 1990s. Dispersed on airfield perimeters, the theory was that they might mislead early Soviet spy satellites, although they would not fool anyone who could get up close to them. If the ‘Cold War’ ever went ‘hot’,
TRANSFORMATION
Converting the somewhat ‘dumpy’ Thunderstreaks into sleek shapes resembling the Dassault delta wasn’t easy – each needed a complete facelift. They were fitted with a drooping Miragestyle pointed radome in place of the nose air intake and two fake intakes were placed either side of the canopy. An iron tube was used to link the wingtips to the rear fuselage. Sheet metal was then laid between the wing trailing edge to the tube. A similar arrangement extended the leading edge up to the new ‘intakes’: the swept wing was transformed into a rough and ready delta. The ‘all-flying’ tailplanes were removed from mid-way up the fin and another metal sheet was attached to the front of the tail to replicate the Mirage 5’s more generous rear control surfaces. The F-84Fs were repainted into the Vietnam-like Mirage camouflage, or an all -new two-tone grey scheme.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
How many Thunderages were created is not clear, as in spite of its now laughable looks, this was a secret military project. At the time, aircraft ‘spotting’ was forbidden in
BEAUVECHAIN'S DECOYS The ‘Thunderages’ illustrated with this feature were all photographed at RBAF Beauvechain (or Bevekom) air base, south east of Brussels, in the early 1980s. At that time it was an F-16 Fighting Falcon base, but the jets moved out in 1996. Today, the RBAF is known as the Belgian Air Component of the Armed Forces and the Beauvechain base is home to Agusta 109 helicopters and single-engined SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 trainers.
these veterans would still have a purpose. In the chaos of an all-out conflict, Soviet pilots would have to make split-second decisions about what target to aim their missiles and bombs at. Anything that decoyed weaponry away from operational aircraft would be worth its weight in gold. With some of its redundant F-84F stock, the RBAF went one step further. Thunderstreaks were modified in a top secret programme to look like state-of-the-art Mirage 5s to confuse and deceive. This gave rise to a hybrid, the ‘Thunderage’, or perhaps it was Mirastreak.
Belgium, so not many photographs of this rare breed were taken. As surveillance technology improved, the Thunderages were moved to the edges of wooded areas, or covered by camouflage netting. Eventually, the F-84Fs faced redundancy for the second time. All the Thunderages were burned, scrapped or bizarrely reverted back to Thunderstreak status. Not a single one survives today in decoy form, and that is sad, as they represented a unique Cold War mind-set. What a talking point one would make in a Belgian museum.
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LIGHTNING
WAR
PHIL ISAAC TALKS TO HUGH TREVOR ABOUT HIS TIME ARMING CLASSIC JETS IN SAUDI ARABIA ABOVE
Lightning F.53 215 of 2 Squadron over mountainous terrain. HEDLEY MOLLAND
RIGHT
Phil Isaac is now involved with the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum and takes particular interest in former Saudi Lightning 53-670 and her armament. HUGH TREVOR FAR RIGHT
The Airwork armourers’ workshop at Dhahran.
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M
agic Palm was the codename for the provision of personnel, hardware and infrastructure to support the Saudi Arabian defence system 40 years ago. Former RAF armourer Phil Isaac, had last served on the line at Wattisham, looking after the Lightnings of 111 Squadron in 1964. The superlative English Electric fighter
was still to be his bread and butter, but this time he would be working on examples bearing the markings of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). Phil was recruited by Airwork to help the company and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) in maintaining the jets and to keep the Lightnings in the air. (See the panel on page 49 for Phil’s background.) Although the Saudis only purchased 34 Lightning F.53s and six T.55 trainers, the original 1960s Magic Carpet and Magic Palm agreement led on to the huge Al Yamamah BAE Systems Hawk and Tornado contracts and Al Salam Typhoon sales.
HOT, WET AND WINDY
Phil remembers the early days of desert Lightnings: “Airwork people were already running training flights on the T-33s and F-86F
Sabres, overseen by Pakistani warrant officers, but the Lightning Conversion Unit [LCU] was just getting started. There were only about a hundred of us, the chief engineer was Mr McKenna and his deputy Jimmy Hamer, the latter a real character and both very pleasant guys. “I was on the LCU flight line as the Lightnings started to arrive, brand spanking new. Tony Winship and Bernie Ibison were the qualified flying instructors, Tony overseeing the flying in consultation with the RSAF, and together they began to train up Saudi pilots, most of whom were either high-ranking officers or members of the royal family. “Initially the emphasis was on flying training – missiles and guns weren’t carried. Serviceability wasn’t good to begin with as spares were only gradually being built up.
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ABOVE
Armourers loading SNEB rockets into a Lightning’s retractable pack doors at Dhahran, 1969. COLIN COVE RIGHT
RSAF F.53 ‘201’ of 2 Squadron firing 2in rockets from Matra pods. HEDLEY MOLLAND
“I lived with a group of ex-pats in a villa in Al Khobar, the nearest little town. We got on well with the Saudi people, so long as you obeyed their rules it was fine; those who didn’t, such as being caught with drink, were kicked out very quickly. “Working on the flight line was pretty gruelling; we started at 6 or 7am and would often still be there at 5pm. By 9am in mid-summer, temperatures would be over 100°F and in the early days this caused real problems. Avpin [starter fuel] would evaporate before it got as far as the engine. Starts at midday were hit and miss, we had to fit thermal blankets along the spine and open the canopies to stop cockpit components melting. Air conditioning units were plugged in to keep the aircraft cool. “Dhahran also suffered badly from the effects of monsoon rain in summer where you would be
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CO LD WAR E E LI G HTN I N G
TOP
A line of F.53s of the LCU and 2 Squadron at Riyadh in May 1970 prior to performing a flypast in honour of King Faisal’s birthday.
ABOVE
Phil Isaac dressed for the Dhahran climate next to a Saudi F.53 with a rocket pack fitted in place of guided missiles. RIGHT
ABOVE
F.53s 211 and 207 of 2 Squadron RSAF.
An arrow formation of eight Saudi Lightnings to celebrate King Faisal’s birthday.
HEDLEY MOLLAND
RIGHT
Lightning F.53s on the flight line at Dhahran with a T.55 in the foreground. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
soaking wet within two or three minutes. Lightning electrical systems didn’t like that, so we often had to tow them into the hangar and dry them off. Frequently the wind would blow up a sandstorm
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and I’ve seen a Lightning blown right round, so we always parked them well apart from each other.”
POTENT RESPONSE
For some years South Yemen had laid claim to Asir Province in south-west Saudi Arabia.
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F.53 53-695 of 13 Squadron releasing a 1,000lb bomb. HEDLEY MOLLAND
In November 1969 South Yemen’s military attacked the Saudi frontier post at El Wadieh. Similar attacks by the Yemenis a few years earlier, supported by Egyptians, had sparked the initial Magic Carpet contract that resulted in Lightning F.52s and Hunter F.60s being based at Khamis Mushayt, only 80 miles from the border, to deter further incursions. The Saudi response this time was more potent. Between December 3 and 15 a dozen Lightning F.53s in ground attack or reconnaissance
fit departed Dhahran for Khamis, via Riyadh. This left Dhahran with only T.55 trainers, a handful of single-seaters and a small servicing team. Phil recalls problems with the gunpack, which was mounted in the forward part of the ventral fuel tank. “Mounting ADEN guns upside down caused lots of problems. They kept jamming and for a time BAC people were streaming out from Warton to help fix the problem. New ammunition links were introduced which
helped solve the problem, together with extra servicing to keep the guns really clean, always difficult as sandstorms frequently blew up and the sand got everywhere. “At Khamis we armed the aircraft up and I’m probably one of the few people who saw the Lightnings fly out fully armed and come back with guns fired and 1,000lb bombs missing from the pylons.” A Yemeni military column was stopped and largely destroyed by successive waves of F.53s using bombs and SNEB rockets, the latter proving to be highly accurate and effective weapons. In February 1970 F.53 53-697 experienced a fire warning and crashed onto the high plateau upon which Khamis is located, but on the Yemeni side of the border. The pilot ejected safely and both he and the wreckage were quickly spirited away back to Saudi territory in an RSAF Hercules; a neat hole was found in one of the Lightning’s jet pipes, presumably from a Yemeni bullet.
DESERT LIFE
“Khamis was one of the best postings I’ve been on, seeing the Lightnings in action was quite something and there was a great
"AT KHAMIS WE ARMED THE AIRCRAFT UP AND I'M PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO SAW THE LIGHTNINGS FLY OUT FULLY ARMED AND COME BACK WITH GUNS FIRED AND 1,000LB BOMBS MISSING FROM THE PYLONS"”
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ABOVE
A fine study of 13 Squadron T.55 1316. HEDLEY MOLLAND
RIGHT
Puffs of cordite appearing behind 13 Squadron Lightning 53-699 as it fires its 30mm ADEN belly cannon on the desert range. HEDLEY MOLLAND BELOW RIGHT
No.2 Squadron at Tabuk was the last RSAF unit to operate the Lightning. F.53 53-699 was carrying the 2 Squadron serial 227 but also still wearing the 13 Squadron badge of its previous unit. HEDLEY MOLLAND
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atmosphere. Accommodation was basic and it got cold at night but we were well looked after by Pakistani contractors in the Mess who did superb curries! “Days off were great, the scenery was beautiful up in the mountains and the climate was much drier than Dhahran. The hill tribesmen led a very different way of life among lovely old mud forts and houses. On Fridays we’d take a wagon and head off down into the Rift Valley, it was all off-road but you could drive all the way down to the Red Sea at Jazan. “When things ‘cooled down’ with the Yemenis we returned to Dhahran, by that time the contract was really swinging, lots of people had arrived. However we’d left two aircraft at Khamis, so a small party of us were flown back to fix them. Airwork then requested we return to Dhahran by road, taking with us a Bedford truck, two Land Rovers and a four-wheel drive ‘Chevy’ pick-up truck with power winch fore and aft. “The first part of the journey was a nightmare as there were
"WE'D CAMP OUT AT NIGHT WITH NOT A SOUL IN SIGHT, LIGHT THE FIRE AND WITHIN AN HOUR THE BEDOU WOULD APPEAR AND SIT WITH US, SHARE OUR MEAL, AND IN THE MORNING THEY'D BE GONE. WONDERFUL!"
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Lightning F.53 53-672 taxying out at Riyadh for King Faisal’s birthday flypast.
ROAD TO SAUDI Phil Isaac joined the RAF at 18 in 1959 and was trained as an armourer at 12 School of Technical Training at Melksham, Wilts. His first posting was to Wittering on Valiant V-bombers, followed by Wildenrath, West Germany, on Canberras in 1960. In 1964 he was introduced to the Lightning at Wattisham, with 111 Squadron. He left the RAF in April 1969 and joined Magic Palm in Saudi Arabia. (The March 2014 FlyPast covered Phil’s RAF career in detail.)
no sealed roads. We drove where our one-eyed Saudi guide told us, but even so we’d have to keep dragging the Bedford out of the sand and we wrote off the two Land Rovers.
“Looking back, it was a fantastic trip. We’d camp out at night with not a soul in sight, light the fire and within an hour the Bedou would appear and sit with us, share our
meal, and in the morning they’d be gone. Wonderful! “While the Dhahran runway was extended we deployed to Riyadh, the capital, and put up a large Lightning formation for King Faisal’s birthday, which was a great sight. Then it was back to Dhahran, where I completed my contract, returning to the UK at Christmas, 1971. “It was quite an experience in Saudi, I enjoyed my time very much indeed. I then had a total change of career and spent the next 30 years as a junior school teacher!”
Phil Isaac atop the crew ladder of an F.53 at Dhahran. ALL IMAGES PHIL ISAAC UNLESS NOTED
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CO LD WAR U S BO M B E RS I N PRO FI LE
BOEING B-47E STRATOJET Boeing B-47E Stratojet 53-2276 of the 303rd Bombardment Wing (BW), based at Greenham Common and Fairford in 1954, then at Andersen AFB in Guam in 1956 and again in 1958. Number built (all variants): 2,032 Range: 4,647 miles (7,478km)
Weapon load: 25,000lb (11,000kg) Max speed: 607mph (977km/h)
CONVAIR B- 36D PEACEMAKER Convair B-36D Peacemaker 49-2092 of the 348th Bombardment Squadron (BS), 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (SRW), based at Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB), Washington, circa 1953. Number built (all variants): 384 Range: 10,000 miles (16,000km)
Weapon load: 86,000lb (39,000kg) Max speed: 418mph (672km/h)
BOEING B- 50A SUPERFORTRESS Boeing B-50A Superfortress 46-0010 Lucky Lady II flew around the world non-stop between February 26 and March 2, 1949. The forward fuselage is now at Planes of Fame in Chino, California. Number built (all variants): 370 Range: 7,750 miles (12,472km)
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Weapon load: 28,000lb (12,700kg) Max speed: 394mph (634km/h)
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CONVAIR B- 58A HUSTLER Convair B-58A Hustler 58-1007 Super Sue of the 6592nd Test Squadron (TS), based at Carswell AFB in Texas, 1960. Number built (all variants): 116 Range: 4,700 miles (7,600km)
Weapon load: 19,450lb (8,820kg) Max speed: 1,319mph (2,123km/h)
FIGHTING
COLOURS PETE WEST PROFILES FIVE US BOMBER TYPES THAT SERVED DURING THE COLD WAR
BOEING B- 52D STRATOFORTRESS Boeing B-52D Stratofortress 55-0677 flew with the USAF’s 43rd BW, and was based at Andersen AFB in Guam in 1972. Number built (all variants): 2,032 Range: 4,647 miles (12.077km)
Weapon load: 60,000lb (27,216kg) Max speed: 634mph (1,020km/h)
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PHANTOMS
OF THE RUHR
IAN BLACK REMEMBERS HIS DAYS ‘FLYING THE LINE’ IN THE HIGHLY CAPABLE PHANTOM FGR.2
ABOVE
NUCLEAR OPTION
The Cold War was very much a day time affair, and low level air defence squadrons avoided flying at night as much as possible – this was before the introduction of night vision goggles. RIGHT
A fully armed FGR.2 sits inside its ‘Battle Flight’ shelter – the author on the left and Flt Lt Ed Smith on the right. Each shelter held enough spare tanks and missiles to sustain an FGR.2 for several days in war – the air and ground crews would have lived alongside their aircraft if war had broken out. FAR RIGHT
The ‘sharp end’ of a camouflage RAF Germany FGR.2 from 19 Squadron. ALL PHOTOS: IAN BLACK
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N
uclear bombers, strike attack aircraft, specialist reconnaissance squadrons, support helicopters and a low-level air defence force – this was the fearsome arsenal available to the RAF in West Germany in 1982. During the early years of the decade, the ‘Cold War’ had reached its zenith and the ability to respond to a threat with speed was vital.
Armed to the teeth, two squadrons of superlative McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2s epitomized the ultimate Cold War fighter. Around 24 examples of these warriors were tasked with the low-level interception role, to protect the so-called ‘Clutch Airfields’ – Brüggen, Laarbruch and Wildenrath close to the Dutch/ Belgian border. Small in number and of advancing years they may have been, but without question they were an elite force.
Wind the clock back a decade and RAF Germany was undergoing a re-equipment programme on a scale never before seen. Subsonic Canberras were being replaced by the first true multi-role combat aircraft the RAF possessed – the Phantom. Initially the Brüggen Wing comprised the famous RAF ‘number plates’: 14, 17, and 31 Squadrons flying in the strike role, by day and night. At Laarbruch solitary 2 Squadron carried out tactical reconnaissance. Brüggen’s formidable force possessed the nuclear option. Cloaked in secrecy, Phantoms armed with a single live ‘nuke’ sat in a heavily-guarded part of the airfield surrounded by barbed wire and watched over around-the-clock by armed military personnel. Whilst the RAF Germany Phantom force had honed its skills in low-level strike and achieved a high level of excellence rarely seen in peacetime, its tenure was
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short-lived. It had been decided to replace the brilliant Phantom in the ground attack role with the RAF’s latest acquisition, the diminutive Anglo-French Jaguar. In just about every respect the Jaguar was outclassed by the Phantom, but a chain of events had been set in motion and the American type was relegated to air defence duties. The plan to re-equip most of RAF Germany over a few years while converting four airfields to fully ‘hardened’ status was ambitious to say the least. At Gütersloh, midway between Essen and Hanover, Lightning interceptors were to be replaced by two units of Harrier GR.3s. The rationale was that the Harriers, previously based at Wildenrath, were best sited as
close to the border as possible should a conflict start. The air defence force would move back to Wildenrath. Four squadrons of Jaguars would be stationed at Brüggen. A pair of Buccaneer units would be based at Laarbruch, alongside a single Jaguar recce unit.
adaptability of the Phantom that as the strike units disbanded they simply handed their aircraft to the new air defence squadrons at Wildenrath. Just a quick change of heraldry and bombers
QUICK-CHANGE PHANTOMS When the changeover began, such was the
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CO LD WAR M c DO N N E LL DO U G LAS PHANTO M The newly painted XV472 recovers to its home base in northern Germany after a winter sortie.
ABOVE
XV497 was for many years ‘A’ of 19 Squadron and wore the Wing Commander’s pennant. Today she is preserved at the RAF Bentwaters Cold War Museum. RIGHT
RAFG-based Phantom XV411 of 19 Squadron configured for landing. The skull and cross bones ‘zap’ is from a recent visit by 100 Squadron Canberras. BELOW
FGR.2 XV480, prior to the fitting of the checked RWR fin, recovers after a low level mission.
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became fighters overnight – in what must have been a ‘first’ for the RAF. Across the fleet, fin tip-mounted radar warning receivers (RWRs) were installed in a rolling programme. First to re-equip – from mid1976 – was 19 Squadron which had previously flown Lightning F.2As. Good though the Lightning was, the Phantom was so much more capable. The obvious advantage was weapon capability, eight missiles and an under-fuselage 20mm Gatling-type gun. The Phantom’s missiles initially comprised a quartet of radar-guided Sparrows semi-recessed in the belly and four heat-seeking Sidewinders on the pylons. Later, Sky Flash missiles replaced the Sparrows, and all-aspect AIM-9L Sidewinders were adopted. (The Lightning toted two missiles and could carry a pair of 30mm cannon in the underfuselage fairing.)
Crucially, the Phantom’s weapon system was guided by the finest all-weather radar in the world at the time. The Westinghouse AWG 11/12 was the envy of all of NATO and, presumably, Warsaw Pact forces. Perhaps more by luck than judgment the RAF had inherited a fighter-
bomber that was suited perfectly to low-level overland air defence.
BATTLE FLIGHT CLIENTS
In peacetime, RAF Germany had two fully-armed Phantoms on ‘Battle Flight’ 365 days a year, day and night at Wildenrath. Such was
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"IN PEACETIME, RAF GERMANY HAD TWO FULLY-ARMED PHANTOMS ON ‘BATTLE FLIGHT’ 365 DAYS A YEAR, DAY AND NIGHT AT WILDENRATH. SUCH WAS THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE TASK THAT THE BASE PRETTY MUCH EXISTED TO MAINTAIN TWO AIRCRAFT ON 5-MINUTE READINESS" the seriousness of the task that the base pretty much existed to maintain two aircraft on 5-minute readiness. This meant 24/7 air traffic, fire-rescue cover and a myriad of support facilities, all of which had to be guarded. Battle Flight’s principal mission was to intercept and identify any aircraft that either crossed the border or began to stray towards it, in what was known as the ‘Buffer Zone’. This required very precise navigation skills due to the sensitivity of straying across into East Germany. Normally ‘live’ scrambles were carried out on civilian aircraft that
had got lost and strayed too far east. On rare occasions military types were intercepted or very sporadically Warsaw Pact hardware that came too close or patrolled the border on intelligence-gathering missions. Either way there was normally a man in a gabardine coat with a stopwatch outside the wire watching our every move. Fiveminute alert was a hard act to maintain and was the envy of other NATO forces. If tensions grew, Battle Flight would have been stood down and all available aircraft would be placed on fully-armed alert. The ‘Fighter Town’ - RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, in 1982. For pretty much 365 days of the year the RAF had a fighter squadron in Akrotiri undergoing air combat training. Illustrated is a pair of 19 Squadron FGR.2s preparing to do battle against a flight of Binbrook based Lightnings.
assumed threat would have been waves of MiG-27 Flogger-D ground attack aircraft trying to neutralize NATO bases in the central region. It was hoped that initially conventional weapons would be used, but the risk was that things could have escalated at an alarming rate – the nuclear threat was taken very seriously.
WAR GAMES
Let’s take a look at life on the line in 1983. It’s 07:45 and we have been sat in our hardened shelter for nearly an hour on ‘cockpit’ alert. Our day started at 06:00 as we were collected from our accommodation to start the second day of Exercise Maxeval, just one of the many ‘games’ in preparation for war. With a ‘Click, click, click’, the monotonous hum of the telebrief faintly crackles into our headsets. This is a thin cable plugged into our Phantom providing a secure link with Base Operations and in turn sector control. No week went by without some sort of attempt to keep us on edge. Our chemical warfare suits and S6 gas masks were constant though unfriendly companions. No matter where we are, we are only a phone call away from being recalled to base. A call-out is the lowest level of alert, simply seeing how long it takes to get us all in
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CO LD WAR M c DO N N E LL DO U G LAS PHANTO M
RIGHT
A ‘clean’ FGR.2 gets airborne from Wildenrath on an air combat training mission – note the lack of tanks. BELOW
Many of the air defence FGR.2s has seen previous lives as air-to-ground Phantoms – this example serving as a fighter bomber with 54 Squadron.
secretive store where live weapons are kept. Small armed convoys arrive bristling with munitions – yellow bands showing live ordnance. Paradoxically, as air defenders, we don’t fly with live weapons in peacetime as a general rule except when part of the Battle Flight. The one exception was during an exercise that went badly wrong, when our sister squadron managed to shoot down a friendly Jaguar. The Phantom crewmember believed his switches had been made safe – a costly lesson. [This was August 25, 1982, RIGHT
FGR.2 XV400 departing RAF Decimomannu in Sardinia, for an air combat training sortie mission against USAFE F-15 Eagles. The Phantom is devoid of wing tanks but is carrying an ACMI (air combat manoeuvring and Instrumentation) range pod on the AIM-9 Sidewinder station.
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to work, any time of day or night. Those who live on base are greeted at odd hours by the banshee wail of a wartime klaxon. Nobody knows if this call to arms is for real, or another exercise. Then there are generation exercises: at any time the klaxon sounds and the stopwatch starts. We must have 70% of our airframes fully armed and serviceable in a short time. Flying stops and the engineers work miracles, calling up ‘Missile City’, the
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Flt Lt Steve Griggs of 14 Squadron successfully ejected from stricken GR.1 XX963 – ED.]
SPACEMEN
Maxeval is a precursor to Taceval where the entire base will be put to the test – NATO observers watching and recording our every move. After morning ‘Met’ brief, my pilot and I walked to our aircraft along with the other crews ‘on state’. We dress together in a hardened facility known as the PBF – Pilot Briefing Facility, which is tough enough to withstand a direct hit from a 1,000-pounder, or so they say, and is home for the next 48 hours. As we are in Germany we don’t wear the cumbersome immersion suits, like our UK counterparts, just a flying overall, a cold weather jacket, a Mae West and Speed Jeans (the G-suit). Fortuitously absent today is any evidence of us donning NBC gear – Nuclear, Chemical, Biological. The suits, known as AR5 gear, make us look like spacemen and are possibly the most uncomfortable piece of kit ever designed for fighter crews. Sealed in a rubber hood and under our flight suits we are wrapped in charcoal overalls, along with rubber
over-boots and gloves. As a token gesture today we fly with our S6 gas masks in the cockpit – in case we divert to another base. The only other non-standard item in the cockpit is a small brown ‘doggy bag’ grabbed in haste as we briefed. This is made with love and care by the station catering section and a peek inside would probably render the thought of a nuclear attack more pleasurable. It never changes – Mars bar, apple, compressed meat sandwich and a carton of juice. Its contents are disposed of save for the Mars bar. As a ‘back-seater’ I sign out a small scrap of paper that’s festooned with numbers in an enigma-style code: 478-356.99 – 563-267.9. This is a TAD card – Tactical Air Directive – and is marked in bold red letters NATO SECRET. If I lose the TAD card I’m in serious trouble, for every code is the frequency on which to contact our ground operations and this would make juicy reading for any Soviet spy.
CHAIN OF EVENTS
“Mike Lima 53 (which is us) and Mike Lima 55 (our wingman), this is Backwash – Scramble! Scramble! Scramble!” Vector 040, Angels
50 contact Backwash TAD 453, acknowledge.” There had been no prior warning; ’53 and ’55 acknowledge the call. Now a chain of events is set in motion that can’t be stopped. My pilot slaps the side of the fuselage, getting the groundcrew’s attention and waving his finger in the air – a gesture to start the first engine. The groundcrew race round like Formula 1 pit mechanics – each performing a vital task. The heavy metal clamshell doors swing open – our first glimpse of daylight. The Met man has it right – gloom in abundance. As my front-seater starts the RollsRoyce Speys, I click my Inertial Navigation System (INS) into ‘align’ mode – 105 seconds is all it takes to be serviceable. I ensure we have internal power and start to warm up the radar. Groundcrew scurry about checking that we don’t have a starter fire, removing ‘Noddy caps’ – the protective hoods on the delicate Sidewinder seeker heads – and doing up panels. Today we are not live armed and we have already checked all the control surfaces. My pilot is waiting for me to click the INS into gear and
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CO LD WAR M c DO N N E LL DO U G LAS PHANTO M XV496 arriving at RAF Gütersloh to mount ‘Battle Flight’. It’s armed with AIM-7 Sparrows and AIM-9G Sidewinders – the smaller fins on the sidewinders are the giveaway they are not all aspect AIM-9Ls.
"ONCE AIRBORNE WE EASE OUT INTO BATTLE FORMATION - EVERY MISSION IS TREATED AS REALISTICALLY AS POSSIBLE - AND PROFESSIONAL PRIDE DICTATES WE DON’T GET ‘BOUNCED’ BY ANY OTHER FIGHTERS, OR WORSE, BOMBERS"
ABOVE
Groundcrew working on 19 Squadron’s XV401. The fin had recently been painted black after a series of low level mid-air collisions, in an effort to make the aircraft more conspicuous. The two red oil drums under the wings are to collect fuel venting from the wings. RIGHT
Grey and camouflaged F-4s en route to Decimomannu range. The UK maintained a presence at the Italian Air Base in Sardinia for many years and it was used by all RAFG squadrons for weapons training.
we can go – he relies on it for attitude information. With no words spoken he waves away the chocks, applies power and engages nosewheel steering. We ease forward, dab the brakes to check they work and emerge from our concrete tomb. It’s a short taxi to the runway threshold and we can see our playmate ahead. We silently change to tower frequency as we approach the threshold and a green light from the runway caravan tells us we are clear to go. For the past year we have been developing silent procedures – avoiding any talk on the radio and now we are testing the system. The RAF air defence force honed such tactics and all NATO nations have adopted them – with so many different nationalities and types a common operating policy is vital.
DOWN LOW
We line up, check our wings are spread and locked, and start our take-off roll. The Phantom is a heavy beast and it seems to take forever to unstick. Once airborne we ease
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out into battle formation – every mission is treated as realistically as possible – and professional pride dictates we don’t get bounced by any other fighters, or worse, bombers. As we head north, our track takes us over the top of Joint Headquarters RAF Germany – a big white, imposing building festooned with windows and corridors. Out of respect we ease the height down and accelerate – the morning alarm call must be deafening! Having been operational for nearly 18 months I know the area well and I pay scant reference to my low-level map. My INS churns its cogs and gives me a latitude and longitude should I really need it.
We have a Tacan (Tactical Air Navigation) on board that will give us a range and bearing to any beacon, but it’s more useful when used between two fighters. It gives the front-seaters an accurate range between us – 2 miles (3.2km) in this case. Our weather limits are that we need a minimum visibility of 5km – which is pretty much what crews are faced with every day. Entering the low-flying area we drop down to 250ft and 420kt. The front-seater scans the horizon and keeps an eye on the other Phantom. The back-seater also keeps his head moving, looking for aircraft that may or may not be a threat. ‘Heads in’, the radar is de-clutched and hoisted
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A fully armed FGR.2 on patrol.
up to almost lap height. Today is an exercise so any simulated ‘kills’ we make must be recorded on black and white cine film. If we were at war the mission would be complex beyond words. Our role is to fit in with the other NATO forces in a game plan that is both highly classified and convoluted. As air defenders we have to work with the ground attack forces ensuring we don’t get in their way and above all that we don’t accidently shoot them down.
HUNTING IN PACKS
The entire north German region is a matrix of Hawk and Nike surfaceto-air missiles (SAMs) as well as US Patriot missiles. Our bases are protected by Bloodhound SAMs. In the early 1980s the only way we could differentiate good guy from bad guy was either using our IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) – a code that constantly changed – or visually. In order to ease the situation we try to fly pre-planned routes that give the SAM belts an idea that we may be friendly. As crews we study thick red In peacetime RAF crews were limited to a minimum operating height of 250 feet above ground but certain low level attack squadrons were specially cleared to 100ft in designated areas. In war, the FGR.2s would have flown at around 50ft.
classified documents known as Supplan Mike and Supplan Delta. The whole of West Germany is covered by a complex arterial route structure designed to minimize ‘blue-on-blue’ conflicts. If it came to a shooting match our job in the Phantom would be incredibly difficult and dangerous: trying to intercept targets, while attempting to guess if the target was on a friendly track or not. Had the Cold War not ended so abruptly then the Phantom’s replacement, the Tornado F.3, would have been, without question, brilliant. Its staggering low-level performance and the ability to multi-track targets would have made it world class. But today we are back in the ‘steam-driven’ Phantom. We hunt in packs for mutual support – twos or preferably fours. We set up a race-track CAP (Combat Air Patrol), always looking for targets.
FRIEND OR FOE
Once we detect our prey the antiquity of the Phantom and the shortcomings of the war plan
start to show. In order to shoot the target beyond visual range, using the radar-guided Sparrow or Sky Flash we need to be 100% sure the target is hostile. At low level the earliest we can identify a target visually headon will be less than 5 miles. In order to shoot we must stay locked on the target until missile impact; this denies us situational awareness as the radar won’t see other contacts. Although the target may be displaying all the actions of a hostile bomber it might be a friendly returning with battle damage, and lost. The safest way is to visually confirm it’s hostile. Our RWR might tell us its being looked at by a Soviet radar but it’s unlikely we will see fighters such as the MiG-23 Flogger or definitely not MiG-29 Fulcrums this far over the border. Add to this the ground attack MiG-27 Flogger bears a striking resemblance to the Jaguar head-on. It’s an understatement to say that the opening days of war would have been carnage. History is unable to show us if the tactics that were evolving would have worked. On reflection the RAF Germany Phantom force was the best we had at the time, but small agile aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon proved that in the low-level combat role agility was king. Nevertheless the RAF FGR.2 will go down as being one of the most capable multi-role fighters ever to have served in the RAF.
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CO LD WAR HAWKE R H U NTE R
SYDNEY'S ABOVE
The Papyrus Hunter with Ueli Leutert at the controls in the mountains around the Upper Simmental valley near St Stephan’s airfield, en route to the Payerne show in September 2014. RIGHT
Hunter J-4086, flown by Paul Ruppeiner, chief pilot of the Swiss Hunter Team, during the transit to the Payerne event.
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SWANSONG S
ydney Camm had a family of proven fighters behind him when Neville Duke lined up on the runway at Boscombe Down on July 20, 1951 in the Hawker Aircraft chief designer’s latest creation. Camm’s pedigree included Fury and Demon biplanes and then an impressive run of monoplane thoroughbreds: Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest and Sea Fury. Sydney and his team
at the Kingston-on-Thames design office morphed almost effortlessly into the jet age with the Sea Hawk. In the summer of 1951, Neville Duke test flew Hawker P.1067 WB188, the first of nearly 2,000 Hunters. Knighted in 1953 for his services to aviation, Sydney did not rest on his laurels. He retired as chief designer for Hawker in 1960, but still had a hand in the ‘jump jet’ P.1127 destined to become the Harrier. Over six decades after the maiden flight of the prototype, Hunters are
still cherished by a small number of operators across the world, each determined to keep the classic flying. Europe is well blessed for airworthy Hunters with Switzerland and the UK leading the way.
SWISS WARBIRDS
Renowned for getting the most out of its aircraft, the Flugwaffe Swiss Air Force - only retired the last of its large fleet of Hunters on December 16, 1994. The Hunter was chosen to replace equally hard-
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RICHARD PAVER CAPTURES SOME OF EUROPE'S AIRWORTHY HUNTERS working DH Vampires and the first of the swept-wing beauties arrived in Switzerland in 1958 - see the panel on page 62 for more. In August-September 2014, a two-weekend airshow was staged at Payerne to celebrate the centenary of the Swiss Air Force. An estimated 400,000 people were reported to have witnessed the event. Among the many aircraft attending were two former Flugwaffe Hunters, both referred to by their colour schemes: ‘Papyrus’
(formerly J-4040, civil registered HB-RVS) and the ‘Patrouille Suisse’ (J-4086, HB-RVU). VictorUniform carries the colours of the air force aerobatic team which flew the type for 30 years from 1964 while Victor-Sierra wears an unforgettable wrap-around newspaper ensemble. Both are part of the Swiss Hunter Team created in 1994 that currently comprises five airworthy examples based at St Gallen-Altenrhein, as part of the resident Fliegermuseum,
and also at St Stephan. ‘Papyrus’ is flown by Hunter Verein Obersimmental from St Stephan, where it was last operational as the personal mount of Fliegerstaffel 15 (15 Squadron) ‘boss’ Ueli Leutert. The badge of Fliegerstaffel 15 is a classic folded paper dart, hence the inspiration for the unique colour scheme. As the unit neared disbandment, Leutert and his colleagues came up with a celebratory colour scheme like no other. The
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CO LD WAR HAWKE R H U NTE R
36-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR
ABOVE
Jonathon Whaley’s highly colourful Mk.58A, G-PSST ‘Miss Demeanour’. TOP RIGHT
The Canfield Hunter’s camouflaged T.7 WV372 in formation with the Hunter Flight Academy’s all black two-seater T.7A WV318. RIGHT
Gareth Walker piloting XL577 from Kemble to Yeovilton for the RNAS Air Display in July 2014.
Switzerland began the task of replacing its venerable DH Vampires in 1957. It opted for the Hawker, despite the home-grown FFA P-16 being in the running. The first dozen Hunters (J-4001 to -4102) were former RAF F.6s delivered in April 1958, followed by 88 newly built F.58s (J-4013 to -4100) during 1959-1960. An order was placed in 1970 for 30 more (J-4101 to -4130), which were delivered between 1971 and 1973. With the production line closed, the consignment was made up from refurbished RAF F.4s and F.6s, Fleet Air Arm GA.11s and some former Dutch examples, all to F.58A standard. Finally, an additional 22 F.58As (J-4131 to -4152) and eight two-seat T.68s (J-4201 to -4208) were created from surplus RAF and Swedish airframes and handed over in 1974 and 1975. The Flugwaffe loved the Hunter and with such a large fleet it was able to keep it in frontline service until December 1994. During its 36-year service life the type was regularly updated with modern avionics and weapons systems. In 1994 the Swiss Hunter fleet was withdrawn and over half the survivors scrapped. Amazingly, no less than 73 Swiss Hunters were set aside for preservation and many went to warbird operators, museums and preservation groups all over the world.
overall gloss white was the easy bit. Then a typeface was chosen and the aircraft bedecked with the name of the unit - Fliegerstaffel 15 - its pilots, ground crew and others. It was given a ‘fixed’ serial number, J-4015, the last two digits denoting its squadron. (The real J-4015 survives, preserved at Mollis airfield, near the Austrian border.) Built as an Mk.58, J-4040 was first flown at Dunsfold in April 1959 and delivered to the Flugwaffe on May 29. It was retired on November 26, 1993 and, after two year’s storage, was acquired by its present owners and took off for the first time in civilian guise in August 2000.
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The second Swiss Mk.58 at Payerne, ‘Patrouille Suisse’ J-4086 (HB-RVU) was retired in December 1994. It was first flown by Bill Bedford - the man who test piloted the P.1127 - on November 24, 1959 from Dunsfold and delivered to the Swiss Air Force on January 27, 1960. After retirement, it was put into store at Emmen. J-4086 was acquired in 1995 by a consortium of pilots of what was then Crossair, and kept in the airline’s hangar at Basle-Mulhouse until restoration work could start in 1998. Stefan Weber carried out the first air test on November 15, 1999 as HB-RVU and it made its public debut the following year.
IT'S NOT A CRIME
Perhaps the most well-known airworthy Hunter is Jonathon Whaley’s Mk.58A G-PSST Miss Demeanour, which at the time of writing was for sale. Jonathon had operated Sierra-Tango on the European show circuit since 1999. Miss Demeanour was manufactured for the RAF by Hawker at Squires Gate, Blackpool, as F.4 XF947. It served initially with 3 Squadron at Geilenkirchen in West Germany and later with 229 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at Chivenor. By early 1963 it had been retired and was used by the Royal Navy as an instructional airframe at HMS Condor, Arbroath in Scotland, with the serial number A2568. Bought by Hawker Siddeley in 1970 it was refurbished and brought up to F.58A standard and delivered to Switzerland, entering service on March 23, 1973. Still in service at the final drawdown in 1994, it was flown to Bournemouth’s Hurn airport in early 1997. Former Fleet Air Arm fast jet pilot Jonathan took a leaf from the registration on the first UK-built Concorde G-BSST, now on show at Yeovilton. He registered his Hunter as G-PSST, standing for Great
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“"...FOR MANY YEARS WV318 WAS BASED AT KEMBLE AND HAS WORN THE FAMOUS SCHEME OF 111 SQUADRON’S AEROBATIC TEAM, THE ‘BLACK ARROWS’ SINCE 1991"”
[Britain’s] Private Super Sonic Transport! With the help of his family, Jonathon designed its unique colour scheme which represents the NASA Space Shuttle’s re-entry to the atmosphere and this was applied before G-PSST’s public debut in 1999. Jonathan supplies commentary notes for his airshow routine that explain the fighter’s name: “It’s not a crime to paint an aircraft this way, just a Miss Demeanour!” For a number of years the Hunter was flown by Jonathon from Kemble, but it is now based at St Athan in South Wales. The incredible colour scheme together with Jonathon’s stunning display sequence, have proved hugely popular at airshows and what the future holds for G-PSST remains to be seen.
TWO-SEATERS
Colin Boyd’s Hunter Flight Academy flies two-seater T.7A WV318 (G-FFOX) from Cranfield. The former ‘flagship’ of Delta Jets, for many years it was based at Kemble and has worn the famous scheme of 111 Squadron’s aerobatic team, the ‘Black Arrows’, since 1991. Built as an F.4 it was delivered
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CO LD WAR HAWKE R H U NTE R
ABOVE
The MidAir Squadron team over the Solent off the Isle of Wight in September 2014. (Left to right) Hunter T.7 XL577, Canberra PR.9 XH134 and Hunter T.7 XL573.
ESSENTIAL READING During the compilation of this feature, copious reference was made to Hawker Hunter - Fifty Golden Years, Ray Deacon’s superb salute to airworthy Hunters worldwide. Long out-of-print, it is essential reading for Hunter ‘buffs’ - it’s well worth keeping an eye out for.
ALL PHOTOS: RICHARD PAVER
to the RAF on June 16, 1955 and served with 14 and 93 Squadrons. In 1958, it was returned to Hawker for major surgery to turn it from a single-seater into a T.7. In its new format it was initially operated by 111 Squadron, before going on to provide conversion training for EE Lightning and HS Buccaneer frontline squadrons. It ended its RAF days with 237 OCU helping to train Buccaneer aircrew at Lossiemouth. The OCU wound down and 208 Squadron at ‘Lossie’ formed the Buccaneer Training Flight for the same purpose. It was one of the last Hunters to bow out of the RAF in March 1994. The other active T.7 is WV372 (G-BXFI), also originally built as an F.4 and delivered for service on September 2, 1955. After conversion to T.7 status in 1958 it was issued to 2 Squadron at Jever in West Germany. The aircraft
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wears the black bar and white triangles of ‘Shiny 2’ again today. Fox-India was registered in August 2012 to Canfield Hunter - after a village in Essex. It is based not that far away at North Weald.
LIFE IN MID AIR
Mike Davis, who runs MidAir Squadron at Kemble, made a big impact on UK airshows in 2014 with the introduction of Hunter T.7 XL577 (G-XMHD). Built from scratch as a two-seater, XL577 first flew at Dunsfold on April 30, 1958 and was issued later in the year to 229 OCU at Chivenor. The trainer stayed with 229 when the unit moved to Brawdy, Wales, in September 1974 and was renamed the Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU). By 1979 XL577 was with 237 OCU and then 2 TWU, both at Lossiemouth, for its final phase of operations and was retired to the RAF College at Cranwell in March 1981, becoming instructional airframe 8676M.
Declared surplus in 1996 it was sold to Delta Jets and roaded to Kemble. Completely restored, XL577 was flown again on September 20, 2004 with the registration G-BXKF. The trainer wore the striking dark blue colour scheme with white ‘lightning’ flash of 92 Squadron’s ‘Blue Diamonds’ display team. Unflown since 2009, Mike bought Kilo-Fox and re-registered it as G-XMHD in April 2013. The T.7 was placed in the care of specialist maintenance, servicing and restoration business C2 Aviation at Kemble (run by Chris Vaughan and Charlie Kyle). After a complete overhaul and re-paint into MidAir Squadron team colours of all-over silver, it was successfully test flown in March 2014. MidAir also added Hunter T.7 XL573 (G-BVGH) to its fleet and it made is inaugural display at the Northern Ireland Festival of Flight last year. It was in excellent company; the show had all three of MidAir’s jets, the two Hunters and EE Canberra PR.9 XH134 (G-OMHD). Golf-Hotel is a temporary addition and is due to be replaced by T.7 XL600 (G-RAXA), which the C2 team is currently working on. Sydney Camm’s sweptwing world-beater is still working its magic!
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Hawker Hunter F.58 J-4086 (HB-RVU) flying in authentic Swiss Air Force markings. RICHARD PAVER
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf
Fw 200 Condor 20 Pages in detail 70 Origin and history 72 Men Behind the Condor 78 Artwork Danish Fw 200 80 Contemporaries compared 82 In combat Condor at war 88 Warriors
Main picture
Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor SG+KS of I/KG 40. VIA CHRIS GOSS
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Spotlight this month focuses on the machine Winston Churchill once described as ‘the scourge of the Atlantic’, the elegant but deadly Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor. Designed as a civil airliner, the Luftwaffe pressed the type into maritime service when war broke out.
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
Scrutinizes the history of...
The Focke-Wulf
Fw 200 Condor The Fw 200 Condor, produced by Focke-Wulf from 1937 to 1944, is probably best remembered as a maritime patrol aircraft, although its designers never envisaged it as a war machine
T
he four-engined, all-metal Condor was intended to be a long-range airliner, based on an ambitious idea to carry passengers from Germany to the US. At that time, airlines generally used seaplanes to traverse the Atlantic or for any long journeys that involved crossing oceans. Kurt Tank, who led Focke-Wulf ’s design department from 1931 to 1945, approached Dr Rudolf Stuessel of Lufthansa, proposing a new aircraft capable of travelling long distances at an altitude of over 10,000ft. Impressed by this, the airline issued a specification in June 1936, and the Condor was quickly developed by Ludwig Mittelhuber with Wilhelm Bansemir as project director. The first example, the Fw 200 V1 prototype, got airborne on June 27, 1937, barely a year after the venture was instigated, with Kurt Tank at the controls. Initially powered by four licence-built versions of the 875hp (652kW) Pratt & Whitney Hornet radial, it was intended to carry 26 passengers in two cabins, with an anticipated range of around 3,000km (1,860 miles). The US-designed engines
were substituted for 720hp BMW 123G-1 units in subsequent prototypes. Later military versions used significantly more powerful BMW/Bramo 323 nine-cylinder powerplants, each developing 1,200hp. The name Condor was chosen because, like the bird, the FockeWulf had an exceptionally long wingspan. For a short period before the outbreak of World War Two, it was arguably the world’s most sophisticated airliner. Its long wings enabled it to fly higher than other commercial transports, and its sleek, modern appearance won many admirers. The V1 prototype, upgraded with extra fuel capacity and redesignated S-1, became the first airliner to fly non-stop between Berlin and New York in August 1938, completing the return leg in 19 hours and 47 minutes. As well as Lufthansa, Brazilian subsidiary Syndicato Condor and Danish operator DDL flew the type. The arrival of two of the airliners in Denmark was the subject of much fanfare and media attention. Fw 200s were also ordered by Dai Nippon KK of
Japan, but due to the outbreak of war in Europe they could not be delivered, and were instead adopted by Lufthansa. Despite the adaptation of the type for military service, Condors continued to fly with civilian operators throughout World War Two. Lufthansa’s last scheduled Fw 200 service – from Barcelona to Berlin – was completed on April 14, 1945. Denmark continued to fly one of its machines until it was written off in a landing accident in September 1946 (see page 78).
War machine
Its potential for military use was not lost on the Luftwaffe as it developed its strength prior to the start of hostilities. German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop used D-ACVH on his two flights to Moscow in 1939. Later, Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler would adopt the type for personal transportation (see panel on page 71). The military prototype was followed by the Fw 200C for the Luftwaffe, adapted with a ventral gondola bomb bay and defensive armament. Its most effective
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SPOT FACT A Japanese request for maritime patrol aircraft led to the type’s military usage Wings of the FÜhrer Both Adolf Hitler and SS chief Heinrich Himmler used the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 as a personal transport during World War Two. The Führer replaced his Junkers Ju 52 with a modified Fw 200 at the suggestion of Hans Baur, his personal pilot. Designated V3, it carried the markings D-2600 and was named Immelmann III in honour of Great War fighter ace Max Immelmann. It was adapted to accommodate two cabins and had seatback armour plating. It subsequently changed designation to WL+2600 and Inside the cockpit of the Condor used by Himmler. finally 26+00. The V3 was destroyed during a bombing raid on Berlin on July 18, 1944. Himmler’s personal Fw 200 GC+AE was eventually captured by the Allies and given RAF roundels.
use was in maritime patrol and reconnaissance. Equipped with long-range capabilities, it searched for Allied warships and convoys, and within three months of entering service in June 1940 was responsible for sinking more than 90,000 tons of shipping. By February 1941, this figure had risen to 365,000 tons, a success rate that prompted Winston Churchill to describe the Fw 200 as
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the “scourge of the Atlantic”. Despite sub-variants having a range of different armaments, the Condor’s reign of terror had ended by 1942. When faced with enemy fighters launched by escort carriers and catapult aircraft merchant boats (CAM ships – cargo vessels adapted to carry and launch a fighter), the big German aircraft proved exceptionally vulnerable.
Origin & history The first Fw 200 to fall to the guns of a CAM-launched Hawker Hurricane was shot down in August 1941. More were destroyed by Royal Navy Grumman Martlets, flying from a new range of carriers. The USAAF scored its first Condor ‘kill’ when an Fw 200C-3 was brought down by a Curtiss P-40C and a Lockheed P-38F Lightning over Iceland on August 14, 1942. The Fw 200C-6 and C-8 were modified to carry a Henschel Hs 293 guided missile under each wing, but the type was increasingly plagued by structural weakness, not helped by the higher loads it was expected to carry in military service. From 1942, it was used mostly as a transport and played a significant role in flying supplies to German troops besieging Stalingrad. The Junkers Ju 290 replaced it in the reconnaissance role, but as German resistance crumbled in 1945, the Condor – already obsolete – was all but retired except for occasional VIP and civilian flights. The last example of the 276 machines built was completed in early 1944, with a few continuing to fly with airlines until the late 1940s.
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
O
ne of the best known Condor pilots was Bernhard Jope, who had been fascinated by flying from an early age. Born in Leipzig in 1914, he studied aircraft construction at the Danzig Technical Institute while at the same time undertaking civilian pilot training. In 1935 he joined the Luftwaffe, eventually being posted to the Heinkel He 111 unit II Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 253 (II/KG 253) at Nordhausen, where he was the Gruppe’s technical officer. He was promoted to Oberleutnant in June 1938, and the following January flew some 20 missions in the latter stages
Ocean
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SPOT FACT The military prototype was designated V10
Men Behind the Condor
Sentinels Chris Goss highlights three men who commanded the formidable Condor of the Spanish Civil War, for which he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords. Posted to KG 76 in May 1939 as technical officer and instructor, Jope flew operationally in Poland. He briefly joined KG 28 as technical officer to the Geschwader before being sent to the newly formed Condor-equipped I/KG 40 in the summer of 1940. He joined as a pilot within 2/KG 40 and once again carried out the role of Gruppe technical officer.
Without hesitation
Bernhard Jope was awarded the Iron Cross First Class in September 1940, and at the end of the
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following month he carried out his first combat mission as a Condor pilot. He took off from Bordeaux at 04:09 on October 26 for an armed reconnaissance over the Atlantic, and at 10:30 he located a 42,000-ton liner 87 miles (140km) west of the Isle of Aran. This was the Empress of Britain, which was being used as a troop transport. She was Britain’s second largest ship and the tenth biggest merchant vessel in the world. Jope attacked without hesitation, dropping six 250kg bombs, two of which hit the target. The liner was crippled and caught fire. The Condor’s crew heard the SOS message being transmitted by the stricken vessel. Having reported
what he had achieved and with his aircraft damaged by anti-aircraft fire, Jope turned for home. At least 25 merchant seamen had been killed in the attack on the Empress, which was taken under tow but to no avail. Its location had been transmitted to the U-32, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Jenisch, and two days later the U-boat finished the job. (Within 48 hours U-32 was sunk and Jenisch taken prisoner.) The successful attack on the Empress of Britain was a propaganda coup for the Luftwaffe and was widely reported. For his achievements Jope received the Knight’s Cross on December 30, 1940.
Left
Bernhard Jope (left) being greeted by Hptm Edgar Petersen after Jope’s attack on the ‘Empress of Britain’. Below
Hptm Fritz Fliegel’s Fw 200C-3/U2.
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SPOT FACT Fw 200 S-1 flew from Berlin to Tokyo via three stops beginning on November 28, 1938
Above
Jope (right) and Hptm Fritz Fliegel. Right
Jope being interviewed after another successful sortie. Right centre
Bernhard Jope after the award of the Knight’s Cross. Opposite page: Top
Champagne celebrations: Fritz Fliegel is second from right. Bottom
Hptm Fritz Fliegel (centre).
Glide-bombs
Jope flew more successful missions over the Atlantic. On February 1, 1942, he was given command of 3/ KG 40 but in the autumn, after two of his brothers were killed in action, he was posted to the test centre at Rechlin for service trials on the Heinkel He 177. This ‘rest’ didn’t last long, as from May 1943 he led IV/KG 100 in preparation for anti-shipping strikes by Dornier Do 217s carrying remotely controlled glide-bombs. At the end of July 1943, Jope moved to III/KG 100 and, operating
from southern France, carried out glide-bomb missions over the Mediterranean with great success. In September he joined KG 100 as commander, a position he held until August 1944 when he led KG 30 for a short time. At the end of the war he was serving as a staff officer and had been awarded the Oak Leaves for his Knight’s Cross. After the war, Major Jope flew for Lufthansa for many years and died in July 1995.
Lucky shot
Born in Berlin in 1907, Fritz Fliegel qualified as a civilian pilot in
1931. As Germany wasn’t allowed an air force, he elected to join the army and signed up in 1934. In January 1935 he transferred to the Luftwaffe as a Leutnant, becoming an instructor, initially at Celle, Germany, where he taught instrument flying skills. Promoted to Hauptmann on March 1, 1939, he was posted to be a Staffelkapitän in II Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 158 (II/KG 158) (re-designated II/
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Men Behind the Condor KG 77 in May 1939) at WienerNeustadt, Austria. While there Fliegel is believed to have been engaged in combat missions over Poland. Assigned to the Condor-equipped I/KG 40 on May 8, 1940, Fliegel served with 2/KG 40 on missions from Germany and Denmark. With the fall of France the unit moved to Bordeaux and the Atlantic became his hunting ground. He was awarded the Iron Cross First Class in May 1940 and the Knight’s Cross in March 1941, and the following month he was given command of I/KG 40. On February 10, 1941 a German propaganda release mentioned an attack he led on a convoy 310 miles (500km) off the Portuguese coast. This resulted in the sinking of a 24,500-ton freighter and the damage of another four. The release also mentioned that I/KG 40 had either sunk or damaged 85 ships from August 1, 1940. Flieger, along with his crew Leutnant Wolf-Dietrich Kadelke, Oberfeldwebel Johannes Rottke, Gefreiter Karl Becker, Unteroffiziers Johann Kothe and Karl Meurer, took off in Fw 200C-3 0043 ‘F8+AB’ on July 18, 1941.
6
“...Fliegel served with 2/KG 40 on missions from Germany and Denmark. With the fall of France the unit moved to Bordeaux and the Atlantic became his hunting ground”
airmen comprised a typical Luftwaffe Condor crew
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SPOT FACT The Soviet Air Force operated a captured Fw 200 Right
The Finnish tanker ‘Josefinea Thorden’ under attack by Fritz Fliegel’s Condor, May 1941.
Above right
Fritz Fliegel wearing the Knight’s Cross. Right
Met brief for crews of I/KG 40. Hptm Fritz Fliegel is in the centre, Rudolf Mons at far right.
It is believed that Fliegel attacked convoy OB346 which had departed Liverpool four days earlier headed for Freetown, Sierra Leone. However the Fw 200 suffered a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire which ripped off a wing, and the Condor cartwheeled into the Atlantic, taking its crew with it. This lucky shot was fired by either the armed merchantmen SS Norman Prince or SS Pilar de Larrinaga. At the time of his death, Flieger is known to have sunk seven ships and damaged a further six. He was promoted to Major posthumously.
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Men Behind the Condor
Left
Rudolf Mons. ALL VIA AUTHOR
“His aircraft was shot down on November 26 while attacking a convoy off the north of Libya. Like most of his crew that day, Rudolf Mons is still posted as missing”
Commerce raider
Born in Vienna, Austria, in October 1914, Rudolf Mons joined the army in 1934 as an Alpine Infantryman but soon transferred to the air force. He completed his pilot training in 1937 as a Leutnant but, following the March 1938 Anschluss [union] between Germany and Austria, Mons found himself in Hitler’s Luftwaffe. Little is known of his flying career until the spring of 1940, by which time he had been posted to 2/KG 40 on Condors. The Iron Cross Second
3
Class was awarded to him in April and the First Class at the end of September. Rudolf Mons first came to prominence in early 1941 when Luftwaffe propaganda reported him attacking an Allied freighter 298 miles (480km) northwest of Donegal Bay, Ireland, on January 8. This was the 6,278-ton SS Clytoneus carrying general cargo to Ellesmere Port, near Liverpool. Mons hit it with two bombs which left the Clytoneus seriously damaged and led to all on board abandoning the ship. After another patrol on an unspecified date, Mons returned to base with 48 hits on his Condor. He was also credited with sinking the SS Beaverbrae on March 25, 1941, which was sailing from Liverpool to St John’s in Canada. In September he was awarded the
Knight’s Cross, by which time he had flown 51 missions, sinking 63,000 tons of shipping and damaging vessels totalling 32,000 tons. Mons left I/KG 40 in November 1941, having been promoted to Hauptmann. He joined the Reichsluftministerium’s (air ministry) technical office as a longrange bomber specialist responsible for the Heinkel He 177 trials unit. He was promoted to Major and on October 25, 1943 he became Gruppen Kommandeur of the He 177-equipped II/KG 40, moving from Burg in Germany to southern France to carry out anti-shipping missions. His aircraft was shot down on November 26 while attacking a convoy off the north of Libya. Like most of his crew that day, Rudolf Mons is still posted as missing.
flyable aircraft remained in Spain after the war
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
War
and Peace Pete West artwork of a Condor that flew with Danish airline DDL
Artwork
Fw 200A-5 Condor 2993 ‘Jutlandia’ (OYDEM) of Det Danske Luftfartsselskab in 1939. PETE WEST-2015
A
lthough best known for its role with the Luftwaffe during World War Two, the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 was originally designed as an airliner. Early versions of the Condor served German national airline Lufthansa well, and also equipped operators from three other nations. Among them was British airline BOAC – although the sole machine in question was originally in Danish hands and was acquired by the British Government in 1940. (Brazil was the type’s fourth user.)
This aircraft, named Dania by the Danish, was one of two Fw 200As in pre-war service with Det Danske Luftfartsselskab (Danish Air Lines, DDL). Built as 2894, it was ordered by DDL alongside our subject, 2993, on March 5, 1938. In Denmark, the latter was named Jutlandia and registered OY-DEM, with Dania given the registration OY-DAM. The machines were subject to considerable media attention and were described as offering the ultimate in luxury, sophistication and safety.
Although Dania was damaged beyond repair in 1941 (by this time in RAF hands), Jutlandia continued to fly for its civilian operator throughout World War Two. To emphasise Danish neutrality it was given a distinctive overall orange paint scheme during the conflict, but reverted to standard DDL colours afterwards. It continued to fly until September 4, 1946, when it crashed at Northolt in a strong crosswind. There were no casualties, but sadly the aircraft was written off.
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SPOT FACT A Lufthansa Fw 200 fell to ‘friendly fire’ on November 29, 1944
4
Condor in profile
civilian operators flew Condors
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor How did the Condor compare with other maritime bombers in service at the time?
A
lthough it was designed as an airliner, the FockeWulf Fw 200 Condor was quickly pressed into military service. For a machine that had not been intended for such a role, it was initially very successful. Considerable numbers of Allied cargo vessels were sunk or damaged by Condors flying long-range missions before RAF Coastal Command devised methods of countering them. The Luftwaffe made efforts to improve the Fw 200’s defensive armament, but the type’s frailty and vulnerability was frequently exploited during encounters with Allied aircraft. Consequently, many were relegated to transport duties, reverting to the
Over land
and sea type of operations they were originally designed for. Fewer than 300 were built in total. Broadly speaking, the Condor was surpassed in the maritime bomber role by machines that were always intended to be used by the military, rather than adapted to do so. At first glance, the Vickers Wellington might have seemed relatively primitive, but its unusual metal lattice, geodesictype fuselage framework meant it could absorb more damage than its German rival. Despite having only two engines, it could also match the Condor in most aspects of performance. Maritime versions of the extremely successful Consolidated B-24
Liberator were even more robust. They were faster than the FockeWulfs, could fly further and were able to carry far more ordnance. The usefulness and versatility of the Liberator resulted in it being produced in greater numbers than any other US combat aircraft of World War Two. While it was outshone by most of its Allied rivals, the Condor was nevertheless a superior machine to the Italian-built Cant Z.501 flyingboat which was used in a similar role, as well as its under-powered successor, the Z.506B Airone floatplane. Like the Fw 200, a few examples of both Italian types did remain in service after the war.
Focke-Wulf Fw 200C
Above right
Construction:
Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-4 F8+FR of 7/KG 40 in May 1945. PETE WEST-2015
First Flight: Powerplant:
AT A GLANCE: RANGE (miles) 0
1,000
2,000
3,000 2,759
2,850
1,760
Dimension: Weight: Performance: Armament:
Crew:
A total of 276 were built of all versions, the vast majority of which were the military ’C variant. The first of three prototypes made its debut flight on July 27, 1937. Four 1,200hp (895kW) BMW Bramo Fafnir 323R-2 nine-cylinder radials driving three-bladed propellers. Span 108ft 3in (33m). Length 78ft 3in. Height 20ft 8in. Wing area 1,290sq ft (119.85m2). Empty 31,020lb (14,070kg). Loaded 50,045lb. Max speed 240mph (386km/h) at 13,000ft (3,960m). Cruising speed 155mph. Service ceiling 19,030ft. Range 2,759 miles (4,440km). One 20mm cannon, four 13mm machine guns and one 7.9mm machine gun in front dorsal, rear dorsal, ventral gondola and beam positions, plus typical bomb load of 3,307lb (1,500kg). Usually six, depending on use.
Note: performance and weights varied according to role and configuration.
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SPOT FACT From late 1943, the Fw 200 was used solely in the transport role
Contemporaries compared
Consolidated B-24D (GR.5) Liberator
Construction: First Flight: Above right
Consolidated B-24 Liberator GR.5 ‘PP-M’ of 311 Squadron. PETE WEST-2015
Powerplant: Dimension:
AT A GLANCE: SPEED (mph) 0
50
100
150
200
250
240
Weight: Performance: Armament:
303
Crew: 250
From a total of 18,482 built, 2,738 were B-24Ds. The ’D variants modified for use with RAF Coastal Command were designated GR.5s. The XB-24 prototype first flew on December 29, 1939, followed by seven test aircraft in 1940. Four 1,200hp (895kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radials driving three-bladed propellers. Span 110ft 0in (33.5m). Length 66ft 4in. Height 17ft 11in. Wing area 1,048sq ft (97.4m2). Empty 32,605lb (14,790kg). Loaded 64,000lb. Max speed 303mph (447km/h) at 25,000ft (7,620m). Cruising speed 200mph. Service ceiling 32,000ft. Range 2,850 miles (4,586km). A variety of gun configurations were available along with differing capacity for carrying bombs and mines. Some were equipped with eight five-inch high-velocity rockets. The B-24D’s maximum bomb load was 12,800lb (5,806kg). Between eight and ten, depending on use.
Note: performance and weights varied according to role and configuration.
Vickers Wellington GR.XIV
Above right
Construction:
Vickers Wellington GR.XIV NB888 of 458 Squadron, based in Algeria, 1944. PETE WEST-2015
First Flight:
AT A GLANCE: CEILING (ft) 0
10,000
20,000
30,000
Powerplant: Dimension:
19,030
Weight: Performance: 32,000
Armament: 16,000
Crew:
11,462 Wellingtons of all models were built, including 841 GR.XIV variants. The latter was the maritime version of the B.X. The prototype flew for the first time on June 15, 1936, followed by the first production version in December 1937. Two 1,735hp (1,294kW) Bristol Hercules XVII 14-cylinder radials driving three-bladed propellers. Span 86ft 2in (26.3m). Length 64ft 7in. Height 17ft 8in. Wing area 840sq ft (78.1m2). Empty 21,118lb (9,579kg). Loaded 31,000lb. Max speed 250mph (385km/h) at 15,500ft (4,724m). Service ceiling 16,000ft. Loaded range 1,200 miles (1,930km). Max range 1,760 miles. Up to eight 0.303in machine guns in nose, beam and tail positions, plus a variety of depth charges, torpedos, and/or unguided rockets. Six or seven.
Note: performance and weights varied according to role and configuration.
30
soldiers could be carried in the Fw 200C-3/U4
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor
Atlantic Scourge of the
Chris Goss tells the story of the Condor’s early successes in the North Atlantic
O
riginally designed as an airliner in 1937, the Luftwaffe quickly began to appreciate the value of the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 as a long-endurance patroller capable of operating far out into the Atlantic. Hauptmann Edgar Petersen began championing the formation of a very long range maritime reconnaissance unit in September 1939. It was clear the only aircraft capable of meeting this task was the Condor, as the big four-engined type was known. Petersen was appointed Kommandeur of I Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 40 (I/KG 40 – 1st Wing of Bomber Group 40) in
October 1939. The unit had six Fw 200s and a Fernaufklärungsstaffel, or long-range reconnaissance squadron, was immediately formed. Condors were first ‘blooded’ over Norway in April 1940. During an evening reconnaissance of Narvik on April 22, 1940, I/KG 40 lost is first Fw 200 on operations. It was thought that Oberleutnant (Oblt) Karl-August Backhaus and his crew fell victim to the weather or mechanical failure. Just over a month later, a Gladiator of 263 Squadron shot down Oblt Hellmuth Schöpke’s aircraft, proving the vulnerability of the type to fighters. Condors carried out a number of armed reconnaissance sorties
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SPOT FACT Later models were equipped with Lorenz FuG 200 radar in the nose
Fw 200 Condor in combat
Above
A very unusual view of a Condor formation, from an Fw 200’s cockpit. Left
The British Merchant Navy ship ‘Starstone’ under attack by the Fw 200 piloted by Fw Bernhard Flinsch of 2/KG 40 on October 31, 1940. The 5,702 ton vessel survived the ordeal. Far left
Dr Friedo Ehrhardt, who flew 41 operations with I/KG 40 in late 1940 and early 1941.
14
hours was the military Condor’s typical endurance
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SPOT FACT The extra weight carried by military Condors resulted in some breaking up on landing
Below
This Condor attacked nine ships including the ‘Goathland’ on August 25, 1940 and the steamer ‘Apapa’ on November 15, 1940. Bottom
Bernhard Jope’s Fw 200 in February 1941.
during the Norwegian campaign. Their first success is thought to have been on April 25 when they sank three anti-submarine trawlers. The first notable ‘kill’ occurred on June 10 when HMS Vandyck, a former liner that had been converted into an armed troop transport, was sunk off Narvik. Vandyck had been attacked by the Fw 200 captained by Oblt Heinrich Schlosser, a former Dornier Do 17 reconnaissance pilot who had flown against Poland. Of the vessel’s crew, seven men were killed and 161 taken prisoner.
Atlantic raiders
With the fall of Norway, the Fw 200s returned to Germany but in
August 1940, the majority of I/ KG 40 deployed to BordeauxMerignac on France’s south-western Atlantic coast. This airfield became synonymous with the long-ranging Condors for almost four years. Operations far out into the Atlantic were soon staged but contacts were initially few and far between. Although a number of vessels were attacked during July to October 1940, only eight ships are believed to have been sunk by Condors. However, the type’s greatest success to date occurred on October 26 when Oblt Bernhard Jope of 2/KG 40 crippled the 42,500-ton troopship Empress of Britain (also see page 73). Credit
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Condor in combat Top, left to right
Hptm Fritz Fliegel Oblt Heinrich Schlosser Oblt Hans Buchholz. Oblt Bernhard Jope. Oblt Erich Adam, standing on the left, plus two of his crew after their return from Spain.
“...the type’s greatest success to date occurred on October 26 when Oblt Bernhard Jope of 2/ KG 40 crippled the 42,500-ton troopship Empress of Britain” for sinking the liner eventually went to a U-boat, but Jope was recognised for bringing about its destruction. On December 30, Jope became the second member of I/KG 40 to be awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knights Cross) following on from his Gruppen Kommandeur, Major Edgar Petersen on October 21. As the Battle of Britain came to a close, the anti-shipping war began to escalate. A good indication of this intensity is illustrated by the logbook of meteorologist Dr Friedo Ehrhardt who flew 41 operations with I/KG 40. His first came on October 2, 1940 with Oblt Heinrich
4
Schlosser as his pilot when the SS Latymer was sunk, for the loss of six crew while 22 were rescued. On November 3 and 24, Ehrhardt flew with Jope, who attacked the SS Windsor Castle on the first sortie. Further successes by pilots from the unit were also noted: Oblt Hans Buchholz damaged three freighters on November 6 and bombed the SS Empire Wind on the 13th. The SS Empress of Japan was on the receiving end of Hauptmann (Hptm) Roman Dawcyznski’s Condor on the 21st.
Vulnerable convoys
Ehrhardt noted a lull in operations
from mid-December until January 8, 1941 when the Clytoneus was sunk by Oblt Rudolf Mons and his crew. Eight days later Hptm Konrad Verlohr, Staffel Kapitän of 1/KG 40, and Jope struck at convoy OB274. With 40 ships to aim at, they destroyed the SS Onoba and SS Meandros. During January 1941 I/KG 40 was credited with sinking 17 vessels for the loss of one Condor: Oblt Friedrich Burmeister’s aircraft was shot down by light antiaircraft fire from HMS Seaman on the 10th. If January 1941 was good for the unit, then February was even better. On the 9th, five Condors lifted off from Bordeaux to attack convoy HG53 sailing south-west of Portugal. The five aircraft captains were highly experienced: Hptm Fritz Fliegel, Oblts Adam, Buchholz, Jope and Schlosser. Jope had already been awarded the Ritterkreuz; Fliegel, Buchholz and Schlosser were all destined to earn one.
Above left and above
Bernhard Jope after returning on February 21, 1941.
250 kg bombs could be carried by the C-1 version
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SPOT FACT All production Fw 200Cs had twin-wheel main undercarriage to soften landing
Right
The Condor flown by Oblt Franz Vuellers and his crew from I/KG 40 is credited with inflicting the fatal blow to the ‘Benvorlich’, and also with hitting the ‘Mamura’. Vuellers had taken off from Bordeaux at 02:55 hours on March 19, and landed at Stavanger, Norway, at 14:52 hours. He was killed in a crash at Cognac on December 13, 1941.
Erich Adam’s Condor was damaged by the sloop [convoy-defence vessel] HMS Deptford, forcing him to break off and force-land at Moura in Portugal. His colleagues had much better fortune. Schlosser sank three ships, Fliegel two and Jope one, with Buchholz damaging another. Confirmed losses were the Varna, Jura, Britannic, Dagmar I and Tejo. This was a remarkable achievement for I/KG 40.
Surprise attack
The skilled Bernhard Jope was on an armed weather reconnaissance off the Hebrides on February 19, 1941 when he came across convoy OB287. His official report takes up the story: “Approach flight west of Ireland, strong headwinds which calmed down west of the Hebrides, showers of rain. After flying through the clouds for a while the convoy suddenly appeared in PlQ 16 West 7004, course west, 45 merchant ships up to 10,000 tons, few escorts. “We immediately carried out a surprise attack on the left line of three ships ahead. Three bombs were dropped on the first ship, two behind the stern and the third hit the quarter-deck. The second ship was left out and, approaching from behind, the third one was attacked with three bombs. One bomb was a direct hit on the engine house with a corresponding explosion of the boiler. “Because of lack of fuel it was not possible to transmit radio beams for the U-boats. No defensive actions were observed. Two barrage balloons were seen about 50m above two of the ships. “Before the convoy was sighted a few patrol boats and a tug towing a loaded merchant ship, course
east, were observed west and southwest of the Hebrides, but were not attacked. An aircraft was also seen near the merchant ship. The flight was continued at an altitude of 600 to 800m, with two-tenths of clouds, via Fair Island between the Orkneys and the Shetlands to Stavanger.” Jope’s claims were correct, as the Allies reported the loss of the 5,642ton tanker Gracia and the 5,539-ton freighter Housatonic.
Repeat performance
To add to his success, on the way back from Stavanger two days later, Jope came across the same convoy. He filed the following report: “Approach flight from Stavanger, via Fair Island, to the calculated position of the convoy that had already been attacked on February 19th and 20th. It was still dark when the lights of a ship were sighted, about 250km north-west of the Hebrides at about 08:00. The ship’s lights were turned off immediately but several attacks were carried out in the moonlight, an SC 250 bomb was dropped and the ship was also gunned with cannon and machine gun fire. But there was no visible effect.
“At 10:30 the convoy was sighted and, using the moment of surprise, was struck as well. Two of the tankers, sailing at the back of the convoy, were attacked with three bombs each. The 5,000-ton tanker was damaged by a detonation next to the hull at the stern. A direct hit destroyed the 3,000-ton tanker – the bomb went off in the engine house, destroyed the superstructure on the quarter-deck and subsequently the boiler exploded. Both of the ships fell back behind the convoy and were supported by two auxiliary vessels. “After the attack all the ships opened fire. We flew in circles around the convoy for about 20 minutes. ...radio signals for the U-boats were transmitted. During the return flight at an altitude of 3,500m there was a strong backwind. After reaching the south-west corner of Ireland it was possible to calculate the exact position of the convoy by dead reckoning.”
Fighting back
February 1941 proved to be the zenith of I/KG 40’s successes with five more ships sunk on the 26th
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Fw 200 Condor in combat
“After the attack all the ships opened fire. We flew in circles around the convoy for about 20 minutes. ...radio signals for the U-boats were transmitted”
2
and another three the following day. Together with U-boats, the Condors had a field day with Convoy OB 290, sinking between them 13 vessels and damaging a further five. Combat losses for Fw 200s during the month were just two. In addition to Adam landing in neutral Portugal, Oblt Paul Gömmer and his crew were all killed trying to force-land in southern Ireland after being damaged by anti-aircraft fire on the 5th. From February onwards, successes continued, but the Allies took action to combat the ‘Scourge of the Atlantic’ as the Condors were being called. Improved anti-aircraft guns and more convoy escorts forced the Focke-Wulfs to fly higher. Allied aircraft, in particular carrier-borne fighters, made the Condors take a more cautious approach when attacking convoys. Nevertheless the potency of what was originally an airliner has never been forgotten by veterans and historians alike.
Clockwise from top left
The Allied convoy OB 298 departed Liverpool on March 16, 1941 and was attacked by I/ KG 40 in the Atlantic off the southern Irish coast three days later. A number of ships were hit - the 5,193-ton cargo streamer ‘Benvorlich’ was sunk, and the 8,245-ton ‘Mamura’ was damaged.
extra 13mm MG 131 machine guns were fitted to the C-3/U3 version
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Spotlight Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor Chris Goss describes the Luftwaffe’s final use of the Condor
Latter days with the Luftwaffe
Full
circle
A Condor of 9/KG 40 at Benghazi, Libya, in late 1942.
Spotlight Next Month Martin Marauder Next month Spotlight focuses on the Martin Marauder, an aircraft that overcame an initially poor safety record to finish World War Two with the lowest loss rate of any USAAF bomber. Marauders served in the Pacific, the Mediterranean and over northwest Europe, but all those in US hands had been retired by the time the USAF was created in 1947. The April issue is on sale in the UK on March 1 – see page 102 for our latest money-saving subscription offers.
I
n the latter part of the war, the Condor was put to use by the Luftwaffe as a transport, a return to the role for which it had been originally designed. In December 1942, III/KG 40 found itself flying between Lecce in Italy and North Africa carrying fuel and ammunition for the Afrika Korps following the Allied invasion. Such missions were generally without incident, aside from occasional visual contact with enemy aircraft. Condors were also used to support the embattled German Army at Stalingrad. These aircraft equipped KGr zbV 200 but unlike in North Africa, their missions were often eventful. The first loss occurred on
January 10, 1943 when Obfw Eugen Reck’s machine failed to return, and that of Obfw Werner Brune suffered a landing accident. The last reported loss was Obfw Karl Wittmann and his crew on January 30. Stalingrad cost KG 40 dearly. Towards the end of the war, the remaining Fw 200s were almost entirely used for transport purposes, though losses continued. On October 11, 1944, more than 50 people died when a Condor of 7/KG 40 flown by Lt Hans Gilbert crashed south of Bardufoss in Norway. The cause was structural failure resulting from the aircraft carrying too many passengers – 46 in total, plus five crew. Most of those killed were German female auxiliaries.
An unidentified Fw 200C-4 which crashed in Finland in 1944 on a transport mission. ALL VIA CHRIS GOSS
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JOB OPPORTUNITY Assistant Editor Do you have a comprehensive knowledge of British military history and would you like to play a big part in a growing success story? If so, we’d like to hear from you. As part of its expansion plans, Britain at War magazine is looking for an Assistant Editor to join its busy editorial team. Based at Key Publishing’s offices in Stamford, this is a full-time post. The successful candidate will assist the editor in the writing, compilation and editing of articles on all aspects of British military history, in addition to carrying out post-design production work. It is a challenging role, but the rewards include the chance to travel all over the UK to cover the best news stories, a competitive salary and benefits. Ideally, you will already be an experienced journalist with an understanding of regular production schedules with a small editorial team, although candidates without this background who can demonstrate excellent potential may be considered. This is an outstanding opportunity to join Europe’s foremost aviation and military history magazine publisher.
To apply please send a CV and a covering letter explaining why you think that you are the best person for the job to: Nigel Price, JOB APPLICATION (BAW), PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ or email:
[email protected] The closing date is 28 February, 2015
045/15
Key Publishing is an Equal Opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. All applicants will be invited to interview based on merit.
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WARBIRDS FLYING FORTRESS Right
The Flying Fortress being started up for its flying display on December 13. ALL FRANK B MORMILLO
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BIRTHDAYl A FLYING FORTRESS MADE A SPECIAL FLIGHT TO MARK A US MUSEUM’S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY. FRANK B MORMILLO WAS THERE
B
oeing B-17G Flying Fortress N9563Z Fuddy Duddy was the star attraction at an event to mark the Lyon Air Museum’s fifth birthday on December 13, 2014. Watched by several veterans and a good-sized crowd, the Fortress got airborne for a spirited display at the museum’s John Wayne Airport base in Orange County, California. Flown by ‘Mac’
McCauley and Randy Sherman, the distinctive bomber was an impressive sight to behold both in the air and afterwards, on the ground. The museum was founded by Maj Gen William Lyon in 2009. Its stated aim is to provide “a world-class venue of inspiration where the stories of aviation’s past can touch the lives of its visitors through educational exhibits, authentic historical aircraft and related memorabilia”. Since its opening, over 120,000 visitors have passed through its doors.
Ga
After a formal introduction on December 13, Fuddy Duddy was taken aloft for its flight demonstration. Fortunately, the day was blessed with fine weather following a period of intense rain, and a beautiful cloudscape served as a wonderful backdrop to the display.
Below left
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress ‘Fuddy Duddy’ on December 13.
LONG CAREER
Delivered to the USAAF as 44-83563, the B-17G served in the Philippines from 1945 until 1952 as a CB-17G VIP transport, and
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WARBIRDS FLYING FORTRESS
“During the recent fifth anniversary event, five local veterans were on hand to enjoy the sight of the B-17G and to relay some of their experiences” Above
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress ‘Fuddy Duddy’ flying over John Wayne Airport during the Lyon Air Museum’s fifth anniversary celebrations on December 13, 2014. Right
World War Two veterans Ed Stapleton, Walt Drake, Bill Schultz, Harry Selling and Herb Guiness with the B-17G.
in Japan from 1952 until 1955 in the same role under the VB-17G designation. It is believed that Gen Dwight D Eisenhower is among the many passengers to have flown in 44-83563. Retired from service in 1955, the Flying Fortress was purchased by American Compressed Steel of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1959, and was then owned by Aero American Corporation of Tucson, Arizona, from 1960 to 1963. During this time it was leased to Columbia Pictures (in 1961 and 1962) and flown to Gatwick for use in the film The War Lover. Between 1963 and 1981, the B-17G was operated as a fire-fighting aerial tanker by Aircraft Specialties of Tucson (initially as ‘E24’, though it also flew as ‘C24’, ‘24’ and then ‘89’). Its next owner was Globe Air of Mesa, Arizona, which flew it as ‘89’ from 1981 to 1985. The bomber also flew to Hawaii in 1969 for a role in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! before being obtained by the National Warplane Museum of Geneseo, New York, in 1985. The museum restored 44-83563 to World War Two combat configuration, representing Fuddy Duddy, a B-17G that flew with the Eighth Air Force’s 708th Bombardment Squadron (BS), 447th Bombardment Group (BG). From 1998 to 2005, Fuddy Duddy
was operated by the Wings of Eagles Museum in New York. Maj Gen Lyon purchased it in 2006, basing it at John Wayne Airport.
MEMORIES
The museum has been supported over the past five years by numerous volunteers, many of whom served in World War Two. During the recent fifth anniversary event, five local veterans were on hand to enjoy the sight of the B-17G and to relay some of their experiences. Those present were Ed Stapleton (aged 91), Walt Drake (91), Harry Selling (94) and Herb Guiness (93). A former B-17 pilot, Ed saw combat service with the 352nd BS, 9nd BG, while Harry flew Flying
Fortresses with the 751st BS, 57th BG. Walt Drake flew Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and North American P-51 Mustangs with the 434th Fighter Squadron, 479th Fighter Group. While the first three flew their combat missions with the USAAF’s Eighth Air Force, Herb Guiness saw action with the Fifteenth Air Force flying Consolidated B-24 Liberators in the 726th BS, 451st BG. A fifth veteran, 87-year-old Bill Schultz who served in the US during World War Two, was also at the event. The opportunity to see Fuddy Duddy being flown so expertly in the presence of veterans was a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring experience for those lucky enough to be in attendance.
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AV ON AIL AN W ABL D IND E N KIN O O DL WS W EF 8 IRE
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WARBIRDS DH SEA VIXEN
Richard Paver captured the delivery of Sea Vixen XP924 to its former operational base and discovered what lies ahead for it
“A
transformational gift,” is how Cdr Sue Eagles, Campaign Director of the Fly Navy Historic Trust, describes the donation of Sea Vixen XP924. As revealed in November’s FlyPast, Julian Jones handed over his allweather, twin-jet, twin-boom fighter to the Trust at Yeovilton, Somerset, on September 16. It is the world’s only airworthy Sea Vixen. Although there is much to be done before ‘Foxy Lady’, as the ’Vixen has been lovingly named by enthusiasts, can re-join the airshow circuit, XP924 brings a fast jet presence to the types administered by the Fly Navy Historic Trust (FNHT). Civil registered as
SEA VIXEN XP924’S PEDIGREE Built as an FAW.2 at the de Havilland Hawarden factory in North Wales, XP924 first flew on September 24, 1963. It was issued to 899 Squadron at Yeovilton, serving operationally with the unit three times between 1964 and 1970. Having logged 968 flying hours, in June 1973 it was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Llanbedr, Wales. In September 1980 it moved to Flight Refuelling at Hurn for conversion to a D.3 drone and resumed development flying at Llanbedr in 1985. In 1991 XP924 was acquired by Lt Markus Edwards and Gwyn Jones and moved from Llanbedr to Swansea to be restored to airworthy condition and operated on the airshow circuit. In May 2000 the aircraft was ferried to Hurn to be maintained and operated by De Havilland Aviation. Under chief engineer Paul Kingsbury it gained a permit to fly and its first flight as G-CVIX took place on February 16, 2001.
G-CVIX, the big jet has been transferred to the ownership of Naval Aviation Ltd (NAL), a subsidiary of FNHT. Established in 1991 to promote the history, spirit and ethos of British naval aviation, the Trust provides significant financial support to two organisations, the Royal Navy Historic Flight (RNHF) and the Fly Navy Heritage Collection. Needing no introduction to FlyPast readers, RNHF operates four historic aircraft on the military register: Swordfish I W5856; Swordfish II LS326; Sea Fury FB.11 VR930 and Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV908. Currently the Ministry of Defence (MoD) partially funds the annual
operating costs of the Flight, with the balance provided by the Trust. Aircraft of the Heritage Collection are not owned by the Ministry of Defence and are maintained and flown on the civil register under the NAL banner. It is FNHT’s plan to add to this element gradually to augment RNHF. This started in 2011 when Sea Fury T.20 VX281 was donated by a benefactor. (For more on the T.20, see the panel on page 40.) Ambitions at FNHT go beyond the Sea Fury and the Sea Vixen, but depend totally on finance. A core objective is to progressively amass a capital fund, a target set at £10 million. There is a tantalising list of aircraft and restoration projects
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Above
Sea Vixen XP924 (G-CVIX) during its transit flight from Bournemouth to Yeovilton on September 12. Jonathon Whaley is at the controls. ALL PHOTOS BY RICHARD PAVER
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055/15 151/13
reborn FROM THE WORKSHOP SHUTTLEWORTH COLLECTION
Old Warden
warriors
A pair of major projects is fast approaching completion at the Shuttleworth Collection. Darren Harbar reports
T
here’s never a quiet moment inside the workshop of the Old Warden-based Shuttleworth Collection. Significant advances have been made in recent months on two major projects at the Bedfordshire attraction – Sopwith Camel reproduction ‘D1851’ and Supermarine Spitfire V AR501. Following its delivery from Yorkshire’s Northern Aeroplane Workshops (NAW) in August 2013, much progress has been made on the Camel. Shuttleworth
engineer Andy Preslent described recent work: “A great deal has been done to finish the aircraft’s undercarriage, plus preparing and painting the legs and wheels. On the inside of the fuselage, a complete fit out of the fuel, air and oil systems has been carried out. The oil tank had to be removed and reworked, but is now back in place. “A new instrument panel has been made to replace the one that had originally been produced at NAW. This new panel has been completed with original
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n Above
The Camel’s Clerget 9BF rotary engine was built under licence by Ruston, Proctor & Co of Lincolnshire. Top left
The Sopwith Camel reproduction at Old Warden in November 2014 prior to being painted. Left
The Camel’s new instrument panel.
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FROM THE WORKSHOP SHUTTLEWORTH COLLECTION
Clockwise from left
Sopwith Camel ‘D1851’ at Old Warden in late December. Supermarine Spitfire V AR501 inside the Shuttleworth Collection’s workshop at the turn of the year. Inside the Spitfire’s cockpit. The map pocket has been designed to resemble the original, but now houses the Spitfire’s radio and transponder set. The Shuttleworth team acquired this pair of Vickers machine guns from an antique shop. Sopwith Camel ‘D1851’ pictured after receiving new colours. The aircraft has been fitted with a set of replica bombs.
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instruments, with the exception of a modern slip indicator which will be added soon. Various systems have been plumbed in, but the fuel tank pressurisation system proved a particular challenge as the fuel blow-off valve took a great deal of work to fit. A four-point harness has been installed for safety and regulatory reasons in place of the original two-point type.” Much of the work on the aluminium cowlings and panels has been carried out by Jim Jackson, part of the original NAW team. Fitting of the side woodwork and ply panels has also been completed, and a pair of Vickers 0.303in machine guns (found in an antique shop) has been installed. The Camel’s engine has been rebuilt over several years. A 150hp (112kW) Clerget 9BF originally built under licence by Ruston,
Proctor & Co of Lincolnshire, it is more powerful than the units fitted to the collection’s other rotary-engined aircraft. With the engine installed, the last thing to do is to fit the overhauled oil pump and propeller, the latter built by Colin Essex. Once the systems are connected and the wings and controls rigged, the engine will be run for the first time. The process of covering the Camel’s fuselage began in midDecember. The wings, control surfaces and tailplane have also been covered and painted, and the latter has been mated to the fuselage. The machine is being painted to represent D1851 Ikanopit, a fighter that flew with 70 Squadron. It is likely engine tests will begin at the end of February, prior to a first flight later this year.
Spitfire showcase On the other side of the workshop, Shuttleworth engineer Ian Laraman and his team of volunteers have been busy with the Collection’s Supermarine Spitfire V (AR501). Prior to its entry into the hangar for refurbishment and rebuild, the Spitfire was an exceptionally popular airshow attraction. Not surprisingly it attracts great interest from visitors. To the casual observer it might appear little progress has been made, but, as Ian explained to FlyPast, this is far from the case. Most of the recent work has focused on the Spitfire’s starboard wing, which is in a jig and starting to receive its skin. This endeavour has taken longer than planned, as a crack was discovered in the bottom boom. Once the wing was
broken down and stripped of paint, a ‘ripple’ was felt in the surface of the metal, which turned out to be caused by corrosion. Closer inspection revealed a hairline crack, meaning a new boom was needed. The Collection decided to have both upper and lower spar boom assemblies made for the wing, but putting it back together was no easy task. Each of the ribs had to be carefully prepared to take the skins, as the holes had to be in the correct positions, and the skins needed ‘dimpling’ to match the holes. The leading edge was completed using the original skin, which helped make the job slightly easier. The majority of the skins for the starboard wing needed to be manufactured due to the new booms and ribs not aligning with the old holes – the original skins were simply used as patterns.
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FROM THE WORKSHOP SHUTTLEWORTH COLLECTION
A Spitfire wing inside a jig at Old Warden.
“The team has already begun to rivet the upper surface skins on to the wing. The next stage is to complete the internal wing structure with all the necessary parts” The preparation and metalwork – often the part people don’t see – took over a year, but just before Christmas the ribs were finally ready to be painted in preparation for the skins to be fitted. The team has already begun to rivet the upper surface skins on to the wing. The next stage is to complete the internal wing structure with all the necessary parts (such as pipe work and gun mount fixings) before the lower skins are put on. After this, the flaps and undercarriage can be fitted. Electrical wiring has also been installed within the fuselage, and there have been a few additions to the cockpit. One of the more interesting is a slightly oversized map pocket, designed to resemble the original, but big enough to house the Spitfire’s new radio and transponder set. The tail cone is ready to be installed, as are the tailplanes. A new Rotol propeller will soon be added along with a new spinner. Spitfire AR501 was originally fitted
with a Rotol, although it has also flown with a de Havilland model.
Flying colours Attention will soon turn to painting the aircraft. Two schemes are being considered. The aircraft will receive an accurate Westland grey/green base camouflage scheme but will then either be returned to its former 310 Squadron livery or painted in the 312 Squadron markings that it wore in later service. Having flown as ‘NN-A’ with 310, it was later modified for low-level ‘ops’ with clipped wings (for a faster roll rate) and flew as ‘DU-E’ with 312. With the latter unit, AR501 is known to have fired its guns in anger at a flak ship near the Channel Islands. Regardless of the chosen scheme, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Shuttleworth team, there is now a real possibility that the Spitfire will return to the air by the end of this year. www.shuttleworth.org
Above
Shuttleworth engineer Ian Laraman working on the Spitfire’s wings. Right
The Collection hopes AR501 will fly again this year.
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PRESERVATION VULCAN XM655
Saving the V F
or the many of us who thrill to the sight and sound of the Avro Vulcan, one of Britain’s most famous and best-loved post-war military aircraft, it is no exaggeration to suggest that 2015 is a hugely significant year. Only three Vulcans are still ‘live’ – the sole airworthy example, XH558, plus XL426 at Southend and XM655 at Wellesbourne in Warwickshire. The former is likely to cease flying at the end of this year, but XM655 faces a greater threat. If plans to sell off Wellesbourne airfield for housing development come to fruition, the bomber that has been based there since 1984 will almost certainly be scrapped.
Like the aircraft at Southend, ’655 is maintained in ground running condition by a small team of volunteers, and this year on Father’s Day (June 21) it will be possible to see this magnificent machine – the only one of the three fitted with uprated Olympus 300 engines – power down the runway. At the controls will be an experienced Vulcan crew comprising Wg Cdr Mike Pollitt, Gp Capt John Laycock, Sqn Ldr David Thomas and AEO Barry Masefield. The Wings & Wheels event, which will also feature classic cars, should be a celebration of British engineering – but if the developers get their way,
it could yet be a sad finale. Local residents and Stratford-on-Avon District Council have joined the fight to prevent the airfield’s closure, and an action group called Wellesbourne Matters has been formed. It is urgently seeking funding to take on the imminent legal battle against the developers.
Fighting back
“The plan is so big that the development, which they intend to call Wellesbourne West, will almost double the size of the existing village by adding around 1,500 houses,” 655 Maintenance and Preservation Society (MaPs) boss Charles Brimson told FlyPast in January. “It’s almost
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e Vulcan universally hated by everyone that lives here. The district council sees the airfield as a centre of excellence and wants it to stay. Even with them on our side, there’s no doubt that we are now under real threat. “The 655 MaPs is in full support of Wellesbourne Matters, and what we need to do as quickly as possible is help them raise around
£50,000 to appoint barristers and so on to represent us in the legal process. There is nothing written into the developer’s plans to suggest there is any hope that the Vulcan might be spared.” Every Saturday, around a dozen MaPs volunteers, plus supporting groups, work hard to keep XM655
One of the last three ‘running’ Vulcans is under threat. A campaign is afoot to save XM655, the Wellesbourne Vulcan in immaculate condition – battling airframe corrosion and servicing parts where necessary. “Even though the aircraft has been at Wellesbourne for over 30 years, we are still finding new aspects to work on and are still gradually returning systems to life,” says Charles. “These are immensely complex machines and we owe all of this to our volunteers and to the loyal members of MaPs.” It is enthusiasts that have kept Vulcan B.2 XM655 in such a pristine state; individuals and groups with the passion to succeed. It is hoped that this same passion will save the big delta as it faces its greatest ever challenge.
Below
Avro Vulcan B.2 XM655 pictured during a recent evening photography shoot at Wellesbourne. ROBERT FALCONER
How to help There are two ways you can support the Wellesbourne Vulcan. The 655 Maintenance and Preservation Society consists of around 300 members and is open to all. Annual membership costs £15 per individual or £25 per family. www.xm655.com To join or donate to Wellesbourne Matters, the action group campaigning to save both the airfield and the Vulcan, see: www.wellesbournematters.org.uk March 2015 FLYPAST 101
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WW2 DESERTER WARBIRDS HAWKER OR PATRIOT? HURRICANE
Through
The Darkest
hour A Hawker Hurricane has emerged in new colours at Biggin Hill. Robin J Brooks investigates
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I
n preparation for this year’s 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar’s Hawker Hurricane I AE977 (G-CHTK) has taken on the identity of P2921, the fighter flown by Air Cdre Peter Brothers CBE DSO DFC* during 1940 with 32 Squadron. Built as a Hurricane I by the Canadian Car and Foundry Company in spring 1941, the aircraft was initially delivered to the
RAF before being transferred to the Royal Navy. It was converted to a Sea Hurricane X in July 1942, but later damaged in a mid-air collision at Yeovilton. It was initially written off with the remains placed in storage until 1994 when they were removed to Hawker Restorations of Suffolk. After several years of work, the fighter returned to the air on June 7, 2000. The aircraft was then painted to represent the aircraft flown by
Gp Capt Douglas Bader of 242 Squadron and was based at Planes of Fame in Chino, California, as part of the Tom Friedkin/Chino Warbirds collection. In 2012 it arrived at its current home, the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in Kent. It was registered as G-CHTK in 2013 and flew in the colours of P3886 of 601 (County of London) Auxiliary Squadron prior to its recent change. www.bigginhillheritagehangar.co.uk
Below
Hawker Hurricane I AE977 appears in new markings at Biggin Hill alongside Supermarine Spitfire IX TA805 during a recent night photography shoot. STEVE BUCKBY
One of the few Born in Lancashire in 1917, Peter Malam Brothers joined the RAF in January 1936. He was promoted to flying officer just before the outbreak of war and became a flight commander on 32 Squadron, gaining ten ‘kills’ before the end of the Battle of Britain. By the time he left the air force in 1947 his score had risen to 16. He rejoined two years later after a spell of civilian life in Kenya and held many high-ranking appointments until retirement in 1973. In later life, Pete became the chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association and was a leading figure in establishing the national memorial at Capel-le-Ferne near Folkestone. A greatly respected spokesman and consultant, he passed away on December 18, 2008, aged 91.
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FLYPOST
FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK email:
[email protected]
Contributions from readers are always welcome for this column. Views expressed in FlyPost are not necessarily those of the Editor, or publisher. Letters may be edited for style or length.
Note that letters sent by e-mail will not be published unless the contributor includes their full postal address for possible contact. Letters intended for FlyPost should be clearly marked as such.
Beauforts and Beaufreighters
David Bale’s letter on page 100 of the February issue correctly identifies the Australian Beaufort IX (not Mk.9) found by Basil Frost as A9-708. However, far from being in good condition, the remains were seriously damaged and not worth salvaging. Converted from GR/B Mk.VIII A9-288 at the end of 1944, A9-708 was issued to 9 Communications Unit at Lae in
Wartime flyingboat memories I found the article The Price Of Peace concerning the liberation of Norway in the May 2014 issue very interesting. During that time I was based at the RAF station at Battery Park, Greenock, on the River Clyde in Scotland. At short notice we were brought together and told we were going to be very busy, and we were all checked by military intelligence and security. Various types of flying-boats came into the bay and moored up. Under the supervision of the military we had the job of loading our tenders, taking them out to the flying-boats and unloading them into the aircraft. On reaching full capacity, they took off for Norway (or so we were told), to replace stores and equipment that had been lost or destroyed. As the aircraft took off they were replaced by others and the operation went on for 36 hours. We were never given any further information about what happened. On reading the article I wondered if anyone knew any more about
New Guinea on Christmas Day of that year. That section was renamed as 9 Local Air Supply Unit on March 29, 1945, and moved to Labuan via Morotai in June, where its duties included dropping supplies to ground troops, dropping propaganda leaflets on the enemy, and spraying anti-malarial DDT ahead of advancing ground forces. Immediately after a double
this aspect of it. I am now 91, and I enjoy the magazine, particularly picking up on many of the things that we did not know much about at the time, during the war years. I also wanted to write in praise of the flying-boat crews who performed such a great service. It is doubtful that they have been given fair credit for the many sorties they flew. In our area of Scotland, there were bases at Invergordon, Sullom Voe, Oban, Largs, Turnberry and others. The marine craft section provided transport and other duties, which included refuelling, towing, providing flare paths for night-flying and standby fire tender. Other tasks included being the live target (in armoured boats) for aircraft dropping smoke bombs, or representing a ship for Beaufighters firing rockets. Airsea rescue was another aspect. We were ill-prepared in the early days and help was provided by the Royal Navy, the RNLI and others. We viewed the changing fortunes in the Battle of the Atlantic with hope and apprehension. Many gallant actions and incredible
engine change, A9-708’s brakes failed on landing at Labuan on July 29, and it passed to 1 Repair and Salvage Unit. It was repaired, but force-landed on September 22 – the damage was both extensive and serious in places. No doubt the wreck looked better to the untrained eye. Although approved for ‘conversion to components’, it was not in fact worth the effort and like many RAAF aircraft, was simply abandoned. The aircraft in the photograph is A9-259, the so-called stripped Beaufort or unofficially Mk.8½, not a Beaufreighter. It was a standard GR/T that had been stripped of all military equipment except for its torpedo rack, to save 1,000lb weight and thereby increase range for night attacks without incurring the drag of external fuel tanks, as Japanese shipping targets had largely been withdrawn to outside a standard Beaufort’s radius of action. To reduce drag still further, a straight-topped alloy fairing was fitted between the former
feats of endurance are recorded, but the deeds of those who perished may never be known. Some 30,000 merchant seamen lost their lives, along with 6,000 Royal Navy sailors and 5,000 men from Coastal Command. There was a large gap in the middle of the Atlantic where we were unable
turret position and the stern frame (on the 46 Mk.IXs, this fairing had a slightly curved top: these also featured a small window aft of the handholds). The scheme was abandoned, as in this configuration the aircraft was tactically compromised if (as was usually the case) there were no shipping targets at night. There is a broadside photo of this aircraft on page 112 of my book The Beaufort File. Mr Bale’s photograph in the February issue shows A9-269 when on charge to 11 Communications Unit and in use as the personal transport of Air Cdre R J Brownell, AOC Western Area, whose pennant can be partly seen painted beneath the aircraft’s cockpit. Major General E J Milford, Chief of Staff Australian Military Forces, is shown boarding it at Morotai on December 7, 1945. The photo (above left) shows a similar view of a standard Mk.IX. I hope that this may be of some interest. ROGER HAYWARD WOKINGHAM , BERKSHIRE
to provide cover for the convoys. There was a need for aircraft with suitable range to cover this area – and this is where the flyingboats came in, closing that gap by spotting and attacking enemy vessels. S R MILLIKEN PRESTWICK , AYRSHIRE
Harvard on guard
In reference to the story about the German T.6H Harvard to be restored at Mengen (News, January issue), I would like to share this picture of said aeroplane taken at Landsberg-Penzing air base in Bavaria in 1972. AA+666 was at that time on show inside the air base. RENÉ ZUERCHER SAANEN , SWITZERLAND
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While we endeavour to include as many contributions as we can, we apologise to all those readers who have taken the time to write in but didn’t get into print.
North Korean Il-14 In his photo essay on Pyongyang’s Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in North Korea (January issue), Tom Singfield notes that Ilyushin Il-14 ‘535’, located at the DPRK’s International Friendship Exhibition, Hyangsan, cannot be photographed. The attached
picture shows the aircraft when at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport in May 2013, when it was possible to photograph inside and out. The aircraft was visually immaculate and we were told of the impending move to Hyangsan. GARY SQUIRE VIA EMAIL
OPS BOARD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------February 6, Martlesham Heath – ‘Flying the Phantom’, a talk by Mike Bettell, Martlesham Heath Aviation Society, The Main Hall, Martlesham Heath Community Centre, Old Felixstowe Road, Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich, IP12 4PB – www.mhas.org.uk February 10, Old Sarum – ‘The History of Old Sarum Airfield’, a talk by Sqn Ldr John Sharpe, Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury – 01722 323636 www.boscombedownaviation collection.co.uk February 11, London – ‘Catalina flying-boat – past and present’, a talk by David Legg, London Society of Air-Britain, The Victory Services Club, 63-79 Seymour Street, London. E-mail:
[email protected] March 6, Martlesham Heath – ‘Display Flying In Vintage Aircraft’, a talk by Rod Dean, Martlesham Heath Aviation Society, The Main Hall, Martlesham Heath Community Centre, Old Felixstowe Road (behind Tesco), Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich, IP12 4PB – www.mhas.org.uk March 7, Newark – Indoor aeroboot/aerojumble tabletop sale, Newark Air Museum, Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark, Notts – 01636 707170 www.newarkairmuseum.org
Jottings... Letters in Brief
March 11, London – ‘Ben Gunn: Test Pilot and Aviator’, a talk by David Gunn, London Society of Air-Britain, The Victory Services Club, 63-79 Seymour Street, London. E-mail: james.dale@ tesco.net
P-38 parts needed Following on from the Bentwaters Lockheed Lightning feature that appeared in the February issue, the restoration team has been in touch asking for help from FlyPast readers. The team returning combat veteran P-38 Lightning 44-66841 ‘Satan’s Angels’ to flight is looking for parts for the project. If you can help with any components or leads to items, the restorers would love to hear from you! Contact them via email at:
[email protected]
March 15, Ellesmere Port – Aviation and militaria fair, The Griffin Trust, Vauxhall Motors Club House, Rivacre Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 1NJ – 0151 3274701 March 16, Sywell – ‘The 20th Fighter Group USAAF in Northamptonshire and Beyond’, a talk by David Knight, Sywell Aviation Museum, Sywell Aerodrome, Northants – 07966 636696 or e-mail: andrew.
[email protected] April 14, Milton Keynes – ‘Marshall of Cambridge: Past, Present and Future’ a talk by Terry Holloway, Milton Keynes Aviation Society, Kents Hill Community Centre, Milton Keynes – www.mkas.co.uk May 29, Wittering – The XV Squadron Association will be holding a reunion dinner at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire on May 29 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the unit’s formation. For more details e-mail: secretary@ xvsqnassociation.co.uk www.xvsqnassociation.co.uk.
Farnborough trials I read with interest the article on Peter Lear in the January issue. When flying with the Radar Research Squadron at Bedford we were sometimes requested by Farnborough to supply a pilot to fly one of their Canberras to drop bombs or torpedoes for trials. An interesting and enjoyable day out [if you were selected]. On July 28, 1982 I went down to Farnborough to drop some 1,000lb MC [Medium Capacity] bombs. My FTO [Flight Test Observer] was Peter Lear and I believe this was his last sortie prior to retirement. The other FTO was Chris Fox. Attached is a photograph of WT309 ‘in action’ on that day, taken from the cine record of the trial. FLT LT (RET) STEWART WARING LITTLE BYTHAM , LINCS
Lightning repairs I read with great interest the Singapore Tigers feature in the February issue. On page 98, it says that Lightning XR773 was repaired by a specialist team flown out to Changi – this may have been the plan, but it never came about. In fact it was repaired by RAF 390 MU at Seletar. I was the crew chief with a team of excellent technicians, and it took just under six months to get her airworthy again. As the aircraft was at RAF Changi we had to travel across every day to repair her. [The two stations are about 20 miles apart – ED] BRIAN E P KNEEN WESTBURY, WILTSHIRE
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World War II Day-by-Day 3-DVD Set
Flying Legends 20th anniversary collectors edition gets you airbourne with the mighiest warbirds from around the world, captured by award-wining photographer John. M. Dibbs. Take to the skies with razor-sharp, air-to-air photography and see the aircrafts of legend come back to life. 16-Month Calendar includes September 2014 through December 2015
WORLD WAR II - DAY BY DAY is 366 sixty-second programmes that, in an entertaining and informative manner, describe the most important actions day by day, each day being selected from one of the war years. The series is based on an extensive library of outstanding archive material from American, English, German, Soviet and Japanese sources, and incorporates all major events, including the Anschluss of Austria, the Blitzkrieg on Poland, Operation Barbarossa, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, D-Day and more. Region-free 3-DVD set, Running time 366 minutes.
Code: BR046
Code: DVD593
O N LY £ 1 1 . 4 9
O N LY £ 1 0 . 9 5 Eagle’s War book
The Spitfire Collection 4-DVD Set No Moon Tonight book
HMS Eagle was already old when war was declared in September 1939 and her new Swordfish biplanes were soon flying escort to vital Australian troop convoys in the wastes of the Indian Ocean. When the war moved to the Mediterranean, Eagle’s meagre air group bolstered by a few Sea Gladiator biplanes. Softback, 192 pages.
The story of the Spitfire is told in this collection of 4 DVDs, which includes a look at how R.J. Mitchell developed the plane from an aviation racer into a weapon of war and the fighter’s crucial role during the darkest days of the war. Region-free PAL 4 DVD set, Running time: 358 minutes
A Bomber Command classic depicting the deep feelings associated with the human cost of the air war in World War II. This is the breathtaking story of a wartime bomber crew facing the hazards of bombing strongly defended targets. A navigator with the RAAF based at Elsham Wolds, Charlwood writes sympathetically and understandingly of the hopes and fears of the crews as squadron losses mounted. Softback, 224 pages.
Code: B400
Code: DVD570
Code: B310
O N LY £ 7 . 9 9
O N LY £ 1 0 . 8 9
O N LY £ 7 . 9 9
Spitfire: A Test Pilot’s Story book Bristol Blenheim DVD Mega Airport Helsinki Vantaa, the premier work of the new developer team A-Flight in breathtaking quality for FSX and Prepar3D. Enjoy this accurate and high detailed rendering of the major airport of Finland and the main hub of Finnair. Day-and night textures as well as textures for all seasons including snow banks in winter reveal the special Nordic atmosphere. 336 pages, paperback
The Bristol Blenheim was originally built as a civilian plane, sponsored by the Daily Mail who wanted something to get their reporters to these scenes of breaking news first. When it was found to outperform existing fighters. Running time 68 minutes. Region 2 (PAL) DVD – Please check that your player is compatible before ordering.
Luftwaffe Fighters’ Battle of Britain book
New in Paperback. The story of how the outnumbered RAF fought and defeated the superior Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain will always be a source of fascination. However, accounts of summer 1940 have tended to centre on the British defenders, both in the air and on the ground, whilst the story of the losing German side has remained largely untold. Softback, 192 pages.
Code: B317
Code: DVD537
Code: B342
O N LY £ 1 0 . 9 5
O N LY £ 9 . 8 9
O N LY £ 7 . 9 9
Riat 2014 Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray
Avro Lancaster book
Escape to Freedom book
The Royal International Air Tattoo 2014 was a fantastic aviation extravaganza with 224 aircraft participating from 32 air arms representing 26 nations. Shot in high-definition, you can now re-live all the action on this official Souvenir Blu-ray which captures the very best of the flying displays including the Red Arrows 50th Display Season celebration.
Comprehensively illustrated throughout with a stunning collection of black and white and colour photographs, presented in a large, landscape format, this book is an entertaining read not only for aviation enthusiasts, but for all who know the legend of the Lancaster bomber in Britain’s wartime history. Hardback, 128 pages.
Tony Johnson was shot down in his Wellington bomber on his third operational mission. Captured shortly after he was interrogated in Dulag Luft before being sent to Stalag Luft 1 on the Baltic where he stayed from April to September 1944. As the noose tightened on Germany, Tony and his fellow kriegies were kept on the move. Softback, 208 pages.
Code: BR046
Code: IA2
Code: B399
O N LY £ 2 4 . 4 9
O N LY £ 1 5 . 0 0
O N LY £ 4 . 9 9
For more great gift ideas visit us at: www.keypublishing.com/shop
We Landed By Moonlight
Flights into the Night book
For most of the 2nd World War the RAF flew small aircraft into Occupied France at night, landing and taking off in total secrecy. Their mission was to transport agents to and from France to support the activities of the French Resistance and SOE. The chronicle of these operations tells an extraordinary adventure story, full of danger for both agent and aviator, involving clandestine radios, secret messages transmitted by the BBC, and maquis volunteers keeping armed guard against interference from inquisitive enemy soldiers.
Supermarine Spitfire book
As a young RAF pilot Anthony Leicester’s wartime service took him to Canada, the Middle East, India and Burma as well as Europe. He survived a midair collision in Canada, then, at nineteen, as the Captain of a Wellington II, lost an engine over the Atlas mountains during the African campaign An illuminating insight into the experiences and emotions of wartime RAF service. Paperback, 248 pages
Code: B356
O N LY £ 1 0 . 9 5
Thought by many to have saved Britain from almost certain German invasion, the Spitfire is a British legend. This striking book is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest symbols of British success and victory. Hardback, 128 pages.
Code: B352
Code: B346
O N LY £ 7 . 9 9
O N LY £ 1 9 . 9 9 FlyPast binder
The Dambusters Raid DVD
Stormbird book Bomber pilots who become fighter pilots are rare, Hermann Buchner was one. The author, a Luftwaffe NCO pilot and Knight’s Cross holder gives a riveting account of his training with the pre-war Austrian airforce, instructing with the Luftwaffe then the terrifying ground attack operations on the Eastern Front trying to stop the Russian mincing machine. Softback, 272 pages.
The true story of a bombing raid which played a pivotal role in the Allied effort in World War II. Fascinating archive footage and new material produced by former Tomorrow’s World presenter William Woollard. As seen on the Discovery Channel. Please note: This DVD is PAL format, please check that your player is compatible before ordering. Running time 60 minutes.
Invest for the future with these FlyPast binders. Perfect for preserving your collection for years to come.
Code: B318
Code: DVD392
Code: FPBINDER
O N LY £ 1 0 . 9 5
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EVENTS
The Aviation & Militaria Fair at Vauxhall Motors Club House, Rivacre Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH66 1NJ. Junction 5, M53
SUNDAY 15th MARCH, 2015
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10.00am - 3.00pm
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Admission: £3.00 (over 14’s) Everything for the enthusiast to buy, sell or exchange.
FOOD AVAILAB LE ALL DAY
Further details... The Griffin Trust 0151-327-4701 or 07745 873491
Wings Over Wellesbourne - Dam Busters 70th Anniversary Badge Price: £4.50 (free P&P) Commemorative hard enamel metal badge in memory of the Dam Busters 70th Anniversary Web: www.reprintuk.com Tel: 01509 267450 Email:
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[email protected] CLOTHING PECARD LEATHER DRESSING Ideal for conservation of leather flight clothing. Online ordering. www.antiqueleatherdressing.co.uk Tel: 01458 241816
AEROBOOT / AEROJUMBLE SALES 2015
Saturday 7th March INDOOR SALE (up to 48 tables) Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June OUTDOOR SALE DURING COCKPIT-FEST www.newarkairmuseum.org
FOR SALE
28/11/2014 FRAMED 11:08 ROBERT TAYLOR PRINT
Reprints UK 6 x 1.indd 1
‘HURRICANE FORCE’. Artist proof. Enquiries tel: 01353 610478
Please contact Marie Tel: 01780 755131
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WASP/SCOUT DEER BOX (radar nose type) could be Pembroke gnat, canopy perspex, assorted radios, sell or exchange for Vampire cockpit parts single seater. Tel: 01935 891591 West Dorset
PAVING SERVICES
Concerned about the condition of your tarmac surface? Slurry Seal Surfacing is The Answer! Machine laid application provides a new long lasting durable surface course at low cost. Used in the UK and worldwide for decades to resurface Military, Civil and Private Runways and taxiways. For a free, no obligation survey & quotation
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Publishers for over 100 Years
Large or small collections of model aero engines in any condition. Old petrol/diesel cars, model kits, books, mags, model radio gear. Will travel.
Air Ministry Fire Bell
Wanted
Bell like this sought. Collector prepared to pay good money Alexander (Bath)
01225 465532
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ASSOCIATIONS WANTED AIRCRAFT-MILITARY PLASTIC KITS WANTED unmade, individually priced, cash paid, will collect. Tel: 02476 542196.
F-4 PHANTOM AND TORNADO COCKPIT PARTS WANTED Instruments, ejection seats, panels, anything considered. Tel: 07711 524915
ALL PLASTIC MODEL KITS WANTED any quantity unmade & built especially large collections. Will collect and pay cash. Tel: 01202 976974 or 07901 890461
HARRIER PARTS WANTED for Historic aircraft restorations. FRS1 radar skirt, GR1 Nose Cone, Throttlebox, cockpit parts. Harrier GR3, 5, 7, 9 parts. Anything considered! Tel: 07711 524915
COLOUR SLIDE AND B&W PHOTO COLLECTIONS WANTED Top prices paid - all other aviation related items considered, will collect. Contact: Chris Tel: 0208 422 5899 Email:
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HIGH GROUND AIRCRAFT WRECK PARTS WANTED, any condition, any size. 07890 892147.
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OLD WOODEN PROPELLERS in any condition. Tel: 07808 727939
DIRECTORY
Wide selection of prints and books. Robert Taylor and other top artists. Many rare items. Phone: 0121 355 1333
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Contact: Mr Dave Phipps Chacksfield House 31 St Andrews Road Leicester LE2 8RE Tel: 0116 244 0028 Fax: 0116 244 0645 Email:
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AIRSHOW PLANES OF FAME
California’s Rising S The Planes of Fame Museum recently hosted an event dedicated to its Japanese exhibits.
E
ach month, a themed Living History Flying Day is hosted by the Planes of Fame Air Museum at Chino, California. Last December the primary subject matter was the collection’s Japanese aircraft of World War Two featuring a combination of flying displays and talks. A presentation by noted author Dan King started the day. He described the role of many of the Japanese aircraft employed in combat during the war against the visual backdrop of the museum’s Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (Allied codename ‘Judy’) and Aichi D3A ‘Val’ dive-bomber reproductions. With the talk concluded, Rob Patterson took the ‘Val’ up for an aerial demonstration over the museum, while John Maloney taxied the ‘Judy’ in front of the audience. A lucky raffle winner was also taken up by pilot Matt Nightingale for a flight in the museum’s North American SNJ-5 Texan N3375G. After his routine in the Aichi, Rob flew the machine to the Palm Springs Air Museum for a second display. Planes of Fame’s ‘Val’ was originally manufactured as a Vultee BT-15 Valiant basic trainer (serial number 11513, and now on the US civil register as NX67629) and later modified to ‘portray’ an Aichi D3A for the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!. The production studio later sold the aircraft to the San Diego Aerospace Museum, before it was obtained by Planes of Fame – initially for static display – in 1973. The museum later restored the Aichi to flying condition for the 2001 film Pearl Harbor. The reproduction is powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine and fitted with a three-bladed propeller.
Hero to Zero One of only two Yokosuka D4Y Suisei dive-bombers known to
exist, the Planes of Fame ‘Judy’ was originally manufactured as an Aichi Atsuta V-12-powered D4Y1 variant, with the serial number 7483. Recovered from Babo Island, Indonesia, by the legendary Bruce ‘Indiana’ Fenstermaker in 1990, it was acquired by the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California, before joining the collection at Planes of Fame. After several years as a static display wreck diorama, the ‘Judy’ was eventually restored as ‘60135’, a ground-running (but nonflyable), radial-powered D4Y3 variant. Being comparatively easy to obtain, an American Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine was substituted for the Mitsubishi Kinsei 62 14-cylinder air-cooled unit originally used in the type. The Yokosuka completed its first engine run and taxi trials in December 2012. A notable absentee at the recent event was the museum’s Mitsubishi A6M5 ‘Zero’ 82020 (NX46770), which is currently being refurbished. Restored to airworthy status in 1978 and powered by its original Nakajima Sakae radial, this ‘Zero’ has returned to Japan three times for demonstrations in its homeland. After its most recent trip, Planes of Fame has decided to carry out some essential maintenance on the hard-working machine, which has been in continuous service since 1978. It should be back in action later this year, an effective reminder of Japan’s most feared military aircraft. www.planesoffame.org
Rob Patterson flying the Aichi D3A ‘Val’ reproduction NX67629 at Chino on December 6.
Below
Another view of the ‘Val’ in flight over Chino.
“Rob Patterson took the ‘Val’ up for an aerial demonstration over the museum, while John Maloney taxied the ‘Judy’ in front of the audience” 112 FLYPAST March 2015
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Fran
g Sun Frank B Mormillo was there
The ‘Val’ and Suisei start their engines at the museum’s recent Living History Flying Day.
Re-enactors Waye Hong (left) and Naoki Yamaguchi in World War Two-era Imperial Japanese Army uniforms pose alongside the Yokosuka D4Y3 Suisei.
Matt Nightingale takes a lucky raffle winner flying in the museum’s North American SNJ-5 Texan N3375G.
John Maloney taxies Planes of Fame’s Yokosuka D4Y3 Suisei ‘601-35’. ALL FRANK B MORMILLO
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AIRFIELDS SOUTH AFRICA
The sad remains of Cape Town’s ‘lost’ airport.
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Cape
Crusader Steve McLean pays tribute to Cape Town’s once thriving Wingfield Airport
D
erelict buildings in Cape Town’s suburbs of Goodwood and Maitland hardly get a second glance as vehicle-bound commuters join the queues heading for the city. Few, if any, will realise that the site they are driving through was once a major element of South Africa’s air
transport network. As early as 1926, Cape Town’s city council acknowledged the need for an airfield in its northern outskirts to complement Youngsfield, and acquired a piece of land known as ‘Six Mile Outspan’. The initial intention for the City of Cape Town
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AIRFIELDS SOUTH AFRICA Fairey Long Range Monoplane II K1991 arriving at Wingfield on February 12, 1933 flown by Sqn Ldr Gayford and Flt Lt Nicholetts.
In mid-January 1937 Elly Beinhorn (on the wing) and her husband, racing driver Berndt Rosemeyer (in the cockpit), arrived at Wingfield during a tour of South Africa in a Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun.
Aerodrome was for it to be an airship base, acting as a staging post connecting the British Empire. Plans were drawn up for mooring masts, weather research stations and hydrogen production facilities, but these were dropped when it seemed that heavier-thanair craft were the way forward. In November 1929 Imperial Airways expressed an interest in the proposed aerodrome and design concepts gave way to construction following the award of a tender for the erection of a hangar and other buildings. The new aerodrome was only 2 miles (3.2km) from the already existing Maitland airfield at Brooklyn, which is the present-day Ysterplaat air force base. This may seem curious but it is likely that anticipated expansion in both the military and civil arenas led to a desire to keep them apart. The land did not lend itself to becoming an airfield; it was
largely a marsh requiring massive amounts of material to stabilise the soil. A high water-table and resultant flooding became a regular winter feature, a condition that continues today. In March 1931 a land surveyor, Frank Brooks, made reference to the site as ‘Wingfield’ in official documentation and this was adopted as the local name. The official inauguration of the City of Cape Town Aerodrome took place on January 27, 1932 at an event highlighted by the departure of the first air mail to London aboard DH Hercules G-AARY City of Karachi. Another de Havilland type, Gipsy Moth ZS-ABW, had beaten the tri-motor airliner by six months when it became the first aircraft to land in August 1931.
Control Tower The second control tower was built in 1943. A meteorological office took pride of place on the roof, the Operations Room occupied the third floor. Offices and briefing rooms made up the first two floors. Today, this magnificent period building stands derelict.
Dashing to the Cape Wingfield became the scene of several record-breaking attempts from Europe. In the early hours
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Hudson I P5163 of 32 Squadron SAAF at RNAS ‘Malagas’ with a second example, P5164, inside the hangar.
“...Alex Henshaw’s ‘downhill run’ of his epic ‘Cape Dash’ from Gravesend flying solo in Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF arrived on February 6, 1939 after a flight time of 39 hours and 25 minutes” of April 21, 1932, Captain Marcel Goulette and André Salel touched down after departing Paris on the 17th in a Farman F.190. Other notables included Amy Johnson flying DH Puss Moth G-ACAB in November 1932, Sqn Ldr Oswald Gayford and Flt Lt Gilbert Nicholetts in a Fairey Long Range Monoplane in February 1933, and Tommy Rose in Miles Falcon 6 G-ADLC in February 1936. Amy recaptured her record in May 1936 flying Percival Gull Six G-ADZO by which time she had
become Mrs Mollison, having married fellow long-distance aviator Jim Mollison in July 1932. Zulu-Oscar was later flown by Harold L Brook who flew from Wingfield to Heston, Cornwall, in a record-breaking time of 4 days 18 minutes in May 1937. The two most well-known visitors were Fg Off Arthur E Clouston and Olive ‘Betty’ Kirby-Green who flew DH.88 Comet G-ACSS The Burberry from London to Wingfield in November 1937 establishing three distance/
performance records in the process. Finally, Alex Henshaw’s ‘downhill run’ of his epic ‘Cape Dash’ from Gravesend flying solo in Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF arrived on February 6, 1939 after a flight time of 39 hours and 25 minutes. Symptomatic of the calibre of the man, Henshaw departed again in the early hours of the 8th and promptly set a new ‘uphill run’ record of 39 hours and 36 minutes. (Today, both G-ACSS and G-AEXF are part of the Shuttleworth Collection.)
Naval base The outbreak of hostilities in September 1939 brought with it changes as the Union of South Africa assumed a war footing. The first South African Air Force (SAAF) unit to take up residence was 6 Squadron with four Hurricane Is. The fighters were joined later in the month by 15 Squadron and three Junkers Ju 86s, which had been commandeered from South African Airways. In a reshuffle, 6 Squadron was renumbered
Imperial Airways DH Hercules G-AARY ‘City of Karachi’ at the official opening of Wingfield on January 27, 1932.
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AIRFIELDS SOUTH AFRICA
Main hangar The original hangar was constructed in 1931. Famous German pilots Elly Beinhorn and Bernd Rosemeyer are shown arriving over it in 1937 in their Bf 108 Taifun. Cessna C34 ZS-AID of the Air Taxi Company stands in the hangar doorway. Today, this hangar at Wingfield serves as a South African Navy storage facility.
1 Squadron, while 15 amalgamated with 16 to form 32 Squadron on December 1, 1939. On the following day, the SAAF’s first hostile engagement of the war took place when Ju 86s intercepted the German liner Watussi off Cape Point while searching for the Admiral Graf Spee in conjunction with HMS Sussex and Ark Royal. After some persuasion in the form of three bombs and machine gun fire Watussi was persuaded by the attackers to turn and dock at Simonstown, but the captain elected to scuttle his vessel after passengers and crew had taken to the lifeboats. The British Fleet Air Arm (FAA) made its first acquaintance with Wingfield on December 3. Swordfishes of 810 Squadron flew off the Ark Royal to pay a courtesy visit. Wingfield’s only official connection with British naval forces at this stage remained the solitary figure of Lt A G McEwan in a liaison capacity for SAAF maritime operations. From January 1940 the FAA established a base at Youngsfield but by late 1941 it became obvious that the naval units had outgrown the airfield and urgently needed an alternative. On March 3, 1942
it was announced that the FAA would relocate to and take over Wingfield. Royal Naval Air Station Malagas, encompassing the airfield and an aircraft repair yard, was initiated under the control of HMS Afrikander I, the Royal Navy base at Simonstown, on April 9. The Youngsfield contingent moved to its new home on May 18. Under Lt-Cdr K C Johnston, 789 Squadron FAA led the way, forming up at Wingfield on July 1, 1942 featuring a mix of Swordfish, Blackburn Rocs, Sea Hurricanes and at least one Walrus amphibian. These were later supplemented by Fairey Albacores, Blackburn Skuas, Vought Kingfishers, Boulton Paul Defiants and at least two Fairey Fulmars. The role of 789 was to assist transient units with their training requirements as well as ad hoc tasks that ranged from patrols over convoys rounding the Cape of Good Hope, to drogue towing for gunnery exercises.
Assembly and test Detachments of 700 and 703 Squadrons were sent to Malagas from August 1942 and January 1943 respectively where the small contingents assisted with training and anti-submarine patrols. A steady stream of additions to 789
Armstrong Whitworth Atalanta G-ABTI outside Wingfield’s main hangar in November 1933.
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“...the repair yard was functioning at full capacity and a number of active units arrived to take up lodging while their parent ships underwent work in both Cape Town and Durban harbours”
The C-in-C South Atlantic, Vice Admiral Sir Robert Burnett, inspecting 896 Squadron in April 1945 prior to its departure for the Far East aboard HMS ‘Ameer’.
Assembly hangar Hellcats outside the assembly hangars on the southern perimeter in 1945. This contrasts with their present use housing elements of the Department of Defence disposal facilities.
Squadron justified the formation of a second lodger unit, and 799 Squadron was formed in September 1943. The arrival of Beaufighters for assembly and testing required a revised approach to conversion training and at least three SAAF Airspeed Oxfords arrived to help out. Lockheed Venturas of the SAAF’s 29 Operational Training Unit Torpedo Training Section began to arrive as 1943 drew to a close. From mid-1944 the base truly came into its own as aircraft were assembled in large numbers, the repair yard was functioning at full capacity and a number of active units arrived to take up lodging while their parent ships underwent work in both Cape Town and Durban harbours. Examples of this activity included the arrival of 896 and 898 Squadrons in January 1945, the Grumman Hellcats joining Fairey Barracudas and Vought Corsairs alongside an assortment of older types still serving in local skies. On April 26, 1945 Grumman Martlet VIs of 881 Squadron touched down off HMS Pursuer to undergo conversion to Hellcat IIs.
With VJ Day came an almost immediate suspension of activities, save for celebrations befitting the end of the war. Demobilisation proved a painfully slow process. Demand for passage back to England far outstripped supply. For those left behind, sport and social activities became rituals as the days turned to weeks and eventually months. Barracudas and Corsairs from 827 and 1846 Squadrons, respectively, arrived off HMS Colossus in January 1946 while the vessel underwent a threemonth repair at Simonstown. Servicing crews continued to maintain aircraft as required but the heady days of full flying training programmes were over and many airframes simply stood idle awaiting their fate. Orders were received and aircraft prepared, crated and trucked or towed to the harbour for lifting aboard carrier decks. It was to be their last journey, as within hours of sailing from port instruction was received to dispose of them overboard, the trashing of Hellcats off HMS Colossus and Indefatigable being the best recorded.
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AIRFIELDS SOUTH AFRICA former aerodrome. The main national routes N1 and N7, divide what remains of the former RNAS Malagas infrastructure. The impressive control tower, built in 1943 to replace the pre-war version, stands as an empty shell. The original two steel hangars, erected in 1931 and 1938, remain as stores but can offer little protection against the elements, such is their state. Buildings that housed support services are crumbling and overgrown.
It has been recently announced that the former Cape Town Municipal Airport will be developed into a low-cost housing suburb in an effort to address Cape Town’s chronic accommodation shortage. It is sad that nothing seems to be planned to commemorate an airfield whose place in history should have guaranteed it so much more. Archive images courtesy of the South African Aviation Foundation; present-day images by the author.
The Wingfield scrapyard post-war. Identifiable are at least two Swordfish fuselages and the remains of Fairey Sea Fox K8583.
De-mob and replacement South African Airways re-commenced services on December 1, 1944 and by May 1946 Douglas DC-4s had been introduced on the JohannesburgWingfield route to cope with increased demand. Lockheed Lodestars – returned from the SAAF where they had operated in transport and VIP roles during the war – flew regional routes. It had become obvious that Cape Town Municipal Airport, as Wingfield was now known, had reached its peak and would shortly not be able to cope with the growth trajectory being experienced in civilian air traffic. To this end, in 1946 construction began for a new airport near the northern suburb of Bellville. In possibly the most fitting of tributes to an aerodrome that had been the destination or departure point of so many record-breaking
flights, Wingfield occupied the headlines once more. On December 17, 1953 Canberra B.2 WH699 Aries IV of the RAF Flying College touched down from the UK in a new record time of 12 hours, 21 minutes and 3.8 seconds in the hands of Wg Cdr G Petty. On September 7, 1954 torrential rain over Wingfield forced South African Airways DC-4 ZS-BMH to divert to the runway at a still incomplete Cape Town National Airport in Bellville, being followed the next day by DC-4 ZS-AUC as the first ‘official’ landing. Thus Wingfield aerodrome slipped into the annals of history. Following the move to the new airport, Wingfield was passed on to the South African Navy as a stores and general engineering station. This storage role continues, both by the navy and national medical services. The army houses reserve units and there is also a prison on the
Arrivals and Departures Douglas DC-4 ZS-BMF Amatola in the early 1950s in front of the arrivals and departures hall. The house served as the flight control and briefing room during the war and today the buildings await their fate.
Table Mountain providing a backdrop for Corsairs of 1846 Squadron. Brooklyn aerodrome – now AFB Ysterplaat – is directly below.
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g n i p p a n S GLORY DAYS PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES
n o i t c a The ways carried al w le G an m or N n or -b by Der en presents a camera. Barry M Marsd oyment to the Norman’s images of his depl Middle East in 1941
Above
Sgt Norman Glew joined 72 Squadron on Spitfires in 1940 and served in the Battle of Britain, claiming two destroyed, plus shares in two more, and a brace of ‘probables’. After a spell with 41 Squadron he volunteered for overseas duty and was posted to 260 Squadron, bound for the Middle East. Norman is illustrated in the cockpit of his Hurricane sometime during 260’s stay in Palestine.
Above
A Hurricane of 260 Squadron landing at El Bassa airstrip in August 1941. Norman Glew described it as being “at the base of a damn great hill.” Left
A torpedo-equipped Fairey Swordfish taking off from the deck of HMS ‘Victorious’ during the search for the ‘Bismarck’.
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n
d
Above
On June 14, 1941, a Hudson of 206 Squadron guided 260’s Hurricanes to Malta. Norman Glew took this shot of the formation. Left
Established at Haifa in Palestine, 260 Squadron flew sorties over Syria, attacking Vichy French airfields. Norman captioned this image: ‘A unit of the Middle East Air Force’. It shows his Australian ground crew with Hurricane ‘E’.
Above
At Gibraltar, 260 Squadron transferred from ‘Victorious’ to the ‘Ark Royal’ in early June 1941. Illustrated are tropicalised Hurricane Is, fitted with fixed long-range tanks, awaiting the order to fly to Malta. Left
The aircraft carrier HMS ‘Victorious’ was tasked to take 260 Squadron to Malta in 1941. On the way, it was diverted to help in the hunt for the German battleship ‘Bismarck’. In this atmospheric image, ‘Victorious’ is making smoke to confuse enemy gunners. Note the battery of 0.50 calibre guns in front of the funnel.
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PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE LOCKHEED HUDSON
Graceful Old La
Doug Hamilton of the Temora Aviation Museum talks to Gavin Conroy about piloting the world’s only airw
“H
ow did you get the job flying this?” Is a common question that Temora Aviation Museum’s deputy director of flying operations, Doug Hamilton, is asked at airshows. The New South Wales-based museum acquired 1939-built Lockheed Hudson IVA A16-112 (VH-KOY) in May 2004. The organisation is very proud to
be operating the only airworthy example of the famous patrol bomber. With around 150 hours flying experience accumulated on Kilo-Oscar-Yankee, Doug has considerable experience of the type’s characteristics. He acknowledges that piloting such a significant aircraft is a huge responsibility but he really enjoys
it – especially being able to display the Hudson to appreciative audiences. When airshow goers are not quizzing Doug how he got to pilot the Hudson, they express surprise about the display. Doug explained: “Most people are amazed at how agile it is. Sitting on the ground, from the side it looks very heavy and
almost cumbersome. But airborne it takes on a different appearance, it comes to life.” Challenge an ‘Aussie’ warbird fan to name a favourite aircraft and the Hudson is nearly always in the top three. Doug knows why: “Lots of people come up and talk about their dad, grandfather or uncle who flew in Hudsons. When they have a look inside,
Above
Hudson VH-KOY during a special air to air photographic sortie in 2014. ALL AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED
Top right
The Temora Aviation Museum’s Doug Hamilton, the Hudson’s regular pilot. He is photographed on the wing of the collection’s CAC Boomerang. (See page 130 for more on this aircraft.)
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IN THE LOGBOOK
Lady
only airworthy Hudson
sometimes they become quite emotional, coming to grips with the reality of their family members in action. “There are a lot of families that still remember the Hudson, after the war they were flown for a long while doing transport and survey work, so Australians are very familiar with them. The Hudson has a presence when
“Lots of people come up and talk about their dad, grandfather or uncle who flew in Hudsons. When they have a look inside, sometimes they become quite emotional, coming to grips with the reality of their family members in action” March 2015 FLYPAST 125
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PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE LOCKHEED HUDSON
Temora’s Hudson The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) received 247 Hudsons between January 1940 and May 1942. As the war progressed a number of roles were found for the RAAF examples, including transport – 14 troops could be carried if the turret and other items of equipment were removed. Other roles were meteorological reconnaissance, VIP transport and air-sea rescue, for which an under-fuselage airborne lifeboat was carried. The versatility ensured the type remained in service throughout the war and for some time afterwards. Hudson A16-112 was built in 1939 and was received from the USA on December 5, 1941. After service with 1 Operational Training Unit it was allotted to 14 Squadron on July 8, 1942 for anti-submarine patrols off the coast of Western Australia. It next served with 32 Squadron off the east coast and then with 6 Squadron, at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea on bombing, armed reconnaissance and patrol sorties. It was finally used for survey work until being disposed of in December 1949. The Hudson entered service with East-West Airlines at Tamworth in New South Wales and became its flagship, VH-EWA Peel City. It was purchased by Adastra Aerial Surveys of Sydney, NSW, in the summer of 1953 and converted as a photographic survey platform. The Long family of Melbourne, Victoria, purchased it in 1976. It was re-registered as VH-KOY and restoration to its original military configuration was completed in 1993. The Hudson joined the Temora Aviation Museum in May 2004. www.aviationmuseum.com.au it is lined up at an airport; there is no mistaking that it is an old World War Two bomber.”
Right guy, right time So just how did he get to fly the Hudson? “Temora had acquired the Hudson and then needed some pilots to fly it. I was lucky enough to be doing some flying with the museum and because I had some twin tailwheel time I was one of the pilots that got endorsed on the aircraft. “Obviously you need heavy tailwheel, radial and twin engine experience before contemplating flying the Hudson. I had a background of flying the Winjeel, Harvard, Wirraway, Boomerang and the like. Probably and most importantly I had owned a Beech 18 for a few years, so the prospect
of flying the Hudson was not too daunting. “There is just one set of controls, so the first flight was a very focused moment. I did feel rather sorry for the pilot endorsing me, sitting in the right-hand seat with only an intercom to try to sort out any problems! “As with any type endorsement there was a lot of time spent getting to understand the systems and required speeds.”
Nice handling “The Hudson is a nice handling aeroplane, light on the controls and surprisingly agile for such a big old warbird. That said, we fly it well below maximum weight so it could handle quite differently fully loaded. “Ground handling is predictable and controllable, even in
VH-KOY’s dorsal Boulton Paul turret.
CAC Boomerang VH-MHR pulls away from Hudson VH-KOY during a show display at Temora in 2014.
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IN THE LOGBOOK
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PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE LOCKHEED HUDSON
Temora’s Tribute to a warrior The paint scheme worn by Hudson VH-KOY is representative of Mk.III A16-211 that served with 6 Squadron RAAF during the decisive Battle for Milne Bay. Later it flew with 2 Squadron in the North Western Area – Timor, the Dutch East Indies. After a complete overhaul A16-211 transferred to 2 Squadron flying out of Milingimbi in the Northern Territory. Together with four other Hudsons, A16211 undertook an armed reconnaissance to the Japanese floatplane bases at Maikor and Taberfane in the Aru Islands on May 7, 1943. On returning to base A16-211’s undercarriage gave way and it ground looped. It was severely damaged and stripped of components. The remains of this aircraft are thought to still be at Milingimbi. Right
Looking resplendent – ‘A16-211’ at its Temora home.
reasonable crosswinds. The brakes are unusual. However, they work well. They are not toe-operated brakes that you would expect in an American-built aeroplane of that era. They are operated by a lever below the throttle quadrant that pulls out. Pulling out with the rudders neutral gives you even braking on both wheels. With the lever partially out, with some rudder, gives braking to one wheel only. This works OK once you become accustomed to it, but personally I would prefer the toeoperated type.”
Power comes from two Wright GR-1820-G205A Cyclone ninecylinder air-cooled radials with two-speed superchargers each rated at 1,200hp (894kW) for take-off. The big Wrights drive three-bladed Hamilton Standard hydromatic constant speed propellers of 10ft 6in diameter. There are four centre-section tanks, holding 536 imp gallons of 100 octane aviation fuel. “At the weights we fly, the Hudson has plenty of power and is very stable. It trims out beautifully and just rumbles through the sky. It’s proven to be very reliable with very few problems over the years we have been operating it. As was the case with most American-built
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IN THE LOGBOOK aeroplanes of that era, it is very robust. “In the early wartime days of the Hudsons, there were some problems with singleengine situations in the landing configuration with flaps fully down. This led to modifying them by blanking out the full flap position. But, as with any twin, you cannot let it get too slow and think you can fly away on one engine. “Single-engine performance at the weights we operate is quite good. As long as you are above 99 knots it will accelerate and climb away quite happily on one, albeit with a very hefty amount of rudder. You don’t hold it in very long before you
are winding in lots of rudder trim to relieve the force on the rudder pedal, to give your leg a rest.”
Versatile performer Hudson Kilo-Oscar-Yankee is a versatile member of the Temora Aviation Museum fleet. Doug: “Flying hours vary each year, the good thing is that if any other aircraft are going away from the museum, the Hudson usually goes as well given its capacity to carry support equipment and personnel.” Is the Hudson a difficult aircraft to display? “Not at all, the hardest thing is seeing the runway or display line when you are turning right. This is one of the reasons we always carry two crew.
“We just use high cruise power settings, otherwise it accelerates too much on the run in and the display becomes too spread out. Unlike the fighters, you are not inclined to pull the Hudson into a tight fast turn. “I am comfortable flying it, but still pay attention when doing so. Like any aircraft, and
especially tailwheel ones, it is relatively easy as long as you are flying it and it’s not taking you for a fly.”
The verdict Having got to know the Hudson well, would it have been an aircraft that Doug would want to go into combat with during the 1940s? “Maybe in the very early days of the war. But the Hudson would have been outclassed very early on. It is a great aeroplane to fly around in but I wouldn’t like to be trying to avoid nimble fighters in it.” If Doug had to sum up the Lockheed twin in one word, what would it be? “Graceful old lady – sorry, that’s three words!”
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FINALS CAC BOOMERANG Introduced in 1943, the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Boomerang was the first combat aircraft designed and built in Australia. A total of 250 were made, but only three remain airworthy today, including our subject, Temora Aviation Museum’s CA-13 A46-122 (VH-MHR). It served with the RAAF in World War Two, flying with 4, 5, 83, 84 and 85 Squadrons in the home defence role, protecting convoys from Japanese attack. Very much a
machine of war, production ended 70 years ago, in 1945. GAVIN CONROY
next
Your April extra-value issue will contain a free pull-out guide to the 2015 airshow season, featuring events from all around the world and the best warbird photography there is. Our The Way We Were series also makes a welcome comeback, focusing on 115 Squadron. Don’t miss this special issue, in the UK shops on March 1! * Overseas deliveries are likely to be after this date.
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