Flypast 2017-07

BUCCANEER - SALUTING A COLD WAR WARRIOR Britain’s Top-Selling Aviation Monthly

Buccaneer Britain's Cold War Guardian

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES

RAISED FROM THE DEPTHS Swedish Skytrain conservation in detail WORKSHOP

Spotlight Lavochkin La-5

IN THE COCKPIT

HISTORY Russia’s deadly defender WORLD WAR 2

Flying the Grace Spitfire

WARBIRDS

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IN WAR AND PEACE

HISTORY

US airman’s glittering career

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COLD WAR

Conflict over the canal

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Welcome

H

ello, and welcome to the July edition of FlyPast. I’ve long had a fervent interest in the Handley Page Victor, so to rub shoulders with those connected with the bomber’s legendary Black Buck 1 mission during the Falklands conflict was a personal privilege. I readily accepted the kind invitation to join the April 30 reunion of staff and aircrew but this was not merely a celebration of the aeroplane, it commemorated the 35th anniversary of that South Atlantic raid. It recognised the achievements of those at the heart of the mission, many now in their 70s, and who had not gathered together since 1982. It was an incredibly moving day at Bruntingthorpe. I was more than content to simply watch and listen as old friends and comrades shook hands and reminisced about their careers, those they had known, and wistfully remembered absent friends. Then came the moment when Victor XM715 taxied out to the runway and delighted the crowd with a short run, despite the stiff crosswind. The emotion was palpable, and I suspect there were few dry eyes among the onlookers as the familiar streamlined shape of the tanker slowly made its way past. There are many special moments in my job, and I’m more fortunate than most to have the honour to bear witness to myriad aspects of aviation history and preservation. This particular day among them is one I will never forget.

Deputy Editor Steve Beebee

Contributing Editor Ken Ellis

EDITORIAL: Editor – Chris Gilson Deputy Editor – Steve Beebee Contributing Editors - Ken Ellis and Dave Unwin Group Editor - Nigel Price General enquiries to: Editor’s Secretary: Johanna Buckley FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK Tel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261 E-mail: [email protected] www.flypast.com DESIGN: Art Editor – Mike Carr

Group Editor Nigel Price

Art Editor Mike Carr

Advertising Manager Alison Sanders

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As a boy just starting school at the beginning of the conflict, this was a poignant and humbling reminder of war fought during my lifetime, and my grateful thanks goes to all who made the day possible. Another Cold War warrior appears on our cover this month, with our headline feature on the last days of the Blackburn Buccaneer. The latter was an unsung hero of its time; loved by its crews, it is still one of the most effective low level bombers that ever flew. We’re proud to present some great images taken with 208 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth just before the Bucc’ left RAF service, while the last commanding officer of 208 shares his memories of the squadron. Someone else to experience a memorable day recently was FlyPast’s own Steve Beebee who took to the skies in the legendary Grace Spitfire, Tr.IX ML407 at Sywell near Northampton. As a dyed-in- the-wool Spitfire lover, he narrates the twists and turns of ‘life in the back’ – see his feature on page 100. Steve has also just been promoted to Deputy Editor of FlyPast, so I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing him every success. Until next month, enjoy your magazine.

Chris Gilson Editor

Below Handley Page Victor K.2 ‘Teasin’ Tina’ faces the crowd during the Black Buck 1 reunion on April 30 at Bruntingthorpe. DARREN HARBAR

FlyPast (ISSN: 0262-6950), July, 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.

MANAGING DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER: Adrian Cox EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Richard Cox SUBSCRIPTIONS / MAIL ORDER: Manager – Liz Ward PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1NA, UK Tel: 01780 480404 Fax: 01780 757812 E-mail: Subscriptions: [email protected] E-mail: Mail Order: [email protected] Readers in USA can place subscriptions by visiting www.flypast.com or by calling toll free 800-4283003 or fax 757-428-6253 or by writing to FlyPast, 3330 Pacific Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. SMALL PRINT: While every care is taken with submissions, the Publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions. These are regularly updated without prior notice and are downloadable from www.keypublishing.com We are unable to guarantee the bonafides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. The entire contents of FlyPast is © Copyright 2016. No part of it can be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Britain’s top-selling aviation monthly

Features 24

Buffalo soldiers

40

Peter London explains how the unfairly maligned Brewster Buffalo proved to be a formidable weapon in Finnish hands.

34

Hunting high and low Two wars, stand-offs with the Soviets and a world altitude record: Warren E Thompson talked to Col Howard Johnson about these exploits.

Suez Canberras Andrew Thomas describes the English Electric Canberra’s operational debut in the skies over Egypt.

46

Unbeatable Buccaneer Graham Pitchfork recalls his days on 208 Squadron and how the Buccaneerequipped unit became the spearhead of NATO’s northern flank.

54

End of the line The final days of the Buccaneer are described with affection by Gp Capt Nigel Huckins.

100 Spitfire flight A memorable flight in the rear cockpit of the Grace Spitfire from Sywell is recalled by Steve Beebee.

Contents July 2017

No.432

Front Cover

A pair of 208 Squadron Blackburn Buccaneers flying together shortly before withdrawal from RAF service in 1994. See feature beginning on page 54. JOHN DIBBS-THE PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

This page, main image: Sea Harrier FA.2 ZH796 and Harrier GR.3 XZ991 during a night photography shoot at Cosford. See News. STEVE BUCKBY

24 Buffalo soldiers

100 Spitfire flight

116 Special Duties

News 116 Special Duties David Coxon and Hugh Trevor pay tribute to ‘Mac’ McCairns whose medals are now treasured by the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

• • • • • •

Regulars

Mitchell repainted in Australia New home for Southend Vulcan Concorde ‘unwrapped’ at Filton Grumman Goose restored to fly Shuttleworth Spitfire engine run Falklands ‘Black Buck’ reunion

82

Airfields – Cornwall Ken Ellis journeys through Cornwall, highlighting the area’s extensive aviation heritage.

90

From The Workshop Linnéa Holmberg Wensby describes the challenging project to salvage and preserve a Swedish Air Force C-47 shot down by a MiG over the Baltic.

98

Classic Fighters Photographer Gavin Conroy captures a series of images from the spectacular Yealands Classic Fighters airshow, held in New Zealand during April.

108 Glory Days A portfolio of images from 1956 showing aircraft and personnel from the Benson-based Ferry Wing.

110 FlyPost Readers’ letters, and diary dates.

112 For Valour Victoria Cross recipient Alan McLeod is profiled by Graham Pitchfork.

122 Finals Hawker Sea Hurricane.

Spotlight

Lavochkin La-5

FREE gift when you subscribe! Claim your FREE Warbirds Of Air Racing DVD or Pathfinder book when you take out a two-year or direct debit subscription to FlyPast. See pages 32 and 33 for details or visit www.flypast.com to find out more about our digital packages.

66

Origin and History

74

We recount the Russian fighter’s history.

68

Lavochkin In Combat Aleksander Medved explains how the Soviet Air Force developed a worthy adversary to the Luftwaffe’s Fw 190 and Bf 109.

La-5 in Profile Andrey Yurgenson artwork of a Lavochkin La-5FN.

76

Men Behind the Machine The spectacular career of Soviet fighter ace Nikolai Skomorokhov is assessed by Aleksander Medved.

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Southend Vulcan goes under cover Avro Vulcan B.2 XL426 is being moved indoors at London Southend Airport. The jet will relocate to the airport’s Hangar 6, initially for five years. The hangar is set to become the Vulcan Restoration Trust’s (VRT) engineering and visitor base. XL426 was moved off its

parking pan on the airport’s eastern perimeter for the last time on May 5 to a temporary holding location until the hangar is ready, with the final move likely in the next few weeks. Since the beginning of May, VRT volunteers, assisted by London Southend Airport, have been

preparing the hangar for XL426’s arrival. The move is needed to free up extra car parking space for the increasing numbers of passengers using the airport. Glyn Jones, CEO Stobart Aviation, said: “The Vulcan is a key part of the history here, and is incredibly popular

with visitors, so we have been very pleased to work with the trust to provide it with a new home that helps their objective of creating an even better visitor experience, at the same time as helping us grow as an airport.” www.avrovulcan.com

Avro Vulcan B.2 XL426 during a recent night photography shoot at Southend. LIAM SHAW

Concorde is ‘unwrapped’ at Filton

Concorde 216 begins to emerge from its protective covering at Filton on April 18. COURTESY AEROSPACE BRISTOL

Aerospace Bristol removed the covering from its main attraction, Concorde 216 (G-BOAF), on April 18, ahead of the new museum’s opening this summer. The last of the supersonic passenger jets to be built and the last to fly, the Concorde has pride of place within the Filton-based attraction’s main hall. Alpha-Foxtrot had been wrapped in protective film while works took place around it, including the construction of a wall at one end of the purposebuilt hangar. The challenging task of wrapping and unwrapping the airliner was successfully conducted by specialists Packexe. Aerospace Bristol’s executive director Lloyd Burnell said: “It’s 6 FLYPAST July 2017

fantastic to see Concorde unwrapped and looking stunning in her brand new home. As the centrepiece of Aerospace Bristol’s exhibition, Concorde will inspire the next generation to pursue careers in engineering and develop the big ideas of tomorrow. We can’t wait to welcome our first visitors on board this summer.” Aerospace Bristol is being developed by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, a registered charity that relies on corporate supporters and public donations. With a further £2m required to finalise the £19m project, the charity is currently seeking supporters. To make a donation visit www.aerospacebristol.org or call 01179 315 315 during office hours.

BBMF Spitfire XVI being repainted

Flt Lt Antony Parkinson displayed the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Spitfire XVIe TE311 at the Shuttleworth Collection’s Season Premiere show on May 7. The aircraft is currently being repainted and appeared at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, wearing a darkcoloured primer. It will eventually represent TD240, the personal aircraft of 131 (Polish) Wing’s CO Gp Capt Aleksander Gabszewicz DSO DFC. The nose art will feature a boxing bulldog. PHOTO-DARREN HARBAR

Shuttleworth Spitfire comes to life

The Shuttleworth Collection’s Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc AR501 fired up its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, on April 25. It’s the first time the installed powerplant has run since the Spitfire rebuild began several years ago. Ian Laraman, who has led the project, was at the controls during the engine run. www.shuttleworth.org DARREN HARBAR

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B-25 Mitchell rolled out in South Australia

Bruntingthorpe Shackleton project makes headway

Gary Spoors and his team at Bruntingthorpe-based GJD Services are making good progress with their restoration of Avro Shackleton MR.3 WR974. The aircraft, pictured on April 30, has been at the Leicestershire airfield since 2014, having previously been on display at the Gatwick Aviation Museum. www.gjdservices.co.uk DARREN HARBAR

B-25J Mitchell 44-31508 in its new paint scheme at Parafield. PHIL BUCKLEY

Reevers Warbirds has completed painting Parafield-based North American B-25J Mitchell 44-31508 into Netherlands East Indies Air Force markings. The aircraft now represents N5-131 Pulk, which was flown by Dutch pilot Fred ‘Pulk’ Pelder with 18 Squadron. The unit was established in Canberra on April 4, 1942. With a fleet comprising around 100 Mitchells, it flew from Australian bases during World War Two.

At least 100 guests witnessed the B-25J’s official roll-out in the new scheme on April 8. Among them were three 18 Squadron veterans, all aged between 93 and 95, who served with the unit during the war. Reevers is continuing to overhaul the potentially airworthy aircraft – previously known as Lucky Lady – and estimate that it could be flying again in five years. www.reevers.com.au PHIL BUCKLEY

B-29 ‘Doc’ makes memorable airshow debut

The Barksdale AFB Defenders of Liberty Airshow in Louisiana was the venue for a remarkable Fortress Anniversary Formation on May 6 and 7. The flypast featured Boeing B-29A Superfortress 44-69972 ‘Doc’, B-17G Flying Fortress 44-85718 ‘Thunderbird’ and the 69th Bomb Squadron’s B-52H Stratofortress 61-0003. The event was the first stop for ‘Doc’ on its US tour, after the B-29 was returned to flight last July. JIM FIRMIN

Meteor to be restored at Boscombe Down The Imperial War Museum has gifted Gloster Meteor NF.11 WD686 to the Old Sarum, Wiltshire-based Boscombe Down Aviation Collection (BDAC). A team of four dismantled the aircraft and removed it from its previous home at the Muckleburgh Collection in Weybourne, Norfolk, during late April. It arrived at Old Sarum on April 27, and a restoration

to static display condition has begun. The jet will eventually be returned to the silver-and-orange livery it wore during its flying days. On completion, WD686 will be loaned to the Defford Airfield Heritage Group in Worcestershire for a few summer months of external display and will then be returned to BDAC. Built by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton, Warwickshire, in 1952,

the aircraft was once based at Defford with the Telecommunications Research Establishment. It also flew from Boscombe Down with the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment. The Meteor served with several other units, mostly conducting trials work, and was retired from flying at Bedford on October

26, 1967. Following a rebuild to static display condition, it was on show at Duxford until February 1991 when it arrived at Weybourne on long-term loan. It currently wears 141 Squadron markings, but years of exposure to the elements have taken a toll on its overall condition. www. boscombedownaviationcollection. co.uk WITH THANKS TO RON FULTON-BDAC

Meteor NF.11 WD686 being dismantled at Weybourne in late April. COURTESY BDAC

July 2017 FLYPAST 7

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Discovery of new parts aids Meteor restoration

Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 at Elvington recently. GRAHAM BUCKLE

Graham Buckle and his team have been making steady progress on their restoration of Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 at Elvington’s Yorkshire Air Museum. Removal of corrosion beneath the jet’s wings and engine nacelles has continued, with the focus recently

switching to internal work, and sourcing replacement parts. “A huge leap forward came when Mike Davey contacted us, via FlyPast, wishing to help the project and offering us the opportunity to visit his store of Meteor parts,” reports Graham. “This we duly did, and we came away with plenty of

mostly new items, parts we suspected we would never find. Thanks to Mike’s generosity we now have, among other things, replacement mainwheels with new block tread tyres, a replacement pair of wingtips, one of which had never been issued or fitted to a jet, many new panels and access hatches to replace corroded

items, and even one NF-specific ammunition box.” The new items are currently being fitted, the wingtips having been fixed in place by engineering interns Ben Pardon and Kobe Geerts. A pair of wooden intake rings are also close to completion, as is the front cockpit. Aileron and elevator controls have been reinstated, and the elevator layshaft – recovered from the remains of F.8 VZ568 with the help of FlyPast editor Chris Gilson – has been restored and installed. The jet is to be repainted later this year, shedding its 152 Squadron scheme in favour of the silver and orange livery of its final operator, 1 Air Navigation School. The project welcomes further contact (via this magazine) from anyone who feels they might have relevant parts. WITH THANKS TO GRAHAM BUCKLE

Messerschmitt restored to fly in Germany Recently restored Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun D-EOIO made its first public appearance on April 29 at a private meeting of classic aircraft in Ober-Mörlen, north of Frankfurt. The aircraft has been completely refurbished and returned to airworthiness by Dirk Bende and his team at Hangelar, near Bonn. Dirk had discovered the Taifun in a poor state of repair several years ago in France.

Built in 1939, it originally flew as ‘2086’ with the Swiss Air Force – its original Argus As 10C engine is still in place, having been overhauled by Dirk. Before the Messerschmitt is handed over to its new owner, who has opted to display it in a civilian scheme, it will undergo further test flights. It will eventually be based in Wels, Austria. STEFAN SCHMOLL

Greek Phantom to be repainted near Athens

briefings

Staff at the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Museum, based at Dekelia airfield near Athens, are preparing to repaint McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom 7487. The former Luftwaffe jet was one of 29 Phantoms received by the HAF’s 348 Mira in 1993, and one of six RF-4E variants. The ejection seats, engines and cameras in the nose were removed prior to the work beginning. www.haf.gr TONY SACKETOS

8 FLYPAST July 2017

Aérospatiale Alouette III SA316B ‘A-453’ has been installed as a ‘gate guardian’ outside Gilze-Rijen Air Base, in Holland. As it is not on private ground, the helicopter can be viewed and photographed by the public. It has been painted to represent a machine that flew with the RNLAF Grasshoppers demonstration team. ROGER SOUPART

Messerschmitt Bf 108 D-EOIO taxiing at OberMörlen, Germany, in April. STEFAN SCHMOLL

A crowdfunding bid is under way to support the de Havilland Aircraft Museum’s plan to create a new hangar. The London Colney attraction is seeking to ‘match fund’ a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Note that the bid ends on June 8. See: www. crowdfunder.co.uk/new-hangar-for-the-dehavilland-aircraft-museum

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Former Fleet Air Arm Grumman Goose flies again

Grumman Goose JRF-6B N95467 returned to the air on April 17 following a 9,000-hour restoration by Pemberton and Sons Aviation in Spokane, Washington. Under the command of Fred Ball, who has 15,000 flying hours in Grumman amphibians, the 40-minute test flight revealed no issues aside from a drafty pilot’s window. Later that day, Fred and owner-restorer Addison Pemberton gave flights to family, friends and volunteers who had participated in the five-year project to return the aircraft to flight. Over the next few days, Fred checked out Addison and son Jay in the type. “The test flights went very well,” said Addison. “The Goose has excellent control harmony and was very smooth. In fact, within hours of the first take-off, we started doing water training on a lake in northern Idaho. The aircraft check-out was interesting and new to us as the Goose requires unique tailwheel technique. Water work is amazing and we have a lot to learn before tackling anything other than benign water conditions.” The restoration included stripping

10 FLYPAST July 2017

Below

Grumman Goose JRF-6B N95467 flying from Spokane in April. ALL JEFFREY NEUBERGERPEMBERTON AND SONS

Goose N95467 is currently based at Spokane in Washington state.

the paint to allow a thorough assessment of the aircraft’s condition before taking it apart. The wing centre section has been overhauled with the help of two sets of wings while other parts were sourced from Canada. The Pratt & Whitney R-98514Bs engines and propellers were also refurbished. Built in 1942, JRF-6B 1161 was originally delivered under lend-lease to the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm as FP511 where it served as ‘W2R’ with 749 NAS in Trinidad.

After the war it was operated as Excalibur IV with Charles Blair’s Antilles Air Boats in the Caribbean. Following airline service flying from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and operations in Alaska, the Goose was withdrawn from use by a new owner and a restoration began. When that owner died, it was donated to the Palm Springs Air Museum where it was made externally complete, and displayed for 19 years before being sold to the Pembertons – the 19th restoration

the company has completed since the 1970s. “Our plans are to fly it [from water],” Addison says. “There are more than 70 lakes in on our immediate area. It’s going to see most of those lakes and will not only be a great flying aircraft but a fine way to explore the region with friends and grandchildren. It has a long and colourful history, so we plan on keeping it in fresh water and giving it an easy life.” JOHN BOYLE

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NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE Vought F4U-1 Corsair 02270 under restoration at the Classic Jets Fighter Museum. BOTH PHIL BUCKLEY

Restoration work continues on Australian Corsair Bob Jarrett and his team of volunteers at the Classic Jets Fighter Museum in Parafield, South Australia, continue to make good progress in restoring Vought F4U-1 Corsair 02270. The aircraft, which was recovered from a lagoon near Quoin Hill airfield on North Efate, Vanuatu, has recently had its wings re-attached.

A view of the Parafield Corsair project showing the distinctive shape of the wings.

Bob reports that they will need to be removed again to facilitate work on the internal wing area. The project is expected to take a few years to complete, after which the Corsair will be moved from the workshop to the museum display hall. www.classicjets.com PHIL BUCKLEY

Skytrain returned to wartime livery

briefings

The Air Heritage Museum in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania has completed its repaint of Douglas C-47B Skytrain 43-48716 ‘Luck of the Irish’. The aircraft, built in 1944, has been returned to the scheme it wore for its final mission of World War Two on May 28, 1945. Serving with the 9th Air Force’s 75th Troop Carrier Squadron, it also flew two resupply drops during December 1944’s Battle of the Bulge. www.airheritage.org TONY SACKETOS

12 FLYPAST July 2017

Hawker Hunter PR.11 WT723 (G-PRII) was recently listed as for sale. Painted in the colours of a machine from 764 Naval Air Squadron, the jet was built in 1954 and is believed to be world’s oldest airworthy Hunter. The aircraft, which originally flew as an F.4, was on static display to those visiting the Aston Martin Open Day at St Athan in Wales on April 9. TREVOR STONE

Mexico bids farewell to military 727 The Mexican Air Force recently held a ceremony at Base Aérea No.1 in Santa Lucía to mark the retirement of its last Boeing 727-200. The aircraft, registered 3507, was part of the Escuadrón Aéreo 502. It was one of three, and the last to remain in operational condition. FRANCISCO ROMERO VIA JUAN CARLOS CICALESI

An event was held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington recently to mark the 50th anniversary of the Boeing 737’s first flight on April 9, 1967. The day included a talk by 737 test pilot Brien S Wygle, with Southwest Airlines 737 MAX8 N8705Q on display. NASA’s 737-100 N515NA was also open to visitors. JOE G WALKER

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Classic jets arrive at museum in Chile Left

Cessna T-37C FACh J-396 receiving new colours at Cerrillos. BOTH ÁLVARO ROMERO

A pair of classic jets has recently joined the collection at Chile’s Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio (MNAE), in Cerrillos county near Santiago. Cessna T-37 FACh 384 has been taken on to replace another example that will soon be departing. The latter, former Chilean Air Force T-37C FACh J-396 is being resprayed into a distinctive red and white scheme. Left

CASA A-36 Halcón FACh 417 arrived at MNAE in April.

On completion, it is destined to be displayed inside a new underground train station in Cerrillos. It will be suspended alongside a large painting depicting the history of the county’s former airport and military air base. CASA A-36 Halcón FACh 417 was received in early April. A rare example of the attack version of the Spanish C101 Aviojet trainer, the aircraft’s final destination has yet to be confirmed. It may be reassembled for display at MNAE, or it could be sent to the Don Carlos Cardoen museum in Colchagua valley. ÁLVARO ROMERO

New colour scheme for Argentine Skyhawk Douglas A-4Q Skyhawk 0657/3-A-304 has been given a fresh paint scheme along with new wingtip navigation lights. The jet is displayed on a pedestal outside the Libertador Building, which serves as the headquarters of the General Staff of the Navy in Buenos

Aires, Argentina. The scheme is a hybrid, representing two phases of Skyhawk operations with the Argentine Navy. Originally built as an A-4D-2, the aircraft on display was converted to A-4Q standard before delivery to the Argentine Navy in February 1972. It

was operated by the 3ra Escuadrilla Aeronaval de Caza y Ataque (3rd Fighter and Attack Squadron) and eventually decommissioned on October 24, 1987 with a total of 5,528 flight hours ‘on the clock’. ESTEBAN BREA

Douglas A-4Q Skyhawk 0657/3-A-304 on display in Buenos Aires recently. ESTEBAN BREA

The MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, Ohio, is to begin restoration work on Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F ‘5063’. The jet, a Czech-built Aero S.106 version of the Russian ‘Fishbed’, has been at the museum since June 30, 2014, and currently wears Vietnam People’s Air Force markings. www.mapsairmuseum.org PHOTO-TONY SACKETOS

The Aviodrome at Lelystad in the Netherlands has begun adding fabric to its Spyker V2 project. The original was essentially a two-seat version of the Sopwith Pup. The museum’s reproduction is built around a modern metal frame, as it’s likely to be put on display outside. It will be fitted with an original, 1919-built Thulin engine. ROGER SOUPART July 2017 FLYPAST 13

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Harvard returns to the air in New Zealand

North American AT-6C Harvard flying at Omaka in April. KEITH MEACHEM

The RNZAF Historic Flight’s North American AT-6C Harvard 88-9272 (NZ1015) made its first public appearance for almost four years at the Classic Fighters airshow which took place at Omaka, New Zealand in April (see page 98). The Historic Flight had displayed the aircraft regularly for more than three decades until it was grounded in the middle of 2013. It then underwent

Harriers in focus at Cosford night shoot Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.4A XW175 was among the attractions at a fundraising evening photography shoot at Cosford in Shropshire on April 19. A former trials and research aircraft, it spent all of its 38-year ‘career’ at RAE Bedford, and from 1996, Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. Tests undertaken with XW175 helped create the flight control system for the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II.

The distinctively painted aircraft was accompanied at Cosford by two other examples of the vertical takeoff and landing jet – Sea Harrier FA.2 ZH796 and Harrier GR.3 XZ991, the latter currently in Norwegian livery. Several SEPECAT Jaguars were also on display at the event, which was organised by Timeline Events in aid of the Jon Egging Trust. The latter was set up in memory of the late Red Arrows pilot to support disadvantaged young people. STEVE BUCKBY

HS Harrier T.4A XW175 at Cosford on April 19.

around four years of extensive maintenance. The aircraft made a successful return to the air in March 2017, and was flown at the Omaka show by Flt Lt Stuart Anderson. The Flight’s second aircraft, de Havilland Tiger Moth NZ662 is currently undergoing restoration work, and should be ready to take to the skies later this year. KEITH MEACHEM

STEVE BUCKBY

Rare US Scout restored to fly in Alaska

briefings

Boeing YL-15 Scout 47-432 (N4770C) is flying again in Alaska, following a comprehensive 13-year restoration by owner Keith Brunquist. The aircraft was the last of 12 to be built at Boeing’s Wichita plant, rolling off the production line on March 8, 1949. Designed to fulfil a USAAF contract for a liaison, observation and forward air control platform, the type lost out to Cessna’s L-19 Bird Dog. The Scout, currently the only airworthy example of its type in the world, was previously owned and flown by Keith’s father, Norm, who purchased it when the US Fish & Wildlife Service auctioned off its fleet in 1954. Norm had worked for the Hood Lake organisation based in Anchorage

14 FLYPAST July 2017

as an aircraft mechanic. Having placed the Scout on the US civil register, Norm flew it on wheels, skis and floats, until an engine problem grounded it in late 1966. Keith began to restore the rare machine in 2003, aiming to return it to its original, factory-fresh appearance. Norm – who died in 1994 – had accumulated a vast number of spare parts, including Plexiglas panels for the cockpit, rubber seals, control surfaces and push rods, which aided the project. On July 28, 2016, Keith flew the YL-15 from the front seat for the first time, almost 50 years after his father’s last flight in the machine. Keith hopes to take the aircraft to various events in

Alaska and further afield, with a visit to the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh,

WITH THANKS TO KEITH BRUNQUIST

The Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) museum has added Zephyr 6, a locally built solar-powered aircraft, to its collection. The unmanned machine has been used by Airbus Defence and Space for research. FAST’s example is on display above the museum’s historic Cody Flyer, also built at Farnborough. www.airsciences.org.uk

Agusta-Bell AB204B ‘225’ was recently removed from storage at Soesterberg’s National Military Museum in the Netherlands, and placed on display. The move is part of plans to celebrate the centenary of the Dutch Fleet Air Arm. A Lockheed Neptune is among the other aircraft on display. ROGER SOUPART

If you enjoyed seeing the photographs of post-war Lockheed P-38 Lightnings in the Glory Days section of our last issue, you may well be wondering where these images came from. In our excitement, we forgot to credit them. The material came from the collection of the legendary Ken Ellis, to whom we profusely apologise!

Airworthy Boeing YL-15 Scout 47-432 (N4770C) has been returned to its original USAAF livery. KEITH BRUNQUIST

Wisconsin slated for July.

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 July 2017 FLYPAST 15

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It’s the 20th year of this popular event, one of the highlights of the season. Vintage aircraft displaying to the 50-piece National Symphony Orchestra, closing with a thrilling firework finale featuring the illuminated models.

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Aviation concours comes to Suffolk

The annual Heveningham Hall Country Fair and Concours d’Elegance in Suffolk is set to feature historic aircraft for the first time. Held over the weekend of July 8 and 9, it will feature numerous aircraft on the ground, along with around 50 classic cars. A Supermarine Seafire, Tipsy Belfair and de Havilland Leopard Moth and Tiger Moth are among the first to be confirmed. Each day will also witness a flypast from Old Flying Machine Company’s Spitfire IX MH434 alongside an ‘Me 109’, the identity of which has yet to be confirmed. The Blades Aerobatic Display Team will also appear on both days. Up to 100 light aircraft are expected, landing and taking off from the estate’s grass runway. For more information see: www.heveninghamconcours.com OFMC’s Spitfire IX MH434 is set to fly at the Heveningham event in July. JOHN DIBBS VIA OFMC

Mitchells gather in Ohio for Doolittle anniversary

Airbus A380 prototype at Le Bourget

April’s Doolittle anniversary included an impressive display of B-25s at Dayton. PHOTO-JACK TYSON

The Musée de l’air et de l’espace at Le Bourget, near Paris, took delivery of the fourth Airbus A380 prototype earlier this year. Believed to be the biggest aircraft preserved in Europe, F-WWDD (pictured in an earlier livery) debuted at the ILA Berlin Air Show in 2006. It flew to its new home with 50 technicians aboard; they will spend the next few months adapting the exhibit for public display. ROGER SOUPART

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the famous Doolittle Raid, 11 North American B-25 Mitchells were on static display at Dayton, Ohio’s National Museum of the USAF on April 17 to 18. The annual event commemorates the daring attack on the Japanese mainland led by Lt Col James ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle on April 18, 1942. The 80 men who set off on the mission came to be known as the Doolittle Raiders. Today, just one of those men is alive – Lt Col Richard E Cole, who served as Doolittle’s co-pilot. Now 101 years old, he was present at Dayton to witness the B-25 display, and to pay tribute to fellow ‘Raider’, S/Sgt David Thatcher, who died last year aged 94. Prior to a memorial service on April 18, several Mitchells performed a flypast, with two Rockwell B-1 Lancers from Ellsworth, South

Dakota’s 28th Bomb Wing flying over at the conclusion.

We salute you John Cockburn OBE – former Canberra pilot who joined Ferranti as a test pilot and later flew with BAC, trialling avionics systems in fast jets – died on April 3, aged 79; AVM Peter Collins CB AFC – Cold War pilot who introduced the Lightning into RAF service before completing tours in command of flights, squadrons and stations equipped with this fighter and others – on April 17, aged 87; Wg Cdr Gerald Lane OBE DFC – pre-war bomber pilot who flew on the first Whitley raids of the war with 51 Squadron, later commanding a Stirling unit – on April 22, aged 101; W/O Ron Liversage MBE – flew as a gunner in Wellingtons in North Africa and Malta, then with 625 Squadron Lancasters from Kelstern, taking part in Operation Manna, and served with RAF police until retirement – on March 19, aged 96; Sqn Ldr William Henry McEachern DFC DFM – RAAF pilot who completed 30 Lancaster ‘ops’ with 50 Squadron, later flying Lincolns and then Whirlwind helicopters with 155 Squadron in the Malayan Emergency – on March 30, aged 92; Flt Lt Desmond O’Connell – became one of the first plastic surgery ‘Guinea Pigs’ after being severely burnt when his 502 Squadron Whitley crashed – on May 8, aged 96; Alfred Price – V-Bomber AEO who later became one of the country’s leading aviation historians and authors – on January 29, aged 80; Joe Roddis – served as ground crew on Spitfire squadrons from the Battle of Britain to VE Day, later working for RollsRoyce in Derby – on April 17, aged 96; Gp Capt Tim Webb AFC – completed numerous tours on Hunters, including during the Radfan campaign – on May 6, aged 75; W/O Jack Western – flew as a rear gunner with Scampton-based 153 Squadron, later founding the Bomber Command Association of Canada and the War Veterans Club – on April 5, aged 93.

July 2017 FLYPAST 17

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Buccaneer is brought back to ‘ The Buccaneer Aviation Group (TBAG) has successfully transformed Shannon-based Atlantic AirVenture’s (AAV) Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XX897 into a ‘live’ exhibit – in return for its Rolls-Royce Spey engines and other key spares. The jet first flew in 1976 and was used for Foxhunter radar trials, gaining its unique nose. Retired to Hurn, Dorset, in 1993 after flying for 970 hours, it was owned by Source Classic Jet Flight and Quicksilver before sale to AAV in 2012. The Irish company operates a number of simulators for use in education programmes for young people, and houses a collection of aircraft, cockpits, engines and memorabilia. The Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershirebased TBAG – which already maintains Buccaneers XW544 and XX894 in running condition, and cares for 18 FLYPAST July 2017

XX899 and newly taken on cockpit section XW550 – is always interested in acquiring spares and decided to collaborate with AAV.

One of the Spey engines is prepared for transportation to Bruntingthorpe.

Irish project TBAG’s Dave Webber met AAV’s Jane Magill and Eddie Ryan in Shannon last year to examine XX897 and discuss a way forward, and agreed that returning the S.2B to a working condition looked feasible. Some of its electrical and hydraulic systems could be refurbished and suitable equipment provided to demonstrate their workings to visitors. TBAG also agreed to carry out cosmetic work to improve the jet’s appearance, and in return would remove the engines and other spares for its own use. An initial visit to Shannon in January 2017 focused on tyres and panel

fixings, with most work scheduled for April. Before setting out, TBAG made or refurbished a hydraulic rig, wheel stands and a mains-powered TRU (transformer rectifier unit) to enable electrical systems to run without an

aircraft battery. The TRU was in place and powering some electrical systems during the first day of work in April, and the engines were out and loaded for transport on day two. The cockpit, anti-collision and

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Top right

Personnel from the Buccaneer Aviation Group work to remove the starboard engine. Above

Hydraulics and electrical systems have been restored to functionality on Buccaneer S.2B XX897. Left

The wing-folding mechanism is demonstrated following restoration.

to ‘life’ in Ireland

some navigation lights were restored, while chopped cables at the wing break necessitated a rewire to activate the wingtip navigation lights. The Avery hydraulics connectors were replaced with push-on quick-release versions, and the lever positions used to actuate the bomb doors and wing folding mechanism were relocated from the cockpit into a main wheel bay and the bomb bay, but kept workable.

On the fourth day of work, TBAG successfully made the moving tailplane, tailplane flap, ailerons, air brakes, hook and bomb bay rotation system operational. After partial movements of the wings to prime the system, they were lowered, but the port wing would not raise, the rear latch pin having failed to withdraw completely. It was removed, cleaned and reinstalled, subsequently operating normally. A starboard wing hydraulics leak was also tackled, with the wing fold sequence then undertaken successfully several times. The aircraft was fully demonstrated and handed over to AAV after 364 hours’ work, and future collaboration between the two organisations is under discussion. The Buccaneer is to be demonstrated at AAV’s Family Day at Shannon on September 24. TEXT AND PHOTOS COURTESY TBAG

Below

Jane Magill (far left) and Eddie Ryan (fourth from right) from AAV with TBAG’s Nathan Hayles, Andrew Webber, Kay Bennett, Mike Overs, Francis Wallace, Bob Lancaster and Andy King.

July 2017 FLYPAST 19

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Bruntingthorpe marks 35 years si

Bruntingthorpe hosted a 35th anniversary get together of Black Buck veterans on April 30, in celebration of one of the RAF’s most daring Cold War raids. On the same date in 1982, the RAF began the now famous operation from Ascension Island in the South Atlantic. The mission was the first offensive air action against the Argentine invasion forces that had occupied the Falkland Islands. The event at the Leicestershire airfield featured the largest gathering of Black Buck 1 veterans since 1982. Among those invited to a reunion dinner on April 29 was the former Air Officer Commanding of No.1 Group, ACM Sir Michael Knight KCB AFC. On the day of the anniversary, a group photo shoot of participating aircrew, operations and engineering staff was taken in front of Handley Page Victor K.2 XM715 Teasin’ Tina. Afterwards, three members of the original White 2 Black Buck crew – Bob Tuxford, Glyn Rees and Mike Beer – gave a taxi and high-speed demonstration run in the Victor. Tony Wallis, representing his father Ernie Wallis (Bob’s Navigator Radar during Black Buck 1), had the privilege of riding along on this special occasion. On the runway, the simulated take-off was brought safely back to taxi speed using the impressive brake parachute and clamshell airbrakes on the rear 20 FLYPAST July 2017

fuselage – a sight guaranteed to get cameras clicking. After taxiing the aircraft back to the dispersal area, the operating crew gave a presentation inside the Whittle building. Mike Beer opened proceedings with an overview of the build-up to Operation Corporate (the codename given to British military operations in the Falklands War), the deployment of Marham’s tankers to the South Atlantic, and an insight into life for crews on their remote island base. Three intelligence gathering sorties were undertaken within the first week of arrival on Ascension, and these provided valuable insight into what was to follow. Bob Tuxford gave a detailed breakdown of the eventful Black Buck 1 mission. In a nod to the original briefing made on the open breezy airfield inside the flapping walls of the tent, Bob’s presentation was poignantly interrupted by his mischievous Air Electronics Officer shouting through a megaphone from the side. Fond memories came flooding back to the amused veterans. Glyn Rees wrapped up the show with a few recollections of life on Ascension and the Falklands. Refuelling support for the Hercules and Nimrod was covered, along with his experiences with the widebody TriStar tanker and cargo aircraft, which became the mainstay of the South Atlantic air bridge.

The event was an unbridled success, and thanks must go to the Walton family who generously support the Cold War Jets collection at Bruntingthorpe. Particular thanks must also go to Brendon Johnston, who can take the credit for the idea behind the weekend (and much of the airfield preparation), and to the band of volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts towards the preservation of Teasin’ Tina. SQN LDR BOB TUXFORD AFC

Above left

Reunited Victor and Vulcan personnel on April 30. From left: Simon Baldwin, Dick Evans, Dave Barradell, Neil ‘Badger’ Brooks, Mike Beer, Steve Biglands, Steve Webley, Mike Wood, Barry Ireland, Frank Milligan, John Ingham, Dick Russell, Alan Bowman, Glyn Rees, Bob Tuxford, Martin Withers, Alastair Montgomery, Jeremy Price, Trevor Sitch, Bill Lloyd, Warwick Pike, and John Foot (front). Allan Skelton was also present.

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s since Falklands’ Black Buck ‘op’

Above

Above right

Below

Bob Tuxford (left) discusses pre-flight matters, as Glyn Rees (facing camera) and AEO Mike Beer (on ladder) share a joke before boarding.

Vulcan pilot Martin Withers talks to re-enactors at Bruntingthorpe.

Handley Page Victor K.2 XM715 completes a successful taxi run. ALL DARREN HARBAR

July 2017 FLYPAST 21

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July 2017 FLYPAST 23

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16/06/2015 12:43 09:16 17/05/2017

WORLD WAR TWO BREWSTER BUFFALO

AGAINST THE DDS HISTORY CONSIGNS THE BUFFALO TO THE STATUS OF SECOND-RATE FIGHTER. PETER LONDON REVEALS THAT IN FINLAND IT WAS A FORMIDABLE WEAPON

24 FLYPAST July 2017

T

he late summer of 1939 was a tense time for those living in Finland. August’s Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact effectively divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. The USSR had clear intent to invade Finland, its tiny neighbour. Foreseeing this, the Finnish Government had been striving to re-arm since the spring. One of the countries it approached was the USA; the urgency was such that an over-riding requirement was quick delivery. The Soviets invaded in November and the so-called ‘Winter War’ erupted. Facing huge enemy forces, the Finns fought ferociously. By December, Finland had ordered 44 Brewster Model 239 fighters, powered by 950hp (708kW) Wright

R-1820-G5 Cyclone radials. Most had originally been contracted for the US Navy and were diverted to the Finns minus their operational equipment. Assembled at Trollhättan, Sweden, by SAAB personnel, and delivered via Norway in early 1940, each Brewster was fitted with three 0.50in machine guns and one of 0.30-calibre. Reflector sights and seat armour were also installed. Allocated serials BW-351 to BW-394, only a few had entered service when hostilities ended in March 1940. The signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty on the 12th led to Finland ceding 11% of its land area to the Soviet Union, among other concessions. By May the Brewsters had been allocated to the Winter War

BREWSTER ACE: HANS WIND Hans Wind was the top scorer on Brewsters, claiming 39 aircraft destroyed before moving to the Bf 109G. His final total amounted to 75. Wind was seriously wounded in June 1944 during a dogfight with a large force of Yak-9s and Bell P-39 Airacobras. He made it back to base and recovered from his injuries, but did not fly any more combat missions. Left

Lt Hans Wind of 3/LeLv 24 with his mount BW-393. By that stage, he had 33 ‘kill’ markings.

combat veterans of Lentolaivue 24 (LLv 24 - Squadron 24), part of Lentorykmentti 2 (LeR 2 - Aviation Regiment 2). Consisting of four flights, each nominally of eight machines, LLv 24 began flying the new type at Helsinki’s Malmi civil airport, but by August had left for Vesivehmaa to the northeast of the capital. Pilots deemed their new mounts to be excellent gun platforms, giving them the affectionate nickname ‘Sky Pearl’.

Above

Brewsters of 2/LeLv 24 in September 1942. In the foreground is BW-354 ‘White 6’ flown by Heimo Lampi; it displays the squadron’s lynx motif forward of the cockpit.

INTO ACTION

Fighting with the Soviets resumed as the ‘Continuation War’ broke out on June 25, 1941. Three days previously, Germany had torn up the Non-Aggression Pact and through Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia had begun. The aluminium factory finish of the Brewsters hastily gave way to camouflage of forest green and black with light grey undersides. In British and Commonwealth service the type was named the Buffalo, but the Finns never adopted the moniker. Today, the Brewster is widely viewed as a poor performer, but LLv 24 used them to shattering effect against the Soviets. July 2017

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WORLD WAR TWO BREWSTER BUFFALO

BREWSTER COLOURS To indicate individual flights the Brewsters received colour coding: 1/LLv 24 wore blue spinners and rudders with a white tactical number. 2/LLv 24 had black spinners and rudders with a white number. 3/LLv 24 had orange spinners and tactical number, the rudder number painted directly onto the camouflage. 4/LLv 24 had white rudders, red and white hooped spinners and black tactical numbers. Widely applied to the fighters’ forward upper fuselage, LLv 24’s insignia was a lynx silhouette created using a white outline. In addition, 2/LLv 24 sported an elk motif, while 4/LLv 24 adopted a white osprey silhouette with a fish victim. Brewster engine cowlings were often yellow, with matching fuselage bands and outer underwing panels. In winter, areas of white were applied to the fighters’ topsides. Top

Between the Winter and Continuation Wars, BW-370 was tested with a non-retractable faired ski undercarriage. Above

Wearing green and black camouflage, BW-356 at Tiiksjärvi with 2/LeLv 24, autumn 1942. Right

S/Sgt Eero Kinnunen’s BW-352 ‘White 2’ of 2/LLv 24, hidden in woodland at Selänpää, summer 1941.

On the first day of hostilities, June 25, two Brewsters from 2/ LLv 24 (LLv 24’s second flight) tackled 27 twin-engined Tupolev SB bombers of the 201st SBAP (High-Speed Bomber Air Regiment) near Turku on Finland’s southwest coast. Between them, Cpl Heimo Lampi (in BW-354) and S/Sgt Eero Kinnunen (BW-352) dispatched no fewer than five SBs. Lampi reflected on his attack on the second victim: “I turned back in behind its tail once more and hit the bomber’s port engine with a short burst. Trailing flames as well as smoke, the aircraft dived into the water.”

26 FLYPAST July 2017

By the evening LLv 24’s pilots had flown 77 missions and the Soviets had lost ten SBs. Patrols by 1/LLv 24 continued until 02:00 hours the following morning, there being little true darkness during the night at that time of year. On June 30 three 1/LLv 24 aircraft destroyed three SBs near Lahti. The citizens of that city were so grateful they sent the unit a huge box of sweets.

KARELIAN CAMPAIGN

Finland was striving to recover Karelia, the eastern territory surrendered to the USSR after the Winter War.

On July 9 as the Finns assembled along the redrawn Soviet border, Brewsters of 3/ and 4/LLv 24 led by the CO, Major Gustaf Magnusson, clashed with 15 Polikarpov I-153 ‘Chaika’ fighters of 65th ShAP (Attack Air Regiment) over Lahdenpohja. Eight Soviet biplanes were claimed destroyed and four damaged, for no losses. Soviet forces were driven eastwards. On August 12, six 3/LLv 24 Brewsters engaged around 20 I-153s of 65th ShAP that were strafing Finnish troops. Nine Chaikas were claimed; W/O Ilmari Juutilainen in BW-364 dispatching three.

July, Karhunen had met a young lady with a beautiful Irish setter. She was finding it hard to feed her pet since food was rationed. The dog, named Peggy Brown, took to Karhunen; it was agreed he would look after her until the war ended. Knowing she would be a diversion for his flyers, Major Magnusson welcomed the animal. Peggy Brown enjoyed her new surroundings, seeing the pilots off on their missions and welcoming them on return. She became the best-known mascot of the Finns’ military forces. Sgt Nils Katajainen downed two more, his fifth ‘kill’ in total, making him the first all-Brewster ‘ace’. Friday the 13th proved unlucky for a Polikarpov I-16, which fell as a fireball to the guns of 1/LLv 24’s Sgt Yrjö Turkka. Led by Captain Jorma Karhunen, eight 3/LLv 24 Brewsters found and destroyed three I-16s of 155th IAP (Fighter Air Regiment) attacking Finnish troops on September 23. Leaving the immediate scene, the force circled in radio silence until six more I-16s appeared. The Finns dispatched five of them. Three days later Karhunen’s flight shot down six I-153s. In a second dogfight that day three more enemy fighters were claimed – Karhunen in BW-366 added two kills to his account and Juutilainen (BW-364) three. The tension of combat flying was eased a little for LLv 24 by the arrival of Peggy Brown. While on leave in

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

In December the Finnish army halted its advance and dug in. By then, during seven months of fighting LLv 24 had claimed no fewer than 135 Soviet aircraft shot down. They had suffered just one combat loss; BW-385 had been destroyed by flak. Even allowing for mistaken or duplicated claims, particularly in large engagements, the Finns’ results were exceptional. Why were the Brewsters so successful? Prior to hostilities Gustaf Magnusson had met with Luftwaffe pilots who’d fought in the Spanish Civil War. He learned about Soviet aircraft vulnerabilities, preferred methods of attacking them, and the best ways to organise his own forces. Rather than flying in rigid ‘vic’ formations, Finland’s Brewsters typically adopted a flexible, highly effective fighting group, a loose pair making up the basic tactical section. This could easily be doubled to create a ‘schwarm’ or finger-four

shape, the two pairs sometimes flying at staggered altitudes. When attacking Soviet fighters, often the Brewsters would dive on the enemy flat-out, make a single pass firing from close range, perhaps 50 yards (45m) or less. They would then climb in readiness for another strike. This technique proved very successful and the enemy found it hard to counter. Unescorted bomber groups in tight defensive wedges were usually attacked from behind and below. The Finns felt that at times, Soviet crews failed to watch the skies adequately, while their evasive manoeuvres could be predictable. When attacked, the enemy would sometimes assume defensive circling formations which actually made them easier to destroy. Many of LLv24’s pilots were Winter War veterans. By contrast, the enemy was often inexperienced or less well trained; this stemmed partly from the Soviet Air Force purges of the late 1930s. Heavy casualties against the Finns worsened the situation and thousands of Soviet airmen were dying in the terrible war with Germany. In fighter-to-fighter engagements the I-15 and I-153 were slower than the Brewsters; however, they were significantly more manoeuvrable. Captain (later Major) Eino Luukkanen commanded

Left

BW-353 after a nose-over at Kontupohjassa, Karelia, in February 1942. Below

Pilots of 4/LLv 24 hurrying to their Brewsters.

“Our Brewsters were fat hustlers, just like bees. They had speed, agility and good weaponry too. We were happy to take them anywhere to take on any opponent”

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WORLD WAR TWO BREWSTER BUFFALO

BREWSTER ACE: ILMARI JUUTILAINEN

Above

HLeLv 26’s 1st Lt Erik Teromaa with Brewster BW-361, summer 1944.

With a total of 94 victories, Ilmari Juutilainen became Finland’s highest-scoring ace; of his kills, 34 were with the Brewster. Having declined a break from operations to undergo officer training, fearing he’d lose his combat touch, Juutilainen remained a Warrant Officer. Like Wind he survived the hostilities.

Above right

Brewster BW-352 with white winter camouflage applied over its green and black topsides finish, early in 1943.

Left

W/O Ilmari Juutilainen became Finland’s highest-scoring fighter pilot.

“I immediately pulled up the nose of my Brewster and watched two crew members jump from my victim. The Russian aircraft splashed into the sea” 1/LLv 24, initially flying BW-375 in which he claimed 4½ victories. Of the I-153 he wrote that his pilots: “acquired a healthy respect for the superlative powers of manoeuvre possessed by this aircraft.” The Finns were fond of their tubby interceptors. S/Sgt Jouko Huotari: “The Brewster was quite nice and pleasant to fly. Everyone usually praised it. It was a gentleman’s aircraft.” Ilmari Juutilainen: “Our Brewsters were fat hustlers, just like bees. They had speed, agility and good weaponry too. We were happy to take them anywhere to take on any opponent.”

INCREASING CLAIMS

In January 1942 the Brewsters of 2/ LLv 24 moved north to Tiiksjärvi, to fight Soviet Hawker Hurricanes that had arrived in the Murmansk and Kandalaksha regions. Despite winter conditions and short days, combats continued. On March 29, Hurricanes strafed Tiiksjärvi; in return eight Brewsters engaged around a dozen Hurricanes of 152nd IAP, claiming eight shot down. The Soviets set off to attack Tiiksjärvi again on April 6, with a 28 FLYPAST July 2017

mixed force of 14 bombers and 12 fighters – but they were picked up by Finnish air defence outposts. Already airborne on patrol, eight defenders under 1st Lt Lauri Ohukainen flying BW-372 intercepted the Soviets close to the airfield. Several enemy aircraft were downed; the Finns claimed two Ilyushin DB-3 bombers and 12 Hurricanes. The Soviets reported losses of one SB plus six Hurricanes, two from 609th and four from 767th IAPs. The outcome has since been debated but it seems four fighters were destroyed by Brewsters, one shared between the defending aircraft and Finnish anti-aircraft fire, and one downed by ground fire alone. The Soviets claimed seven Brewsters, but in reality all returned. By late March, the Finns pushed to recover the Soviet-occupied island of Suursaari in the Gulf of Finland, south of the mainland. Air support for the attack included war-booty I-153s and SBs, repaired and pressed into service, together with Brewsters of 3/LLv 24. On March 28, five Brewsters led by 1st Lt Osmo Kauppinen engaged ten 11th IAP I-153s, destroying five; Ilmari Juutilainen in BW-364

dispatched a brace. That day Suursaari fell to Finnish forces. In May 1942 the abbreviation of Lentolaivue was amended, the Brewster unit becoming known as LeLv 24. That month, six machines led by Luukkanen provided escorts for aircraft of Major Reino Artola’s LeLv 46, a squadron of 11 Dornier Do 17Z bombers. The mixed force crossed Lake Onega, sending a group of Soviet supply barges to the bottom. Brewsters of 2/ and 3/LeLv 24 fought a large Hurricane formation from 152nd IAP near Lake Seesjärvi on June 25, claiming seven destroyed. This time the Soviets were more effective, shooting down two Brewsters. Lauri Ohukainen crashlanded BW-372 on fire in enemy territory but trudged back to Finnishheld soil. Sgt Kalevi Anttila came down in the same area, in BW-381, also making it home on foot.

GULF BATTLES

Summer 1942 saw an increase in Soviet maritime operations from Kronstadt, near Leningrad. Air activity also escalated in order to protect movements in the Gulf of Finland. In July LeLv 24 was

transferred to LeR 3, and to tackle the new danger, during August 1/, 3/ and 4/LeLv 24 arrived at Römpötti, at the Gulf’s eastern end. From June to November 1942, 1/LeLv’s commander, Luukkanen, flew BW-393, with which he claimed seven further kills. Typical of his actions was that of July 20; leading three machines over the Gulf he spied a solitary Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber escorted by four fighters. Selecting the Pe-2 while his comrades faced the fighters, Luukkanen struck the bomber and it: “banked sharply to starboard and then put its nose down as I drew within range. I was surprised to see what appeared to be a torpedo hanging beneath the aircraft. The pilot hurriedly jettisoned this burden in order to increase his speed. I clung tightly to the Russian’s tail, loosing short bursts into the empennage and rear fuselage, quickly silencing the

dorsal gunner. I then concentrated on his engines. Without warning, the Pe-2’s starboard wing burst into flame. I immediately pulled up the nose of my Brewster and watched two crew members jump from my victim. The Russian aircraft splashed into the sea.” The Gulf air battles intensified. On August 18, ten I-16s were reported near the island of Tytärsaari; eight Brewsters intercepted, led by 1st Lt Hans Wind. It transpired that as many as 60 Soviet aircraft had arrived and Wind was joined by more Brewsters, led by Karhunen and 1st Lt Aulis Lumme. In the huge dogfight that followed, between them the 16 Finns claimed 13 I-16s, two Pe-2s and a Hurricane. Wind, Karhunen (BW388) and Juutilainen (BW-364) each downed three aircraft. In return BW-378 was destroyed by an I-16, its pilot, 2nd Lt Aarno Raitio was killed. The Soviets admitted losing two I-16s,

a Yakovlev Yak-1 and a Lavochkin LaGG-3. Autumn witnessed more engagements before winter conditions reduced flying. In November all four LeLv 24 flights moved to Suulajärvi, on the Karelian Isthmus in southeast Finland, just over 50 miles (80km) from Leningrad. The following month, the Brewsters were reorganised into three flights as a result of gradual attrition.

Above left

Minus its propeller spinner, BW-384 ‘White 9’ running up. Below left

Lt Osmo Kauppinen’s BW-388 ‘Orange 5’, during winter 1942 at Kontupohja harbour on the shore of Lake Onega.

CHANGING TACTICS

By spring 1943 the Finns were renewing their battle against the Soviets’ Gulf and Baltic air assets. But the adversary was rearming – his ageing fighters and bombers were gradually replaced by new types. Some of these proved to be very successful. It was also becoming clear that Soviet pilots had acquired hardwon experience of combat tactics.

July 2017

FLYPAST 29

WORLD WAR TWO BREWSTER BUFFALO

BREWSTER ACE: JORMA KARHUNEN Jorma Karhunen claimed 25½ victories flying the Brewsters, from a total of 31½. Later he recalled: “The Brewster was good against the older Russian fighters, the Polikarpov I-153 Chaika and I-16. Hence the period 1941 to 1942 was the best time for us. In 1943 it was significantly more difficult when the Russians began to use their newer fighters against us. Later, with the Yaks, Hurricanes, Tomahawks, LaGG-3s and MiGs, it became a fight to the death.” Left

Jorma Karhunen and Peggy Brown photographed in a Brewster cockpit. It’s doubtful whether the dog actually flew! Below

Brewster BW-384 received the name ‘Noka’ after the company Nokia Oy which had sponsored it. It is seen after the switch-over to the white-blue-white roundel.

The enemy was growing more dangerous. By then, Hans Wind had compiled a set of lectures for use in combat pilot training. Based on his experiences, the notes recorded: “[Previously] if the bomber formation has had a fighter cover, we [were] forced to engage the fighter escort and the bombers have been able to sneak away. “For this reason, different tactics were introduced. One section was ordered to attack the bombers. The others tied up the fighter escort making it possible for the section ordered to destroy the bombers to bounce on them. One aircraft in the section must always ensure that the enemy fighters cannot attack either one of them.” Wind recommended: “When shooting from dead six [aft], it is best to get about 20 metres from the enemy, where the prop-wash that was shaking your plane earlier settles down. It is like getting from heavy seas to a calm backwater.” The ace also logged his views on various

30 FLYPAST July 2017

Soviet-flown types. He was scathing of the Hurricane: “The easiest [enemy fighter] to shoot down is the Hurricane. It is totally helpless against us below 3,000 metres, and very clumsy and unmanoeuvrable. Whenever you meet a Hurricane, engage it in a turn-fight... it is totally at our mercy. It is best to shoot this plane in the forward part of the fuselage when it almost immediately bursts into flames.” Seventeen Brewsters engaged a group of Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmoviks escorted by 35 Yakovlev Yak-1s, Lavochkin LaGG-3s and La-5s at the Gulf of Finland’s eastern end on April 21, 1943. SSgt Tauno Heinonen (BW-354) did not return, and W/O Eero Kinnunen (BW-352) also died, his aircraft hit being by flak; he had amassed 22½ kills. The Finns claimed 19 Soviets destroyed but reported ominously: “The La-5 proved to be rather agile and completely superior in both speed and ability to climb compared to the Brewster.” A force of 20-plus fighters and a small

number of Sturmoviks were engaged by 18 Brewsters on May 2, south of the Finnish coastal city of Kotka. They dispatched four LaGG-3s but lost Captain Ikka Törrönen in BW-380. The combat report of 2nd Lt Olavi Puro noted: “The Brewster pulls tighter turns than the LaGG-3. The speed is about the same at the deck. The Russians are very aggressive and enterprising.”

NEW BF 109G

Two days later a dozen Brewsters intercepted a group of five Il-2s and ten I-153s, with 12 LaGG-3s above and behind. Nine Soviets were claimed, four by Hans Wind (BW393), but a LaGG-3 downed Sgt Jouko Lilja in BW-388. Wind’s mission report for the May 4 action mirrors the tactic described in his notes: “We met I-153s protecting five Il-2s south of Peninsaari. I darted behind one I-153 and destroyed it at very low altitude. The Il-2s continued towards Kroivinlahti. I was able to go after them as the other

The invasion was halted but a vicious struggle continued along the Finns’ defensive front. Finally, in September 1944 a truce was signed in Moscow. Among its terms was the stipulation that Finland’s erstwhile ally Germany, whom the Finns had allowed to deploy forces on their northern soil, must be expelled. In October a brief campaign to oust the Germans began, known as the Lapland War. The Luftwaffe had based Bf 109Gs and Junkers Ju 87Ds

“Flying their rotund mounts in action solidly for almost three years, HLeLv 24 claimed no fewer than 459 enemy aircraft destroyed. Just 12 Brewster pilots had died; 15 aircraft had been shot down” Brewsters were tying up the Chaikas. “I fired at the first Il-2 to the base [root] of the wing. The plane caught fire immediately and plunged into the sea. I continued and fired at the other Il-2 with similar results. At Sepeleva I fired at the third Il-2, which started smoking and plunged into the sea at Tolli.” Finland’s military Commanderin-Chief, Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, visited Suulajärvi in May to congratulate the men of LeLv 24 on their achievements. That month, with Gustaf Magnusson posted to command LeR 3, Captain Karhunen became the squadron’s CO. The final major combat over the Gulf during 1943 occurred on September 23. Four Brewsters of 3/LeLv 24 and four 1/LeLv 34 Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs (the first of which had arrived with the Finns in March) battled around 20 Soviet fighters. Three Yaks and five La-5s were claimed – three of the enemy destroyed by Brewsters. Later that day, 3/LeLv 24, led by Hans Wind, attacked 15 Soviet aircraft, reporting one Il-2 and six La-5s shot down. The most successful Brewster pilots received Finland’s highest medal for valour, the Mannerheim Cross. Instituted in 1940 and bestowed regardless of rank, during the Continuation War the cross was awarded to 19 Finnish Air Force pilots. Ilmari Juutilainen (LeLv 24’s first recipient) and Hans Wind were twice decorated. Other LeLv 24 pilots who received the cross included Magnusson, Nils Katajainen and

Jorma Karhunen. In February 1944, the Brewster squadron’s nomenclature was again amended: LeLv 24 becoming HLeLv 24, the ‘H’ denoting Hävittäjä (Fighter). The Brewster’s final victory with the unit came on April 2, a LaGG-3 destroyed by Heimo Lampi in BW-382; he’d also scored the squadron’s first kill with the type. Flying their rotund mounts in action solidly for almost three years, HLeLv 24 claimed no fewer than 459 enemy aircraft destroyed. Twelve Brewster pilots had died – 15 aircraft had been shot down, while four had been lost in accidents and two during air raids. By May 1944, as Bf 109Gs became available for the battle-hardened unit, the surviving Brewsters were passed to HLeLv 26 at Heinjoki, which in turn relinquished its Fiat G.50s.

LAPLAND WAR

That summer huge Soviet ground forces amassed west of Leningrad, supported by around 1,300 aircraft, and an attack began across the Karelian Isthmus. Finland’s Bf 109Gs bore the brunt of the fighting, claiming prodigious numbers of victories. Meanwhile HLeLv 26’s Brewsters were organised as two flights of nine, helping to protect the western side of the Isthmus against Soviet bombers. The squadron claimed 21 destroyed, 1st Lt Erik Teromaa with four kills and 2nd Lt Aarno Juurinen with three; however, two pilots and four Brewsters were lost.

at Rovaniemi, Lapland’s capital. With 1/HeLv 26, Erik Teromaa in BW-361 flew to Oulu on October 3 and eight aircraft left to escort a Finnish convoy carrying troops for a landing at Tornio, in the Bay of Bothnia. En route the Brewsters encountered 12 Stukas seeking the same ships. The Finns weren’t sure whether to attack, or if their presence might dissuade the Germans from pressing on. The Stukas fired first. In the ensuing combat three German aircraft were damaged and two destroyed; Teromaa and S/Sgt Oiva Hietala had made the final Brewster kills. Reconnaissance flights over the region followed until October 19. Altogether, Finland’s Brewsters claimed 482 enemy aircraft shot down. In January 1945 the surviving examples were stored, as required under the flying ban imposed by the Moscow truce. During August, a Brewster was released, joining the Finnish Air Force’s headquarters for general communications work. Two more arrived in the autumn for use by the Staff Flight, and four in 1946, but two were lost in accidents. The five survivors were finally retired in 1948, and five years later all were broken up. July 2017

Above left

Pilots of 4/LLv 24 with one of the unit’s Brewsters, identified by its red and white hooped spinner, summer 1941. Above

Admirers in front of BW-373 of HLeLv 26 at Värtsilä, August 1944. ALL VIA AUTHOR

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COLD WAR KOREA AND VIETNAM

G

raduating as a pilot in March 1943, Howard ‘Scrappy’ Johnson enjoyed a glittering 30-year air force career. During World War Two he flew Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and Bell P-39 Airacobras and was checked out in the P-63 Kingcobra. He did not see action; that came in the early 1950s, flying a fighter made famous in the 1940s. Scrappy was posted to the Clark air base in the Philippines to fly North American F-51D Mustangs with the Pacific Air Force’s 18th Wing. That put him in the frame the moment the Korean conflict flared. “I was part of a detachment during the first days of the war and it was known as ‘Dallas squadron’ and almost immediately became the 51st Provisional Squadron.” Scrappy went on to fly with the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. “The small number of pilots we had originally meant we were flying almost non-stop. In July 1950 we

flew a total of 426 combat sorties from Taegu. At that time there were no navigational aids such as radar and no instrument procedures. “One morning I hustled over to operations to get the latest news. I heard that the 24th Army Division, just south of Taejon, had been surrounded and was in a tight spot. The message went on to say that 13 boxcar loads of arms and ammunition had been abandoned in a railway yard and it ended with the command: ‘Destroy at all cost.’ “I took off with my flight leader and headed for Taejon. Bad weather hampered us and we decided to fly on top of it. Flying in tight formation we burst into clear skies at 8,000 feet. We dropped down again and broke into the clear at 2,000, and there were the boxcars in plain view. “We set up several strafing passes and I was afraid the massive explosions were going to knock me out of the sky. We left when we saw all of the cars exploding. Our trip back was uneventful and I felt great: we’d done what we were supposed to do.”

Hush-hush

After Korea, Scrappy converted to jets and flew Lockheed F-94B Starfires with the 59th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) at Otis Air Force Base (AFB), Massachusetts. “In the summer of 1952 I was called to the Pentagon along with the other members of my flight. I was warned to keep the meeting hush-hush and it had a top-secret air to it. I found this to be intriguing because we’d never been sworn to secrecy before. “Once we got there we were briefed on identification, performance characteristics and payloads of various Soviet aircraft. They put the emphasis on a particular reconnaissance model. What triggered this mission was that one of the spy planes had flown directly over Thule [Greenland], obviously on a spying mission.

Hunting High and Low

Two wars, stand-offs with the Soviets and a world altitude record: Warren E Thompson talked to Colonel Howard Johnson about these and his other exploits

34 FLYPAST July 2017

“This incident brought about a sense of paranoia among the leaders and in the early part of the briefing, one brigadier general went so far as to tell us not to wear our wings while we were in Washington. “Colonel J C Meyer chaired most of the meetings and he said that General Hoyt Vandenberg, Chief of Staff, would chastise us publicly, not using any of our names. When things died down, he would award us medals back at the Pentagon.” Scrappy led a flight of F-94Bs to Thule: “We left on August 16 from our base at Otis for the flight up Bangor, Maine. While there, Lt General Charles L Meyer, Commander of the North East Air Command, had flown from his Pepperall Air Force Base in Newfoundland to give us a final and top-secret briefing. I told him that if any Soviet

reconnaissance plane came anywhere near Thule, we would shoot it down. I could not understand all the ‘hush-hush’ about our mission, because every ground crew on the way up knew what we were doing. “The second leg of our long trip from Bangor to Goose Bay, Labrador, was uneventful and the next would take us up to Narsarsuaq, Greenland, which was also labelled as ‘Bluie West One’. The weather was bad and we were delayed by ten days leaving Goose Bay and had to depend on a [Grumman] SA-16 amphibian to help us make it through the tough fjords. “We made it safely and waited another week at ‘Bluie West Eight’ which was located about halfway up the west coast. A B-17 Fortress was to guide us the rest of the way, but right before take-off we had to stand

down because Thule was completely fogged in. We finally had good weather and made our destination with no problems. “For some time after we arrived on Thule, our F-94 group was constantly in the air looking for any sign of the intruder. We were armed and ready for immediate action if we had run into a Russian recon aircraft. They never did any more snooping around Thule. “The Russians knew what we had in mind and they backed off. Eventually our group was allowed to leave. This incident, if it had come off as we feared it might, could have led to World War Three or heightened tensions between us and the Soviet Union.”

Below left

Captain Howard Johnson with his 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Mustang, ‘The Little Monster’. HARRY MORELAND

Over the top

During the Thule detachment, Scrappy was promoted to major and went on to fly with the 84th FIS from

July 2017 FLYPAST 35

COLD WAR KOREA AND VIETNAM

Right

Scrappy Johnson (left) with two other pilots at their base in South Korea. The tail of an F-51 of the 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron can be seen to the right. HARRY MORELAND Right centre

Charles S Lodgsdon, a representative from the National Aeronautic Association, watches as Scrappy is congratulated by Tony LeVier, Lockheed’s legendary test pilot, on his record-setting flight. The third YF-104A, 552957, is behind. USAF Far right

As well as the F-94, F-104 and F-105, Scrappy was also checked out on the North American F-86D Sabre (pictured), F-86L, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart. JOHNSON COLLECTION

Hamilton AFB, California, on F-84Cs. By 1958 Major Johnson was flying with Lockheed out of the company test centre at Palmdale, California, helping to introduce the F-104 Starfighter into service. On May 7 he had been briefed on the best way to achieve a world altitude record. “I was in a YF-104A centred on the middle line and ready to blast off. I gave it the gas and ripped down the runway for a smooth take-off. “As I headed for the coast of Santa Barbara, I coaxed my Starfighter up to 43,000 feet and then made a beeline for Edwards Air Force Base, where the test was to take place. I eased the throttle lever into afterburner, causing the aircraft to shoot forward, and when I glanced at the airspeed it was showing I was doing Mach 2.23. The only sound I heard was my own breathing. “I carefully eased back on the stick, pointing the aircraft’s nose to the recommended 52° [best climb attitude]. I hammered the air from 50,000 to 60,000 feet. Then, just as predicted, at 63,000 feet the afterburner cut out and at 67,000 feet the engine quit as there was not enough oxygen. Now I became a glider pilot and my pressure suit inflated. “The Starfighter kept on climbing, a rocket whose fuel had been exhausted yet still continued to climb. I made it through 70,000 feet and then 80,000 feet. The ailerons that helped to stabilise the wings were losing effectiveness as I soared higher. I was having trouble keeping the wings level. The moment I went over the top, I glanced down at my airspeed indicator... it was showing just 30 knots!

36 FLYPAST July 2017

River Rats – Taking Care of Their Own Colonel Robin Olds, commander of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, hosted a conference at Ubon, Thailand, in November 1966. It included USAF, Navy and Marine aircrews flying combat missions over North Vietnam’s Red River Valley. Over the next five years another five reunions were staged. In 1969, Olds met up with Colonel ‘Scrappy’ Johnson and they co-founded the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association. That year Colonel Larry Pickett held the first stateside get-together at Wichita, Kansas. With the motto ‘We who came home must never forget those who could not’, the ‘River Rats’ generate awareness for the prisoners of war and aircrews missing or killed in action, and their families. The Association had its 50th reunion in Louisville, Kentucky in May. www.river-rats.org Pilots from all over Vietnam joined in the Red River Rats reunions. SCRAPPY JOHNSON

“As I peaked out, the sky became a dark purplish blue and I could make out the earth’s curvature. They later informed me that I could see as far as Salt Lake City, but due to my eyesight being set on the instrument panel, I barely glanced out of the cockpit. “On the way back down, the radar operator at Edwards told me that I had reached 91,243 feet. I thought to myself that I had broken

the world’s altitude record by over 14,000 feet. “Continuing my gliding descent, I turned back toward Palmdale, anticipating getting low enough to start the engine and get the pressure suit deflated. At 47,000 feet I was able to start the General Electric J79 without incident and then I raced back to Palmdale where a large contingent of Lockheed executives anxiously awaited the results.”

July 2017 FLYPAST 37

COLD WAR KOREA AND VIETNAM combat missions, 101 of these over North Vietnam and 29 in Route Pack 6 [Hanoi]. “We had our ‘smart bombs’, or, in this particular instance, ‘smart missiles’. The missile in question was Martin’s AGM-12 Bullpup and it was sent to us to be used against targets in North Vietnam. To say the results were a disappointment

Lt Col Johnson prepares for another F-105 mission up into Route Pack 6. JOHNSON COLLECTION

Smart bombs, dumb missiles

Another war unfolded – Vietnam – and by the late 1960s Colonel Johnson was at the helm of the Republic F-105D Thunderchief, the formidable ‘Thud’. “I flew 119

Above right

Lt Col Johnson gets strapped in for his recordbreaking altitude run in 1958. JOHNSON COLLECTION Right

Scrappy Johnson (left) explaining his YF-104 altitude record to Lt General Jimmy Doolittle (second from left). JOHNSON COLLECTION

38 FLYPAST July 2017

would be the understatement of the year. “The missile was hung under the wings of our Thuds and wired to an optical guidance mechanism in the cockpit. Once released, the pilot guided the Bullpup by using a small joystick to visually line it up on the target, and then keep it there. “It sounded great but in reality

it was a dangerous situation. That was because the Bullpup gave off a smoke trail, but in order to properly guide the thing the pilot had to fly down the smoke trail until the missile hit the target. “Well, the North Vietnamese gunners wised up fast to this: all they had to do was fire into the smoke trail, and before they knew it the following Thud would fly right into their withering wall of fire. After losing a couple of F-105s real fast we decided the Bullpup could only be used against lightly defended targets, such as secondary bridges up on the northeast railroad, but definitely not against any targets that were near downtown Hanoi.”

No way, no how

“I was not a ‘sender’ as I would never ask any pilot to fly a mission that I would not do myself. One day, the wing was ‘fragged’ [detailed] to bomb the Than Hoa

Bridge. This was the second most important bridge in North Vietnam and one of the most important targets we were sent against during my year at Khorat. “The 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was tasked with the mission so I told the 44th squadron commander, Lt Col Fred ‘Fritz’ Treyz, that I wanted to lead it. I had been force commander on several other Pack 6 targets but this was by far and away the most significant. “I had planned for us to take the route down ‘Thud Ridge’ simply because it was the most practical for hitting targets around the Hanoi area. Everything went well until we neared the target area. “Flying at 12,000 feet across the ridge I could see in the distance that the valley in which Hanoi was situated was covered with a broken overcast at around 4,000 feet, making identification of our target damn near impossible. When we

got to within ten miles of Hanoi, I reluctantly made the decision to abort. “I had 15 F-105s on my wing, and no way, no how, was I going to leave that many ’planes circling over Hanoi while I had my eyes peeled looking for the target. This was not the time or place for that kind of a dumb stunt. “At the debriefing 90 minutes later, I apologised to the guys. We could have lost two or three of them and it sure wasn’t worth the risk. Had we hit the target and brought the bridge down, I would in all probability have been awarded the Air Force Cross. But I still vividly remembered the major I’d once fired for turning me into a sitting duck, circling over Phuc Yen and getting myself shot at. “Scrubbing that mission was a huge disappointment, but all these years later I’m comfortable with the decision I made for that day.”

Below

Johnson (second from left) joins Vice President Richard Nixon in celebrating the altitude record. On the far left is Captain Walt Irwin who achieved a world speed record in the F-104. Next to Scrappy is Jimmy Doolittle and far right is Clarence L ‘Kelly’ Johnson, designer of the F-104. USAF

“The North Vietnamese gunners wised up fast: all they had to do was fire into the smoke trail, and before they knew it the following Thud would fly right into their withering wall of fire”

July 2017 FLYPAST 39

COLD WAR ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA

Canberras over the Canal Andrew Thomas describes the Canberra's operational debut in the skies over Egypt

40 FLYPAST July 2017

s

P

resident Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal Company in July 1956, perhaps hoping that the main shareholders, Britain and France, would accept the situation. While hoping for a resolution of the crisis, the British and the French initiated the planning of a combined military intervention: respectively codenamed Operation Musketeer and Opération Mousquetaire. With a large force of twin-engined English Electric Canberras and a growing number of the new fourengined Vickers Valiants, the RAF was to provide the bomber force. As the plans developed it was intended that the longer range Canberra B.6s would be based in Malta, with the shorter legged B.2s concentrated in Cyprus. Already based in the latter, at

Bombs away

Britain and France issued an ultimatum on October 30. As the deadline approached on the following afternoon, RAF photorecce Canberras and French Republic RF-84F Thunderflashes updated the target information. Bomber crews were briefed for an attack later that night. These sorties showed large numbers of Egyptian jets based at Abu Sueir, Kabrit, Inchas, Almaza, Fayid, Cairo West, Luxor and Kasfareet. Ironically, until quite recently most had been

The second raid struck at Almaza, with seven aircraft each from Malta and Cyprus. Four B.6s of 139 Squadron again provided the marking. Target for the third strike was Kabrit on which many MiGs were known to be parked. Nicosia and Hal Far again dispatched seven Canberras each, and over 130 bombs were released. Marking was provided by a quartet of B.2s from 18 Squadron. Leading 101 was Fg Off Bruce Bull whose navigator was the unit commanding

Akrotiri, were the photographic reconnaissance Canberra PR.7s of 13 Squadron, reinforced by some aircraft and crews from 58 Squadron in the UK. During the build-up Canberras from several units were used to ferry bomb stocks to the Mediterranean islands. On September 22, 1956 the first of 29 B.6s from 9, 12, 101 and 109 Squadrons arrived at Hal Far, Malta. Under Gp Capt C G O Key, the Cyprus wing was formed by 10, 15, 18, 27, 44 and 61 Squadrons, all with B.2s, and the B.6s of 139 Squadron. (See the panel on page 42 for more.) The crews were trained to use the ground station-based ‘Gee-H’ bombing system, but this facility was not available in the eastern Mediterranean. For the night bombing raids, the twin-jets would

RAF stations. At 17:15 hours four Canberra B.6s of 139 Squadron lifted off from Nicosia to mark Cairo West, but at the last moment the objective was changed to Almaza. Six B.2s and a solitary B.6 from 139 Squadron followed. Seven B.6s were launched from Malta. The first flares and 1,000lb (453kg) target indicators (TIs) were dropped by 139’s Flt Lt John Slater who recalled: “With other Canberras we flew high over the target. There was some light flak up to 8,000 feet. The airfield we attacked was beautifully lit up. We came in high, dropped our bombs and watched them explode. As soon as they struck, lights began to go out. We turned for home in a perfectly clear night sky.” Other TIs went down and the

officer, Sqn Ldr B Moorcroft. The departures from Nicosia were witnessed by a journalist who wrote: “One after another the Canberras roared down the runway, their twin engines emitting an ear-piercing whistle, climbed high into the night sky and set course for the Egyptian coast, only about half an hour’s flying time from Cyprus.” At around midnight it was the turn of Abu Sueir with six B.6s from Hal Far led by 9’s CO Sqn Ldr George Bastard combining with ten from Nicosia. These included aircraft from 61 Squadron, making its first contribution. The target was marked by 18 Squadron. The final raid of the night was to Inchas. World War Two veteran Sqn Ldr R S D Kearns DSO DFC DFM of 139 Squadron marked

be using techniques that had changed little since World War Two. Like the other British and French aircraft involved, all of the Canberras soon sported broad yellow and black identification stripes around fuselage and wings.

bombs straddled the hangars and runways. It was not a successful start – they had hit the nearby Cairo International Airport instead. Lack of the normal time for flight planning was seen as a key factor in this error.

Midnight raids

Above

Line-up of Canberra B.6s of 101 Squadron at Hal Far. MOD Left

Canberra B.2s of 27 Squadron taxiing past Vickers Valetta transports at Nicosia. RAF WADDINGTON

July 2017 FLYPAST 41

COLD WAR ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA

Operation Musketeer: RAF Canberra bombing sorties Right

Canberra B.6s of 12 Squadron lined up at Hal Far, Malta. MOD Below

For use as a fast courier, Upwood Station Flight’s T.4 WT479 was deployed to Nicosia.

Unit Variant Malta Wing, Hal Far 9 Sqn B.6

MALCOLM FREESTONE

12 Sqn

B.6

101 Sqn

B.6

109 Sqn

B.6

Date

Target(s)

Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 4 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 4 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 4 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 4

Abu Sueir Kasfareet Huckstep Camp Huckstep Camp Almaza, twice Cairo West; Fayid al-Agami; Huckstep Camp Kabrit Kasfareet Huckstep Camp Almaza, twice; Abu Sueir Cairo West; Fayid al-Agami; Huckstep Camp

Cyprus Wing, Nicosia 10 Sqn B.2 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 5 15 Sqn B.2 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 5 18 Sqn B.2 Oct 31 Nov 1

Almaza, twice; Kabrit; Abu Sueir Cairo West; Luxor Cairo Radio; Luxor Almaza Barracks Huckstep Camp Almaza, twice; Kabrit; Abu Sueir Cairo West; Luxor Cairo Radio; Luxor Almaza Barracks Huckstep Camp Kabrit; Abu Sueir Fayid; Kasfareet

for eight B.2s of Wg Cdr Peter Helmore’s 27 Squadron and five from 61, led by Flt Lt G A Boston. There should have been seven Canberras from 61 but the pilot of the sixth aircraft deliberately raised his undercarriage before departure, blocking Nicosia’s taxiway. He was court martialed “for not carrying out a warlike operation with the utmost exertion.” Post-attack reconnaissance

42 FLYPAST July 2017

27 Sqn

B.2

44 Sqn

B.2

61 Sqn

B.2

139 Sqn

B.6

Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 4 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 5 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 3 Nov 5 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 5 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 4 Nov 5

Photo-recce, Akrotiri, Cyprus 13 Sqn PR.7 58 Sqn PR.7

showed the results to have been disappointing, although most runways had been cratered. However, raids had a huge effect on the morale of the Egyptians.

Damage assessment

After a day of heavy strikes by groundattack fighters, on the evening of November 1 the bombers prepared for raids on Cairo West, Luxor, Fayid and Kasfareet. Once more it was

Huckstep Camp, twice Nfisha al-Agami Inchas Luxor Cairo Radio; Luxor Nfisha Huckstep Camp Almaza, twice; Kabrit; Abu Sueir Cairo West; Fayid Cairo Radio Almaza Barracks Nfisha Huckstep Camp Abu Sueir; Inchas Luxor; Fayid Cairo Radio; Luxor Nfisha Huckstep Camp, twice Almaza, twice; Inchas Cairo West; Luxor Luxor; Huckstep Camp, twice Almaza Barracks; Nfisha Huckstep Camp Port Said; Huckstep Camp

resident normally based at Wyton

Nicosia’s 139 Squadron that marked for seven Canberras from Malta and another seven from Cyprus. One pilot recalled that: “There was a tremendous concentration of bombs on Cairo West.” An hour later Wg Cdr Helmore led eight 27 Squadron Canberras, along with half a dozen from 10, 5 from 15 and one from 61 headed for Luxor. This was an important target as Allied intelligence

had located the Egyptian Air Force’s Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle twin-jet bombers there. The four markers from 139 Squadron also carried bombs on this occasion. The gyroscopes on Sqn Ldr Peter Mallorie’s aircraft had toppled but, undaunted, he dive-bombed the parked Beagles. For the attack on Fayid, 18 Squadron once again provided the four markers for the six bombers from Nicosia and five from Hal Far. One of the latter suffered an engine failure on the return flight but landed safely. A quartet of markers from 18 was Nicosia’s sole contribution to the final raid of the night, against Kasfareet. In addition to Valiant V-bombers, there were seven Canberra B.6s led by Wg Cdr B L Duigan. After debriefing, the weary aircrews went to bed. As dawn broke on November 2, Allied intelligence assessed that the combined air strikes had destroyed over 100 Egyptian aircraft and caused significant damage to many air bases.

navigator, over 16 stone and suitably rotund, had difficulty in getting down low enough to sight properly. “Additionally, flying at relatively high speed and low level over the Cairo suburbs made visual map reading extremely difficult. We missed flying over the target the first time and, against the briefing, turned around for another go. I think we were fairly close the second time and happy enough with the accuracy to offload the bombs.” The round-the-clock offensive continued with more raids by the Canberras. Taking off at 13:50 was a raid to revisit Luxor, flown exclusively by Cyprus-based aircraft. Four marker B.6s from 139 Squadron led 18 B.2s and all had returned by 17:40. Fg Off J I Miller’s aircraft of 27 Squadron sustained some flak damage to the tail. Attacks then switched to the huge Egyptian transport and stores depot at Huckstep Camp, east of Cairo. A dozen Canberras from Cyprus and seven from 9 Squadron at Malta mounted the first raid. Sqn Ldr

Bastard of 9 Squadron reported better accuracy “due to the perfect placing of the target markers.” This attack was followed an hour later by another from Nicosia, eight aircraft being equally drawn from 18 and 139.

Invasion feint

Below left

Fg Off Freestone of 61 Squadron piloting B.2 WH907 en route to Egypt on November 2. MALCOLM FREESTONE

Below

Further daylight attacks were ordered for the 3rd. The emphasis was to degrade the capabilities of the Egyptian Army prior to the planned air and seaborne landings. The barracks at Almaza were hit soon after 08:00 by eight B.2s of 15 Squadron led by Sqn Ldr A R Scott from Nicosia. The dust had barely settled when 20 minutes later another dozen Canberras drawn from 10 and 44 delivered their bombs onto the battered buildings. Before the morning was out another 22 aircraft from Nicosia carried out shallow dive-bombing on the important rail yards at Nfisha near the town of Ismailia in a raid that was described as “particularly successful”, leaving tracks twisted and fuel storage tanks ablaze. Flying in one of the 61 Squadron aircraft was Air Marshal Denis Barnett, the Air Task Force Commander. Both of these raids were escorted by Cyprusbased Hawker Hunters of 1 and 34 Squadrons. With all the daylight activity, there were no night attacks ordered, in part due to persisting poor weather over Malta. Strikes in preparation for the landings continued on the night of the 4th. Gun emplacements at al-Agami near the port city of Alexandria were marked by four

Bombing up B.6 WH960 of 12 Squadron at Hal Far. MOD

Low-level, high-speed

Phase 2 of the bomber plan began at 08:00 on the 2nd. Significantly, with the lack of any credible air opposition it was decided to make a precision low-level high-speed attack against a Cairo radio station in the Abu Za’bal suburb. Eighteen Nicosia-based Canberras were escorted by a dozen French F-84F Thunderstreaks that Wg Cdr Helmore described as “excellent!” He also noted: “There was some inaccurate light flak beneath us but it did not interfere with the mission.” Another participant was Sqn Ldr Alan Thompson of 15 Squadron who was flying WK132: “We approached at about 1,500 feet or so, at 300-plus knots and shot up to 3,000 feet to drop bombs at a slow speed. The sighting angle was certainly in excess of 70° and Flt Lt Harry Bullen, my July 2017 FLYPAST 43

COLD WAR ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA

Right

At Nicosia the Canberra squadrons operated out of a large tented camp. 10 SQUADRON ASSOCIATION

Below

Fg Off Malcolm Freestone (left) and his crew of Flt Lts F J Wheeler and J E Blore of 61 Squadron at Nicosia. MALCOLM FREESTONE

of 18’s Canberras for nine Maltabased B.6s and a Valiant force. Unusually, the bombers met an intense barrage of fire. The attack was not entirely successful with many of the TIs being extinguished by the sea. As the raid was intended to deceive the Egyptians as to the area of the landings, it’s likely that it nevertheless achieved its purpose. This feint was followed by a heavy raid by the Malta units against Huckstep. Four marking Canberras

“We met some light flak. There was a gigantic explosion in the target area and, in its light I could see the contrails of a Valiant far above us”

Right

A French Air Force F-84F landing at Akrotiri on November 2 after escorting daytime Canberra raids. 8 SQUADRON RECORDS

Below

B.6 WH967 of 12 Squadron lifting off from Hal Far. 12 SQUADRON RECORDS

from 139 were the only contribution from Nicosia. Flying one of the 101 Squadron B.6s was Fg Off Bruce Bull, who said: “We met some light flak. There was a gigantic explosion in the target area and, in its light I could see the contrails of a Valiant far above us.”

Airborne assault

The parachute landings near Port Said began at 07:00 on November 5, the drop zone being marked by 139 Squadron. Half an hour before this, 16 Canberras from Nicosia hit Huckstep Camp to ensure that no

44 FLYPAST July 2017

reinforcements could be moved up. This was repeated two hours later by a second wave of 21 aircraft and both were considered successful. These proved to be the final Canberra raids of the Suez campaign. To back up ground operations by the airborne forces, amphibious landings began at Port Said the following morning under a massive land and sea-based air umbrella. In the face of

mounting international pressure a ceasefire came into effect. Shortly after departing Nicosia for Britain for repair earlier in the day, B.6 WT371 of 139 Squadron crashed killing Fg Off Ian Collins and his crew, Fg Off Ken Banyard and F/Sgt Morris Rhodes. It was a tragic end to the Canberra’s Suez operation during which the Nicosia squadrons alone flew 266 sorties.

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The History of Acoustic Defence

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15/05/2017 14:07

COLD WAR BLACKBURN BUCCANEER

Fast, Low, Graham Pitchfork recalls his days on 208 Squadron and how the unit became the spearhead of NATO’s northern flank

46 FLYPAST July 2017

Unbeatable

B

y the time 208 Squadron re-formed with the Buccaneer at Honington in July 1974 the type was already well established in RAF service. Also at the Suffolk airfield was 12 Squadron, masters of maritime strike attack. On the Dutch-German border at Laarbruch, XV and 16 Squadrons were part of NATO’s key force and their crews were acknowledged as experts at counter air and interdiction sorties flown at extremely low level. For the personnel of 208 a new type of overland operations awaited. Assigned to Allied Forces Northern Europe, 208’s theatre was the Baltic and over Norway on NATO’s northern flank. Tactics in the Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) were similar to those used by the two RAF

Germany squadrons – fly low and fast below enemy radar cover. The terrain and the threat were also similar, but 208 had to operate over much longer ranges and made regular use of air-to-air refuelling and frequently staged through airfields in Denmark. To practice, 208 regularly deployed to Danish airfields at Aalborg, Karup and Skrydstrup, and participated in regional exercises. Low flying over Denmark was not possible, so 208 was also a regular visitor to Laarbruch. There, the unit enjoyed the support

facilities of its sister squadrons, the wider variety of weapon ranges in Holland and West Germany and opportunities for low flying down to 250ft.

Far north

Since other NATO squadrons also covered the BALTAP region, it was more likely that the Buccaneers, with their long-range capability, would be tasked to bolster the Allied Air Forces in Norway. Targets would be on the Kola Peninsula in the far north of the Soviet Union. This presented other challenges, and tactics had to be greatly modified. The terrain and the weather were completely different to those in the Baltic and the hours of daylight varied greatly throughout the year.

Distances were prodigious and many sorties involved refuelling in Norway on both outbound and return legs. The threat was also considerably different as, unlike NATO’s Central Region, there were no massed area air defences. Approaches to targets could often be made relatively safely by using the rugged terrain to mask the approach. Individual objectives were heavily defended and this element of surprise was often the Buccaneer’s only chance of survival until stand-off weapons were introduced.

The squadron practised co-ordinated strikes against airfields, in anticipation of being used in the offensive counter-air role. It was also in regular demand as the ‘enemy’ attacking Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNorAF) airfields, radar installations and surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites. There were few roads in the northern regions of Norway and the county of Finnmark and, armed with BL755 cluster bombs, 208 was tasked with interdiction sorties to attack advancing armour or convoys. Another important, and difficult, role was to oppose amphibious landings, but there was little opportunity to train for this specialised role.

Blue Sphinx

During its illustrious history, 208 had spent many years based in Egypt and the

centrepiece of the squadron badge was a Sphinx. For its regular visits to the frozen north, the sorties went under the apt description of Exercise Blue Sphinx, and there were few weeks when a pair of the unit’s Buccaneers were not operating over Norway. Crews became adept at using snow-covered runways, coping with ‘white-outs’ and making significant in-flight rerouting plans to avoid bad weather and cloud-filled fjords. At other times, the visibility could be in excess of 100 miles with constant daylight. Take-off could

Above

The Sphinx badge of 208 Squadron, which led to the unit’s trips to Norway being called Exercise Blue Sphinx. Left

A pair rotate for take-off. ALL VIA AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED

COLD WAR BLACKBURN BUCCANEER

“Approaches to targets could often be made relatively safely by using the rugged terrain to mask the approach. Individual objectives were heavily defended and this element of surprise was often the Buccaneers only chance of survival”

the high mountains to mask their approach as they prepared to drop practice bombs on the weapons range at Andøya in the north of the Lofoten Islands. Almost three hours after leaving Honington, the pair landed at Bødø. The following morning a training sortie was flown. After take-off the formation headed north at low level over the sea to cross the coast north of Tromsø. If the weather deteriorated crews had to work their

Above

An attempt at Arctic camouflage, which was not followed up. Right

A regular early-morning scene in northern Norway. Below right

A quartet from 208 enjoying Scotland’s excellent training conditions in 1981.

often be in benign conditions at Honington and, 90 minutes later, the Buccaneers were in extreme weather over rugged terrain. A regular training sortie for a pair of aircraft was a high-level rendezvous with a HP Victor tanker off the east coast of Scotland. After refuelling to full, they would descend to low level about 100 miles from the Norwegian coast. Flying in wide battle formation, pilots were on the alert for RNorAF Lockheed F-104 Starfighters (later General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons). Navigators monitored the radar warning receiver for telltale signs of an intercept radar. Once threatened, the Buccaneers countered by accelerating and staying low as they set up a co-ordinated attack on the airfield at Ørland. With the raid completed, the aircraft continued at low level up the Norwegian coast to cross the Arctic Circle near Bødø where more fighters could be expected. The crews continued north using 48 FLYPAST July 2017

way through the fjords in terrain that resembled the moon but, as often happened, a lowering cloud base forced a return to the coast over an angry-looking sea. Transiting around the North Cape, the most northerly part of Europe, emphasised how forbidding the landscape was. It was a fearsome place to bale out should things go wrong, but it was an awe-inspiring scene. Eventually the 25° east longitude line was reached, not far from the Soviet border, where the rules dictated that crews must head no further east and retrace their route back to Andøya. In the afternoon, it would be another low-level sortie to tangle with the Bødø fighters before climbing out to return to the UK. The sight of Norfolk’s lush, green countryside was a stark contrast to the scenery of a few hours earlier. As one pilot commented: “Flying a Buccaneer on 208 was never dull.”

Black art

For the Buccaneer overland units, training was geared to the fundamental tactical philosophy of fast, low-level penetration of enemy airspace. Unfortunately, in peacetime this type of flying conflicted with the need to adhere to air-traffic procedures, to avoid built-up areas, to limit noise and pay attention to the increasingly vociferous environmental lobby. Low flying had to be conducted in specified areas, with which crews became familiar. Almost all the weapons ranges were situated on the coast with unrepresentative targets, and fighter affiliation exercises had to take place over the sea. Electronic warfare (EW) was seen by many as a ‘black art’ and there were virtually no training facilities for using this significant and crucial capability. Squadrons were rarely able to practice tactics in an EW environment. Collectively, these limitations created a

situation in which lifelike operational experience was extremely difficult. Much of it could only be classed as ‘academic’, although flying was tremendously exhilarating and demanding. Other, realistic, opportunities had to be found. Detachments to Goose Bay in eastern Canada started in May 1977. Units spent a month conducting intensive low flying over the featureless forests and lakes of Labrador and this proved to have excellent value. But there were rarely opportunities to train for the wartime role and realistic, simulated threats were extremely limited.

Above left

A navigator’s view of Labrador at 100ft. Above

A Victor leading three Buccaneers over Canada en route to Cold Lake.

Red Flag

Prospects for an improvement came from an unexpected source. The USAF had created a special facility to reproduce early war sorties, and, in 1975, Exercise Red Flag was born at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas in the Nevada desert. At Nellis the tactical weapons and electronic warfare ranges to the north occupied an area equivalent in size to the southern half of England and Wales. They included 50 different types of life-size targets against which aircraft were allowed to deliver live weapons from any direction using any delivery mode. Objectives included a battlefront, formed with 220 Soviet tank replicas deployed in realistic formations. There were two truck convoys – one of them 17 miles long – spaced in the manner of a Russian convoy. Airfield layouts, marked out on the desert surface to the exact pattern of those in Eastern Europe, and mock-up or retired aircraft, were parked in dispersal areas. July 2017 FLYPAST 49

COLD WAR BLACKBURN BUCCANEER

Above

Buccaneers flying over typical Norwegian scenery in the north of the country. Right

Aircrew of 208 Squadron during a Maple Flag exercise in 1981. The author is at the front.

Dummy and real missile sites had been constructed. There was even an industrial complex with rail access, complete with a train. Visiting squadrons formed the attacking ‘Blues’ and were opposed by the ‘Reds’, comprising many different SAM and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) systems built to simulate the main threats posed by the Warsaw Pact. Only the missiles and bullets were missing from the simulations. Through the medium of video-camera recorders, many aircraft were still ‘shot down’ by SAMs and 23mm and 57mm AAA. The final threats posed by the Red forces were air defence fighters, directed by a Soviet-style ground control interception network. A specialist squadron of ‘Aggressors’ was permanently assigned to Red Flag. Other USAF fighters supplemented them and gun-sight film was used to assess ‘kills.’ Crews who had a validated ‘kill’ against them, from any threat, became candidates for a combat survival scenario. That took place the following day, on foot in the desert. In early 1977, USAF Tactical Air Command invited the RAF to participate in a Red Flag exercise and the air staffs decided to send ten Buccaneers and two Vulcans as the first non-US participants. As 208 Squadron was the only overland Buccaneer unit that regularly employed air-to-air refuelling, it was decided that they would ferry their aircraft to and from Nellis. All 208 Squadron crews and four from Honington-based 237

50 FLYPAST July 2017

Operational Conversion Unit participated in the first two-week period and crews from XV and 16 Squadrons took over for the second period. Ten Buccaneers left Honington on August 2, 1977, in pairs, to rendezvous with Norfolk’s Marham-based tankers en route to Goose Bay for an overnight stop. Arrival at Nellis was made the following day and, after four days of acclimatisation, the exercise started. The enterprise was a huge success and the performance of the Buccaneer and its crews astounded the USAF. British participation in Red Flag was to become a regular part of RAF squadrons’ tactical training.

Outstanding Scotland

An immediate result of the Red Flag experience was the introduction by Strike Command of the 100ft low-flying areas in Scotland, together with improvements to the

Spadeadam EW range. The constant availability of the Tain weapons range, the ever-present Phantom force at Leuchars, and dodgy weather provided an ideal arena for tactical overland training. Even the RAF Germany squadrons found excuses to mount regular detachments to Machrihanish and Lossiemouth. The latter became a second home to all the Buccaneer units. Scotland provided outstanding options for exercises and many Buccaneer aircrew claimed,

justifiably, that the facilities were the best in Europe. Before embarking on future Red Flag exercises, each squadron spent two weeks completing a carefully programmed work-up period at Lossiemouth. These would culminate in an eightship co-ordinated attack at Tain after penetrating the EW range, and fighter combat air patrols, without once flying above 100ft. Crews soon realised that the techniques of flying at this height were considerably different to those when flying at the standard 250ft, and Lossiemouth training detachments proved to be an ideal preparation for overseas exercises. This was particularly the case for 208 Squadron for which conditions, especially in winter, were more akin to those they encountered in northern Norway. Red Flag’s one disadvantage was that, situated in the Nevada desert, it was hardly representative of what crews could expect to meet in any conflict in the European theatre.

Cold Lake

By the late 1970s, a similar organisation had been established at the Canadian base at Cold Lake, Alberta, where the exercises were run by a combination of Red Flag and Canadian staff. Buccaneer

squadrons were soon asked to join in the fun, and visits to Cold Lake for so-called ‘Maple Flag’ exercises became an annual event. In May 1979 eight aircraft of 208 Squadron flew the increasingly familiar North Atlantic route, with Victor tankers in support, staging through Goose Bay to Cold Lake. Crews from XV and 16 Squadrons again formed part of the detachment and flew throughout the exercise. Apart from the Buccaneers, more than 40 USAF and US Navy, and 24 Canadian aircraft took part. The format of a Maple Flag exercise was similar to that of Red Flag, with ‘Aggressors’ and simulated ground threats. There were opportunities to drop weapons, although the range area was smaller. The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range was about 100 miles by 40, blanketed by silver birch trees and dotted with lakes. This was a less glamorous venue than Nellis, but nonetheless a realistic opportunity to fly over terrain more typical of that likely to be encountered in Cold War Europe. The range was covered by electronic emitters and anti-aircraft sites – to be avoided – and dummy tanks and airfields – to be attacked. While the targets lacked the

Left

The flight line at Cold Lake in 1980. Sharing the ramp are F-4 Phantoms, F-16s and A-7 Corsair IIs. Below

Over the Arctic wastes with RNorAF F-104s during an exchange visit to Bødø.

July 2017 FLYPAST 51

COLD WAR BLACKBURN BUCCANEER jinking, some ‘kills’, but none against the Buccaneers. Targets were hit with excellent results and there were congratulations from the USAF Commander of Tactical Air Command.

Skimming the ridge

Above

Treetop-level flying down a river near Goose Bay in 1979. Below

Low over Canada, a pair of Buccaneers flying with Paveway laser-guided bombs during trials.

elaborate scoring facilities of their Red Flag cousins, the free-flying environment provided excellent training opportunities. As the exercise progressed it became more complex and each crew flew eight sorties, culminating in the final ‘Gorilla’ when the whole offensive and defensive force took off. It was a great feather in 208 Squadron’s cap when it was given the lead of the 40-aircraft attack package. Making maximum use of their long range, the Buccaneers attacked from a few hundred miles north of the target, with the whole force converging on the approach. In radio silence, they accelerated to 540kts in wide battle formation, hit the dummy airfield with inert bombs and broke away. Back at Cold Lake, there was a mass debrief with videos. The plan had been good with effective co-ordination, extremely successful low flying and tactics, effective

Soon after 208 Squadron’s return, four aircraft left for Lossiemouth. There they joined other RAF and USAF squadrons to take part in the Tactical Bombing Competition on the ranges at Spadeadam and Otterburn. The crews were in top form being fresh from Maple Flag. Most of the early sorties for all participants involved standard co-ordinated attacks approaching from each end of the complex by flying down valleys. The RAF Regiment, with Rapier SAMs defending the targets, had set themselves up extremely well to cover this tactic. On the fifth and final day, it was time to put the Rapier teams in their place, so a new ploy was devised. The formation leader elected to carry out an unconventional approach from the south, over a ridge and across the main valley at 540kts in finger formation 80ft apart for a cluster bomb run on a convoy ranged on the south-facing slopes on the northern side of the range. Inbound, having avoided the fighter patrols, the formation tracked the edge of a distinctive forest, skimmed over the ridge as one unit, dropped down rapidly to

attack height, spotted the target, and then all bombed on the leader’s call. Each aircraft then selected a ‘depression’ to fly down and escape. Hardly a word had been spoken. The tactics against the fighters revolved around an innate knowledge of the opposition’s behaviour and capabilities. The Buccaneers were able to stay low, covering each other, widening the formation when needed and, if necessary, taking separate valleys and rejoining on the timeline. In many respects, the Tactical Bombing Competition over Scotland exemplified how much progress had been made in providing realistic operational training and all that was good about the Buccaneer. With the advent of the Paveway laser-guided bomb, an improved electronic warfare capability, regular visits to Red Flag and sorties north of the Arctic Circle, 208 Squadron provided a formidable force to the offensive capabilities of NATO’s northern flank. It was an ironic measure of the Buccaneer’s outstanding capability that when 208 went to war – in the Gulf – it was at medium level over the desert. Graham Pitchfork was officer commanding 208 Squadron during the period described in this article and he edited Buccaneer Boys published by Grub Street, which recounts many other aspects of Buccaneer operations by the RAF, Royal Navy and South African Air Force.

“The Buccaneers attacked from a few hundred miles north of the target with the whole force converging on the approach. In radio silence, they accelerated to 540kts in wide battle formation, hit the dummy airfield with inert bombs and broke away” 52 FLYPAST July 2017

Duty Carried Out

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Grou pC twili aptain N ght o i f the gel Huck exce ins de ption al Bu scribes th ccan eer e

BUCCANEER FINAL DAYS

I

never imagined that I would ever fly the Buccaneer, let alone end up as that iconic aircraft’s last ever squadron commander. My flying career had involved two tours on Jaguars followed by a further two on Tornados where I was eventually the Squadron Qualified Weapon Instructor (QWI) on 17 Squadron at Brüggen, Germany. My punishment for 14 years of training and glorious fastjet flying was 12 months at the RAF Staff College at Bracknell, Berkshire, followed by a tour in the Directorate of Training in the Ministry of Defence in London. In a bid to escape the fast-jet training policy paper that was sitting on my desk, I negotiated a rather more exciting deployment to

Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf War. Once Saddam’s forces had been ejected from Kuwait in February 1991, my boss, ‘JB’ Hill, in a fit of post-war euphoria jokingly enquired if I would like a medal or a squadron as a reward for my small contributions. Of course, I replied that a unit of my own would be much the better prize. I am not sure if JB ever followed through as we had consumed a modicum of some of the most famous product of Scotland that had been smuggled in from Bahrain. Sometime after my return to London, I received communication from the personnel centre at Innsworth, Gloucestershire, as to whether I would like a stint as Air Commander Belize, with Harrier conversion, followed by a tour as OC Operations on a Harrier station. This seemed like a good idea,

but after a short time the ‘posters’ reneged on the Air Commander bit and I declined OC ‘Ops’ in the vague hope that a squadron might materialise. Jaguar and Tornado commands were unlikely as such units were becoming fewer. Much to my surprise, I received a call from my desk officer saying: “How do you feel about commanding a Buccaneer squadron?” I accepted with alacrity and he replied that 208 Squadron needed a boss to see out the days of the Buccaneer, which was due to retire from service in April 1994.

Men apart

I arrived at Lossiemouth in October 1991 to start my conversion training. Despite the fact that I had not flown for a while, I was not offered a Hawk refresher course. This was because the Buccaneer conversion required use of two-seat Hunters and I could refresh on them at the same time as starting the transition. Lossiemouth was familiar to me as I had completed the Jaguar conversion course there, as well as serving as an instructor on 226 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) in the late 1970s. I also had some acquaintance with the Buccaneer force as I had been in the Air HQ in Riyadh when the aircraft had been deployed providing a much-needed bolster to our laser-designation capability. Buccaneers carried out this role in an exemplary manner, supporting

Tornados armed with laserguided bombs as well as using their Pave Spike pods for selfdesignation. During my time as a Jaguar and Tornado pilot I had also competed against the Buccaneer wing base at Laarbruch, Germany, in the annual Salmond Trophy in RAF Germany. Despite their lack of modern avionics, they were ferocious competitors. In addition,

much of the tactical thinking in the build-up of the Tornado force in Germany was driven by former Buccaneer aircrew, in particular their navigator ‘mafia’, which had a deserved reputation as men apart.

Faith in the back

Since late 1991 when 237 OCU disbanded, the job of operational conversion to the Buccaneer had fallen to 208 Squadron. There had already been some muttering in dark corners that it was a mistake to have a non-Buccaneer operator as a boss as there was plenty of other talent to fill the slot. Carrying out conversion training on the unit that I was going to command put some pressure on me to perform at my best, otherwise my credibility was going to take a rather large hit. The refresher course consisted of 12 sorties of general handling,

Left

Buccaneer S.2B XZ431. The cockpit section of this aircraft survives, though the remainder is believed to have been scrapped.

BUCCANEER FINAL DAYS

instrument flying and low-level navigation. All of this was with Sqn Ldr John ‘Fraz’ Fraser, who was a long-time 237 OCU qualified flying instructor (QFI). So, with a total of nine hours on the Hunter, three of which were solo, in January 1994, I started on the Buccaneer conversion. There was no ‘two-stick’ version of the Buccaneer, so we had to learn as much as we could with the Hunter. We had two types of Hunter that were specially modified to provide a lead-in. The T.7A had the same instrument panel as the Buccaneer and the T.8B was equipped with the Buccaneer’s airstream direction detector (ADD). This provided a visual read-out of the angle of attack and was used to ensure the correct approach speed. Fraz and I flew four sorties practising the Buccaneer approach and other

techniques using the ADD. Then came the opportunity to sit in the back seat for my first Buccaneer flight. With no flying controls of his own, the QFI had to talk the student pilot through the sortie. This required a really special type of instructor and Fraz managed the trip without his voice ever taking on any urgent or high-pitched patter. We practised approach techniques at medium level before Fraz was happy that I wouldn’t blow it and allowed me to do it for real. There followed several familiarisation sorties with another highly experienced Buccaneer pilot, before I was passed fit to be let loose with a real navigator. Flt Lt Carl Wilson was given that honour.

High Adrenalin

The rest of the conversion proceeded rapidly and in good

order, with some excellent Scottish weather. The Hunter was used to check instrument, formation, and night flying before these were undertaken with the Buccaneer. All the normal events were covered including ‘bunt’ laydown and toss weapon attacks. Adrenalin was at its highest when we were practising night maritime tactics. These involved close formation at medium and low level with simulated multi-aircraft co-ordinated Sea Eagle missile attacks. We did not have the luxury of night-vision goggles with compatible cockpit and navigation lights. Formation was kept using the leading-edge navigation lights as well as the single white formation light on the trailing edge of the wing.

“Formation flying became quite tense when you were India Mike Charlie (Instrument Meteorological Conditions – in cloud) and is still one of the most difficult and draining experiences I have ever had flying” 56 FLYPAST July 2017

Left to right

Navigator Flt Lt Cris Hilton in his ‘office’. Crew positions in the Buccaneer.

Formation flying became quite tense when you were India Mike Charlie (Instrument Meteorological Conditions – in cloud) and is still one of the most difficult and draining experiences I have ever had while flying. Nevertheless, I appeared to have convinced the doubters that I would not kill myself. A final handover check in the Hunter with the departing squadron commander, Wg Cdr Bill Cope was followed by an arrival check on the Buccaneer with Sqn Ldr Mike Scarfe. I passed the conversion and took command of 208 Squadron on March 31, 1992.

Low-level missiles

Normal routine continued with a station ‘Mineval’ in April. NATO Tactical Evaluation (TACEVAL)

exercises tested unit readiness, while a Mineval was a home-grown version to keep crews honed. I was able to fill my boots with about 20 hours’ flying a month, on average. Highlights were my first six-ship maritime tactics sortie and my first experience of ‘buddy-buddy’ tanking from another Buccaneer. I found this far easier than the Tornado for air-to-air refuelling (AAR). The probe sat well out to the front, which meant it was easily visible to the pilot and the basket was not adversely affected by the aircraft’s bow wave. Sqn Ldr Russ Hall was my AAR instructor/navigator for the day and my first sortie went well, smoothed by his calm and professional manner. Six-ship formation strikes were our typical ‘bread-and-butter’ sorties against enemy ships. Ideally

a third party, usually a maritime patrol Nimrod, would provide us with the location and track of the enemy fleet. Hopefully, it would also provide intelligence on the fleet disposition so we could target the capital ship. The lead Buccaneer navigator would complete all the calculations required for the attack including the ‘bananas’ point at which the formation split into two threeships. Each section would fly independent tracks to launch their Sea Eagles from about 50-60 miles (80-96km) out from the targets with the axis of the attacks being at least 90° apart. The aim was to get two batches of 12 missiles arriving at the capital ship, 90° apart, at the same time. To simulate this, rather than turning away as in the real situation, the Buccaneer took on the persona of the missiles and flew towards the target. This was quite exciting as it was carried out at 100ft (30m) and required a good lookout to ensure deconfliction over the target.

A view from inside the cockpit. The split airbrakes on S.2B XV864.

Ship killers

As a QWI on Jaguars and Tornados, I maintained an interest in how weapons worked. The Sea Eagle was fascinating and sophisticated. The Buccaneers had been fitted with an inertial navigation system that was linked to the Sea Eagle so the position of a target could be fed to the missile. Once programmed and fired, the Sea Eagle missile flew at very low level using a radar altimeter. The guidance system could judge the sea state and adjusted its transit height to ensure it did not hit any waves. At a predetermined point the missile would pop up and look for a target. This was hopefully the one that had originally been fed to it and would exclude any others that might be accompanying it. If no July 2017 FLYPAST 57

BUCCANEER FINAL DAYS

“The Sea Eagle’s semi-armoured piercing, time delayed, fragmenting warhead was capable of destroying a smaller frigate and doing considerable damage to a capital ship”

Above

A four-ship formation of Buccaneers in 1994. XZ431 is nearest the camera.

target was seen, the missile system widened the search to find the target nearest the original datum. Once the target was located, the missile resumed its sea-skimming to hit the target. The semi-armoured piercing, time-delayed, fragmenting warhead was capable of destroying a smaller frigate and doing considerable damage to a capital ship. I once met the man who had designed this warhead on a visit to the then Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment at Fort Halstead, Kent. A brilliant, enthusiastic, young scientist dressed in jeans, checked shirt and tie, somewhat resembling ‘Beaker’ from The Muppets, he was incredibly effusive as to how the warhead would drill into the ship and then explode, blowing all to smithereens. Buccaneer crews were extremely proud of the Sea Eagle and believed it gave the RAF an unparalleled ability against enemy capital ships.

Aircrew heaven

One of the more unusual detachments enjoyed was to Decimomannu, Sardinia. Normally 58 FLYPAST July 2017

the province of overland strike squadrons, ‘Deci’ provided both a nearby weapons range at Capo Frasca as well as an air combat manoeuvring instrumentation (ACMI) range. The weapons range enabled intensive bombing practice, but the ACMI provided the most interesting experience as the other visiting unit was an Italian Air Force Lockheed F-104 Starfighter squadron. They invited us to act as targets for them and we agreed, but only if they allowed us to indulge in some ‘one-on-one’ combat. There was something special about two venerable veteran aircraft dogfighting over the Mediterranean. While Lossiemouth is rightly famous for its excellent weather and proximity to some of the best low flying in the world, it does have one disadvantage. Golfers make much of teeing off on the Moray course at midnight on midsummer’s day and this lack of the dark stuff in summer did not help in maintaining operational night-flying currency. It was vital to go somewhere where it was dark at night during the summer and Akrotiri in Cyprus

fulfilled this requirement, as well as having excellent facilities for other activities. The deal was that one of the squadrons would fly aircraft to Akrotiri, operate for two weeks and then a Vickers VC-10 transport would swap the crews over and the other squadron would have its fortnight and then recover the Buccaneers back to Lossiemouth. Deploying via Decimomannu, 208 Squadron arrived at Akrotiri in June 1993. We planned to only nightfly on Monday to Thursday as the airfield closed on Fridays. Each day followed a similar pattern: leisurely get-up was followed by an afternoon sailing or bronzing and then one or two night sorties, including buddybuddy refuelling. There was still time to get to the pub for several rounds of brandy sours. If there is a Buccaneer aircrew heaven, then this detachment had pretty much everything.

Hunter squadron

One of the joys of commanding a Buccaneer unit was having your own fleet of Hunters. These were provided for instrument ratings as well as QFI checks by day and night, but were

for his first sortie in a jet. This meant I could complete a historic double as my first trip in a RAF aircraft, a DHC Chipmunk T.10 of 6 Air Experience Flight in 1965 was with my father, Flt Lt Maurice Huckins. The Hunter was generally a safe and serviceable aircraft but, like any jet, it could bite if you did not pay attention. During 12 Squadron’s wind down, we were asked if we could deliver one of their Hunters to Cranwell, Lincolnshire. I agreed and, as no one else was interested, took on the task myself. It was a simple sortie at high level and so, after a modicum of flight planning, I set off to the other side of the airfield. At 12 Squadron, I walked to the aircraft and discovered that for some unknown reason it was without drop tanks. A quick bit of mental arithmetic told me that I should have enough fuel and I set off solo. Suffice it to say, there was enough fuel, after a minimum power let down and straight-in approach. The groundcrew gave me some very funny looks, as well as mutterings of “not a lot of fuel in that one” after they had completed the post-flight servicing.

Left

208 Squadron was the last RAF unit to fly Buccaneers. Below left

A 208 Squadron Buccaneer in a typical RAF camouflage scheme. Below

Buccaneers served the RAF from 1969 until 1994.

Buccaneers bite

also really handy if the boss had not been put on the Buccaneer flying programme. I had originally flown the Hunter F.6 and FGA.9 on my tactical weapons course at Chivenor, Devon, and it was a delight to be able to pilot the venerable jet for just over 100 hours during my time at Lossiemouth. Unlike the Buccaneer, in which passenger flying was subject to a plethora of Group Air Staff Orders, there were none for the Hunter. A thorough check of all pertinent

publications distilled down to the fact that as long as the passenger was medically fit, according to Queen’s Regulations, anyone could be flown if the squadron commander considered that it was in the ‘good of the service’. I had already agreed to fly an Air Training Corps cadet as a prize for winning a competition, so there was already a precedent. Having agreed with the Station Commander that it was OK, on October 26, 1993, I set off with my son, Combined Cadet Force cadet Huckins

There was one more time before 208 disbanded when the Buccaneer decided to show me that it could bite. We were returning from a three-ship maritime sortie at night, and made a rendezvous with a Buccaneer tanker off the coast at Aberdeen. I was the third to AAR and had just plugged in when the tanker pilot announced he needed to turn left to head towards Lossiemouth. Night tanking with Buccaneers was a challenge as the aircraft had minimal lighting with just navigation, formation and the basket ‘beta’ lights for orientation.

July 2017 FLYPAST 59

BUCCANEER FINAL DAYS

End of an era

Above

By mid-1993, 208 Squadron was the sole remaining operator of the Buccaneer. XZ431 is nearest the camera. Right

A Buccaneer painted to represent a Royal Navy machine.

“In the end we repainted one aircraft completely in the livery of the Royal Navy’s 809 Squadron, which was the second frontline Buccaneer unit” As our heading came around to point up the Moray Firth, I suffered an event that I remembered from basic instrument training but had never encountered in ‘real’ flying. The lights from the ground and the stars all merged and combined with the 20° banked turn, I was suddenly completely disorientated. I immediately closed the throttles to disengage from the basket. As we slid backward I rolled right to clear the tanker but as I did so, we hit the tanker’s jet wash and my aircraft entered what I could only describe as a spin. The aircraft seemed to spin 270° left and then repeated this to the right as well as descending reasonably rapidly. Any rearward movement on the stick produced severe juddering. I called 60 FLYPAST July 2017

to [navigator] ‘JJ’ in the back to eject if we did not recover by 8,000ft. Remembering spin recovery from my early days on the Chipmunk, I applied corrective controls and we emerged with the aircraft still feeling sensitive at about 11,000ft. As I looked out I could see Lossiemouth’s VASI - visual approach slope indicator - on the nose so we completed a ‘straight in’. The sortie ended in the ‘Bothie Bar’ for a restorative drink. I admitted our experiences to the Station Commander the next day. After some muttering about allowing non-Buccaneer experienced pilots to command Buccaneer squadrons he suggested that I should requalify at night tanking. I duly complied with this.

We needed to plan for the disbandment of 208 Squadron and the retirement of the Buccaneer as April 1994 approached. Given the number of Fleet Air Arm and RAF crews who had flown the aircraft and their undying enthusiasm as shown at the annual ‘Buccaneer Blitz’ reunion, this would have to be a substantial event. I put Fraz in charge of organising a weekend of events while I hatched my own plan to commemorate the end of the era. I had decided I wanted to paint our aircraft with the markings of every RAF squadron that had ever operated the Buccaneer. I had to obtain permission from active units to use their insignia, as well as from 18 Group. In the end we repainted one aircraft completely in the livery of the Royal Navy’s 809 Squadron, which was the second frontline Buccaneer unit. We flew seven aircraft in echelon and I was lucky to lead this formation and the final nine-ship at the end of the ‘Buccaneer weekend’. Fraz did an amazing job and more than 900 people turned up at Lossiemouth for the event. We had all achieved DCO duty carried out. Any negative thoughts about the work involved in repainting the aircraft were completely removed when we witnessed the positive emotional reaction of navy personnel seeing a Buccaneer in naval dark grey leading the final flypast. I feel extremely privileged to have commanded a great squadron and to have joined the exalted ranks of Buccaneer aircrew.

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A dramatic low pass from a 208 Squadron Blackburn Buccaneer, pictured in 1994, the jet’s final year of RAF service. ©JOHN DIBBS-THE PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

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28/04/2017 14:59

Spotlight Lavochkin

La-5

17 Pages in detail

66 Origin and history 68 Men behind the machine 74 Lavochkin in profile 76 In combat - the La-5 at war

Main picture

Several versions of the Lavochkin La-5 were built. This is a La-5UTI two-seat trainer. VIA VLADIMIR KOTELNIKOV

This month our Spotlight focuses on one of the most potent Soviet fighters of World War Two, the Lavochkin La-5. A refined version of the company’s earlier LaGG-3, the La-5 was fitted with the much more powerful Shvetsov ASh82 radial engine. More importantly, it soon established itself as a reliable, fast and effective dogfighter, and was for the most part able to hold its own against German adversaries. Almost 10,000 were built, and the design was constantly being improved, with later models receiving fuel-injected powerplants. Using rarely seen images and new artwork, we look back at the Russian fighter’s history.

Spotlight Lavochkin La-5

Scrutinizes the history of...

The Lavochkin

Above

Lavochkin La-5FN ‘White 72’ was equipped with the upgraded M-82FN powerplant. VIA VLADIMIR KOTELNIKOV

LA-5 A

s the fighting intensified on the Russian Front between the invading Germans and the Soviet defenders, the VVS (Soviet Air Forces) desperately needed a superior fighter. While there was no doubting the courage and skill of the Russian pilots, the Luftwaffe’s latest versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 were proving to be tough opposition in the skies over Russia in 1941. From September 1942 they were joined by an even more potent attacker, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Hitler’s aim was to destroy the Soviet Union as a military, political and economic power – its defeat would yield vast resources to the German conquerors, including much-needed oil supplies. Given the vast size and population of Russia, German forces needed to move

66 FLYPAST July 2017

as quickly as possible, giving the defenders no time to react. From a Soviet point of view, the longer they could remain in the fight, the more certain they could be of vanquishing an increasingly stretched invading army. Its prodigious capacity for aircraft production was key. Over 9,000 Lavochkin La-5s were built, with a further 5,753 La-7s. Even these figures pale in comparison to the 36,183 Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft that were built between 1941 and 1945. While numerous German fighter aces achieved remarkable ‘scores’ over Russia, the Luftwaffe ultimately had no answer to Soviet might and the increasing confidence of its pilots. The La-5 was a significantly refined version of Lavochkin’s LaGG-3 (of which over 6,500 were made). The

manufacturer had fallen out of favour with Stalin, with production of rival designs by Yakovlev (the Yak-1 and -7) given priority. Designers Semyon Lavochkin and Vladimir Gorbunov decided to trial a LaGG-3 with the more powerful Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine. Effectively a prototype for a new fighter, it flew for the first time in March 1942, and the improvement in performance was immediately apparent. Stalin ordered the type to be mass produced following an intensive period of testing in April. The first La-5s also included aerodynamic modifications and were found to be a good match for all German fighters at low level. Further developments included the rear fuselage being cut down to give the pilot better visibility. The definitive La-5FN was fitted with a fuel-injected engine and had other refinements. The latter had a higher roll rate than the Bf 109G, and could out-turn an Fw 190A-8, giving it a distinct advantage in the skies over Russia. It consistently provided meaningful opposition to the Luftwaffe, which warned its pilots to avoid prolonged combat with the Lavochkins, particularly at low level. Most air

SPOT FACT A captured La-5 was flown by German test pilot Hans-Werner Lerche

Origin & history

combat over the Eastern Front took place at altitudes of 16,500ft or lower, meaning the Soviet pilots could take full advantage of their new mounts. Soviet ace Ivan Kozhedub scored 45 of his 63 victories while flying an La-5. The Lavochkin was far from perfect – among its faults was the tendency for exhaust gas to enter the cockpit due to poor insulation of the engine compartment. To overcome this, some pilots flew with the canopy open.

In all, 42 regiments were operating La-5s in May 1945. The type had been flown during 1943’s Battle of Kursk and, towards the end of the war, was used in the Battle of Berlin and in the liberation of Prague. A number of Lavochkins were operated by Czechoslovakia after the conflict, but today only one, unrestored example remains extant – it is in storage at the Fighter Factory in Virginia Beach, Virginia, US.

Above

Front section of the world’s only remaining La-5. COURTESY GERALD YAGEN-FIGHTER FACTORY

Lavochkin La-5FN

AT A GLANCE: RANGE (miles) 0

200

400

600

475

AT A GLANCE: SPEED (mph) 0

100

200

300

400 403

Construction: First flight: Powerplant: Dimension: Weight: Performance:

AT A GLANCE: CEILING (feet) 0

10,000

20,000

30,000

Armament: 40,000

36,000

730

Crew:

A total of 9,920 La-5s were built. The prototype, essentially a conversion of the LaGG-3, flew in March 1942. One 1,850hp (1,385kW) Shvetsov ASh-82FN 14-cylinder radial engine driving a three-bladed propeller. Span 32ft 2in (9.8m). Length 28ft 5in. Height 9ft 3in. Wing area 188sq ft (17.5sq m). Empty 6,173lb (2,800kg). Loaded 7,407lb. Max speed 403mph (648km/h) at 21,000ft (6,400m). Service ceiling 36,000ft. Initial rate of climb 3,600ft per min. Max range 475 miles (765km). Two ShVAK 20mm cannon in upper cowling plus provision for underwing rockets or a pair of 220lb bombs. One.

Note: performance and weights varied according to role and configuration.

La-5s were lost in 1942 July 2017 FLYPAST 67

Spotlight Lavochkin La-5

Russia’s

Answer The Soviet Air Force at last found an equal to the Luftwaffe’s fighters with the Lavochkin La-5. Aleksander Medved explains

N

ew versions of Luftwaffe fighters appeared in large numbers, outperforming their Russian opposition over the battlefield. In speed, rate-ofclimb and hitting power, the Soviet air forces were suddenly outclassed; in the summer of 1942 the air war took a dramatic turn.

68 FLYPAST July 2017

Enhanced armament – three cannons, plus two machine guns – allowed the shooting down of the Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ ground-attack aircraft in a single strike. Commander of the 1st Air Army, Major General S A Khudyakov explained the situation to Air Force Commander A A Novikov: “Undoubtedly, the causes include organisational drawbacks, omissions in the training of flight crews, errors in air tactics, etc. However, it would be a mistake to think that everything is at fault except our aircraft, which allegedly have excellent performance superior to that of German fighters, and the only problem is that our

pilots fail to use them properly… “Systematic observation… shows that German fighters typically hold the combat initiative under their control and carry out attacks under favourable conditions. On the other hand, as soon as a situation becomes adverse, they disengage from action with impunity, often even without manoeuvring, simply climbing straight ahead. “The Germans have dramatically enhanced the quality of their fighters, both by means of improving aerodynamics and

SPOT FACT Mass production began just four months after the La-5’s first flight

by increasing engine power. It is necessary to take certain steps to gain advantage over the enemy. He added: “We should improve the performance of our aircraft and engines by upgrading the manufacturing quality, perhaps even at the expense of the quantity manufactured. I am hereby asking you to appoint a competent commission to identify the actual performance of our fighters in comparison with German ones directly in air-to-air combats.” On September 8, 1942, an operational Messerschmitt Bf 109G2 force landed in Soviet occupied territory and not long afterwards a Bf 109G-2/R6 with two underwing MG 151/20 cannons was taken as a trophy. These ‘Gustavs’ had a maximum speed of around 313mph (505km/h) at 10,000ft (3,000m) and could sustain 403mph at 23,000ft. Most impressively, they could

200

climb almost vertically. Mock combats confirmed how vulnerable the Soviet Air Force had become. The head of the Red Army Scientific Testing Institute of the Air Force wrote to Stalin on October 23, 1942: “To combat the new enemy, we need a fighter, which would, with a weight of not more than 3,300kg, have a speed of at least 550km/h near ground and 680km/h at an altitude of 7,000m. It should be all-metal with armour protection and self-sealing tanks with inert gas pressurisation.”

Operational trials

Factory No.21 had begun in August to manufacture the Shvetsov M-82A radial-engined Lavochkin La-5. The 49th Red Banner Fighter Air Regiment was the first to be equipped with Syemyen Alekseyvich Lavochkin’s new fighter and the unit embarked on operational testing. By the autumn of 1942, together with other units of the 1st Air Army, the 49th was taking part in intense battles near Rzhev, where the Red Army had launched a counteroffensive to prevent German reserves reaching Stalingrad.

La-5 in Combat

Straight off the production line, these early machines suffered from workmanship and design defects. Of greatest concern, the La-5’s take-off weight was nearly 7,500lb which made it very unresponsive. From August 14 to 29, pilots of the 49th tried the La-5 in combat. During 180 sorties, totalling 130 flying hours, 16 enemy aircraft were shot down in 27 air-to-air battles, for the loss of ten La-5s. The new machines demonstrated several advantages; automatic slats drastically improved manoeuvrability and the reliability of the air-cooled M-82A was much appreciated. The La-5s were also robust. On one example, cannon fire cut through both spars in the starboard wing and damaged the elevator and rudder trim tab control cables. Despite this, it managed to reach base and was back in action the following morning.

Far left

Pilots of the 240th Fighter Regiment were among the first to fly the La-5. The example in the background was purchased with funds collected by employees of the Bauman Moscow Higher Technical School and given as a present to Hero of the Soviet Union Lukyanov. Above left

Mechanics studying the engine of a La-5. Above

A La-5F pilot receiving a membership card for the All-Union Communist Party. Left

La-5Fs on ‘ground alert’ duty.

Penal squadrons

These results encouraged the rapid deployment of the La-5 around Stalingrad. In little more than 20 days, the 287th Fighter Division (comprising the 240th, 297th and 437th Fighter Regiments) converted to the La-5. The rushed deployment and lack of preparation led to failure within ten days of entering combat. The 240th and 297th lost nearly half of its aircraft and most of its experienced pilots. Both regiments were promptly withdrawn and the division was replenished by the 15th Fighter Regiment, which was also had Lavochkins. The 15th fared no better; in 513 sorties 23 La-5s and 11 pilots were lost and the regiment was withdrawn for restructuring on September 24.

rounds could be accommodated in each of the La-5’s 20mm ShVAK cannons July 2017 FLYPAST 69

SPOT FACT Russian ace Ivan Kozhedub scored most of his 64 victories flying the La-5FN

Above

A La-5 built with funds collected by residents of the Gorky Area, and bearing the inscription ‘Valery Chkalov Squadron’. Below

Pilots on the Leningrad Front in spring 1943.

The haste to put the La-5 into the frontline saw some sergeant pilots flying fewer than ten hours on type before facing the Luftwaffe. In defence of these inexperienced men, August and September 1942 were probably the most difficult months of air fighting of the entire war in the East. On the Stalingrad front, air regiments were burning away like tinder; it seemed that nothing could be changed, regardless of how many men and machines were committed to action. It was in September 1942 that ‘penal squadrons’ were raised within the 8th Air Army. These were manned by pilots who, in Stalin’s words, were accused of the “demonstration of selfinterest” – attempting to avoid battles with German fighter ‘aces’. Within two months this ‘novelty’ had been rejected, with personnel distributed among other units. On the Kalinin Front the first combats between La-5s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, of Jagdgeschwader 51, took place in late October 1942. It turned out that

70 FLYPAST July 2017

air armies were created which were reinforced by Supreme Command Reserve air corps. Such units included fighter, bomber and ground-attack aircraft, all exclusively with new types. In the autumn, the two-division 1st Fighter Air Corps, under General E M Beletsky was ready for combat. One of its fighter divisions, the 235th, comprising three regiments (3rd Guards, 181st and 239th) was equipped solely with La-5s, whereas the other, the 274th, flew Yakovlev Lavochkin Losses 1944 Circumstances Air-to-air combat Anti-aircraft fire Missing in action Declared beyond repair Non-combat accident

La-5 M-82A 10 8 30 217 61

the La-5 and the Fw 190 had similar maximum speeds at low and medium altitudes. In climbing manoeuvres, the Lavochkin was slightly superior. At speeds of over 250mph the Fw 190 excelled while the Soviet fighter was more difficult to control. In a dive, the Luftwaffe machine accelerated quickly and could easily shake off pursuers. Finally, the Fw 190 offered the undeniable advantage of armament, with four cannons and two machine guns against the La-5’s two ShVAK cannons.

Transport predators

In the second half of 1942, the Soviet Supreme Command decided to radically revise the structure of the Red Army Air Force. Integrated

La-5F 112 69 420 373 426

La-5FN 42 33 256 113 249

Yak-1s and Yak-7Bs. The 3rd was among the first Soviet air regiments to be reorganised as a ‘Guards’ unit under a Supreme Soviet order of December 6, 1941. In August-September 1942 it converted to La-5s and joined the 235th Fighter Division. After a month of battles on the Kalinin Front, the 3rd Guards flew 74 sorties and lost two Lavochkins in combat and five in other circumstances. From November 5, it was operating directly over Stalingrad. By the end of February 1943, the 3rd Guards supported Soviet troops which had encircled the German 6th Army, under the command of General Friedrich Paulus. During the blockade of the beleaguered enemy troops, the 3rd flew more than 1,000 sorties, losing ten pilots, 15 La-5s to combat and four to other

La-5 in Combat reasons. The damage inflicted on the Luftwaffe was incomparably greater. Transports were attempting to re-supply Paulus in early January 1943. Eighteen Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors had been seconded to the airlift and within days of their arrival, La-5s had dispatched five of them. A pair of giant Junkers Ju 290s were also employed; one crashed, the other was hit by La-5s. Young pilot P A Bazanov became one of the 3rd’s luckiest transport ‘hunters’. Directly over the regiment’s home airfield, he shot down a Ju 52 trimotor which was laden with schnapps, tobacco, and specialty foods. On December 11, La-5s of the 3rd accounted for 18 Ju 52s; Bazanov shooting down three of them.

On the 29th, according to reports, the 210th obtained its highest success. Operating near Velikiye Luki, its pilots managed to destroy 23 enemy aircraft; Lt P A Grazhdaninov bringing down a pair of Ju 87s. One of the ‘Stukas’ was destroyed by cannon fire, the other was rammed; Grazhdaninov managing to return to base in his La-5. Throughout December, the 210th Fighter Division’s score grew by 53 victories. Division records noted: “Without knowledge of the La-5’s

were frequently in a disadvantageous position in battles with Fw 190s even at low altitudes, where they should have had the advantage. The uprated M-82F engine improved the La-5’s overall performance, and rectified defects. The aircraft’s power increased by 300hp (223kW) at low altitudes and by 120hp at high altitudes, compared with the M-82A. These modifications resulted in the La-5F. In February 1943, La-5Fs were supplied to the 5th Guards Fighter

performance, the enemy attempted to combat us in the vertical plane and suffered a defeat, since, in terms of speed and rate-of-climb in vertical manoeuvring, the La-5 is as good as the Me 109 and the Fw 190.” Losses incurred by the 169th Fighter Regiment were however, severe; six La-5s were shot down and four failed to return.

Regiment of the 207th Fighter Division (the other two regiments flew Yaks) which had previously been equipped with ‘straight’ La-5s. Prior to the arrival of the La-5Fs, during January the 5th had managed only seven victories at the cost of three aircraft. The situation changed dramatically the following month. During operations near Barvenkovo, south of Kharkov, the regiment suffered no losses, whereas its pilots reported 40 victories. On the 2nd, four La-5Fs shot down two Ju 88s and a Heinkel He 111. Battalion Commissar Kiyachenko led four engagements, adding an Fw 189 reconnaissance type and two Ju 88s to the overall count. On March 10, six La-5s led by the commander of the 5th Guards, Major Vasily Zaytsev, carried out one of the most successful sorties of the war. The Soviet pilots noticed three Fw 189s without fighter cover and in quick order three of the ‘Frames’, as the Soviets nicknamed the Fw 189, were downed. Three groups of Ju 87s, 26 aircraft in all, were spotted about to go into a dive, assuming single-column formation. This was a gift for the Soviet pilots, who attacked them from beneath the tail. Six Stukas were shot down; two by Regiment Commander Zaytsev. Twice declared a Hero

Mounting score

The 1st Fighter Air Corps received the two-regiment 210th Fighter Division, comprising the 32nd

Fighter Regiment with Yak-1s and Yak-7Bs and the 169th with La-5s. On December 6, 1942, it redeployed to the Kalinin Front and was in action 48 hours later. According to Soviet documents, on that day the 210th was providing cover for advancing ground forces near the town of Bely. Eleven enemy aircraft were shot down; ten credited to the 169th. The division’s own losses were minor; one La-5 brought down, one hit. Lt P A Grazhdaninov was hero of the day, scoring three victories in two sorties. In one combat, he set an Fw 190A ablaze. This was probably the first of the type to be destroyed by bursts of cannon fire from a La-5. Led by Captain A A Fedotov, on December 16 five La-5s engaged a pair of Fw 190s, shooting both down, for no loss.

1,460

Improved ‘F’

Operational use of the first La-5 series revealed serious defects. For example, at maximum speed, the engine often overheated, even with the side cowls open. (The Fw 190 had experienced the same problem a year earlier.) Cockpit ventilation was poor; pilots suffered in the heat and many flew with the canopy open. This led to a loss of approximately 24mph at any altitude. For this reason, La-5 pilots

Above

Pilots of the La-5F often preferred flying with the canopy open. Left

Senior Lt Vladimir G Serov, who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously on August 2, 1944, in a La-5 of the 159th Fighter Regiment.

were lost in 1943, the worst year for La-5 attrition July 2017 FLYPAST 71

SPOT FACT Semyon Lavochkin was given the honorary rank of Maj-Gen of Engineering/Technical Services in 1944 Right

Free hunting

Captain A Lobanov (left) and Major A Pavlov of the 159th Fighter Regiment.

On the 12th, troops on the Bryansk Front initiated a flanking attack against the German forces. Pilots of the 3rd Guards were entrusted with gaining air supremacy over the battleground. According to Soviet data, over the next 48 hours, when the situation was especially tense, pilots of the 32nd Guards Fighter Regiment alone destroyed 41 enemy aircraft, more than other air units in the division. The best fighter aces began to practise ‘free hunting’ at high altitudes over hostile territory. For this task, first and foremost, the La-5FN was chosen. The Germans admitted the loss of

Below right

Friends from the 176th Guards Fighter Regiment congratulating Deputy Regiment Commander I N Kozhedub on a double victory over Fw 190s on April 17, 1945.

of the Soviet Union, Vasily Zaytsev commanded the 5th Guards up to March 1944 and achieved 34 victories. Throughout the Great Patriotic War, as the USSR called its part in World War Two, 27 pilots of the 5th Guards were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. As well as Zaytsev, V I Popkov, with 41 air victories, was a double ‘Hero’. According to official data, pilots of the 5th scored 657 victories in air-to-air battles and destroyed 82 enemy aircraft on the ground.

Battle of Kursk

Mass manufacture of the La-5F with a reduced cockpit fairing, known as the Type 39, was launched in the spring of 1943. Before the beginning of the crucial Battle of Kursk, the La-5FN (or Type 39FN) also began production. This was fitted with the direct injection M-82FN engine. Both types had reduced weight and offered conspicuous performance enhancement. The first La-5FNs went to the 32nd Guards Fighter Regiment under Stalin’s son, Colonel Vasily J Stalin. Previously flying Yaks, this was one of the strongest and best trained regiments in the Red Army Air Force. The first squadron and the command flight were equipped with the La-5FNs; the second and third squadrons had La-5Fs. The 32nd carried out operational service tests of the new Lavochkins. Crews were given time to master their new mounts and discovered that, at all altitudes, La-5s fitted with M-82FNs, had a top speed considerably higher than the Yaks. At low altitude, the La-5FN could achieve 360mph – in the summer of

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1943 this was deemed to be of very significant value. Stalin removed his son from command of the 32nd on May 26 because of a bizarre fishing accident. Reckless young pilots found no better pastime than to stun fish by throwing RS-82 rocket projectiles into the water. One of these exploded prematurely, killing a person and injuring several more. Command of the regiment was given to Major B P Lyubimov. As part of the 3rd Guards Fighter Division, the 32nd Guards Fighter Regiment had 75 operational and eight inoperable La-5s at its disposal in June 1943. It was covertly redeployed to advanced airfields on the Bryansk Front along with the 15th Air Division. This was a month before the dramatic Battle of Kursk. At the northern segment of the Kursk salient at the end of June the Luftwaffe 1st Air Division had 186 serviceable Fw 190s, in four groups: Stab I, III and IV of Jagdgeschwader 51 and I/JG54. Lt I I Batov opened the Lavochkin’s account against this formidable opposition on July 6 when he downed an Fw 190.

18 Focke-Wulfs, and about the same number severely damaged, throughout the period. Hero of the Soviet Union Snr Lt V A Orekhov of the 32nd Guards, was the most successful against the ’190s, downing four. By the end of July, he had scored 14 victories including six Fw 190s. Orekhov’s regimental comrade Captain V A Lutsky flew 135 sorties, taking part in 75 combats and destroying 11 enemy aircraft, among them four Fw 190s. Two of these were downed during one engagement on July 20, northwest of Protasovo. In battles along the Orel line, the first squadron of the 32nd Guards, led by Lutsky, conducted 165 sorties, making full use of the La-5FN’s qualities by destroying 26 enemy aircraft without incurring any losses. While Moscow was saluting the liberators of Orel and Kharkov on August 5, the 32nd Guards celebrated the day in its own manner with Snr Lt A I Markov dispatching two more Focke-Wulfs, thereby completing the La-5FN’s operational trials. The report on the new type was impressive: from July 6 through to August 5, 1943, in 25 combats, 14

La-5 in Combat

Soviet fighter production 1944

An 11th series LaGG-3. © ANDREY YURGENSON 2017

Type / Engine LaGG-3 M-105PF* La-5 M-82A La-5F M-82F La-5FN M-82FN La-7 M-82FN Yak-1 M-105PF Yak-3 M-105PF Yak-7 M-105PF Yak-9 M-105PF Yak-9 M-107A

Jan-Jun 226 635 540 1,371 71 1,106 112 368 3,097 213

Jul-Dec 5 948 1,663 82 1,775 57 2,910 905

Total 231 635 540 2,319 1,734 1,188 1,897 425 6,007 1,118

* Syemyen Alekseyvich Lavochkin initially had a design bureau with Vladimir Petrovich Gorbunov and Mikhail Ivanovich Gudkov – hence LaGG.

guards’ pilots shot down 32 enemy aircraft, including 21 Fw 190s. All this for the loss of only four Lavochkins.

Fighter family

Unfortunately, in late summer 1943, the bulk of the Soviet Air Force Lavochkins were versions with M-82 and M-82F engines. Mass production of M-82FNs proved to be complicated and time-consuming. It was not until the autumn of 1943 that La-5FNs entered service in significant quantities and priority was given to guards’ units. As of November 1, the 64 combatready pilots of the 8th Guards Fighter

1

Division had just eight La-5FNs available. The 8th Guards comprised the 40th, 41st, 88th Guards and the 927th Fighter Regiments. Throughout the month, 453 sorties were flown from Vasilkov airfield; 29 air-to-air combats were conducted, 19 enemy aircraft were shot down and 14 damaged. Losses on the Soviet side totalled 15 La-5s; one of which was burnt out during an enemy raid, another was destroyed in a crash. In a report on La-5FN losses the senior engineer of the 11th Guards Fighter Division, Major M P Kuzhelev noted that 34% of the losses were due

to pilot injury. The breakdown for losses resulting from airframe damage included the following: 31% due to fuel tank problems, 13% controls, 11% hydraulics and 9% the oil system. Commanded by Colonel A A Silvestrov, the 295th Fighter Division (31st, 116th and 164th Fighter Regiments), part of the 17th Air Army, conducted 692 sorties throughout April 1944. Pilots claimed 28 enemy aircraft destroyed, including seven Fw 190s. Seven Lavochkins were lost in combat and in Luftwaffe raids. As of May 1, there were 74 operational and 26 out-of-service La-5s at the 295th’s disposal. In that month, during a staggering 1,257 sorties, the enemy lost 60 aircraft. Losses of the 295th were estimated at 14 La-5FNs and seven pilots. Tests of La-5FN production examples showed that the speed and rate-of-climb were slightly lower than those of the prototype. Despite this, Lavochkin was manufacturing the best Soviet fighters, considerably superior to principal Luftwaffe types in most combat situations. Syemyen Alekseyvich Lavochkin was unwilling to rest on his laurels. In co-operation with the Central Aerodynamics and Hydrodynamics Institute he further improved the aerodynamics, the oil and exhaust systems. The centre section was re-configured and metal spars introduced. All this led to the exceptional La-7, which in April 1944 reached the front line in significant numbers.

Above

A Lavochkin La-5F in 1943. © ANDREY YURGENSON 2017

Below

A La-5FN with a Lisunov Li-2 transport behind. ALL PHOTOS VIA AUTHOR

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Spotlight Lavochkin La-5

Seeing

Stars Andrey Yurgenson artwork of a Lavochkin La-5FN that saw combat over Russia

Artwork

Lavochkin La-5FN ‘White 36’ of the 139th Fighter Air Regiment, 13th Air Army, Leningrad Front, during the summer of 1944. ANDREY YURGENSON-2017

T

he sheer numbers of Soviet aircraft put into combat over the Eastern Front caused severe problems for the German invaders. By the summer of 1944, the Luftwaffe had more than just numbers to worry about. The latest Russian fighters, including the La-5FN, were as good or better than anything the Reich could field. The La-5 was first flown in

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combat near Leningrad in early 1943 – at that point, the fighter only made up a small proportion of the overall Soviet defences, lagging behind various Yakovlev fighters. Later in the war, the muchimproved La-5FN was being built in large numbers and was proving so effective that German pilots were warned not to engage them in prolonged combats. Our subject is La-5FN White

36 which flew with the 13th Air Army’s 139th Fighter Air Regiment on the Leningrad Front in 1944. The 28-month blockade of the city was broken in January of that year, after which Russian forces continued to push the Germans back. This eventually led to the Baltic Offensive which resulted in the Red Army finally enclosing the remaining enemy forces in Latvia’s Courland Pocket.

SPOT FACT Some later La-5FNs were equipped with two 20mm Berezin B-20 cannon

La-5 in profile

s 15 to 17

aircraft were being built every day by Autumn 1943 July 2017 FLYPAST 75

Spotlight Lavochkin La-5

Twice

a Hero Aleksander Medved profiles the spectacular career of Soviet fighter ace Nikolai Skomorokhov

Right

the aviation school at Bataisk. As with the rest of the student pilots, the 21-year-old was billeted in tents near the airfield. A shortage of fuel and trainer aircraft meant the syllabus was taking longer than the usual nine months. Having mastered the Ishak, Sgt Skomorokhov arrived at the front line in late November 1942. His 164th Fighter Regiment, equipped

Skomorokhov near his La-5. Below right

The first enemy aircraft shot down by Skomorokhov, a Focke-Wulf Fw 189. Below

Sgt Nikolai Skomorokhov scored his first victories flying a LaGG-3.

A

ccording to the old hands, if you could master the Polikarpov I-16, you could convert to other types with ease. Known as the Ishak (donkey), the stubby monoplane fighter was a constant challenge. Pilots had to be forever alert for sudden nose-down or nose-up pitching in flight or a sharp yaw to left or right on take-off or landing. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Nikolai Mikhailovich Skomorokhov was at

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18 to 19

sec

SPOT FACT The aircraft was originally called the LaG-5

Men Behind the La-5

o

9

with Lavochkin-GorbunovGudkov LaGG-3s, was sent to the southernmost flank of the Eastern Front, at Adler, near the famous Black Sea resort of Sochi. The LaGG-3’s performance was inferior to Luftwaffe fighters. Its pilots’ habit of flying with the canopy open, a throwback from the I-16, reduced the LaGG-3’s speed. According to Nikolai, only two pilots in his regiment (squadron leader Mikhail Dmitriyev and himself) flew with their canopies closed. Only flight and squadron leaders had aircraft equipped with RSI-3 radio transmitters, the others had receivers only. Shortly after arrival at the front line, the young pilots of the 164th experienced German ‘free hunting’ tactics first-hand. They watched as an Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ was caught by surprise and set on fire, its assailants leaving with impunity. During his first operational sortie, to Tuapse, Nikolai was among the first to spot a Focke-Wulf Fw 189. He fired on it from a long distance and, of course, missed. But the

seasoned Dmitriyev hit the ‘Frame’ (the Soviet nickname for the twinboom Fw 189), setting it ablaze and it crashed. With a habit of separating from the leader, Nikolai had a narrow escape during an early air engagement, having to fight off several Bf 109s alone. Gradually gaining battle experience, he learned to lay accurate fire on determinedly evasive enemy aircraft. His first confirmed ‘kill’ came in January 1943 when flying with fellow pilot Yevtodiyenko as a pair. Nikolai attacked an Fw 189, set both its engines on fire and observed, with unconcealed happiness, the enemy crash into a mountainside. On February 22, Nikolai shot down a Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stuka’ near Novorossiysk, with two more of the dive-bombers were credited to his comrades. Several days later, on the way back from a reconnaissance sortie and acting as Kubarev’s wingman, Nikolai carried out a head-on attack and downed his first Messerschmitt Bf 109. Three victories in three months was

a good result for a beginner pilot. But a spell of bad luck followed, during which Nikolai’s LaGG was hit. Making a forced landing, he knocked his head heavily against the gunsight.

More power, more punch

In March 1943, the 164th withdrew to convert to the new Lavochkin La-5 with the air-cooled M-82F engine. It had noticeably superior performance to the LaGG-3 and, with two ShVAK cannon, was better armed. On completion of conversion, Nikolai became a flight commander, but wasn’t commissioned. Returning to the front line, the 164th flew to Nizhnyaya Duvanka on June 14. Seven Fw 190s escorted by eight Bf 109s strafed the airfield that day, and only Nikolai and his wingman managed to get airborne under the hail of bombs. Catching up with the Messerschmitts, he attacked from below and behind, and shot one down. The rest of the Luftwaffe escorts turned on them and the pair entered cloud and continued to climb.

Above

During the winter of 1943/1944, Bf 109G-6s of JG52 had frequent encounters with the 31st Fighter Regiment.

Nikolai Skomorokhov's victories Jan to Jun 1943 Jul to Dec 1943 Jan to Jun 1944 Jul to Dec 1944 Jan to May 1945

Fw 189, 2 Bf 109s, 1 Ju 87 51/2 Bf 109s, 2 Ju 87s, 1/2 Ju 88, 2 Fw 189s 2 Bf 109s, 1 Fw 190 2 Bf 109s, 5 Fw 190s 6 Bf 109s, 11 Fw 190s, 1 Ju 52 1/2

A Ju 87 dive bomber destroyed by pilots of the 31st Fighter Regiment.

These details are as recorded in the operations record book of the 164th and the 31st Fighter Regiments. Documentation of the special purpose ‘hunter’ squadron has been lost. Skomorokhov’s individual logbook lists 46 personal and eight ‘shared’ victories.

seconds was the minimum airborne turning circle time of the La-5FN July 2017 FLYPAST 77

SPOT FACT In July 1942 Stalin demanded that all incomplete LaGG-3 airframes be converted into La-5s “There were about eight Messerschmitts. I cut behind a group of four. The pilot of the trailing German aircraft dived down. The rest of his group arrowed upward. Shevyrin and I pursued them. “We drew up with them and came near. The Messerschmitts made an energetic roll and dived. We followed them and made an entire cascade of aerobatic manoeuvres. Meanwhile, the space around us was slashed by bursts of tracer shells. “When the German fighters pitched nose-down, I assumed a ‘lying on the back’ position and began to observe the general situation while keeping inverted in level flight. And here I got into trouble because of my poor

Above

Future Heroes of the Soviet Union: Skomorokhov and Kirilyuk of the 31st Fighter Regiment. Right

After the autumn of 1943, Fw 190s mainly undertook ground-attack roles. Below

The La-5F, the first Soviet fighter to pose a serious threat to the Luftwaffe.

Breaking out into clear sky, they found themselves behind still more Bf 109s. In a classic surprise attack, another Messerschmitt was finished off by Nikolai’s wingman, his quarry spinning earthwards. Soon afterwards Nikolai was appointed deputy squadron commander and sent on a training course. This was unusual for a senior sergeant (a junior commander), as at that time only pilots of officer rank could attend such classes. He managed a brief visit to his village, Lapot, on the River Volga, before returning to his unit. This was timely as the dramatic Battle of Kursk was unfolding, the turning point for the entire Great Patriotic War.

Inverted danger

Once more, Nikolai had to take off during an enemy attack. He remembered: “Having taken my seat in the cockpit, as usual I fastened only the waist belts. Shevyrin and I began

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taking off under the bombs. Their splinters hit the right wheel of my fighter. However, I did not abort the take-off. “Nobody else from our group managed to get off the ground. So the two of us had to fight over Nizhnyaya Duvanka. The previous time, we had done away with the enemy; but what had the future in store for us?

knowledge of the aircraft’s peculiar features – the La-5 had a limited time of flight in the inverted attitude: as soon as the time expired, fuel feed was cut off. I had been keeping it ‘wheels up’ for too long and the engine shut down. I tried to restart it but in vain. “The altitude was a thousand metres. There was a threat of crashing into the ground. I examined the terrain. There was no suitable field to land in; furthermore, the Germans would not give me that chance. “I threw open the canopy,

Men Behind the La-5 unfastened the belts and removed my feet from the pedals. Then I raised myself a little, and suddenly began to feel some unusual lightness. What was the matter? In a split second I shuddered, remembering I had not donned the parachute!” Almost hopelessly, Nikolai attempted to restart the engine. Miraculously, he was successful. Keeping close to the ground, he accelerated and then zoomed. Attacking from below at high speed, he shot down a Messerschmitt and subjected another to a fusillade, Shevyring later finishing it off. Finally, having levelled out, a string of cannon shells from Nikolai’s aircraft brought down a third Bf 109.

Several days later Nikolai heard a pleasant feminine voice in his headphones: “Skomorokh, Skomorokh, your airfield is being strafed by the Junkers. Fly there immediately! Immediately!” The voice was not familiar to Nikolai, so he asked for confirmation: “Skomorokh speaking. Which airfield is being strafed by the Junkers?” The same voice promptly replied: “It’s Nizhnyaya Duvanka airfield. Proceed there immediately.” This was an enemy ruse to remove Soviet fighters from the route of Luftwaffe dive-bombers. The air corps direction centre managed to break in: “Skomorokh, don’t obey any such instructions. Proceed according

biplane took the desperately tired Skomorokhov to report to the Front Headquarters. “First I was introduced to the Chief Intelligence Officer. He meticulously and painstakingly enquired about everything I had seen. Then he left, and soon I was invited to see the Chief of Staff. Again, detailed enquiries followed. Every word I said was put down by special mission officers. “I elaborately drew the line of our troops’ contact with the enemy, the arrangement of our tanks (I had detected a total of 11), the system of defences and the fire emplacements. The general took the scheme I had drawn, ordered his personal assistant to see that I had proper rest and left.”

Changing tactics

“Almost hopelessly, Nikolai attempted to restart the engine. Miraculously, he was successful. Keeping close to the ground, he accelerated and then zoomed” Seductive spoof

At an award ceremony on July 30, 1943 for pilots of the 164th Fighter Regiment, Nikolai Skomorokhov – with six victories and two ‘shared’ – became a recipient of the Order of the Red Banner. August brought losses for the 164th. In Nikolai’s squadron, four pilots were killed and squadron leader Ustinov wounded. Regiment commander Melentyev made an extraordinary decision: Senior Sergeant Skomorokhov was appointed as acting squadron leader, but not promoted. This injustice became known to the Commander of the Air Army, General Khryukin, and in late August, Nikolai became a junior lieutenant.

9,920

to the plan.” Several minutes later nine Ju 87s, under the cover of six Messerschmitts, appeared from the west. An air-to-air battle ensued. The following morning Nikolai and his wingman, Ovchinnikov, flew seven reconnaissance missions at very low altitude and were repeatedly subjected to enemy fire. Ovchinnikov’s La-5 was damaged three times by light flak; each time, he changed aircraft and continued to cover his comrade. The persistent pilots managed to find locations occupied by Soviet forces to identify their boundaries – the conflict was so fluid at this stage of the war it was vital to ascertain the exact location of forward troops. At twilight a Polikarpov U-2

In early 1944 it was decided to form a combined, free-ranging hunter squadron to be manned by pilots from the 31st, 116th and 164th Regiments. Famous ‘ace’ Major Nikolay Krasnov would lead it with Lt Skomorokhov as his deputy. The appearance of the hunters surprised the Germans who had become accustomed to Soviet fighters following rigid guidance from control centres – much of which was line of sight, so they had to stay close to their bases. This had enabled the Luftwaffe to choose routes for its bombers that reduced the possibility of interception. Now all that changed, and they would encounter a pair or a group of four, free from the shackles of convention. In the hunter squadron’s first combat sorties, Krasnov and Skomorokhov each shot down a Bf 109. Meanwhile the Germans began to use radar, mounted on railway wagons in western Ukraine. Soviet pilots had a vague notion of this innovation and knew detection could be avoided by flying extremely low. Once the hunters had penetrated the enemy lines they would climb to deliver a downsun attack. If no German aircraft were found, Soviet

Above

Senior Lt Skomorokhov with his comrades – pilots of the ‘hunter squadron’ – in front of a La-5FN. Left

Nikolai Skomorokhov alongside a Lavochkin displaying ‘kill’ markings, which appear to have been applied at a photo lab.

La-5s of all variants were built July 2017 FLYPAST 79

SPOT FACT The La-5F was the first version to have a cut-down rear fuselage

Above

Lavochkin La-5 of the 164th Fighter Regiment, flown by Skomorokhov in December 1943. © ANDREY YURGENSON 2017

Right

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Skomorokhov at his parents’ house in the village of Lapot in the summer of 1945.

pilots strafed ground targets at their discretion. After scoring several more victories, Krasnov became Deputy Commander of the 31st Fighter Regiment and Nikolai assumed command of the hunter squadron. But the divisional leaders opted to disband the unit and disperse its experienced pilots within the considerably depleted regiments. In three months, the hunter squadron had shot down dozens of enemy aircraft and destroyed many ground targets and, in Nikolai’s opinion, the decision to disband was wrong. At the suggestion of the Commander of the 31st Red Banner Fighter Regiment, Grigory Onufriyenko, he was appointed a squadron leader within the unit.

Getting even

In the autumn of 1944, Bulgaria and Romania, previously German vassals, joined the USSR in the struggle against the Nazis – giving pilots of the 31st an opportunity to evaluate Bf 109s and Fw 190s operated by their new allies. Skomorokhov arranged training combats with Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs versus the Lavochkins, which proved very useful. At the same time, Soviet pilots familiarised themselves with the radar fitted to Bf 110G twin-engined fighters. During battles to liberate Yugoslavia, an opportunity arose for pilots of the 31st to get even with the Germans for the bitter losses inflicted during the summer of 1941. Aerial reconnaissance had detected an airfield crowded with Heinkels, Junkers and others. Early one morning all three squadrons of the regiment strafed the airfield from low level. Despite flak, each squadron made two or three runs, destroying at least 20 aircraft and leaving a petrol depot blazing. The Germans then launched a counter-offensive near Lake Balaton in Hungary, and the air corps guidance station set five La-5FNs to engage a group of Bf 109s and Fw

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190s. Skomorkhov and his wingman climbed to get into a favourable position, leaving the three led by Lt Maslov. The Luftwaffe undertook a well-tried gambit: the lead aircraft’s wingman moved off to one side and slightly lower. Nikolai knew well that if the Soviet pair attempted to pursue this easy prey they would come off worst. On Skomorokhov’s command, his wingman separated: his task was to watch his German counterpart carefully while Nikolai pursued the lead Messerschmitt, whose pilot attempted to draw his Soviet opponent to a higher altitude where he theoretically had the edge. The wingmen were left behind. The German could not engage Skomorokhov from behind and switched over to head-on attacks. At just below 30,000ft (9,000m) the fighters flew large radiuses, trying not to fall into a spin. Skomorokhov’s oxygen system had failed and he was almost losing consciousness. Oxygen was rarely used by Soviet fighter pilots so maintenance personnel seldom checked the apparatus. Finally, during a third frontal attack, Skomorokhov managed to hit the Bf 109’s engine while dodging its fire. After this he blacked out – but brought to his senses in his spinning fighter by a loud cry in his

headphones: “Lavochkin, pull out, pull out!” With difficulty, he levelled out and asked the guidance station operator where his quarry was. He got a prompt response: “It fell ablaze to the ground; on the right you can see its pilot parachuting.”

A wing and a prayer

In December 1944 Skomorokhov received a new La-7. It took him only a couple of flights to master it. With his wingman, Filippov, he soon managed to demonstrate the advantages of the latest Lavochkin. Encountering ten ground-attack Fw 190s flying line astern, strafing Soviet troops near Székesfehérvár, they split them up and shot down the rearmost aircraft. Another group of Fw 190s appeared, eight this time, and the Soviet pilots bagged one each. When a third group of eight loomed up, two more fell to the La-7s’ guns – one coming down near the guidance station, where Air Corps Commander General Podgorny was present. As soon as Skomorokhov and Filippov landed they received Orders of the Red Banner. On Red Army Day, February 23, 1945, with his score at 32 victories, Nikolai Skomorokhov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In war, successes are often followed

Men Behind the La-5

by misfortune. In mid-March, Nikolai was engrossed in pursuit of a Messerschmitt when his Lavochkin was hit, deep in enemy territory. Rudder and elevator control had gone and he had to consider baling out. His total unwillingness to be taken prisoner made him search for other ways to control the aircraft. Pulling the control stick back and increasing the revs saw the fighter gradually climb. Fortunately, the ailerons still worked. With his wingmen providing protection Skomorokhov headed for the home airfield, alternately climbing and descending. “At a high speed I flew over the airfield, throttled back smoothly, almost skipped the entire field, plopped down onto the edge of the runway, rolled right into the ditch and assumed a nose-down upright position. I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to leave the cabin: the aircraft would certainly fall backwards and that would be a catastrophe. Finally, a technician came running and a truck arrived. The tail was carefully lowered into the body of the truck, which was lined with mattresses.” An anti-aircraft shell had hit the tail, damaging the elevators and jamming the rudder. Skomorokhov had arrived ‘on a wing and a prayer’, as the American wartime song goes.

Changing roles

In April 1945 Nikolai was credited with eight victories. On the 10th, along with five other experienced

6

pilots, each leading flights, he went ‘free hunting’. Luckily, just in time he noticed at least five flights of Fw 190s and Bf 109s were going to engage a large group of Soviet ground-attack aircraft. The battle was decided by the 31st’s aces’ experience and the excellent performance of the La-7. Skomorokhov’s group shot down eight of the enemy, three falling to his guns. Of the Soviet ground-attack force, only one Il-2 was hit, landing in friendly territory. With the war fast reaching its conclusion, the Russians took Vienna by storm on April 13 – the same day that a document was signed recommending the award of the title of ‘twice Hero of the Soviet Union’ to Nikolai. During the final battle for Berlin, on May 1, 1945, Skomorokhov shot down a Focke-Wulf 190 attempting to engage Soviet ground-attack aircraft – his last kill – and gave a chance to wingman Lt Sokha (who had joined the regiment shortly before) to open his score. The two pilots exchanged roles: Sokha attacked another Fw 190 while Skomorokhov gave him advice and repelled other German fighters. Finally, the burning Focke-Wulf crashed into woodland. At dawn on May 9, gunfire awoke the personnel of the 31st Fighter Regiment. The sleepy pilots dressed, grabbed their guns and rushed outside. Signal rockets were

illuminating everything around and anxiety gave way to exultation: Germany had signed the Instrument of Surrender. The celebrations turned out to be premature. Pilots of the 31st had to fly four more sorties with the task of stopping columns of German troops attempting to retreat to territory controlled by Britain and the US. Warning fire from the Lavochkins was not enough: the fighters had to shoot in anger. During the war the 31st flew 17,301 operational sorties, conducted 608 air-to-air combats and destroyed 350 enemy aircraft – 28 of them accounted for by Nikolai, whose total number of victories was 46 and eight shared. The regiment lost 54 pilots and 175 aircraft. On June 24, Nikolai Skomorokhov took part in the Victory Parade in Moscow. All of the comrades shared more than the honour of having taken part in the Great Patriotic War, they were all Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Above

Lavochkin La-5F of the 31st Fighter Regiment flown Lt Col G F Onufrienko in 1944. © ANDREY YURGENSON 2017

Below

A Ju 87 is inspected by Soviet soldiers after being shot down. ALL PHOTOS VIA AUTHOR

levers were used to achieve rapid acceleration July 2017 FLYPAST 81

Idyll AIRFIELDS CORNWALL

Cornish

Ken Ellis tours Cornwall’s incredible aviation heritage

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o the uninitiated, the A30 trunk road – the main gateway to Cornwall – is the world’s longest cul-de-sac. More fool them. To those in the know, crossing the River Tamar just before Launceston heralds one of the most spectacular counties in Britain. Cornwall’s

got it all going for it: stunning scenery, enchanting towns, perfect beaches and world-class attractions such as the Eden Project. To top it all off, the peninsula has an incredible aviation heritage, including three museums to help guide visitors through the

FLIGHT PLANNING

References to views are all from public roads or footpaths, unless otherwise noted. Most of the venues are private property and several are Ministry of Defence sites; access can only be made with prior permission. Wartime buildings are always vulnerable and are frequently under threat, or subject to demolition, which can obviously have a dramatic effect on what might be seen at a venue. Information is as accurate as possible at the time of writing. Readers are urged to take a look at websites, contact venues and tourist centres to help in planning a visit. Away from aviation, Cornwall has so much to offer. Other than the amazing coastline and countryside, the stand-out attraction is the Eden Project, a breathtaking adventure in global biodiversity and interaction with mankind: www.edenproject.com 82 FLYPAST July 2017

Above

Cornwall’s jewel: Davidstow Moor looking east towards the forlorn control tower.

Waypoint 3: Culdrose

South of Helston on the A3083. Off the B3293 is a public viewing area offering a great outlook on the flying.

Waypoint 1: St Just

Land’s End Airport, south of St Just, west of the B3306. Plenty of parking and a superb terminal building; coffee and a bun while watching the comings and goings.

Waypoint 2: Predannack

West of the A3083, south of Helston. Good views from the coastal path linking Mullion and the Lizard. Much of the site is used by the Royal Navy for fire and crash rescue training and is off limits.

1

PENZANCE

Waypoint 11: Davidstow Moor

Waypoint 10: Treligga

West of the B3314, south west of Delabole. The former range is now private land, but glimpses are possible from the village.

Above

Waypoint 6: St Mawgan

Northeast of Newquay, with access off the A3059. The former Trebelzue airfield is on the extreme western edge – refer to main text. On the southern boundary is the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre: www.cornwallaviationhc.co.uk

Waypoint 8: St Merryn

Between the B3276 and the B3274 south of the village, and immediately south of the hamlet of Tregolds.

Waypoint 9: Bodmin

A39

Land’s End Airport, looking southeast in the mid1950s. On the apron are Dragon Rapides G-AHLL and G-AGSH. The former was wrecked at St Just in May 1959; the latter is still airworthy, flying from Old Warden, Bedfordshire. KEY COLLECTION

South of the A395 and A395 A361 junction, northeast of Camelford. A road from the A39 to Bowithick runs through the former airfield. Two museums located to the northwest, towards Davidstow: Davidstow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum www.cornwallatwarmuseum. co.uk Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial Museum www. davidstowmemorialmuseum. co.uk

10

LAUNCESTON

11

East of the A30, north of Bodmin, on a minor road to Cardinham. GA aerodrome with a welcoming clubhouse and great vantage point for the flying: www.bodminairfield.com

Waypoint 7: St Eval

8 9

7

NEWQUAY

A3 90

A3 8

6

5

A30

PLYMOUTH

Waypoint 5: Perranporth

4

TRURO

A3 94

Waypoint 4: Portreath

31

2

South of St Merryn and west of the village of St Eval. Extensive road access.

Northeast of Portreath; limited views from the minor road to Porthtowan. Most of the site is an RAF surveillance facility and strictly off limits.

South of Perranporth, west of the B3285. Plenty of public events, otherwise visits by prior arrangement: www.perranporthairfield.com

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AIRFIELDS CORNWALL

Island hopping

engrossing history. On the active side there’s a huge Fleet Air Arm (FAA) base, two airports, a delightful aerodrome atop Bodmin Moor and a variety of airstrips. Convinced? Eleven airfields are highlighted here; for the more determined there are other remnants to be found, but the sands or the coast walks should be beckoning instead! For this article, three leisurely days were spent ferreting out Cornwall’s aeronautical past, with plenty of stops to savour the outstanding countryside; but it could be covered over a weekend. Ordinarily, recommendations are made to help plan the ‘tour’ but that would depend on the time available and where the reader chooses as a centre of operations. The airfields are numbered from Land’s End up to the Devon border, but the tactics involved are down to individuals. Here’s hoping this inspires you to sample Cornwall’s astounding aviation variety.

Links by boat to the Scilly Isles, 20 miles (32km) to the west of the extreme tip of Cornwall routinely take nearly three hours and from 1937 an air service was established from the newly created Land’s End Airport, near St Just. When the war came, St Just seems to have been shunned by both the RAF and the FAA with only the Lysanders of 16 Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight spending any significant time there; from late 1940 to at least April the following year. Post-war Dragon Rapide biplanes of British European Airways plied the route to the Scillies until 1964 when the airline’s Sikorsky S-61N

helicopters took over, using the specially developed heliport at Penzance (see the panel on page 87). In 2013 the impressive new terminal building was opened and the following year metalled runways provided an all-year round capability.

Out of the way South of Helston, the Lizard peninsula points the way to Brittany and the Bay of Biscay. On the western edge of Goonhilly Downs an airfield was built to exploit this launch pad. Predannack took its first operational unit, 247 Squadron with Hurricanes, in June 1941.

Top left

At the Land’s End tourist centre, a Bölkow Bö 105D is displayed in Cornwall Air Ambulance colours. Above

A memorial to those who served from Predannack was dedicated at the main gate in June 2002. Right

Barnes Wallis with a model of the Swallow in the mid-1950s. The starboard wing is in fully swept configuration, the port one in the landing position. Large-scale versions were tested at Predannack. KEC Below

Present-day Land’s End Airport, with Islanders and a Twin Otter of Skybus on the ramp.

“Wallis is erroneously credited with inventing the ‘swing-wing’; this is not so, his scheme was way beyond that; he was re-inventing aerodynamics. Out of the way Predannack was ideal for these, ultimately abortive, experiments” 84 FLYPAST July 2017

training duties with Oxfords and Harvards. Since then it has been host to a bewildering range of fixed-wing and helicopter units. The base is home to the last operational Sea Kings, the radar picket ASaC.7s, and four squadrons of Merlin HM.2 anti-submarine helicopters. Culdrose also hosts fixed-wing types: Hawk T.1s on target facilities work and Avenger T.1s, aircrew trainer versions of the twin turboprop King Air. On the northeast corner is the concrete outline of a carrier deck. This is used by the School of Flight Deck Operations to teach skills needed to handle aircraft within the confines of a carrier. Grounded Sea Harriers are giving way to Lockheed Martin F-35 mock-ups in readiness for the type’s eventual deployment on the new carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth .

Coastal fighters

Culdrose, looking north, in the summer of 1955 during the setting up of 817 Squadron with Gannet AS.1s, training Royal Australian Navy crews on the type. RNAS CULDROSE-KEC

Beaufighters and Mosquitos were the most frequently resident types. First to arrive were the ‘Beaus’ of 600 Squadron in the summer of 1941, and 248 Squadron introduced the ‘Mossie’ when it traded in its Beaufighters during December 1943. The last frontline unit was the Mosquito NF.30-equipped Canadian 406 Squadron, which disbanded at the Cornish base on the last day of August, 1945. The airfield started to return to heathland from 1946, but a working party from Vickers arrived in 1951 to prepare it for ambitious trials work. Barnes Wallis had come up with the

radical Wild Goose and Swallow concepts to prove his theories about Mach 3-plus, non-stop travel to Australia. From 1952 to 1954 trollies would thunder down a track, launching sub-scale flying models into the air. Wallis is erroneously credited with inventing the ‘swing-wing’; this is not so, his scheme was way beyond that; he was re-inventing aerodynamics. Out of the way Predannack was ideal for these, ultimately abortive, experiments. Predannack became a naval air station in 1958, as a satellite of nearby Culdrose. From the early 1970s, its remote location made it ideal for its current role,

naval crash rescue and firefighting training, using redundant airframes.

Navy hub HMS Seahawk, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, is the second largest FAA station – Yeovilton in Somerset taking the top billing. From the A3083 road, motorists are treated to the sight of two ‘gate guardians’, an air-sea rescue Sea King HU.5 and a 1953-built Sea Hawk F.1. The land south of Helston was requisitioned in 1944, but it was not until April 1947 that Culdrose was open for business, initially with 780 Squadron on crew

Flat land along the northern Cornish coast allowed construction of seven airfields (including the now unrecognisable Cleave, see the panel), all close neighbours to one another. Southernmost is Portreath, which became operational in March 1941 when the Whirlwinds of 263 Squadron arrived. Like Perranporth, six miles up the coast, Portreath’s war was as a fighter station: Spitfires, Defiants, Mosquitos and Beaufighters, among others. This job was over by mid-1946, and two very different roles awaited it. Like Predannack, its secluded nature provided a perfect environment for activities that should remain unseen; in this case, the sinister domain of the Chemical Defence Establishment, from the spring of 1950. Whatever went on here; its denizens preferred to rebrand the site as CDE Nancekuke, after the name of the common land on which the airfield had been built. In 1978 the CDE people slunk away almost unnoticed, although it is said that there are still impenetrable fenced off areas. In 1980 the third phase began, again as RAF Portreath, but this time as a radar installation. On April 27, 1941 the Spitfire IIs of 66 Squadron inaugurated Perranporth as a fighter station. Seventeen different Spitfire units, some deploying several times, were resident through to April 1944 when FAA Grumman Avengers of 849 and 850 Squadrons moved in until the summer.

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AIRFIELDS CORNWALL further emphasised with its role as a master diversion airfield and the building of hardened aircraft shelters for major exercises and temporary detachments. With the disbanding of Nimrod-equipped 38 Squadron in October 1992 the wind down of the RAF presence began, and today it is a small enclave within the civil airport. The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC), the largest aviation heritage attraction in Cornwall and Devon, was established in September 2015 after the Classic

Perranporth looking south, down the northeast-southwest runway. The other end of the airfield is much more welcoming.

From the late 1950s a gliding club started and two decades later Perranporth was on its way to becoming the thriving aerodrome of today. Diversification has helped its survival – motor sports, car boot sales and weddings are among the activities staged on top of the imposing cliffs.

Two in one St Mawgan – today’s Cornwall Airport Newquay – has an odd layout because it effectively ‘swallowed’ its neighbour. Opened during 1942, it was late 1943 before facilities were such that units could be accepted on anything other than a temporary detachment basis. To the west was the disastrous coastal airfield at Trebelzue; built in 1941, it proved to be inoperable. In its stead, the land to the immediate east was developed and given the

Spitfire II P8135 of 66 Squadron after Fg Off Bobby Oxspring suffered a wheels-up landing at Perranporth, probably in August 1941. KEC

86 FLYPAST July 2017

name St Mawgan. From a minor road at the western tip of St Mawgan sharp-eyed motorists will spot a sign declaring RAF Trebelsue, dropping the local ‘z’ for a more acceptable ‘s’. Former dispersals and weapons stores here were laid on the runways of this unfortunate and short-lived airfield. From 1943 a variety of types, mostly Dakotas, used St Mawgan until it was reduced to care and maintenance in 1947. It re-opened in early 1951 in the role with which it is most associated: maritime patrol. Shackletons were the main residents until replaced by Nimrods in 1969. From 1956 air-sea rescue helicopters became a common sight in the air around Newquay; in turn Whirlwind, Wessex and Sea Kings – the latter bowing out in 2008. The importance of St Mawgan was

Air Force operation pulled out. The volunteers of CAHC continue to look after an impressive collection, including ‘heavy metal’ in the form of a BAC One-Eleven from Boscombe Down and a Vickers VC-10 K.2 tanker.

Runway parish As the crow flies north, St Mawgan to St Eval is 2½ miles. This airfield also reverberated to the growl of Shackletons, from 1951 to April 1959 when 228 Squadron disbanded and Air Training Corps gliders took

Sea Devon C.20 XK895 of the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre outside the hardened aircraft shelters of the former RAF St Mawgan.

“The volunteers of CAHC continue to look after an impressive collection, including ‘heavy metal’ in the form of a BAC One-Eleven from Boscombe Down and a Vickers VC-10 K.2 tanker”

Hard to find... North of Bude, Cleave specialised in target facilities units from May 1939 until it reverted to farmland in the spring of 1945. Today the site is a high security signals facility, an outpost of the Cheltenham-based Government Communications Headquarters; its modern buildings, dish aerials and ‘golf ball’ antennae have obliterated most traces of its wartime past. (See the August 2015 FlyPast for more.) The helicopter service from Penzance to the Scilly Isles, Britain’s only scheduled rotorcraft service, was terminated in 2012. The site, alongside the A30 at Longrook is being redeveloped but construction of a new heliport, slightly to the east is due to open next year. Precious little is to be found of the two most significant World War One sites, Mullion and Padstow. An airship station, also known as Curry, once existed northeast of the village of Mullion. By 1918 it was also home to DH.6s and some DH.9s, but reverted to agriculture by 1919. Within a wind turbine farm the foundations of several structures are reported to linger. At Padstow, near the hamlet of Crugmeer, an airfield was operational by the spring of 1918, also flying DH.6s and DH.9s, but it closed within a year. Several military buildings can be found at the site, but these were part of a World War Two radio installation.

The days of the long-serving Sikorsky S-61Ns may be over at Penzance, but a new heliport is due to open in 2018.

War graves in the St Eval churchyard. Below: the headstone for 19-year-old gunner Sgt E Fabian.

over. Today the entire airfield is dominated by a forest of tall, spindly aerials kept aloft by bracing wires. Locals differ on their purpose, some say it’s commercial radio; most think it’s got something to do with intelligence gathering.

The perimeter track became a minor road encircling what had been the airfield. On the northern boundary, close to the northsouth runway extension is St Eval church. The extensive village of St Eval is much further to the east, but inspection of the houses reveals them to be decidedly ‘Air Ministry’ looking; this was the airfield’s domestic site. When construction of the purpose-built Coastal Command base began in 1938, the original hamlet of St Eval was demolished and the survival of its church could be considered a miracle. The first unit at St Eval was 217 Squadron in October 1939; its Ansons soon gave way to Bristol Beauforts. Scores of units were based there during the war, including US Navy PB4Y Liberators and PBY-5 Catalinas in 1943 and 1944.

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AIRFIELDS CORNWALL

The sergeants’ shower block is now the Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial Museum. In the foreground is the memorial.

“Davidstow Moor is a delight to walk on. The tower and several other buildings survive on the northern side; to the southwest the site is covered with forest, but the runways and ‘peris’ are extant within”

Lots of buildings survive at St Merryn; this one is on the northern perimeter close to the threshold of the northwest-southeast runway.

On February 23, 1941 the Bristol Blenheim IVs of 53 Squadron arrived. In the early hours of April 9, V5862 Y-for-Yoke climbed into the Cornish sky. The elevator trim had been set to fully forward, pushing the nose down, not up. Quick reactions from the pilot might have saved the day, but Yoke ploughed in at a steep angle outside the perimeter, killing all three on board. In the church graveyard is the last resting spot of V5862’s gunner, 19-year-old Sgt E Fabian. He’s in good company, there are other gallant St Eval aircrew lying there. Fabian’s gravestone is particularly

poignant when his circumstances are appreciated; a young man ready to play his part in defending the free world, robbed of this opportunity by lack of correct flight preparation procedure.

A pair of Vultures The hop from St Eval to St Merryn is also 2½ miles – the Air Ministry got its money’s worth from Cornwall. The last Spitfire to fly at St Merryn was probably a ‘hooked’ Mk.V with 748 Squadron FAA in February 1946, when the unit disbanded. Just shy of 40 years later, this all changed as Nick Grace achieved his ambition of

Looking westwards from the village of Treligga, the restored range observation tower and the emergency airstrip beyond can be seen. ALL AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED

88 FLYPAST July 2017

restoring and flying a Spitfire. After 4½ years enduring the cold, the damp and the sheer isolation of St Merryn, Nick piloted Tr.IX ML407 on its first test flight on April 16, 1985. The legend that is the Grace Spitfire was born (see page 100). Opened as a private aerodrome in 1937, St Merryn was requisitioned by the Admiralty and commissioned as HMS Vulture in mid-1940. Much of the infrastructure supporting a busy FAA fighter and operational training airfield survives; all of it in private hands but easily admired from public roads. Types ran from Fulmars in 1940 to Sea Fury T.20s in the summer of 1953. HMS Vulture morphed into HMS Curlew in 1953, becoming a groundbased technical school teaching maintenance and armament skills before the navy moved out in 1956. In the late 1970s the airfield had become a haven for autogyros and this is still the case. Heading out of Cornwall along the A30 beyond Bodmin, the chances are that a light aircraft will float overhead to settle at a delightful grass aerodrome. This series concentrates on wartime airfields; but created from farmland in the early 1970s, Bodmin is too pleasant to miss and so is Treligga, although it was an emergency airstrip created in 1939 and not a conventional airfield. The cliff top land was used as a bombing range and a couple of runways were roughed out, both to create the illusion of a target and to provide a haven for aircraft in trouble. An observation tower and a small hutment completed the set-up; the former has been restored and is now a home. A satellite of St Merryn, Treligga was known as HMS Vulture II. It was out of use by the early 1950s and reverted to lush agricultural land.

High and mighty Unashamedly leaving the best to the last; if you only ‘do’ one Cornish airfield, it has to be Davidstow Moor. Somewhat bizarrely there are two

aviation museums, side-by-side, on the former technical site located in the northwest corner. This isn’t overkill; both offer different coverage. It’s the airfield itself that dominates memories of a visit, as interesting as the two museums are. Davidstow Moor was ready for use in October 1942. It was built on common land, with the strict proviso that it be returned as much as practically possible to its former status. At 970ft (295m) above mean sea level it is the highest British wartime airfield. Although minor roads now make use of the runways and perimeter tracks, Davidstow Moor is a delight to walk on. The tower and several other buildings survive on the northern side; to the southwest the site is covered with forest, but the runways and ‘peris’ are extant within. Davidstow was the domain of Coastal Command, initially hosting Hudsons, Whitleys, Wellingtons and Warwicks. From May 1944 operations changed to long-range strikes with the potent Beaufighter TF.Xs with 144 and the Canadian 404 squadrons taking up residence. The moorland airfield was reduced to care and maintenance status in September 1944 and reverted to agriculture by the end of 1945. Today, when the weather is clement, you can watch microlights or radio-controlled aircraft using the wide expanses of the northwest-southeast runway. But the best time to experience this dramatic location and its commanding views is when the only noise is of sheep grazing, allowing the atmosphere of this aeronautical treasure to envelop you. A simple stone memorial, dedicated in 2003, stands at the entrance to both museums. The words on the memorial sum up the mood that Davidstow Moor evokes: “They flew by day and night and gave their lives to keep forever bright that precious light of freedom.”

House - W&P_FP.indd 1

11/05/2017 14:36

FROM THE WORKSHOP DOUGLAS C-47 SKYTRAIN

Into Thin Air Shot down by a MiG over the Baltic, a Swedish Air Force C-47 vanished. Linnéa Holmberg Wensby describes the challenging project to salvage and preserve it

T

here was no response. The radio was silent and the radar showed nothing. A Swedish Air Force Douglas C-47 flying over the eastern Baltic Sea with eight men on board had vanished. Three days later a Consolidated Catalina searching for the missing aircraft was shot down by a Soviet fighter. Its crew members were rescued from the cold, inhospitable waters. Families and friends of the C-47’s crew were in shock – which

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extended to the entire nation. In was June 1952 and Sweden’s biggest Cold War mystery had begun. The wreckage of the aircraft, salvaged in 2003/2004, is now the subject of a popular exhibition at the Swedish Air Force Museum (Flygvapenmuseum) in Linköping. But despite the physical evidence being on display, the episode continues to beguile. Neutral throughout World War

Two, Sweden maintained that stance post-war. Geographically, its position was unique: between the Eastern and Western blocs. Despite its neutrality, in the 1950s Sweden was friendly to the West and had growing suspicions about Soviet intentions. Conducting signals intelligence (SIGINT) missions – and listening to, interpreting and analysing radio transmissions and communications – became an important part in

gathering vital information about other nations’ actions. By the end of the 1940s, technical advances in very high frequency (VHF) devices enabled the monitoring of multiple channels on different frequencies. But it required getting closer to the intended target. Two C-47 Skytrains acquired from Scandinavian Airlines in 1948 were fitted out for SIGINT, becoming operational in 1951. Both had been built for the USAAF in

The conserved remains of ‘Hugin’ at the Swedish Air Force Museum. ALL VIA FLYGVAPENMUSEUM UNLESS NOTED

the 1940s (see panel on page 94). In Swedish Air Force service they were designated Tp 79s and given the serials 79001 and 79002. The aircraft were aptly named Hugin and Munin after ravens belonging to the mythological Norse god Odin that would fly each day across the world and return each night to tell him what they had seen. The crew would normally consist of eight: three Swedish

Air Force personnel and five civilian SIGINT operators from the Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment, the FRA. From 1951, the two aircraft flew weekly missions over the eastern Baltic Sea.

Two shoot-downs At 09:05 hours on June 13, 1952, Hugin , piloted by Alvar Älmeberg, set out on a regular mission with eight crew on board. Its objective

was a new Soviet radar station in Liepaja, in modern-day Latvia. A large Soviet marine exercise taking place off the islands of Dagö and Ösel might also have been of some interest. At 11:23 a disrupted message was sent from the C-47. Attempts to make contact brought no reply. Hugin had vanished. Families of the crew were informed later that day that the aircraft was missing and search parties had

been dispatched. Two days later a deflated life raft with shrapnel damage showed up. One of the aircraft involved in the search was a Consolidated Catalina, Swedish Air Force designation Tp 47, serial 47002. On June 16, a Soviet fighter shot it down, its five crew members later being rescued by a West German ship. From a political perspective, it became easier for the Swedish government to turn

July 2017 FLYPAST 91

FROM THE WORKSHOP DOUGLAS C-47 SKYTRAIN After salvage from the Baltic Sea, the wreckage was brought to the Swedish naval base at Muskö for sorting and initial conservation. In the foreground are some of the electronic ‘black boxes’.

The port outer wing during conservation at Muskö. THURE SVENSSON

SVEN SCHEIDERBAUER

its focus from the vanished C-47 to the Catalina. The events became known as the ‘Catalina Affair’. On the day of this second shootdown, all search missions, along with hopes of finding Hugin, were abandoned.

Wall of silence Much speculation surrounded the fate of Hugin’s crew. Had they been forced to land on Soviet territory? Had they defected to the Soviet Union? The families eventually received compensation but no information regarding the fate of those on the aircraft or the specifics of their mission. The C-47 was referred to as a ‘spy plane’ in Swedish media but the families baulked at their loves ones being declared spies.

In 1954 the wife of Einar Jonsson, who led the crew’s FRA personnel, submitted an article entitled I Think My Husband is Alive to a Swedish magazine, in which she said she was aware of the true SIGINT nature of the flight – contrary to the Swedish government, which persistently claimed it was a navigation sortie with telegraphists on board. On several occasions the bereaved demanded access to classified FRA files but their requests were denied. The government’s wall of silence would last for 40 years.

Denial From a Soviet point of view, the SIGINT flights had increasingly

starboard wing. The pilot, Alvar Älmeberg, tried to lessen the impact with the water

been viewed as a threat. Hugin’s crew did not know that at 10:24 on what would become its final flight, the C-47 had been picked up by Soviet radar while flying over international waters. A Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot piloted by Captain Osinskij was ordered to pursue the foreign aircraft and open fire. The MiG’s 37mm cannon took out the C-47’s port engine, ripped a hole in the rear door and damaged its

by tilting right to compensate for the lost engine as Hugin plummeted into the Baltic. Soviet authorities denied all involvement in the disappearance until November 1991 when official recognition of the shoot-down appeared. In Soviet reports of the event, retrieved in the 1990s, Osinskij claimed he had seen parachutes emerge from the crippled aircraft. The assertion inspired many conspiracy theories. Suspicions Above

A model of a SIGINT-configured Tp 79, showing the special equipment operator stations. Below

This C-47, 79002, is believed to be ‘Hugin’s’ SIGINT sister ship. SAAB Lansens can be seen in the background.

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Hugin’s Crew

The crew on Hugin’s last mission. Top row, left to right: FRA leader Einar Jonsson, flight engineer Herbert Mattsson, navigator Gösta Blad, pilot Alvar Älmeberg. Their remains were retrieved during the salvage in 2003/2004. Bottom row, left to right: FRA SIGINT operators: Börge Nilsson, Erik Carlsson, Ivar Svensson and Bengt Book. Their remains have not been found.

“Captain Osinskij was ordered to pursue the foreign aircraft and open fire. The MiG’s 37mm cannon took out the C-47’s port engine, ripped a hole in the rear door and damaged the starboard wing of the aircraft” Corrosion underneath the de-icing boots on the wing.

arose that the crew might have been taken prisoner by the Soviet Union or had been washed ashore somewhere. Osinskij later revoked his claim, saying that, at the time, he was simply offered a prewritten statement to sign.

Location and salvage From 1989 onwards, attempts were made to find the lost aircraft, but all were futile as the crash location was unknown. Many of the searches lacked the funding or technology to operate on a large scale. After meticulous studies of

Cannon shell penetration in the fuselage.

archival material managed to narrow the search area, Hugin’s final discovery came through the joint efforts of an entrepreneur and former Swedish Air Force pilot named Jallai and a company called Deep Sea Productions, and on June 10, 2003 a sonar image revealed a characteristic silhouette at a depth of 410ft (125m) on the Baltic seabed. The Swedish government decided to salvage the aircraft to determine the fate of the crew. Many dives were made on the Hugin . Objects from the aircraft had been scattered in a 2,000ft radius and retrieving them

called for a method called freeze dredging – which involved sections of seabed sediment being frozen solid and brought to the surface to be excavated offsite. One of the C-47’s wings had detached on impact and the other had to be disconnected from the fuselage to facilitate the salvage. Meanwhile a one-man submersible was used to pick up other artefacts as well as securing the fuselage in a steel frame to support its weight. During the salvage four of the crew members were discovered (see the panel above) and identified using DNA samples

from living relatives. The technical investigation report confirmed that all eight men had been seated during the impact. It also concluded that the crash was so powerful that survival was impossible. When Hugin emerged from the seabed on the night of March 18, 2004 the crew’s families were able to follow the salvage from a nearby vessel.

Careful conservation Conservation treatment then began on the airframe and its artefacts, without which most

July 2017 FLYPAST 93

FROM THE WORKSHOP DOUGLAS C-47 SKYTRAIN The Swedish roundel, with its three crowns, on a wing during conservation.

Positioning a wing at Linköping prior to opening the exhibition, May 2007. THURE SVENSSON

A leather briefcase, one of a large number of personal artefacts recovered. SWEDISH ARMY MUSEUM

Several wallets were found.

items would perish and significant historical data would be lost. The intention was to ensure that the objects could be used to tell the story of the crash and the C-47’s years on the seabed. The work, at the Swedish naval base at Muskö and the Swedish Army Museum (Armémuseum) in Stockholm, set out to halt disintegration and decay of the objects, an important step being to remove invasive elements. Some items also needed to be stored in a special preservative environment Paint layers, frayed fabric and shrivelled leather parts, for example, needed structural support and consolidation, which had to leave as little trace of treatment as possible. Hugin’s conservation would be a challenge. The C-47 is made of different aluminium alloys, the most common being a copper alloy. Parts of the structure were practically intact despite the time spent on the seabed but others were heavily corroded.

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The corrosion rate of aluminium increases in the presence of chloride ions in sea water. Different forms of corrosion were detected – an example being unpredictable crevice corrosion, caused by a chemical reaction that takes place in enclosed sections such as beams inside the fuselage or underneath de-icing boots. The corrosion rate in such areas can be rapid and aggressive, leaving little support in the damaged construction. The first and most crucial step in the preservative process was to remove the salt from the metal surfaces, which were washed with freshwater. The structure was then treated with a corrosion inhibitor called Dinitrol. A consolidant agent was used to secure paint layers – preserving the Swedish insignia on the rear door, for example, which showed shrapnel damage from a 37mm shell. It appears the crew had opened the door as the aircraft went down, possibly preparing to bale out.

Hugin and Munin

‘Hugin’ during its days with Scandinavian Airways, 1946-1948.

Hugin was built by Douglas at Long Beach, California, as C-47 Skytrain 42-4694 for the USAAF in January 1943 and issued to the Ninth Air Force. Later sold in Sweden, becoming SE-APZ Pollux in August 1946, it flew with airline Scandinavian Airways. In August 1948 it transferred to the Swedish Air Force, designated Tp 79 with the serial 79001. Shot down over the Baltic Sea on June 13, 1952, after recovery and extensive conservation the aircraft went on display at the Flygvapenmuseum in Linköping on May 13, 2007. Munin was built by Douglas at Long Beach, California, as C-47 Skytrain 42-32877 for the USAAF in February 1943 and issued to the Ninth Air Force. It was sold in Sweden, becoming SE-APW Polaris in March 1946, flying with Scandinavian Airways. In August 1948 it was transferred to the Swedish Air Force and designated Tp 79 with the serial 79002. It had retired by the early 1980s and is now on display at a motor museum at Skokloster, west of Stockholm.

Conservation under way on the roundel on the rear door. SWEDISH ARMY MUSEUM

Textile conservation: laying out a parachute for cleaning.

A dry dock used as the centre of operations at Muskö

July 2017 FLYPAST 95

FROM THE WORKSHOP DOUGLAS C-47 SKYTRAIN Assembling the ‘Hugin’ exhibition at Linköping, May 2007. THURE SVENSSON

A chocolate bar, recovered from 410ft below the surface of the Baltic; a graphic reminder of a human tragedy.

“Visitors can see examples of personal belongings recovered from the aircraft, including pilot Alvar Älmeberg’s wedding ring” Fragile and personal Among retrieved textile objects were a hand-knitted wool vest, a nylon sock and a silk parachute. Conditions on the seabed had clearly been favourable for silk and wool, yet nothing remained of the cotton overalls, shirts and ties the crew had worn. Animal fibres, such as wool, consist primarily of protein and are more resilient to decay than vegetable fibres, like cotton, which is mainly made up of cellulose. Of the eight, possibly nine, parachutes on board, three have been recovered. There’s no indication they had ever been prepared for exiting the aircraft; the bodies discovered on the seabed wore inflated life jackets but were not wearing parachutes. To ensure their preservation, the textile items were cleaned in water and packaged. Many are today exhibited at the Swedish Air Force Museum. Several leather objects were retrieved; for example, belts, spectacle cases, knives with sheaths, briefcases and shoes. The discovery of personal items such

as wallets was especially poignant. Owing to their fragile nature they were examined in a bath and needed to be continuously soaked in water. As well as containing personal notes, stamps and coins, one of the side pockets of what turned out to be navigator Gösta Blad’s wallet revealed a small selfportrait. Distracted or shocked by this remarkable find, the conservator accidently brought the photograph above the water surface where the sudden exposure to air made it quickly crumble and disintegrate. After 52 years on the seabed, the image vanished forever after just a few seconds. But the conservator did manage to take a snapshot of the photograph, and today it’s the first item that greets visitors of the exhibition at the Swedish Air Force Museum. Preserving the objects from the aircraft provided some answers as to how materials respond to a marine environment. For example, the rubber life vests could still be inflated after five decades on the seabed.

Other rubber objects retrieved included life rafts and oxygen masks, which were all in good condition. Decomposition, however, started rapidly on being exposed to air and light. To stop it, the items were stored in de-oxidized bags with oxygen absorbers.

Final resting place The story of Hugin and its crew are told in the exhibition through images, maps, transcripts, movies and recorded interviews. The aircraft is still partly in the steel crate in which it was salvaged, and the display has been built around the wreck, so all maintenance has to be carried out inside its glass display. The presentation serves to re-create the aircraft on the seabed and the wreck is placed in roughly the same position as it was when discovered. The peripheral objects are stored in airtight display cases with climate systems suited to the various types of material. Visitors can see examples of personal belongings

recovered from the aircraft, including pilot Alvar Älmeberg’s wedding ring. There’s also a pair of women’s stockings, which were in the possession of the navigator as a ‘lucky’ charm. On the level above, visitors can see the C-47 through a glass floor to the exhibition below. A MiG-15 ‘flies’ above it, suspended in mid-air. The story of Hugin has come full circle and the aircraft has now found a dignified final resting place. The author is the Flygvapenmuseum’s Curator of Collections. www.flygvapenmuseum.se

As well as the two SIGINT aircraft, the Swedish Air Force used six C-47s and Dakotas for transport duties: Tp 79 79008 served the RAF briefly as Dakota IV KN547; today it is displayed at the Tilamook Air Museum in Oregon, USA. To the right is either ‘Hugin’ or ‘Munin’. KEY COLLECTION

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OspreyF_P.indd 1

11/05/2017 13:48

AIRSHOW NEW ZEALAND

Classics of the Sky Gavin Conroy presents images from another memorable Classic Fighters airshow in New Zealand

O

ne of the most popular fixtures on the continent’s air display schedule, the Yealands Classic Fighters event never fails to disappoint. Held at Omaka, New Zealand, from April 14 to 16, this year’s show was no exception, featuring a wide variety of warbirds, aerobatic

teams and ground attractions. Everything from World War One reproductions to Cold War jets took to the air at Omaka, the blue skies and pleasant climate bringing out the best from the attending pilots and providing excellent photo opportunities. www.classicfighters.co.nz

A simulation of a V-1 bomb launch was among the more unusual attractions at Omaka.

Above

A trio of Spitfires – Mk.XIVe NH799, Tr.IX MH367 and Mk.IX PV270 – flying at this year’s Classic Fighters airshow. Right

Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk ZK-RMH flying at the April event. Right centre

A recreation of a Great War dogfight.

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Left

An air-to-air view of Yakovlev Yak-3UPW VH-YOV ‘Steadfast’. ALL GAVIN CONROY Below left

Supermarine Spitfire Tr.IX MH367 (ZK-WDQ) was among the participants at Omaka. Bottom right

De Havilland Venom FB.4 WE434 (ZK-VNM) flying at Omaka.

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WARBIRDS SPITFIRE FLIGHT

King

For A Day

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T

here’s a hiss of static in my headset, and then I hear the voice of pilot Steve Jones. “Right, we’ll do a victory roll now,” he says, with the laconic ease of someone for whom such manoeuvres are as routine as buttering toast. “We’ll simply roll the aircraft over until we return to our current position. No drama. Here we go.” And roll we do. The sunlight flashes on the Spitfire’s wings as the aircraft smoothly inverts. It whirls on with unfettered ease until we’re back where we started from. As we revolve I whoop with excitement like a child on a rollercoaster, because that’s what it feels like. The action is so clean and fluid that it almost feels as if the aircraft is secured to a gigantic overhead rail. How much of this is down to the pilot’s

skill or to R J Mitchell’s brilliant design is impossible for me to judge. What I do get a feel for is the dazzling power of the machine, its agility, its potential to pounce at its pilot’s bidding. As the blurred impression of the ground, 4,000ft below us, sweeps around my head in a second exhilarating manoeuvre, I decide that I could do victory rolls in a Spitfire all day long. I don’t tell Steve this – just in case. We are flying in Supermarine Spitfire Tr.IX ML407, known to most British aircraft enthusiasts as the Grace Spitfire, and right now we are kings of everything. We’ve taken off from Sywell where the aircraft is based, and the skies over Northamptonshire on this April morning are an unblemished blue. There is no wind, and below us, a radiant English patchwork of green, yellow and brown bathes in the sun. We’re probably too high to attract the attention of anyone on the ground – but had anyone seen us, they would stop whatever they were doing, they would squint into the blue and they would carry on looking until they

couldn’t see us anymore. Because to most, the Spitfire has grown into something that Mitchell could not possibly have envisaged. It is a clarion call to observe the lessons of history, a Last Post salute to the sacrifice and courage of a generation. It is a bird of prey that now quite beautifully symbolises the sanctity of peace. “She’s a wonderful machine, isn’t she?” says Steve. I manage to say something, but there is – I readily confess – a lump in my throat.

Below left

Steve Jones and Steve Beebee in Supermarine Spitfire Tr.IX ML407 flying over rural Northamptonshire on April 19. ALL IMAGES BY DARREN HARBAR UNLESS NOTED

A family affair

The reason I’m here is all thanks to Carolyn Grace and her family, who now base their operation at Sywell, having previously been at Bentwaters in Suffolk and before that, Duxford. Carolyn’s son Richard, a superb pilot, runs family business Air Leasing at the airfield – the company restores, maintains and operates historic aircraft, and its burgeoning reputation has ensured it is in constant demand. Its modern hangar is host to a bevy of exciting machines, including Hawker Fury FB.11 SR611, Supermarine Seafire LF.III PP972 (see August 2016 issue) and a pair of Hispano Buchóns (see June 2016 issue),

The Grace Spitfire has been a popular airshow attraction for decades – but now passengers can seize the opportunity of a flight in the legendary fighter. Steve Beebee visits its owners at Sywell and straps in for the trip of a lifetime

Left

Steve Beebee flying in the Spitfire on April 19. COURTESY CAROLYN GRACE

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WARBIRDS SPITFIRE FLIGHT

Right

Steve Beebee attempts to put on a flying suit. Far right

Messrs Beebee, Hodgetts and Willis walk out to the aircraft. Below right

Pilot Steve Jones. Below

Steve Beebee examines the rear cockpit.

Right

As pilot Steve Jones prepares the front cockpit, Carolyn helps Paul Willis get strapped into his parachute pack.

both of which flew during the production of the 1969 film Battle of Britain. Spitfire ML407 has been owned by the Grace family since 1979 (see panel on page 106) and with the approval of the CAA, Carolyn has been able to offer flights in it for many years, in exchange for financial contributions towards operating costs. In the light of new CAA approvals a few years ago, it has become easier for operators to fly

passengers, so Carolyn has been able to whittle down the previously lengthy waiting list, and offer more flights on a more regular basis. Having once been limited to around 60 passenger flights per year over a maximum of ten days, the company can now provide up to five flights per day – with the aircraft flying for up to 100 hours per year. Relocating to Sywell has also been key to this development. The airfield is a welcoming, public-facing operation, and a prime venue to help fulfil the family’s ambitions. “It’s a very central location and ideal for what we are doing,” says Carolyn. “It was Richard who persuaded me to sell the house and move up here. It was a good decision – the airport here at Sywell has proved to be

“You are not viewing history through a modern cocoon, you are a part of a real, visceral experience” 102 FLYPAST July 2017

absolutely perfect for us. “The organisation here doesn’t have that distant feeling that some airfields have. This one is unique. Here at Sywell we have the facilities to make it a family experience for those who come along with the person who’s going to be flying. The Spitfire is easily accessible so in most instances we can take friends and family out to the aircraft and they can get up close to it and feel part of the experience. We encourage that. Being at Sywell makes it possible.” All proceeds from the flights directly benefit the aircraft. At the time of writing, all profits – from flights to merchandise – were funding overhaul of a spare Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. “Most importantly, it helps us to safeguard the future of the aircraft,” adds Carolyn. “It is a family-owned aeroplane and we want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come. We are not in this on a purely commercial basis. “Obviously, the passenger flights eat into the 100 hours [annual flying time], but then the air display world has changed a lot, and we don’t do as many as before, so it’s not the issue that it might have been several years ago. The aircraft has never been heavily booked for shows – people often think that we decide what events to do, but the reality is that it’s incredibly competitive out there. “I once did anything up to 28 off-site displays per annum. I then stopped flying at airshows because there were relatively few of them, and because I wanted

Richard and our other pilots to get some experience.” If you book a flight in ML407, the names of those rostered for the front cockpit reads like a ‘who’s who’ of modern Spitfire pilots. As well as Steve, there’s chief pilot Pete Kynsey, plus Paul Bonhomme, Stu Goldspink, Dave Evans and several others. You’ll also be treated to at least 25 minutes of time in the air, or around 35 minutes in total. “That’s a key element,” nods Carolyn. “We are not interested in getting into a price war and while we may not be the cheapest overall, our price per minute is lower than other operators, because we include a minimum of 25 minutes airborne. Although we don’t have a long waiting list now, we do have people who want to do it next year or even the year after, so if you’re interested, we’d urge you to get in touch. The 25-minute flying time is a format we intend to stick to, and another difference with us is that no other two-seat Mk.IX has the history of ours.” Intriguingly, the growing selection of historic aircraft at Air Leasing means there is at least the potential to expand the flight experience operation. North American TF-51D Mustang Miss Velma is expected to arrive later this year, and being a two-seater it’s feasible to fly in – or alongside – that, or perhaps in formation with the Seafire. Whether any of the above will happen has yet to be decided, but there is no doubt the level of warbird activity is rapidly escalating at Sywell.

Getting airborne

On the morning of our visit, I am listed as third to fly. Before me is

Paul Willis and Dave Hodgetts, both of whom are here with family and friends. Next door to the briefing room is the excellent Aviator restaurant and bar – its lawn is an agreeable place to have a coffee and watch the action. The Spitfire awaits just metres away on the other side of the fence. I coerce my ridiculous, lanky frame into one of the provided flying suits as Carolyn begins the pre-flight talk. She takes all three of us out to the aircraft where we’re given a detailed tour of the cockpit. It’s important – and interesting – to realise that while we are obviously passengers, we are sitting in a real, working cockpit, with moving levers, gauges and switches. You are not viewing history through a modern cocoon, you are a part of a real, visceral experience, virtually unchanged from the original. Our feet will be resting on the rudder pedals and we will feel every input the pilot makes. The control column between our knees is completely ‘live’ and will enable us to fly the aircraft, providing Steve is happy to allow it. At two points during the flight, shortly after take-off and shortly before landing, we’ll need to straighten our right leg to enable a lever to move past where our knee would have been. This allows the pilot to change from one fuel tank to the other. Steve will activate the control, but he will need us to co-operate when the time comes. Passengers we may be, but we are most certainly involved. Some of Carolyn’s brief is sobering – but essential to know. We’re

Below

The Spitfire, with Steve Jones and Paul Willis on board, taxiing at Sywell.

July 2017 FLYPAST 103

WARBIRDS SPITFIRE FLIGHT Right

Steve Beebee climbs into the Spitfire on April 19. Right centre

An elated Paul Willis is greeted by Carolyn after his flight. Far right

Dave Hodgetts is strapped into his parachute prior to flight.

my canvas headset and goggles on, my 6’ 3” frame only just fits. There’s talk of removing the seat cushion, but in the end it isn’t necessary. The harness is tightened so I don’t slide around in the seat. I lower my head to allow the canopy to slide shut. There’s just enough room. I place my feet gently on the rudder pedals. I must keep them there,

Right centre

A smoky start for ML407 on April 19.

“My view of the sky turns into a view of the ground, and then the colourful patchwork vista unfurls below my head. It is not too quick and it is not too slow. It is utterly spectacular”

shown how to escape from the aircraft in the worstcase scenario. “You need to keep your right hand on the webbing of your parachute pack,” she says, “because otherwise you won’t find the D-ring to pull the ripcord.” It’s fantastically unlikely that the unthinkable will happen, but once again, this is part of the process of flying in a historic aircraft, and today we lucky few are part of it. Paul is the first to fly, followed by Dave. Both men return looking absolutely elated. Both declare it was exactly as they dared to dream it would be. The only issue that surprises Paul is how different the sound of the Merlin is from the inside – it’s more of a rugged cackle than the smooth, multi-toned rumble we’re used to hearing at airshows. Dave praises the responsiveness of the controls, saying how simple it was to move the aircraft around the sky. Like all who book a flight in ML407, he takes away a signed certificate, a 104 FLYPAST July 2017

T-shirt, a DVD and (while stocks last) an authentic swatch of fabric, removed from the Spitfire’s elevator during maintenance in 2012. Then, after slightly more than one trip to the toilet, it’s my turn. I stride across the grass towards the Spitfire, feigning an air of nonchalance. Carolyn assists me in strapping on my parachute. I’m shown how to climb into the cockpit and again, there’s a strict procedure to follow. There are bits you can stand on and hold on to, and there are bits you can’t. It’s important to have someone check the soles of your shoes for stones before you enter – there is no ‘floor’ as such in the Spitfire and losing any small object into the fuselage is potentially dangerous. My bizarrely long limbs and complete lack of physical co-ordination mean getting me into a Spitfire is a bit like coaxing a large spider into a matchbox – not that we recommend such an endeavour. With

but without applying any pressure that might impede Steve’s input. I look with some awe at the control column between my knees, and the firing button at the centre of the circular grip. I won’t be touching any part of this, or anything else, until Steve invites me to. I resolve to keep my hands on my thighs and just watch as everything unfolds around me. With Steve settled in the front ‘office’ and a successful intercom test accomplished, the Merlin starts in a crackly gust of smoke. For a moment, you receive a noseful of the fumes as smoke brushes the Perspex, but it dissipates almost immediately. We taxi, and I wave at onlookers. Steve explains why he is weaving from side to side – in common with many taildraggers, it’s impossible for the pilot to gain a clear view of what’s directly ahead without doing so. The actions required are clear to me – I can

feel it through the rudder pedals and through the movement of the control stick, which waggles in front of me as if gripped by phantom hands. We’re at the end of the runway, and once something Cessna-like ahead of us has disappeared, we’ve got nothing but tarmac and sky in front of us. “Right,” says Steve, happily, “let’s go.” He opens the throttle and the Spitfire almost instinctively accelerates towards its natural domain.

Flying the legend

We are lifting into the sky and it feels serene. There is no sense of danger at all, and I am grinning. We climb, turning. I gaze out at the legendary ‘elliptical’ wings, the camouflage markings and roundels. They look the same as they would have done in World War Two, as do the fields below us. “And you’re flying in a Spitfire,” announces Steve.

I am, and furthermore my thoughts are with those young men who flew them over 70 years ago. I try to feel what they must have felt. It is an intoxicating cocktail of conflicting emotions. We are at height now and sometimes when we turn, the aircraft is almost on its side. This feels completely natural. Returning to straight and level we look for the Vans RV-8 camera ship (flown today by Michael Wright from Leicester Aero Club) from which photographs for this article will be taken. Steve spots it at the 10 o’clock position, high above. For the first time I gain a sense of what the Spitfire is truly capable of, as Steve effects a fast, climbing turn. The g-force pushes my belly into the seat and I work to keep my head up. I groan slightly but I’m secretly enjoying it. The RV-8, which was a tiny dot a few seconds ago, is now aeroplane-shaped.

We speed towards its underbelly and cruise graciously around to its port side. I ponder that had this been World War Two and the Vans been a Messerschmitt, we would have hammered it with fire at this point. With the RV-8 alongside, a face looms from its rear seat. It’s not a German gunner; it’s my friend, photographer Darren Harbar. The basic rule in air-to-air photography is that the camera ship leads, while the subject (us) formates on it. Darren communicates with Steve via a series of clear hand gestures. Steve alters our position accordingly. I just smile. The two aircraft are obviously flying in close proximity, but I have no concerns. Steve, a retired British Airways captain, is probably best known to airshow crowds as one half of the Matadors aerobatic

Below left

Built in 1944 and flown in action on D-Day, Spitfire G-LFIX now flies from Sywell, Northants. Below

Steve Beebee in the cockpit.

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WARBIRDS SPITFIRE FLIGHT

Keeping the dream alive

Carolyn and Richard Grace with Spitfire ML407 at Sywell.

Supermarine Spitfire Tr.IX ML407 (G-LFIX) has been flown in the capable hands of the Grace family for 32 years. It was built as a single-seat Mk.IX in 1944 and ferried into RAF service from the Castle Bromwich factory by ATA pilot Jackie Moggridge. It became the ‘mount’ of 485 Squadron’s Fg Off Johnnie Houlton DFC – the ‘V’ on its unit code ‘OU-V’ was for Vicky, his future wife. At the controls of ML407, Johnnie made the first air-to-air ‘kill’ on D-Day, downing a Junkers Ju 88. More victories followed, and by the end of the war the Spitfire had served with seven units and survived 176 ‘ops’. It was converted into a two-seat trainer for the Irish Air Corps in 1950, and after retirement ended up with the Strathallan Collection in Scotland. Nick Grace, a successful engineer with a keen passion for flying, bought it from there in 1979. Meticulously restored over the next five years, Nick flew it for the first time – with Carolyn in the rear cockpit – on April 16, 1985. “The provenance of this aircraft, the fact that it is an original aeroplane, meant a lot to Nick,” Carolyn recalls. “During the restoration he painstakingly took everything apart, cleaned it back to bare metal, tackled any corrosion, and put it back together again. There were no significant replacements.” Tragically Nick was killed in a 1988 road accident. In the aftermath, Carolyn resolved not only to keep the Spitfire flying but learn to fly it herself. She went solo in ML407 for the first time at White Waltham, Berks, on July 17, 1990. For the next quarter of a century Carolyn flew the Grace Spitfire at airshows, gaining a reputation not just for her beautifully judged displays, but also as a trailblazer for women in aviation. Fittingly, she took Jackie Moggridge aloft in the Spitfire from Duxford in 1994. Johnnie Houlton had also flown in it, with Nick, several years earlier. Carolyn smiles as she reflects on the long journey that has now brought her and the family business to Sywell. “I am personally very proud of my children – Richard heading our Maintenance Organisation Air Leasing, together with Daisy, Richard’s wife and his sister Olivia, though in America, in full support on social media,” she says. “I am so thrilled that ML407 is still flying, because that’s firstly what Nick wanted. After Nick died, it became my goal to keep the Spitfire flying for generations to come, and I’m delighted that this aircraft, with its great history, will continue to honour the past that has enabled our future.”

Top right

Steve Jones and Steve Beebee taxiing back in at Sywell on April 19. Inset

Carolyn presents Steve with a signed certificate.

team. He and team leader Paul Bonhomme are the best in the business when it comes to formation flying, and these are probably the simplest manoeuvres Steve has flown for a while. After a few minutes, the camera

106 FLYPAST July 2017

ship peels away and we move off in the opposite direction. Steve suggests that I fly the Spitfire for a bit. Holding the grip with the fingers and thumb of my right hand, I move us around the sky gently, from right to left, and then up and down. I handle the control in the same way I would handle the outstretched arm of a baby. It’s very sensitive – hardly any physical input is required. You can understand why pilots described the Spitfire as becoming almost an extension of themselves rather than an actual machine. It’s as if the aircraft is a sentient being that wants to do what you want it to do. With ML407 back in Steve’s hands we do a victory roll – and then a loop. We dive to gain speed then climb up and over. I grin, or gurn, or something, as the ‘g’ pins my head back at the top of the loop, and I watch as my view of the sky turns into a view of the ground, and then the colourful patchwork vista unfurls below my head. It is not too quick and it is not too slow. It is utterly spectacular. For a moment, the g-forces make me light-headed, but it passes almost instantly. It’s enough to make you realise how easy it would be for pilots to become dizzy or disoriented during the turning, diving dogfights over occupied Europe. I’m invited to take control again, and after that we head for home. We descend and the scenery is once again a stirring sight beneath those famous wings. I can see the airfield in the distance and my thoughts drift back to what might have been going through the minds of those young men as they neared home. Low now, we turn and fly over the runway. I can see in perfect clarity the shadow cast by the Spitfire on the ground below, passing over houses, gardens and then the airfield. It’s another unforgettable, strangely poignant moment, a

personal confirmation that this is really happening. We turn, and Steve lowers the undercarriage. The gear selector, visible to my lower right, shows whether it has come down or not. It has. We’re on finals now and I’m bracing myself for a bump. None comes. Compared with the Hawker Hurricane, the Spitfire could be tricky to land due to its narrow undercarriage, but Steve greases it on to the tarmac with delicate precision. There’s loads of rudder input – I can feel that through my feet, and the tail seems to shudder in the slipstream until we slow right down. All we need to do now is taxi across the grass, wave at onlookers, and climb heroically from the cockpit. I’m probably talking absolute rubbish to Steve at this point, and he kindly humours me. Darren Harbar is back on terra firma and is there to capture this moment of glory. To give an idea of how special this experience was, the following day Key Publishing’s group editor Nigel Price asks me what item I will place on my ‘bucket list’ now that I’ve done this. After pondering the matter for several minutes I still haven’t come up with anything. All I can think of is this – I’ll have to save up some money, go back to Sywell and do it all over again.

For more information on the Grace Spitfire including how to book a flight, e-mail: [email protected] and see www.airleasing.co.uk

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16/05/2017 15:58

GLORY DAYS PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES

G ing Places

Set up as part of Transport Command in 1952 to under take Ferry Transport Flight and the Ferry Training Unit. We pres Above right

The photographer struck gold on the day of his visit with this line-up of ferry types and staff ‘hacks’, including Gloster Javelin FAW.1 XA624, and Supermarine Swift FR.5 XD908. The Javelin, which was just two months old when the image was taken, served for six more years. Left

Supermarine Swift FR.5 XD913 receives attention outside one of RAF Benson’s cavernous hangars. While with 79 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh on June 23, 1960, the nosewheel leg refused to lower and the aircraft was written off in the forced landing that followed. Below left

A team of ferry aircrew look into the camera as Supermarine Swift FR.5 XD913 looms in the background. From left, Flt Lt M P H Stephenson, master pilot W/O A D Fell, Fg Off E L Elliot, Flt Lt D E Burton, and master pilot W/O J A D Meechan. Below

Another array of aircraft inside one of the Ferry Wing’s hangars, with the star being FTU-based Leavesden-built de Havilland Mosquito T.3 VA883 in the foreground. Other aircraft visible include Hawker Hunter F.4 XE678 on charge with 222 Squadron, FTU’s Gloster Meteor T.7 WA609 and 2 Squadron’s Supermarine Swift FR.5 XD924.

108 FLYPAST July 2017

nder take movement of aircraft within the RAF, the Benson-based Ferry Wing comprised 147 and 167 Squadrons, the We present a selection of images taken around the Wing in March 1956.

Above and below

Four Gloster Meteor T.7s of the Ferry Training Unit formate for the cameraman. Closest to the camera is VW424, with WH195, WA723 and WE826.

Above

Members of 167 Squadron relax in their bar at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire. The walls are covered in intriguing ‘artwork’ and memorabilia from the squadron’s history of long-range ferrying. Below

Ground crew repack a life raft into the overwing hatch of a Ferry Transport Flight Vickers Valetta C.1 transport.

July 2017 FLYPAST 109

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.

A Lightning Mishap I read with interest your article on the ventral gun pack on the F.6. Having been a weapons officer on 74 Squadron, I was tasked with air-to-air trials on the F.1. The gun sight was integrated into the weapons system in the earlier mark of Lightning, and we used the time-honoured quarter attack pattern on the banner towed by the Gloster Meteor F.8. Because of the higher closing speed, the pilot had to be pretty

With regards to your photo of English Electric Lightning T.4, XM974, you may be intrigued by this rather less graceful picture from my logbook of the same aircraft.

Picturing Derek It was with feelings of sorrow, that I read the entry in June’s FlyPast about the passing of Sqn Ldr Joseph Derek (Ginger) Aldred. My late husband, Dick Hayward, and Derek flew many hours together on 139 (J) Squadron Handley Page Victor B.2s at RAF Wittering from May 1963 to Mar 1966. Derek and his wife Hazel became great friends of ours when Dick and I married in 1972, and we met many times over the years. Dick died in 1999 and, some years later, I and my new husband, Alan Mudge, were invited to lunch by Derek and Hazel, in Snettisham, Norfolk for a particular reason – as I found out after lunch. When pilot and navigator were both young and daft, Dick, accompanied by Derek, went off to buy a new car in Stamford. The going offer at the time was ‘buy a new car and get a bottle of champagne and an oil painting’. As

THOMAS BURNS

Usually the Lightning could be kept on the runway after a burst tyre – a fairly common occurrence in a strong crosswind – but in this case, one wheel had just dug into the soft ground.

Derek had not long been married and lived in quarters, he took the painting and Dick had the champagne. Done deal. Some 50 years later, Alan and I were invited to lunch by Derek and Hazel, which was always a pleasure, and we sauntered our way back to the house after a convivial, laughter-filled lunch. I was walking down the corridor when Derek said “halt!” Being a dutiful ex-WRAF, I did. He said: “Turn to your right – that picture is the one Dick gave to me 50 years ago, and I’d like you to have it.” I just burst into tears. It’s a lovely oil painting of Snettisham beach in 1965, and it now hangs in the dining room. It will always be a reminder of one of the nicest, kindest, most gentlemanly men I ever met and will never forget. LESLEY HAYWARD-MUDGE HAWARDEN NORFOLK

Wanted - Rolls Royce Derwent engines Can anyone assist with the sourcing of two Rolls-Royce Derwent engines suitable for use in an Armstrong Whitworth-built Meteor NF.14? Please contact FlyPast Editor Chris Gilson at [email protected] for further details.

110 FLYPAST July 2017

quick to locate the target on radar and lock on before he could start tracking the banner, and the firing range was considerably greater than with the Hawker Hunter in order to safely break off the attack. Nevertheless, scores were acceptable, although purely academic as the F.1 was soon replaced and, as far as I know, never fired at a target again.

A Mercator mystery Your article Airwaves Warrior featuring the Martin Mercator struck a chord with me, and perhaps provides an eventual answer to a long-held puzzle. In January 1956, 208 Squadron was re-located from RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt for two months to RNAS Hal Far (HMS Falcon), Malta, pending the completion of a new base at RAF Akrotiri (Cyprus). It shared a very crowded hardstanding with naval aircraft of various squadrons – from three aircraft carriers at anchor in nearby Birzebbuga Bay – and a US Navy unit equipped with Lockheed P2V Neptunes, plus a sole (I believe) Mercator. Despite very cordial relations with

the American crews, nobody could discover why one of the flight crew was always perched on top of the Mercator when taxiing out for takeoff. He sat midships atop the aircraft, just above the wing root, behind the aft line of the engine nacelles and between what appeared to be two vertical aerials. There were no vision problems at Hal Far that necessitated a ‘look-out’. The instances depicted at Iwakuni and Atsugi, however, indicates this crew position may have been a standard practice, but for what purpose? A breath of fresh air before several hours of dark incarceration? SINCERELY JOHN QUIN ARLINGTON, TEXAS

OPS BOARD

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June 29, Barnes Wallis Foundation, Howden School, Howden – Wallis at Home, and Mathematics with Love – two free talks, open to the public. July 24, Air Aces, Chichester Park Hotel, Chichester – The history of British Airways and the Speedbird Centre. www.airaces.org.uk

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VICTORIA CROSS ALAN McLEOD

Heading For Style Valour In the latest in his series on Victoria Cross recipients, Air Cdre Graham Pitchfork reflects on the courage of Great War pilot Lt Alan McLeod

B

orn in Stonewall near Winnipeg, Canada on April 20, 1899, Alan Arnett McLeod enlisted for flying duties with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in April 1917. He completed his training as a pilot and sailed for England before arriving in France and joining 2 Squadron at the end of November the same year. The squadron was equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 flying in the army co-operation role. There were several versions of the FK.8 designation this one seems to have been the most popular. McLeod was soon in action,

112 FLYPAST July 2017

strafing enemy trenches and gun sites. He also used the two-seat bomber to attack a formation of Albatros scouts, and his gunner shot one down. On another occasion when attacking an observation balloon, which he destroyed, the enemy attacked his aircraft but once again his gunner dispatched one of the German attackers and they fought their way back across friendly lines. On March 21, 1918, the Germans mounted a major offensive and 2 Squadron was moved to the Amiens area. On the morning of March 27, McLeod, with Lieutenant A W Hammond MC as his gunner, took off to bomb enemy infantry positions but they were thwarted by bad visibility and landed at another RFC airfield. The weather improved in the afternoon and McLeod and Hammond took off, determined to complete their bombing mission. They were about to attack a balloon when a Fokker Triplane was seen and McLeod climbed to attack it. Hammond fired and the enemy aircraft spiralled down to crash. The action had been seen by a formation of eight additional Triplanes and they dived to attack. Hammond sent one down in flames, but the others mounted a co-ordinated offence and the FK.8 was raked by enemy fire, severely wounding Hammond. Despite his injuries, Hammond destroyed another Triplane just before a burst of enemy fire set his machine’s

petrol tank on fire. The fire burned away the floor between the two cockpits and Hammond had to leave his cockpit and cling to the top fuselage. In the meantime, the handicapped McLeod climbed from his seat onto the lower port wing and guided the bomber with one hand into a sideslip to keep the flames away. He struggled to maintain control as Hammond somehow managed to man his gun and shoot down another attacker. The blazing FK.8 eventually crashed in ‘No Man’s Land’. Despite suffering from wounds and burns, McLeod managed to drag the unconscious Hammond free of the wreckage. With his gunner on his back, McLeod stumbled through the shell-pocked mud, suffering a shell splinter before he finally reached a forward position and collapsed. It took many hours before the two men were evacuated and McLeod finally reached a hospital in England where his life hung in the balance. On May 1, 1918 it was announced he had been awarded the Victoria Cross for his epic flight. Immediately after receiving his award from King George V in September, he returned to Canada to recover, and was making good progress when he was struck down by the influenza epidemic and in his weakened condition died on November 9. Hammond was awarded a Bar to his MC and recovered from his injuries after having a leg amputated.

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WORLD WAR TWO SPECIAL DUTIES

BETTER ONE CROWDED Right

Mac McCairns (standing, second from right) and his 616 Squadron colleagues awaiting a call to action in their ready room, 1941.

D

‘MAC’ MCCAIRNS LIVED LIFE TO THE FULL AND HIS MEDALS ARE TREASURED BY THE TANGMERE MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM. DAVID COXON AND HUGH TREVOR PAY TRIBUTE TO AN EXCEPTIONAL PILOT

uring the early 1980s Tangmere Military Aviation Museum’s Chairman, Gp Capt David Baron, was the officer commanding 14 Squadron, operating SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1s in the strike/attack role from Brüggen, West Germany. One of David’s flight commanders was Sqn Ldr Chris McCairns. Chris contacted his former ‘boss’ in 2014, not about 14 Squadron, or Jaguars but with an incredible offer for the museum. His father was Jimmy ‘Mac’ McCairns and Chris wanted to gift to

Tangmere Mac’s precious medals and logbooks. It was a coincidence that Chris was handing over his father’s memorabilia to his former CO. The choice of the Sussex museum was because Mac had flown operationally from Tangmere on two occasions, both times in very different types of aircraft. James Atterby McCairns was born in 1919 in Niagara Falls, USA, and at the age of 12 he and his mother settled in Retford, Nottinghamshire. In the spring of 1939 the 20-yearold Mac joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve as a trainee pilot. He was posted to 616 Squadron at Kirton-inLindsey, Lincolnshire in September 1940 for operational experience. That November, Sgt ‘Mac’ McCairns was retained on the unit to bring it up to strength prior to its relocation to 11 Group in southern England.

TANGMERE WING

Departing Kirton on February 26, 1941, the squadron headed for the south coast where it formed part of the

116 FLYPAST July 2017

Tangmere Spitfire Wing with 145 and 610 Squadrons. Wg Cdr Douglas Bader, the legless ‘ace’ who had made his name during the Battle of Britain, arrived at Tangmere on March 18 to command the wing. Bader flew with 616’s ‘A’ Flight, which included McCairns and two

D

HOUR... pilots who later made their name as fighter leaders, Plt Off ‘Johnnie’ Johnson and Fg Off Hugh ‘Cocky’ Dundas.

During the summer of 1941, the wing, based at Tangmere’s satellite aerodromes of Westhampnett (now Goodwood aerodrome) and Merston, was mainly tasked with supporting ‘Circus’ operations. These involved escorting light bombers to targets in northern France with the aim of provoking Luftwaffe fighters up to fight. These raids were successful, and engagements took place almost every day. On June 30 Mac was very lucky to escape with his life when his Spitfire IIa was attacked. A bullet entered his cockpit,

July 2017 FLYPAST 117

WORLD WAR TWO SPECIAL DUTIES they entered Bad Sulza’s barrack block, posing as part of a working party of French prisoners. They slipped away, scaled the 9ft wire perimeter fence and set off for the local town to catch a train to Kassel, aiming to catch further trains to the Belgian border. Separated from

Above and far right

Two images taken by German soldiers of McCairns’ crash-landed Spitfire P8500 ‘YQ-D’ in a field near Gravelines. Right

Stalag IXc, Bad Sulza, Thuringia. The prisoner compound is on the left, the German barracks on the right. HEINZ RENKEL

ricocheted around, but failed to hit him. On landing Mac entered the crew room and removed his flying boots – to find the German bullet lodged in one of them. Recommended for a commission in early July, Mac prepared himself for an interview with Tangmere’s station commander, Gp Capt ‘Woody’ Woodhall. In the event, the meeting did not take place. On July 6, Mac took off in new Spitfire IIa P8500 from Westhampnett for a patrol over St Omer led by Bader. About 15 miles (24km) inland Messerschmitt Bf 109s engaged his section and P8500 was badly damaged by cannon fire. Diving to ground level, Mac set off to return across the Channel, but his Spitfire was hit again, this time in the radiator by light flak. The engine seized, forcing him to crash-land in a field 300 yards (274m) from the beach at Gravelines. Hit in the leg by shell splinters and with the canopy jammed closed, Mac was soon captured and transferred to a military hospital in St Omer. A week later, after a successful operation on his leg, he was transferred by train to Stalag IXc, a prisoner of war camp at Bad Sulza, deep inside Germany.

OVER THE WIRE

Mac devoted all his efforts to escape, and in November he was ready to make his first attempt. With another RAF sergeant, Ken Fenton, he scaled the camp’s perimeter wire in the dead of night, but the pair became separated. Over the next 48 hours Mac kept going, making his way on foot and by train for 150 miles. He was arrested at Warburg railway station and returned to Bad Sulza. Determined to try again, Mac decided that an escape attempt would not be expected in the depths of winter and could succeed if he travelled by train in civilian clothes. Together with Lucien Charlier, a Belgian officer, on January 22, 1943 118 FLYPAST July 2017

Charlier, Mac succeeded in crossing the border, wading through deep snow. Fortunate to be taken in and fed by a sympathetic Belgian farmer, Mac set off to Francorchamps, near Liège. Charlier had advised him that the town’s hotel proprietor would put him in touch with the French Resistance. Six days after his escape Mac was in Brussels, under the control of brave Belgian and French members of the Comet Line – arguably the most effective of all the escape organisations. After eight weeks in safe houses in Brussels he was taken to Paris and then to Bayonne by train, over the Pyrenees and on to Madrid before reaching Gibraltar a month after leaving Brussels. On April 30, 1942 Mac was flown to Hendon, the fourth RAF serviceman to return after escaping from a German prisoner of war camp. Shortly afterwards he was awarded the Military Medal for his courage.

MOONLIGHTING

A non-operational appointment was routinely offered to escapers, but it came as no surprise to his colleagues that McCairns declined the opportunity. After a refresher flying course he applied to join 161 Squadron at Tempsford in Bedfordshire to fly Westland Lysanders. Mac had few of the qualifications demanded – he was not

commissioned, his French was poor, he did not have 1,000 flying hours and, more importantly, did not have 500 hours of night flying experience. In spite of these drawbacks he was accepted and, after a period lecturing on escape and evasion, began a prolonged stint of training to pilot

Lysanders at night. Many Lysander sorties to deliver or pick up agents were focused on fields near the River Loire in the vicinity of Tours in northwest France. For these clandestine operations 161 used Tangmere as a forward base and they were always undertaken during a full moon. Wg Cdr Lewis ‘Bob’ Hodges, squadron CO during 1943-1944, recalled: “Our lives were governed by the phases of the moon. We needed moonlight to map-read by, we needed moonlight to find our way to the small fields that served as our landing grounds and we needed moonlight to be able to see the ground clearly enough to make a safe landing.” McCairns returned to Tangmere for his first ‘op’ in November 1942 and during the next 13 months he completed 25 successful drops and pick-ups. Nineteen of these were so-called ‘Doubles’ utilising a pair

“A bullet entered his cockpit, ricocheted around, but failed to hit him. After landing Mac removed his flying boots – to find the German bullet lodged in one of them”

of Lysanders, usually with Peter Vaughan-Fowler as the other pilot.

FIRST TRIPLE

The majority of Mac’s flights were straightforward but two were particularly eventful. On the night of April 14-15, 1943 he lined up on the flickering lights that the resistance had set out in a field near Amboise, but hit a 12ft poplar tree on final approach. Thinking only an aerial had been torn away he took off, but realised immediately he had a more serious problem. After nursing the Lysander back to Tangmere he found that the spinner was badly dented on one side. On inspecting the tailplane, it was found

to be held on by a single bracket, secured by a solitary screw. Five months later, on the night of September 12-13, Sqn Ldr Hugh Verity, CO of 161’s Lysander Flight, together with McCairns and Vaughan-Fowler, carried out the squadron’s first ‘Triple’, code-named ‘Battering Ram’. (In 1978 Verity’s exceptional book We Landed by Moonlight was first published; it remains the ultimate testament of the men and machines of 161 Squadron.) The plan was to fly eight ‘Joes’ (as agents were known) into a field near Rivarennes, southwest of Tours, and bring back eight returnees. The three pilots planned to rendezvous over the Loire between Saumur and Chinon,

STARS FOR ‘POPEYE’ ‘Mac’ McCairns’ regular Lysander IIIA(SD) was V9822 ‘E-for-Edward’. Some of 161 Squadron’s aircraft carried cartoon characters on the forward fuselage and Mac chose to call his Popeye, while Hugh Verity’s ‘personal’ aircraft was V9673 Jiminy Cricket. A total of 25 stars were painted to signify ‘Mac’s’ tally of drop-offs and pick-ups. His last operational sortie with 161 Squadron took place on November 17, 1943. On the night of February 10-11, 1944, V9822 was being flown by another ‘Mac’, Fg Off J D McDonald, on a double Lysander ‘op’ codenamed ‘Serbie’ to a field near Bourges. The approach was too fast and McDonald was killed in the crash, V9822 bursting into flames. His ‘Joe’, Jean Lacroix, was pulled badly burned from the wreckage and eventually made a recovery.

where the River Vienne flows into a bend in the Loire, easy to see by the light of the moon. The pilots agreed between themselves to use non-standard call-signs; Freeman (Verity), Hardy (Vaughan-Fowler) and Mac as Willis. Freeman, Hardy and Willis was the name of a well-known chain of shoe shops. At 22:36 hours, Freeman landed and taxied clear of the landing strip. He then called in Hardy who landed a minute later. After exchanging his passengers, the latter took off and Verity called in Willis. McCairns landed, turned round and took off for Tangmere as soon as his three passengers had changed over. Verity departed just nine minutes after he had touched down. All returned safely to Tangmere, where Mac recounted that he had flown at low-level along the Loire waiting for his turn to land and had heard a strange ‘phitt’ sound in the cockpit. The next morning his groundcrew showed him two holes in the side windows of his cockpit. A bullet had entered the cockpit and must have missed his nose by inches.

Left

After being captured, McCairns is made comfortable in a staff car for his transfer to hospital.

THREE DFCS

During his tour with 161 Squadron’s Lysanders, McCairns was awarded three DFCs, and the French Government invested him with the Croix de Guerre. McCairns July 2017 FLYPAST 119

WORLD WAR TWO SPECIAL DUTIES before a successful pick-up mission, flying from Cecina, near Florence in Italy, to a large field north of Aixen-Provence, near Marseilles, on the night of August 8-9, 1944. After completing his staff tour, Mac returned to fighter operations, flying Hawker Tempest Vs with 3 and 56 Squadrons until the end of the war. He joined 3 Squadron in February 1945 and began armed reconnaissance sorties, searching for German ground targets, such as railway locomotives. On April 15 he shared in the shooting down of an Arado Ar 234 twin-jet bomber taking off from Kaltenkirchen. Hostilities over, Mac returned to civilian life. Keen to continue flying he joined his old unit as an auxiliary: the re-formed 616 ‘South Yorkshire’ Squadron at Finningley, Yorkshire. Old friends from the Bader Tangmere Wing included Ken Holden and ‘Buck’ Casson. On June 13, 1948, Mac took off

Above

Left to right: Mac McCairns, Hugh Verity (CO ‘A’ Flight, 161 Squadron), P C ‘Pick’ Pickard (CO 161 Squadron), Peter Vaughan-Fowler and F E ‘Bunny’ Rymills. Right

The gravestone of James McCairns in Retford Cemetery. JAMES PECK RETFORD TIMES

Right centre

As an Air Ministry Special Duties instructor, Mac demonstrates landing field techniques on a table to a group of operators under training at Brindisi.

was posted to an Air Ministry staff position to vet proposed pick-up landing sites. During his time at the ministry he undertook one more clandestine operation, this time acting as a technical adviser to a Transport Command Douglas Dakota crew

Right

Chris McCairns presenting his father’s medals to Tangmere’s David Baron. ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT TANGMERE MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM UNLESS STATED

in DH Mosquito NF.30 NT423 with a member of the unit’s groundcrew, AC2 Edward Shaw, in the navigator’s seat. During the flight the port engine failed as a result of a glycol leak and as Mac was approaching Finningley for an emergency landing NT423 crashed half a mile from the airfield boundary, killing both occupants. James ‘Mac’ McCairns is buried in Retford East Cemetery in Nottinghamshire. On his gravestone is the epitaph: ‘Better one crowded hour of glorious life, than an age without a name’. The authors extend their thanks to Dr Reg Byron of Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

120 FLYPAST July 2017

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FINALS SEA HURRICANE The Shuttleworth Collection’s Hawker Sea Hurricane Z7015 sits on the flightline at its Old Warden, Bedfordshire base on April 25. First flown on January 18, 1941, it was allocated to 880 Squadron, but by the autumn of 1943 it was being used as an instructional airframe at Loughborough College. Restored to fly in 1995, it is the last airworthy example of a Sea Hurricane 1B. PHOTO-PHIL CHAPLIN

next

In our next issue, we reflect on the role of the ‘Mighty Eighth’, the men and machines of the US air contingent based in the UK during World War Two. Meanwhile, our Spotlight subject is a famous British type, the four-engined Avro Lincoln, a direct descendent of the wartime Lancaster. The August issue will be in UK shops on July 1, or see page 32 for our latest money-saving subscription offers. * Overseas deliveries are likely to be after this date.

122 FLYPAST July 2017

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