Phantom Phinale 74 Sqd 1992 display routine

Further to a previous post featuring a Phantom Phinale (1992) scrapbook, here is a look at the 1992 display routine, posted by Stuart Parish on FB from an old 'Aircraft Illustrated' feature (?) 

 Pic below shows the Leggat/Manwaring 74 Sqd display F-4 in a 'Dirty Barrel Roll' with gear and hook down, slats out and probe out etc seen over Wattisham.

also on this blog;

Phantom Phinale scrapbook 1992

Vernon Harrod, 29 Sqn Phantom pilot - pic of the day #6

".. Just about to get airborne on my last patrol sortie before going home. RAF Stanley, June 1983, Vern Harrod

" From my logbook the a/c was XV 495. We flew a FIPZ patrol as a pair of F4s with AAR support. Practice intercepts and practice visual identification. Couple of days later it was Airbridge back to Blightie. The sensory difference from a South Atlantic winter to England in mid summer was quite something..."

Was the starting / warm up procedure vastly different in the Falklands? Thinking icing , lubes coming to temp etc?

VH "..no it was the same. As long as you had a short taxi the engines had time to heat through..."

The a/c is well armed, even has a gun. I read that you were usually armed to the teeth on every sortie ..just in case

VH "..we weren't there to be messed with so routinely flew with a full weapons load..."

Below Vernon Harrod photo - flying to Ascension Island 1983

Vernon Harrod's FB page here

also on this blog;

British Phantom pilot training here

F-4 Phantom Squadrons in the RAF in 100 photos  here

Phantom Pharewell - German Air Force JG 71 Richthofen F-4F's retiring this weekend here

More on RAF Phantoms - a brief history here

Wattisham Phantom 'Phinale' 74 Sqd 1992 scrapbook - Ebay photo find #119

 

Flt. Lt. Archie Liggat with his navigator Flt. Lt  G. Whitehurst in front of XT 914 at Wattisham on May 19, 1992.

Below; images from an " R.A.F. Wattisham historical Display Book" sold on ebay, featuring photos and clippings depicting the history of 74 Sqd..." 

 

Harriers, Lightnings, Phantoms and Jaguars at Leuchars in 1978

 

Royal Air Force Jaguar XX 732 ( a/c and pilot lost after crashing near Hawick, 27 November 1986 ) and Lightnings on runway at RAF Leuchars, early 1978..

Lightning XR739 at RAF Leuchars, early 1978

Phantom FG 1 XV576 at RAF Leuchars, early 1978

on offer from ebay seller germanyneon here
 

Alcock & Brown(e) XV 424 IAT 1979 Greenham Common - ebay photo find #112

 

Sqn Ldr A.J.H. Alcock MBE and Flt Ldr W.N. Browne with Douglas Bader at the June 1979 IAT at Greenham Common. XV424 made the translatlantic flight on 21 June 1979. XV486 was the back-up machine and had the number on the front u/carriage door. Interestingly, XV424 is on display at one of the RAF museums but in standard squadron markings. (Below, signed colour picture in my collection)

Text by Patrick Martin, author of the two volume "British Phantoms" published by Double Ugly

In advance of the 1979 event, the IAT commissioned aviation artist, Wilf Hardy to design a special scheme for the Phantom. As Rolls Royce Eagle engines had powered the original Vimy and Rolls Royce Spey engines powered the Phantom FGR.2, the engine manufacturer agreed to sponsor the special paint scheme. Both XV424 and XV486, from No.56 Squadron were painted at RAF St. Athan in overall Light Aircraft Grey 627, before the Wilf Hardy special markings were applied. While XV424 did not carry its serial on the forward facing nose gear door, XV486 did and while at CFB Goose Bay was zapped by CAF (Canadian Armed Forces) personnel, receiving a small CAF roundel on the forward facing nose gear door in the lower loop of the number eight. Although a photo of both aircraft together at one point was taken without a serial on the nose gear door.

Both aircraft were sent to CFB Goose Bay for the crossing, aided by five in-flight refuellings from Victor K.2 tankers, with XV424 arriving at RAF Greenham Common on June 21, 1979. The crew consisted of Squadron Leader A.J.H. Alcock MBE, a nephew of Captain Alcock (who flew the Vimy in 1919) and Flight Lieutenant WN Browne. The second aircraft XV486 was prepared in case any last minute problems arose with XV424. Following the IAT, both aircraft were to appear at several events during the summer throughout the UK. While Phantom FGR.2 XV424 is displayed in the standard air defence finish and markings at Hendon, the nose of unrelated Phantom FG.1 XV591 was painted to duplicate the XV424/XV486 special scheme for display at the Cosford location of the RAF Museum. For the June 1979 flight, Phantom FGR.2 XV424 carried the toy black cat mascot - ‘Twinkletoes’ - that had been carried on the original 1919 flight. For the Atlantic run, XV424 was flown by S/L A.J.N. (Tony) Alcock MBE (a No.56 Squadron Flight Commander and nephew of Atlantic Pioneer Sir John Alcock) and F/L W.N. (Norman) Browne, the latter a former Phantom Navigator, brought back from his Buccaneer Squadron for the occasion. XV424 is currently at Hendon.

Both aircraft appear side by side in "Phantom Squadrons" by Richard War. The picture was taken at RAF St Athan where the scheme was applied. This photo along with a few others of each aircraft are also on Modeldecal sheet No55 instructions.

Buccaneer Farewell Formation 1994 -ebay photo # 110

 

Buccaneer Farewell Formation 1994 Original MOD Photograph

A fantastic original Ministry of Defence photograph taken by Sgt. Rick Brewell of the farewell formation for the Buccaneer in March 1994. Seven aircraft were painted to represent the Buccaneer squadrons. Nearest is XX894 in 809 NAS colours, then upwards are XV359 12 Sqn, XV Sqn, 16 Sqn, 216 Sqn and 237 OCU. 

 
on offer here

An original RAF Germany photograph of Phantom FGR.2 XV468 'N' of 2 Squadron landing at RAF Wildenrath. Delivered in June 1969, XV468 served until placed on the gate at RAF Woodvale in August 1992. Scrapped in July 2001.

Hawker Siddeley Hawk RAF Brawdy XX191 Vertical Bank

RAF PHANTOM SOLO AEROBATIC TEAM - 64(F) SQN - Publicity card - eBay photo find #107

 Offered at the Aviation Bookshop eBay sales page

more RAF F-4 Phantoms - ebay photo find #99

Phantom FGR.2 - XV470 / V RAF 92 Squadron, 1978 - ebay photo find #96

Two views of Phantom FGR.2 - XV470 / V. Image below taken in 1978 shows the machine in RAF 92 Squadron. Sold for £21 during July 2019.  Bottom XV 470 in 56 Sqd colours..

Many more British Phantoms on this blog. See links and posts on the right hand side of this page..

Phantom FGR.2 and Lightning F.3 29 Squadron 1975 -ebay photo find #94

Phantom FGR.2 and Lightning F.3 29 Squadron 1975

An original (probably RAF/MOD) photograph of Phantom FGR.2 XV438 and Lightning F.3 XP757 both in 29 Squadron markings. The squadron transitioned from the Lightning to the Phantom at the start of 1975. Lightning F.3 XP757 was retired to Leconfield in January 1975 and sold for scrap in December.

on offer here

F-4 Phantom FGR. 2 XV428 "CC" Abingdon crash 1988 - Flt. Lt Chris Lackman

Phantom FGR.2 of 228 OCU, XV428 CC, seen at Leuchars during the first half of 1988. This special livery was applied for the airshow circuit. Sadly the aircraft was destroyed in an accident at RAF Abingdon in Sept. 1988

Above; Mark Smith photo, Wethersfield, June 1988. Posted on the British F-4 Phantom group on FB.

 On 23 September 1988, the crew of XV428 flew to RAF Abingdon to carry out a display practise prior to the air display the next day.. On arrival at Abingdon, they overflew the airfield at 2000ft before running in for their practice. During this overflight, they confirmed that the minimum height for the display was to be 500ft and they discussed the position of the display line and crowd centre. They were passed the surface wind as being between 240 & 330 degrees at 10 to 20 kts with occasional gusts to 30kts. Having cleared the airfield area, XV428 then ran in from the west along the display axis parallel to and north of runway 08 with the crowdline 780ft to their right. The aircraft was well to the right of crowd centre after completing a left 360 degrees hard turn since no allowance appeared to have been made for the strong wind. It was seen to roll out of the turn and immediately enter a very hard pull up using full reheat. As it approached the top of the loop, the aircraft appeared to be slower and lower than usual and at the apex, it was seen to fly in the inverted position for several seconds; the pilot appeared to be 'pushing' and maintaining level flight. During the second half of the loop, the initial pitch rate to the vertical appeared slow and at the vertical the aircraft was alarmingly low. From there on the pull became increasingly hard and some wing rock occured and just before impact the aircraft achieved a nose up attitude of 10-15 degrees but with a massive rate of descent. The Phantom impacted tail first some 819ft from and parallel to the crowd line. It disintegrated immediately and wreckage came no closer than 400ft to the crowd line. The crew were killed on impact with the ground. A very sad day indeed at Abingdon, RIP Flt  Lt Chris Lackman and Flt Lt Thompson..

Mark Smith photo

 Incidentally, Chris Lackman had converted to the Phantom from Vulcans, he was one of the 'Black Buck 6' crew during Falklands.



 Chris Lackman was also the Vulcan copilot on Black Bucks 4, 5 and 6, the defence suppression missions flown from ASI to the Falklands. Black Buck 6 resulted in an emergency diversion into Rio International. Chris's captain was awarded the DFC for that mission but Chris also played a big part in the recovery, which was touch and go all the way in with the aircraft de-pressurised at 45,000 ft, the door hatch open and difficult to re-close, the crew on pressure breathing for 30 mins, and with 2 Northrop F-5s in chase. The aircraft landed with only 1500 lbs of fuel (insufficient for one visual circuit). For the very first time (and after some 34 years) this story has now been told in its entirety in Tony Blackman's book, Vulcan Boys. This story has never been told before, which includes technical detail of how the Shrike missiles were launched against Argentinian radars, the diversion into Rio, and the involvement of the CIA and Pope John Paul VI in the crew's release. A riveting read.

artwork by Fenris at https://live.warthunder.com/post/868441/en/

More on the Lackman crash via the web archive of the National Archives here

74 Sqdn Phantoms over RAF Wattisham - Ebay photo find #92

Some nice air-to-air shots of RAF 74 Sqd Phantoms over RAF Wattisham prior to a move to RAF Valley, Anglesey, and a switch to BAe Hawks taken in September 1992

On offer here