Meteor F.4 in flight, F.3 500 Sqn - ebay photo find #114

 

Meteor F.3 of 500 Sqn in 1948

RAF Benson 1946

F.8 WH 291

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.

12 Sqn HS Buccaneer XV 350 - ebay photo find #111

 

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

A flame relit - the aeronautical industry in France 1944-1950- Le Fana Special issue - Leduc ramjets

Much has been written and said about the French Air Force in the years immediately before the Second World War, much of it inaccurate. However, whilst the valour of their pilots cannot be underestimated, like many other continental countries France was unprepared for war, and this unpreparedness showed up in the quality and quantity of aircraft available to their air force. The good types that the Armée de l'Air had were not available in sufficient numbers to make any difference, as like many other countries the aviation industry was organised almost on an 'artisan' basis, unable to switch rapidly to full-scale industrial production when the need arose. And political inertia and interference also meant that time and effort was expended on a number of types that were not suitable for their intended purpose. The French government of the day eventually recognised this, and nationalised the aviation industry in 1937; even then, it was not brought under full-scale state control, thus leaving the nation unprepared for the Blitzkrieg of 1940. France was far from atypical in this respect. It is also a fallacy to think that the French aircraft industry had been 'devastated' by German occupation - a notion that rather conveniently draws a veil over the extensive French collaboration that went on with the Germans, especially in the aeronautical field.

Following the defeat and subsequent armistice in June 1940 the Vichy French authorities had very quickly opened negotiations with their new German masters.  On the table was an offer to produce spares for German aircraft manufacturers and establish overhaul and repair facilities for aircraft operating from French territory and in so doing preserve industrial capacity in aviation and preserve employment and some of their manufacturing base in France. In making themselves useful to the Germans, they hoped to avoid all their workers being drafted east to work as 'Auslandarbeiter' in German aircraft factories. This offer was quickly taken up and led to the establishment of so-called Frontbetriebreparatur or FBR plants - advanced overhaul facilities. Junkers set up their FBR at Villacoublay south of Paris. With Ju 88s operating from no fewer than thirty eight aerodromes throughout France at the height of the Battle of Britain the French quickly gained a certain amount of expertise on this particular type. This was 'collaboration', albeit (one suspects and hopes) with a degree of nose-holding and possible tolerance of a degree of sabotage and back-pedalling, in the hope and expectation of better times to come. The Vichy Government thereafter concluded the so-called Wiesbaden Agreement with the Reich to bring the French aircraft industry fully into alignment with German production, with one aircraft or engine out of every three being retained for Vichy, the other two going to Germany. Certain types, such as the Messerschmitt Bf.108, Siebel Si.204 and Fiesler Fi.156 Storch were intended for wholesale transfer of their production to France. And indeed, even the Focke Wulf Fw 190 was intended for this move (and the post-war Armée de l'Air was briefly equipped with home-built Fw 190s, known as the NC.900). While some would argue that the French were not constructing war machines for the Germans, it is nonetheless the case that producing large numbers of transports and seaplanes enabled German industry to concentrate on fighters and other offensive weapons.

As the Germans were expelled from French territory during 1944, determined efforts got underway to re-establish the French aviation industry. As would be the case with other Allied nations, great interest was shown in all manner of weapons systems and aircraft produced by the aircraft manufacturers of the Third Reich. There was another motive for what was to follow - the parlous state of French industry and a total lack of foreign currency naturally led the French to want to seek to exploit the huge quantities of war materiel - spares, parts, tools and jigs - left behind by the retreating Germans. Their factories had produced hundreds of machines for the Germans (both German and French types, eg some 600 Caudron C.445 twins) and they had large stocks of German parts and equipment.

 Thus it was that in 1944, the Liberation saw a French aircraft industry ready to move quickly into full-scale production to help rebuild the economy. And as a member of the Allies, France shared in the uncovering of German high technology aviation - and quickly took advantage of that opportunity to quickly produce home-grown examples of the new and exciting jet aircraft. Most of the German types that the French produced were obsolete. In the meantime their 'German' equipment was cost-effective and usually of reasonable quality. These were the reasons that led to the decision to use the Jumo 213 to power the SO-8000 - the British Griffon was too expensive to be imported. The S.N.C.A.S.O. ejection seat came directly from Heinkel. The Me 208 was due to go into series production in France - it did post-war as the Nord 1100 Noralpha.

However in the immediate post-war environment the French were now much more interested in trying to catch up with the new jet and jet engine technologies in which they lagged way behind. They were soon testing examples of the Me 262, He 162, Me 163 and appropriating German materiel and scientists just as the other powers were doing. It was not long before their own outlandish designs were flying, eg SO 6020, 4000, 6000, SO M2. The Arsenal VB. 10 (below) first flew in July 1945.

 But the French penchant for "interesting" politics meant that this initial surge of innovation was quickly diluted as designers and factories turned out a bewildering variety of weird and wonderful shapes, both piston- and jet-engined. Some were successful; others were not. Some, like the Dassault MD.450 Ouragan, saw series production and service; others, like the Nord 1500 twin-engined torpedo bomber, were less successful - the Nord in part because its torpedo bay was too small for the torpedoes the French had access to at the time...


 This 'special edition' of the French magazine 'La Fana de l'Aviation' tells the story of the six years following liberation and the bewildering variety of aircraft the French industry turned out. In a changing world, the aviation industry everywhere had a hard time keeping up, and France was no exception.

First flight of the Leduc ramjet carried aloft on the SE Languedoc 'mother-ship'

The Leduc ramjet prototype could not take off unassisted (ramjets cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed and thus cannot move an aircraft from a standstill) and was therefore intended to be carried aloft by a parasite aircraft mother ship, such as the four-engined AAS 01A & -B German-origin designs or the French-designed Sud-Est Languedoc four-engined airliners, and released at altitude. Following test flights of the AAS 01/Leduc 0.10 composite, independent unpowered gliding tests began in October 1947. After three such flights, the first powered flight from atop an AAS 01 mother ship was made on 21 April 1949 over Toulouse. Released in a shallow dive at an altitude of 3,050 m (10,010 ft), the engine was tested at half power for twelve minutes, propelling the aircraft to 680 km/h (420 mph).

In subsequent tests, the 0.10 reached a top speed of Mach 0.85 and demonstrated the viability of the ramjet as an aviation powerplant, with a rate of climb of 40 m/s (7,900 ft/min) to 11,000 metres (36,000 ft), exceeding that of the best jet fighters of the time.
Of the two 0.10s originally built, one was destroyed in a crash in 1951 and the other severely damaged in another crash the following year. Both pilots survived with serious injuries.

Generally similar to the 0.10, the Leduc 0.11 featured a Turbomeca Marbore I turbojet on each wingtip, to provide better control during landings. This first flew on 8 February 1951, but was converted back to 0.10 standards (and thereafter referred to as Leduc 010 n°03) a few months later after problems occurred, including misting of the pilot's windows, powerplant synchronization, and wing deflection caused by the turbojets. The engines were replaced by inert mass balances. This aircraft flew 83 test flights and is preserved at Le Bourget.

Short Sunderland over-flying the Dover Patrol monument at St Margarets at Cliffe - ebay photo find #110

 

Short Sunderland overflying the Dover Patrol monument at St. Margarets at Cliffe, east of Dover. The Dover Patrol Monuments are a trio of war memorials designed by Sir Aston Webb to commemorate the Royal Navy's Dover Patrol of the First World War. Two identical granite memorial obelisks, 75 feet (23 m) high, were erected near Dover and on the Cap Blanc-Nez near Calais in 1921 and 1922. The third obelisk is in New York.

Harrier Line Up RAF Wittering 1994 - Ebay photo find # 109

 

An original (probably RAF) photograph of an impressive line up of Harriers at RAF Wittering. Thought to be in 1994 to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Harrier entering service. First in line is GR.1 XV 279 which is part of the Wittering Heritage Museum.

Vidéo from Khmeimim Soviet airbase in Syria

 

Video from Khmeimim Airbase showing a Su-34 (red 20), two Su-24, three Su-35S (red 19, 24, and possibly 60 or 64?), two Mi-8AMTSh, and two Mi-35M helicopters. 350/https://t.co/xd9z84eqD0 pic.twitter.com/V9acCRBFiU

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 12, 2020

Jaguar at Coltishall - ebay photo find #107

 

Photo taken from the tower at RAF Coltishall during 1990 - RAF-Jaguar-Lineup including XZ398

WW I German pilot training school album - ebay photo find #108

 

A selection of Rumpler and Halberstadt training types with rather odd Bestellnummern including C.13/18, C.14/18, C.20/18 (and probably C.9/18 as well. Also some odd biplanes with early Pfalz fins and a Fokker Dr.I and Halberstadt CL.II. Very interesting album indeed.

Phantom FG.1 - R-005 / R-011 RN 892 Squadron, 1977 - ebay photo find #107

Phantom FGR.2 of 19 Sqn, XV430 'C', c1982 - sold for £43

Phantom FG.1 - R-005 / R-011 RN 892 Squadron, 1977