The 1946 SBAC display and exhibition held at Radlett

Another aerial view – this time of the front two rows of the static display (the original is not the best quality):

A preview of the 1946 SBAC show mentions that any visiting aircraft would be diverted to Elstree, from which a “shuttle service by road” would be provided to get those arriving by air to Radlett.

The preview suggests that ‘interesting types’ might be expected at Elstree – presumably overseas trade delegations and the like – and yet I have not found a single report on whether ‘interesting types’ were indeed seen and, if so, what they were.

Thoughts, anyone?

As I mentioned earlier, the 1946 SBAC show took place over two days: Thursday 12 September was for the exhibition and the static display, which was at the south end of the airfield, and Friday 13 September was for the flying display.

There were, in fact, two flying displays on the 13th: the first was 11.00 – 12.45 and the second 14.30 to 17.30. The day started rainy but had cleared in time for the first display. 39 aircraft types were flown that day. Unfortunately, the layout of the airfield and the location of the spectators meant that the latter could not see landings and take-offs too well. Those familiar with Radlett may be able to picture this.

Also at Radlet, but on the Sunday (15 September) there was the RAeS annual garden party, from 14.30 to 1930. This included the flying display, too, but not as extensive as the ones on the Friday, apparently. The garden party was open only to RAeS members and their guests.

There was no show at Radlett on Saturday 14 September 1946 because this was Battle of Britain day, which involved open days at 60 RAF and RNAS stations across the country, not to mention a planned flypast of 300 aircraft, from 34 squadrons, over London. Included were three American squadrons (36 aircraft – Mustangs and Thunderbolts) over from Germany. They were all to have formed up over the south and south-east of England and flew in a straight line from Southend to West Hammersmith, crossing central London between 11.00 and 11.30. In the end, the weather was so bad that some squadrons, including naval squadrons, were unable to join the formation. I do not know how many aircraft actually took part. And the weather was so bad that the planned afternoon flypast (from Selsey along the coast to Exeter, then up to Bristol and back to Salisbury) had to be cancelled entirely. Had it taken place, the single-engined types would have broken away from the rest of the formation near Bournemouth

Regarding Post # 21 and, in particular, the Auster Arrow that was not in the photograph of the static display, another report says that it was to have been exhibited but, on the day before the show opened, someone realised that it was powered by an American engine and it was moved ‘out of sight’.

On the other hand, AJ Jackson wrote that, having first flown earlier that summer with a Class B registration (Z-1), it “was exhibited as G-AICA at the Radlett SBAC show the following September“. G-INFO says that it was only registered as G-AICA on 9 September 1946 (three days before the show – another case of cutting it fine), though Jackson says the C of A wasn’t issued until 20 September 1946.

The contemporary report will be correct: G-AICA was present but withdrawn from view*.

I know that the objective of the SBAC was to show off (and thereby promote the sale of) British aviation products but, at that time, import restrictions were tight, so the home market was surely pretty well assured. Thus, the Auster Arrow, with its Continental engine, was effectively only available for export and one would have thought that the potential for the overseas sales of its airframe and its equipment and the resulting contribution to the UK economy would have been of overriding concern.

* I was going to say ‘withdrawn from public gaze’ but Radlett 1946 was not a public event – it was by invitation only.

A few additional notes:

[1] In the Pathe News clip (Post #8), there is a brief shot of the Flight Refuelling Ltd. Lancasters G-AHJT and G-AHJU. As the report in Post #36 says, the former was the ‘receiver’ and the latter the ‘provider’. The latter, the tanker, went on to take part in the Berlin Airlift

[2] The same news clip shows the DH 108 Swallow (TG306) on the ground (the only aircraft there roped off, apparently) and later, in the air, displayed by Geoffrey de Havilland. This was the same aircraft in which, exactly two weeks later, he died.

[3] This caused the Air Ministry, the very next day, to cancel further attempts on the world air speed record, a decision that affected the Supermarine E10/44.

[4] The ‘Nene’ Lancastrian (VH742) had first flown with that engine combination (two Merlins and two Nenes) in mid-August 1946 and, a week after Radlett, made three passenger flights, with members of the press and some government officials aboard – the first jet aircraft to carry (non-crew) passengers, albeit not fare-paying.

Thanks, Mark, I suspected not, so it is good to have that confirmed.

I don’t know how many staff photographers the Ministry of Supply employed at that time but I’ve seen a Flying Officer L.H. Hammond mentioned in this context around the same time. A selection of aerial photographs of a Meteor IV (EE521) were credited to him and Charles Brown.

At the instigation of the Ministry of Supply, the RAE, in June 1946, put on a ‘Display of British Aircraft and Equipment’, at which three Seafires appeared. Around the same time, this cartoon was published:

Ian Woodward

Was the photo of the Seafire 47 actually taken at Radlett or was it a Supermarine publicity photo that was used, do you know?

No not at Radlett. The images with the prototype P is one of a number of images taken I suspect by or for the Ministry of Supply of all new aircraft or marks. Vickers may have taken the images.

Mark

IUve scanned the other AEROPLANE SPOTTER report on the 1946 SBAC display at Radlett but I’m not sure whether the image will be legible. here goes:-

The previous issue had a one-page report. I’ll try to scan it and post it here.

Was the photo of the Seafire 47 actually taken at Radlett or was it a Supermarine publicity photo that was used, do you know?

And let me add, for the record, that I did really badly in the recognition stakes.

My eBay purchase has arrived.

Mark

Here is a list of the aircraft participating in the static display, cross-referenced to the photo at the head of the thread (and therefore the one also in Post #30). There is one typo I’ve noticed so far – the Tudor was G-AGRF (not G-AGRE):

Here are a couple of views from ground level [click to view each larger]:

Here’s the key printed larger:

Herewith the originally posted photo with the key (there are more details in the subsequent posts – see over):

Oh to have a line up like that now.

G-AGRF was the Tudor at Radlett and, yes, the Hastings was indeed TE580, complete with a prototype ‘P’ on it, I believe.

I had noted the similarity of the two when viewed from above, from behind and from a distance.

Dave
Number 11 is the prototype HP Hastings TE580 ff 7 may 1946, next to it to the right in the picture and looking very similar is a Avro Tudor which could be the prototype G-AGPF or one of the first production aircraft G-AGRF.

Richard

I know someone who’d love that in their collection

Judging by the size of the registration N-32 and the style of the rear canopy, they made the model before they finished the prototype in the rush to get it to Radlett in time.

Mark

That’s the 1 I was on about, though it’s in the wrong colour :stupid: