In July 1951, RAF Hendon hosted the Daily Express sponsored ’50 Years Of Flying’ Display. These photos show the Static display of current and historic types. There should be something for everyone, from Sea Hornet and Barracuda to Spitfire and Camel.
The photos were taken on 21st July 1951 by the late Gerald Lawrence, digitised and made available by Tony Clarke. Some are of poor quality, but I couldn’t leave any out. There is a review of events at:http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%201429.html?search=HENDON
I would be grateful for any comments and updates on my (limited) research so far.
VZ353 Hawker Sea Fury T.20, unknown unit FAA. Went to Germany in 1957 and was W/O 21-5-62 as D-CABU:
NV699 Hawker Tempest TT.V, unknown unit RAF:
RJ796/MF-300 Fairey Barracuda III 796Sq FAA. RNAS St Merryn:
WE241 DH Sea Hornet F.20, one of the last built, delivered 17-5-51 and scrapped 1957:
VT592 DH Mosquito T.III , To Yugoslav AF in 1953:
EK770 / ‘180’ Blackburn Firebrand V, unknown FAA unit:
TW655 Avro Lancaster, unknown unit RAF:
NC892 Vickers Wellington, unknown unit RAF:
PP549 Fairey Firefly PR.1, unknown unit FAA:
WD881 / VL Fairey Firefly AS.6, unknown unit Yeovilton / FAA:
RA476 Gloster Meteor F.4, unknown unit RAF:
NP307 Percival P.31 Proctor IV. To G-ANWE 1954, but not converted:
WE600 Auster T.7 , another brand new aircraft. It was later part of the 1956 Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Wfu 1958 and is now preserved at Cosford:
JN180 / LP-313 Supermarine Sea Otter I unknown unit FAA:
RZ155 Airspeed Horsa ,unknown unit RAF:
KK990 Sikorsky Hoverfly I , recently Wfu:
‘P2619 / US-B’ Hawker Hurricane I. This is P2617 taking a break from filming ‘Angels One Five’ at Kenley. Now RAFM Hendon:
G-AISU Spitfire LFVb, owned by Allen Wheeler, To RAF 1955, and still flying as AB910 with BBMF:
G-AIBE Fairey Fulmar II, Fairey Aviation. Wfu by 1959, To the FAA Museum at Yeovilton as N1854:
G-AJVH / LS326 Fairey Swordfish II, Fairey Aviation. To FAA 1959 and still flying as LS326:
Some more later
By: pagen01 - 7th March 2011 at 21:38
That last shot looks like Wisley with the sloping pan and larger of the two final erection sheds on the right.
Interesting lumps and bumps on the nose of the left hand Valetta, anyone know what they were for?
By: Duxman - 7th March 2011 at 21:00
1950s Archive
DCW…….
Fascinating collection. Many thanks for sharing it with us. Wish it was possible to add to the information. I do recognise a number of the locations.
Planemike
Dave and I would of course appreciate any feedback on locations as some are unknown to us at this time.
Tony
By: Arabella-Cox - 7th March 2011 at 20:35
DCW…….
Fascinating collection. Many thanks for sharing it with us. Wish it was possible to add to the information. I do recognise a number of the locations.
Planemike
By: DCW - 7th March 2011 at 20:10
Many thanks for comments on the post. I will be offering a selection every few days. Tony and I are still working through the collection, which will gradually appear on my Flickr page (about 1600 so far). Although the images are of variable quality, we think they deserve a wide audience.
Here’s one we just found:
By: Arm Waver - 7th March 2011 at 18:30
What a fantastic collection.
Thanks for sharing
By: longshot - 7th March 2011 at 18:24
Thank you for posting these…am I correct, they are samples from your larger flickr collection? for example
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/5476808989/in/set-72157626046124174/
By: barry flahey - 7th March 2011 at 18:14
Absolutely marvellous pictures. Very nostalgic, especially in black and white. Many thanks for posting these gems…please post more!
By: DaveF68 - 7th March 2011 at 17:00
Thank you for posting some wonderfully atmospheric photos, especially the lighter types.
John
I was just about to post “I bet John Aeroclub will love these!!”
By: PeterVerney - 7th March 2011 at 16:55
Brings back some memories, many thanks. Superb.
By: Thunderbird167 - 7th March 2011 at 16:47
Thanks for those and it is good to note how many are preserved.
Second that, same a few more did not survive as there would be a few gaps plugged
Barracuda, Firebrand, Sea Hornet, Horsa to name a few
By: scotavia - 7th March 2011 at 16:39
Thanks for those and it is good to note how many are preserved.
By: sagindragin - 7th March 2011 at 15:37
not only superb,
but bloody fantastic:)
By: pagen01 - 7th March 2011 at 15:05
What an incredible collection of fantastic photographs, many thanks for sharing, wouldn’t it be great to step back in time and attend that event!
Particularly like the St Merryn Barracuda and Sea Otter pics.
Lots more 50’s to come if you can stand the monochrome.
I think we can stand alot more of this please!:)
By: John Aeroclub - 7th March 2011 at 14:57
Thank you for posting some wonderfully atmospheric photos, especially the lighter types.
John
By: low'n'slow - 7th March 2011 at 14:14
Wonderful to see.
To help update your records, Tipsy G-AISC is currently under restoration in the vicinity of Prestwick……
There is a lovely reference to this event in one of Harald Penrose’s books, I think Airymouse, when he chats to a distinguished old gentleman about the WW1 aeroplanes. After a brief discussion on the sound that used to be made by the wind in their flying wires, Lord Trenchard, father of the RAF, quietly walks away…..
By: daveg4otu - 7th March 2011 at 14:02
Black& White is a whole lot more atmospheric than colour. Lovely photos ! Thankyou for posting them.
By: Mark12 - 7th March 2011 at 13:31
For me, they don’t get better than this. 🙂
Many thanks for posting.
Mark
By: DCW - 7th March 2011 at 13:04
Last Part:
G-AAIN Parnall Elf II. Privately owned, to Shuttleworth Collection 1980:
G-AFTA Hawker Tomtit, owned by Neville Duke. To Shuttleworth Collection 1960:
G-AAPZ Desoutter I. Owned from 1925 by Richard Shuttleworth, Still at Old Warden:
G-AEBJ Blackburn B.2 Srs1. Privately owned, now on loan from Bae to Shuttleworth Collection:
N5180 / G-EBKY Sopwith Pup, Shuttleworth Collection since 1934:
D8096 / G-AEPH Bristol Fighter F.2b. Shuttleworth Collection since 1936:
OO-ELA Caudron G.III. ( G-AETA ) Nash Collection. To RAF 1953 and now RAF Museum as ‘3066’:
H2311 Avro 504K. Nash Collection, To RAF 1953. Now preserved Manchester as G-ABAA. ( Note the Farman in background ):
B4563 RAF SE5a. ( G-EBIC ) Nash Collection. To RAF 1953 and now RAF Museum as F938:
H508 Sopwith Camel F.1 , Nash Collection, To RAF 1953, now RAF Museum as F6314:
N5912 Sopwith Triplane. RAF / AHB. Now RAF Museum:
G-AACN Handley Page HP.39 Gugnunc. Science Museum since 1934, preserved Wroughton:
G-ACUU Avro 671 / Cierva C.30A. Flew in display. Now preserved Duxford as HM580:
G-ABLM Cierva C.24. Now preserved London Colney:
W-2 Weir W-2. Now preserved Edinburgh (BAPC85):
Hafner R.II Revoplane. Probably the one preserved Weston-Super-Mare (BAPC10)
A V-2 :
The ‘Flight’ Magazine report also mentions flying from the Shuttleworth Bleriot Deperdussin and Blackburn.
That’s all for now, thanks for looking. Lots more 50’s to come if you can stand the monochrome.
DCW ( Thanks to Tony Clarke )
By: RPSmith - 7th March 2011 at 12:36
What a wonderful archive – thanks for posting.
Roger Smith.
By: roberto_yeager - 7th March 2011 at 12:31
Very very interesting post!
Thank you
1Saludo
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March 7, 2011 at 11:16 am