The Festival Of Britain in 1951 saw many special events, including an ambitious day of Air Racing at Hatfield planned for June 23rd. Organised by the Royal Aero Club, it was to include the King’s Cup and five other events, both handicap and speed. A jet race was due ( Cunningham in Vampire, Derry in Venom, Lithgow in Attacker! ) and an airshow between races.
Bad weather caused the cancellation of all racing.
A list of entrants is at:http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%201119.html
A review of the Display at:http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1951/1951%20-%201219.html
The following photos show some of the racers waiting for Starter’s Orders.
As usual taken by the late Gerald Lawrence, digitised and made available by Tony Clarke. Please forgive the poor quality, but they were taken by a schoolboy with a cheap camera in bad weather sixty years ago!
Part 1/3
EI-AFH Miles M.38 Messenger 2A (Reverted to G-AKBL and W/O 1-4-53):
G-ABAG DH.60 Gipsy Moth (Still active Old Warden):
G-ABEE Avro 616 Avian Sport (Stored in Australia):
G-ABJJ DH60G Gipsy Moth (To CF-AAA 1962):
G-ABMR Hawker Hart, modified to single seater for race. Entered by Princess Margaret, to have been flown by G/C Peter Townsend:
G-ABUS Comper CLA.7 Swift (Still around, unairworthy):
G-ACMA DH.85 Leopard Moth (Still around, unairworthy):
G-ACMN DH.85 Leopard Moth (Still active, based Duxford):
G-ADGP Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six, entered by Ron Paine (Still active):
G-ADMW Miles M.2H Hawk Major (Wfu by 1965, now with RAF Museum as DG590 and stored Stafford):
G-ADND DH.87B Hornet Moth (Still active as W9385):
G-ADTD Miles M.3D Falcon Six (W/O 21-9-62):
G-AECC Miles M.3D Falcon Six (W/O 8-5-59):
G-AESZ Chilton DW.1 (Still active):
G-AEUJ Miles M.11A Whitney Straight (Wfu by 1970 and stored Sleap):
G-AEXF pERCIVAL P.6 Mew Gull, ex Alex Henshaw, entered by Hugh Scrope (Still active);
G-AFEA Percival P.10 Vega Gull (Sold abroad 1952):
By: Carpetbagger - 10th March 2011 at 12:37
G-ACMA DH.85 Leopard Moth (Still around, unairworthy):
According to the owner, now under restoration to fly, wings done, mainly fuselage left to do, will take a couple more years to complete. Apparently it was in a dreadful state when brought back from Ireland.
The owner? Peter Vacher (R4118)
By: John Aeroclub - 9th March 2011 at 21:48
Again wonderful photos. If only the colour schemes had been recorded.
John
By: RPSmith - 9th March 2011 at 21:04
😮 and I nearly typed Iran….. 😮
It’s my age you know.
Roger Smith.
By: pogno - 9th March 2011 at 19:55
Roger
Thankfully a few years later Shuttleworth’s acquired the Hind from Iraq.:)
Just being pedantic but the Hind came from Afghanistan, which is what you meant to say no doubt.
All those wooden airframes, wasnt it a pity so many were withdrawn from use soon after these pictures were taken because of the suspected glued joint failure. Many were probably perfectly ok.
Richard
By: RPSmith - 9th March 2011 at 19:31
Fantastic, I know B&W is the most atmospheric etc but I would love to see that Hart in colour! Is it still around?
Further to Planemike’s reply I remember Hart ‘BMR – it was one of several Hawker types maintained by Hawker Siddeley in flying condition. It seemed tragic back when (in the mid 60s?) HSA decided to give the Hart and the Hawker Cygnet to the RAFMuseum – there was an outcry we would no longer see them in the air. Thankfully a few years later Shuttleworth’s acquired the Hind from Iraq. Then, more recently, Don Cashmore built a replica flying Cygnet.
Also thankfully the other two Hawker types continue flying – the Tomtit with Shuttleworth and Hurricane “The Last of the Many” with BBMF.
The Hart and Tomtit were in ‘house’ colour scheme of dark blue with gold registration letters.
Roger Smith.
I’m sure someone will come along soon with pictures. 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 9th March 2011 at 18:40
Fantastic, I know B&W is the most atmospheric etc but I would love to see that Hart in colour! Is it still around?
Yes………very much still with us but not in that scheme (I would like to have seen it as G-ABMR). It is in Milestones of Flight at RAF Museum Hendon. It carries ficticious serial ‘J9941’ and a 57 Squadron colour scheme.
Planemike
By: low'n'slow - 9th March 2011 at 18:02
As with the previous collections. Absolutely brilliant!
Thankyou for sharing them.
By: pagen01 - 9th March 2011 at 17:19
Fantastic, I know B&W is the most atmospheric etc but I would love to see that Hart in colour! Is it still around?
By: tilleydog - 9th March 2011 at 16:04
Nice to see that 60 years later several of these aircraft are still around.
By: DCW - 9th March 2011 at 15:07
Part 3/3
G-AKMN Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 26-2-53):
G-AKPE Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (Wfu by 1965):
G-AKRT Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 8-11-53):
G-ALBE Miles M.38 Messenger 4A (Wfu by 1965):
G-ALCK Percival P.34A Proctor III (Wfu by 1963, now preserved Duxford):
G-ALGJ Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 22-7-52):
G-ALMS Percival P.30 Proctor II (W/O 1951):
G-AMCO Percival P.34A Proctor III (To EC-AHB 1952):
G-AMIH Auster J/1B Aiglet (To F-OAMZ 1953):
Finally, high security as Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret are shown around DH.106 Comet 1 G-ALYR (Delivered BOAC May 1952, W/O Calcutta 25-7-53):
By: DCW - 9th March 2011 at 14:53
Part 2/3:
G-AFNJ DH.94 Moth Minor (To F-BAOG 1959):
GAGTC Percival P.44 Proctor V (W/O 2-5-69):
G-AGXT Auster J/1 Autocrat (W/O 7-6-69):
G-AHES Percival P.28 Proctor 1 (Scrapped 1955):
G-AHGR Percival P.44 Proctor V (W/O 15-4-61):
G-AHUG Taylorcraft Plus D (Wfu by 1970):
G-AHVG Percival P.30 Proctor II (To VH-AVG 1958):
G-AIAG Percival P.44 Proctor V (W/O 30-6-64):
G-AIEH Percival P.30 Proctor II (Wfu by 1963):
G-AIET Percival P.44 Proctor V ‘Windmill Girl’ (To EI-AMV 1962):
G-AITO Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 3-11-51):
G-AIUA Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 26-9-65):
G-AIUE Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 26-8-52):
G-AJTG Miles M.65 Gemini 3A (Wfu by 1960);
G-AJVD DHC-1A-1 Chipmunk 22 (To G-ARFW 1960 and W/O 20-6-66):
G-AJZH Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer III (W/O 22-8-57):
G-AKDN DHC-1A Chipmunk 10 (Active in Canada):
G-AKHV Miles M.65 Gemini 1A (WFU by 1966):
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March 9, 2011 at 2:35 pm