A Fairey Gordon – post WW2?

Thank you, P&P. It’s amazing where such documentation is to be found! That certainly establishes that the wings of a Fairey Gordon could be folded.

Gordon folding wings

Here are two more photographs of the Reigate Grammar School ‘Fairey Gordon’ which date from 1947. They are taken from the school magazine, ‘The Old Reigatian’, to which wiesso refers in his last post. Whilst their resolution leaves something to be desired, they are important in that, probably, they are the last taken of this aeroplane. Anyhow, from what they do illustrate can anyone else add to the debate as to whether the aeroplane was a Fairey Gordon or some other type?

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Pg 74 of the Gordon AP details wing folding procedure :

http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/index.php/digitalizacja/katalog/1160

Here are two more photographs of the Reigate Grammar School ‘Fairey Gordon’ which date from 1947. They are taken from the school magazine, ‘The Old Reigatian’, to which wiesso refers in his last post. Whilst their resolution leaves something to be desired, they are important in that, probably, they are the last taken of this aeroplane. Anyhow, from what they do illustrate can anyone else add to the debate as to whether the aeroplane was a Fairey Gordon or some other type?

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Thank you, all, for your input. However I still have my doubts about it being a Gordon!

A lot of biplanes could have the wings folded for storage or transport purposes

Thank you, all, for your input. However I still have my doubts about it being a Gordon!

, aircraft identification classes will be held in which use will be made of
the epidiascope.
.”[/I]

Blimey you do not see epidiascopes mentioned often these days…brings back memories of a/c recognition competitions in the 60’s 😀

An article from “The Old Reigatian” 2005-2006
“The biplane at school has generated much more comment.
The Pilgrim records the arrival, and departure, of the machine.
The Notes of the newly-formed A.T.C. record in the July
1941 issue records:
It was with a good deal of surprise that we found ourselves
after four months the possessors of a complete air-frame and
aero-engine, a Fairey Gordon. An R.A.F. riggers squad which
had recently been collecting crashed planes both English and
German from various parts of the south of England have
assembled it at the School. This should prove very useful both
as an enrolment drive and also for instructional purposes. As
well as instructional classes with the Gordon, aircraft
identification classes will be held in which use will be made of
the epidiascope.
Within the pages of The Pilgrim, nothing more is heard of
the biplane until Spring 1947. The report of the Aeronautical
Society, includes a brief paragraph by the Hon Secetary,
A.P.Hollobone.
This term the Spotters’ Club became the Aeronautical
Society, and commenced its activities by dislodging the School
aeroplane from its state of equilibrium, thereby providing
much amusement for the small boys.
Two photographs printed in the magazine, show the plane
in its last days, along with the caption “A.P.Hollobone was
told politely by a certain member of staff to ‘get the beast
down’.”

And, as above, just because they were out of general service, did not mean that airframes weren’t available. Were there any service units, trade schools or RAF airfields near Reigate Grammer School that could have had derelict airframes available?

The odd Gordon lasted well into the war in the middle east.

This one was damaged, Cat B, in a heavy landing with a Repair and Salvage Unit in July 1942!

Form 1180 copyright RAF Museum, Hendon

Regards
Ross

With the folding wings I was thinking Baffin as an alternative, but the engine looks like a double row radial per the Gordon vs. single row Baffin. If the IIIF had folding wings and some Gordons were converted IIIF’s then Lazy8 might be right. Also just realised the Baffin only has a single pair of interplane struts and the picture has 2- like the Gordon.

Oops, sorry – there’s an eror in my first post. When I said Iran, I meant to say Iraq, hence Adrian’s correct reference to RAF Habbaniya (4 FTS). I apologise for any confusion I may have caused.

If I remember Tony Dudgeon’s book right, weren’t there Gordons at the Flight Training School at RAF Habbaniya? If so, at least one was used for dive bombing.

Adrian

I think it is a Gordon, although it’s obviously in a ‘distressed state’ in that picture, so there might be an element of doubt. I haven’t found any reference to folding wings either, but it’s worth noting that the Gordon and Seal (effectively the naval equivalent) were the final developments of the Fairey IIIF. The IIIF could be folded – it may not have been done much, but it was possible. Since many of the Gordons were IIIF conversions, it’s not a huge leap to assume they were foldable too. The Putnam on Fairey mentions that 14 Gordons were still on RAF charge in September 1939 “at air armament schools and for gunnery-target drogue-towing.” Also that one, K2743, was still on charge in September 1941, although where, and what happened to it, is not recorded.

Maybe a Blackburn Shark? It appears that it had folding wings and apparently one of those survived at the ‘mining college’, Cannock, in 1956, which suggests that the type may have been allocated as instructional airframes. However I’m afraid that my knowledge of 1930s carrier based torpedo bombers leaves much to be desired.

Good point, Scrooge. I can’t find any online reference to the Gordon having folding wings. Thus maybe from this absence one should deduce that it didn’t. Perhaps someone with Yeovilton connections can comment. Anyhow, this had me wondering about the Fairey Seal. But again, the online sources make no reference to this having folding wings either! So maybe something Blackburn?

Did the Gordon have folding wings? Pictures I just saw online don’t show that.