Today I was searching though microfilm of the New Zealand Listener, a TV listings and social magazine much like Radio Times, doing some research when I discovered an interesting picture. I printed it off but as the film was not very good it has not come out too well, so I won’t bother scanning.
Basically it is an Andover painted up in Russian colours, with the red star on the tail and a large ’57’ on the fuselage in the same colour by the looks (it’s b&w). The overall scheme is dark, probably gree, but near the rear doors it is white.
The crux of it is, this was used in a 1980 Granada docu-drama called “Invasion”. It starred Julian Glover, and was about Russia’s invasion of Czechoslovakia.
I wondered if anyone here saw the plane in Ruski colours? Any colour photos? Was it perhaps one of the later RNZAF ones?
By: Flanker_man - 14th September 2005 at 08:33
Did the Russians fly anything that looked like the Andover at that time of the Czech invasion that this was representing? Or is it pure fiction.
The nearest would be the Antonov An-26 – high-wing, twin turboprop – a bit like a Fokker F-27 or Dart Herald – but with a rear loading ramp.
The pure passenger variant is the An-24 – same style, minus the ramp.
Ken
By: oag - 14th September 2005 at 06:58
Cestrian
thanks for filling in the gaps mate,
& Albert Ross
first time in yonks I’ve seen a piccie of the ol’ girl ,cheers
So far as I’m aware,there is only one Andover preserved in the UK…an ex-115 Sqn E3 at Cosford,though the Boscombe Down Museum do have the cockpit section of a CC2.There are also 3(??) C1s still flying at Boscombe Down.
I don’t think any ‘748s have been preserved in UK,though some are still flying in airline/parcels service.
As to an Andover-ski,the only thing I can think remotely similar that the Russians would have had at that time was the Ilyushin Il-14..albeit twin piston,as opposed to turboprop
Colin
Oxfordshire Aviation Group
By: Dave Homewood - 14th September 2005 at 01:40
Thanks everyone. Great photo Albert, that’s exactly it, pretty much the same angle as the Listener photo too except that had old cars and actors in the foreground.
Sad to hearabout the Andover’s demise. They were a great type.
The tail seems taller than the production Andovers in this photo and The Listener. Was that a feature of the prototype? Or some TV make-up?
Did the Russians fly anything that looked like the Andover at that time of the Czech invasion that this was representing? Or is it pure fiction.
By: David Burke - 13th September 2005 at 23:06
Thats a gem Albert -one of my favourite types!
By: ALBERT ROSS - 13th September 2005 at 22:45
This was G-ARRV,the Andover prototype which was a conversion of the the Avro 748 prototype G-APZV.A sad end for a very historic airframe.When is a 748 going to be preseved in this country?
Here she is!
By: David Burke - 13th September 2005 at 22:02
How about East Fortune acquiring a very appropriate ex BA ‘Budgie’ ?
By: cestrian - 13th September 2005 at 21:56
This was G-ARRV,the Andover prototype which was a conversion of the Avro 748 prototype G-APZV.A sad end for a very historic airframe.When is a 748 going to be preseved in this country?
By: oag - 13th September 2005 at 20:54
Dave
this was the original HS748MF (Andover) prototype..sorry serial/registration escapes me,but I’m sure someone can dive in with it.
Anyway,after the film work she spent out her last days on the fire-dump at RAF Benson finally succumbing sometime around the late ’80s(???)…at this point Benson was the main RAF Andover base with Queen’s Flight CC2s and 115 Sqn radar calibration E3s as well as the RAF’s Andover Servicing Flight…a sad end for this particular aircraft,but at least she served to help save others had the need arisen
hope this helps
Colin
Oxfordshire Aviation Group
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September 13, 2005 at 1:20 pm