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BAe Prototype Jet Trainer?

What was the prototype jet trainer BAe were developing in the early 80s and was subsequently killed by the requirement for a turboprop type i.e the Tucano?

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By: avion ancien - 4th December 2007 at 18:07

Found it!

Whilst I appreciate that I may be putting myself up for the ‘dunce of the week’ award, why was it at Goodwood in 1978? I’ll try to dig the photo out and then scan and post it.

Here’s the Firecracker at Goodwood in summer 1978.

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By: chumpy - 29th November 2007 at 22:07

ndn

Hi Avion,

Whilst most of the metal bashing was done on the IOW, the NDN company offices were located at Goodwood at the time.

Cheers, Chumpy.

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By: avion ancien - 29th November 2007 at 17:48

Why Goodwood?

Hi Avion,time frame on your photo would be right because the first Firecracker flew in may 1977.

Whilst I appreciate that I may be putting myself up for the ‘dunce of the week’ award, why was it at Goodwood in 1978? I’ll try to dig the photo out and then scan and post it.

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By: BlueRobin - 27th November 2007 at 22:40

Yup Brough.

The Firecracker wasn’t loved by everyone.

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By: DaveF68 - 27th November 2007 at 22:38

Getting warmer! 🙂

Meant to say early 80s, not 90s! I’m away from home, so can’t look up any books etc – was it a Brough design?

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By: mackerel - 27th November 2007 at 22:24

G-NDN1

Goodwood doesn’t seem to have been mentioned as a place where the Firecracker has been. I have a photo of the prototype, G-NDNI, at Goodwood on 5 August 1978. That seems to be earlier than the timeframe referred to in previous posts.

Hi Avion,time frame on your photo would be right because the first Firecracker flew in may 1977.

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By: avion ancien - 27th November 2007 at 20:25

G-NDNI

Goodwood doesn’t seem to have been mentioned as a place where the Firecracker has been. I have a photo of the prototype, G-NDNI, at Goodwood on 5 August 1978. That seems to be earlier than the timeframe referred to in previous posts.

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By: Nashio966 - 27th November 2007 at 16:32

Correct… it is indeed my one piece fibreglass nose cowl as pictured, which i keep meaning to collect ‘sometime’. It was loaned to Stuart a while ago.

Well spotted though…….:D

.

if you want a dry garage to store it in, i only live down the road 😀

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By: Arabella-Cox - 27th November 2007 at 14:23

And another old thread with photo’s of the original Wamira….

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21031

…of which i think one prototype flew and the other went to the RAAF museum (?).

.

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By: SadOleGit - 27th November 2007 at 13:49

Here’s a thread for a couyple of years back on the Firecracker:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42725

SoG

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By: AvgasDinosaur - 27th November 2007 at 10:19

Something of interest to Firecracker fans
http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/ndn.html
The connection to Bagington was I believe he worked on the Radar Dakota mods as designer.
Hope it helps.
Be lucky
David

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By: Arabella-Cox - 27th November 2007 at 09:20

i know for a fact that there is one of those at long marston airfield in warwickshire, unless they are one and the same. i think i have a picture of it somwhere. its sat under the port wind of the shack

Correct… it is indeed my one piece fibreglass nose cowl as pictured, which i keep meaning to collect ‘sometime’. It was loaned to Stuart a while ago.

Well spotted though…….:D

.

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By: BlueRobin - 27th November 2007 at 08:01

There was, if I recall correctly, a ‘P’ series aircraft design from either Warton or Brough (or Kingston?!!!) in the early 90s for a basic Jet Trainer. Working from (failing) memory, it resembled a straight wing Hawk.

Maybe details in one of Tony Butler’s books?

Getting warmer! 🙂

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By: Nashio966 - 27th November 2007 at 00:01

Brittan-Norman Firecracker, Pilatus PC-9 and Embraer Tucano were all contenders, as was the Westlands backed the Australian Aircraft Consortium (AAC) A-20 Wamira II, of which the mock up is still in Devon 😀

i know for a fact that there is one of those at long marston airfield in warwickshire, unless they are one and the same. i think i have a picture of it somwhere. its sat under the port wind of the shack

🙂

(wooop 400 posts)

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By: mackerel - 26th November 2007 at 23:49

NDN firecracker

At least one of the Firecrackers lurked in an Atlantique hangar when I worked there.

D B-N was a consultant engineer then and used to drift in and out from time to time.

Moggy

Word has it that there is one or more firecrackers in a hanger at Thruxton airfield.

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By: DaveF68 - 26th November 2007 at 23:34

Chaps, the question is nothing to do with the turboprop types rather what might have been. There was a stage when the jet idea was dropped and the air force decided on a turboprop trainer requirement instead.

So as a pre-cursor, the type in question was perhaps from the description similar to an Alpha Jet or AMX. I must confess I haven’t heard of it before… Any ideas?

Pub quiz 😉

There was, if I recall correctly, a ‘P’ series aircraft design from either Warton or Brough (or Kingston?!!!) in the early 90s for a basic Jet Trainer. Working from (failing) memory, it resembled a straight wing Hawk.

Maybe details in one of Tony Butler’s books?

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By: Moggy C - 26th November 2007 at 23:32

At least one of the Firecrackers lurked in an Atlantique hangar when I worked there.

D B-N was a consultant engineer then and used to drift in and out from time to time.

Moggy

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By: mackerel - 26th November 2007 at 23:16

BAe prototype jet trainer

Hi Guy’s
pagen01, I think mackerel has answered the question, Hunting’s would only have come on board had the order been won. I also seem to remember seeing the NDN Firecracker at Farnbourough, but my memory isnt what it was, and there have been many airframes under the old bridge since then!
At the time, there seemed to be a drop off in third party maintenance, so Fields (Hunting’s) eventualy won and settled on the Jetstream 31/32 completion center contract, but that’s another story!!!
Ritch.

I think it was all very political,because although the firecracker was very good the goverment of the day plumped for the tucano because of a tie up with Shorts of Belfast.

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By: RitchandMax - 26th November 2007 at 23:02

Hunting’s

Hi Guy’s
pagen01, I think mackerel has answered the question, Hunting’s would only have come on board had the order been won. I also seem to remember seeing the NDN Firecracker at Farnbourough, but my memory isnt what it was, and there have been many airframes under the old bridge since then!
At the time, there seemed to be a drop off in third party maintenance, so Fields (Hunting’s) eventualy won and settled on the Jetstream 31/32 completion center contract, but that’s another story!!!
Ritch.

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By: mackerel - 26th November 2007 at 22:42

BAe prototype jet trainer

R&M, so was the flying turbo Firecrackers built by Norman or by Hunting? I know it was designed by Desmond Norman.

Hi all,
The First 3 NDN firecracker airframes were built on the Isle of Wight in about 1983. I was working at British hovercraft corporation then & a few of us were seconded to NDN to build them. I built the tailplanes & did a substancial amount of work on the fuselages. I remember we he to re-engineer the nose wheel stowage area to allow for larger diameter wheel to be fitted because on heavy landings on soft ground the prop touched the ground. NDN fitters did the wings & fitted the airframes out. Des Norman eventually took the company to Wales, something to do with funding from Welsh development agency.!!!!!!I think Slingsbys in yorkshire had something to do with the firecracker as well.
As for origional question about jet trainer , i’ve no idea !!!!

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