A pile of old aviation display programmes and magazines have recently been given to me. They give a real insight into the ‘good old days’. As an example of what is included are the programmes for the ‘Worlds Greatest Flying Display and Exhibition’ Farnborough 1949,’50, and ’51.
The flying list for ’49 is enough to make any aviation nut dribble with nostalgia- imagine seeing a line up which included among others- the Short Solent, the Airspeed Ambassador, HP Marathon, a Balliol T2, Athena T.2, a Short Sealand 1, a Vickers Seagull (with Griffon engine), a Firefly 5, a Cierva Air Horse (with Merlin Engine!!!), a Wyvern T.F.2, an Armstrong Apollo, a Vickers Type 510 fighter (Swift?), a Hawker P.1052, a Lancaster with two ‘Python’ turbo props in the outboard positions, a Westland S.51, a Vickers Naval Attacker, a Hawker ‘Naval Fighter’ (a Seahawk), a Short Sturgeon 2 and finally a Sea Hornet 22.
If anyone is interested, I will list the highlights of the other years programmes.
If not, please forgive my ramblings!
Dean
By: Eye on the Sky - 8th June 2007 at 14:55
The men who flew those wondeful machines….
The list of pilots for the event in ’49 features some stellar names- Cunningham, Beaumont, Derry and Duke. To have seen those chaps display cutting edge technology must have been breath taking.
Dean
By: Pete Truman - 8th June 2007 at 14:19
i have to say that that sounds like it was one hell of an airshow, pity the english aviation industry has little to show for itself in the form of experimental aircraft anymore 🙁
Interesting point, the last time I recall seeing anything like that was the display of the EAP at the Reds anniversary airshow at Scampton nearly 20 years ago, fantastic display, but now it’s festering away at Loughborough Uni, what a waste.
Before that, I remember seeing the prototype Tornado fighter variant at Coltishall in 1980, it’s first public appearance, well, sort of, the fog that day made it difficult to see it.
I must have seen some wierd and wonderful things at airshows over the years, but living near Hucknall as a kid, made it all seem rather mundane.
By: merlin70 - 8th June 2007 at 13:24
I inherited my father’s collection of Farnborough programmes dating from ’49 to the late 90’s. In conjunction with the book “40 years of Farnborough” my photos and those of my Father, they paint a terrific picture of the scale of aircraft research and development in the UK during the 40’s to late 60’s.
If only we had a tardis and could go back and relive these events again.
By: Nashio966 - 8th June 2007 at 13:23
i have to say that that sounds like it was one hell of an airshow, pity the english aviation industry has little to show for itself in the form of experimental aircraft anymore 🙁
okay okay okay, “united Kingdom” will that suffice? :p
By: zoot horn rollo - 8th June 2007 at 13:11
i have to say that that sounds like it was one hell of an airshow, pity the english aviation industry has little to show for itself in the form of experimental aircraft anymore 🙁
English? What happened to the rest of the nation? 😉
By: Nashio966 - 8th June 2007 at 12:45
i have to say that that sounds like it was one hell of an airshow, pity the english aviation industry has little to show for itself in the form of experimental aircraft anymore 🙁
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June 8, 2007 at 12:41 pm