Hornet PX286 and Spitfire SL721

An excerpt from his memoirs:-

“By the end of May the Hornet had arrived and Andy and I drove to Northolt to do our first trips. As we turned the corner of the hangar, there was a sleek and beautiful aircraft awaiting us. Andy made a typical remark – “I don’t know about you, Froggie, but I think we should go straight back to London!” We both made our first solos on the type and I was certainly delighted with it. My next trip on it was some weeks later when I went on a visit to Boscombe Down to discuss some Mustang accident problems.”

Mostly from Northolt (Station Flight which was mouthwatering!). On the 5th July 1946 he flew to Boscombe Down in PX286 (and back) to discuss the sadly frequent Mustang crashes with the TPs. I am now involved in digging one of them. By that stage of his career he was in RAF accident investigation. I do have a number of shots of the Hornet. Another (a Sea Hornet) I posted on another thrread. There is a cracking shot of one landing in the neg collection.

I am hoping to get pictures published and more widely available and hope that as well as pleasing enthusiasts they will also be a small source of revenue to help me restore my toys….don’t wish to be mercenary, but the Spit and Hurri is a bottomless pit!

I will post some more images soon…even a Whitley for Elliot. There are some nice Farnborough ones from the 50s.

Now if I can just get my web site up and running!!

Thanks for posting them Tony.

Looking forward to seeing those Whitley pics one day 😀

Brilliant….many thanks…..looking forward to more!!!!

and they say addiction is bad!!!:diablo:

I’m ready with my ohh’s and aah’s!!!

HI Tony

I seemed to have missed this thread, until a recent Forum search revealed it!

From which airfield did your grandfather fly Hornet PX286 from? Do you have any other Hornet photos that you wouldn’t mind sharing?

cheers

You post the pics, we’ll provide the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ 😀

it will take a bit of time JDK!!:)

I have 2000+ to scan so wish me luck!!:)

We’re waiting! 😀

That’s my grandad!

I am hoping to do a CD of his phots loads of nice picces of all sorts

Rocketeer

My shot is the same but looks to be a copy print from the 1980’s. I have on the back in my writing, source:- F J French date 1946/7 Bovingdon.

I will check my copy neg files.

Mark

Did he send it to you or is it from someone who also photographed it there? That could be right as he flew there 22/11/46 in Spit IX MK285, he flew Mossie 34 VL625 there

Rocketeer

My shot is the same but looks to be a copy print from the 1980’s. I have on the back in my writing, source:- F J French date 1946/7 Bovingdon.

I will check my copy neg files.

Mark

Had a look at SL721 in Canada in 2002 when we landed the Sparrows for fuel.

I “made like a swastika” to get to see it, after I’d fueled me jet.

Nice Spit, and the engineer was a gent….

…..”Want to sit in it?”

“No thanks, I’ve not the time”

Then onto Halifax for tea and medals (or a few “beers”)!

C6

I have that Spitfire shot as at Bovingdon.

Very nice.

Mark

Did he send it to you or is it from someone who also photographed it there? That could be right as he flew there 22/11/46 in Spit IX MK285, he flew Mossie 34 VL625 there

I have that Spitfire shot as at Bovingdon.

Very nice.

Mark