Yesterday the ‘postie’ delivered a successful ebay bid – a couple of hundred or so old Spitfire slides.
One particular original slide got my mind buzzing. It was labelled ‘AR501 Old Warden’ and this was clearly incorrect. It took quit a lot of researching to pin it down with the smudge on the rear fuselage being the clincher.
Lots of clues here, not a GRP replica, new fabric tail feather fabric, 12 inch wheels, fixed tail wheel, clipped wings. A Marina, a MkII Cortina, long haired St John’s Ambulance so we are talking mid/late 1970’s in the UK.
I now know the RAF Serial, from that I can surmise the location, but who can confirm that and date the venue accurately?
Mark
By: PDS - 13th May 2005 at 09:59
The date mid 1979 by reference to a comparison image.
Mark
Yes, it looks like you are right as usual.
1979, August, Rochester Air Display.
Hopefully Lewis will confirm…
By: Mark12 - 12th May 2005 at 22:53
Are you sure it’s a Marina? Looks like a Hillman (na Chrysler) Avenger estate..
But wait.. is that a Peanut in the background? A powder Blue Austin A35 Peanut..
Was trying to see if it is at an air display.. Rochester always seemed to hold their displays July/August time. Weather does not look to good for summer! The ground seems ‘heavy’ and people are wearing large coats.
Although the Hotel has not been built yet, it seems too close to the taxiway used!
Mark12, I think you better give Lewis a call…
Can you let us know when you know?
PDS,
Quite right, a Talbot Avenger Estate – just testing. 🙂
Trees in full leaf, dull and overcast – typical UK summer.
I will talk to Lewis.
Mark
By: PDS - 12th May 2005 at 20:45
A Marina, a MkII Cortina, long haired St John’s Ambulance so we are talking mid/late 1970’s in the UK.
Are you sure it’s a Marina? Looks like a Hillman (na Chrysler) Avenger estate..
But wait.. is that a Peanut in the background? A powder Blue Austin A35 Peanut..
Was trying to see if it is at an air display.. Rochester always seemed to hold their displays July/August time. Weather does not look to good for summer! The ground seems ‘heavy’ and people are wearing large coats.
Although the Hotel has not been built yet, it seems too close to the taxiway used!
Mark12, I think you better give Lewis a call…
Can you let us know when you know?
By: JonathanF - 12th May 2005 at 16:40
Nah, fixed tail wheel, clipped wings, guns…….. :p
I’ll stick with TB752, late-70s after rebuild, before first painting.
Yes, I spotted the guns on a second glance a few minutes later (see my edit). I didn’t think the lack of wingtips proved much, and frankly from that distance without a closeup I’d be hard pressed to tell a retractable type tailwheel from a fixed. I had an identically posed shot of PL965 sitting next to me when I saw this photo; the power of suggestion I suppose!
By: Mark12 - 12th May 2005 at 15:42
TB752
Yup, Mk XVI TB752 it is.
The location Rochester – excellent. I wondered if it might be Manston.
The date mid 1979 by reference to a comparison image.
Can anybody please confirm the exact date and what was going on?
Thanks to all contributors and well spotted Mike J.
Mark
By: PDS - 12th May 2005 at 15:03
Nah, fixed tail wheel, clipped wings, guns…….. :p
I’ll stick with TB752, late-70s after rebuild, before first painting.
Correct…
Picture taken at Rochester airfield. BAE Systemz building in the back ground.
By: DazDaMan - 12th May 2005 at 10:55
Wild stab in the dark…PL965? But M12, you say you *have* the RAF serial?
Plus she was in Holland until the mid/late-80s 😉
By: JonathanF - 12th May 2005 at 10:52
Wild stab in the dark…PL965? But M12, you say you *have* the RAF serial?
[edit] Or not. Just spotted the cannon barrels.
By: DazDaMan - 12th May 2005 at 10:39
I remember seeing a photo of ‘732 in an issue of “Control Column”, dating about 1980-ish, looking rather less complete than that….
By: DazDaMan - 12th May 2005 at 10:18
I was going to volunteer ML417 at first, but I’m not sure – she reflew in, what, 1984 or thereabouts?
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May 12, 2005 at 10:09 am