Need help identifying several old aircraft photos

Bessonneau hangars were still in use into the ’70’s. White Waltham’s was still in use ’73/’74 for the ATC gliders.

The last one is DH110 XF828, I’m guessing it was taken at Culdrose were it became an insructional airframe A2500 1960, destroyed on the fire pit by the late ’70s.

The others,

Iraqi Jet Provost T.52 (T.3 equivalent)
Meteor T.7
Comet nose upside down
Hunter wreckage, I’m thinking?
Twin pin with burnt out forward section

Kiwi43: I was on Hunter F.1.s at Chivenor in late 1956. We had a group of Iraqi pilots converting . Some bad landing accidents and several deaths. Could be one of those , around Dec `56.

It’s certainly a Hunter, what’s more it’s a ‘big engined’ 200-series Avon Hunter so an F.6, FGA.9 or FR.10.

XF451 could well be the answer.

One suggestion re the Hunter wreckage: presuming that a) it is a Hawker Hunter, and b) the photograph was taken at Chivenor, then it could be Hawker Hunter F.6 XF451

XF451 overshot during an emergency landing at Chivenor, Devon on 12/6/1962 following a fire warning. Pilot uninjured. Wreckage allocated to Chivenor fire dump.

(You may have noticed that there appears to be an oil drum in the background, which strongly suggests that the wreckage was used for fire practice and burnt)

Vampiredave.

I also thought that the Meteor T.7 may have been at Chivenor; if the nosewheel carried the letter ‘G’ then it could have been WL360, that was based there in the 60’s. Although the F.8’s had yellow and black undersides, that was not the case with the T.7.

Tom, just read your last post, which maybe casts some doubt. There does seem a bit of a West Country theme though; you could even say that Andover (if correct) was on the way from Devon to Farnborough, with a trip down to Culdrose at some other time.. Or perhaps I’m getting carried away.

Pagen. I agree, that Hunter lump must have hit the ground very hard, so the damage is not a result of any action by the firemen. The location is close to the fire practice area, though.

DD

Personally speaking I would say the Hunter looks like wreckage rather than a fire training or dumped example, you can see how the fuselage has torn (not far from the rear transport joint) and also squashed from the effect of impact.

Also those Bessonneau hangars were all over the place, even Farnborough, Odiham, and St Mawgan had them into the ’50/’60s, whether they were all used for gliders or not is another matter!

It is a pity the Meteor image is damaged, but that is how it came to me. The nose is dayglo and frustratingly it is the nosewheel door, where the code letter might have been, which is missing! No sign of any black/yellow TT stripes though. Just in case I have thrown anyone off the scent with any particular photo I do not believe that the Meteor/Hunter/Gliding photos were taken at the same location, but I do not know this for sure. Someone out there surely will though!

unidentified photographs

I think that Discendo Duces is correct when he says that the location of the Hunter is at Chivenor. Memory plays tricks but I seem to recall the remains of an early mark of Hunter (F.Mk.1?) being dumped down by the Sailing Club. I can’t find my notes at present to confirm the serial.

I also think that the Meteor T.Mk.7 is at Chivenor? We had several Mk.7s and F.Mk.8s for target-towing, etc., and the background is reminiscent of the hill overlooking Braunton village. It is a shame that the image has been damaged as it would identify the code letter on the nwd.

Finally, 624 VGS operated from a temporary hanger at Chivenor during the mid-1960s while awaiting a move to a more permament location near the crash gates opposite the MQs. Again, the background looks like Fremington / Instow.

IF that is the case then the Twin Pin would be XL968 (c/no.520) which was dumped at Andover on 30/10/1967

However, this link http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1147061/ shows XL968 on the dump at Andover on 22/5/1968 (about 7 months after it was SOC/dumped) still looking reasonably intact.

Not saying that the aircraft in the photo is – or is not – XL968, but, if it is, then, judging from the state of it, the photo would have to have been taken well after June 1968…

But you are correct in one way: it definitely looks like the mortal remains of a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. The only question is, which one?

Nice picture.

I’m not saying for sure that it was the Twin Pin at Andover dump (easily visible from the A303 road); but by the nature of the use they are put to, fire practice airframes stay intact- until somebody sets fire to them.

DD

Need help identifying several old aircraft photos

The Twin Pioneer could be the example that ended its days at RAF Andover for fire practice.

IF that is the case then the Twin Pin would be XL968 (c/no.520) which was dumped at Andover on 30/10/1967

However, this link http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1147061/ shows XL968 on the dump at Andover on 22/5/1968 (about 7 months after it was SOC/dumped) still looking reasonably intact.

Not saying that the aircraft in the photo is – or is not – XL968, but, if it is, then, judging from the state of it, the photo would have to have been taken well after June 1968…

But you are correct in one way: it definitely looks like the mortal remains of a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. The only question is, which one?

Thanks guys, I am constantly amazed at the depth of knowledge residing on this forum!

The Twin Pioneer could be the example that ended its days at RAF Andover for fire practice.

The location of the Hunter wreckage could be fire dump at the south-eastern end of Chivenor, with the married quarters in the distance. If so, there would be a lot of candidates for an identity..

The ‘tent’ hangar was in use for ATC gliders in the 60’s at least, there was one at Exeter, and subsequently Chivenor when the VGS moved there.

The background to the Comet nose pic resembles the area near the old water tanks at Farnborough, where they fatigue-tested the Comets after their structural failures. There were lots of bits and pieces lying around there.

HTH

DD

Good work Archer! 😎

Photo no.2 is a Fokker F.27 Friendship. No idea about registration, date or location though. It appears to have the name ‘Friendship’ on its nose so it could be a demonstrator. Could this be at Farnborough as well??

Edit: A quick Google shows that Friendship PH-FKA was at Farnborough in 1966, a tug driver pushed it into a Landrover and it could not participate in the show because of the holed fuselage. It flew back to Amsterdam a few days later, without passengers.

And bingo: http://s710.photobucket.com/albums/ww110/Jetflap/John%20Read%20aviation%20photos%20-%201960s/?action=view&current=0175F27Friendship.jpg&currenttag=Farnborough This shows the PH-FKA at Farnborough in 1966, looks like the same airframe to me. Same colourscheme, faint name on the cheatline is similar to the photo above and more importantly: it carries the same droptanks. Those were definitively non-standard.

Excellent. Thanks. Another one drops off my list.

I don’t have a great deal to offer but RAF Halton had a glider flight and it was housed in a Bessoneau hangar in 1953. They had Sedburgh (T21), Tandem Tutor (T31b) and a Prefect. Launching was by one-time balloon winches. The glare angle supports the orientation at Halton as the hangar faced about North.

Comet nose could also be Caravelle. The Jp is a JP and not a Strikemaster.

Good luck – Chris

Thank. Should have read this before my previous post!

The first is a T21 Sedburgh glider of the Air Cadets and a WW1 vintage hangar

I agree. Anyone have any idea which airfield might have had such a hangar for gliding? I know Odiham had one which was used by 33 Sqn till it blew down in a storm.

Just thinking on the Comet nose, could it be removed from G-ALZK?
The aircraft was dismantled at Hatfield, and ended up at Farnborough with a different nose section offered up to it.

Also I’m pretty convinced the wreckage is Hunter, it appears to be the torn off rear fuselage and you can see the airbrake at the bottom of it, details of that match pics of airbrakes. I can’t quite match up the vents on the upper fuse, but these varied on different marks, wonder if could be an F.2/5?

Thanks for that. It does look like the remains of a Hunter but not sure which mark.

Photo no.2 is a Fokker F.27 Friendship. No idea about registration, date or location though. It appears to have the name ‘Friendship’ on its nose so it could be a demonstrator. Could this be at Farnborough as well??

Edit: A quick Google shows that Friendship PH-FKA was at Farnborough in 1966, a tug driver pushed it into a Landrover and it could not participate in the show because of the holed fuselage. It flew back to Amsterdam a few days later, without passengers.

And bingo: http://s710.photobucket.com/albums/ww110/Jetflap/John%20Read%20aviation%20photos%20-%201960s/?action=view&current=0175F27Friendship.jpg&currenttag=Farnborough This shows the PH-FKA at Farnborough in 1966, looks like the same airframe to me. Same colourscheme, faint name on the cheatline is similar to the photo above and more importantly: it carries the same droptanks. Those were definitively non-standard.

ID’s

I don’t have a great deal to offer but RAF Halton had a glider flight and it was housed in a Bessoneau hangar in 1953. They had Sedburgh (T21), Tandem Tutor (T31b) and a Prefect. Launching was by one-time balloon winches. The glare angle supports the orientation at Halton as the hangar faced about North.

Comet nose could also be Caravelle. The Jp is a JP and not a Strikemaster.

Good luck – Chris

no 6 looks like a hunter rear end, the fin would have been behind the spine on the top of the body, remains of jetpipe behind by the looks of it

actualy its an oil drum behind on closer inspection, my eyesight ?? lol