New Jet Provost book out !

Navigation training. The old girl was always thirsty, apparently the tips gave about 25 minutes extra duration. 6 FTS was primarily concerned with Nav training and the JP was used for low level sorties (again a thirsty occupation). Having the tip tanks fitted also removed the need for the nose strakes and other bits that the T.Mk.5s had fitted after trials at Boscombe.

Bob

Seems an appropriate place to ask – were 6 FTS the only ones (latterly) to operate T5s with tip tanks?

how did it get into this excellent book. And why is no one credited with it

From my experience with books, the most likely cause is because the author had no idea where it came from!

These days it’s an absolute nightmare trying to put together a decent book. The days when you could just request a pile of photographs from an RAF base are long gone, and even the manufacturers rarely give-out photos these days – you’re more likely to get a mass-produced postcard-type picture. The achive stuff has a nasty habit of disappearing (or gets sold in some cases!), and places like RAFM charge a small fortune to use even a few pictures which would probably cost the author more than he gets for writing the whole book!

Consequently, most pictures seem to come from colleagues or contacts, and they often have gathered their pictures from others so that you reach a stage where nobody knows what the original source was.

Another really worrying trend I’ve noticed is that people tend to save pictures digitally now of course, but every time the picture is sent to someone else, it doesn’t necessarily get saved at the same resolution. Consequently, pictures that were once really great have a habit of slowly shrinking until they’re no longer good enough to publish.

It’s kinda sad that the shiny new digital age isn’t all it’s cracked-up to be. In some ways things are a lot worse than they used to be!

Look Familiar?

Look familiar?
This is the photo shown on page 89 of the new book. It is not exactly the original, but is as near as you will get! I will explain.
Back in 2007, I was sitting comfortably watching an obscure DVD that I had picked up from some ware. As I was watching a piece filmed at RAF Cranwell, my good lady wife shouted the immortal word “Dinner!!” well I did as I have been trained and hit the pause button on the remote control, and there frozen before my very eyes was this image, not of just any Jet Provost, but or our own Jet Provost!!!!
The aircraft in question is of course Jet Provost Mk.3A, XN584, which I own in partnership with my son Max, and keep, in fast taxiable condition at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire. I then called upon the skills of my step son Zak, who used his magic to “pull” the image from the DVD, into a photo for us.
So, you see the image on page 89 is not actually a still photo at all, but a frame from an old Movie film that has been converted onto DVD format, and then the frame in question frozen for all time and held on my PC as a file! The only question I have is how did it get into this excellent book. And why is no one credited with it!!!!

Awesome 2nd pic there Chox.

I have absolutely loads ( Mostly B/W) that I would love to post, but some are likely to be published in a book, and I don’t wish to spoil the work being put in by the author.

New thread started. Not sure whether it will get merged with this one.

… and another one …

‘Fraid I came along too late to snap any dayglow JP’s but here’s one of mine anyways!

PS – Historians might like to note the road below – the A15 outside Scampton and the route of the old Roman road before it was spliced by Scampton’s runway!

Thanks for the info Adrian. There may well be more slides from this air to air that will pin down the individual aircraft identities.

I am tempted to start a ‘post your favourite JP pic here’ but after noting the large number of forumites with connections or passion for the type, perhaps not. Wouldn’t want to start a photographic stampede.

Yeah, let’s start a ‘JP stampe’!! :rolleyes: I am still looking for any operational photos of foreign JPs AFTER they were delivered. Can anyone help with good quality non-BAC photos of JPs operated by the Air Forces of Ceylon,Venezuela, Iraq,Kuwait,Sudan and especially the rare ex Sudan AF machines operated by the Nigerian AF.

Yes we would !

Thanks for the info Adrian. There may well be more slides from this air to air that will pin down the individual aircraft identities.

I am tempted to start a ‘post your favourite JP pic here’ but after noting the large number of forumites with connections or passion for the type, perhaps not. Wouldn’t want to start a photographic stampede.

This one do it for you Chox?

No info, so if anyone out there can put some detail to it I would be grateful

These are JP T3s of 2 FTS out of RAF Syerston circa 1962-63 judging by the early dayglo paint scheme. Not sure about the leading Piston Provost, but maybe this was a flypast to mark the types retirement from 2 FTS?

XM415 for certain, the others are in the XM range.

I will rescan at a higher res and see if that makes it easier.

The man to ask would be Albert R, but haven’t seen him on here for a while.
If we could Identify the squadron it would maybe help.

…because he is reincarnated as moi! 😉 Would like to help out here, but all but one of those shots have the wingtip tank annoyingly hiding the serials! Codes were changed, so difficult to identify these I’m afraid!

Acklington JP’s

I think you are correct there as if these were 6 FTS JP’s from RAF Acklington, then the codes would have been applied to the air intakes which was a unique trademark of the Acklington JP’s 😀

As the Provost T1 seems to carry 6 FTS codes, my first thoughts were that the formation might be to mark the withdrawal of that type from service when the unit converted to the JP in 61/62.

However, it seems that XM415 did not serve with 6 FTS. After delivery on 2/3/60, according to the Air-Britain Registers, it served only with No’s 2 & 3 FTSs before being SOC on 28/5/76 and sent to Sennybridge. Although, the UK Serials site shows it as being scrapped at Southampton in the 80s.

Shall we have a sweep to see how quickly your PM box is filled up:D

The Jet Provost T.3A at our university is probably going to be disposed of in the not too distant future. It is G-TORE/XM405 and is complete (except for the stopwatch). If anyone out there is interested, please send me a private message for more information.

Fantastic! Thanks for posting those up!

A few more pic’s

Hi Guys
As some of you know, Max and me are the custodians of Mk.3A, XN584, which we maintain fast taxiable at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire. So it was inevitable that we would eventualy turn up on this thread!
I also had the honour of working on Mk.1 G-AOBU durring my student days, and have much Mk.3 and Mk.4 expirience as well.
Here are a few photo’s that were kindly sent to us whilst we were reaserching XN584’s re-pain a couple of years ago, I am however ashamed to admit that I have lost the details of the gent who sent them to us, so if you see these, please take credit for them!

As the Provost T1 seems to carry 6 FTS codes, my first thoughts were that the formation might be to mark the withdrawal of that type from service when the unit converted to the JP in 61/62.

However, it seems that XM415 did not serve with 6 FTS. After delivery on 2/3/60, according to the Air-Britain Registers, it served only with No’s 2 & 3 FTSs before being SOC on 28/5/76 and sent to Sennybridge. Although, the UK Serials site shows it as being scrapped at Southampton in the 80s.

agreed – any ideas of the serials?

XM415 for certain, the others are in the XM range.

I will rescan at a higher res and see if that makes it easier.

The man to ask would be Albert R, but haven’t seen him on here for a while.
If we could Identify the squadron it would maybe help.

Wow the Cranwell shots are great too – and even a light grey/dayglow one amongst them!