Going through my mother’s (1913-2000) albums again the other day, I thought someone might be able to throw more light on the attached photos.
‘Before Flight’. There she is, in the back seat with her father! G-ACOK is an Avro 504 Mongoose, 4-seater biplane. Date of reg: 18.3.36 cancelled 1.12.46.
‘After Flight’. Father (ex-RFC) has put his beret back on… I thought civvy beret wearing was a post WW2 thing? Judging by her concern about the state of her hair, the very rear seats got less shelter from the windscreen! G-ACOK was registered to Launcelot John Rimmer, ‘Dunelm’, Greenfield Road, Little Sutton, Cheshire. Based Horton Aerodrome.
‘The Parachutist’ What would he have jumped out of? It looks like the Mongoose is on the ground before him. The shape of that canopy must have been a nightmare to control. Either there was no wind, or the team was a good one.
G-ABYX was registered as a Handley Page ‘Olive’ (??), Constructors No HP35, 25-seater biplane. Date of reg: 27.11.33. PWFU 7.11.35
What a fabulous machine; imagine the noise in the cockpit with those massive 4-blade props whizzing around so close to your head. There must have been great satisfaction in completing a smooth landing in such an enormous bus. G-ABYX has ‘Astra’ painted on the nose and was owned by National Aviation Displays Ltd, Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square, London W6
The set was taken in June or July 1935 (not long before the Olive was withdrawn – why?) and is labelled ‘Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus at Aylmerton, near Cromer’ – just down the road from where I live.
Was National Aviation Displays Ltd Cobham’s company? What was his relationship with the Avro owner? Was the Mongoose a post war conversion to 4 seats? Why was it only registered in 1936?
This forum always has a wealth of fascinating information, so I’m sure to get lots of feedback! Thanks in advance… Dave
By: JDK - 31st March 2025 at 13:01
Great pics!
Some quick answers:
‘Before Flight’. There she is, in the back seat with her father! G-ACOK is an Avro 504 Mongoose, 4-seater biplane.
It’s an Avro 504, Mongoose engine powered I think – the rest of it looks Avro 504N to me (curved aileron trailing edges, 504N undercarriage, fixed radial etc…) Looks like a modified fuselage to take five seats (inc pilot) so a wider fuselage and enlarged rear cockpit. The rest’s pure 504.
‘After Flight’. Father (ex-RFC) has put his beret back on… I thought civvy beret wearing was a post WW2 thing?
Berets were very ‘bohemian’ or ‘arty’ pre- war, probably inspired by ‘Monsuer Le Artiste‘ of the the Left Bank of the Seine.
‘The Parachutist’ What would he have jumped out of? It looks like the Mongoose is on the ground before him. The shape of that canopy must have been a nightmare to control.
It may be that we have a shot of the canopy part collapsed on touchdown rather than that being the developed shape. Avros (and just about anything else) were popular to use for jumping the parachutist stepping off the wing in flight, but getting onto the wing from the cockpit after take off usually.
G-ABYX was registered as a Handley Page ‘Olive’
😀 Try ‘Clive’. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Hinaidi
Was National Aviation Displays Ltd Cobham’s company? What was his relationship with the Avro owner? Was the Mongoose a post war conversion to 4 seats? Why was it only registered in 1936?
Yes, don’t know, not exactly (see above) why not? (or everything’s got to happen sometime).
Regards,
By: JDK - 31st March 2025 at 13:01
Have now! 😀
By: Baldeagle - 31st March 2025 at 13:01
What, you never heard of a Russell Lobe parachute??
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929%20-%201036.html
–
By: JDK - 31st March 2025 at 13:01
3 + 1 makes more sense, I agree, and I see the certificate calls it an avro 504 ‘Mongoose’. As I read it, that simply means the engine type’s specified to avoid confusion and in the absence of another designation – ‘Avro 504X’ for instance.
By: JDK - 31st March 2025 at 13:01
Pushing ‘G-ACOK through Google nets several refs including:
G-ACOK Avro 504N F2588 F2588 G-ACOK National Aviation Displays Ltd >LJ Rimmer/ Hooton 00.03.34 4900 Crashed Rhyl 14.8.38
http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_G-A5.htm
The Armstong Siddeley Mongoose was an engine option. The Avro 504R was a different (lighter) structured 504 trialled with a Mongoose, and I presume enabled standard and other modified 504N Avros to take that engine (the 504N having a Lynx in standard form). It would have been called the ‘Mongoose Avro’ or ‘Mongoose 504’ in use with the Circus but that wasn’t an official name, I suspect.
Regards,
By: helicopterdcr - 31st March 2025 at 13:01
… and seconds later, the first reply – thank you JDK.
I should read things more carefully: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ABYX.pdf
It’s the writing – for HP ‘Olive’ read ‘Clive’ – no wonder I couldn’t find a reference.
Whilst I’m at it:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ACOK.pdf
I reckon the seating looks like pilot up front and 3 pax, 2 behind 1.
By: jlfrost92 - 10th February 2014 at 23:56
I registered purely to tell you that I think I might have some detailed information on the exact airshow that these pictures are from. I have started to plan a photography project using a book I purchased about 10 years ago from the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum titled “Airfields & Airstrips Part Two”.
I believe this particular edition was published in 1990 and it contains detailed information on a large number of airfields & airstrips. Contained in this list is the Aylmerton “landing ground” as they have called it. I believe it contains detailed information on this exact airshow that you have pictures of! I will write out below word for word what the book says and you can let me know if you agree with me!
“The final display at Aylmerton by Alan Cobham’s flying circus was by the Astra Show on Friday 12th July 1935. Two displays were at 2.30 & 6.30, with a special hour for children at 5.30. Star of the show was Miss Naomi Heron-Maxwell who made a parachute decent from the wing of the Clive airliber with a load of 22 passengers; Mr Collins gave a gliding display; A Comper Swift did radio request aerobatics; Flt.Lt.Tyson gave one if his famous aerobatic displays in Tiger Moth G-ACEZ and autogiro, Cierva C19 G-ACYH gave a demonstration of its agility.”
And that is it word for word. I’m sorry I’m a bit late to this party, but I sure hope it has some use to you.
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January 30, 2010 at 2:06 am