In 1959 schoolboys did not get too close to the latest ‘Cold War’ hardware.
The NA.39 had first flown in late 1958 and the following Farnborough was to be the first major public showing.
It was the practise or ‘us schoolboys’ to visit Blackbushe during the mornings of the ‘industry days’ then cycle on down to Farnborough and position ourselves on top of the Army shelter stands at the testing area at Laffans Plain to watch the afternoon displays.
Aircraft in display mode or coming into land would pass directly overhead and pretty damn close – too close by today’s safety conscious standards.
Boy was I chuffed with this grainy old shot of the prototype XK486. It filled over 60% of the 127 negative with a fixed focus short lens.
Mark
By: JetBlast - 29th October 2004 at 18:41
Cheers for showing us the image Mark12, unfortunately, I am far too young to even remember seeing an S.1 flying let alone the very first NA.39, but my Dad can remember seeing her at Farnborough in 1959, he was just 13 at the time and thought ( and still does) the airbrake arrangement was a very novel way of slowing the beasts down.
As for the roading of every Bucc from Brough to HOSM, before any aircraft were transported, Blackburn’s made a very crude but effective dimensions rig, each point of the rig would be to the exact Length, Height and Width of the proper aircraft, thus ensuring that they could figure out a route without damaging a multi million pound aircraft in the process, I will try and dig out a photo of it from my archive later.
By: mmitch - 29th October 2004 at 15:23
Thanks for that Airbedane. I wasn’t sure if my leg was being pulled. I suppose that’s why they had folding wings. 🙂
mmitch.
By: Airbedane - 29th October 2004 at 15:14
Mmitch,
It’s true, the aircraft were built at Brough, home of the Blackburn factory, and towed to Holme-on-Spalding-Moor for testing. The runway at Brough was too short.
A
By: mmitch - 29th October 2004 at 15:03
About 10 years ago I stopped overnight at a B&B in South Yorkshire. I can’t remember the exact location now, but it was near the Humber bridge. The farmer told me the Buccs used to be towed along the main road from the factory to the airfield, usually early in the morning. Was this the case? Or perhaps just the first prototype?
mmitch.
By: Steve Bond - 29th October 2004 at 14:26
Mark, I remember that too, excepet that I was on the inside in one of the chalets. The NA.39 was operating from Boscombe Down I think, certainly it just appeared for one flypast and then back from whence it came.
Sign In
October 29, 2004 at 1:51 pm