Our Strikemaster: Anyone have pictures or history??

Viscount,

Thanks for the information. This is exactly what I was looking for! I’m sending you a PM with my email.

Thanks!

Brad

BAe.167 Strikemaster Mk.84, customer’s serial number 314, built by BAe. at Warton (Preston) 1970.

Built as Strikemaster plane set PS.151 (sequence started at PS101), on the production line known as line number S.15 (ie 15th aircraft for Singapore). The number ‘Mexicanbob’ quotes EEP/JP/1934 translates as ‘English Electric Preston’ (the factory name prior to amalgamation into British Aerospace),the JP as ‘Jet Provost’ (the type the Strikemaster was developed from), ‘1934’ a number which is likely just a fuselage assembly number (the wings or tail could in theory have a different EEP number!). Anyone explain the significance of the number 1934? The BAe factory at Warton still produces aircraft today assembling the UK Typhoon FGR.4 for the R.A.F. and before that the Tornado and more recently the Hawk T.2.

Line number S.15 first flew in late July 1970, or more likely early August 1970, from the airfield at BAe. Warton (north bank of the River Ribble between Preston and Blackpool). For the first flight, almost certainly still in construction line ‘yellow’ protective primer coating, the aircraft was marked as G-27-143 (a British ‘B’ conditions, manufacturer’s test registration). G-27 being allocated to BAe. at Warton, -143 being the sequence number reached at that time.

At that time I was a student studying in the Blackpool area and a regular term-time visitor to the boundary fence at Warton – however due exams and holidays was at home July to September at the time G-27-143 was test flying, so cannot tie down roll-out or first flight down with any greater certainty. As a ‘poor’ student I had no camera at that time either.

After initial test flying the aircraft was sprayed at Warton in camouflage scheme as 314, in full Singapore Defence Force colours. On 22.7.70 (purely a ‘paperwork’ date), this aircraft was unusually allocated the UK full civil registration G-AYHS (and Singapore 315 as G-AYHT). Interestingly BAe. used ‘314’ as a constructor’s number (which it isn’t) on the paperwork, not the more correct EEP or PS number. It required a full civilian (or British military) serial to make it legal for the manufacturer to demonstrate it at a public air display.

Wearing full customer colours, national markings and serial, dual marked with the civil registration, both aircraft appeared at the major S.B.A.C. display at Farnborough, exhibited by British Aerospace, throughout the second week of September 1970. G-AYHT was in the static park, while G-AYHS was flown by BAe. in the air display each day. In theory there should be plenty photos around of G-AYHS/314 – indeed I’m surprised no one has found (other than ‘AMB’) or posted one yet, to add to those great links posted by ‘Hunterxf382’. Any other Singapore Strikemaster and we would be really struggling for a pre-delivery photo, so you are very fortunate!

Following Farnborough week, the UK civil registration was removed, and despite what it says on the CAA paperwork, I’m unsure that it returned to G-27-143. The aircraft set out on the long delivery flight across Europe and Asia, departing from Bournemouth/Hurn Airport on 28th September 1970 as Singapore 314. Once in Singapore the aircraft acquired the individual aircraft code ‘P’. At some stage while in service the simple national ’roundel’ (as on the Farnborough photos) will have been replaced with the current complex Singapore national insignia.

There my knowledge of this aircraft ends. However I do have several ’70s and ’80s articles about Strikemaster production in general and the Singapore aircraft which I will copy and e-mail if you let me have an e-mail address privately using the ‘PM’ facility on this forum.

If British forumites feel I’ve been long winded about this reply I’ve deliberately explained British short-hand, abbreviations and locations at some length!

OK, probably not 314, but a BAe. publicity photo of a Singapore Strikemaster fresh out of the paint shop, on a pre-delivery flight over the UK with range extending tanks fitted underwing (the tip tanks are standard fit).

Thanks! That is good information to have. I’m not sure why the Strikemaster ended up with XR366 on it. A guy in Mexico bought it from Wally Fisk and had the black paint and markings applied but I don’t know the reason behind it. He put the plane on the Mexican registry but for some reason was unable to get it into the country. My boss purchased it from him, through Courtesy Aircraft as I recall. I will get a hold of the Singapore Air Force and see what they can tell me.

Thanks for your help!

Brad

Our Strikemaster: Anyone have pictures or history?

As XF382 points out, your Strikemaster was briefly on the UK civil register as G-AYHS. Due to this, it has some details dated 1970 on their database, G-INFO:

See here http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-AYHS.pdf

It briefly carried a civil registration for (presumably) test flying and demonstration purposes, before moving on to a “Class B” civil registration as “G-27-…” (sorry, cannot recall the last three digits at the moment). “Class B” registrations are used for test flying of “foreign” military aircraft in UK air space, especially when “live weapons” are carried.

Oh, and by the way, the serial XR-366 was actually carried by the fifth production Short Belfast C.1 – a very different aircraft to the Strikemaster! The “real” XR366 looked like this:

(Belfast XR366 at Luqa, Malta in 1971 – photo by the Aviation Photo Company, on flickr.com)

For more info on your Strikemaster’s days with the Singapore Air Force, have you contacted the Singapore Air Force Museum? They can be contacted at: [email]afmuseum@starnet.gov.sg[/email] and their webpage is at http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/air_force/about/museum.html

Hi Brad

I have colour photos of this aircraft that you might like to have in its Singapore Air Force colours. Contact me by pm and send me your e.mail address.

Thank you hunterxf382! This is exactly the sort of stuff I’m looking for.

I’d really like to know the history of the plane, prior to its arrival in the US if anybody knows anything?

You might be interested to know that this particular airframe was on display at Farnborough Airshow back in 1970 complete with it’s UK serial of G-AYHS alongside it’s Singapore Air Force ‘314’ codes:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/340077

or:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/BAC-167-Strikemaster/1221201/L/