RAFM Reserve Collection

Re the last pic, defo Stirling as you can see the bomb carriers in the mid wing section, something unique amongst the RAF ‘heavies’

Thanks for the confirmation on the Stirling guys. It would be great to see it on display somewhere.

Cees, I’m afraid that is about the best of my photos before the camera started playing up.

great pics of a great site, any pics of the stacks of turret cupolas and the mentioned Halifax pilot chassis they got from CARG ??.

that last one was better at home at another location in any museum on display instead of in storage

hope they will do something nice with the stirling sections, as i have mentioned before, a complete restored tailsection will already give something of the size and impression of the stirling instead of ….nothing

cheers

Cees

Ah, no that is the upside bit of Stirling I saw, the area around the wing spar. The previous photo was the fuselage around the tail section

Steve

for clearing up the Stirling ID for us. Is this bit is a Halifax?

Photo 8 are ZPU 4, Soviet quad 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine guns, or the Chinese copy the Type 56. From Iraq, no doubt

Well, via 16 Sqn at Colt……… 😉

There’s a large Stirling fuselage section in France somewhere. It was illustrated in Flypast or Aeroplane about five or so years ago.
Jim

Right then, the last couple of “not sure what it is photos”!!

This we were told is a Halifax but after a comment by someone I am now having doubts, anyone have any idea what it is from?

Thansk

Most certainly the largest remaining Sterling parts, although I think it was upside down when I saw it

Chaps can i recommend the RAFM collection online search engine ‘navigator’

I have only just started using it – it is well hidden on their website but is quite superb – I’ve been using it to sort out ordnance markings for the museum collection,

I use the quick search facility most often

http://navigator.rafmuseum.org/simpleSearch.page.do

I enter ‘stirling fuselage’ for example, which gives me this

http://navigator.rafmuseum.org/results.do?view=detail&db=object&pageSize=1&id=20285

enter stirling and see how much stuff they have!

other fun items are ‘seat’ ‘canopy’ ‘control column’ etc

its absolutely superb!

TT

It was me that raised doubts about it being a Halifax, also doubted it as a heavy because of fusalage size, but I can see it being Stirling now.
Looks like the narrower section very rear fusalage, and what appears to be fusalage / wing joint is in fact the tailplane attachment point. The doorway is the rear gunners escape hatch and what looks like a central spine is what’s left of the fin and rudder.

… in amongst all of this stuff they only have a pair of DH Hornet main wheels (which were common to the Tempest anyway).

Would love a wander round there nonetheless!

Right then, the last couple of “not sure what it is photos”!!

This we were told is a Halifax but after a comment by someone I am now having doubts, anyone have any idea what it is from?

Not sure why they would have said that as it’s their Stirling!

They do have bits of Halifax but that’s not them.

Sure you’re not getting confused with Halifax section they got from CARG?

Anne

Right then, the last couple of “not sure what it is photos”!!

This we were told is a Halifax but after a comment by someone I am now having doubts, anyone have any idea what it is from?

Thansk

ZPU

i guess that it was a 16 sqn trophy possibly when they had GR1s in the Gulf

Could be a war trophy of theres – did wonder the paint scheme myself. Didn’t realise they had so many Spitfires in storage, are these used as ‘swaps’ in case another museum has something the RAFM wants? Such as when the museum at Krakow had the DH9A, etc

Why would the ZPU be painted in the 16(R) Sqn colours?

Thanks alot everyone for all the replies and so quickly as well.

The rest of the photos I have taken are here;
www.richardflagg.fotopic.net/RAFMReserve

The Dragon Rapide, I assume then the reg is G-AHED?

There will probably be a few more photos that I’ll need help with but I’ll post them as and when!

Thanks again

I think photo 4 is the canopy off of the Martin Baker M.B.2

What is the history of the MB.2 cockpit between 1941 and the present day? What happened to the rest of the aeroplane?

😀 I’d like to see how they take-off with one of those underneath!
I’d not be able to identify the model, thanks anneorac; but the W.W.II types were fitted to Warwicks and Hudsons primarily.

…and laterly Lancaster GR.IIIs.
Only the SAAF used the Mk.3 underslung lifeboat beyond the early Shackletons.

It should pointed out that the cannon pictured were fitted to the centreline pylon of Phantoms.

The upper missile looks like a development Fairey Fireflash, similar to the type fitted to Swift F.7s.

😀 I’d like to see how they take-off with one of those underneath!

😀 Yeah fair point