Sri Lankan Air Force Museum – requests?

Thank y’all guys glad my Brit mistake (still think the CL-44 looks like a Brit) was at least understandable – (very pro-Brit us, as we donated a complete Brit F/E Panel to Roger Hargreaves just before xmas for the Brit Trust – we are therefore going to Whispering Giant Heaven)

All the best

TT

Don’t worry about the pix TT.
Your write-up on the JP makes interesting reading though 🙂

All the best! Mark

Well done ZHR – thats the beastie – not being good on civvy types it looked like a Brit from the distance!

IL-18, yep, that’ll be it then. Easily confused with a Brit for a distance.

You cerntainly had me going though, I thought it might have been one of the Brit ghost ships that are reported every now and again in Africa, a legacy from their years of operations ex Zaire – although gone for many years now.

TT,

You are most definitively forgiven! 🙂

Regards,

Jan

No problem TT. I still think you had a great time there and that is the most important. BTW, I already recived some great stieglitz joy from you. 😉

Cheers!
Stieglitz

Well done ZHR – thats the beastie – not being good on civvy types it looked like a Brit from the distance!

Yep the AA guns still there!

TT

Mr B – i must own to being a little rubbish on airliners &c. but i was sure that there was a Canadian 4 engined tp which looked damn similar to a Brit…?

You could get right up close Ollie

TT

It wasn’t one of the exotic registered Il-18s that work out of Sharjah, was it? I saw one or two at Columbo when I was there back in 2000.

Do they still have the anti-aircraft gun pointing at the front of the queue of cars at the security check point on the way into the airport?

TT

Don’t worry mate – often happens especially in tough third world places – Fancy recovering the Syrian Spits or the Afgan Hinds ?

So at least its a thanks and head held high from me mate .

As a matter of interest the listing of parts and Pics is 10 Swordfish wings and 2 tons of engine and cowling/exhaust parts – Some pics were published many years ago in the UK press and I have the articles and letters from the principles if anybody wants to chase it up as I don’t think i will ever get thcere.

Regards
John P

Cheers John ‘preciate it!

TT

Mr B – i must own to being a little rubbish on airliners &c. but i was sure that there was a Canadian 4 engined tp which looked damn similar to a Brit…?

You could get right up close Ollie

TT

Dont worry about feeling you have let us down. Things dont always go to plan. Anyway i am glad to know the visit was good. Now if only entrance fees and services where that good over here.
How close could you get to the airframes in the hangers?

I am SURE i saw a Bristol Britannia airside though I suppose it could have been one of the similar Canadian jobs(CL-44????) it wasnt there when i left a fortnight later and looked active

CL-44? Britannia???

Nope, you must have been suffering heat exhuastion!!! :diablo:

Last flight of a Britannia was 1997 and CL-44 (if you call Conroy Guppy at Bournemouth Hurn) a CL-44, was around 2001/2.

If you’re sure it was four engined it could have been a big Douglas prop or even, but very remote, a Viscount (think only one of those flying in SA).

I guess from your comments above you didn’t get any photos of this either?

Dear All,

well made it back from the wonderful isle of Sri Lanka- but sorry to report that I wasnt allowed to take any photos at all due to security reasons – even though i had a letter previously from the C.O. saying it was fine to do so.

The Tamils have upped the ante over the past few months and 48 hrs after we visited 8 bombs went off in Columbo, so fair enough. Nervous kids with AKMs abounded.

Unfortunately not being a Setter Jedi i failed also to discover the whereabouts of the corsair and despite wearing a sandwich board with RUPEES FOR WARBIRDS written on it, up and down the Kandy road i found ****** all.

Sorry to everyone…but nothing i could do.

The airport itself is resplendant in 1930s and 1940s architecture to one side (Control tower, series of T2s )when making my way to immigration I am SURE i saw a Bristol Britannia airside though I suppose it could have been one of the similar Canadian jobs(CL-44????) it wasnt there when i left a fortnight later and looked active.

Also for Jagans’ fab warbirds of india site (for a full list of airframes see http://warbirdsofindia.com/ovsrilanka.html ) there is a pretty rough An-12 (?) in a compound in some weeds….

The Museum itself was a nightmare to get access to – letters and bureaucracy all over the shop – the SLAF uniforms are virtually identical to WW2 RAF equivalents – right down to 38 pattern webbing, Sam Browne and .38 enfield side arms!

The Museum is approx 5 hangars, immaculately presented with clean, polished floors and airy interior – many airmen buzzing about to various storage areas – a compound vull of wrecked airframes is hidden away (nothing juicy – mostly Mi-24s i think) their Beech was stunning – they also have a Dak, a gaggle of chippies (a whole hangar full!) and a selection of JPs Doves and Herons –their JP was fitted with 1940s light series carrier bomb racks with RPs slung underneath which cant be right!

The Star was the VERY complete Balliol – which apart from Blacked out windows looked in superb nick, their Tiger which was rebuilt relatively recently was immaculate….

10 rupees (about 5p) to look round was a joke so insisted on making a bit more of a realistic donation to them – and gave a Sywell Aviation Museum sticker!

We were treated like royalty and two NCOs were sent to escort us round – true gents.

All in lovely landscaped grounds – there was even a kids play area! But from what i can gather they hardly get any visitors, perhaps they prefer it that way, the Museum is not in any tourist guides and the bureaucracy of getting in must put a lot of people off….

Dont be put off, it was great.

Just really sorry I couldnt get any pics – still did make furious notes for Jan on the Skymasters so I think he’s happy!

Sorry to have let ya down 🙁

TT

I was quite interested to see the remains of the Corsair, the blurb states that it came off the Illustrious in 1944, my late uncle was a Corsair armourer on Illustrious at that time and his periscope used for checking the guns sits on the desk next to me. It’s quite wierd to think that this small piece of brass was possibly used to check out this particular a/c.

Have a good one TT.

Right gang I’m offski – see you on the other side – dont start any Harvard threads without me!

TTFN

TT

😀

I’m here all week laydees and genntlemeeen -oh hang on a minute, no I’m not… 🙂

TT

According to the missus 3 1/2 minutes is all i need matey! :p 😀
🙂

Ba-Boom! 😀

Adrian

According to the missus 3 1/2 minutes is all i need matey! :p 😀

P.S.
Yep Jan by sheer chance….. 😉 …there is a Beech there…… 🙂

So, TT, what are you going to do with the 3 1/2 minutes of qua;ity time you have left once you’ve finished taking everyone’s photos? :diablo:

Adrian

TT,

Many thanks. As for the choice of cameras, I’d prefer the 3.5mp Olympus, but any good quality images of the ‘337 would most appreciated.

Also, can you ask the SLAF Museum staff if they have a press, or liaison officer or archivist/historian?

BTW, Isn’t there a Beech 18 at the museum? 😀

Happy holidays!

Jan