Still giving pleasure at 50 – The JP !

Warry Blunty

Here is a very unusual RNZAF Strikemaster colour scheme. I took this photo in February 2004 at the training school at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. I think two of the four Strikemasters there were in this scheme from vague memory of my rushed visit.

This ‘Blunty’ (as they were universally known in the RNZAF), is now an instructional airframe and the trainee Safety and Surface workers have repainted it in a modern ‘warry’ green/grey low-viz scheme, as was worn latterly by the Skyhawks, Maachis and some Andovers (now all withdrawn from service too).

But this scheme is one that the Strikemaster never wore in RNZAF service. In fact the Bluntys served for 20 years in the same scheme, the brown/green camo with high-viz markings as seen at the 1972 Farnborough show on this thread.

The Blunty’s used to serve proudly with No 14 Squadron. Now the Squadron is disbanded as the RNZAF no longer trains pilots to the extent that they once did. Very sad, the Sqn had an awesome history, as did No’s 75 and 2 Sqns that were also culled by the Government. 😡 😡 😡

I remember when I joined the RNZAF we knew the Blunty’s were clapped out and getting troublesome (wing stress mainly), and that the brand new MB-339K’s were soon to replace them. So I never thought much of the Strikemaster and almost disregarded them. The Maachis seemed like a new hope, new jets for a new age that had the same capabilities as our frontline A4K’s.

But later on I got to see a few dislays by the Strikemaster and was simply amazed by what these little old sedate-looking-on-the-ground planes could do. Wow. For an old clapped out aircraft, they were tremendous. Of course the displays I saw were down to the skills of the RNZAF pilots who flew them – we had some superb pilots in the RNZAF in those days. In the end I was sorry to see them go and I wish the RNZAF had kept one in the historic flight with the Tiger Moth and Harvard.

I was interested to see NZ6365 with a UK civil registration. Would this have been simply for the airshow? Or did they all get a civil registration during the flight testing phase? I’d never thought about our military aircraft being on a civil register before their service before.

Thanks for the info Lauriebe , and what a superb shot of that Mk 1 ET, that’s a real reminder of what era the JP started in !
BRING BACK UNIT LETTERS !!

Wow!
Superb!

Second try (file too big !!)

Nice photos of the Mk1 G-AOBU. Hopefully attached a shot of how it looks now, having been repainted as XD693, one of the RAFs 10 used by 2FTS at Hullavington

Hey Lauriebe

If you don’t mind the compliment , you seem to have quite a history , RAF service , cool hand under circumstances where others do the compulsory ‘forgot to take pictures’ thing, i.e. the 105 incident , and those air to air shots out of Manby !

If you don’t mind me asking , what did you do in the RAF ?
and , have we had a thread asking what kind of working in aviation related experience (military / cilvil / amatuer) the forum users have ?

Regards

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the compliment. As far as the photos go, I think it was more a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I have one more set of interesting piccies. That shows an RAF VC10 C Mk 1 of 10 Sqn making an emergency landing at RAF Tengah, Singapore, on the afternoon of 29 April 1968. Being trying on several forums to put an ID to this aeroplane. No success yet.

I did 2 stints in the RAF altogether. First 1964 -69 as an Air Defence Operator, serving at Bawdsey in Suffolk, Western Hill here on Penang Island and, lastly, at Hartland Point, North Devon. Second stint was as an Adminner at Manby, Akrotiri, St Athan, Cranwell & Innsworth as well as two tours with the Careers Information Service at the offices in London and Nottingham.

I left the ‘mob’ in Oct 89 and spent almost 11 years in Saudi Arabia working for BAe on Al Yamamah before deciding to put the feet up early and come out east to live.

For Papa Lima, on the 105 incident, I am reliably informed that it was the second prototype, 105-02, that was involved at Farnborough. It carried the reg SE-XBZ at the time.

BR,

Laurie.

Hey Lauriebe

If you don’t mind the compliment , you seem to have quite a history , RAF service , cool hand under circumstances where others do the compulsory ‘forgot to take pictures’ thing, i.e. the 105 incident , and those air to air shots out of Manby !

If you don’t mind me asking , what did you do in the RAF ?
and , have we had a thread asking what kind of working in aviation related experience (military / cilvil / amatuer) the forum users have ?

Regards

Paul

Quick thinking on your part, lauriebe, I am sure I would have forgotten to take any pix among the general excitement! I now wonder if it was SE-XBJ or SE-DCX – can you see on the original photo?

Unfortunately not. It’s only a small print and the aircraft image is too small to make out any real detail. Can’t find the negatives either.

BR

Laurie.

I remember that 105 incident, the pilot was fine, until he climbed out the cockpit and hurt his back.

Quick thinking on your part, lauriebe, I am sure I would have forgotten to take any pix among the general excitement! I now wonder if it was SE-XBJ or SE-DCX – can you see on the original photo?

lauriebie, you were there on the Wednesday, then, which was the day the Saab 105 pilot “crossed the dividing line between those pilots who have landed with wheels up and those who are going to”. Don’t you remember the Viggen second prototype, 37002, on its first appearance?

That’s right, it was the Wednesday and I do remember the Viggen. Also I seem to recall first appearances for the L1011 Tristar and GAF Nomad.

Attached below are 3 photos of a series of 6 that I took as the 105 landed.

BR,

Laurie.

lauriebie, you were there on the Wednesday, then, which was the day the Saab 105 pilot “crossed the dividing line between those pilots who have landed with wheels up and those who are going to”. Don’t you remember the Viggen second prototype, 37002, on its first appearance?

Lauriebie, I can confirm that the 1972 SBAC Show static BAC Strikemaster 88 was G-AZYN/NZ6365 (305) for the RNZAF. Another was in the flying display, G-AZXK/NZ6364 (304).

Papa Lima,

Thanks for that. My notes disappeared some time ago.

The thing I remember about the flying display on the day that I attended was the wheels up landing of the Saab 105! Have some photos of that somewhere.

Regards,

Laurie.

G-AOBU was construction number 84/6, a T.1 retained by Hunting Percival as their company demonstrator and I believe still extant, operated by Kennet Aviation of North Weald if my database is up to date! It is currently painted as XD693. Out of the 12 T.1s built, 10 went to the RAF and the other retained by Hunting Percival was used for structural tests.

Lauriebie, I can confirm that the 1972 SBAC Show static BAC Strikemaster 88 was G-AZYN/NZ6365 (305) for the RNZAF. Another was in the flying display, G-AZXK/NZ6364 (304).

Hi Coanda

You have requested cockpit pictures to help with your flight sim project , but you will have to note which Mk of JP you are going to replicate , as each of the various Mk’s had different cockpit instrumentation ?
I have some good reproductions of T3 / T4 cockpit layout’s , and an armed ‘export’ JP panel layout.
Contact me off-line and we may be able to work something out.

Nice Mk1 shot’s , you can’t imagine basic training landings being very friendly towards that undercarriage can you !!!

RAAF JP

Here is a pic of the RAAF JP T.2 unfortunately it’s not real good so I’ll have to see if I can get a better one.

I’ve also included 3 of G-AOBU (was that actually one of the prototypes?)
I’m not sure were I got them from so if they are anyone on the forums please let me know so that I can credit you

need help!

heres a nice pic for you that came out of a pocket spotters book from aeons ago it would seem (given the condition the book is in!! )

i am looking for technical data on the provost aircraft for a flight sim project.

I especially am on the lookout for:

flap angles
control surface deflections (angles or distances doesnt matter to me!)

if you can get your hands on them and post them here (or pm me) that would be brill as they seem hard to come by.

I am also in need of photo’s of the cockpit.

Many thanx in advance

coanda

Wow ! Nice air to air shots Lauriebe ! so pleased we managed to hit a thread that got those brilliant pics out of you !
AR , i can’t currently post the pic i,ve got of XS186 due to copyright from the photo supplier , but i,ll enquire about getting permission.The scheme is definitely grey with orange bands , and most people react initially with the ‘i never saw a grey / orange JP, only silver /orange, hence the desire to get it back into it’s original colours.

Glad that you liked the photos. I have tried to put them in my photo editor and get some of the true colour back. Not very successfully though.

Spiteful21, you asked about JPs/Strikemasters. I have just found another 2 photos in an old album. These were taken at Farnborough ’72. The only Farnborough show I have managed to get to. The first shows an NZ Strikemaster prior to delivery. It still carries the UK civil reg which, unfortunately, is partially obscured by the tail. I think it was G-AZYN. The other photo is of JP Mk 5, XW436. Both aircraft were in the static park that year.

Again, the colours in the photos have faded somewhat. Still checking through old photos to see if I have any more.

BR,

Laurie.

Wow! Was that the Ballarat one or was it in the UK?

A buddy of mine from California will be visiting us in December so we will drive up there and play for a day.