I have just spotted this manual on ebay which sparked a memory from my teeange years..
It relates to a “Winged Target MkII” which, looking at the picture of the airframe, looks to be a very close match to a crashed airframe my family and I discovered mostly buried on a beach in the Sunderland area (Druridge Bay if memory serves) around 15 years ago.
All that was visible at the time was a corrded forked leg sticking up from the sand, which we learned later was well known to local horse riders as a bit of a hazard as it stuck a good foot up into the air from the sand. As an inquisituve kid into all things aviation I got digging, to find the leg attached to a flat, silver aluminium structure by means of a rubber block, which looked to be a the bottom of a wing. My father soon became involved in the digging, until we exposed a sizeable section of fuselage. What I do recall clearly is that the were the fairly intact remains of the port and stbd inner wings, very straight and with 90 degree ribs at which the outer wing leading and trailing edges started to taper, as per the image in the ebay link.
The find was reported to the local police, then to the North East Aircraft Museum who I seem to recall were aware of something being there for many years. Very shortly after, the whole dig sight was barriered off, the remains dug up by offical looking types in Land Rovers and according to the local policeman, transported to Farnborough of all places!
I wrote to Farnborough who confirmed the receipt of a crashed airframe from the area, but couldn’t tell me any more about it at that time. I never did follow it up again until now. I can’t find the photo’s we took, but will keep looking!
So, this all leads to my request for any more information on
a) the dig at what I think was the beach at Druridge Bay if anyone knows of it (must have been around 1994 ish)
and b) the Winged Target MkII which I am fairly convinced is what we found that day. I can’t find any info anywhere on the internet, so over to you knowledgable few!
Many thanks
Timbo
By: ZRX61 - 31st March 2025 at 12:20
Some British target thingies were powered by Vincent motorcycle engines… 🙂
By: Die_Noctuque - 31st March 2025 at 12:19
which raises the question, would the “winged target MkII” have been powered or towed? If powered, by what; and if towed, also by what ? (it is quite a sizeable beast!)
By: Grumpy1 - 31st March 2025 at 12:19
That target looks very similar to this. http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/frog/frog.htm
By: Die_Noctuque - 31st March 2025 at 12:19
That’ll be the one!
Great link, thanks Grumpy!
Seeing the aircraft haging from ceiling (ie seeing the underside which is what I would have seen on the beach) it certainly looks like the image in my memory.
What I could really do with is a photo of the undercarriage in place – that’s the only difference I can see ebtween this Queensland exhibit and thr thing we dug up – we definitely had a fixed and very rudimentary undercarriage which consisted of a rubber cylinder, a tubular leg, and a forked bearer. One of the legs is still lurking in my parents garage somewhere – the only thing holding it in place after all those years in the beach was the pressure of the sand around it. as with the photo’s, I really must find it soon!
By: Batman - 31st March 2025 at 12:19
RFD Winged Target
During the 1950s, the RAAF trialled the “RFD Winged Target”. It was towed, I think had twin-boomed fuselage and large (high aspect ratio) wingspan.
I presume it was UK produced. Anyone have any pics of this and what does “RFD” stand for?
By: Grumpy1 - 31st March 2025 at 12:17
There’s a company named RFD that specialises mainly in lifesaving & survival equipment. It was established in Surrey in 1920. RFD is taken from the initials of the company founder, Reginald Foster Dagnall. The Australian division is named RFD (Australia) Pty Ltd. http://www.rfd.com.au/about.htm
Edit. Info & photo of RFD Winged Target here –> http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%200923.html
By: No.2 A.A.C.U. - 31st March 2025 at 12:17
TT18Timbo,
Very interesting subject and e-mail sent with details that might be of interest. Please dig out the photos as would be very interested in copying these if possible.
Batman,
R.F.D. Co Ltd were a company that specialised in ancillary equipment for various airforces. Their products include Lifejackets, Rubber dinghies, Life rafts, Winged Aerial targets, Banner targets, Drogue targets, Various gunnery trainers, Air sea rescue dropping gear, Paratroop training balloons etc…the list goes on. RFD initials came from the First World War expert in ‘lighter than air’ craft R.F. Dagnall. For more reading there is a very interesting article within the 6 May 1955 edition of Flight, which is viewable through their archive. RFD Winged Target photo attached (I hope)
Kind regards,
Tim
By: Fouga23 - 31st March 2025 at 12:17
Interesting picture! Didn’t know Lucas made rotan furniture. I just know them from their crappy carparts :D:p
By: bazv - 31st March 2025 at 12:15
Interesting picture! Didn’t know Lucas made rotan furniture. I just know them from their crappy carparts :D:p
Aaahhh you mean …Lucas (Prince of Darkness) :D:diablo:
By: CanberraA84-232 - 31st March 2025 at 12:15
Interesting picture! Didn’t know Lucas made rotan furniture. I just know them from their crappy carparts :D:p
i have a 1957 Austin truck, Weslake engine and utterly sh*teful Lucas positive earth electrical system
By: PeterVerney - 31st March 2025 at 12:14
The APS at Acklington used Druridge Bay for an air to air range.
Although we normally fired at the towed flag targets, at the end of one detachment I can remember being allowed one go at a towed glider target.
It had a split tow line which attached to each wing at about half span, the wing was straight to that point and then tapered.
My pilot was extremely cross because the first man on the target cut one of the lines so that the damn thing flew all skewed with one wing down, and he just could not line the gunsight up on it.
In fact of the four aircraft detailed to shoot, not one scored a hit, except for the the man who cut the tow.
By: Die_Noctuque - 31st March 2025 at 12:14
Interesting stuff chaps, thanks for the replies so far 🙂
Great story Peter, I would imagine one of these targets flying askew would cause some serious drag and handling issues for the tug aircraft!
By: Batman - 31st March 2025 at 12:14
RFD
Grumpy and 2AACU
Many thanks for your prompt and informative replies. 🙂
By: John Aeroclub - 31st March 2025 at 12:13
Some British target thingies were powered by Vincent motorcycle engines… 🙂
These were the M.L Aviation ML-120 D with the Vincent Picador engine.
I found a number of this machines wings driven into the bank to stop errosion near Blakeney to make a quayside.
John
By: Die_Noctuque - 31st March 2025 at 12:13
Would that be Blakeney, Forest of Dean, John?
By: Die_Noctuque - 31st March 2025 at 12:08
Ah I see – what are the chances of both having quaysides eh! 😮
By: John Aeroclub - 31st March 2025 at 12:08
No, Norfolk. The location is actually Morston.
John
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February 5, 2010 at 8:19 pm