Wymeswold display 1955

re G-ANTD

Just saw your post Discendo.
Yes, G-ANTD (cn 49153/26414) was RAF Dakota IV KJ977.
Last I heard it was broken up at Norwich about 1973.

Laurence

Yeah…………..but life was fun then !!!!

Planemike

Aye before they elf and safetied everything enjoyable out of existence. Just don’t get me started about Poole’s “Christmas Tree”, nothing Christmassy or treelike about it apart from the fact that it’s green and even then it’s the wrong shade of green.

Thank you for these, every time I see a thread that says “old photos” I know that there are some gems.

Ain’t that the truth? A title that always tempts me to have a look.

…and also Sabre BB731 (was that 19731, ex XD730?)…

It wasn’t XD730 – Along with XD707, it crashed on Kinder Scout on 22:07:1954.

No doubt a fellow Forumite can ID it! 😀

Don

can anybody else hear a million and one health and safety inspectors biting down on their clip boards in shock :diablo::diablo::dev2: ?

Yeah…………..but life was fun then !!!!

Planemike

That would have been Skyblazers, the period USAFE team.
Sure they were Thunderjets (straight wing F-84s) and not F-86s or F-100s?

Yes they were the straight wing F84. I can remember quite a few of the display a/c quite vividly and one is certainly the Dart Kitten in it’s Red and Silver scheme and the Hunter in it’s Pale Green paintwork.

If I do remember there was a TT 35 Mosquito in the static park as well as a Fairchild Argus (civil). Also there was the Spit 16 which appeared at Syerston the following year and then remained there. Now I am a little puzzled, because my first B of B airshow was at Newton which I believe was 1954 or 55 and the following year the B of B venue moved to Wymswold and the Dart Kitten was there. Is it possible that there were two consecative shows at Wymswold? I certainly remember the hangars were full of Hunters and there was a huge display of “solid” models (the Farrah collection?)

John

The Dart Kitten G-AMJP flew with the Grimsby Aero Club at Waltham in the late fifties and flew out of Skegness Ingoldmells quite a bit around 1965/6 in an all white colour scheme. The B.170 would have been based at nearby Langar with the RCAF Transport Flight.

These were the days when they would stick a Meteor in the butts and fire the cannon to impress the crowd.There was also a demo by the reverse thrust Hunter.

can anybody else hear a million and one health and safety inspectors biting down on their clip boards in shock :diablo::diablo::dev2: ?

….and Thunderjets of the Skyblazers ? (or Thunderbirds) team.

That would have been Skyblazers, the period USAFE team.
Sure they were Thunderjets (straight wing F-84s) and not F-86s or F-100s?

It’s always nice to see old photos like that, thanks for posting.

It’s interesting to see that the DC-3 still has the blower(?) intakes on top of the engine nacelles, and lacks the tail cone, both reminders of its military past.

I was told that the rudder survivied with a collecter.

Dave

Thanks for the information Dave. I am glad you found this new thread. I remember being very impressed by the Kitten in 1955.
Did any bits survive after the crash in 1966?

Laurence

As posted on the Oly 2b thread. My father built parts of the Dart Kitten at my grandads house in Dunstable.

Dave

No, John, I confess I cannot remember the Attackers or Thunderjets, or the RV Hunter. My display was 30 May 1955. Is that your date too?
Mixed up with the negatives I just posted is one of 8 Meteors in formation, which may have been the same day, and I have 4 Hunters and 4 Canberras in formation too, but again not sure if they were that day.
I note that Chipmunk WP778 was there too. WP778 was still with Nottingham UAS when I flew with them in 1958, and we also had WK635, WD295 and WD345. WG471 had gone by then.
Not directly related to Wymeswold, but to NUAS, was when the fellows from the RCAF visited us at Newton one night and next morning we found one of our Chipmunks redecorated with a maple leaf.

In October 1959 Wymeswold was crawling with RCAF T33s, and also Sabre BB731 (was that 19731, ex XD730?), but I also saw Viking CR-IAC and DC6 G-APNP.

Cheers, Laurence

Thanks for posting these. I think that this was my second airshow (and I recall the longest bike ride to get there). I seem to recall 504 had their Meteors there and the temporary resident Hunter squadron had a Chinth (a burmese mythical creature) as it’s badge and they were Sapphire powered. These were the days when they would stick a Meteor in the butts and fire the cannon to impress the crowd. Do you remember the formation of Attackers and Thunderjets of the Skyblazers ? (or Thunderbirds) team. There was also a demo by the reverse thrust Hunter.

Thanks again.

John

Thanks BSG. It is nice to share these photos. I am sorry about the quality, as I was a mere teenager, although I have nothing against (most) teenagers, and was using ancient 120 roll film and had to scan up from a tiny part of the frame. Got some nasty “moiré” effects. I ought to rescan them I suppose!
They may bring back some memories though.

Laurence

Thank you for these, every time I see a thread that says “old photos” I know that there are some gems.