I think the U.K. spy flights in the Cold War are a hidden secret which needs publicising . . .

Why do you think so? I ask because most of the people that flew the missions, as well as those that authorised them, are still alive today, exposure could be embarrassing in some cases. Besides, the public domain has enough accessible records of nuke sniffer flights and lo-hi-lo alt PR flights to keep conspiricists happily busy for years. You won’t find much about singleton “penetrations” though, at least not for another 30 years or so. :rolleyes:

. . .whereas the U.S. spy flights are very public knowledge.

True but only if you have the time, and resources, to wade through several US databases matching a/c serials, unit numbers and flight records from one with “supposed” mission profiles and unit locations from others.

Take yourself off to legends if you want. Then, and this is important, form your own opinion of the show don’t just take on-board the opinions of others. They may know the colour of socks any particular pilot is wearing when zooming in his Spit-tang or whatever, but your own impressions are what counts in the long run.

If by some chance you happen to get to Waddo next year come across to the Canberra Assoc flight line enclosure, I’ll let you in and we’ll make you welcome. You can mingle with and talk informally to blokes who actually flew with the RAF in the days we had a proper air force – Cans, Vulcs, Shacks, Victors, Lightnings, Hunters, Buccs, etc. You may just get more than you bargin for though as they’re not easy to shut-up when in the “There I was . . ” mode!!

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Chilean Air Force PR9s too?

There were three of them, XH166, XH167 and XH173. 167 crashed during a PR mission on 23 May 1983. I believe the two are now statics at the National Air & Space Museum, Los Cerrillos, Chile. Or maybe just 173 with 166 being used as a christmas tree.

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Brit Canuk

I make it about dozen. As follows . . . three private in the US (two earning revenue); one private in Australia (Temora); one private in the UK (WK163); four RAF (PR.9); possibly three Indian Air Force (1 B(I)58 + 2 PR.7).

Web Pilot
Too anoraky about the roundal when the blue paint itself is the wrong shade. Anyway, it’s a standard cooking T.4 not the original. It satisfies a requirement as a symbol not as a 1:1 scale replica. :rolleyes:

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At the time I think it had a blue globe on the tail fin – not sure what that was all about!

That was the badge of 1 PRU. Initially the PR.9s from Wyton’s 39 Sqn were transferred to this PRU when they moved to Marham. Later though they discarded the “Globe” and became 39 Sqn again with the winged bomb on the fin.

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Mossie was starboard. Canberra too.

Always thought the entrance of the Mossie was underneath or some reason.

As far as the Canberra is concerned, the entrance is on the stbd side because the control runs are on the port – that’s why the B(I)8 had an off-set cockpit.

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As for your comments Les – a BI(8) would be a superb aircraft to display (again !) at Cosford. I would hope that the New Zealanders are keeping a close eye on some of their former interdictors as they are retired and lapsing into dereliction.

Sincerely doubt it Dave. They haven’t even bothered to clean the rubberised transportation gunk off WT346 let alone putting it back together again. A recent photo sent to me shows it pretty much in the same state as is shown on my web site. If they can’t be bothered to do anything with WT346 I doubt they’ll persue their own 8s in India. WT346 has been out there since 1993 (April) but even then, Cosford wanted to sell it to a scrapman! 😡 Pic taken April this year.

Crying shame as the only other complete example of this noteworthy Cold War aircraft is in Gemany!

So, as far as F-111s and Lodestars are concerned, until we recognise our own CW history, it’s all so much hot air. 😡

And I don’t want to hear about the B(I)8 at Newark – that ‘frame didn’t see service and is not representative of anything.

. . . and it’s an aircraft I worked on in Germany.

Cosford would do better to swallow their past mistake and get that B(I)8 back from NZ. To me, that kite is much more representative of our Cold War than any F-111.

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