I am currently restoring WP790 in the background of this shot – More please Albert!

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your message -excellent news! Here is WP790 of Birmingham UAS at Shawbury on 8th September 1971.

A Zaire AF C-47. I am guessing that a lot of photos of African Air Forces on this site were taken without permission with a small camera. I certainly know that many African countries are paranoid about security and don’t understand anyone that is interested in their aircraft, let alone taking photos of them.
I tried to get permission in Kenya when I was in the RAF, but they wouldn’t have any of it and even refused permission for me to shoot a Kenya Air Force piston Provost on the gate at Moi Air Base(ex Embakasi), near Nairobi. This is an extremely rare machine, as it was left to the Kenyans by the RAF as an instructional airframe and never flew with them. Today it is on this gate in full KAF camouflage and markings and wonder if anyone has managed to photograph it?

Hi Ross,

Having taken colour slides for nearly 40 years, I was VERY dubious about changing to something that I felt could disintegrate into a load of pixels at the slip of a ‘delete’ button. Rather that just buy a point-and-shoot compact digital camera, I have a Minolta Dimage 7i and really am quite staggered at the results it has produced. It has a built in 28-200mm zoom telephoto, which also has a 2X converter giving you up to 400mm, but it is really hopeless on focussing on anything moving fast, so I restrict it to ground and indoor/museum shots, where it knocks the pants off my slide-film SLR.
One day I will take the final plunge and give up taking slides, replacing my Nikon SLRs with a Canon EOS 10D,D60 or something similar, but until then I will continue taking both slides and digital, depending on the situation and conditions.

Of course, if you’re not too fussy about the type actually being a ‘Hudson’, there are still lots of very similar Lockheed Lodestars and Venturas around in the USA and South Africa. I know the Confederate Air Force had a Lodestar flying and the South African Airways Historic Flight has a Ventura, although not airworthy. There are several Venturas flying in the States, as they were used as firebombers into the ’70s. Have photos of all those I’ve mentioned. Also the Hudson preserved at Gander, Newfoundland.

Tom,

Thought I heard it go over just now!
As we’ve got your attention, what’s the latest on the Convair flying?

Bulldog air-to-air anyone?

…..okay, I can go one better than that! Here is the same aircraft taken on the same flight, this time air-to-air, not by me, but another gem in the Albert slide collection for you to enjoy 😉

RAF Museum’s Hart

How many of you remember seeing the RAF Museum’s Hart flying? This is the last time I saw it in the air, at Little Rissington 11 Sept.1971.

Lovely stuff Steve – what an artistic eye you have and all in sunshine!

Many thanks for sharing.

What camera/lens were these on? I am currently evaluating digital SLRs and the Canon 10D seems favourite, with the 60D being superior on focussing, according to Damien. However, finding a 60D seems almost impossible, as no one wants to part with theirs. However, a dealer told me there will be loads of second-hand 10D and 60D cameras on the market in November, as Canon are bringing out a new replacement model. Anyone heard about this?