not long after my visit up that way a Nimrod ditched in the bay beyond the runway at Kinloss.

There was the Nimrod (XV256) crash in Nov 1980, and the Nimrod R.1 (XW666) ditching in May 1995, so I guess you mean the former.
Also, the Shackleton in your pics, WR965, was lost in April 1990.
The Nimrod pictured is without a refuelling probe, so I’m guessing these pics are early ’80s, almost 30 years ago?

In the future I load it up in the commercial sub-forum.
I have a lot of more old picture and I hope you enjoy it again.

I say keep posting your pictures here, the ‘Historic’ forum is for anything historic, civil or military, ‘Commercial’ is for commercial aviation, ie aviation that currently earns revenue.
I think a ‘Historic Commercial’ sub section has been discussed before, but was found to be little need for it as this forum covers both.

We enjoy pictures of old aeroplanes – doesn’t mater what they did in a former life.:)

And will all 4 L-29’s be fliers? And what two hunter airfrsmes are going to be restored?

Most uniquely is Hunter T.8M, XL602, this was the prototype of three T.8Ms used by the Fleet Air Arm/FRADU to train Sea Harrier FRS.1 pilots on the Blue Fox radar, as the harrier trainer couldn’t be fitted with radar.
All three survive (one at the FAAM), but this will be the only flier when it’s completed.
More info on XL602s history here, http://www.fradu-hunters.co.uk/fraduhnt/xxxxl602.html

T.8M XL602 cockpit 17 Feb 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter T.8M mid Fuselage & Gannet XL500 wings 17 Feb 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter T.8M XL602 rear fuselage 17 Feb 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

The Delfins will be flyers, second one (G-DELF) arrived today,

Aero L-29 Delfin G-DELF by jamtey71, on Flickr

Should point out that it’s down to the good nature of HFL that allows me access and permission to post the pics.

Fawlty, ‘you’re going to take something like that (severe beating and telling off from Sybil) seriously?!’
O’Reilly, ‘well, I tought I might!’

So quickly did the Goblin become a viable engine, that the Gloster Meteor first flew with this de Havilland engine, instead of the Rolls Royce/Power Jets Welland that was intended for it.

I had forgotten that, indeed Meteor DG206 (fith prototype) was the first to fly and powered by the H.1, apparently it was the better engine in tests.
Indeed the ‘missing’ Meteor II was intended to be Halford/DH powered.

Funny thing history!

There’s too many myths about the Vampire / Venom construction and history, especially in regard to simply using the front ends of Mosquitos and Hornets.

I would have to see good tangible evidence regarding the Gloster connection to put too much faith in it being a ‘Gloster’ airframe design, the twin boom layout was naturally suited to the low powered single jet engine, as SAAB also found to their benefit when they adapted the piston engined J21 fighter to the jet powered J21R, various other companies also used twin booms on lower powered jet aircraft.

I thought that the ‘Spider crab’ name was purely a project title on what was a highly secret project at the time.

As Bruce says, the DH.113 NF.10 was a DH Hatfield design, the DH.115 Vampire trainer was indeed an Airspeed project, coming out of Christchurch, Airspeed was part of the de Havilland companies at the time. DH would take over the Airspeed Christchurch factory site and later develop the Sea Vixen there.

Another arrival today was this L-29 Delfin, apparenty it will be the first of four to base here. They will join the six Yak-52s already here, and currently the Hunter count is six flyers and two restoration airframes. T.7 G-VETA is due in at the end of the week as well.

Aero L-29 Delfin 16 Feb 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Aero L-29 Delfin 16 Feb 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Aero L-29 Delfin 16 Feb 12 by jamtey71, on Flickr

Hunter T.8C G-BWGL / XF357 ‘N-321’ looks stunning in this Dutch silver and dayglo scheme, it arrived here last week for servicing and inspections.

Hunter T.8C G-BWGL, XF357 ‘N-321’ by jamtey71, on Flickr