Maybe an early Strikmaster? They usually bulge on the left hand side of the top casting and have an extra button in that area, but the whole grip shape looks right.

People like this certainly pioneered the helicopter into successful daily usage. Seem to recall that he had some pretty hairy moments with the Bristol 171 and 173 development trials!
I hadn’t realised that he was a FAA pilot during the war.

Happy Birthday!

Great info, was the capsule the same shape as the cannon pack?

They certainly seemed to know where to park that tug!

Are there any plans for the Comet to move elsewhere?

RAFM Cosford, http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=114039&highlight=lyneham+comet , though I’m not sure how those plans are progressing.

We had a brief at Saints some time ago that RAF Tech training won’t be going to Lyneham, however with the current vogue of increasingly combined multi service tech training I’m open minded about an RAF presence of some sort returning there.

The Canberra PR.9 never fails to surprise when it comes to different bits of kit fitted to it, I’ve never seen that extra before now.
I certainly woudn’t have thought that the cannon pack from the B(I).6/8 was ever fitted to the 9, but the shape and position seems about the same – I wonder if it’s the same structure but with cannons removed and other kit fitted?
Great picture and interesting to see that no Unit/Sqn markings are showing in the usual position on the fin.

Sorry yes, Thunderscreech. Also pic 1 is Quiet Short-haul Research Aircraft as OP says – too much of the New Year tipple in me I think!

I recently got the film on DVD, and every time I watch it I marvel at it.

I think there’s a t least four Lincolns seen, three in an arrival formation, and the one taxying past, plus the post-war turretless Wellington T.10 from St Athan taking off, this of course is MF628 now at RAFM Cosford.
They don’t distract from the film for me at all, and I doubt many in the general cinema audiences in the 1950s would have noticed or cared.
The biggest deviation is the bomb shape itself, but it was still on the restricted list at the time.

I love the footage taken at both the RAF Stations and airfields at Scampton and Hemwell, as the Canberra was coming into service at both stations I’m not surprised that one shows up somewhere!