Hi Steve and John,

I vividly remember the arrival of XD145 at Brize Norton, on a trailer at the top of the MT yard! I even came down to the restoration shed to see it ‘close up’ as a member of 2267 (Brize Norton) Sqn ATC one evening, as it was virtually the next shed down from our ATC HQ! I seem to remember that the cockpit was quite complete then, though the seat was removed and one or two instruments missing. I can remember the complete column being in place and the rudder pedals being very similar to the Hunter, great big foot plates!
Oh for a time machine!

Martyn

GYD

Brand new ‘old’ stock Mosquito throttle box but, with a 21st Century hefty price tag!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/De-Havilland-Mosquito-Throttle-Controls-Extremely-Rare/292755351419?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D5a25ac538af542e4b8840cab7dc1f31b%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D8%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D283204431891%26itm%3D292755351419&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Aaf06c410-cd94-11e8-98f3-74dbd180955d%7Cparentrq%3A64d40e801660ab4520054709ffefb9f4%7Ciid%3A1

GYD

Hi onion,

I have been told that this handle was fitted to the Firefly AS6 but, the pilot’s notes for that marque show a ‘standard’ Dunlop Mk1 spade. Invariably however, the pilots notes use very early versions of the aircraft and this may well have been subsequently replaced with the AH9846 in service. Certainly fitted to an aircraft that did not have guns fitted.

GYD

Hi AM,

Canberra PR9

GYD

Bas,

Check your PM’s!

GYD

Bas,

This is all very interesting, the AC66132 that F4MPHIXER mentions would fit in nicely with the remnants of the obliterated but, (almost) visible remaining AC number on your grip, especially given the same Panavia number, so I would err, that it was indeed previously numbered as such. I am even more intrigued now! The reason I still believe it to be German/Italian IDS, is the ‘SK’ prefix to the new number rather than the ‘AC’ prefix normally associated with the Dunlop modifications.

F4MFIXER, does your AC66132 have all three ‘thumb buttons’ in position and none blanked off? And do you have any idea to which aircraft your grip came from, a F731 perhaps?

Martyn

GYD

Hi Bas,

I would be very surprised, nay gobsmacked, if a civilian organisation carrying out the restoration of an early stripped out GR1, fortunately had the original grip from that aircraft, it is probably close to or, less than zero!

To illustrate, JetArt’s recent comprehensive and commendable F-3 Tornado (ZE256) restoration, has unfortunately been fitted with a HOTAS grip from a GR-4, see link:

http://www.jetartaviation.co.uk/2014/01/tornado-f3-has-landed-now-available-for-sale/

Your grip is almost certainly from either a German or Italian IDS aircraft, that has been locally modified from Dunlop standard fit and re-designated accordingly. The hard task is to find a contemporary ‘in service’ picture rather than a restored/museum example.

Keep searchin, no ‘G’!

Light bulb! However, having mused and thought a little ‘out side the box’ the dates that Nick quite rightly pointed out earlier, 1976/79 could also point toward a possible pre-production/experimental fit perhaps???

Martyn

GYD

All part of the service : )

GYD