Surprisingly, there seems to be no information to view at the RAF Museum on this subject, although I have requested details from the Department of Research and Information Services and am awaiting a reply. Meanwhile I have photos and the history of three of the Taifuns that Harrold John Alderton arranged to sell to Switzerland in 1950 when he was the proprietor of AFN at Isleworth and have prepared a chronological notation of events which I intend to pass on to the Frazer Nash Car Collection Archive in due course.
When in 1947, Airwork at Heston Airport were engaged to re-spray two of these aircraft from their camouflage colours to a pale metallic blue with black civil lettering, both ended up with the registration G-AFZO before the error was noticed and changed. The other was accordingly G-AFRN. The last Me.108 was owned by Air Couriers at Croydon and most likely shipped by Silver City Air Ferries from Lympne Airport to the Continent direct in early 1950.
RAF “ALDON” Messerschmidtts
One of the captured postwar ones is still active with the CAF in the U.S. and recently migrated to the LA area
Yes, I have a photo of N2231 from an Air Britain contact of mine and have also recently been in contact with the Commemorative Air Force in the U.S.A where this aircraft still flies occaisionally.
It could have been G-AEWV which I photographed at Fairoaks in 1956. Other pictures on Air Britain AB-PIC
[ATTACH=CONFIG]236655[/ATTACH]
I have the complete Archive collection from the AAA plus some other material photos/documents of interest. This relates to Whitchurch, Hurn, Denham, Croydon, White Waltham and Booker.
EXD was one of the original aircraft which the Airways Aero Association had when they formed in 1947. I will be referring to historical [ATTACH=CONFIG]236644[/ATTACH]archive photos of this and other aircraft they operated over some 45 years at my lecture on this coming Monday evening at White Waltham.
Do you have the internet details of where the strip could have been ?, it would be interesting to see where the location was since I live relatively near to Addlestone as the crow flies.
G-AJVD also had an early construction number-10 although may not have been an original Canadian demonstrator aircraft. It took part at the 21st anniversary of the first flight of the D.H.82 Tiger Moth which was held at Denham Airfield in 1952 and attended by a good turnout of aeroplanes. David Whitworth took some excellent photos of these at the time, including DVD in London Aeroplane’s Flying Club colours of silver fuselage and yellow trims. I only had a small box camera at that time so that my photos were poor in comparison.
Neil,
Since you lived in the North Hyde Lane area adjoining the old Airport perimeter, you would have been a good candidate for possibly seeing my mystery Miles aircraft landing unexpectedly at dusk in about 1955 since it would have made its approach from the east very near to you.-see this item in the archives section: “Miles M18 G-AHKY landing at Heston Airport”
AEROFOIL
Chipmunk G-AOTM (Bristol aero conversion)
I photographed this aircraft at a Fly-in at Elstree in 1960 presumably not long after the conversion had taken place it would seem that year.
Airfield photos-“Then and Now”
Wisley airfield was the test centre for the Vickers Valiant, Viscount and Vanguard amongst others. On the 15th September 1957 the RAeS held a garden party here when about 70 light aircraft from the U.K.and abroad attended a flying display here which included a display by a Spitfire and a Hurricane as well as various light aircraft. Also other RAeS garden parties took place here in 1956 and 1966 before the airfield closed at a later date.
The picture showing the old runway was taken in 2011
Percival EP9 Photo Req.
Taken at Bankstown, Sydney whilst on leave from Christmas Island after nuclear tests in 1958.
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/ac345/aerofoil/documents072.jpg
Hanworth Air Park
A very good history on this airfield is the book ” Coming into Land” by Tim Sherwood which has photographs showing the Air Park when it was at it’s prime just before WW2 with much very activity and some aircraft manufacturing also.
This book is probably available still from Hounslow library, local studies department- contact James Marshall. 0845 456 2800.
an excellent buy for about £11.99 incl postage and includes all you need to know about Heston, Hounslow and the orginal Heathrow (Harmonsworth) aerodromes.
Benes Mraz Sokol M.1
Pavel,
Are you able to find any history on the prototype Benes Mraz Sokol M.1 OK-ZHA which visited Heston Airport sometime after WW2 ended ? Did this aircraft remain in Czechoslovakia or perhaps was sold abroad ?
Miles aircraft landing at Heston Airport
The ever elusive mystery landing at dusk of the Miles Hawk Major (most likely G-ADWT in 1955) may possibly be solved in part. Although the current owner of this aircraft was unable to find any record of a landing at Heston in his aircraft logbook, it would appear that the owner at this time being Cartwright-Hamilton Aviation,based at Croydon were a subsidary company of Fairey Aviation. This being so then the reason for this impromptu visit could have been a liason meeting with Fairey Aviation either that evening or following day, since the aircraft was towed into Hestair’s hangar and the doors shut for the night.Cartwright Hamilton were aviation consultants and dealing with aircraft brokerage and spares to commercial operators and private owners. The period 1955/6 and the fact that it was probably in the autumn/winter between November and February when the sun set times most meet the criteria from when I remember seeing the aircraft land. Also another possibilty could have been the pilot running out of VFR and setting down due to that, or even airline traffic at LHR meaning that a short 16 mile dash to Croydon across the LHR approach could have meant ATC problems-even assuming that he had some means of radio communication.All of course is debatable.None of the other Miles aircraft G-ADMW or HKY, ( CYO crashed late 1954) seem to fit the solution quite as well as DWT.