I have a crate full of misc. French cockpit instruments, switches etc, that I believe are circa 1930s. The one in center/bottom of photo 2 is most likely earlier. Anyobody see anything they need or recognize? Will gladly sell or swap. I have more than items shown here.

I have made the trip a few times! From the time I get on the plane, here, until I get off the plane, There-it is 29 hours!. But worth every second!!! Instead of being exhausted by the travel, the adrenaline of the anticipation of the sghts I am going to see, is rushing through..:D
Last trip I took 1077 digital photos. and SOME of them were actually okay…

Hi Mike;’
I have a large negative (6.5 x 9.5cm) with b&w air to air of 853. (Yes you Can clearly read the 853 on side, in the higher res scans..)Here is sample at only 72dpi. I have it in larger scans of 300/600 & 2400dpi. for sizing. Have 15 other negatives of 853, but all the others are on ground at various places, at various times. Send me an email via the contact info on my website in signature, below.

Hi Ralph;
I have them scanned for you (The photo images came out nice & clear, too).
Just give me an email address to send them to.
Joe

There were several people around in the 1960’s & 70’s who had engine collections.
Roger Smith.

My father and I spent a lot of time searching for and collecting rare aero engines, circa late 1960s to late 1980s. We very much enjoyed walking about our aviation parts business, museum and collector aircraft and parts, each morning, with most of the vintage engines on display, around our “shop.”
We had over 175 pre-WWII aero engines; 48 were WWI and earlier; and 19 were either the only ones built, or the only known survivor, of their type.Includeed several versions of Anzani, Aeronca, Alfa Romeo, Cirrus, (many types & eras of) Curtiss, Gipsey, Gnomes Heath, Hirth, Hispano-Suizas, Jacobs, Kinners, Liberty,Menasco, 8 cyl, radial, diesel Humboldt-Duetz, Renaults, Salmsons, Sturtevants, Velie, Walter, Wright etc etc. Had several BRAND NEW Clergets. Also had a number of WWII and later engines, such as a massive 24 cylinder Allison, and a couple of firewall forward (including all cowling, mounts & props) Argus AS411s etc.
We corresponded with fellow-collector R,C, Shelley, a number of times, trying to trade for the elusive Napier Lion, (as one of the highest priorities of engines we wished to acquire) but no luck. Lots of tales behind all those treasure hunts. Here is a photo of our shop, with just the Main engine grouping. Many others, including one of my favorites, a 1909 British Humber, 3 cyl. fan engine, in beautiful condition, lined the various walls and walkways of our main building. Mr. Shelley had sent us many nice photos of the engines in his collection. As I never throw ANYthing away (much to my wife’s dismay), I still have all letters and correspondence of these collections, back to the late 1960s.

Hi Joe,

Any photos of Whirlwinds in ‘Operation Starkey’ colours? If it helps this is often incorrectly referred to as the ‘Dieppe Raid’.

All the best,

Steve.

Hi Steve;
Sorry. Nothing that is marked (or that I recognize) as such. Most markings are a standard light fuselage band just in front of the fin/vertical stabilizer, with light color underside and camouflage upper surfaces. There are some others that have very dark paint or very light paint in a flat scheme all over fuselage. A number of photos that are dated 1941,42,43 but dont seem to fit Starkey because most of them seem to be in Winter? Can you describe Starkey colours, if you know them? I’d be happy to look again, if I knew what I was looking for..I come to this forum to learn. Sharing photos often results in questions from other forumites that help me do just that
Here is a nice photo of the gallant lads of 263 Sqn, in front of a Whirlwind. I am always fond of group shots with the mascots.

Went through the Ashworth photo/neg collection and he has about 80 Whirlwind aircraft prints, and another dozen negatives. Thought I might be able to help. But I am certain this neg and print have wrong ID. They ID this as 6994 and I am fairly certain it is 6984. Thought I would offer it here for enjoyment AND.. confirmation? There are a number of photos that only show the side lettering Reg #s and not the SNs numerals on the lower rear fuselage. (so a few are not yet ID’d) I am assuming (never ASSUME! :eek:) that 6994 only had the SN numerals and no reg lettering, when it was shipped to U.S.? Rob traded for many of his negatives and photos and almost always listed the source, if so. Some of these prints have notes on the back “please do not publish.” and the original owner’s name and early date of photos from their own album. Many others will be familiar photos such as the prototypes and armament details, and a few crashes.