Falklands we told you so ??? a vintage deterrent

Blimey, are they still going?
I havent seen / had one of them for donkeys!!:rolleyes:

Fray Bentos Steak & Kidney puds?

Still on the shelves at my local Tesco’s this afternoon. See here: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254860600

The ‘classic’ pudding. Succulent pieces of steak and kidney in a delicious beefy gravy, surrounded by suet pastry.

Allergy Information
Contains: Celery, Barley, Gluten, Wheat

Ingredients

Suet Pastry (42%) (Wheat Flour, Beef Fat, Water, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Malic Acid), Raising Agents (Sodium Carbonate,Ammonium Carbonate)),Water ,Beef (16%) ,Pork Kidney (13%) ,Wheat Flour ,Modified Maize Starch ,Tomato Puree ,Salt ,Natural Flavourings (contain Celery) ,Onion Powder ,Barley Malt Extract ,Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum) ,White Pepper

Ollie,

Think that you mean XF323, not XF322 as:

a) XF322 a Hunter T8c two-seater whereas XF323 is/was a F4 single seater (refurbished to FGA.71 standard for Chile) and

a) XF322 was wrecked in an accident in 1967 (15/12/1967: Collided and crashed into Hunter XF938 of 759 NAS over St. Georges Channel twenty miles south west of Brawdy, Pembrokeshire during a dual training sortie)

So, what I know about XF323, later FaCh J-732 is:

XF323: c/no. HABL003084 Hawker Hunter F4 d/d 17/02/1956 to RAF, to ground instructional airframe 8003M in 1968, to G-9-380, refurbished to FGA071 standard and d/d 07/09/1973 to FACh as J-732

As you say, it was last noted in 1998 at Moreno AB, Chile. Now, I am aware of at least TWO ex-FaCH Hunter single seaters that have now been mounted on a pole, and displayed as gate guardians. They’re anonymous, so there is nothing to confirm their IDs.

So the one of the following two may – or may not – be FaCh J-732 (ex-XF323)

a) BASE AÉREA LOS CÓNDORES: Base emplazada en el aeropuerto de Iquique, en cuyo acceso se divisa un glorioso Hawker Hunter. (“Base located in the airport of Iquique, in whose access a glorious Hawker Hunter is described“). See http://www.flickr.com/photos/metropolis_pcm/4511114032/

b) The Chilean Air Force (FACH) have this unidentified Hunter-on-a-stick outside their Air War Academy in Santiago. The bombs on the wings no doubt underline the fact that it’s the WAR Academy! See http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/hunter/survivor.php?id=487

The latter is more likely to be J-732 (it is definitely serialled J-7**) but, in both cases, no-one has got close enough to see what, if any identification markings are worn.

Jordans scrapyard Portsmouth ’64

re Piper G-ARFY, this might be worth a look…

“Comanche Accident at Cork

The report has now been published of investigations into the accident at Cork Airport last August 8 [1964] involving Piper Comanche G-ARFY, in which the private pilot, Mr James Coupe, and three passengers were killed.

The aircraft had taken off normally at the start of a local flight when, at about 100ft, a stream of black smoke was seen issuing from below it.

The pilot called the control tower and said he wished to “cut back to the field.” As the Comanche was being positioned for an approach the smoke appeared to get thicker; during a steep turn it ceased and the engine stopped or lost power completely. The aircraft slipped out of the turn and crashed.

The inspectors considered loss of control during the turn to have been the probable cause of the accident, though engine malfunction as a result of an over-rich mixture was adduced as the contributory cause. All the sparking plugs were found to be heavily sooted and some badly oiled. On dismantling of the carburettor the mixture control was found stuck in the rich position and very difficult to operate; and the accelerator pump delivery restriction valve was stuck open by foreign matter. The air intake was badly crushed by the impact and it was not possible to determine if the vanes had been removed in accordance with Piper recommendations”

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%202907.html

Plus a quick look as G-INFO (at http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=reg&fullregmark=ARFY) lists the last registered owner at Bennett George Halpin of Southampton, and that the registration was cancelled “8.8.’64 (notified 12.1.’65)” (sic)

Since G-ARFY crashed on 8.8.64, then the photo must have been taken at a date later than that, that is, in the winter of 1964-65 (the bare trees indicate that the shot was taken in the winter). Presuming, of course, that it is G-ARFY lurking in the picture!

Seen on Ebay

FORTY GRAND for an ejector seat? No, I’m not making this up: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOCKHEED-SKUNK-WORKS-SR-71-EJECTION-SEAT-USAF-CIA-JET-AIRCRAFT-BLACKBIRD-/220905470378?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item336efdf9aa#ht_3457wt_295

with further pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/59468360@N08/sets/72157626562810988/

Gnat XM691

JT442..

I’ve trawled through the IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) for the film titles you listed, and it is the case that Gnat XM691 was indeed destroyed at Shepperton Film Studios in 1969.

As to which of the films listed expended XM691, my intial researches point to the film in question as being “Anne of a Thousand Days”. In a deleted scene, early in the film, King Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey bail out from their burning Gnat XM691 at low level over Spain, after being hit by a SAM-7 missile fired by the Spanish Armada. The Gnat had taken off from the deck of the Mary Rose, Britain’s only aircraft carrier in Tudor times…

Err…seriously, the film could be THE BODY STEALERS. Have not actually seen the film myself, but the IMDB plot synopsis goes like this:

“A British military paratrooper disappears in mid-air during a jump from an army plane. Two investigators, Patrick Allen and Neil Connery, try to unravel how this happened. What they uncover is an alien plot to steal the bodies of earthlings by snatching them out of the air.

Director: Gerry Levy
Writers: Gerry Levy (additional material), Michael St. Clair
Stars: George Sanders, Maurice Evans and Patrick Allen”

The above plot would call for use of an aircraft as a prop, therefore XM691 fits the bill being fairly small, fairly complete (complete enough for filing purposes, anyway – it wasn’t required to fly) and a “modern jet fighter”, as the film had a contemporary (late 1960s)setting. Presumably one of the parachutist vanishing in mid-air, had bailed out of XM691?

Source: Internet Movie Data Base at http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0065089/

Oh, and here’s a review:

“The Body Stealers (a.k.a Thin Air) is truly one of the most dreadful movies you’ll ever have the misfortune to see. Simply because there are some notable names on the cast list, you mustn’t think that it is remotely good. Everyone in this movie must have needed some fast cash to clear their debts. How else can you explain such a strong cast being lured into such an obvious bomb? OK, that’s a bit cynical – nobody actually sets out to make a bad film – but whatever the original intentions were, the resulting film is an utter loss.

It’s a science fiction story in which the military investigates several cases of parachutists vanishing in mid-air. For the first ten minutes, the peculiar mystery promises to build up to an intriguing resolution, but the promise rapidly evaporates as it becomes apparent that the answers are going to be childish rather than ingenious.

This is hilariously bad, to such an extent that it makes even the worst episode of Doctor Who look like it had high production values! You’d have to be a disturbed eight year old to figure out what the hell is going on as the solution draws close. Still, why worry about it when clearly the actors involved don’t look interested either? One interesting thing about the film is the inclusion of Neil Connery (Sean’s brother) in a significant role… believe me when I say this guy is no actor!”

Seen on Ebay

Prototype DH.82A Tiger Moth G-ACDA up for sale at £90,000

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Havilland-DH82A-Tiger-Moth-first-one-built-1933-G-ACDA-beautiful-/230708719166?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item35b74fae3e#ht_500wt_1140

..and what do you make of this? Currently on offer at £100, so very affordable!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/replica-ww1-bi-plane-/260902823596?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item3cbf0526ac#ht_625wt_1123

Seen on Ebay Thread (August 2011)

Cripes
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-DAKOTA-DC3-AIRCRAFT-SALE-HUNTER-JETS-/290615165428?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item43aa0381f4

hello dear I’m just off to buy some aeroplanes…..

More direct link to the auctioneers/appointed disposal agents is at

http://www.aaauctionszw.com/

Contact:

David Hawkins:
Mobile: 00 263 77 2 307 383
Work 00 263 4 667 437 / 8

Frances Hawkins
Mobile: 00 263 77 2 341 320
Work 00 263 4 667 437 / 8

Email: aaauctions@aauctions.co.zw

Address: 16 Hood Road
Southerton
Harare
Zimbabwe

Website lists seven ex-Zimbabwe AF C-47s complete with photos. Airframes do look, erm, “tired”, and apparently have not moved for some 15 years. 3708 was last flown in 2000, and is in best condition, but 7303 seems to be the “tattiest” and is missing its rudder and other parts.

Interesting that this seems to be “the tip of the iceberg”. Website claims that they have the job of disposing of the Zimbabwe AF’s surviving Hunters and Camberras (though there is no mention of them on the aforementioned website) as well as unwanted aircraft for other African nations – the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) is specifically mentioned, quote:

“Upcoming Sales:
2011: Air Force of Zimbabwe – Aircraft disposal:
AA Auctions has been commissioned by the ministry of defence of Zimbabwe to dispose of the militaries obsolete assets across the country as well as in other African member states such as the DRC. To date all sales have taken place by auction on site and have been advertised in the local media, however the air force has instructed AA Auctions to sell a selection of aircraft by tender as the aircraft may interest international buyers too”

Feel free to disagree with me, but…I’m sure that most (if not all) of the pics are of the same aircraft: Beverley C.1 XH119 of 30 Squadron.

A quick search on google turned up this…

XH119 had its first flight on January 3rd 1957, then delivered to 30 Squadron 3 months later.

The Aircraft suffered a Cat 3 accident at Azaiba in Muscat when it had an engine fire whilst on a detachment from Dishforth. This resulted in extensive repairs and XH119 only returned to 30 Squadron in November 1963, by which time the Squadron was based at Eastliegh Kenya.

XH119 suffered another accident, when it went through the surface crust of an Airstrip in Abu Dhabi.

The Aircraft Returned to the UK for a complete refurbishment in December 1965 and during its extended stay at 32 Maintenance Unit, was one of a number of aircraft camouflaged.

Left Muharraq for the UK in March 1967 and declared a Non Effective Airframe (NEA) on 29th March 1967. Sold as scrap to BKL Alloys on 3rd January 1968.

Source; http://www.airpixbycaz.co.uk/cazsite/aviation/military/type/beverley/part01/bev14.html

The clues are the “30” in a diamond on the fin (indicating that the aircraft was attached to 30 Squadron) and the figures “119” below the diamond (indicating that the aircraft was XH119).

The above link is accompanied by a picture of XH119, taken at Blackbushe, Hants on 10 Sept 1959, and looking very similar to your pic.

As the above potted history indicates, XH119 did not acquire the “two tone brown” Middle East Air Force camo until after December 1965. Also, being put out of action due to an accident at Abu Dhabi in 1964, helps date your photo to sometime in 1965.

As to where the pics were taken, the palm trees in the background would indicate Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya – the locale on some pics looks too “lush and tropical” for a Desert airstrip!