Dr. John SmithDH Devon VP962/G-OPLC
Hello,
As I’m currently away from my notebooks – I transcribed all the Air Min Form 78s for the RAF DH Devon Fleet some years ago – what follows is from my (somewhat Cat.3(R)) memory…
VP962 (c/no 04212) was built in 1948 and delivered to the RAF on 15th Nov 48. From 1949 to 1969 operational service included
– 2nd Tactical Air Forces Communications Squadron in West Germany (1965-68)
– HQ Allied Forces in Central Europe
– RAF Air Adviser in Pakistan
Between 1969 and 1971 the British Air Attache in Saigon, Vietnam -Air Commodore M J E Swiney OBE RAF – had the use of two DH Devons (VP962 and VP978). There’s an article and photos about that HERE: http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/devons/VP962ms.htm
VP 962 was collected from Singapore/RAF Seletar on 22 Oct 1969, air tested and landed at Singapore/RAF Changi. Flown same day to Saigon/Tan Son Nhut, via Kuantan (Malaysia) for refuelling.
Sorties/hours by Air Attaché: 159 sorties in the period 22.10.69-15.3.71, totalling 266 flying hours. The Assistant Attaché also flew the aircraft.
VP962 served with 207 Squadron at RAF Northolt from 1972 to 1984
See here: http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/devons/VP962_GOPLC.htm
VP962 was struck off charge/sold in 1984 and civil registered on 22 Oct 1984 as G-BLRB with its first owner. During the period 1985-90 it kept its original RAF 207 Squadron markings. Pictures of this can be see here: http://www.abpic.co.uk/search.php?q=VP962&u=code_number
It was re-registered as G-OPLC on 16 Jul 1990 when it was sold to its second civil owner. and extensively refurbished in 1992 (at a reported cost of £300,000!)
Full history from 1984 to date can be found on the CAA database G-INFO at http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=reg&fullregmark=OPLC which also records that she has flown 7798 hours in total (as at Dec 31 2007)
Dr. John SmithAircraft of the Automobile Association
The Auster Alpine was of course registered G-APAA
Not sure how the AA managed to “blag” what was, in effect, a “personalised” registration!
However, a pic of G-APAA can be found here: http://www.auster.ukf.net/G-APAA.jpg
According the CAA database, G-APAA was registered to the Autombile Association between 23 June 1956 and 29 April 1958
There’s even a colour pic of it, being used in a flight sim at http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/topic/3859-february-tail-draggers-finished/page__st__30 (see posting #35). As you can see, G-APAA was black and yellow, with the AA Badge very prominent.
Many years ago, Air Britain published a book on all Civil registered aircraft in the G-APAA to G-APZZ range (back in the 1980s, long before G-INFO appeared…) and of course this particular Auster was featured on the front cover.
Lastly, G-APAA was written off in a crash at Badminton on 9th August 1975 (see http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=18459) but the details are somewhat vague. Does anyone have any additional data?
Dr. John SmithConcorde Nose
Well it IS the Mail.
True, but all concerned can be reassured that none of the surviving Concordes are lacking their noses!
Slight O/T – or perhaps not: whatever happened to the half-sized replica Concorde that stood at the roundabout near the entrance to LHR?
I know it was removed some years ago, so where is it now?
Dr. John SmithConcorde Nose
And my next door neighbour in 1966/68 was one of the small engineering design team which developed that component! Do we know from which Concorde it came?
According to press reports, it did not come off any particular Concorde, it was a spare held at the British Aiways Engineering base at Heathrow. To quote from the Daily Mail report:
“He believes the nose cone, one of two spares that BA had owned, would be the last to come to market”
Dr. John SmithDH Dragon Rapide G-AJSL
Well ********d up ? :diablo:
Great to hear of ‘JSL’s survival. As a teenage ‘hangar brat’ back in 1970/71, I spent some time clambering around it after it groundlooped and nosed over on landing aftere lifting skydivers at Sunderland. I was once told by the owner of the hangar “If you want it and you come with a truck, you can have it.”
Needless to say, I couldn’t come up with my side of the offer and always feared the worst for the aeroplane after that.
Here is what I’ve turned up on G-AJSL
c/n 6801: TOC as NR713 at 18 MU 1.11.44. To Technical Training Command Comm Flight, White Waltham 8.9.45; to Wyton 29.10.45. To Halton Station Flight 24.8.46. To 5 MU 16.1.47.
Sold 29.5.47 to Field Aircraft Services Ltd. Regd G-AJSL (CofR 11550) 8.5.47 to Field Aircraft Services Ltd, Croydon. Regn cancelled as “sold abroad” 16.6.47; (sale untraced). Regd 17.1.48 to same owners (sale fell through?). Regd 29.9.49 to Trent Valley Aviation Ltd, Tollerton; named “Friar Tuck”.
CofA 9374 issued 26.10.49. Regd 8.9.50 to Eagle Aviation Ltd, Luton. CofA lapsed 25.10.50. Regd 24.12.51 to Air Charter Ltd, Croydon. CofA renewed 21.3.52, and regd 9.4.52 to Eagle Aviation Ltd, Blackbushe. Regd 10.4.52 to Surrey Flying Services Ltd, Croydon [but based at Southend].
Regd 26.3.56 to Southern Flying Schools Ltd t/a Portsmouth Aero Club, Portsmouth. Regd 10.1.61 to Portsmouth Aero Club Ltd. Regd 9.5.62 to Thomas Hutton Marshall, Christchurch (already delivered in 3.62).
Regd 28.8.62 to PE Palmer Holdings Ltd, Hurn. Regd 2.5.63 to Shackleton Aviation Ltd. CofA lapsed 19.6.63. Regd 5.10.64 to Airgeneers Ltd, Staverton. CofA renewed 28.7.65. Regd 18.10.66 to Major Michael R Heerey t/a Parachute Regiment Free Fall Club, Netheravon; named “Pegasus”. Nominal reregn 1.3.67 to Lt Richard CJ Brinton.
Sold 31.1.68 and regd 30.5.68 to Trent Valley Aviation Ltd, Castle Donington. Operated [by mid 1968] by Northern Parachute Centre, Usworth. Damaged when nosed over Usworth 23.2.69 and stored on site.
Sold (to unidentified party – insurers?) 25.3.70. Regn cld 17.12.70 as presumed wfu. Remained at Usworth until at least 8.76; to Baginton
2.77; reported to Biggin Hill in 1978.
Sold [late 1970s] to Sander Veenstra, Australia; then several more owners. Exported to Australia [78/79]; to Maurice Rolfe and stored Essendon, near Melbourne [4.82]. To Moorabbin (1.83). Regd VH-UXZ [2] 31.1.95 to Maurice Howard Rolfe, Cheltenham, Vic (based Moorabbin). Rebuild nearly complete [4.01].
source: http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh89.pdf and I’m sure that I’ve seen a picture of G-AJSL on line, in the Hanger at Usworth in 1974-75
ETA: Aha! Found it! Low’n’slow does THIS picture ring any bells? Link at http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=26678 (first pic, captioned “slightly unwell Dragon Rapide”)
Scroll down to pic #7 for a clearer view of the damage to G-AJSL following its “nose over” incident
Dr. John SmithSeen on Ebay
It would appear that the North Nottinghamshire College at Gamston, Worksop, Notts, is selling off some of its airframes:
Jet Provost T.4 XP672: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JET-Provost-Plane-Mk1V-/180683228606?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item2a118f45be#ht_500wt_1156 and Jetstream T.2 XX494: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/One-ex-RAF-Royal-Navy-Jet-Stream-Aircraft-/180683218336?pt=UK_CPV_Aviation_SM&hash=item2a118f1da0#ht_500wt_1156
Vendor wants £3,000 upwards for the Jetstream, and £14,000 (sic) upwards for the Jet Provost.
Presumably, because the JP has a civil reg (G-RAFI) and is potentially restorable to flight, it commands a five-figure price tag
Dr. John SmithRoyal Navy Jetstreams
That’ll be XX494 (c/no 422) which North Notts College in Worksop acquired from Everett Aero only two years ago (arrived 15 April 2009)
Soon got bored with it, didn’t they?
Still, with an opening bid of £3,000, it might just be within reach (money wise) of a museum or collector. Let’s just hope that it goes for a reasonable amount and to a good home
Dr. John SmithRoyal Navy Jetstreams
Gents
I was told that the FAAM at Yeovilton were offered a Jetstream T-2 but they declined the offer. After so many years of service you would have thought they could have found some space to display one.
Freebird :diablo:
I refer you back to the link I posted earlier (http://www.aviationtrading.co.uk/news/news.asp?Item=12) which says at the very end:
“In addition to the six [Jetstream T2s] offered for tender, as mentioned above, 750 Squadron was also operating ZA111 up to the retirement date, but this [airframe] has not been included in the sale”
My hope is that, if ZA111 is “not for sale” then it is because it has been “tagged” for preservation with the FAA Museum. Or, at the very least, they have “first call” on ZA111, and it will only be sold off if the FAA Museum turn it down.
Or is it the case that ZA111 was the very aircraft they they were offered and turned down? (ZA111 was flown into Culdrose on March 11 2011, its last ever flight.)
Dr. John SmithRoyal Navy Jetstreams
Additional re ZE440, the sole non-flyer (and therefore not US registered); was roaded out of Cranwell on 5 March 2011 to “West Sussex”, as I said: I think I’ve found it!
A look at this website: http://www.aviationtrading.co.uk/corporate/contact.asp
indicated that they own it, and their registered address is
Transworld Aviation Trading Ltd
Units 1-2,
Terry’s Cross Farm,
Horn Lane,
Woodmancote,
West Sussex,
BN5 9SA
Ph: +44 (0) 1273 494216
Fax: +44 (0) 1273 494234
Sales – [email]sales@aviationtrading.co.uk[/email]
Marketing – [email]jeremy@aviationtrading.co.uk[/email]
The full story is on a press release on their website at http://www.aviationtrading.co.uk/news/news.asp?Item=12
So, I can update/correct the earlier post…
N437UH (ex-ZE438) flown Cranwell-Manston 10 March 2011
N437SS (ex-ZE439) flown Cranwell-Manston 21 March 2011
N437ZZ (ex-ZE440) roaded out Shawbury-Manston 5 March 2011
N437TH (ex-ZE441) flown Cranwell-Manston 3 March 2011
ZE440 was to have been broken up for spares, but the new owners plan is to sell on all four as complete airworthy aircraft
All the above four airframes are, of course, Jetstream T3s. What is also interesting about the above press release is that it mentions the retirement from service of the 6 surviving Jetstream T2s. Dare I suggest that Aviation Trading is “sniffing” at these 6 Jetstreams also, with a view to a possible “bulk buy” or some/most/all of them?
Dr. John SmithRoyal Navy Jetstreams
ZE438 is now US registered as N437UH
ZE439 is now US registered as N437SS
ZE440 is now “somewhere in West Sussex” (moved there 4th March 2011)
ZE441 is now US registered as N437TH
A quick check on the FAA website (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Inquiry.aspx) shows the new owners three of them (those US-registered) to be
SOUTHERN AIRCRAFT CONSULTANCY INC TRUSTEE
7 MEADOW VIEW
HOCKERING
DEREHAM
NORFOLK
NR20 3JS
For example N437UH (ex-ZE438): http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=437TH
More discussion on these three airframes at http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-444714.html which indicates that they were sold/struck off RN charge 15 February 2011, and FLOWN Cranwell-Manston on 5 March. Odd, their condition was described, at the time of sale, as “unserviceable”(!)
Thinking of what happend recently with a batch of six ex-Cranwell Dominies, I wonder if these three ex-Royal Navy Jetstreams were simple US-registered for the ferry flight Cranwell-Manston.
Now the question has changed: since these three airframes have been US civil registered, is that for onward sale, or breaking up as spares (or both)?
Dr. John SmithCranwell Dominies airborne
Were any preserved? i seem to remember one might have gone to cosford but im not sure.
XS709 – to RAF Museum Cosford (flown in 11 Feb 2011)
XS711 – Reported “tagged” for preservation, not sure where (Duxford?)
XS726*- Sold to Everett Aero Spoughton 2007 (along with XS733 and XS734)
The three airframes that Everett Aero have could be preserved: it just needs someone to make an offer! (*XS726 currently listed on the Everett Aero website as up for sale at £25,000
Dr. John SmithCranwell Dominies airborne
Further to my above post, I’ve done some more digging. The website of the new registered owners of these six Dominies is http://www.ejs.aero/
Which says
“Started in the early Nineties, Executive Jet Support has become one of Europe’s premier aircraft spare parts suppliers, covering a multitude of commercial and corporate aircraft.
With their offices and warehouses conveniently located within 45 minutes of London’s Heathrow airport, EJS are able to supply airlines, both large and small, and executive jet operators, with their total parts needs.”
Which reinforces my speculation that these six Dominies have been bought for stripping down as spares hulks/component recovery…
Dr. John Smith207 Squadron Manchester L7488
L7488 – 97, 207, 106, 50Sqs; 1654CU, 12SoTT, Jun43, Became 3750M
Was “OF-F” with 97 Squadron (delivered 15 Oct 1941) and “OL-Q” with 207 Squadron, and seems to have been somewhat camera shy!
This link http://www.97squadronassociation.co.uk/flightops1.html gives some details of L7488’s missions
8 November 1941 – Sea Rescue – North Sea
L7488 F F/O Blakeman DFM, P/O McMurchy, Sgts Isted, Nicholl, Allen, F/L Trueman, Sgt McKensie. Up 1320 Down 1800. Took off from base at 1320 hours. Searched all afternoon at about 200 feet. No results. Saw the other aircraft six times. Last seen at 1600 hours. Return to base 1800 hours.
15/16 November 1941 – Emden
L7488 F F/O Blakeman, P/O McMurchy, Sgts Isted, Nicholl, Allen, McKensie, F/L Trueman. Brought back full load of 5 x 1000lb, target not being located.
7/8 December 1941 – Aachen (Nazi Party HQ)
.
L7488 F F/O Blakeman, P/O McMurchy, Sgts Isted, Nicholl, Allen, McKenzie, P/O Weir. Up 0320 Down 0727. Unable to locate target owing to deep clouds. Brought back bombs.
18 December 1941 – Brest Harbour (attack against battleships – Gneisenau, Scharnhorst & Eugene)
L7488 F F/O Deverill, Sgts Worswick, Irons, McKay, Benbow, Canning, F/O Hepburn. Returned after leaving base – aircraft u/s.
8 January 1942 – Brest
L7488 F F/L Mackid DFC, P/O Underwood, P/O Tree, Sgts Marshall, McDermott, Day, Bennett. Bombs 1 x 4000, 4 x 500. Owing to much medium and low cloud, target could not be observed. Circled approximate area for half an hour and finally returned to base with bombs.
10/11 January 1942 – Wilhemshaven (Town and Railway Station)
L7488 F F/O Blakeman, P/O McMurchy, Sgts Isted, Nicholl, Allen, McKenzie, P/O Weir. Bombs 1 x 4000, 4 x 500. Slight difficulty experienced in locating target. Bombs were dropped and flashes observed through cloud. L7488’s last recorded op with 97 Squadron
Transferred to 207 Squadron 16 Jan 1942: flown by John Charles Atkinson who served as a pilot with 207 Squadron during late 1941 to March 1942. He was awarded the DFM for his attack on German capital ships on 12 February 1942, flying Manchester L7488 (Source http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/207news08.htm)
Also have a look at http://www.sonsofdamien.co.uk/Man-Lanc%20serials.htm#L7276 No actual photo of L7488, but several pics of 97 and 207 Sqn Manchesters from the same batch. Unless a photo turns up, you may have to assume that L7488 was identically marked to those in the aforementioned listing
ETA: This link http://www.luchtoorlog.be/manch.htm takes you to a pic of L7486 – just two airframes ahead of the Manchester you are asking about
Dr. John SmithXS712 now US Registered as N19CQ
XS728 now US Registered as N19CU
XS730 now US Registered as N19UG
XS731 now US Registered as N19XY
XS737 now US Registered as N19EK
XS739 now US Registered as N19UK
All six aircraft were sold/struck off charge 19 May 2011. A quick check on the US FAA registration database (http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Inquiry.aspx) shows all six to have been sold to a company called “19th Hole Inc DBA/Executive Jet Support Ltd”, with a registered address of 15 Glenmore Centre, Chippenham, Wilts., SN14 6BB.
Which probably explains the Kemble connection….
For example, try this link http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N19UK for N19UK (ex-XS739)
Of course, that gives no clues as to who REALLY owns them, nor where they may be ultimately headed! What worries me is that Kemble has an active aircraft scrapping facility. Which could mean that they are going to be broken up at Kemble and sold off as parts, on the basis of that would be more lucrative than selling them off as whole airframes.
Dr. John SmithBiafran Anson
G-AVGR at Staverton April 1967.
The link has gone missing! Here it is again http://www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/5606689051/in/set-72157626449872004
However, according to the caption it was 31 March 1968 (not April 1967)
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