Zambian C-47 in March 1967, looks like AF-107. President Kaunda at the bottom of the steps in the second shot.

From a Reuters clip

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At the end of the clip the camera pans around and we can see a pair of Herks, one on the right and the port wing of another on the extreme left of frame. Probably 9J-RBY and 9J-RBZ owned by the Government of Zambia and leased to Zambian Air Cargo. Both were written-off in a mutual collision at Ndola in 1969.

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But around what is the crowd clustering? Looks almost like a business jet.

Lots of juicy reading about MRCA politicking if you dig into the Flight archives online for the early 1970s.

It’s a pity, from the standpoint of variety, that the single-seater variants were dropped. Which also reduced the German requirement from an almost-insane 600+ to the low 400s and then the eventual total of 357. But having dropped the fighters, the design still had to accommodate Mach 2 and 50,000 ft for the British interceptor requirement. Should really have dropped that and re-optimised purely for a strike / attack.

Also a pity the IDS didn’t start life with the ADV-length fuselage and tankage, would have given it a useful range rather than being confined to operating interdiction from West Germany. Such a stretch was offered as the IDS-hybrid for the JASDF competition that was won by the F-2.

It would be interesting to travel back in time and hand NAMMA and Panavia requirements derived from the current Tornado GR.4 ( barely transonic, massive fuel tanks, long IFR-supported missions, no fighty-fighter nonsense ) and see what emerged… possibly some sort of super-Buccaneer.

I can’t find details online but I believe the vertical record was set in Iran in the mid-1970s with a 214 whilst Bell staff were training IIAA pilots. When empty the 214s could climb vertically at thousands of feet per minute.

Edit: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1975/1975%20-%200951.html

The Lama that holds the absolute altitude record did lift vertically but transitioned to an inclined climb. The flame-out was due to lack of fuel, they had only loaded sufficient to achieve the desired altitude and there was no intention ( or possibility ) of relighting the engine at that height.

But did any Hurricanes take part? It would be a bit off if it was only Spitfires.

It’s the self-fulfilling media icon-cycle.

1 ‘OK chaps, article about Battle of Britain’
2 ‘People associate the Spitfire with winning WW2’
3 ‘Best use a photo of a Spitfire and call it the war-winner, then…’
4 GOTO 2

Ben Air’s OY-MUG or her sister OY-PBW are usually out-stationed at Belfast International in December to help with the Christmas parcel loads to / from Edinbirgh. Lovely to have them back in their home country, if 30 miles from the correct airport.

The NightExpress 360s that markb mentions also occasionally visit Dublin at unearthly hours of the morning.

The 330 ‘preserved’ by the UAS is indeed under cover but in pretty rotten condition particuarly inside, not sexy enough for much attention compared to Canberra and Phantom. Last time I visited their hangars the guide actually walked past the 330 without mentioning it…

South Korea showed some interest in British-built airframes in the late 1980s and was later considered a candidate for the II+

Singapore and Malaysia were offered new-build II+ as well, I would have thought they’d be a good fit for the former but nothing came of the effort.

Thailand looked at the II / II+ but bawlked at the price and ended-up with a typically messy and unmaintainable mix of second-hand A-7s and AV-8s.

Hats off to Brian Smith for this fantastic charity-raising venture. British ingenuity at its best:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1792175-d6211536-Reviews-The_Spitfire_Experience-Wisborough_Green_Billingshurst_West_Sussex_England.html

I’m underwhelmed. Three rear-projection screens showing some pixelly graphics and an LCD to present the instrument panel, which doesn’t even fit the cockpit properly? Oh, and the simulated ‘engine’ noise.

1. French helicopter development up to the 1960s. I’m aware of the slim volume ‘Envol des Alouettes’ but it is rare and expensive. For a series of helicopters that have been described as the ‘Hueys of Africa’ they’re pretty much ignored.

2. Anything to do with ground-crew operations and equipment. Try finding-out about the US bomb-jammers, for example. Fred Atkin had a go on the RAF front but it deserved an entire series!

3. Detailed books about engines, particularly post-war and turbines. Like Graham White did for a couple of the P&W piston-monsters.

4. Anything that Air-Britain have covered, but discussing the development and use of the aircraft rather than reams and reams of airframes histories ( zing! sorry… )