Richard grayKingdom ITV last night
Now we know how it was done. From edp24.co.uk
PETER STEWARD
31 January 2008 08:30
Thousands of Norfolk people will have watched the latest edition of the comedy drama Kingdom which featured low-flying aircraft over the county.
But one man watching particularly closely was Keith Whiddett, who was in on a production trade secret.
When a television production company wanted to film low- flying aircraft for the present series of Kingdom, it turned to his skills as a model aircraft maker.
For the episode shown on Sunday, Kingdom Productions, which makes the Norfolk-based drama series starring Stephen Fry as a country solicitor, wanted to show low-flying aircraft proving a menace to one of the local residents. Using real aircraft would have been too dangerous, so they turned to Mr Whiddett, who is a member of both the Norwich and Bury St Edmunds Model Aero Clubs.
The result was a six-hour shoot for Mr Whiddett and a friend at Little Snoring Airfield featuring two model F15s, with Mr Whiddett using all his “piloting” skills to make the radio- controlled models bank and dip to look as if they were “buzzing” property. The footage was later mixed with a town scene to give the impression of low-flying aircraft over houses.
Mr Whiddett, who lives in the Three Score area of Bowthorpe, said: “The production company approached a Norwich model shop and they put them on to me. Originally they wanted Tornadoes but they aren’t made as flying models. I had a pair of F15s available and they agreed to use them.”
The filming involved some highly skilful precision shooting with the massive models which are one-tenth the scale of the real thing and are two metres long and 1.7 metres wide.
“They wanted me to fly directly at the camera at head height before pulling up and shooting over it. We got as close as we could, but it was a tricky manoeuvre. The models are large and weigh 22lb each. We couldn’t afford to make any mistakes,” added Mr Whiddett.
As well as his F15, Mr Whiddett has a model Mirage, an F86 and two sports aerobatic planes. He is building a Red Arrows Hawk and a Tristar.
“I have flown model planes from a child when I moved on from paper ones to balsa wood models. When I started working and earning money, I moved on to radio-controlled models. It is the closest I will probably get to being in the real thing. The sound, the power, the smell is great. The models are powered by real jet engines and they burn jet fuel and can reach speeds of up to 220mph. It is just the thrill of having all that speed and power under your control” he said.
Richard grayRAF oulton dump
Hi again.
My father is unable to confirm anything buried at Oulton. But knows for sure that there are such pits, containing tracked vehicles and other bits and pieces at Foulsham and Flixton. Not sure how he knows about Flixton, but know that the pits at foulsham were discovered around the late sixties, when he was digging a trench to put in a water pipe, the equipment is still there as far as I know.
He did however tell me another story about when he was working at Flixton.
he must have be between 16 an 17 at the time, so the facts may be hazy. But the story goes that the airfield was operational, and was being extended, he was filling in an old gravel pit, they did not pump the water out in those days before filling in, they just pushed the earth in and let it drain naturally.
so you can imagine that ground was soft, where he had already filled in. He said that he had nearly completed the job when he heard a plane (believes it was a mustang) approaching and appeared to be in some kind of trouble, the next minute it had landed right in the middle of the pit and the only thing visible was the top of the tail fin. Crash crews had already scrambled and rushed to the scene. Not sure how long it took but they managed to connect some wire hawsers to the tail of the plane and with the recovery trucks managed to haul the plane from the mud, and on removing the canopy, The pilot calmly got out with out a scratch.
Richard grayI’m new here so, happy new year, and sorry if this topic has already been “done”!
Some years ago I did the photography for a Bomber Command related book, (it’s “Then and Now” format is a clue). At the former RAF Oulton, the farmer and an older employee spoke at length of a huge pit full of Mosquitoes. They also pointed out that the land was National Trust property (?) and as such the pit could not be touched.
It’s well known that Oulton was used to scrap Mossies, but a pit full of them seems a bit unlikely, especially as burning predominantly wooden aircraft was surely an easier option. However, the two fellows were adamant. Has anyone else heard of this pit?
T.W.
Hi Tim It could be possible this is true, I have heard my father say that at the end of the war to get rid of surplus equipment big holes were dug on airfields and filled with the equipment, (some of it hardly used) then just covered over and left. One he quotes is Shipdham. Will have a word with him ASAP. as he is sure to know about Oulton, as he worked for the father of the farmer at oulton. Mind you it will take a few whiskies to get him talking about the war years. Have been trying to get his story for years.
Until being called up in 1944/45 he had been involved with the construction of airfields in East Anglia. He has an interesting story in how he covered for an Irishman, who went AWOL for a week, to visit his sick wife in Ireland. They were leveling the ground with D4 bulldozers, constructing RAF woodbridge at the time. No one on the site at the time knew that the Irishman had even left the site. will write the full story another time.
Regards Richard.
Richard grayMousehold heath airfield
Hi All
REF Don’t know if this information is useful to you, but here goes.
Starting on the left of sat view, you have Homebase, then retail park containing usual stores comet etc. which was Barnards wire factory, made all types chainlink and wire netting fencing, closed in 1980s I think (can see Bar on G-ordy’s pic) just behind retail park is factory which produces hush hush rader equipment. Next you have a factory producing tin cans, paint tins,biscuit tins etc. (white rectangle shapes on pic are trailers waiting to be loaded. next to that was Tom Smiths xmas cracker factory, Dont know what it is now. Most of these building are ex B & P aircraft works. I have been in most of those buildings so can say that there is no memorials or anything to say what they were. but you can see by the construction of the buildings that they were used for building aircraft.
Heartsease sec school in now where the airflield was.
Am sure if you go there, and ask to have a look inside the buildings you would be welcome. Been 10 yrs since I have been that way, but there used to be a cafe at the entrance to Avian way. might get some information there.
but not from the parrot they used to have it died years ago. It used to say to everyone that went in “Shut the B****dy Door” 🙂
Regards Richard.
Richard gray08 January 2007 12:22 Richard Batson EDP
A sleek jet which is a symbol of RAF Coltishall’s glory days, and a memorial to dead airmen, has been saved from taking flight out of Norfolk.
The Jaguar which has struck a dramatic pose at the now-closed airbase’s gateway is set to make a final 10-mile sortie to the grounds of County Hall.
News of the move has been welcomed by the RAF and council as a way of ensuring the 66-year special relationship between the airbase and the county was not forgotten.
The £15,000 cost will be covered by the county council, whose cabinet agreed the project today as an urgent item of business because of the tight timescale involved.
The plane, which commemorates the loss of more than 30 fliers and ground crew on the Jaguar force, was always due to be removed as part of the station site clearance ahead of its imminent sale.
There had been talk of it heading to RAF Coningsby, where the “live” Jaguars have gone after leaving Coltishall last April, or even to the radar museum attraction at nearby RAF Neatishead.
But the RAF was unable to give it to a museum due to ministry disposal rules, and they were also unwilling to sell it on the open market because it was also a memorial.
Other possible sites inside county hall grounds, and elsewhere, were considered, but were ruled out because of lack of security and concern about “minor damage through play or mischief” said a report to councillors, which added that the proposed grassland location near the main public entrance was covered by CCTV.
Afterwards council leader, Shaun Murphy, a former RAF officer, said he had written to the RAF making a case for the Jaguar memorial to be moved to the county hall, “pointing out that we would be able to care properly for it in our own grounds.”
He was delighted they had agreed, and felt the plane would a “suitable long-term memorial to the ‘spirit of Coltishall’” and the personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.
The sentiments were echoed by the current commanding officer of the remaining RAF detachment at the base, Sqn Ldr Jason Hughes added he was delighted that it was staying in Norfolk as a reminder of the “special relationship” between the base and county.
The aircraft, which has a 28ft wingspan, is 55ft long and weighs about six tones with its pylon, will have to be taken from its plinth by crane, and its wing removed before being transported on low loaders. The RAF will cover the costs of moving and mounting the Jaguar. But the council will pay £6,000 to £8,000 for preparing the plinth, another £2,000 for lighting, and up to £5,000 for a self-draining surface.
Maintenance would be carried out by former Jaguar technicians who were keen to volunteer their time. And when the Jaguars go out of RAF service in October the council will also ask for some free spare parts, such as panels, canopies and markings, to help keep the plane looking in good condition.
The move still has to seek planning permission, and a final rubber stamping from the Ministry of Defence – but with no major problems foreseen with either bit of paperwork.
The plane involved, XW563, has been standing sentinel outside the gate for the past five years.
It was a pre-production aircraft, the second Jaguar airframe ever built, and first flew in 1970.
After 678 hours of flight testing it was retired in 1977 and used as a weapon-loading trainer. Its first spell as a gate guardian was at RAF Bruggen in Germany until it moved to Coltishall in 2001.
It is a hollow shell, having had all its internal gadgetry removed, including cockpit instrumentation and ejector seat.
On arrival at Coltishall it was cleaned, repainted in gloss grey finish and remounted with drop tanks and under-wing, but empty, electronic defensive pods.
Its sister gate guard plane, a replica of a Hurricane flown by one of the base’s famous Battle of Britain aces, the legless Sir Douglas Bader, has already been moved to the High Wycombe headquarters of RAF Strike Command.
Could possibly seen from the road. Matineau lane Norwich.
Richard grayHi Phantom phixer
Another good book to help you may be. Angry Skies across the Vale by Brian Kedward. A record of RAF Honeybourne and Long Marston, a daily record from when they were built to when they closed.
An absolute fascinating book crammed full of everything that went on there.
Richard.
Richard grayHi All During my research on the dome at Langham I have found this site.
glad I did as it appears to have a lot of Knowledgeable posters.
Fred unable to help you with your research as this is the first I have heard of the A2RL but will try to find out anything I can (Explained more in my email to you.)
Steve Don’t know if you have read Len Barthams book RAF Langham 1940 -58 A Brief History. but it is full of information about Henleys and Queen bees
giving plane nos date and what happened.
example 02/05/42 Henley TT L3243 1 AACU M flight hit grass cutter on take off, driver killed.
Back to the Dome, had a look around it a couple of weeks ago the door has been broken down and it is being allowed to decay.
I think I may know how it worked see http://www.cineramaadventure.com/trainer.htm and the youngsters think they invented vitual reality.
Regards Richard
Sign In
