Three from the late 1960s
1 Two members of the Manchester and District Aviation group sally forth,notebooks in hand, towards a L-749 believed to be G-ANTF which was DBF at Baginton in February 1970.By the way,the chap on the right is now a Watch Manager in Manchester Tower!

2DC-3s N15751 and N4296 .N15751 is in Irelfly colours and had been sold to the USA as N15751,but never delivered.Later reverted to G-AMPY.
N4296 is in Fairline colours (ex OY-DNC) ,also DBF at Baginton in April 1969

3 A better photo of N4296

G-AOIO at Squire’s Gate in the early 1960s when operated by Air Navigation and Trading for pleasure trips around the Tower.

Two pics of Luton on 14 June 1968 .First is of G-APPO in the same position as shown in the aerial photo.

And the second is of Monarch Brit G-AOVI

Why do you think it’s faked?

I’m so glad to see a 748 preserved at long last in this country.Well done to all concerned. I also would love to see it finished in the early Dan-Air scheme which is historically correct for G-BEJD.

In April 2003 I visited Sanders Aviation at Eagle’s Nest,Ione ,California to see the Sea Furies based and under rebuild.Dennis Sanders kindly gave us a guided tour and was quite open that the Sea Furies under rebuild were made up from parts that had recently been restored and not neccessarily from the original aeroplane.WG655 in the hangar was well on the way to completion,while close by was the original cockpit section of WG655 on rebuild for another Sea Fury.Round the back of the hangar was a lashed together Sea Fury fuselage of unusable parts from various aircraft including the rear fuselage of WG655.If I remember correctly the original aim was to make a weather-vane from these parts! I’ve also included a photo of a small section of the spares section,which included spare fuselages, showing from where some of the parts originated.

Just on the South-Eastern edge of the Riga suburbs is the ex-military airfield of Rumbula,the runway of which is easily visible on Google Earth between the river and the main road heading South East out of Riga. It is easily accessible by bus/tram from the centre of Riga. Most of the airfield is now derelict but there is a light aviation centre on the northernmost apron and the runway is still usable.Just! When I visited 3 years ago there were 2 An-2s(one active and 1 derelict in Aeroflot markings),2 disused Mil-2s and 2 disused Wilgas,plus a few other light aircraft. There is a locked gate onto the apron,but the friendly lady who lives in the caravan by the gate has the key and she kindly let me enter for photography.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumbula_(air_base)

I think that the code C on XP411 may have it’s origins as a training airframe with 2 School of Technical Training at Cosford before it’s move to the Museum.Note the dayglo code just ahead of the roundel on XP411 and also on it’s colleague XR107 coded B. Both pics taken in 1987.