Many thanks for posting these vintage photos. Have checked out the Tempest II history – PR550 was used for stores trials by Hawker and A&AEE in 1948 and then shipped out to Seletar where it was in store from August 1949. It was eventually issued to 33 Squadron in March 1951 but was back in store by June of the same year. It was transferred to the Pakistani Air Force in 1952.

Looking forward to the rest. Thanks again.

Whirlwind ‘Starkey’ markings

In addition to the markings quoted by MrBlueSky, the wing tips outboard of the outer white stripe were painted black.

So starting from the stripe nearest the fuselage the stripes went black/white/black/white/black tip. D-Day stripes of course went white/black/white/black/white!

The markings were on for about a week; they had been painted in distemper, for easy removal. I have a copy of the original doc which promulagated the markings.

269 Squadron

An hour or so down the M4 from you is the National Archive at Kew, where 269’s Operations Record Book can be viewed on microfilm (in the Air27 series).

Rufforth Typhoon

According to a news item in Air Pic in 1955, Rufforth received a composite Typhoon (parts from DN502, MN282 and MN601). Does anyone know where it came from, how long it was at Rufforth and if it was displayed there? It seems to have been the last Typhoon in the UK until MN235’s return in 1968.

Any other contenders for ‘the last Typhoon’ (other than Hendon’s and current rebuilds?

Jack Collins

Thats a kind thought. I know Jack’s son, Mike, and will drop him a line.

3 Squadron

Yes, its is Manston, but 3 Squadron, not 609. The CO is Sqn Ldr L.F.de Soomer (Belg), centre front row in the forage cap. To the right (partly hidden by the crease) is Flt Lt Jack Collins (who later would command 245 Sqn and was KIA in Normandy. To the left of de Soomer is Flt Lt W.A.MacKichan would command 56 Sqn on Tempests in the last months of the war. Time is summer 1943 – possibly August – to mark the occasion of de Soomer leaving the Squadron.

Might as well join in this thread of the partially-sighted leading the partially-sighted! The Typhoon and Thunderbolt canopies differ considerably in dimensions and contours so I suspect the relationship between the two is that Republic borrowed the concept and the technology that was required.

The Typhoon canopy was of course used on the Tempest but also the Sea Fury and Firebrand. However the windscreen on the Sea Fury was different (smaller) – doubt to accomodate the changes to fuselage contour brought about by raising the cockpit to give the pilot a better view forward. Don’t know about the Firebrand windscreen.

Incidentally, although the Typhoon is usually hailed as the first with a complete ‘bubble canopy, some critics would have you believe the Whirlwind or Fw190 was first – yet both of these had framework supporting the glazing.

34 WSU

I believe 34 Wing Support Unit operated on the same basis as the other (Group) Support Units in 2nd TAF, ie. it was there to maintain a pool of trained aircrew (and fully prepared aircraft) appropriate to its parent Wing, to replace losses as they occurred. As such it would not be responsible for training basic skills but for providing conversion training and continuation training for aircrew who were already experienced or had completed OTU training. If night reconnaissance training had not been undertaken elsewhere then it would have been provided by 34 WSU.