look on the bright side… you should be getting a Gannet and Buccaneer very soon….. 😎

Come on then, spill the beans..what do you know that we don’t? :confused:

One of the Sea Prince roles was to train Anti-Sub Operators, the T1 had a configuration of three ASV19a/b positions. The doors that open just behind the nose wheel are/were used when sonobouys are dropped. Inside the aircraft there are two bays in the floor (one per side) with a lid that opens to load the device. I believe that other objects, (Markers etc) could also be deployed via these chutes. (Peter Mills)Thank you Peter, for that excellent definitive answer, (and pagen01 for your input, good as always!). WP309 was largely used to give jollies to young matelots and Artificer apprentices whilst at HMS Condor : generally trips over the Angus glens and Grampian mountains: her training days were long gone. Here is a shot of her in 1964 doing just that. (I think I could almost hear her, just looking at the slide!) Brian.

Robert (see photo below) here’s the port side of WP309, same day, 6th July 1963 at Condor ‘At Home’ day , Condor crest at that time worn port and starboard. Silver, white nose and yellow trainer bands. Last three,(all credit to MAP) WP309 as 880/A, and again with crest on nose, and final heartbreaking shot on dump at Yeovilton 1989.

pagen01 would confirm cheat line was blue when repainted : she was looking at her best for the RAF Leuchars BoB Day, in light grey and white. Subsequently she went to Culdrose with 750 Squadron circa 1975 before an undercarriage collapse at Yeovilton dealt the final death knell. Brian

12(B) Bucc Gibraltar 1978…no problem with these colours…:cool:

Great shots, a real time-travel back through the years : hadn’t realised until now that there are two SE5 replicas on the go! Thanks for posting. Brian

Excellent shots Brian, as ever : I’ve yet to visit the American hall : must get down this year. Dusty though it may be, at least the SR-71 has stopped leaking fuel all over the deck, as it did in service!;) Brian S.

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Oh, and by the way, you Brits, there actually is more to aviation than endless Spitfires and one more recounting of the Battle of Britain.

To balance the score (slightly), two books that are older than me (and I’m no spring chicken) – batting for the 8th USAAF –
“Serenade to the Big Bird” by Bert Stiles, a poignant, well written and true story of B-17 operations. (Bert left bombers to fly fighters, was killed November 1944 in a P-51 on an escort mission to Hanover) and “Glasgow’s Fighter Squadron” by F.G.Nancarrow (1942) tells the story of 602 Fighter Squadron, and written at a time when the censorship was quite heavy : I would have to wait years for the full story of the men and exploits of 602 to emerge, but this book inspired my (this-far) lifelong interest in aviation. I would strongly recommend you seek them out if you can, both capture the spirit of the times. This Brit.