Great thread here, just stumbled across it while searching for anything on 84 Sqn middle east memories. My Grandad, Corporal Ronald Beeny, served with 84 Sqn from about ’49-51 I believe before coming off Sqns, and I was wondering if anyone on here either served or has a family member who served at the same time? Grandad was an electrician I believe and I have several photos of him working on Brigands and Harvards at Habbaniya.

I’d love to see any photos or memories from that time.

I have several b/w Lightning photos from a collection given to me by a former Canberra navigator. These were ‘raided’ from various squadron archives over the years but will say no more. As a result, I have no idea about the photographer, but can happily scan them if you are interested.

ATB,

Steve

I’ll see if I can find anything as well. The best I can turn up at the mo is a small shot of the back seat for you. Will keep looking. There are some other murky shots but these won’t be much help.

http://www.internationalcockpitclub.org.uk/gallery/wt525.htm

Oh, wait, Les B. already documents 525 on his site with much clearer photos. Back to the drawing board.

Timbo,

as an avid and slightly obsessed Canberra fan myself, there can NEVER be enough Cranberry postings and plugs! Cracking work on 333, you lucky so and so. If I were back in the UK I would certainly like to get stuck in in any way possible. I think I repainted her for FS2004 a year or two ago so have a soft spot for it. **UPDATE, alas, it was XH568, but close enough (also, this is not a ‘true’ B.6 (mod) since we only had a Swedish Tp.52 to use)

Ray W. – you may be onto something with the SAAF, hopefully they did keep something mothballed. The only other operators I know of are HAMM over in northern California, with their two raspberry ripple birds, but I doubt they are willing to give up their Avons anytime soon.

Thanks for the update Brian, i personally have got three different articles that say it was VZ783 that had the underwater ejection (possibly all quoted from the same source), but either way i’m sure one of us is correct. Nice to know there are others out there who have an interest in the ‘dragon’.;)

cheers,
Rob.

What a cracking thread, I just came across it. I am very jealous of course of those that got to see the real, sorry I mean Royal Navy at it’s finest! Regarding the Wyvern, Rob you are not alone. Some friends of mine over in the virtual aviation world recently released a lovely Wyvern model for FSX. If you haven’t already downloaded it (assuming you are a simmer), you should treat yourself.

http:/www.nazcastudios.com/wyvern.html

Nice canopy in your avatar pic – where did you come across it?
I myself am a huge Sea Hawk fan, so to hear these stories of mass take-offs and gun-firing demos is quite something. I have some lovely colour footage from Farnborough ’57 with the Red Devils (or Red Hawks) display team that might come close to to this, but to have seen the real thing…ah, if only.

Thanks for sharing the memories, all.

Steve

That ‘sky’ does look practically white in that shot. So, what is the consensus on the sky/white issue – was the usage of EDSG/white in the early pattern markings just painted on occasions or did some Sea Hawks actually serve in this arrangement?

Great pics, right down the Meteor shot; I love the MAM and after a few visits you’re hooked. The last time I was in there, the Meteor paintwork was a little different though, although the camo is nice too. Anyone know what the old scheme represented?