87 – 91 DH 106 Comet 1 G-ALYV

Captioned “Hurn 5th September 1952”. Probably not a sequence, but several different take-off and landing by BOAC crews familiarising with the type. The last shot is an accidental double exposure.

G-ALYV was c/n 6008. There is very little info on this particular airframe beyond its demise.

On 3rd May 1953, the aircraft departed Dum Dum Airport, Calcutta en route to Delhi and climbed away into heavy, thundery rain. About six minutes later at 10000 feet, the aircraft broke up in flight, killing all 43 on board. The cause was not satisfactory established but in general was found at the time to have been structural failure caused either by the weather or the pilot’s control in the weather (early Comets poor feeling in their flight controls). The loss of this aircraft was never officially linked with the pressure cabin fatigue failures of other Comet’s that also occurred during the climb phase of their flights, probably because not much wreckage was recovered at the time.

In the background – some Mossies. What’s the bulge on the left-most one?

86 Auster J5G Cirrus Autocar G-AMPA

Caption “Autocar MPA Farnborough 7th September 1952”. Evidently equipped for crop spraying and the livery of Pest Control Ltd. Not featured in Pathe’s report on the 1952 airshow – well worth a look at (http://www.BritishPathe.com; use advanced search and film ID26.65)

According to G-INFO, this was c/n 2987, built 1952 and CoA expired 1956. AJ Jackson photographed it (http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/amaa.htm). He also recorded it as being transferred to Sudan as SN-ABE (http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/misc2.htm). There is no further record, so presumably it became a cropper there :rollyeyes: .

There are parts of at least three other aircraft in the photo; today’s bonus for naming the make and type of all three with smart-alec points awarded for registration numbers.

83 Bristol 175 Britannia G-ALBO

No caption. Farnborough 7th September 1952

G-ALBO was the Britannia prototype, which first flew 16th August 1952.

It was used for the bulk of the Britannia test programme, especially after the loss of the second prototype. It was used for trials of the Bristol Orion turboprop (http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1984&searchitem=Bristol&mtv=G1&pnum=13) and thus the Britannia 400 twin deck airliner.

AJ Jackson took 21 shots of this aircraft including air-to-air (http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/alaa.htm)

The RAF Museum apparently has one or more engines preserved (http://www.mda.org.uk/aircraft/3341.htm)