Originally Posted by
walbut
I am currently editing Roger Searle's autobiography, in conjunction with a few of his colleagues from BAe Brough and Holme on Spalding Moor. He wrote that he carried out what he believed was the first night low level, low light television sortie from RAE Farnborough in Hunter T7 XL383 on 12th Jan 1976. Harry Maclean, an ex RAF Lightning pilot was the safety pilot. Roger passed away on 16th April 2020.
I'll be interested in that when your book comes out to put this story together. I spoke to Roger briefly a few years ago after a RAeSoc meeting and he described his first flight with low light capability as meeting all the planned targets in one go, they went straight into low-level high speed flight with real confidence.
A colleague picked up the work to fit an earlier Chisel nose onto XV344 for the TICM II trials. I believe it came from S,1 XN923 (now preserved at Charlewood, near Gatwick).
His work flying Harrier at Boscombe should also be interesting. These guys certainly earned their pay !
XN923 A&AEE photo rescued from a retired Designers desk !