NotGettingAny Younger - those Manston photos
Great photos thanks, may I comment (hopefully constructively) on them? I stress I don’t claim expertise regarding University Air Squadrons and would welcome further comment.
Firstly, I can find no reference to a “Kent University Air Squadron”. I understand that Kent was covered by the University of London Air Squadron (ULAS).
I suspect the first photo was taken rather later than 1973 as both Chipmunks are in the second version of the Red/White/Light Grey scheme, which didn’t appear until 1974. By this stage the SA Bulldog had replaced the Chipmunk with the UAS’s, so I doubt they were UAS aircraft either.
However the 1973 date is quite likely in the lower photo, as at least one Chipmunk is in the first variant of the R/W/LG scheme, introduced in 1970. These ones are UAS aircraft! UAS markings had by this stage devolved into a standardized arrangement, whereby the badge was located beneath the rear cockpit and comprised a university unique device within a square frame, flanked by bars in the appropriate colours. Despite trying to enhance the photo, I can’t see just which device or bar colours are there. But they’re not ULAS aircraft - this unit seems to have eschewed the standardized markings, favouring a small badge on the cowl and the fuselage roundel flanked by dark blue bars – clearly not evident in the photo.
Hopefully this will provoke more discussion and won’t read too much like a lecture.
Cheers!