View Full Version : Defiant To the Last
Prangster
24th Apr 2007, 18:39
Can someone out there please confirm that in the early 1970's there was still a Defiant wandering around in night fighter black I was working at the old Rolls Royce Flight Test Establishment at Hucknall just before the infamous company crash and am quite certain that one lovely early spring morn, our 'merlin moment' was the arrival of a Defiant. (Spitfires and the odd Mosquito were common as muck!) I distinctly recall standing by the rather worn port tyre and thinking 'Crikey I wouldn't fly on that'
Trouble is there didn't appear to be a Defiant on the civil register and sure as heck it wasn't still serving. The questions are therefore. Just where did it come from and to whom did it belong? Or was I standing by a rather solid ghost?
RETDPI
24th Apr 2007, 19:01
Not a Hurricane in Night fighter finish ? They have been confused before.
MReyn24050
24th Apr 2007, 19:31
I think that it was either a ghost or as RETDPI suggests it may have been a Hawker Hurricane.
It is known that the last Defiant retired from RAF use on the 27th Feb 1947.
Also, one Defiant T.T. Mk I (DR944) was seconded to Martin Baker on 11 December 1944. It was fitted with the first ever Martin Baker ejection seat in the observers station, and commenced dummy ejection trials on 11 May 1945. Another Defiant (AA292) was later used for similar trials by the Air Ministry until March 1947. Martin Baker retained their Defiant until 31 May 1948.
Prangster
24th Apr 2007, 19:46
Definitely not, it had the turret still fitted but not guns if memory serves me right
MReyn24050
24th Apr 2007, 20:13
Here is a link to a photograph of Boulton Paul Defiant 8370M/N1671 at RAF Abingdon during the 50th RAF Anniversary taken 15th June 1968. However I am sure this aircraft was not in an airworthy condition.
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1034190/
boristhemini
25th Apr 2007, 14:58
Off Topic slightly.
At an 80th b'day bash at M-In-Laws on Sunday, it came to light that BP test pilots 'Ben' Gunn and Lindsay Neale used to regularly make social visits to Ma-in-Laws farm in Blackhalve Lane, with Mr Gunn usually supplying a bottle of scotch at each visit!! I'm sure Granny in Law supplied some nice farm produce for the boys back at BP! :ok:
Prangster
25th Apr 2007, 20:04
Ta for the link to the photo. 1968 may be about right. I worked at Hucknall from 67 onwards. Though you think the a/c wasn't airworthy I'm darn sure its the one that turned up at Hucknall. Vague recollection that the white patch on the stb cowling is a faded Polish insignia. I even remember calling ATC and speaking to the SATCO George Gardiner and asking where it came from. The aircraft stood by the Hyfil sheds plinking and blinking, gently cooling as only a Merlin knew how. Suspect it turned up on a scrounge as we had many Merlin menders still with us at the time
AFAIK, no flying Defiants in the seventies. As MReyn24050 wrote, the last surviving Defiant N1671 was displayed as Abingdon in 1968. Also a couple of other places in the sixties but each time was dismantled, transported by road and re-assembled. It was based at St.Athan during this time then joined other aircraft around 1970 waiting for the then new RAF Museum to open.
The patch showing in the photo is a commemorative plaque. I have a close up photo of this somewhere. I can try to find it if interested.