What are these aircraft?

[Fishtailed]

I found these photos of my dad in Egypt in 1946/7, and I recognise the Avro York, but what are the other two?
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1975x1385/scan_pic0241_51630d6ff504e8cd8451a95b0ae1f8b27fd30bfb.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1399/scan_pic0242_5877f09f9ffc227da382bd84764762b70a8dca2a.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1962x1270/scan_pic0243_cd1f93a41f4275c00c615c8266db3ba995c4feff.jpg

[treadigraph]

Top one, Handley Page Halton, middle is a Lockheed Lodestar I think.

[capngrog]

I agree that the middle one is a Lockheed Lodestar or as called by the British (who used a lot of them), the Lockheed Hudson. The bottom aircraft is an Avro York.

Cheers,
Grog

[l.garey]

The BOAC Lodestar named "Lake Kivu" was G-AGCU, Served from 1941 to 1947. Ex NC34900, 42-53499, RAF AX720. Returned to the RAF. More on http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_3.html

Nice pictures!

Laurence

[Liffy 1M]

The Halton at top appears to have LAMS (London Aero and Motor Services) titles and the name is most likely "Port of London", making it G-AHZO. It was registered to this company from July 1946 to December 1948.

[Dora-9]

I agree that the middle one is a Lockheed Lodestar or as called by the British (who used a lot of them), the Lockheed Hudson.

Not quite - a Lodestar was the Model 18, a variant of the Ventura.

[FlightlessParrot]

Those are indeed nice pictures. I suspect they were taken by a professional, since they seem to have been made with a very large camera: the depth of field is extremely narrow, especially considering how bright the light must have been, allowing a small lens aperture.

[meleagertoo]

Large aperture, surely, for narrow depth of field?

[meleagertoo]

Large aperture, surely - for narrow depth of field?
Super quality pics though

[DaveReidUK]

I think Parrot's point was that in spite of the bright light, which would have normally implied using a small aperture, the photographer clearly didn't.

[FlightlessParrot]

I think Parrot's point was that in spite of the bright light, which would have normally implied using a small aperture, the photographer clearly didn't.
Sorry, wasn't clear. Bright light, so probably did use a small aperture (f/11, maybe, probably not wider than f/8). On a smallish camera (Rollei down), that would mean a big depth of field. But these pictures have a shallow depth of field, so they must have been taken on a large camera (5x4, probably), with which size you'd get a shallow depth of field even with a small aperture. Hence, professional (in the '40s, they'd still be using such big cameras). Alternatively, someone using an aerial camera: they made big negatives, and did have fast lenses (though I don't know what speed film they used).

[Peter Maxfield]

I found these photos of my dad in Egypt in 1946/7, and I recognise the Avro York, but what are the other two?



Lovely shot of "Lake Kivu," thank you. 18-2068 means she was the 68th production model built. Not a Hudson - they were the military version of the Lockheed 14 Super Electra. Not a Ventura either - similar, and the Ventura was indeed the later military version of the Lodestar, but with a distinctively different rear fuselage shape. Based at Almaza. With BOAC from 18th July 1941 to November 1947. She's in the second post-war livery, so that was mostly 1946. Please can you tell us more details about your Dad? What was he doing out there? Any service details; unit etc. Would love a rescan of this shot, as I'm rather crazy about BOAC Lodestars! I am on the case to Madrid looking for any photos and details of the nine ex-BOAC Lodestars parked up for two years for CANA, then flown for four years by the Ejército del Aire (1950-1954). Very little seems to be known about that time while they were in Spain (but I'm hoping for details soon!) Pete.

[megan]

Fishtailed, as has been said your first photo is of a Handley Page Halton, the civil version of the WWII Halifax bomber.

[India Four Two]

Although the Hudson and the Ventura are superficially similar and had the same wingspan, the Ventura was a larger and heavier aircraft. The engines were 2000 HP P&W R-2800s versus 1100 HP Wright Cyclones in the Hudson. The Ventura had a gross weight of 31,000 lb versus the Hudson's 17,500 lb.

[Planemike]

Some thread drift coming up...... East African Airways was an extensive user of Lockheed Lodestars, the first five of which came from parent company BOAC. In total they operated 15 aircraft. Others were sourced from the Congo & South Africa (ex SAA).

[Fishtailed]

Peter Maxfield, got your PM and will respond.

[WHBM]

I suspect the photos were taken at Cairo. This was a hub for BOAC second only to London, from where services fanned out southwards into Africa and eastwards into Asia. Looking at a 1947 BOAC timetable there are 22 York departures a week, 8 "Lockheeds" (that's what BOAC called them), 6 DC3 and 3 of their own Haltons. Besides these landplanes, BOAC flying boats were landing alongside on the Nile, adding another 14 services per week in all these directions as well. It remained a transfer point for BOAC passengers travelling between Africa and Asia right up to British Airways times in the 1970s. Besides the services from London turning back there, which appear to have spent commonly a couple of days on the turnaround, there were spare aircraft and crews based there as well. Crews typically flew all day through multiple stops, then had several days off.

The LAMS Halton was part of a large fleet of a dozen or more, wholly cargo, based at Stansted, which found much commercial ad-hoc cargo work, to the self-same areas and down to Australia; they were one of the largest such UK operators at the time. A Halton was a loosely-civilianised Handley Page Halifax bomber; can't mention the Halifax without stating that Mr WHBM Senior was a WW2 navigator on them :) . The post-war adapted types, as all of them here, were generally the very last production just in mid-1945 before the wartime output was closed down, and had often not seen active service.

Looks like dad is in RAF uniform (no concession to the heat it seems), who would have added much to the movements there. Note the photos are all of civvy types though.

In passing, looking up LAMS just now, I see they employed a European salesman in 1946-7 who travelled to find business for them, engaged as he OWNED HIS OWN SPITFIRE for getting around ! Oh, happy days !

[Fris B. Fairing]

The middle photo is indeed a Lodestar but what's going on with the carb air intake on top of the stbd engine? It looks much too big.
Rgds

[Self loading bear]

The middle photo is indeed a Lodestar but what's going on with the carb air intake on top of the stbd engine? It looks much too big.
Rgds

There are at least multiple executions
This one looks the same:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1050x623/e70ca556_05ac_48e5_afd2_25436fc5cb1e_15cd8f4832d0218bbf1b54b c37dbd9f7e1a5de7d.jpeg

[sycamore]

SLB,probably a `sand-filter ` mod for the dusty ops...?

[oldpax]

Portugal sent six to Ballykelly,all on 204 dispersals.What a sight!Sorry no pictures,this would be 1960.

[DaveReidUK]

Portugal sent six to Ballykelly, all on 204 dispersals. What a sight!Sorry no pictures,this would be 1960.

More likely PV-2 Harpoons - I don't think Portugal had any PV-1 Venturas.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/399x159/paf_pv_2_harpoon_28ac76904da62c99e2bbe908a4c090b5d31a4381.jp g

[Fris B. Fairing]

SLB
Thanks for that photo. I'd never seen this on a Lodestar before.
Rgds

[Fishtailed]

WHBM, dad was in the army, can anyone tell by his cap badge what regiment he was with?