Looks foreign to me!

[PAXboy]

Hi folks,
Going through my father's albums, I find this item and have no idea what it is. I presume that he took the picture when it was visiting their station, he was in night fighters so nothing to do with him.

For a follow up, I know the hanger is a standard design but would anybody hazard a guess as to where? There is nothing on the back to give any hint.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1282/what_4e9b7086a9175d963a5ade725b9e203093b7e8a2.jpg

[DaveReidUK]

2 FTS flew from Digby, which had C Type hangars.

[Fareastdriver]

The hangers still have their camouflage so it is in the UK.

[Low Level Pilot]

RAF
KF 702
North American NA-16 Harvard IIb (AT-16)

[Quemerford]

The hangers still have their camouflage so it is in the UK.

...or hangars, as we used to call them ;)

[Diverskii]

Could it be Little Rissington? 702 is listed as flying for the Central Flying School 1950-54
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eBrOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA302#v=onepage&q&f=false - Page 302

[Innominate]

Could it be Little Rissington? 702 is listed as flying for the Central Flying School 1950-54

The book gives the code as FDM-Q, rather than FAI-K, so not CFS. DaveReidUK has presumably tracked it down to 2 FTS. The 3-letter codes beginning with F were allocated to Flying Training Command units

[sycamore]

Tail oleo needs pumping up...!

PAXboy,where was your Father stationed on `night-fighters`?

[nonsense]

Harvard IIB KF702 [Royal Air Force Aircraft Serial and Image Database] RAFCommands.com (http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=KF702)

While we're doing mystery aircraft, does anyone recognise this derelict fuselage, photographed at Deception Island in the South Shetlands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deception_Island#Antarctic_specially_protected_areas)?


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1230x825/deception_hangar_40e29f1d1297e459328d31aa1eb3c9283e777f1c.jp g

[lauriebe]

The code 'FAI' was one of several (FAI - FAM), allocated to No.20 SFTS at RAF Church Lawford where that unit had been based since April 1945. No. 20 SFTS became No. 2 FTS on 27 July 1947.

On 6 April 1948, No. 2 FTS moved to RAF South Cerney.

The hangar layout in the OP's photo does not resemble Church Lawford but is similar to South Cerney.

Sources:
Ken Delve's "Source Book of the RAF'.
AirBritain's "Flying Training and Support Units Since 1912".

[India Four Two]

nonsense,

It's a DHC-3 Otter. See here for details:

http://www.dhc3otter.com/vpfak294dhmuseum.htm

[PAXboy]

Thanks for prompt replies. Little Rissington is probably correct. After the war, my father's pilot stayed on and was at L.R. I know that my parents visited him there in July 1952.

sycamore Principally in Sq 141, Beaus and then Mossies. If you want more info, do PM.

[John Eacott]

RAF
KF 702
North American NA-16 Harvard IIb (AT-16)

From the exhaust ducting that looks more like the NA-66, or T6 Texan back in its native habitat?

[DaveReidUK]

RAF
KF 702
North American NA-16 Harvard IIb (AT-16)

Noorduyn-built.

[megan]

UK Serials confirms LLP's ident. IIb models were built by Canadian company Noorduyn in Montreal where the long exhaust pipe provided cockpit heating, something desirable in the UK and Canada one would assume. Photo of Duxford based IIb G-BTXI flying in the UK.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1200x846/84950_1420021280_ad396d1734c0cbd884f3819db72f86d57fae0b98.jp g

[DaveReidUK]

On 6 April 1948, No. 2 FTS moved to RAF South Cerney.

The hangar layout in the OP's photo does not resemble Church Lawford but is similar to South Cerney.

Given that we now know the approximate date, my money would also be on South Cerney - looks a bit too grassy to be Little Rissington.

[AnglianAV8R]

Middle Wallop ? They operated the Bolton Paul Defiant there as a night fighter.

[DaveReidUK]

Hangars are oriented wrongly for Middle Wallop, and are a different variant of Type C.

[l.garey]

PAXboy: Was you father a pilot? Maybe he learned to fly on the Harvard.

Laurence

[PAXboy]

I.garey No he was a Nav/Rad as they were called, known in their trade as a 'blip basher' for following the blips on the screen!

The mention of Little Rissington puts this into his history. Post war, his pilot stayed in (went up to Air Commodore) and was based at Rissington in the early 50s. We have other photographs of the two families there in July 1952. So this would have been something my father saw when visiting his old chum who was senior at the training station at the time.

Many thanks all round.