Vickers Varsity

[Yellow Sun]

Nearest I came to tipping a Varsity was 8 aft and only the captain forward and didn't he swear at us when the nose wheel lifted.

It was the navigator training aircraft fitted with Green Satin that had the greatest propensity to lift the nosewheel whilst parked. The other fits were not too bad.

YS

[Proplinerman]

Here's the one they've got at Brooklands, apparently in very good condition and I managed to visit on a nice sunny day to take my photo.

JetPhotos.Net Photo » WF372 (CN: 531) United Kingdom - Royal Air Force (RAF) Vickers Varsity T.1 by Michael Blank

Also, some time in the very early 1970s, what I took to be a Varsity, flew over my parents' home in south M/C, with, I'm pretty sure, the serial WJ462. However, when I looked this up just now in "British Military Aircraft Serials 1911-1971," Ian Allan, it is identified as a Valetta, which I would have thought were all out of service by then. Anyone know?

[Amos Keeto]

Think you must either have the date wrong or mis-read the serial, as WJ462 was indeed a Valetta and was withdrawn from use in April 1968. The only Valetta that was still flying in the early '70s was WJ491 with A&AEE and that last flew in April 1972.

[Proplinerman]

Thanks for that and I must have got the serial wrong, as I'm sure it was later than April 1971, when I began planespotting.

[Ramshornvortex]

An aircraft overrunning the road at Little Rissington ... around 1970-73

That would be WF411 December 1973 according to some slides that I took as a teenager living at Rissie quaintly entitled 'The Dead Varsity'. I seem to remember that it wasn't too long before one of the then brand new Jetstreams came to a messy end in the same field at Little Rissington. Nobody seriously hurt in either incident, thankfully.

[Herod]

IIRC the Jetstream in the early days had a problem with the fuel cocks vibrating shut. The incident you mention involved a double engine shutdown just after takeoff, and the aircraft proceeded to demolish a couple of stone walls as it made its way along the adjacent field. Any more info anyone?

[critter592]

Varsity WF327

The anniversary of the crash of this aircraft is approaching.

In addition to Wendimum's post, I would like to repeat the request made therein - If any of you fine ladies or gentlemen out there knew Sergeant George Cheesley, or his crew, Sergeant Peter Leach, Sergeant Louis Herbert, or Pilot Officer Michael Clarke from your days at Swinderby, please feel free to PM me. Thank you.

I have a page on my Website for this aircraft, you can view it here.



Don Bryans

Midlands Air Crash Research

"Lest We Forget"

[KipperMac]

I remember it well <gGg>

Ramshornvortex I was a young urk (know as Kipper) serving at Rissie (1970-1976) at the time and was present for both the events that you mention. I actually watched the first happen and was having a sandwich in the crew room when the second event took place. Sad times for the A/C's but as was said, no one was hurt.
I served at Rissie untill the fat lady sang and they put the lights out.
I didn't know it at the time but they were the best days of my life.
I was totaly crushed when they closed the camp. As a young urk, it never crossed my mind that such a thing would ever happen.
I am at the other end of life now and much wiser.
The Jetstream's had just been grounded for the reason Herod mentions. Astazu engines had a vibration problem and it was found that this caused a fuel valve to close in the center section of the wings. The Jetstream A/C was returning to base after the grounding message.
Murphy's law again.
The Varsity was another story.
We knew the A/C as the Flying Pig. It looked like one from certain angles and on touch down, the brakes squealed like one. I loved the sound of those Hercules especially when just starting up.
I went on to serve at R.A.F. Lyneham for three years and then left the service. I would be glad to hear from anyone who knew me in those times.
Sorry for any typos but my eyes are sadly giving up on me these days.
Kind reguards to all.

[Russruspy]

My only experience of the Varsity was an air experience flight from Stradishall when I was in the ATC in the 60s. Oddly I am now helping to restore that very aircraft at Brooklands museum. If anybody out there can help with a picture of a monitor for the Rebecca system that looks a bit like a telescope poking out of the nav station, I would be grateful. There is currently a replica device labelled as such made from an old plastic milk bottle!

[ZH875]

There are a few pictures of Rebecca screens on this page:

EW - Eureka/Rebecca

ZH

[ian16th]

I remember seeing a Rebecca IV at one of the RAF Museums, sorry I can't remember whether it was Cosford or Hendon.

I remember thinking that after they put the stuff I worked on into a museum, next they'd put me in one

[Pom Pax]

Russruspy if I recall correctly the unit shown as Indicator BC 929 in ZH875's link resembles the unit fitted to the nav. trainers. Except I think our scales were 12, 60,120 n.m and there was a knob for selecting channels (6 may even 8 of them). The unit was mounted flush in the nav. panel and what you are describing as "a bit like a telescope poking out" is the anti glare shield. A tube fitted over the crt display with a shaped end to stick your forehead on with a cut out for one's nose. This end had some sorbo rubber on it. The thing looking like a megaphone with a rectangular open end.

Edited to add that on the NF(T) 10 Vampire this hood was normally detached from the unit for stowage. But I can't find a picture of this either.

[Prangster]

Varsity Line Shoots

Remember reading various commentaries and accounts of Varsarsity, wherein both studes and intructors scribbled everything form thier darkest thoughts to astute observation about how not to aviate. the 'book' was kept in an Oakington crew room approx early 80's and I always wondered what became of it. My own Varsarsity moment came at Manby sitting in the jump seat as a student Air Commodore wrestled a reluctant pig round the circuit. As we squealed to a shuddering halt on what should have been a roller the instructor ( Master Pilot) Smiled wanly and intoned 'Now I would like to see a normal circuit' I only just caught big sirs muttered response 'So would I cock so would I' Quite how I stiflled the giggles I'll never know. Twas only after our final landing did I realise that big sir had somehow defied gravity by flying the thing at less than the headlined stalling speed.

[Waddo Liney]

Varsity/Valletta memories

I well remember the Varsitys and Vallettas while stationed at Cranwell as a young erk, in the early sixties. I didn't work on them, being on one of the Vampire squadrons, but was able to wangle a lift to Ballykelly once, when going home on leave. I think it was on one of the Vallettas. Before boarding, I was none too politely cautioned that the AOC's secretary, Miss Somebody-Or-Other, was also going to be flying as a passenger, and that I was to be on my best behaviour and treat her respectfully. I expected her to be some straight-laced, flinty spinster, but was pleasantly surprised to find that she was a lovely homely lady, and very easy to get along with. We landed at Aldergrove to let her off and then continued on to BK. I enjoyed the flight, spending most of the Aldergrove-Ballykelly leg standing between the pilot's seats watching what was going on, especially during the letdown and approach into Ballykelly. From there it was no problem to hitch a lift to my home town of Coleraine. The whole trip probably took about 2 hours tops, which sure beat the heck out of the long train journey to Heysham and then the overnight boat to Belfast.
The next time I came across Varsitys was during a brief tour at Labuan in 1966. Does anyone else recall Varsitys at Labuan? As at Cranwell, the aircrew there were all Master Pilots or SNCO's. I worked on them at Labuan, but seem to recall that there were only two, and most of my time was taken up with the twin and single Pioneers of 209 Squadron.
I also remember the buzz at Cranwell when a groundcrew erk walked into a spinning Varsity prop, when he was seeing it off on a night sortie. Sadly, he didn't make it out the other side.

[huntert7]

1ANS Stradishall

First post - been lurking on this forum for some time!
Growing up in rural Norfolk, I well remember the Varsity's from Stradishall (particularly at night when they used to rumble over the house on navex's keeping a certain young schoolboy awake). I was very lucky as an Air Cadet to get a trip in a 115 squadron Varsity from RAF Watton on an ILS calibration sortie so I've had something of a soft spot for the aeroplane ever since. Slight thread creep - but I also remember the Meteor NF(T)14,s based at Stradishall flying at what seemed very low level. Any ex instuctors or navs on here who are willing to share their memories? All this probably helped to fuel my interest in military aviation, especially all things "dayglo".

[Proplinerman]

And here's a link to a photo I took quite a few years ago of the Varsity preserved at Cosford-in very nice condition and in that very attractive RAE livery:

ScanImage4 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Proplinerman]

And here's how the Varsity at Brooklands looked in 2001:

ScanImage1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And the one at Duxford, recently:

DSC_0070 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And one preserved at Newark:

Varsity side on | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

And how the Varsity at Brooklands looked in 2009-quite different to the shot above:

DSC_0264 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Herod]

Lovely job of restoration. Hats off to Brooklands.

[norwich]

An update to Proplinermans supurb photo display .... WF369 at Newark .... A few photos from my recent visit to an aerojumble at Newark, and another supurb preservation job I think ..... Keith.

[T-21]

Proplinerman and Norwich,
Thanks for the great photos I think WF369 is the best kept Varsity in the country and it was a visit and look inside this machine that started this thread . The aircraft has an aroma on stepping into the machine after some 38 years it just took me straight back to my 6 flights in them.