Vickers Varsity
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Penang, Malaysia
Age: 78
Posts: 262
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just come across the site on the link below.
Looks as though there was a final mass flypast at Strubby on 8 Sep 72, the date the station officially closed.
Formation layout for the 8 Sep flypast is the same as on 20 July but with seven Varsitys leading as opposed to just four in the earlier trip.
Strubby
Looks as though there was a final mass flypast at Strubby on 8 Sep 72, the date the station officially closed.
Formation layout for the 8 Sep flypast is the same as on 20 July but with seven Varsitys leading as opposed to just four in the earlier trip.
Strubby
Join Date: May 2003
Location: The Southern Planes
Posts: 60
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And they were still using Gee in 1967, when I had my one and only ride in a Varsity, after helping to deliver four UAS Chipmunks from Shawbury to Binbrook for Summer Camp.
The Varsity was flying us back to Shawbury and the nav was using Gee to determine when we were west of the airway (Amber 1?) and when this was reported, Midland Radar strongly disagreed!
Follow up. I've found a Flight article that reported Gee was shut-down on 26 March 1970:
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%200586.html
The Varsity was flying us back to Shawbury and the nav was using Gee to determine when we were west of the airway (Amber 1?) and when this was reported, Midland Radar strongly disagreed!
Follow up. I've found a Flight article that reported Gee was shut-down on 26 March 1970:
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%200586.html
Last edited by India Four Two; 18th Feb 2017 at 08:13.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
textpat
Gee Mk4? Are you sure? I never heard of such a beast.
I was a Radar Mech/Fitter from 1952 to 65, I was trained and worked on at various times on Gee II, Gee III and Gee-H.
This included the Varsity's at BCBS, Lindholme, 1954-56 and these were fitted with Gee-H.
I was a 'student at 2 ANS, Hullavington, in 1962/3 and we/they were still using GEE Mk.2 AND Mk.4 on the Varsities and, I believe, the Valettas!
I was a Radar Mech/Fitter from 1952 to 65, I was trained and worked on at various times on Gee II, Gee III and Gee-H.
This included the Varsity's at BCBS, Lindholme, 1954-56 and these were fitted with Gee-H.
When I was on 33 in the early sixties our Javelins were fitted with Gee Mk3. This was replaced with a 'radio compass' (ADF) for overseas transits.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Malvern
Age: 70
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Long nosed Varsity
Hi, we all know WF379 is the long nosed Varsity, but in April, 1975 I caught this pic of a Varsity making an overshoot at Birmingham airport. Does any one have any ideas what it was and what it was doing? It appears to have a long nose? Or is this an optical illusion because of the wierd black paint scheme under the nose? Note the starboard tailplane also appears to be black?
Can any one help?
Ahhh, how do I add a pic ?
Can any one help?
Ahhh, how do I add a pic ?
You have to add an URL which is a kind of code linked to your picture which will be elsewhere.I was given "Tiny pics"so you can add photos to it and choose the URL code ,try it its straightforward.
Interersting photo recently on a Blackbushe website Home | Blackbushe Airport - The one-stop Forum of a Royal Jordanian Air Force Varsity built without the 'bomb bay'. Looked very sleek!
Venture652,
An easy way to add a picture, is to look at the lower part of the Reply to Thread page and click on Manage Attachments. Then choose your file and click Upload.
An easy way to add a picture, is to look at the lower part of the Reply to Thread page and click on Manage Attachments. Then choose your file and click Upload.
Interersting photo recently on a Blackbushe website Home | Blackbushe Airport - The one-stop Forum of a Royal Jordanian Air Force Varsity built without the 'bomb bay'. Looked very sleek!
Actually a former RAF Varsity (WF416) with the bomb-aimer's pannier subsequently removed, used as King Hussein's personal transport.
The RJAF picture relaly os the 'ultimate Viking' and really does show the lineage link to the prototype Viscount clearly. I have never really picked up on that before on other Varsities although as it was all Vickers it had to be there somewhere I guess.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Malvern
Age: 70
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, we all know WF379 is the long nosed Varsity, but in April, 1975 I caught this pic of a Varsity making an overshoot at Birmingham airport. Does any one have any ideas what it was and what it was doing? It appears to have a long nose? Or is this an optical illusion because of the wierd black paint scheme under the nose? Note the starboard tailplane also appears to be black?
Can any one help?
Ahhh, how do I add a pic ?
Can any one help?
Ahhh, how do I add a pic ?
When I arrived at Farnborough, every 2 weeks or so a Varsity c/s 'Bluebell 1' would call out of West Malling and back to West Malling routing anti clockwise around Gatwick, for what purpose I never did find out. Sometime in 1975, the pilot told us this would be the last time this was done, so maybe it co-incided with the one at Birmingham ie was it the same one?
We had several Varsities at Farnborough but I don't recognise it as one of those, although it could be a Pershore based one.
We had several Varsities at Farnborough but I don't recognise it as one of those, although it could be a Pershore based one.
Last edited by chevvron; 2nd Apr 2017 at 11:58.
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for posting WJ908 Amos . This machine was struck off RAF charge on 25.1.71 and sent to Manston fire school. Has anybody got any good internal photographs please ? showing the nav stations and bomb bay area of the Varsity.
Did the RAF get value for money out of the Vickers Varsity ? I think so considering it's length of service and different roles. Also the engines and airframe stood up well to intensive use . What do former aircrew and groundcrew think ?
Did the RAF get value for money out of the Vickers Varsity ? I think so considering it's length of service and different roles. Also the engines and airframe stood up well to intensive use . What do former aircrew and groundcrew think ?
Occasionally we might have five on the line but that wasn't often enough to be thought of as usual.
They were what is termed today as "Labour Intensive" and we were thankful for that as it meant much overtime. The engines were the biggest user of manpower with lots of oil leaks and mag drops, it was a continual effort to keep them going whereas the more modern stuff was a breeze in comparison.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Lancing, Sussex
Age: 92
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Did a Navigators course largely in Varsitys in 1952-53. including two overseas trips. Got my brevet in August 1953. The Varsitys were fairly new then, surprise they lasted this long. They often did two 4.5 hour sorties per day. Must have clocked up the hours quickly. I think being in the bomb aimers bay for landing was banned. Gee was used extensively, and gee was accurate enough to line up with the runway. In ground school were were given gee signals as they looked when jammed by the Germans.
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Kalgoorlie, W.A. , Australia
Age: 86
Posts: 458
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Followed in Exnomad's footsteps some 5 years later and the Varsitys were still clocking up hours at that rate or faster, often driven by his late elder brother. This intensive use required 24 hour servicing.
In ground school Gee signals although no longer jammed speeded up to Canberra or even V force speeds. Six minute Gee3 fixing in the Vampires was a lot slower than what was being dished up in the sweat box.
In ground school Gee signals although no longer jammed speeded up to Canberra or even V force speeds. Six minute Gee3 fixing in the Vampires was a lot slower than what was being dished up in the sweat box.
I was at Topcliffe in 1971 for ATC camp. The Airman Aircrew Training School was there training SNCOs to be Loadys and Air Engineers.
On the wednesday, a Varsity departed for Gib as part of a course. It went u/s on arrival so a second Varsity was dispatched with spare parts and we were told this one would go u/s when it got there thus meaning the trainees and crews of both aircraft would have to spend the weekend in Gib.
Oh dear; 'ow sad; never mind.
On the wednesday, a Varsity departed for Gib as part of a course. It went u/s on arrival so a second Varsity was dispatched with spare parts and we were told this one would go u/s when it got there thus meaning the trainees and crews of both aircraft would have to spend the weekend in Gib.
Oh dear; 'ow sad; never mind.
Did my navigator's course at Gaydon in '66 on the Varsity plus some trips in the Valetta 'flying classroom'. Followed by advanced course at Stradishall in early '67, not the new-fangled Dominie for me - still the sturdy old Varsity.
Gee was still the principal fixing aid - very handy for a third position line for exercises involving Astro, Consol,NDBs etc.
Gee was still the principal fixing aid - very handy for a third position line for exercises involving Astro, Consol,NDBs etc.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 87
Posts: 1,329
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thread drifted to Gee so a Gee reliability story.
May 2-3 1960, as a dry run prior to the 1st non-stop flight from UK to Singapore, a 214 Sqdn Valiant, captained by Sqdn Ldr J H Garstin, flew around the UK for 18 hours and 5 Minutes. We sent up tankers to top him up a few times.
I was the radar fitter that did the pre-flight and seeing in/after flight.
I had a nights sleep in between
On landing the Nav gave me his tale of woe and times of each piece of kit going u/s, he was getting ready to do the Astro thing, but his trusty Gee box kept going.
The Valiant was fitted with Gee-H, but with the 'H' bit removed. An odd configuration that added weight without any usable function.
May 2-3 1960, as a dry run prior to the 1st non-stop flight from UK to Singapore, a 214 Sqdn Valiant, captained by Sqdn Ldr J H Garstin, flew around the UK for 18 hours and 5 Minutes. We sent up tankers to top him up a few times.
I was the radar fitter that did the pre-flight and seeing in/after flight.
I had a nights sleep in between
On landing the Nav gave me his tale of woe and times of each piece of kit going u/s, he was getting ready to do the Astro thing, but his trusty Gee box kept going.
The Valiant was fitted with Gee-H, but with the 'H' bit removed. An odd configuration that added weight without any usable function.