Vickers Valetta
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Vickers Valetta
After the wonderful response in information and photographs for the Varsity can I appeal for information/anecdotes on another forgotten aircraft the Valetta. Used successfully in Malaya and then training RAF navigators. My father had the misfortune to crash and survive the only T.4(long nosed version) at 228 OCU RAF Leeming in 1959. Apart from a book by the late Bill Overton and monographs,very little has been seen in print on this aircraft.
An old pal of mine was a Master Nav on the Valetta, in the Middle East (Aden I think?), employed in the VIP and communications role. I remember him showing me a picture of one sat atop a crushed house, possibly a result of an EFATO.
I'll try and dig up some info or snaps next time I see him.
DH
I'll try and dig up some info or snaps next time I see him.
DH
I've found one or three poor quality shots and uploaded them to Photobucket. Now for the head-banging bit!!
Remains of VW 165 at Beihan. We had stalled 10kts early on very late final (thank you God!!) Jack B, Harry B and myself, plus a Dutch newspaper correspondent. Cracked main spar, tail wheel severed, plus sundry other 'discrepancies'. Getting clear of the landing strip in that condition (to allow another 'pig' in, to take us home) was an 'interesting' exercise.
Seen from the top of the Fort at Ataq - landing strip in the background.
Coming down the Beach Road inbound to Khormaksar, flying 'shepherd to one of 'ours' which had diverted into Fahoud with severe oil loss - cracked cylinder head??? or the new detergent oil??? Memory fails. The poor crew had to suffer oil company conditions for several days until we could give them a temporary 'fix' and escort them home. Air conditioned rooms, steaks for breakfast and so on...
envy is a terrible failing
Have a few more, if interested (and, if this lot works!!)
Aaaaaaaaaarrrrgghhh!! - Far too optimistic.
Have read (and complied with) BOAC's nicely lucid instructions but, result is zilch, nada, rien nothing. Help and suggestions welcomed.
Remains of VW 165 at Beihan. We had stalled 10kts early on very late final (thank you God!!) Jack B, Harry B and myself, plus a Dutch newspaper correspondent. Cracked main spar, tail wheel severed, plus sundry other 'discrepancies'. Getting clear of the landing strip in that condition (to allow another 'pig' in, to take us home) was an 'interesting' exercise.
Seen from the top of the Fort at Ataq - landing strip in the background.
Coming down the Beach Road inbound to Khormaksar, flying 'shepherd to one of 'ours' which had diverted into Fahoud with severe oil loss - cracked cylinder head??? or the new detergent oil??? Memory fails. The poor crew had to suffer oil company conditions for several days until we could give them a temporary 'fix' and escort them home. Air conditioned rooms, steaks for breakfast and so on...
envy is a terrible failingHave a few more, if interested (and, if this lot works!!)
Aaaaaaaaaarrrrgghhh!! - Far too optimistic.
Have read (and complied with) BOAC's nicely lucid instructions but, result is zilch, nada, rien
nothing. Help and suggestions welcomed.
Last edited by Cornish Jack; 25th May 2009 at 19:10.
Some photos to follow. Meanwhile the following press cuttings will be of interest and provide leads to further research.
May 1953 - Malaya. First I've heard of speakers being fitted to a Pig.
August 1954
27th September 1953.
25 February 1954.
I left the second paragraph in as it shows how we treated miscreants in those days!
May 1953 - Malaya. First I've heard of speakers being fitted to a Pig.
August 1954
27th September 1953.
25 February 1954.
I left the second paragraph in as it shows how we treated miscreants in those days!
I've found one or three poor quality shots and uploaded them to Photobucket. Now for the head-banging bit!!
Remains of VW 165 at Beihan. We had stalled 10kts early on very late final (thank you God!!) Jack B, Harry B and myself, plus a Dutch newspaper correspondent. Cracked main spar, tail wheel severed, plus sundry other 'discrepancies'. Getting clear of the landing strip in that condition (to allow another 'pig' in, to take us home) was an 'interesting' exercise.
Seen from the top of the Fort at Ataq - landing strip in the background.
Coming down the Beach Road inbound to Khormaksar, flying 'shepherd to one of 'ours' which had diverted into Fahoud with severe oil loss - cracked cylinder head??? or the new detergent oil??? Memory fails. The poor crew had to suffer oil company conditions for several days until we could give them a temporary 'fix' and escort them home. Air conditioned rooms, steaks for breakfast and so on... envy is a terrible failing
Have a few more, if interested (and, if this lot works!!)
Remains of VW 165 at Beihan. We had stalled 10kts early on very late final (thank you God!!) Jack B, Harry B and myself, plus a Dutch newspaper correspondent. Cracked main spar, tail wheel severed, plus sundry other 'discrepancies'. Getting clear of the landing strip in that condition (to allow another 'pig' in, to take us home) was an 'interesting' exercise.
Seen from the top of the Fort at Ataq - landing strip in the background.
Coming down the Beach Road inbound to Khormaksar, flying 'shepherd to one of 'ours' which had diverted into Fahoud with severe oil loss - cracked cylinder head??? or the new detergent oil??? Memory fails. The poor crew had to suffer oil company conditions for several days until we could give them a temporary 'fix' and escort them home. Air conditioned rooms, steaks for breakfast and so on... envy is a terrible failing
Have a few more, if interested (and, if this lot works!!)
A couple more.
Taxying out at Khormaksar, astrodome open for better clearance check and trying to get the 100F + on board temperature down!
Loading at Beihan. The jebel in the background had to be flown around when landing direction was toward the 'town'.
Taxying out at Khormaksar, astrodome open for better clearance check and trying to get the 100F + on board temperature down!
Loading at Beihan. The jebel in the background had to be flown around when landing direction was toward the 'town'.
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Cornish Jack, very nostalgic shot's thank you . The pictures help the whole ethos of this forum to preserve aeronautical matter and delight viewers. It also show's what a good work horse the Valetta was in different climates.
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From the collection of a friends relative !
3 July 1952, 5 miles east of Oya, Sarawak.
Forced landing on beach following engine failure from loss of oil.
Keith.
3 July 1952, 5 miles east of Oya, Sarawak.
Forced landing on beach following engine failure from loss of oil.
Keith.
FEAF Valettas at Gan 1958
Parked on the uncompleted new runway
Arriving aircraft had to do a low fly-by along the runway to alert workers that it was about to land.
Finals to land on the crushed coral runway
Take-off raised a large cloud of coral dust
Occasionally engines failed and replacements had to be supplied via the Changi-based 41 Sqn RNZAF Bristol Freighters.
The most important day of any overseas tour was the last, as shown here as Tour-Ex airmen board the Valetta for 'Blighty'
Homeward bound
Parked on the uncompleted new runway
Arriving aircraft had to do a low fly-by along the runway to alert workers that it was about to land.
Finals to land on the crushed coral runway
Take-off raised a large cloud of coral dust
Occasionally engines failed and replacements had to be supplied via the Changi-based 41 Sqn RNZAF Bristol Freighters.
The most important day of any overseas tour was the last, as shown here as Tour-Ex airmen board the Valetta for 'Blighty'
Homeward bound
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VW197 at Blackbushe 17 July 1959, about to take us on an ATC Overseas Visit to Belgium (Melsbroek, via Ypenberg).
Laurence
Laurence
Last edited by l.garey; 27th May 2009 at 07:58.
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VW197 again
The same VW197 at Abingdon 1968.
Sorry, I cannot recall the origin of this photo. I think I took it, or did I archive it from someone else. Any claims?
Laurence
Sorry, I cannot recall the origin of this photo. I think I took it, or did I archive it from someone else. Any claims?
Laurence
Norwich
Interesting shots of the beach landing. One of ours in Khormaksar did a similar beach arrival. As part of the post touchdown procedures the crew 'blew' the life rafts (carried in the nacelles behind the engines) ... both were perished and failed to inflate!!
I can't see on your photos whether those hatch covers were 'blown'
Can't compete with those super colour shots from warmtoast (obviously Far East allowances were MUCH greater than we poor relations in Aden
) but this next is (I think) at Sharjah, in the old sand/oil runway days when Charlie and his steam roller and oil cart did a resurface after each arrival/departure!
All this recent chat about female pilots is a bit passe, really.
We started them young in the 50's
(En route to Bahrain, if memory serves correctly)
Interesting shots of the beach landing. One of ours in Khormaksar did a similar beach arrival. As part of the post touchdown procedures the crew 'blew' the life rafts (carried in the nacelles behind the engines) ... both were perished and failed to inflate!!
I can't see on your photos whether those hatch covers were 'blown'
Can't compete with those super colour shots from warmtoast (obviously Far East allowances were MUCH greater than we poor relations in Aden
) but this next is (I think) at Sharjah, in the old sand/oil runway days when Charlie and his steam roller and oil cart did a resurface after each arrival/departure!All this recent chat about female pilots is a bit passe, really.
We started them young in the 50's
(En route to Bahrain, if memory serves correctly)
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Cornish: doesn't quite look like Sharjah to me, although I was not there at the time and could be wrong.
You can usually see the characteristic control tower, and/or the low hills in the background. If it IS Sharjah, it is welcome news to me, and a new view of the place, that I last visited a month ago!
Laurence
You can usually see the characteristic control tower, and/or the low hills in the background. If it IS Sharjah, it is welcome news to me, and a new view of the place, that I last visited a month ago!
Laurence
Laurence
Afraid I can't be certain about location but, for me, the clues are the half-sunken 45gall drums used as peri markers. Sharjah was completely marked out with those. The fort (Int Aeradio Control tower) would have been out of sight to the right as we look. The low buildings are, I believe, the Sgt's Mess accommodation. Can't recall anywhere else where we parked so close to buildings. However, this is all down to memory and THAT is not necessarily at its best.
If it is what I believe, I think we had arrived to take a cash convoy down to Buraimi for the Trucial Oman Scout detachment and initiate the recovery of the oasis from the Saudis, which happened the next day.
Afraid I can't be certain about location but, for me, the clues are the half-sunken 45gall drums used as peri markers. Sharjah was completely marked out with those. The fort (Int Aeradio Control tower) would have been out of sight to the right as we look. The low buildings are, I believe, the Sgt's Mess accommodation. Can't recall anywhere else where we parked so close to buildings. However, this is all down to memory and THAT is not necessarily at its best.
If it is what I believe, I think we had arrived to take a cash convoy down to Buraimi for the Trucial Oman Scout detachment and initiate the recovery of the oasis from the Saudis, which happened the next day.
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Thanks Cornish. You are probably right. All that remains of RAF Sharjah now is the fort and the (fourth) control tower, plus a new hangar in which are a number of aircraft purporting to be ex Gulf Aviation, although not in fact, as I have commented several times elsewhere, eg: l.garey - RAF Sharjah, Al Mahatta Museum
The runway is now a street in the centre of town, but you can still find some old tarmac.
Not far from Sharjah, at Firq in Oman, there was a wrecked Valetta long since cleared away. It was VW817 of 78 Squadron which burst a tyre on landing, swung off the runway and tipped on its nose 14 January 1959. The airfield still exists.
Do you have photos of Buraimi? There were two strips, the one near Buraimi fort (Hamasa, used by the TOS) and the one at what is now Al Ain, a bit to the south (Dau'di, used by the RAF). The latter has only just disappeared under the builders' bulldozers in the last few weeks. I even managed to rescue a few runway markers!
Sorry for slight digression.
Laurence
The runway is now a street in the centre of town, but you can still find some old tarmac.
Not far from Sharjah, at Firq in Oman, there was a wrecked Valetta long since cleared away. It was VW817 of 78 Squadron which burst a tyre on landing, swung off the runway and tipped on its nose 14 January 1959. The airfield still exists.
Do you have photos of Buraimi? There were two strips, the one near Buraimi fort (Hamasa, used by the TOS) and the one at what is now Al Ain, a bit to the south (Dau'di, used by the RAF). The latter has only just disappeared under the builders' bulldozers in the last few weeks. I even managed to rescue a few runway markers!
Sorry for slight digression.
Laurence