Avro York prototype - photo
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Is this aircraft from the same Sqn i.e. 59 Sqn? MOY-K? A Record in the Berlin Airlift
Is this aircraft from the same Sqn i.e. 59 Sqn? MOY-K? A Record in the Berlin Airlift
My money is still on 511 Sqn, who were the first to operate the York, in the days when they still typically wore the camouflage scheme, and 511's base at Lyneham seems a likely location.
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I can't see anything in the original photo that would particularly suggest 59 Squadron.
My money is still on 511 Sqn, who were the first to operate the York, in the days when they still typically wore the camouflage scheme, and 511's base at Lyneham seems a likely location.
My money is still on 511 Sqn, who were the first to operate the York, in the days when they still typically wore the camouflage scheme, and 511's base at Lyneham seems a likely location.
The letter "K" on the nose is that specific aircraft's identity within the squadron. Other aircraft in the same squadron would each have a different letter and, more importantly, other York squadrons would in many cases have their own "K" code on a completely different aircraft (511 Squadron certainly did, as discussed above).
RAF York Squadrons.
No. 24
No. 40
No. 51
No. 59
No. 99
No. 206
No. 232
No. 242
No. 246
No. 511
Looking through an old copy of "Aeroplane" it identifies a number of York codes,
51 Sqd, MW271, TB-X to 242 Sqd, KY-P
242 Sqd, MW232, KY-M to 511 Sqd, as "AJ"
242 Sqd, MW105, KY-T to 1332 Sqd (Heavy Transport Conversion Unit), YY-A
? Sqd, MW302, "AK"
A feature on many of the aircraft is two white letters on a black background on the nose. The first letter identifying the squadron and the second the aircraft eg KY-M would become KM.
No. 24
No. 40
No. 51
No. 59
No. 99
No. 206
No. 232
No. 242
No. 246
No. 511
Looking through an old copy of "Aeroplane" it identifies a number of York codes,
51 Sqd, MW271, TB-X to 242 Sqd, KY-P
242 Sqd, MW232, KY-M to 511 Sqd, as "AJ"
242 Sqd, MW105, KY-T to 1332 Sqd (Heavy Transport Conversion Unit), YY-A
? Sqd, MW302, "AK"
A feature on many of the aircraft is two white letters on a black background on the nose. The first letter identifying the squadron and the second the aircraft eg KY-M would become KM.
I believe MW302 spent its entire RAF career at Lyneham with 511 Sqn, before being sold to Hunting-Clan in 1952 but never actually used by them before being broken up at Bovingdon in 1954.
I'm not convinced that those two-letter nose codes were related to the WW2-style squadron code. I've seen photos suggesting that for aircraft with fuselage codes the code, if present on the nose at all, would either be reproduced in full (with the hyphen), or consist solely of the last (individual aircraft) letter.
By contrast, the two-letter nose codes ("A_", "C_", etc) that can be seen in photos of 24 and 511 Sqn examples are typically on aircraft that don't have the hyphenated squadron/individual code on the fuselage.
I'm wondering if this was a very early predecessor of the system the RAF used many years later on types as diverse as the Chinook and Tornado, where squadrons were allocated a letter (again starting from the beginning of the alphabet) which were painted on the aircraft along with the individual aircraft code, for example "AB", BH", etc.
A feature on many of the aircraft is two white letters on a black background on the nose. The first letter identifying the squadron and the second the aircraft eg KY-M would become KM.
By contrast, the two-letter nose codes ("A_", "C_", etc) that can be seen in photos of 24 and 511 Sqn examples are typically on aircraft that don't have the hyphenated squadron/individual code on the fuselage.
I'm wondering if this was a very early predecessor of the system the RAF used many years later on types as diverse as the Chinook and Tornado, where squadrons were allocated a letter (again starting from the beginning of the alphabet) which were painted on the aircraft along with the individual aircraft code, for example "AB", BH", etc.
The last York I saw was at Honington in 1962/3 ish. It was taking a load of Victor spares to Tengah to support the Victor detachment during Confrontation. I though that it belonged to Dan Air but I am probably wrong.
What caught everybody's attention was the 44 gall. drum of engine oil in the hold to keep it going until the next supplier was found.
What caught everybody's attention was the 44 gall. drum of engine oil in the hold to keep it going until the next supplier was found.
Dan Air did have Yorks; they used to operate ITs out of Luton early '60s having been 'evicted' from Blackbushe when the government closed it as an MTCA airport in May 1960 to try to force independent airlines to move to Gatwick, which had a much worse weather record.
Last one I saw was at Lasham in about '66. Dan Air operated the maintenance base there in those days; the York was originally intended to be used as an HQ for the Air Scouts but when I saw it was parked at the maintenance area along with an Ambassador.
Last one I saw was at Lasham in about '66. Dan Air operated the maintenance base there in those days; the York was originally intended to be used as an HQ for the Air Scouts but when I saw it was parked at the maintenance area along with an Ambassador.
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Dan-Air's Yorks and Lasham. That brings back memories. Back in the late 1950s I was a junior draughtsman for a small design company based in the Old Mill Cranleigh Surrey. I was tasked to go to Dan-Air at Lasham and carry out some measurements in one or their Yorks for some minor modification. I reported to Fronk Horridge the Chief Engineer who informed me the York had just landed and I could get on board as soon as the crew had cleared the aircraft. He suggested that I borrow some wellington boots which I thought odd until I got to the aircraft it had just delivered a load of live pigs and was in somewhat of a mess to say the least it also smelt pretty ripe too.
A feature on many of the aircraft is two white letters on a black background on the nose. The first letter identifying the squadron and the second the aircraft eg KY-M would become KM
Interesting, then I stand corrected - you learn something new every day. 
So, going back to the original photo, the plot thickens. It's almost certainly a two letter code on the nose, so it's either an abbreviated AA-A type one or one of the new-fangled ones. My money is still on the latter, particularly as there is no code visible on the aft fuselage. I still favour MW288/CK of 511 Squadron - that would also fit with the somewhat nondescript nose badge (cf the Luqa photo), and the background (which is certainly too hilly to be Oakington!).
So, going back to the original photo, the plot thickens. It's almost certainly a two letter code on the nose, so it's either an abbreviated AA-A type one or one of the new-fangled ones. My money is still on the latter, particularly as there is no code visible on the aft fuselage. I still favour MW288/CK of 511 Squadron - that would also fit with the somewhat nondescript nose badge (cf the Luqa photo), and the background (which is certainly too hilly to be Oakington!).
MW288 taken in 1947 at Sacramento-Mather AFB, CA (MHR).
She flew from Wunstorf in Germany participating in the Berlin Airlift. During a night-time takeoff from Wunstorf on 19th Sept 1948 the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The pilot attempted to avoid hitting a GCA caravan at the airport but the plane stalled and crashed killing all five crew on board.
She flew from Wunstorf in Germany participating in the Berlin Airlift. During a night-time takeoff from Wunstorf on 19th Sept 1948 the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The pilot attempted to avoid hitting a GCA caravan at the airport but the plane stalled and crashed killing all five crew on board.
MW288 taken in 1947 at Sacramento-Mather AFB, CA (MHR).
She flew from Wunstorf in Germany participating in the Berlin Airlift. During a night-time takeoff from Wunstorf on 19th Sept 1948 the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The pilot attempted to avoid hitting a GCA caravan at the airport but the plane stalled and crashed killing all five crew on board.
Thanks for that. In its relatively short career (delivered April 1946), MW288 served with 51, 511, 24 and 206 Squadrons. The crest on the nose could be 24's, but it's hard to be sure.
[QUOTE][/ which is certainly too hilly to be Oakington! QUOTE]
Actually it looks just like the ridge line to the south of Oakington - not very high but enough to give you a fright in a Varsity with an engine failure just after lift off on 23.
Actually it looks just like the ridge line to the south of Oakington - not very high but enough to give you a fright in a Varsity with an engine failure just after lift off on 23.
There seems to be a bit of a theme there.
