What obsolete fighters did the RAF still have on charge in 1971 (ish)

[John Sauve Rodd]

Hi PPruNe members, super-knowledgeable as I can attest - I come humbly to you once again for arcane, esoteric and other posh words for valuable info known only yo the congoscenti.

Qu: Can you give me some idea of what piston or jet fighters (incl Mosquito and other twins but no 'heavies') were being retired, turned into target tugs, sold off to other countries, junked or going private around 1971? Reason for this enquiry: I am writing a novel (well, it's written but the detail I am researching is not). First on my list is a Hurricane, then anything else. And not just GB: other air forces' planes too.

And the private airforce that Hamish McHaddie assembled for the Battle of Britain film is also of interest to me.

Thank you v much.

[Dr Jekyll]

I'm pretty sure the RAF had no flying Mosquitos after about 1963. A few preserved Spitfires as well as Hurricanes of course. Not counting specially preserved aircraft. I think there was at least one Meteor used as a communications aircraft/squadron hack at that time, possibly some Vampires as well. Javelins had only recently been retired so probably one or two still on the books. If you include RN, Sea Vixens were in the process of being retired around 1971. Hunters were hardly obsolete but were being replaced in the ground attack role so many of them might have been up for disposal.

[chevvron]

Mossies had been passed to CAACU and were used again for filming '633 Squadron' ln '63; I was there to watch on a couple of days! Wearing my ATC uniform nobody took any notice when I stood behind the camera and watched.
'Vintage Pair' comprising a Meteor and a Vampire were operating in about '71.
Had the RN Seahawks all gone by '71? Still some Sea Vixens around; we had a couple at Farnborough being 'modded' by FR as drones in '74 or '75.
I won't count 'Martin' 01 and 02; they're still in use nowadays!
Bill Bedford's Hurricane did a beat up every saturday about 4 pm at Halton heading north; don't know where from/to.

[treadigraph]

Target towing Meteor still operational at Brawdy into the 1980s I think, flown by the redoubtable "Puddy" Catt amongst others.

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Target towing Meteor still operational at Brawdy into the 1980s I think, flown by the redoubtable "Puddy" Catt amongst others.

Definitely Treadi - I was posted out of Brawdy in 1980 and the F8 'Winston' + T7 'Clementine' were still going strong on target towing,I cannot remember when they finally got retired but I do know that they had a couple of TT equipped hawks there by the early 80's .

Edit - I think retired 1982 ?

[sandringham1]

If you are after the last piston powered fighter/bomber then the Douglas Skyraider must be a good candidate, the USAF handed theirs on to the VNAF in 72/73 and they carried on flying them for a few more years after that. Ex Royal Navy radar Skyraider AD-4W's went to a civilian operator in Sweden who used them as target tugs until 1976.
If you want jets the US Navy had Douglas Skyknight's in operational use until 1970 with some used for trials work until 1980.

[Self loading bear]

No he didn’t ask for RAF only

Originally Posted by John Sauve Rodd

…..then anything else. And not just GB: other air forces' planes too.

And the private airforce that Hamish McHaddie assembled for the Battle of Britain film is also of interest to me.

Thank you v much.

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by longer ron

Definitely Treadi - I was posted out of Brawdy in 1980 and the F8 'Winston' + T7 'Clementine' were still going strong on target towing,I cannot remember when they finally got retired but I do know that they had a couple of TT equipped hawks there by the early 80's .

Edit - I think retired 1982 ?

Looked it up earlier then distracted, think Winston retired 22 October '82. Still flying in Aus at Temora I think. Certainly the last Meteor I saw in the air at Duxford. Nor sure about Clementine.

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by treadigraph

Looked it up earlier then distracted, think Winston retired 22 October '82. Still flying in Aus at Temora I think. Certainly the last Meteor I saw in the air at Duxford. Nor sure about Clementine.

Unfortunately came to an unfortunate end -

WA669 was destroyed in a mid-air collision with another Vampire T.11, XH304, while performing a "Vintage Pair" display at Mildenhall on 25th May 1986.

regards LR

[treadigraph]

Oh God, didn't realise 669 was Clementine.

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by Dr Jekyll

Javelins had only recently been retired so probably one or two still on the books.

Only the single example of the Javelin was still airworthy in 1971, which was the 'raspberry ripple' FAW9 XH897, which remained airworthy with AAEE at Boscombe Down until 1975, when it made it's final flight to the new IWM site at Duxford, where it is still on display.

[DaveReidUK]

If it helps, 85 Sqn flew the Meteor F.8 from Binbrook up to 1970.

[jimgriff]

The two Meteors that are operated by Martin Baker (Meteor T.7 aircraft, WL419 and WA638) are still on the Mil register and are 'on loan' to the company

[CAEBr]

Originally Posted by jimgriff

The two Meteors that are operated by Martin Baker (Meteor T.7 aircraft, WL419 and WA638) are still on the Mil register and are 'on loan' to the company

No, they are now on the civil register. G-JWMA & G-JSMA (Without looking up not sure which is which from the original mil reg)

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by jimgriff

The two Meteors that are operated by Martin Baker (Meteor T.7 aircraft, WL419 and WA638) are still on the Mil register and are 'on loan' to the company

Yes I mentioned the 'Martins' earlier. They're actually 'hybrids' with F8 tailplanes instead of T7 tailplanes.
There is a TV series from the late '60s called 'The Prisoner' which repeats quite often on various TV channels and one of the Meteors appears in one episode along with shots of Chalgrove airfield.

[Dr Jekyll]

Another Meteor T7 was put into the air a couple of years after the Vintage Pair collision but crashed during one of it's first displays. Does anyone know it's history? I have an idea it might have been a spare for the Vintage pair at one time.

[treadigraph]

It was T.7 WF791 which crashed at Baginton on May 30th 1988. Certainly with the Vintage Pair for a few years prior to either accident.

[chevvron]

Early 1975, we had a Meteor T7 crash at Farnborough; practice asymmetric go around and opened up the 'live' engine too quickly if I recall correctly.
Crashed in almost the same spot as the Sikorsky S67 Blackhawk the previous September.

[teeteringhead]

When did the Vampires at Shawbury - supporting the Air Tragic School - retire. They were certainly still going late 60s - don't know about '71.......

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by teeteringhead

When did the Vampires at Shawbury - supporting the Air Tragic School - retire. They were certainly still going late 60s - don't know about '71.......

When the JP4s were introduced?