Lovely pictures, Dora-9. Excellent formation work - much more difficult than it looks.

I'll "chip" in for evansb since he is probably asleep. If you mean Northern hemisphere, then you're right, otherwise I should point out that he is 3700 nm from Church Fenton :-)

We Pongos got to flog about in them, too.

"Excellent formation work - much more difficult than it looks."

Oh so very true, India, I guess due to a combination of a low wing loading and low power - and Line Abreast (as shown) seems the hardest of them all. A group of Chipmunk owners here participate in a formation team; hard work, a lot of fun though we're not that good either!

Now, back to "Pongos flying Chipmunks":

Firstly, a 1993 EFTS formation. I have a personal interest here, as the rearmost Chipmunk (WG478/"L") is mine!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ring/efts3.jpg

And another 2 FTS, Church Fenton photo. From the top the aircraft are: WP8**/"15", WG478/"20", WK507/"36", WK643/"39" and WD347/"03" (this last one is a visitor from CFS). I would date this aircraft as c.1973. Who would have thought that, nearly 40 years' later, WG478 and WK507 would be still flying and sharing a hangar on the other side of the world!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...upat2FTS-1.jpg

I was on EFTS when your photo was taken. No idea if one of the helmets is mine though. Do you have any more details about the shot?

More EFTS Chipmunkery, including WG478.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...ppy/A2A001.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...ppy/A2A003.jpg

Lovely photos, thanks Dan.

Sorry I have no further details, these were supplied to me by Rod Brown (UK Chipmunk guru).

I think I've confused you, WG478 really is mine. Purchased as an incomplete box of bits in 1998, the restoration took nearly 6 years. It's finished as it was when a 2 FTS "Blue Chips" aircraft, 1970-72:



http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...VH-MMSDHC1.jpg

Interesting too that the lead aircraft in your photos is WG480/"D", also extant and residing in SE Queensland (in this case Toowoomba):

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...08RAFWG480.jpg

Sorry, I think I confused you. I was referring to the people flying the EFTS Chippies. It looks like the pilots are all instuctors which gives a 6 out of 15 chance I'm in the photo. We did a lot of formation in 1993 which is when EFTS disbanded.

A lovely restoration. 478 was the best in the fleet.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...dlow89-119.jpg

Another lovely photo, thank you Dan!

These are the other EFTS photos I have, presumably taken art the same time as the one I posted earlier. I think that's Lincoln Cathedral in the backround(?).

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ring/efts2.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ring/efts4.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ftslincoln.jpg

Did you know WG478 went on to Berlin in 1993? Apparently as a back-up aircraft for the Berlin Garrison wind-down events, but ended up leading both the 1994 Queen's Birthday Parade and Berlin Garrison Disbandment Parade flypasts. Sorry this shot isn't of the best quality - I actually managed to stand on the "Gatow" sign two years' ago!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...hering/RM1.jpg

Sadly she wasn't in a good state when I got her - just a jumbled and very mixed bag of components; WG478's fuselage and (damaged) vertical surfaces, WP805's very cruddy wings, a factory-fresh tailplane, a time-expired engine (not the one that WG478 retired with) and nothing else forward of the firewall. What started off as a simple project simply grew - amazing what you can achieve by just keeping on spending!

That's definately Lincoln Cathedral. I have several flight around that time which could be this flight, but the tail numbers don't match. I think I'm flying the camera aircraft! We did quite a lot of this sort of thing as the Squadron wound down and Lincoln Cathdral was a favoutite backdrop. But thanks for posting the pictures, I hadn't seen these as I left the Squadron slightly ahead of the last day to start a course on my next aircraft type.

Have sent you a PM.

The later red wing panel and all red tailplane/elevator scheme looked much tidier than the initial red leading edge, red tailplane and grey elevator scheme.

At ULAS our Chippes were all grey and dayglo (although we still had one or two silver ones when I first arrived in 1969, I think). But one day one of our aircraft came back from its major in the ice cream van scheme....

Shortly afterwards, on one fine day during Easter camp we were told by the CFI that "All students who flew solo on the first wave are to assemble in the briefing room at cease flying". Most of us wondered what piece of our morning villainy had been spotted - had I gone just a little bit too low on my PFLs, I wondered....:\

Anyway, enter the CFI. "ULAS has the RAF's only red-and-white Chipmunk south of Lincolnshire. When you start dog fighting with your mates on a day with a hundred miles viz, it isn't very hard to work out who you were. I know, you know - DON'T BLOODY DO IT AGAIN!!"

End of bollocking. And no, it wasn't me - I was in good old 345!

BEagle, to each his own I guess, but I always thought the first permutation of the Red/White/Light Grey (red leading edges & wingroots, grey elevators) was much more suited to the Chipmunk than the more common second one!

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...g/chippies.jpg

You're correct, UAS Chipmunks in this scheme were very rare birds indeed. Not surprising really, the scheme wasn't introduced until 1970 with the Bulldog replacing UAS Chipmunks two years' later. One of the few was WK507, ex Birmingham UAS, which arrived in Australia in 1974:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ering/OK-1.jpg

As far as the paint scheme is concerned, the best looking is clearly the polished aluminum.

But those canopies? How, .......quaint!!!

Yes,... Here is a Lycoming IO-540 powered DHC-1B-2 Super Chipmunk, s/n 168, built in 1950:
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...640/chip32.jpg

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...640/chip11.jpg

Way to go, Bri! Get those poms thinking.

Twochai, I fully understand why Canadians are chauvinistic about blown canopies! A handful of Chipmunks here are fitted with a locally produced "low drag" blown canopy.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...vanDrunick.jpg

Because the windscreen of the UK-built T.10/Mk.20/21/22 differs (including in cross-section) from that fitted to the DHC-1B, it isn't possible to simply plonk a Canadian canopy onto a UK-built aircraft.

Accuse me of being a pedant evansb, but a Chipmunk with a "flat engine" ceases to be a real Chipmunk I reckon!

Yes indeed. This Canadian Chipmunk

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...-1-01-6402.jpg

would not handle quite the same as this American mod:
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...40/Ga76446.jpg

Interesting to see that both Canadian Chipmunks are not fitted with spin strakes. I would assume the 'flat engine' weighs less than the Gipsy and that would make the spin interesting. In fact with a big bloke in the back and a little one in the front it would make it very exciting. Does the bubble canopy have a positive effect on the spin? The conventional Canadian Chipmunk with the Gipsy looks great but that canopy would be as hot as hell in the heat of downunder. I think I would prefer a little shade to the ability to see where I've been. Arts' Chipmunk, while having impressive performance is no longer a Chipmunk. A bit like people calling a RB57 a Canberra.

The Canadians never fitted anti-spinning strakes.

In 1972 I was a civilian Instructor with the RAAF Pt Cook Flying Club.The Boss was a Sqn Ldr Kevin Duffy, lovely guy but double my weight. I was around 60kg in those days. We took off with the primary task of checking my ability to teach spinning. He insisted on sitting in the back. At 6000' I entered a spin which immediately went 'flat' with the nose hunting through the horizon. The prop stopped and I had a difficult time recovering. We eventually recovered but busted the 'floor' of 3,000'. The aircraft was subsequently fitted with strakes before further spins were allowed. VH-RSK was the rego, belonging to Peninsular Airways of Moorabbin. He passed me but we both retreated to the bar to regain a measure of composure. The owner of Peninsular, a Dr Bill Surh also had a Ryan fitted with a 'flat' engine and had a tail parachute rigged, because the new engine installation effected the spin recovery to the point that the only method of recovery was to pull the string. To see that Canadian Chipmunk with a 'flat' engine and no strakes bought back some bad memories and thats why I'd be interested to know how it spins, or more importantly if it stops! Again if the Canadians never fitted strakes is it their canopy that keeps the back end alive?

I've flown both the T10 and the DHC-1 and of course they are both wonderful aircraft.

The bubble-canopy on the RCAF aircraft is great, allowing you to indulge your Spifire fantasies even more and it also scores another point over the T10 in having a heater! Think about that, all you long-suffering QFIs in the back seat in winter ;)

On the other hand, I feel the spindly gear legs always look "naked" compared to the T10.

Dora-9, I agree with you about the Lycoming mod - it just doesn't look right. However, if you are going to do it, do it properly like Art Scholl. I had a close look at N13Y at Springbank back in the 70s, when he was performing at the Calgary Stampede Grandstand show in the evening.

Wingspan reduced by three feet, full span ailerons, retractable-gear, giant rudder and a 260HP Lycoming. His show was amazing. Aerobatics in the dark with wing-tip flares and the lights on the back-stretch of the race-track for any emergencies.

Back to Bri's picture of the Lycoming DHC-1. Why do people go to all that trouble and expense and then get the paint scheme wrong? Wrong colour blue in the roundels, wrong lettering and a red-red fin flash!

On the same note, why on earth does the Shuttleworth T10 have a fake Canadian colour scheme?

By George, I don't doubt that this was an unforgettable experience.

One minor point though, RSK was fitted with the tapered anti-spinning strakes (developed by Aerostructures Ltd at Bansktown for the SA29 "Spraymaster") in 1968. The RAC of NSW's response to the loss of FTA in a spinning accident on 22.1.1968 was to immediately fit strakes to their last two Chipmunks (RSK and RSQ). I can locate no photos after 1968 showing either aircraft without strakes. With respect, do you know if they were - temporarily - removed at Point Cook?

India Four Two, I couldn't aggree more about people who paint incorrect markings on their aircraft. The gleaming bare-metal DBS (photo supplied earlier) always annoys with her reversed fin stripes (and being a Mk.21 they're not appropriate anyway).

But RAF Chipmunks DID eventually have heaters! Mod H335 introduced in 1979 involved fitting the Canadian style heater system, detected by the small projecting intake in the front of the cowl and the steeply raked exhaust stack - it's readily apparent in the photos of the EFTS formation for instance.