chipmunk info required
 

Keith Ranger at Popham owns Chipmunk WD331 and has a photo of it in previous RAF Service and we are trying to identify the Squadron by the badge on the side of the fuselage. In the centre of brown, yello and black horizontal bars is a black winged lion rampant on a white shield. Any ideas anyone please?

WD331 was at FSS/EFTS at RAF Swinderby from the earliy 80s until 1993. Coded with Sqn identifier 'A', I flew it many times.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...on80-85111.jpg

Seen here in 1985. The extra number on the fin and the badge on the side of the fuselage are a result of her being used for the Schneider trophy air races.

chipunk info
 

Dan....thanks for the info which I shall pass on to the owner. Still would like to know what the badge is on the pic I've got. I'll try and scan it and put it on here...

WD331 markings
 

I've just come across a aqn marking thats quite close to the one you mention, it's for Brimingham UAS - lion on a white sheild with maroon, blue, yellow and black horizontal bars.
Regards

Dick
 

Are you ex-Herc 4 course and 48? If so do you know about the reunion next month?

BW

Birmingham UAS badge featured a double-headed lion (my wife's first reaction was that it portrayed "two lions bonking") - here is WK507 (VH-SSJ) in Birmingham UAS markings. Note too that the combination of the red/white/light grey scheme plus UAS markings is very rare.



http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...-05-04InFl.jpg

Chipmunk query
 

RV001...I think you've got the answer there. That's the correct badge ok, so that's that problem solved....thanks

Chipmunk query
 

Wrong Dick Richardson Brian...I was never on Hercs....I was on Vulcans at Waddington for nearly 9 years till I left the mob as a Chief in 1971...happy days!

Popham Chipmunk
 

Hi, Glad you found the badge identity for the Chipmunk, hopefully well be able to see your resident Chippie when we visit the Popham aerojumble. Regards, Rich

The picture above of WD331 is also shown sporting "my" VHF antenna on the tailcone. (You need to look very carefully!) It was placed there in a vain attempt to reduce the amount of ignition noise in the receiver of our Special Trial Fit of a (iirc) Becker TxRx.

That Becker set was added to 331 for the air racing - all of the venues requiring VHF but the EFTS Chippy all requiring UHFs for day to day operation. Although the Chippy could be fitted with VHF, it was one or the other and not both. So the Becker set (which was actually designed for gliders) was fitted underneath the front panel where it was barely visible and very hard to tune. Later, when the Swinderby Chippys got a new UHF set which was tunable and didn't rely on crystal presets, the Becker sets were added to the whole fleet to give it a second radio which was required by the RAF regs to fly above cloud. But with no nav kit whatsoever though!