Which wing is this?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Brighton, UK
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Which wing is this?
This wingtip was in a 1973 slide taken by my father, and I'm trying to figure out what type of aircraft it may have come from. I have some further clues, and an idea of what it might be, which I'll chuck into the thread later (don't want to lead anyone to conclusions just now). Any ideas welcome! I figured the panel lines should be helpful but so far unable to positively match them to anything.
I think the whole clique is already busy on this quest.
My first observations:
Low wing aircraft
wide chord wing
Cockpit quite high and in front of wing
Perhaps quite small wingspan?
Probably single propeller as no engine pods can be seen.
Perhaps float equipped (based on water and islands in the background)
Do you have indication of location (other dia’s)?
My first observations:
Low wing aircraft
wide chord wing
Cockpit quite high and in front of wing
Perhaps quite small wingspan?
Probably single propeller as no engine pods can be seen.
Perhaps float equipped (based on water and islands in the background)
Do you have indication of location (other dia’s)?
Last edited by Self loading bear; 27th Jan 2023 at 19:14.
Was your father a pilot?
I have
Some wide ranging suggestions.
But these are single seaters:
Miller JM-2
PZL-15 Belphegor
Bede BD-5 (wing chord probably too small?)
I have
Some wide ranging suggestions.
But these are single seaters:
Miller JM-2
PZL-15 Belphegor
Bede BD-5 (wing chord probably too small?)
I, like everyone else who subscribe to that thread will be astounded and probably not a little miffed to learn that you imagine we try to exclude new participants. In fact the exact opposite is the case, more input would be very welcome indeed, so please don't be so stand-offish.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Brighton, UK
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't want to be a tease with info but wanted to see if anyone came out with an unprompted answer, because the extra information points essentially to two very common airliner types. But given no-one has suggested anything likely, this is a holiday charter flight from the UK (either Manchester or Gatwick) in May 1973, and the remainder of the uncropped photo is a shot of the Corfu Runway, the wingtip was actually hidden under the original slide mount when I removed it for cleaning and high res scan. So it's a longish European short haul airliner.
I think it's a leading edge, because the lack of any static dispersal equipment, and the slight hint of something at the nominal trailing edge. This would mean the photo was taken from the front starboard side obviously, though it's not easy to figure out the angles.
I think it's a leading edge, because the lack of any static dispersal equipment, and the slight hint of something at the nominal trailing edge. This would mean the photo was taken from the front starboard side obviously, though it's not easy to figure out the angles.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Brighton, UK
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here is the entire slide, it appears to be a high pass over the island, a little later there is a lower shot and the approach appears to be in a southerly direction as there's another slide on the turn at the Mouse Island end of the runway.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,599
Received 277 Likes
on
153 Posts
I'm tempted to suggest it's the tailplane of something like a Britannia. But as late as '73? Monarch?
Can't find an image that supports the Brit theory though...
Can't find an image that supports the Brit theory though...
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Brighton, UK
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly in my own imagination
Posts: 469
Received 277 Likes
on
126 Posts
Comet you say?
Finally I get to say something sensible (though possibly wrong) here!!
isn't that window a little too curvy for a Comet?
Finally I get to say something sensible (though possibly wrong) here!!
isn't that window a little too curvy for a Comet?
I'm going to suggest a 'Viscount' wing, the photo being taken from the F/O's window, the bottom edge of which was 'angled' up at the rear edge....
This would allow for the lack of engine / props being in the view..?
The tailplane is not on my list as it has a rounded end / tip and a marked dihedral.
Cheers
This would allow for the lack of engine / props being in the view..?
The tailplane is not on my list as it has a rounded end / tip and a marked dihedral.
Cheers
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 27th Jan 2023 at 23:26.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Brighton, UK
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't think there's any window where you wouldn't get interference from the large engines on a shot of the leading edge. Probably the window isn't as big as it looks, there's just a corner of it being clipped by the photo frame so it's a bit misleading. I can't work out the angles at all, the plane of the runway or the window relative to the wing or tailplane, I've sat down with blueprints and rulers and tried to figure it out without any success.
Anyway to dribble out the final nugget of information I have. I certainly remember flying ot Manchester in my childhood but can't remember how many times, and we also used Gatwick for holidays (hence the question in another thread about the "satellite" which I thought I remembered) in the 1970s). I remember the Icarus statue for Alcock and Brown very well. If this flight was from Manchester, for the date I have from my father's passport, it would have been Dan Air 727-46 G-BAEF. But try as I might I can't match the panel markings to any picture I can find of a 727 (and I went to the Museum of flight and tried to look for myself on the 727 example they have there). So I'm trying to get a confirmation one way or another.
The other possibility I had in mind was a 1-11, and certainly the year before I'd been on a Laker example, and have a very detailed photo of the wing of that of the Alps. But again, I can't quite match that to the panel lines.
The new possibility that it might be a Comet either wingtip or tailplane, and this is definitely an interesting possibility. I flew in Comet 4s on BEA Airtours in 1971 from Gatwick, and in 1975, both to Corfu, so these were absolutely doing Corfu services in 1973. If this were the case for the 1973 shot it would mean I flew from Gatwick, as I have information on all the MAN-CFU movements from MAN on the dates involved.
Also the sequence of photos is a bit strange, it's not an obvious progression at all over the island, these are totally fixed in sequence by the numbers on the slide matrix but it doesn't make all that much sense, I'll maybe post those up tomorrow to see if anyone can figure it out. It's possible my dad moved from one side of the cabin to another as we would have been a group of 5.
Anyway to dribble out the final nugget of information I have. I certainly remember flying ot Manchester in my childhood but can't remember how many times, and we also used Gatwick for holidays (hence the question in another thread about the "satellite" which I thought I remembered) in the 1970s). I remember the Icarus statue for Alcock and Brown very well. If this flight was from Manchester, for the date I have from my father's passport, it would have been Dan Air 727-46 G-BAEF. But try as I might I can't match the panel markings to any picture I can find of a 727 (and I went to the Museum of flight and tried to look for myself on the 727 example they have there). So I'm trying to get a confirmation one way or another.
The other possibility I had in mind was a 1-11, and certainly the year before I'd been on a Laker example, and have a very detailed photo of the wing of that of the Alps. But again, I can't quite match that to the panel lines.
The new possibility that it might be a Comet either wingtip or tailplane, and this is definitely an interesting possibility. I flew in Comet 4s on BEA Airtours in 1971 from Gatwick, and in 1975, both to Corfu, so these were absolutely doing Corfu services in 1973. If this were the case for the 1973 shot it would mean I flew from Gatwick, as I have information on all the MAN-CFU movements from MAN on the dates involved.
Also the sequence of photos is a bit strange, it's not an obvious progression at all over the island, these are totally fixed in sequence by the numbers on the slide matrix but it doesn't make all that much sense, I'll maybe post those up tomorrow to see if anyone can figure it out. It's possible my dad moved from one side of the cabin to another as we would have been a group of 5.
I also pondered Comet empennage, but looking at pictures the tailplane root seems to be at a very similar height to the window line, and I'm not sure you would see that much of the upper TP surface.