RAF Chipmunks
..and in Roving's first photo, a narrow-chord rudder (dating this as not later than 1953/1954). Thanks for posting these lovely photos.
Why T10?
Here's a question to get the thread going again.
Why wasn't RAF Chipmunk called the T1?
Is it somehow related to the fact the Vampire trainer is the T11?
Why wasn't RAF Chipmunk called the T1?
Is it somehow related to the fact the Vampire trainer is the T11?
The Chipmunk was the T10 due to a short lived policy in the Air Ministry to give mark numbers in blocks - the actual reason is not known to me, but another example was the HP Marathon which was given the T11 designator. I've heard it explained as 'military adaptions of civil aircraft' or 'trainers'.
A longer lived variation was using the '20' range for Naval adaptions e.g. Vampire NF20, Sea Venom NF20/21/22, Sea Devon C20, Sea heron
Thanks, Dave.
It's a question that occasionally occurred to me, but I never remembered to ask it!
It's a question that occasionally occurred to me, but I never remembered to ask it!
No, the T11 was the next progression in the Vampire family (FB9, NF10, T11)
The Chipmunk was the T10 due to a short lived policy in the Air Ministry to give mark numbers in blocks - the actual reason is not known to me, but another example was the HP Marathon which was given the T11 designator. I've heard it explained as 'military adaptions of civil aircraft' or 'trainers'.
A longer lived variation was using the '20' range for Naval adaptions e.g. Vampire NF20, Sea Venom NF20/21/22, Sea Devon C20, Sea heron
The Chipmunk was the T10 due to a short lived policy in the Air Ministry to give mark numbers in blocks - the actual reason is not known to me, but another example was the HP Marathon which was given the T11 designator. I've heard it explained as 'military adaptions of civil aircraft' or 'trainers'.
A longer lived variation was using the '20' range for Naval adaptions e.g. Vampire NF20, Sea Venom NF20/21/22, Sea Devon C20, Sea heron
In the case of the Chipmunk, Mk.1 to Mk.9 were reserved for the RCAF variants,
To clarify, the DHC-1B-2-S5 (the last version of the Chipmunk built) was known in RCAF service as the Chipmunk T.30.
Some of you have seen them before, but others may like to see these two photos of Chippies at Scone in the winter of 1966/7:
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post9337849
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post9337849
Which Chipmunk is that?
I stumbled on this great post that I had not seen before. Rod tells me it may have been posted on PPRuNe before, but if so I missed it. It's so good that I thought it was worth posting again:
Which Chipmunk Is That? by Rod Blievers
Which Chipmunk Is That? by Rod Blievers
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B Hangar groundcrew 76 to 80
Coff,
What a splendid job you have done on the 6 AEF fleet. It was a long time ago that I was trusted to run the flight line over there,mans I think I left before Longer Ron arrived on ULAS (I was actually posted as Groundcrew on OUAS Ron). Likewise with T, although I'm sure that during my time there 6 AEF had only 6 Aircraft on charge, and may account for my not remembering T. We rarely manned the flying programme with more than four aircraft at a time as I recall, this may have been to accommodate servicing etc. I seem to remember that 6 AEF worked from one end of the ULAS headquarters building, but shared the pan with OUAS who had a seperate building at the other end of the pan. One thing I do recall was a cockpit section, used for giving the Air cadet passengers the abandonment briefing prior to their flying, could that have been T ?
Now, back to reading up on the history of 6 AEF, is it age that leads to one following these threads backwards ?
Best
Smudge
What a splendid job you have done on the 6 AEF fleet. It was a long time ago that I was trusted to run the flight line over there,mans I think I left before Longer Ron arrived on ULAS (I was actually posted as Groundcrew on OUAS Ron). Likewise with T, although I'm sure that during my time there 6 AEF had only 6 Aircraft on charge, and may account for my not remembering T. We rarely manned the flying programme with more than four aircraft at a time as I recall, this may have been to accommodate servicing etc. I seem to remember that 6 AEF worked from one end of the ULAS headquarters building, but shared the pan with OUAS who had a seperate building at the other end of the pan. One thing I do recall was a cockpit section, used for giving the Air cadet passengers the abandonment briefing prior to their flying, could that have been T ?
Now, back to reading up on the history of 6 AEF, is it age that leads to one following these threads backwards ?
Best
Smudge
I was racking my brains to remember you but I think I have got it. You were in charge of Bulldog Bravo my name was on Charlie JT Ashford promoted to Cpl shortly before demob. Part of a fine team of radio or avionics techies as well as petrol pump oil topper uppers g meter resetters tyre pumpers marshallers whatever happened to Geordie Easton ?
Den Fielding was promoted to Engineering Officers
I went to work at Kemble as a Radio Tech servicing Hunters Hawks Canberras Chipmunks etc before serving rest of my working life in Cheltenham.
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Ah 6 AEF!!
I had two fabulous weeks there in April 1980 whilst on an Air Cadet Navigation Course, the CO being Sqn Ldr Don Gardner. The pilots at the time included Gus Hart , Ian Smith & Chris Campbell both the latter holding before going elsewhere. It was wonderful flying country and I even did a final nav test up to Shawbury and back with a practice diversion to Kemble. I bought one of the newly designed 6 AEF patches with the Uffington White Horse which I still proudly have.
Oh happy days!!
I had two fabulous weeks there in April 1980 whilst on an Air Cadet Navigation Course, the CO being Sqn Ldr Don Gardner. The pilots at the time included Gus Hart , Ian Smith & Chris Campbell both the latter holding before going elsewhere. It was wonderful flying country and I even did a final nav test up to Shawbury and back with a practice diversion to Kemble. I bought one of the newly designed 6 AEF patches with the Uffington White Horse which I still proudly have.
Oh happy days!!
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Hi Manandboy ...
Thanks so much for your help. Firsthand confirmation like this from your 414 locks the closure date in my book ... 31/03/96 it is !
I thought you might like to see the following pictures of WG 430 in the USA (Indianapolis) where she currently resides (or did do c. 2005). Her civil registration in the US is N430WG. Apparently, after being sold by the RAF/MOD, she moved across the "pond" and spent a short time in Canada as C-GBNM before heading further south.
In this picture you will see that the Radio Frequency Card still carries the Manston frequencies !
The pictures were kindly shared with me by the UK author of the fabulous book "Chipmunk - The Poor Man's Spitfire".
As you were flying on the final day ... did S/L Stonham mark the cessation of Chipmunk flying at Manston in any way ... and if so ... are there any pictures to your knowledge ? I'd really like to obtain copies if I can.
Many kind regards ...
Coff.
Thanks so much for your help. Firsthand confirmation like this from your 414 locks the closure date in my book ... 31/03/96 it is !
I thought you might like to see the following pictures of WG 430 in the USA (Indianapolis) where she currently resides (or did do c. 2005). Her civil registration in the US is N430WG. Apparently, after being sold by the RAF/MOD, she moved across the "pond" and spent a short time in Canada as C-GBNM before heading further south.
In this picture you will see that the Radio Frequency Card still carries the Manston frequencies !
The pictures were kindly shared with me by the UK author of the fabulous book "Chipmunk - The Poor Man's Spitfire".
As you were flying on the final day ... did S/L Stonham mark the cessation of Chipmunk flying at Manston in any way ... and if so ... are there any pictures to your knowledge ? I'd really like to obtain copies if I can.
Many kind regards ...
Coff.
There's my lovely Chipmunk! I now own WG430. She is hangared in Pennsylvania right now but will be coming to California early next year. You will be pleased to know that the frequency list is still there... here's a photo for you!
Not an RAF Chipmunk, but a very interesting formation:
https://tinyurl.com/y2794oq9
While watching this video, I wondered if the RAF ever considered re-engineing its Chipmunks.
PS Just in case anyone is concerned about clicking on a TinyURL link, here's a screen shot.
https://tinyurl.com/y2794oq9
While watching this video, I wondered if the RAF ever considered re-engineing its Chipmunks.
PS Just in case anyone is concerned about clicking on a TinyURL link, here's a screen shot.
Last edited by India Four Two; 24th Mar 2019 at 17:10.
Not an RAF Chipmunk, but a very interesting formation:
Wow - looking at my F3822 I flew WG430 on 1 AEF at Manston as a spotty Cadet between 1994-96! Which led to my flying scholarship at the same airport with Ted Girdler (RIP).
Another Chipmunk hangered in the USA is WP 850/N735DH belonging to the National Test Pilots School in Mojave.
Wjen the Valiants were scrapped in 1964 the squadrons were issued with Chipmunks to enable the pilots to maintain flying practice. We on 90 Squadron received WP850 which had a green/grey camouflage finish. The story was that it had been used in Cyprus during the EOKA campaign and when that had finished it had been entombed in an MU.
We soon had a squadron flash on the fin and I seemed to spend most of my flying giving air experience to our groundcrew. I only flew it for about 30 hours but I had two major frights.
The first was where I took it over on an engine running crew change from another pilot who had been flying it solo. Because of this I didn't check that the parachute was out of the rear seat because it should not have been there. There was no indication that anything was wrong until I did a slow roll. The control column stuck against the port cockpit wall.
I rolled it again and as it levelled I stopped the roll with rudder. It was now flying sideways and the engine could not maintain height.
I was an avid reader of crash comics so my mind searched for something similar and an incident with jammed ailerons on a Vulcan came up. They had got out of it by pushing the control stick with the blockage and it had come free. I tried the same, the parachute rolled back clear of the stick and I was back in business albeit using minimum control movements until I landed.
The second was where I was changing over my ground crew passengers. I was given a cup of coffee to keep me going so I did not see who was getting in. The normal chat; what would you like to do, etc and he wanted the whole show. Rolls. loops, stall turns, he was like a box of birds. Then I showed him a spin.
Three turns, stick central on the marker, full opposite rudder, nothing, it kept turning.
I put pro-spin on and then tried again. It took four turns before it grudgingly stopped and we levelled at 1,200 ft.
Gratefully his time was over so we returned to Honington with him singing the praises about his flight and as it was time for refuel I shut down. I was out first and I stood back watching two of our Flight Sergeants helping this enormous barrel of lard called a Corporal Technician out of the cockpit. Somebody on this thread mentioned that 250 lbs. was the limit; his boots weighed that much!
I left the squadron shortly after that and the aircraft was disposed of a month or so later.
Wjen the Valiants were scrapped in 1964 the squadrons were issued with Chipmunks to enable the pilots to maintain flying practice. We on 90 Squadron received WP850 which had a green/grey camouflage finish. The story was that it had been used in Cyprus during the EOKA campaign and when that had finished it had been entombed in an MU.
We soon had a squadron flash on the fin and I seemed to spend most of my flying giving air experience to our groundcrew. I only flew it for about 30 hours but I had two major frights.
The first was where I took it over on an engine running crew change from another pilot who had been flying it solo. Because of this I didn't check that the parachute was out of the rear seat because it should not have been there. There was no indication that anything was wrong until I did a slow roll. The control column stuck against the port cockpit wall.
I rolled it again and as it levelled I stopped the roll with rudder. It was now flying sideways and the engine could not maintain height.
I was an avid reader of crash comics so my mind searched for something similar and an incident with jammed ailerons on a Vulcan came up. They had got out of it by pushing the control stick with the blockage and it had come free. I tried the same, the parachute rolled back clear of the stick and I was back in business albeit using minimum control movements until I landed.
The second was where I was changing over my ground crew passengers. I was given a cup of coffee to keep me going so I did not see who was getting in. The normal chat; what would you like to do, etc and he wanted the whole show. Rolls. loops, stall turns, he was like a box of birds. Then I showed him a spin.
Three turns, stick central on the marker, full opposite rudder, nothing, it kept turning.
I put pro-spin on and then tried again. It took four turns before it grudgingly stopped and we levelled at 1,200 ft.
Gratefully his time was over so we returned to Honington with him singing the praises about his flight and as it was time for refuel I shut down. I was out first and I stood back watching two of our Flight Sergeants helping this enormous barrel of lard called a Corporal Technician out of the cockpit. Somebody on this thread mentioned that 250 lbs. was the limit; his boots weighed that much!
I left the squadron shortly after that and the aircraft was disposed of a month or so later.