RAF Chipmunks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Many thanks to Dan Vandenberg for his permission to share his stunning pictures taken at Old Warden today 
There is a cracking picture of the formation in-flight by another Photographer ... I'm seeking permission to share here.
Enjoy !
Coff.
There is a cracking picture of the formation in-flight by another Photographer ... I'm seeking permission to share here.
Enjoy !
Coff.
Wow, ahh etc - and the grass is so green that it hurts my eyes!
I was there!
At Old Warden today ... Witnessed the debut of the new Aerobatic team `Aluminium Overcast` in an 18 ship flypast - Awsome!
Couldn't source wings to fly in, so we came by road...got caught up in the MK traffic Chaos and so we arrived just in time to se G-AMUF depart to the East
(-UF was the Chippy I converted to at Redhill in 80)
If the current owners of UF are on this site or there is any one here that is contact with them, please contact me as I have some pictures of her in 1980 that may be of interest.
Couldn't source wings to fly in, so we came by road...got caught up in the MK traffic Chaos and so we arrived just in time to se G-AMUF depart to the East
(-UF was the Chippy I converted to at Redhill in 80)
If the current owners of UF are on this site or there is any one here that is contact with them, please contact me as I have some pictures of her in 1980 that may be of interest.
I'm afraid I haven't been able to locate a pic of the (Postage Stamp Size by comparison) Dittel ATR720B 720 Channel Vhf radio set fitted in the late 80's/early 90's
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Unfortunately I've not been able to contact the other two Photographers regarding the in-flight formation pics and therefore feel uncomfortable in directly posting their images.
But here are their Tw1tter URL's for the images mentioned ... marvellous ... yes and more green grass Dora-9
https://twitter.com/_JonHiggins/stat...31238287151106
https://twitter.com/DarrenHarbar/sta...89015063396353
But here are their Tw1tter URL's for the images mentioned ... marvellous ... yes and more green grass Dora-9
https://twitter.com/_JonHiggins/stat...31238287151106
https://twitter.com/DarrenHarbar/sta...89015063396353
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
For further interest ...
Earlier this month the Annual 'BullChipMeet' was held at Abbeville France. Whilst the pictures for 2015 have yet to be posted ... there are some cracking images for the previous years.
Bulldog & Chipmunk Meet
BullChipMeet 2014
BullChipMeet 2013
BullChipMeet 2012
Coff.
PS. Dora-9 ... Warning ! Lots of pictures !
Earlier this month the Annual 'BullChipMeet' was held at Abbeville France. Whilst the pictures for 2015 have yet to be posted ... there are some cracking images for the previous years.
Bulldog & Chipmunk Meet
BullChipMeet 2014
BullChipMeet 2013
BullChipMeet 2012
Coff.
PS. Dora-9 ... Warning ! Lots of pictures !
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: UK
Age: 78
Posts: 389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Spitmunk
I flew a camo chippy in the early 80's for a service glider tug event. Never figured out why the camo paint scheme but I suppose it had an army function. Anyone know what it was for?
Coff:
I've seen some before, but those Chipmeet photos are great! Can you imagine the sound of the formation?
I was offered a seat to fly to this, all I have to do is to get myself to the UK (and have the time)...
And lastly, for the connoisseurs of photos of Chipmunks parked on different terrain, two ex-RAF Chipmunks at Narromine NSW earlier this month (both have just has top overhauls; this was a "running in" flight):
I've seen some before, but those Chipmeet photos are great! Can you imagine the sound of the formation?
I was offered a seat to fly to this, all I have to do is to get myself to the UK (and have the time)...
And lastly, for the connoisseurs of photos of Chipmunks parked on different terrain, two ex-RAF Chipmunks at Narromine NSW earlier this month (both have just has top overhauls; this was a "running in" flight):
India 42
And the whiff of cordite after starting!
And the whiff of cordite after starting!
The cordite smell memories came later with UBAS Chipmunks. I vividly remember the first time I had a "slow burn" - clouds of smoke, followed by an expletive from the rear cockpit, as my instructor rapidly closed the canopy!
Coffman Starter has covered all the various radio fits, of which I saw many. Here's a little elaboration.
The decision as to what aircraft had what fit mainly depended on where they were operated. Those AEFs at a civil airport tended to have VHF and those at a military airfield, the UHF. However, the airframes were rotated, so you could be operating a mix. For example, I did quite a bit of AEF summer camp flying from Coltishall using both the old pre-select VHF and later, the 720 channel Marconi set. Radio failures were common in the former (sometimes because the cadet was bored and had starting fiddling with switches) and we just used to recover visually landing on the grass strip without talking to anyone.
The AEFs had no requirement to fly IMC - and in fact most of the pilots weren't instrument rated - so there was no requirement to fit a second radio. However, the pilot training schools at Middle Wallop, Roburgh and Swinderby did. The second radio regulation came into force in the mid to late 80s, as the radio was the only bit of nav kit the Chippy had! The Army always had a standby UHF, the Navy had a 360 channel VHF, but only one Swinderby aircraft had a second radio. WD331 was used for the Air Racing season and a Dittel 720 channel glider radio had been fitted so the pilot could fly to civil airfields and when the PTR1751 was fitted, the decision to fit the whole Swinderby fleet with the Dittel was made. The aircraft retained the UHF blade aerials, but had a different white VHF whip aerial fitted to the tail, behind the rudder. This was different to the standard fit aerial which was under the right wing.
The PTR1751 controller in the front cockpit was a large device which fitted between the pilots legs and necessitated removing the P11 compass and fitting an E2 'Airpath' type compass on the front coming. It was highly complex and even had the switching and ability to control a Have-Quick frequency agile Anti-Jam radio. (Not fitted!). The Dittel installation was less than ideal. It was under the panel by the pilot's right knee and had no internal lighting and was very hard to tune. Selecting a new frequency involved tuning with your forefinger and thumb while holding a torch in between your little finger and palm while flying with your left hand. It has a number of pre-selects, so before strapping in, you could load the frequencies you knew you may need.
My logbook shows that I flew WG480 (Now owned by Dora-9 and the second aircraft in his most recent pic) from Swinderby to Manston on 5 Jun 1992. Time, 1:30 - all of it IMC navigating on DF bearings. When I got to Manston, they insisted on giving me VHF frequencies because I was a Chipmunk and the Manston Chippies only had VHF, despite my protests and requests for UHF frequencies. I nearly put myself into a severe UP (unusual position) trying to tune the damned Dittel just as I was being directed onto the PAR. On the ground, I called ATC and explained. Their SATCO responded by calling me back and bollocking me for flying IMC when I wasn't allowed to!
The decision as to what aircraft had what fit mainly depended on where they were operated. Those AEFs at a civil airport tended to have VHF and those at a military airfield, the UHF. However, the airframes were rotated, so you could be operating a mix. For example, I did quite a bit of AEF summer camp flying from Coltishall using both the old pre-select VHF and later, the 720 channel Marconi set. Radio failures were common in the former (sometimes because the cadet was bored and had starting fiddling with switches) and we just used to recover visually landing on the grass strip without talking to anyone.
The AEFs had no requirement to fly IMC - and in fact most of the pilots weren't instrument rated - so there was no requirement to fit a second radio. However, the pilot training schools at Middle Wallop, Roburgh and Swinderby did. The second radio regulation came into force in the mid to late 80s, as the radio was the only bit of nav kit the Chippy had! The Army always had a standby UHF, the Navy had a 360 channel VHF, but only one Swinderby aircraft had a second radio. WD331 was used for the Air Racing season and a Dittel 720 channel glider radio had been fitted so the pilot could fly to civil airfields and when the PTR1751 was fitted, the decision to fit the whole Swinderby fleet with the Dittel was made. The aircraft retained the UHF blade aerials, but had a different white VHF whip aerial fitted to the tail, behind the rudder. This was different to the standard fit aerial which was under the right wing.
The PTR1751 controller in the front cockpit was a large device which fitted between the pilots legs and necessitated removing the P11 compass and fitting an E2 'Airpath' type compass on the front coming. It was highly complex and even had the switching and ability to control a Have-Quick frequency agile Anti-Jam radio. (Not fitted!). The Dittel installation was less than ideal. It was under the panel by the pilot's right knee and had no internal lighting and was very hard to tune. Selecting a new frequency involved tuning with your forefinger and thumb while holding a torch in between your little finger and palm while flying with your left hand. It has a number of pre-selects, so before strapping in, you could load the frequencies you knew you may need.
My logbook shows that I flew WG480 (Now owned by Dora-9 and the second aircraft in his most recent pic) from Swinderby to Manston on 5 Jun 1992. Time, 1:30 - all of it IMC navigating on DF bearings. When I got to Manston, they insisted on giving me VHF frequencies because I was a Chipmunk and the Manston Chippies only had VHF, despite my protests and requests for UHF frequencies. I nearly put myself into a severe UP (unusual position) trying to tune the damned Dittel just as I was being directed onto the PAR. On the ground, I called ATC and explained. Their SATCO responded by calling me back and bollocking me for flying IMC when I wasn't allowed to!
The PTR1751 controller looked a bit like this, but the one in the Swinderby Chippies had the anti jam switchery. It says V/UHF on the box as did the one in the Chippy, but it just controlled the UHF. There aren't any pics on-line of the actual box that I have found, probably as the box and it's functions are classified!
Edited to say that someone has put details of the PTR1751 controller as fitted to the Chippy on-line. From a JP3 manual by the looks of it.
http://www.clayworthroad.co.uk/page1...0Equipment.pdf
Edited to say that someone has put details of the PTR1751 controller as fitted to the Chippy on-line. From a JP3 manual by the looks of it.
http://www.clayworthroad.co.uk/page1...0Equipment.pdf
Last edited by Dan Winterland; 24th May 2015 at 07:25.
My logbook shows that I flew WG480 (Now owned by Dora-9 and the second aircraft in his most recent pic)
Interesting info on the radios though Simon, thank you.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Dan ...
Many thanks for the additional detail you have provided ... very much appreciated by me
I've got a few more info snippets to complete the Mil Chipmunk coms fit tale ... I'll try and post tomorrow.
I might just have met that Manston SATCO you mentioned
Best ...
Coff.
Many thanks for the additional detail you have provided ... very much appreciated by me
I've got a few more info snippets to complete the Mil Chipmunk coms fit tale ... I'll try and post tomorrow.
I might just have met that Manston SATCO you mentioned
Best ...
Coff.
Dora 9 - it was WG478 - my error. We had WG 478,479 and 480 at EFTS. I knew 478 best and it was her I took away on the airshow circuit when I could. She was the nicest aircraft in the fleet IMHO, and had my surname initial as her identifier.
