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
Dora-9
Might be worth swapping a Tweet with the TUDM ...
https://mobile.twitter.com/airforcen...23119983931392
Coff.
Mind you ... Parked with Fap Down
Might be worth swapping a Tweet with the TUDM ...
https://mobile.twitter.com/airforcen...23119983931392
Coff.
Mind you ... Parked with Fap Down
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 25th Jun 2016 at 16:39.
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Durrington
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Chipnostalgia, many thanks for the further update. As we probably will not be able to narrow it down any more, I'll put WP914 down as a probable for that sortie. It is nice to see that both a/c survived, as have all the others that I've had the pleasure of flying in.
Cheers,
Nige
Cheers,
Nige
Thanks for that, Coff.
We'll try the Tweet address; they certainly don't respond to letters!
Interesting they say "Four Chipmunks commenced service on 5 May 1957" - I have WD287 (became the RMAF's FM1022) allocated to the MAAF on 15 Feb 1957, and the RMAF ended up with seven Chipmunks, all of which came from the MAAF.
We'll try the Tweet address; they certainly don't respond to letters!
Interesting they say "Four Chipmunks commenced service on 5 May 1957" - I have WD287 (became the RMAF's FM1022) allocated to the MAAF on 15 Feb 1957, and the RMAF ended up with seven Chipmunks, all of which came from the MAAF.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
For those interested ... Coverage of the 70th Celebrations back in May 
de Havilland Chipmunk 70th Anniversary By UK Airshow Review
Well done UK Airshow Review
de Havilland Chipmunk 70th Anniversary By UK Airshow Review
Well done UK Airshow Review
Sadly I've read elsewhere that he's not in good health, possibly suffering from the onset of Alzheimer's. I'm sure I'm one amongst many within the ACO who owes him a debt of gratitude. I'm fairly sure that my last Chippie flight with 5 AEF was with him, albeit as a staff member, not a cadet. I'd love to know more about his career as I believe he's ex Vulcans.
Cranwell's Chipmunks
In recent days I've seen photos of two different Chipmunks recently restored/repainted as pre-DayGlo RAFC aircraft, i.e. overall silver with the trimmed blue fuselage band. One has the yellow wing bands while the other hasn't (and looks distinctly naked without them). However the few B&W photos I have of RAFC Chipmunks prior to the application of DayGlo markings don't show the wing surfaces clearly. Looking at the "The Sky is Ours" film ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uD0r0ghKF4) it seems as though the yellow bands are absent, while the colour of the film is generally poor the underside of WP868/JM is clearly shown (at 12:21) without the yellow wing bands.
Does anyone have any photos showing the wing bands (or their absence)? Am I correct in assuming that RAFC Chipmunk didn't carry them (odd as that seems)?
Thanks.
Does anyone have any photos showing the wing bands (or their absence)? Am I correct in assuming that RAFC Chipmunk didn't carry them (odd as that seems)?
Thanks.
CS - Cor, that takes me back a bit. It is a long time ago, but I don't think there were blue wing bands. Unfortunately I lost all my photos along with the house clearance post-divorce! 89 Entry have quite a busy web site - someone there might be able to help
Just looked on 89 Entry web site and WB562 does not have bands on the wings, just round the fuselage
Just looked on 89 Entry web site and WB562 does not have bands on the wings, just round the fuselage
Last edited by Wander00; 7th Jul 2016 at 12:31. Reason: Update
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,761
Received 2,742 Likes
on
1,168 Posts
Wander00 and Nutloose:
Thanks indeed for the response. I wasn't querying blue wing bands, but whether yellow wing bands appeared before the advent of the DayGlo markings. Looking at that evocative Dave Welch photo of WB654 and friends, I can't see any evidence of a wing band there.
What keeps bugging me though is that it appears illogical to delete them on a training aircraft...
Cheers!
Thanks indeed for the response. I wasn't querying blue wing bands, but whether yellow wing bands appeared before the advent of the DayGlo markings. Looking at that evocative Dave Welch photo of WB654 and friends, I can't see any evidence of a wing band there.
What keeps bugging me though is that it appears illogical to delete them on a training aircraft...
Cheers!
Think/look before responding, Dora!
Looking again, the Chipmunk has the later DayGlo strips (just visible ahead of the fuselage roundel), which is confirmed by the c.1966 dating of the photo. Unfortunately then it's outside the period that I'm querying (pre-1959 when everybody else's Chipmunks were overall silver with yellow bands).
Still scratching my head...
Looking again, the Chipmunk has the later DayGlo strips (just visible ahead of the fuselage roundel), which is confirmed by the c.1966 dating of the photo. Unfortunately then it's outside the period that I'm querying (pre-1959 when everybody else's Chipmunks were overall silver with yellow bands).
Still scratching my head...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Llandudno
Age: 100
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RAF Chipmunks.
I left the RAF in 1947 and joined the newly constituted RAFVR at Fazackerley, Liverpool in 1950. At that time We had to go to Wolverhampton to get two weeks flying Tiger Moths. Lord Shinwell inspected all the Reserve units in Merseyside and arranged for us to have our own aircraft, Tigers, and to fly from Hooton Park. I rejoined the RAF in February 1951. and the week before I went to Hooton Park so that, when asked "When did you last fly?" I could say, "Last Week. When I arrived at Hooton Park the Tigers had gone, and we were reaquipped with Chipmunks. I was checked out and managed to get in five hours on a new aircraft!! The numbers were 307 and 309. I hope this helps. I never flew a Chipmunk again.
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: over the rainbow
Age: 75
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I left the RAF in 1947 and joined the newly constituted RAFVR at Fazackerley, Liverpool in 1950. At that time We had to go to Wolverhampton to get two weeks flying Tiger Moths. Lord Shinwell inspected all the Reserve units in Merseyside and arranged for us to have our own aircraft, Tigers, and to fly from Hooton Park. I rejoined the RAF in February 1951. and the week before I went to Hooton Park so that, when asked "When did you last fly?" I could say, "Last Week. When I arrived at Hooton Park the Tigers had gone, and we were reaquipped with Chipmunks. I was checked out and managed to get in five hours on a new aircraft!! The numbers were 307 and 309. I hope this helps. I never flew a Chipmunk again.
Second from right on this one
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Great pics Roving ... Thanks for sharing with us
The QFI's clearly 'coveted' their Irvin flying boots ... However I think I'm right in saying that they became prohibited in the Chipmunk for fear of the boot getting stuck under the rudder bar during spinning ... But I could be wrong
The QFI's clearly 'coveted' their Irvin flying boots ... However I think I'm right in saying that they became prohibited in the Chipmunk for fear of the boot getting stuck under the rudder bar during spinning ... But I could be wrong
