RAe Comet 'Canopus' tour of USA with Hawk T.1 and T-45 Goshawk

[chopper2004]

Seem to recall in RAF News in the early 1990s talking about the Comet 'Canopus flying in formation with one of the Reds Hawk T1 and USN T-45 Goshawk in USA during Canopus's last flights/tours before retirment. If my memory recalls the then AcM BG was flying the Hawk T.1

Does anyone remember Canopus Comet flying either on trials at the likes of Pax River / Edwards or just a farewell flight ?

Cheers

[unmanned_droid]

I can't quite remember in which book I've seen it but I do recall seeing a photo of canopus in the US.

[bvcu]

Just to be pedantic, canopus was never RAE , was A&A.E.E Boscombe down all her life.

[Warmtoast]

Didn't know there was a Comet with the title 'Canopus' too. I was with 99 Sqn which flew Britannia's from 1959 onwards and one of the RAF Britannias had the name 'Canopus'. This was XN404 a C.Mk 2 and I see from my log book that I first flew in this on 20th October 1959.
Two photos of Brit XN404 courtesy raf-transport-command-veterans and XM496.com

[Airbubba]

Here's the Comet Canopus XS235 doing a ground run recently:

You Tube

[Dog Star]

There were at least 2 previous aircraft named "CANOPUS" in the 1930/40/50s.

1) Imperial Airways Shorts Brothers S-23 (or S.795?) Empire Flying Boat G-ADHL "CANOPUS"

Short Empire / S.23

BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser G-AKGK RMA "CANOPUS" (This aircraft transported both P.M. Winston Churchill and H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth)

https://www.airteamimages.com/boeing...on_148524.html

[Davef68]

Not sure about XS235, but earlier Comet IXB XM823 (now preserved at Cosford) was involved in quite a few trials in the US in the 60s - never seen any pictures though.....

[RubiC Cube]

Yes Canopus left Boscombe Down on 6 Jun 1991 calling at Scampton, Leeming, Keflavik, Sondre Stromfjord, Iqualuit/Frobisher Bay, Goose Bay, Plattsburg, Dulles, Corpus Christie, Randolph, Holloway, El Toro, Corpus Christie, Wright Patterson, Goose Bay, Iqualuit/Frobisher Bay, Sondre Stromfjord, Keflavik, Scampton returning to Boscombe on 20 Jun. We accompanied 2 Hawks including a VSO, name forgotten, providing some top cover. We also did some GPS trials. I have some photos somewhere which I will sort out later.

[c4aero]

CANOPUS IN USA

Originally Posted by RubiC Cube

Yes Canopus left Boscombe Down on 6 Jun 1991 calling at Scampton, Leeming, Keflavik, Sondre Stromfjord, Iqualuit/Frobisher Bay, Goose Bay, Plattsburg, Dulles, Corpus Christie, Randolph, Holloway, El Toro, Corpus Christie, Wright Patterson, Goose Bay, Iqualuit/Frobisher Bay, Sondre Stromfjord, Keflavik, Scampton returning to Boscombe on 20 Jun. We accompanied 2 Hawks including a VSO, name forgotten, providing some top cover. We also did some GPS trials. I have some photos somewhere which I will sort out later.

I was the VSO! Along with Air Cdre Bruce Latton, who was then Comdt CFS. I was Air Cdre Flying Trg.The other pilots were Gp Capt Tim Webb and Flt Lt Andy Rands. It was an amazing trip, with hardly any problems with the Hawks. A few Red Arrows groundcrew flew in Canopus. If anyone has any photos, would love to see them c4[email protected]. Air Marshal Sir Christopher Coville (Chris)

[chopper2004]

Originally Posted by RubiC Cube

Yes Canopus left Boscombe Down on 6 Jun 1991 calling at Scampton, Leeming, Keflavik, Sondre Stromfjord, Iqualuit/Frobisher Bay, Goose Bay, Plattsburg, Dulles, Corpus Christie, Randolph, Holloway, El Toro, Corpus Christie, Wright Patterson, Goose Bay, Iqualuit/Frobisher Bay, Sondre Stromfjord, Keflavik, Scampton returning to Boscombe on 20 Jun. We accompanied 2 Hawks including a VSO, name forgotten, providing some top cover. We also did some GPS trials. I have some photos somewhere which I will sort out later.

Great if you locate photos please share them on here.

Seasons Greetings

cheers

[Addlepate]

Originally Posted by Warmtoast

I was with 99 Sqn which flew Britannia's from 1959 onwards and one of the RAF Britannias had the name 'Canopus'. This was XN404 a C.Mk 2 and I see from my log book that I first flew in this on 20th October 1959.
Two photos of Brit XN404 courtesy raf-transport-command-veterans and XM496.com

Just spotted a great photo of 404 on the AHB Twitter feed:

Twitter

[huge72]

For many years I had that picture on my wall at home. I flew several times on MCT in her, whilst I was an Ops Clerk at Brize 72-74. I never operated on Brits as they had gone before I re-mustered as an ALM in 79. I did however go on Britdet to Kai Tak in 74 and then went on to be Flt Pln Clerk in Gan 74-75 followed by my final tour as AATC as a Cpl in ATFOC at Upavon. I now live down the road from 496 at Kemble so the Brit remains very much in my heart.

[Background Noise]

Originally Posted by c4aero

I was the VSO! ..... The other pilots were Gp Capt Tim Webb and Flt Lt Andy Rands.

Chris, wasn't wee Chris Taylor involved somewhere along the way?

[chevvron]

Didn't Comet '235 end up at Bruntingthorpe? Wonder what's going to happen to it now.
I was watch supervisor in Farnborough ATC when I had the sad duty of logging the last takeoff of Comet XV814 departing on its final flight to Boscombe where it was to be broken up, some of its parts helping to keep '235 flying.

[just another jocky]

Warmtoast There was a Britannia on the perry track at Kemble/Cotswold Airport when I was last there a few years ago and IIRC it had 'Canopus' emblazoned as in your photo. I'm not sure if it is the same ac. It is still showing on Google Maps.

[treadigraph]

Britannia at Kemble is XM496 "Regulus"...

[RubiC Cube]

Photos (at long last)

XV235 at Iqualuit

[RubiC Cube]

On approach to Sondrestrom

[RubiC Cube]

Ditto

[RubiC Cube]

In transit