Footage of RAF Gaydon "At Homes" 1960s
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The OP video brought back some great memories. The ‘At Home’ days were wondrous to a small boy. I wish I could remember more detail. ☹️
Thread Starter
Hi all,
A bit more info on the scramble that went "wonkey" it was 1962, which was also the first year that NATO air arms attended the "At Homes" extensively as well as the Americans and Canadians.
FB
A bit more info on the scramble that went "wonkey" it was 1962, which was also the first year that NATO air arms attended the "At Homes" extensively as well as the Americans and Canadians.
FB
More eye candy
A few months ago Talking Pictures put on a documentary called Timepiece.
it was made in 1966 and carries the description "A round-the-world, round-the-clock picture of the activities of the RAF in the mid-1960s."
Well it seems it can be viewed on the Imperial War Museum by visiting
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1060021636
Run time is about 25 minutes. For what it's worth, I liked it a lot, perhaps it's my age!
XN593
it was made in 1966 and carries the description "A round-the-world, round-the-clock picture of the activities of the RAF in the mid-1960s."
Well it seems it can be viewed on the Imperial War Museum by visiting
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ect/1060021636
Run time is about 25 minutes. For what it's worth, I liked it a lot, perhaps it's my age!
XN593
It's definitely my age too, XN 593. Some great shots, I had almost forgotten what the inside of a Dominie looked like, and nice to see Kai Tak as it used to look, as the whole area is virtually unrecogniseable now. Thanks 
At 11.34 in the film the Hunting H126 Jet Flap research aircraft can be seen in the air, I cannot remember seeing any film of it actually flying before despite operating over a number of years and making many flights. In the film it appears that the aircraft was fitted with a smoke system to demonstrate how the jet efflux was ducted out along the wing to the flaps and ailerons.
What a halcyon time this was when someones bright idea resulted in the building of a research aircraft just to see if it would work.
Incidentally the H126 XN714 is now homed at the Cosford museum, it had a stall speed of 32 mph!
What a halcyon time this was when someones bright idea resulted in the building of a research aircraft just to see if it would work.
Incidentally the H126 XN714 is now homed at the Cosford museum, it had a stall speed of 32 mph!
Interesting films -memory jogging nostalgia! I featured (unseen) in a couple of shots of the Tern Hill Whirlwinds. We also did S&R standby on one of those years, parked next to a USAF Kaman Husky on similar standby. The Arrows did their usual display, the arrival being an "all points" run-in, to a pull-up join up. The one in our 'sector' arrived between us and the Husky ... below rotor head height! The Army Eagles were there with their 'clockwork mice', one of which wouldn't start The lead climbed out of his, leaving it rotors turning. and went to the failed Sioux to help out! Seems it was S O P for our khaki cousins! The display 'stars' were, undoubtedly the Diables Rouges in their Fouga Magisters. The formation take-off (in threes) had the lead going 'airborne, gear-up, roll inverted' and then climbing away!! quite spectacular!
Is Gaydon still a car test facilty?
Is Gaydon still a car test facilty?
The lead climbed out of his, leaving it rotors turning. and went to the failed Sioux to help out! Seems it was S O P for our khaki cousins!
Cornish Jack,
Gaydon is now a MASSIVE automotive facility, a new design and engineering facility for Jaguar-Landrover employs 13,000, and Aston Martin also have their main base and factory there. On top of that there is an automotive museum. The original airfield layout is still visible as it is the basis of the test track for the design facility. The Air Traffic Control Tower is still there in its original state, even one of the Gaydon hangers survives though massively modified.
Gaydon is now a MASSIVE automotive facility, a new design and engineering facility for Jaguar-Landrover employs 13,000, and Aston Martin also have their main base and factory there. On top of that there is an automotive museum. The original airfield layout is still visible as it is the basis of the test track for the design facility. The Air Traffic Control Tower is still there in its original state, even one of the Gaydon hangers survives though massively modified.
Thread Starter
I've noticed from photographs and other material that Gaydon was unique among those selected to become V-Bomber stations, the rest all had typically Brick built H-Blocks, a number, usually four at least, Regulation C-Type Hangars or Js. Gaydon had a series of what appear to be prefab chalet style war economy buildings. Rustic/Grey long interconnecting ground floor apex huts accommodating everything from Messes and accommodation to admin offices, SCAF etc. The two Gaydon Hangars, as big as they were, just didn't seem enough for the size and number of aircraft; Valiants and Victors based there.
FB
FB
I've noticed from photographs and other material that Gaydon was unique among those selected to become V-Bomber stations, the rest all had typically Brick built H-Blocks, a number, usually four at least, Regulation C-Type Hangars or Js. Gaydon had a series of what appear to be prefab chalet style war economy buildings. Rustic/Grey long interconnecting ground floor apex huts accommodating everything from Messes and accommodation to admin offices, SCAF etc. The two Gaydon Hangars, as big as they were, just didn't seem enough for the size and number of aircraft; Valiants and Victors based there.
FB
FB
The key element to each and every one of the airfields rebuilt as Class 1 V-Bomber bases was the new 9,000 foot runway, associated taxiways, a new Electrical Engineering Squadron, new SSA and 24 new dispersals for the aircraft. All have the 24 dispersals, including Gaydon. ( 8 aircraft per squadron, all intended to be 3 squadron airfields.) Gaydon WAS unique in that it was the only one of the ten selected that had not been an expansion 1935-40 type permanent station, hence it had none of the permanent buildings that all the rest had. It was a complete new build from the small temporary satellite station that Gaydon was prior to the rebuild. Everything apart from a few T2 type hangers was totally new. And as it was built in the mid fifties it had the utilitarian style of the day in its buildings. As it was always intended to be purely an OCU (another unique feature of Gaydon) there was no need for more than the 2 hangars, 1 for the OCU itself and 1 for the Engineering Wing ASF. The V-Force aircraft lived outside apart from when they were dragged into the hangar for servicing. Later of course centralised servicing came along and the need for squadron hangars vanished completely, Until of course it was brought back again in the early 70's. And if you think that Gaydon was short of hangars, take a peek at Wittering with its sole Gaydon type hangar and two small pre war C types. Sorry for prattling on...
Thread Starter
Not at all pr00ne, Wittering was the other one I was thinking of. Coningsby I think has or had three or four J-type and a couple of T1 or 2 type. I was at Scampton in 2017 for the one and only air show there, to say that the RAF had moved back in around 2001 it was in an absolute derelict state. The Officers' Mess had all its windows covered in chip-board with construction site metal fencing around it, one Hangar looked set for demolition and most of the rest of the station infrastructure seemed abandoned likewise.
FB
FB
Incidentally the H126 XN714 is now homed at the Cosford museum, it had a stall speed of 32 mph!
Not really comparative, I suppose, but my one ride in a Single Pin with M Plt 'Bim' Ward was a bit of a capability demo - take-off across the runway (Khormaksar) and maintaining level (ish) flight with the ASI showing 17kts! Bim said that control forces were much the same as a fully loaded Lancaster!
Not really comparative, I suppose, but my one ride in a Single Pin with M Plt 'Bim' Ward was a bit of a capability demo - take-off across the runway (Khormaksar) and maintaining level (ish) flight with the ASI showing 17kts! Bim said that control forces were much the same as a fully loaded Lancaster!
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Interesting observations pr00ne. Dad's admin office for the Valiants at Gaydon was a wooden hut next to the pan. The attached photo was taken from there at the end of the '64 show using a 1938 Kodak box brownie camera.
Not at all pr00ne, Wittering was the other one I was thinking of. Coningsby I think has or had three or four J-type and a couple of T1 or 2 type. I was at Scampton in 2017 for the one and only air show there, to say that the RAF had moved back in around 2001 it was in an absolute derelict state. The Officers' Mess had all its windows covered in chip-board with construction site metal fencing around it, one Hangar looked set for demolition and most of the rest of the station infrastructure seemed abandoned likewise.
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Location: 75' from the runway edge and 150' from the threshold
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I don't have sound. My computer or no sound on the film?
