10 most important RAF aircraft of the Cold War
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Oh, so Air Cdre Geoff Cooper, my one-time boss as AOC MATO, was the last? Before he became Air Correspondent for the Daily Telgraph. Never knew that!
One of the pilots involved in the first incident was Geoff Cooper (from 208 Sqn) who later that year was shot down by the American pilot Chalmers Goodlin, flying an Israeli Spitfire Mk IX. Cooper was found by Bedouin tribesmen and returned to his base. Like the Spitfire, he would later fight in Malaya.
Last edited by MPN11; 19th Oct 2021 at 16:30.
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Strange that an aircraft that was 40 years in service from the ‘50s, carried a nuclear weapon, and was frequently in contact with potential enemy equipment, gets no mention.
If you mean waning days meaning pretty much half of the cold war era then fair enough.....but given the Buccaneer entered RAF service in 1969, and was still in service when the cold war 'ended' when the fall fell down, I'd hardly call that 20+ years as waning days.....
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I'm guessing the Buccaneer is your real suggestion?
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The problem if launched, would have been reaching the target before the Cold War ended…. 
…
(Accepting it would have been, marginally, faster than the Wasp…)
…(Accepting it would have been, marginally, faster than the Wasp…)
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Gnome de PPRuNe
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If defence of the Nuclear Deterrent is a criteria, then obviously the RAF's premier, all-British, twin-engined, short-ranged, supersonic interceptor; Bloodhound.
For those of us on Canberras at the time MRCA stood for 'Must Refurbish Canberras Again'. Carried guns, bombs, nukes, cameras, Elint from 0 to 50.000 feet. All in an aircraft designed at the end of WW2 and active from the beginning to the end of the Cold War. Used by USAF as well as RAF. Top of the list then?
Last edited by Four Turbo; 20th Oct 2021 at 11:53. Reason: grammar
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