When I was on 90 Sqn. in the early sixties I flew with Fred Jones. He was a keen cine enthusiast and would take moving pictures when ever he could. In 1963 we wen off to India and the Fareast on Exercise Shiksha. He made a movie of the occasion and his son gave me an electronic copy after Fred's death this year. I had doubts about sharing it but it is now on Youtube so it is in the public domain.

Sorry about that. I took a closer look at the Youtube entry and it states that it is not on the search menu and only available via a link. On that basis I have to consider it as private so I have deleted it.

I clearly missed this thread back in May. Andy McHugh was with me on 21 Argosy Course, March - August 1966 and then, as mentioned, to 105 Sqn in Aden. The ARDET site shows his death as having been in July 2008.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....872c75a02f.jpg
214 at Gan 1960. Taking Javelins home after a SEATO exercise. The Brit is for us Erks to follow in.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5d85919880.jpg
Jav's following the Valiant's.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f5c0c95fca.jpg
We started early, but the sun came up quickly on the Equator.

Nice pictures of Gan dispersal there Ian (Incidentally, I think some of the (now deleted) link were filmed at Gan as well - spent many two week stints on SAR standby in those huts).

Racingrigger. Yes, I agree about the rivets fixing the reinforcing plates. I was at Cosford this afternoon, but my picture loading is playing up. Maybe later. However, I think the original conversation was concerning whether the wings had been riveted on after being removed for transportation to the museum. What was the thinking behind the strengthening plates? Was there concern about blast effect?

I saw 818 in a semi dismantled state when it arrived at Cosford. The main spars had definitely been cut just outboard of the fuselage. I seem to remember from my Valiant conversion course that the basic structure was a reinforced cross that consisted of the fuselage backbone and the wing root structure out to the undercarriage mountings.

818 had been cut almost level with the fuselage skin.

I think I know what you mean. There are rivets there. I'm not out for several weeks, but I'll check next time. If this works, a picture of the reinforcing panels.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....afced4510c.jpg
And the wing/fuselage root.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2b08f0637e.jpg

The rivets in front of the aileron look pretty standard to me. The engine panels underneath the engines the same. Any re-attaching wings to fuselage welding would have been hidden by the same panels.

Fareastdriver: I'll give way to your knowledge on this. Apart from a valiant that visited RAAF Pearce when I was a teenager, this is the only example I've been up close and personal with. Regarding the riveted panels in the first picture, were they a standard part of the aircraft, or add-ons for the mission it undertook?

When the 8 Valiants were modified in readiness for Op Grapple the outer wings were strengthened by double skinning (hence the multiple rows of rivets securing the extra skin). At the time it was suspected that the aircraft may have experienced severe turbulence as a result of the blast catching up with the departing aircraft - I believe all previous weapons tests had been carried out with the "bomb" mounted on a tower - this was to be the first air drop.

Thanks, racingrigger. That would make sense. Always a day to learn something.