Robin

Hi Chris. Superb model of a most graceful aircraft. When I saw your model it took me back in time, so I got out my photo albums and found a B/W picture that I had taken in mid 1957 of a sister aircraft to yours, CS-TLD running up its engines outside the Queens Building at London Airport.. Thank you. Robin.

Hi 71. Yes, they were interesting times. As I was one of the last National Servicemen to enter the RAF, I was just filling in time before my 2 years were up, and in early 1961 I was attached to the Institute of Aviation Medicine for three months. There were many interesting aircraft flying in and out, including an all white Vulcan which was parked outside of the unit most of the time, a lot of the aircraft were new new types which were used by ETPS. We also had a Hastings that we used to move equipment, I will never forget the angle of the fuselage when it was parked on the ground, the climb up to the nose when we were loading it was like going up Snowdon. We had a Canberra B2/T4 on the Flight that was used for experimental and high altitude flying. I think it was WH854. One week-end I was going home on leave up to Lancashire, and so I asked if there were any aircraft flying that day, and they offered me a flight up to RAF Warton, of course I had to do the ejector seat training and go through the High Altitude Chamber to feel the effects of anoxia. The Canberra was not a nice aircraft to fly in, after crawling back to the two seats behind the pilot, I strapped into the ejector seat next to the Navigator, there was nothing to see, as the only window was a small square piece of glass above my head. After a quick flight up the West coast we were over the Ribble Estuary and touching down at Warton, not the most memorable of flights, however it was an experience not to be forgotten.

Quite correct. I should have remembered that, as I was stationed at Farnborough in the RAF in the early 60s. Sorry for the error.

The badge on the nose is that of the Royal Aircraft Establishment and is also used by ETPS. On the decal sheet for Modeldecal 79 there are four copies of this badge, two each on the RAE Hunter and two on the ETPS Gazelle. This decal sheet also has the markings for the Dakota C3 that took part in the IAT Show at Fairford in 1985. Robin.

Hi Bru. Welcome to the site, just wonder what the story was behind your avatar. I was No1 Group. Robin.

Interesting to note in the picture of the Sabres on the parade, the difference in dimension of the fin markings of XB530 and XB543. I remember when visiting Liverpool(Speke) Airport in 1959, there were a large number of RAF Sabres lined up waiting for disposal, unfortunately, over the years, my records of serial numbers have gone missing. Robin.

One must remember that if you could not give your Service Number, you did not get paid.

Hi bzn20. I think that you should get some time in. My number did not have a prefix letter and started with a 5 and my last three were 601. That was when we had an Air Force. Robin.

Hi John. Very nice job on the Herk. In order to overcome the 'tail-sitting', if the cargo bay is open, would it be possible to scratch build a cargo pallet and load, and glue it at the front of the cargo bay. Robin.

Many Happy Returns to the Royal Air Force. One more year to your Century.

Very nice line up James, I have a B/W picture of Sabena DC6 OO-SDD taken from the Queens Building at London Airport in 1957. Those were the days.

Wez is on the ball, 96 Squadron NF11 based at Ahlhorn with RAFG. Modeldecal 93 had markings for WM158/T in 1/72 on this sheet. Robin.

Joking aside, I realy felt that Scots tackle in the first minute that the chap got sent off for.

When I flew in a Victor on a tanking exercise a few years ago, I sat in the 5th seat (normally used by the crew chief). The seat is on a swivel, mounted on rails so that the crew-member can slide forward to look out of the pilots side window, or back to get close to the rear three crew-members, the swivel enables him to look forward or backwards and importantly, for him to do a forward roll out of the crew exit, assisted by an inflatable cushion in the case of an emergency. Robin.

Hi. In the late 1940s, while on holiday in Blackpool, my parents took me to Squires Gate for a pleasure flight in a Dragon Rapide, unfortunately, as we were waiting, it started to rain and we were ushered over to a Dakota that was parked there, to save us waiting in the rain, so we all got a rather extended flight round the local area rather than a quick pleasure flight. However, my point is that pleasure flights round the Tower were also given from Ainsdale Beach, near Southport, by Dragon Rapide aircraft and the larger 4 engined version, together with various DH Moth aircraft. This was my first ever flight in what was to become a career in flying that has included Comet, Viscount, Caravelle. TU62, B747, B777, Canberra, Victor, and of course, Concorde. Robin.