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Operation Granby Jaguars.


Stefan Buysse

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Hi,

20 years after Operation Granby, I'm building a couple of 1/72 Jaguars.

From the scoreboards on decal sheets, I gather that at least 3 Jaguars flew recce sorties: XZ106, XZ356 and XZ358. I have also seen a picture of XZ118 flying over the desert with the big BAe recce pod, but I have not seen a camera symbol on XZ118's scoreboard.

Does anyone know which aircraft was wired to carry the pod that's in the PP Aeroparts/Flightpath set? That pod is called the LOROP pod in the instructions, but I suppose that this is the one described as the VICON pod in the "Gulf Air War Debrief" book. Is that correct?

I'm aware of what Paul Jackson writes on page 133 of that book: only two recce Jaguars and only one wired for the VICON pod.

Since there are three aircraft with camera symbols, I'm wondering if his information so shortly after the conflict was 100% accurate.

Can anyone shed any light on this, especially on which aircraft caried the VICON pod.

I realise this is a long shot, but any help would be appreciated.

Cheers, Stefan.

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I was based at Muharraq during Op Granby & Desert Storm as part of the Tornado detachmanet. We shared the site with both the Jaguar's & Buccs and I took quite a few photos.

i'm away on holiday at the moment but will check out my pic's to see if I have any showing Jag's with recce pods fitted, although from memory I can't remember seeing any carrying the VICON pod. They were used on a regular basis on Op Warden on flights over Northern Iraq after the Gulf War.

Cheers

XVTonker :pilot:

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Thanks, guys.

XVtonker,

I'm in no hurry...all the Jaguars I'm working on were bought well before the year 2000. ;)

I'd appreciate it if you had a look at the pictures when you get back. I' might build one with the BAe pod instead.

Spike,

Nice picture, I don't think I ever caught one with any recce pod.

I gather that there was only one in Granby that was set up for the brand new pod and that these pods became much more used later on during Operation Warden.

Cheers, Stefan.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

I looked at some photographs for the Jags that I might build to check:

*if they had the long or short tailcone

*if they had the single UHF (?) antenna or the twin antenna fit.

For the antenna's, my conclusion is that I don't have to worry about that. Most had both styles at different times and the twin antenna fit made a comeback once they were back home. XZ119 for example, had the single antenna in a wartime photograph and two antennae in a picture from 1993.

What is the deal with the tailcones? Did these ever change on the airframes? My impression is that the short tailcone is the later type. Were these interchangeable so that an aircraft that once had a short tailcone could later be seen with a long one?

Cheers, Stefan.

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Short tail cones came in after the GR1 and replaced the noddy cap that fell off and was attached to the chute to deploy it, the short one hinged I believe so wasnt interchangable.

Edited by TonyT
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Short tail cones came in after the GR1 and replaced the noddy cap that fell off and was attached to the chute to deploy it, the short one hinged I believe so wasnt interchangable.

Short tailcones came in under Mod 1148 and were metal and spring loaded to hinge downwards. the mod was a pain to embody initially as each aircraft had different profiles aft of the tailplane hinges. I was c/o the mods whilst I was at Abingdon in the mid 80s although quite a number of aircraft (long term storage) weren't finally modded until the 2000s

cheers

John

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the mod was a pain to embody initially as each aircraft had different profiles aft of the tailplane hinges.

Thanks for the replies, Tony and John.

Pretty fascinating that they were all a bit different aft of the tailplane hinges. I had read things like "the RAF's last real aeroplane", but I had no idea that they would have had that much of a "handmade" touch. :)

Cheers, Stefan.

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Jaguars must be in the air. On Tuesday at the Salisbury club meet, on chap is an ex-Armourer. We were discussing the Jags as Colin had bought in his 2 current projects. Brian said that when they were trialling the Tandem inboard bomb pylon. Jet loaded up and vibration tests done etc...... Now its time to release them. :yikes: Bang - watch that pylon wobble, they said it nearly took the wing with it!!. He said that it was approved but for war use only!!.

Tony the other human ballast quoted the Test Pilots "the only reason it take off is because the curvature of the Earth!"

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The last flying pre 1148 was XZ363 - FO ( or FA in the Airfix kit ) It crashed, fatally, in Alaska in 2001.

That kit was jinxed, as the other marking choice was XX733, which was also fatally destroyed, during a takeoff accident at Coltishall.

Pylons getting iffy with stores release..... Never heard that about the underwings. :whistle: Back ends - yep, built by eye, not by jig

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The last flying pre 1148 was XZ363 - FO ( or FA in the Airfix kit ) It crashed, fatally, in Alaska in 2001.

That kit was jinxed, as the other marking choice was XX733, which was also fatally destroyed, during a takeoff accident at Coltishall.

Pylons getting iffy with stores release..... Never heard that about the underwings. :whistle: Back ends - yep, built by eye, not by jig

I remember '363 very well, we got in trouble during an Abingdon BoB day as we'd change the serial number using bodge tape to XZ868. We thought it looked very nice but a spotter took umbrage.

:mental:

re the back end, the story I was told was that the last frame was slid in by hand and pulled rearwards until it touched the skin circumferentially where it was then drilled and rivetted into place. The earliest version of the mod was made difficult as all the fairings and doublers came pilot drilled which meant they didn't line up with anything!

John

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