sloegin57

On the 19 March 1975, a small Evaluation exercise was held at RAF Wittering, by staff from JARIC at RAF Brampton, in order to test the ability of the base's small JARIC detachment to handle recce material from other Units apart from the based 1(F) Sqdn and 233 OCU. The scenario was that RAF Laarbruch was under threat from the advancing Soviet forces and that the resident Units were to perform a Survival Scramble and deploy to pre-arranged FOB sites in the UK. Two aircraft from 2 Sqdn, Phantom FGR.2's, were tasked to carry out last minute recce over the area before deploying. The two aircraft involved were XV499/I and XV475/Y and for the sake of reality for both the aircrew and Wittering's ground crew, they were rolled in what would have been their configuration had hostilities broken out for real. It was an interesting configuration and one that I had not seen on Phantoms before or for that matter, since. Both aircraft carried the now well known "flash tanks" on the port outer pylons with a standard Fletcher tank on the opposite mainplane. An empty LAU-17A missile pylon was carried on the Port inboard station on both aircraft but with no AIM-9 rails. NO missile pylon was carried on the Starboard inboard station on either aircraft. XV475/Y, however. carried a Srike camera in the port forward AIM-7 bay but with the lens blanked off and the rear AIM-7 bays were empty. An EMI recce pod, the subject of the exercise, was carried by both aircraft. Attached are a few of the shots I got that day. Apologies for the quality but the weather was much darker than shown, cold, windy and certainly not for a "hangar-rat" like me. HTH Dennis

Best I can do for an underside shot plus an AP diagram of the dayglo layout virtually universally used on the Meteor :- HTH Dennis

They are referring to the small stripes at the front of the mainplane RCV access panels. In the kit I believe that they are orange though I have not checked mine yet, : - Also on quite a few GR.3's :- Above images courtesy Phil Boyden (top) and Harrier SIG. HTH Dennis

Ordered plus a set of masks - that's the full set now. Idle thought - I wonder if they will be bringing out a full set of Javelins - I can only hope DR

Just had this when I clicked on the tread link in Safari Mike - may be nothing - maybe something Dennis

Not sure where to put this link - if wrong - mods please move https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/nostalgia/2437108/searching-for-auchterarder-pilot-sandys-sweetheart/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Courier daily newsletter 2021-08-09&utm_term=Courier Newsletter

Attached a few photos from Axis and Allied Warpaint files which may help :- HTH Dennis

Attachment point for external armoured windshield maybe - if supplied ?

If you are modelling the dreaded Mantador you must at least model the poor sods tasked with defuelling and washing down the missile after it had been disarmed and down loaded from the aircraft :- Wittering, February 1964 - I'm a much younger me 2nd left dribbling on the floor. Photo - The Stamford Mercury Dennis Edit :- The building in the background was the much publicised "Hangar of Death", the missile servicing hangar. It later became the Harrier OCU shed (my 2nd tour at Wittering) and is now a museum. It is also a Listed Building.

Adam - are there any flashed over holes outboard of the Skybolt blisters [both sides] plus one or two outboard the port main u/c door for the air sampling pods and the mk.12 sensor head [port only] ? Dennis

It appears that they were fitted both sides from production Manchesters onwards and included on the Lancaster. My course notes dated January 1945 are not much help as shown. Para 10 is the relevant one :- HTH Dennis

Yes :- During their Service life the Fletchers could be and were, any of the then current colours, FAA, RAF plus a mixture of both. C/L tanks were later resprayed either white or LAG, mostly the former, as they were used at Leuchars by all three Units as were the Fletchers. Many EDSG Fletchers were left behind at Leuchers when 892 disbanded and were utilised by the 43 and 111Sqns usually without repainting :- The port tank was an ex-USAF tank - not re-painted. HTH Dennis

Yes HTH Dennis

That honour went to the penultimate F9/40 DG208/G which also had an enlarged rudder fitted in an attempt to cure directional instability.

The only names carried by XT895 during that period and up to its departure from Leuchars on the 6 April 1978 for the Ark Royal's final cruise were as follows :- On the right side of the Observers canopy the name - "F/O A D LISTER TOMLINSON" No names were carried on the pilots canopy on either side. On the forward intake splitter and centrally mounted was the name "LAM OSBORNE" It should be recalled that by the period under question, approximately 50% of the aircrew with 892 were RAF the majority of whom later joined 111 Sqdn when that Unit built up with the ex FAA aircraft. HTH Dennis