10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

[Ratch]

I'll be building an Italeri Douglas B-66B Destroyer (1/72) from the 42^nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10^th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing based at Chelveston, 1959

The kit has decals for a Chelveston aircraft

 

It looks like quite a basic kit

I have a bit of reading to do before I start. The kit is marked as a B-66 whereas my Chelveston book says they were RB-66s so I shall try to find out whether there were any external differences between the bomber and reconnaissance variants.

[Black Knight]

Most RB versions had the rear cannon defence guns deleted and most did not use the wing-tip tanks. The recon equipment was carried in the bomb bay

I built the RB version just last year

[Colin W]

Great little kit.

According to Control Towers .co.Uk they were RB-66Cs.

I was more familiar with the RF-4C's the 10th flew from Alconbury in the 1980's of course.

 

12/52 to , /55, used by Third Air Force ground units.
01/11/55 to /67, Transferred to Seventh Air Division, Strategic Air Command as a stand-by base. /58 to 09/59, used by RB-47s of the 'Reflex Force'. 08/59 to 03/62, used by RB-66C's of the 42nd Tactical Reconnaissance Sqn, 10th TR Wing. Then used by RAF and USAF units until final closure.

 

Colin

[Ratch]

Thanks gents. Here's a resume of what the book says, confirming your assertions.

Quote

 

In August 1959 the 3^rd Air Force arrived at Chelveston with RB-66s of the 42^nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of the 10^th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from Spangdahlem in Germany, with twenty RB-66C and WB-66Ds. The Wing Headquarters were based at Alconbury along with the 1^st and 30^th TRS. The 19^th TRS based at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire. On arrival at Chelveston the RB-66s were modified to carry out Electronic Reconnaissance Missions with the removal of their tail-guns, to be replaced by an ECM housing in the tail cone.

By December 1959 the 10^th TRW were allocated 59 RB-66Bs, 12 RB-66Cs, 12 RB-66Ds. 5 C-47s, 12 T-33s and 2 L-20s. In early 1960 twelve B-66B aircraft were assigned to the 42^nd TRS and known as ‘Brown Cradle’ and equipped with an ECM configuration replacing the bomb capability. It was remotely controlled by either the navigator or the flight engineer. The third crew member of these ‘Brown Cradle’ aircraft was of course the pilot. They replaced twelve WB-66, which were flown back to the USA.

On 28 May 1960, RAF Chelveston held an ‘Armed Forces Day Open House’. Among the aircraft noted on the field were: B-66B 53-0486/53-0487/53-0489 all devoid of markings but operating with the 42^nd TRS and RB-66C 54-0468/54-0474/55-0385 all, apart from the last one, sported red bands around the engine nacelles and were operated by the 42^nd TRS.

 

 

[Ettore]

WOW good choice !

 

Ettore

[zebra]

Nice to see a B-66 - don't think I've seen one of these built in a long time. Looking forward to this one.

[stevej60]

Nice to see a rarer type being built Ratch and a great looking aircraft she is.

[Ratch]

I was in two minds whether to add crew. In the end I opted for empty.

[Ratch]

Not a lot will be seen through the glass, and the seams needed a smear of filler

 

While the putty set I made up some sub-assemblies

 

Seams sanded and wings and nacelles added

[Jabba]

A nice choice and it is coming together very well. I sometimes did gate guard as part of our exercises at Chelveston from RAF Wyton, a bit of a skive really. As we did not see much of the place I did not realise that it was an actual airfield.

[Ratch]

Chelveston has quite a history. The was the airfield used by the 9th USAAF as well as transport and glider trials. Chelveston had the curved J Type hangar and the 518/40 watch office when it opened in 1940.

The Airfield: was constructed in winter 1940/41, as an RAF station, one of fifteen added to Northamptonshire during WWII. A hill-top was removed during construction works and rubble from bomb damage in London was brought and used as hard-core for the foundations. Three 50-yard wide runways were laid and the main one was extended from 1400 yards to 2000 by 1942. Three hangars, a control tower and two brick crash/fire crew sheds with asbestos roofs were constructed on the site, as well as huts for airmen’s accommodation.
At first this was an RAF training centre and Central Gunnery School, and was also used for glider experiments.

N1435, a glider tug with Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment, ‘A’ Flight, based at RAF Chelveston May – August 1942.




A half-scale Hamilcar glider, carrying the class B marks of T-0227, was test flown with ‘A’ Flight, Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment, Chelveston, 5th May 1942 – 31st August 1942. This was towed by the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V Glider Tug s/n P5104.





Wellington and Hampden bombers from Bomber Command did gunnery practice from the airfield, often flying over Rushden. Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) quarters were built in Church Lane, Yelden but were not used until the Americans came.

The American Eighth Air Force came in 1942 with the 60th Troop Carrier Group but they left after 6 months and the 301st Bombardment Group followed and then the 12th Bombardment Group. Then came the heavy 305th Bombardment Group who brought the B17 Flying Fortress planes. Constituted as a heavy bomb group in January 1942 and activated two months later, the 305th Bomb Group soon moved from the USA to England and adopted after training an operational role at Chelveston. On 17th November 1942, the new Bomb Group undertook its first mission. The first wartime mission from there was in December 1942; a diversionary flight. Within two months it was upgraded to undertake precision raids on German industrial complexes. The building prepared for WAAF was used as their mess hall.
Radio call signs were now being standardised and the control tower was called John Burn, the one-zero-five being the RAF Station number. The title of Bill’s book, 'John Burn One–Zero–Five', was the radio call sign for the 305th USAF Bomb Group who were based at Chelveston from 1942. Over 8000 Americans passed through Chelveston during WWII. The airfield, together with those at Podington & Thurleigh, was home to the First Bombardment Wing (later the 40th Combat Wing) of the 1st Air Division of the 8th United States Air Force.
Over the next twelve months the 305th executed missions over Norway, France, Germany, the Low Countries and Poland all precision attacks on aluminium, magnesium, oil and nitrate works. As part of the prelude to the D Day aerial offensive, the 305th neutralised "V" weapon sites, airfields and repair facilities whilst during D Day and under the overall command of the RAF's Air Marshall Tedder, they were utilised to attack German infantry positions within the battlefield area, because of the expertise developed in precision bombing.

Issued to the 305th Bombardment Group, 8th U.S. Army Air Force, Chelveston, Northamptonshire, on 17 May 1944. ‘Flak Eater’ of the 364th Bombardment Squadron, saw much action as WF-J but sustained battle damage on 12 September 1944 and following repair was recoded WF-U. On 4 December 44-6009 failed to return to Chelveston following another raid on Germany, she made an emergency landing on a newly created continental airstrip. Repaired once again, the aircraft survived the war, carrying out in excess of 28 missions. It was transferred to the 351st BG on 23 May 1945, before returning to the USA in June. She was scrapped at Kingman the following December.

Colonel Macdonald won a Silver Star (3rd highest honour) for leadership. He also led the largest operations mission to Gdynia for which he was awarded the Cluster which is the equivalent of the British Bar.
Captain Bruce Bairnsfather was the camp’s artist and was noted for the pictures he painted, as identification, on the aircraft based there, “Old Bill” being the most noted. He also did some murals in the staff community rooms at the Base and he painted a wall in the Conservative Club at Rushden.
Tragedies: On the 15th of November 1943 two B17’s crashed, after a training flight, over Newton Bromswold parish and both crews were killed. The following March on the 24th, another B17 crashed after take-off and killed the crew, eight RAF men billeted in Yelden and two sleeping children at Glebe Farm. Then on the 15th February 1945 a plane hit a tree and crashed near High Hayden at Rushden and another from the same mission crashed near Newton Bromswold. During hostilities over 769 lives were lost and a memorial to them is on the wall of the church that stands between the two villages of Chelveston cum Caldecott.
By July 1944 the group had become the first choice aerial bombing support, and they attacked ground forces to cover the British advance into Holland. Aerial support was given too, to hard pressed American infantry during the Battle of the Bulge.
In March 1945, the 305th were supporting the American assault on the Rhine, and after this time it was often used to drop propaganda leaflets until, on the 25th April 1945, the last mission of World War II was flown. During their stay at Station 105 (Chelveston) the 305th flew 480 missions, lost 174 aircraft to enemy action and 787 airmen gave their lives.
Social: Free time was spent in the locality, often at the public houses; the Star & Garter in Chelveston, the Swan at Newton Bromswold, the Chequers at Yelden, as well as those in Rushden. Several romances ensued with local girls and marriages followed. These 'G.I Brides' left for a new life in America, but some did not settle to the different way of life and returned.

Chelveston 1956 -1962
The first B47's of the Strategic Air Command arrived in May 1956. These were jet bombers which carried nuclear weapons, and were maintained on a 24 hours alert status as part of the NATO response to the Warsaw Pact. In August 1959, Boeing RB 66 reconnaissance jets joined the Chelveston air base. These were electronic counter measures versions of the B66 bomber, and they stayed at the base until August 1962. All the crews lived in mobile homes alongside their aircraft. After World War II and from stations in Belgium and Germany, the group undertook an aerial photographic survey of Germany and North Africa before being inactivated in 1946 on Christmas Day. Reactivated in 1947 as part of the Strategic Air Command, the 305th continues to serve the USAF in the air mobility role and has served in this capacity during the Gulf War as well as in the American invasions of Panama and Grenada.

31963 of the 301st Reconnaissance Wing at Chelveston, 1959.

The land has returned to agricultural use with few remains there’s a few old huts to the North of the site.

2009 Former airfield development applications – The Council has assisted Phillips Planning Services (agents of Chelveston Renewable Energy Ltd (CRE)) in providing two residential locations in the parish for the baseline noise monitoring exercise during June & July.    The measurements are used to set the noise levels as they exist before any development of the site. The planning permissions have conditions limiting the amount of noise CRE may produce, so it was important to establish the baseline against which any future potential noise infringements will be assessed. 
Former USAF Housing site – MOD has decided the housing is no longer required and the formal disposal process has now begun.

[Ratch]

This kit is quite basic

 

Assembly is almost done, time to prime

 

A bit of masking for Alclad Honey Primer

[Ratch]

Had a bit of a disaster when I removed the Tamiya tape

probably because I hadn't allowed the primer to cure properly. I re-sprayed the black today.

[Ratch]

Masked up the anti-glare panel and airbrushed the NMF

 

 

I used Alclad2 ACL-119 Airframe Aluminium for the basic natural metal finish

Alclad2 ACL-111 Magnesium on selected NMF panels

Alclad2 ACL-113 Jet Exhaust on the jet pipes

A mix of Humbrol Acrylic 33 Matt Black to darken my Special Mix Tyre Black for the tyres of course

[Ratch]

Today's update

[Ratch]

Disaster with the walk-line decals

breaking up into bits and pieces

 

Luckily the others behaved

[Ratch]

I'm calling this done

more pictures in the usual places

[zebra]

Great work Ratch, very good looking B-66, I like it a lot.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Thats a very good looking Destroyer 👍

[Jabba]

Nice to see this one finished with your trials and tribulations along the way.

[CliffB]

Congratulations 

This was a new one on me too.

Cliff

[Ratch]

Thanks for the feedback chaps, I appreciate it

[Colin W]

Thanks for the short history of Chelverston at the start.

This is a new airfield to me.

 

Colin