GAL ST-25 Monospar Universal L4672 - info required

[Magpie22]

Sorting out some of my files and came across these two photos of L4672.  She appears to be fairly stock standard apart from the structure attached to the pitot/static mast under the starboard wing, and the unusual paint job. No national insignia and a non-standard camouflage scheme. I can find little on this particular aircraft. I do know she replaced K8307 at A&AEE in 1940. What was her role? Did it account for the unusual paint job? My references on obscure Pommy types is rather limited, so any and all comments gratefully received!!

Peter M

 

 

[Graham Boak]

Methinks the unusual structure is the arm of the second airman, perhaps having a thumbs-up sign to the man in the cockpit?

 

This is one of two very early ST-25s Universals bought for "the RAF" (according to AJ Jackson's British Civil Aircraft Vol.2) but not included in Putnam's Aircraft of the Royal Air Force.  This must be 1937.  They were L14671 (c/n 74) and L4672 (c/n 76). K8307 (c/n 70)  and K8038 (c/n 72) were ST-25 Jubilees to the RAE in 1936for radio trials, according to AJJ. 

 

Obviously there is some gap  as to how or why 2 became 4.  Perhaps the roundels are missing because these were never Service aircraft? 

 

back later Air Britain Lxxxx  serials has them for tricycle undercarriage trials and other work.  AB's The K file has them for trials of blind landing systems, then communications work.  K8038 survived to war to go to civil hands, the other three were scrapped in 1941.

 

So no explanation of the paint scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by Graham Boak

[JWM]

5 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Methinks the unusual structure is the arm of the second airman, perhaps having a thumbs-up sign to the man in the cockpit

For me it is the arm, especially that below is something like a lower part of dress jacket...

By the way - Monospar, earlier nidel, the St-12 were also in camos during WWII. I have found this G-ADLL

https://www.airhistory.net/photos/0010355.jpg

But maybe some more attractive liveries are known?

Regards

J-W

 

[Graham Boak]

Quite a lot of Monospars were taken up for service as communication aircraft, mainly in the Xxxxx serial range.  General Aircraft retained one still on the civil register for some time.  Service colours are most likely all Dark Green, Dark Earth and Yellow, but there were previously many civil examples, some in airline service so more colourful schemes did exist for the type.  However that's not something I know much about.

[tempestfan]

The pitot Peter referred to is under the starboard, the airman‘s arm under the port wing. I have no idea how a standard Monospar pitot arrangement looked like, but he evidently refers to the second diagonal probe that is braced to the right of the main (?) one.

[Magpie22]

10 hours ago, tempestfan said:

The pitot Peter referred to is under the starboard, the airman‘s arm under the port wing. I have no idea how a standard Monospar pitot arrangement looked like, but he evidently refers to the second diagonal probe that is braced to the right of the main (?) one.

Yes, I am referring to the structure outboard of the pitot/static mast under the starboard wing. I deliberately used the term 'starboard' rather then 'right' to avoid confusion. Obviously never worked! Graham, I am surprised that an aeronautical engineer would get his port and starboard mixed up! 

 

Graham, thanks for the info. I had checked Aircraft of the Royal Air Force and Air Britain's K and L file books.  I don't have AJJ's books so that info was new to me.

 

I believe that the photos were probably taken in mid 1938. The RAAF Officer who gave them to me stated that he was in the UK in the second half of 1938. They came with some depicting an early Hurricane, L1568, of No. 73 Sqn.  IIRC, No.73 got their first Hurris in mid 1938, and these shots show the Hurri , (apparently not at its home base), with the so called 'A1' type roundels on the wings, so probably before the Munich crisis of September.

 

Drawing a loooong bow, I was speculating, given the possible date of 1938, that maybe the Monospar was involved in some sort of camouflage experiments with RAE. 

 

Thanks for the help guys,

Peter Mcc

 

For the record, a couple of shots of that Hurri, below. Perhaps @Troy Smith can provide more details

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Starmer]

That disruptive painting is intriguing.  The Service Scheme of the period had Aluminium undersurfaces which this looks like.  Yellow was only for trainers then.  RAE were running a lot of trials for disruptive paint schemes, this looks to me like one of those with Dark Green? wrapped around the leading edge and under the nose.  Definitely three colours under the starboard wing.  The lack of roundels may be part of a trial.