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RAF inventory in 1966


rob Lyttle

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I found old copies of  JWR Taylors booklets 'Aircraft of the RAF' and 'Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm' from the early Sixties. The FAA still listed Tiger Moths and the DH Dominie - the biplane one  -  on strength. Mind you, we had seven aircraft carriers then too.

 

What happened?  What we have now available is a farce, not a force.

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1 hour ago, Andrew Jones said:

I believe there could still be a few Lincolns and Ansons still in service in 1960

You could be right, this is where it all gets murky, the Lincolns would have been on test and development work, engines etc, the Annie would probably be on the odd station flight or with a lesser know test establishment.

 

Are not gliders operated by the RAF ? Seems odd to me that one. Full colours, markings, serials and based on RAF stations.

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The last Lincolns went in 1961-2 from the Bomber Command Bombing School at Lindholme and the AnsonC19 went in 1968 from one of the communication squadrons, not near my books so cannot check. 

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9 hours ago, John B (Sc) said:

What happened?  What we have now available is a farce, not a force.

Cut backs decreasing comitments end of empire not wanting to commit people to trouble spots (hmm) .

We still have an armed force only with lack of money,spares and huge capability gaps.

The raw material....manpower still good though 👌 

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2 hours ago, Mr T said:

and the AnsonC19 went in 1968 from one of the communication squadrons

Reading the way the author has phrased things shines a bit of light on details. So for example under the Basset section it reads, 

"....... will eventually replace the sturdy Anson." 

That kind of suggests that some Ansons are still around. 

I guess the remit for the publication was to promote the "cutting edge" of the RAF - the capability and what is imminent so squadron hacks and glider activities aren't going to be the right stuff. 

I must admit that the organisation is in a parlous state. Without the Reds and the BBMF they'd have trouble organising a Fly Past. I've commented on a couple of American-BMers build threads that I reckon each of the State Air National Guards has more capability than the whole RAF. 

Not to mention each CVN Carrier. 

17 minutes ago, KevinK said:

Has anyone mentioned the Argosy yet?

Yes, Argosy been ticked 👍

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5 hours ago, jcchow66 said:

Rapier ?

Not around in 66, but the Tigercat was and I think used by the RAF Regiment. 

Didn't some of the Canberras have AS30, or were they just for trials? 

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On 4/17/2021 at 8:15 PM, cngaero said:

Vickers Valetta 

Bell Sioux HT2

Handley Page Hastings 

 

Valetta.... 

No sign of the Bell or Hastings

 

No Hastings? My first ATC summer camp was RAF Colerne in 1967 and the Hastings were based there at that time.

Didn't get a flight in one though - only Chipmunks!

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10 hours ago, Welkin said:

 

No Hastings? My first ATC summer camp was RAF Colerne in 1967 and the Hastings were based there at that time.

Didn't get a flight in one though - only Chipmunks!

My Dad was working on them in Singapore from 1965 to 1967.

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21 hours ago, Welkin said:

No Hastings?

 

10 hours ago, Jabba said:

My Dad was working on them in Singapore

OK chaps, here's what the publicity booklet says, under the Hercules C130 section.... 

".... The C130 will eventually replace the Hastings and Beverley, and will add materially to the tactical airlift capacity at the disposal of Transport Command." 

Again that's kind of suggesting that the Hastings and Beverleys are still there waiting to be replaced. 

Hmmmmm.... No mention there yet about replacing the Belfasts with a bunch of American imports either. I could put a date on that betrayal for you OK 

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On 4/19/2021 at 11:23 AM, Mr T said:

Not around in 66, but the Tigercat was and I think used by the RAF Regiment. 

Didn't some of the Canberras have AS30, or were they just for trials? 

 

Yep not sure what i was thinking, Rapier was way later.  Caused me to look up the RAF Regiment history, and even Tigercat didn't become operational until Nov 1967 ( https://www.rafregimentheritagecentre.co.uk/history/artefacts/tigercat-short-range-anti-aircraft-missile/ )

 

And you're right, the Canberras were cleared for operational AS.30 usage in this timeframe, starting with the Akrotiri Strike Wing.  

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/17/2021 at 11:44 PM, rob Lyttle said:

Bit of a headache marking everybody's work 😇

No doubt Mr T got in with a good opening salvo. 

Some excellent work all round, guys. All I can see, flicking up and down etc, is the Dominie /HP Jetstream, and there's a Pioneer as well as the Twin Pioneer. 

Anybody say Varsity....? 

The Kestrel is included, as a precursor to the Harrier but again they are being a bit forward with this, although they have a picture of it in flight with RAF markings so who am I to judge...? 

No Vampire T 11 or other, maybe deleted by then?? Somebody said Chipmunk, didn't they? 

Missile types listed are Redtop, Blue Steel neuc, the AS 30 by Nord, and of course the one with the Land rover, trailer, guards and patrol dog that we've all built! And got to work too 😍

The one with the Land Rover and Trailer were gone in 1964. Mk 2 missile was loaded on to a Launcher with a Sideloader.

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We first came to South Wales in 1969 and on a day trip to Lydstep Haven were well and truly buzzed by low flying Vampires which were being "shot at" from the Manorbier range so I'd have expected them to still be current in 1966.

 

Clive.

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4 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

The navy still had a few Vampires then, or at least very close to..  For an end-date to RAF Vampires the introduction of the Gnat Trainer would be a good guide.

Wikipedia (yes I know) suggests that RAF Vampires operated in "secondary roles" until 1972.


Clive.

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Wiki is about right, although there was an official end of RAF service at 3 FTS(Leeming)  in January 1967, having almost entirely having been used for training foreign pilots for the last year.  However the true last user was 3/4 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Training Unit at Exeter, disbanded 31.12.71.  In between these two dates they were found at Shrewsbury Central Air Traffic Control School until November 1970,   However there were rather more Sea Vampires around.  The Air Direction Training Unit was at Yeovilton until 7.70.  There were also various Station Flights  Brawdy until 6/70, Lossiemouth until 1.69, Yeovilton until 9/67.  Data from David Watkins' De Havilland Vampire: The Complete History, Budding Books, 1996.  You might also like his Venom book.  The book does not however include any in RAF Station Flights.  I do know of one at a slightly earlier date at Middleton St. George, but I've no end date for it.

 

So the RAF did have some around in 1966, but not a lot.  The FAA had a few, but the likeliest to be being "shot at" over Manorbier in 1967 would be 3/4 CAACU.

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I have a copy of this booklet in front of me - it lists the Kestrel as a future type 'when fully developed', a terrible artists rendition of the HS.801 maritime reconnaissance aircraft (what became the Nimrod} and the final page features the F-111 with the phrase 'Typical of tomorrow's RAF is the revolutionary F-111...'

 

An enjoyable little booklet,, I shall use the Basset photo as a guide to doing the Basset in my stash...

 

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I still have my childhood copy of the Observer's Book of Basic Aircraft (Military), published in 1967. It omits one or two types that were in RAF service when it came out, such as the Varsity, the Basset and the Anson (still serving in the comms role until 1968). The Vampire T.11 is included but the list of operators doesn't recognise that it was still in use with the RN.

 

It says that the B-52H is to be retired by 1975.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Rob, Thank you for the interesting thread.  It speaks to a time when we had an Air Force of some size and significance- no disrespect to our current serving members- it is just too small.  I have the same publication but for 1962.

Aircraft it includes are:- Bombers- Valiant, Victor, Vulcan, Canberra.  Tanker- Valiant.  Photo Recce- Canberra.  Fighters- Lightning, Javelin, Hunter.  Transport- Argosy, Britannia, Comet, Beverley, Hastings, Pembroke, Valetta, Pioneer, Twin Pioneer, Devon, Heron.  Maritime- Shackleton.  Helicopters Belvedere, Sycamore, Whirlwind.  Trainers- Jet Provost, Gnat, Vampire, Meteor, Piston Provost, Anson, Varsity, Chipmunk, Missiles- Blue Steel, Bloodhound, Firestreak.

 

Colin

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