Help identifying RAF control stick (from a 70s fast jet?)

[wadeocu]

I bet I came to the right place for a question like this.  The pictures below are of a parting gift that the 12 Sqn Fairies gave my father in July 1977 when he came to the end of his exchange tour with No 12(B) squadron.  Of course the squadron was operational with the Buccaneer at the time, but I don't think this stick is from one.  Can anyone identify it?  By the way, what is a Fairy?  My dad said he thought it was ground crew that worked on electronics but he has Alzheimer's and not so sure of things these days.  Thanks for your thoughts. - Jack

 

 

[MarcB]

wouldn't it be the control stick for the radar in the back seat ?

 

MB

[stever219]

35 minutes ago, wadeocu said:

By the way, what is a Fairy?  My dad said he thought it was ground crew that worked on electronics but he has Alzheimer's and not so sure of things these days.  Thanks for your thoughts. - Jack

 

 

"Fairy" is indeed a colloquial term for the electronics trade(s) in the RAF.

[Sabrejet]

Fairies used to be avionics; electricians were just 'leckies'

[stever219]

46 minutes ago, Sabrejet said:

Fairies used to be avionics; electricians were just 'leckies'

My apologies; I stand erected.

[RidgeRunner]

 Buccaneer?

[tweeky]

Leckies have a different nickname now its more k9 related 

[DaveH]

I suspect it’s the Radar controller, from a Buccaneer. Air Radar, air comms and Nav Instruments were known as Fairys, because we fixed things with a magic wand, not big hammers ‘n bigger spanner’s 

 

cheers

DaveH

[Tigerausfb]

Hmmmm, it doesn't look like a Buccaneer radar controller at all, that was more like a pc gaming joystick shape sat on a box with a rubber wrist rest. No idea, pass

 

Andrew

Edited April 8 by Tigerausfb

[bzn20]

On 4/5/2025 at 10:16 PM, wadeocu said:

Fairy

Avionics Trade , So sorry to hear about your Dad . It's like they're not there but early on I knew my Dad understood what I was saying but he couldn't answer clearly  so do keep talking about his hobbies etc. sport etc. showing him books of interest to him . 

My Dad is the same ,He's an ex RAF Rigger (1943-58) ( Airframes Trade) and Ft Engineer on Avro Lincolns  , BOAC Flt Eng instructor Britannia, Comet 4, 707,VC10,747   96 years old . Cant talk ,stopped reading . I'd never seen him without a book . I remember all his stories . I'm scarred I'll forget them though . 

 

 

Anyway looking at the "etching" on the ally plate attached . This was presented by the Avionics crew to this Major  in July 1977 on his leaving to Squadron  . Sounds like a secondment ( a 2 /3 years ish post usually) from another airforce to me  ,RAF has no Majors thank goodness 🤣 No idea what this came from BTW 

Edited April 8 by bzn20

[bzn20]

I've just asked an old RAF mate , he's an ex Bucc man 1979 ish  . Hopefully he'll know 

[wadeocu]

Thanks for the words of wisdom bzn20; this is new to me so I am quite grateful that you shared your experience and encouragement.  Indeed my dad is USAF (ret'd) and did an exchange tour on the Buccaneer.  He was a navigation instructor on the OCU for 3 years and was invited by the 12 Sqn boss to fill a slot on Shiny 12 for a year to conclude his time on the Buccaneer having completed 899 hours and 45 minutes on the Bucc and 9 hours on the Hunter.  He has never said this out loud but I suspect these were the best 4 years of his life; certainly a career highlight.  Thanks a bunch to everyone for your thoughts identifying this stick.  It is puzzling; I don't recognize it from any Bucc cockpit pics.  My dad said it may be from an S.1 but I am not so sure.  Cheers everyone - Jack 

[Tigerausfb]

I'm wondering if it's maybe not even from an aircraft, I've also looked at tank gun controllers. It's upside down, what does it say on that etched bit, not the presentation plate. Very interesting anyway.

[bzn20]

4 hours ago, wadeocu said:

9 hours on the Hunter

Interesting about the 9 hours in a Hunter . In the late1970s the Buccs ( wing cracks IIRC  from the low flying  )were grounded and Hunters taken out of Mothballs at RAF Kemble to fill the gap until the Buccs problem were fixed . Your dad was with 12 Sqn at that time . The airshows that year were disappointing because the lack of Buccs BUT we did get the Hunter Swan Song . The best I saw that year was the RAF USAF really open day . This was before RIAT shifted from Greenham Common. Each Squadron /Flight/unit at Fairford had their own BBQs  Dustbins/Garbage Cans full of Bud filled with Ice from the cookhouse . Can't remember the rest of the day 😁Got a lift back to Brize BTW 

Edited April 9 by bzn20

[wadeocu]

1 hour ago, bzn20 said:

Interesting about the 9 hours in a Hunter . 

The spar failure grounding was after my dad's time.  He was at Honington from 73 to 77 and I think the crash leading to the grounding of the fleet was in 1980 at Red Flag.  Funny story about his hunter time:  My dad was born and raised in Memphis Tennessee and had the southern drawl to prove it.  During an early familiarization flight, he was having a hard time understanding the air traffic controllers and they an even harder time understanding him!  As soon as they landed, the boss told him he was going back up in a Hunter to be flown around in the circuit and talk on the radio.  Apparently there was need for accent familiarization!  He earned his nickname on the squadron: "Deputy Dawg"! - Jack

[treker_ed]

On 4/6/2025 at 5:10 PM, Sabrejet said:

Fairies used to be avionics; electricians were just 'leckies'

Just as in civvie street, most of the aircraft electronics/electrical guys I knew when I was in were generally known as sparkies. Engine guys, were sooties, anything to do with mechanical engines were sumpies, and yes avionics were fairies. We still had some chippies (mainly civvies though), and of course lots of shines.... And the ubiquitous original snowflakes and their external brains!

(I've only just seen this one, so a bit late in chipping in with recollections of the nicknames that I remember!)

[Sabrejet]

5 hours ago, treker_ed said:

Just as in civvie street, most of the aircraft electronics/electrical guys I knew when I was in were generally known as sparkies. Engine guys, were sooties, anything to do with mechanical engines were sumpies, and yes avionics were fairies. We still had some chippies (mainly civvies though), and of course lots of shines.... And the ubiquitous original snowflakes and their external brains!

(I've only just seen this one, so a bit late in chipping in with recollections of the nicknames that I remember!)

 

Sumpies and sooties were both engines; airframes were riggers. I suspect that back in the day sumpy and sooty differentiated between piston and jet (maybe). Armourers were plumbers and I'm sure there were others I've forgotten; "ancillary trades" as we very rudely described them! I was a Halton Brat (engines/airframes), and so usually described as a "split ar*e" or "split brain" and sometimes as a DFAB, which was particularly rude.

 

The term "sparky" wasn't in my experience used in the RAF for electricians since Air Signallers had the 'sparks' badge.

[JagRigger]

Took me a while to call the civvie avionics 'greenies' ( Army term ) rather than fairies - which wasn't well received

 

Incidently, it may be worth the OP posting this on the Flypast Forum ( or I can ? )

Edited April 10 by JagRigger

[71chally]

 

I was wondering if it could be a TV MARTEL controller, but can't find images of one now.

British grips tended to have different 'rippled' material and switches to that shown, the grip kind of looks American to me, could it have been presented to 12 Squadron from a US exchange? 

[Sabrejet]

Incidentally when I was at RAF "x", we had a few fire training airframes locally. When it came time for someone to leave (posting/retirement) they'd always be given a "gizzit" to commemorate their time. Those gizzits were always locally made, and always featured aircraft parts that were pertinent to their trade. Since redundant parts of in-service types were less common, we used to resort to the fire training airframes and so for example a posted fairy would get an avionics-related gizzit, but probably liberated from a Vulcan or an Argosy rather than the type we were operating. This practice continued at other stations I was posted to. So maybe your part comes from something on-base of a similar sort?

[bzn20]

8 hours ago, JagRigger said:

greenies

The Navy  use the Greenies term . A bunch of ex Navy at Westlands kept saying it 

[wadeocu]

8 hours ago, JagRigger said:

it may be worth the OP posting this on the Flypast Forum ( or I can ? )

 

I am not on that forum, so yes please do JagRigger and let us know if you learn anything there.  I am very grateful to everyone for interest in the topic and willingness to ponder it with me! - Jack

[dambuster]

@wadeocu Can you make out the lettering on the part just below the lever handle? 

[bzn20]

My Dad and I was a Rigger the original name for the Airframe trade at the very start in the  RFC  , My Grandad was a proper Rigger in the RFC 1916 . The Rigging wires  held the WW1  aircraft wings and other bits at the correct position/angle/stress  . 

You're right we never called a Lecky a sparky in the RAF . I did join up with a lecky with the Surname Sparks though . Engines regardless of Jet, Prop or Choppers were Sumpies, Sump Rats and Sooties .Never understood why Armourers/Weapons were Plumbers though .

Edited April 10 by bzn20

[tweeky]

plumbers got the name from the water cooled Lewis guns from what I remember.