Photos: British 50s & 60s fighter aircraft

[viscount]

A few years ago several drawers and an LP box of assorted b&w photos came back into my possession. The collection had been gathered by MAS 'Flypast' editors in the late '70s through to the mid '80s for possible use in the magazine then sale to members. Nothing has been added since 1986. Regretably few Liverpool shots remain, however there is an absolute wealth of other forgotten photos of interesting aircraft.

The quality of photos vary, mostly b&ws, a number are clearly home processed and others severely cropped with sissors for use in 'Flypast'. I have digitally straightened, altered the contrast, cropped and removed major blemishes whenever necessary before posting. Very few have the photographer's name on the back, making it impossible to credit these shots, but I will do whenever I can.

This selection, which will run over several posts sets out to mainly cover the Meteor, Hunter and Javelin - although I've thrown in a couple of other types too, which although not quite on topic wouldn't get the airing they deserve otherwise.

1. An undated photo of Swift FR.5 WK277/N in 2 Sqdn markings. This aircraft is now preserved with the Newark Air Museum, this shot is presumably at either Cosford or Leconfield as it was at both locations prior to preservation. No details or name on the back of the print unfortunately.



2. A pair of RN Scimitar F.1s at Hurn, one coded 225. Undated, but clearly winter-time photo by R.L.Tushingham.



3. Sole photo in the collection of a Westland Wyvern S.4, VZ748. Not a type commonly featured, indeed the only one I've ever seen is in the FAAM at Yeovilton. Stamped as a Westland Aircraft Ltd, Yeovil photo.



4A. XA628 a Javelin FAW.1 in pristine condition. Presumed a before delivery photo, as it is an a
Gloster Aircraft Co. Ltd. photo.



4B. XA636/636 a Javelin FAW.4 of 41 Sqdn. 41 Sqdn only operated these Javelins 2.58 until 2.60. 41 Sqdn operated Javelins initially from Coltishall, then moved to Wattisham. No details on back.



5. XA737, with XA727 behind, both Javelin FAW.4, with a Javelin, Meteor NF. and a SE.5A (or maybe Gladiator) overhead. As this photo is clearly a pair with the next one, almost certainly 72 Sqdn, most likely either on retiring their last Meteor NF. during 6.59, co-incidential with the move from Church Fenton to Leconfield 28.6.59. A Yorkshire Post and Leeds & Doncaster Chronicle photo. Pity about the flare on the right.



6. Javelin FAW.4 XA726/E in 72 Sqdn markings, at the same event as above as this is another Yorkshire Post and Leeds & Doncaster Chronicle photo. Clearly the Javelin and Meteor crew returning after the fly-by in the photo above! 72 Sqdn only operated Javelins 4.59 to 6.61, based at Leconfield.



7. Javelin FAW.4 XA726/E again, however the unit code is in a different location and the unit badge has been changed - is it still 72 Sqdns 'swift' ? No details on back, although clearly at a RAF Station 'At Home' display.

[viscount]

Quite a few photos in the MAS Colection of later marks of the Gloster Meteor. Shots spread over a time scale of some 25 years, however few have the photographer, place or date indicated on the back fo the print.

1. Oldest of the Meteor aircraft pictured in the collection, is WA991/F which started life as a Meteor F.8, later converted to Meteor U.16 (although often refered to as a D.16) while with the RAE at Llanbedr. Date & photographer currently unknown, but this photo was used in MAS Flypast at some time.



2. Only other shot of a single seater is this George Jones hangar shot of a Meteor F.8, Meteor T.7 and a late mark five-blade prop Spitfire, dated 22.2.60 of the Communications Flight at Martlesham Heath.



3. This aircraft started out as a Meteor NF.11, convered to a Meteor TT.20 and seen here at Yeovilton Air Day 1963, WD643/585:HF. The 'HF' indicating home based at Hal Far, Malta.



4. Another Royal Navy Meteor TT.20, a WD... regn, although the numbers are unclear. Coded 864:HF, both images 3. & 4. have also been used in MAS Flypast at some time, so the caption then might throw light on the details. Looks very much like the same place and date as image 3.



5. Meteor NF.11, WD664/H, unit or place not known.



6. Meteor NF.11, WD682/U, from the aircraft markings and quality of paper used for the print, clearly images 5. & 6. are taken at the same place and time, well processed if not taken!



7. Meteor NF.11 WD790 with the clue T/S (=Teesside? =test ship?) and dated 1st August 1961 on the back. WD790 was used for radar trials with various modified nose profiles. Broken up 1984, the nose section of this aircraft is today with the NEAM at Usworth.



8. Meteor NF.12 WS613/J in light grey overall colours rather than camouflage. The unit insignia looks like the bat logo of No.9 Sqdn - except they never flew Meteor NF.12s! Images 8. & 9. are at the same time and location judging by the paper the prints are on, which puts Waterbeach as a candidate location. See 'Avro 748s' comments in the following post re this actually being 153 Sqdn who operated the NF.12 March 1955 to July 1958.



9. Meteor NF.12 WS665 in 25 Sqdn markings, so the photo dates from between March 1954 and March 1959. (corrected following Avro 748's post).



10. Meteor NF.14 (note the clear 'one'piece' canopy)WS726 with 1855 Sqdn ATC at Royton near Manchester, seen on 3.4.77. Some 35+ years later the aircraft is still there, now painted as /H in 25 Sqdn markings and camouflage colours.



11. Meteor NF.14 WS790/H noted in the first week of January 1958 at RAF Driffield, Yorkshire. In 33 Sqdn marks, who only operated the mark from 9.57 to 7.58.



12. Finally in this batch, Royal Netherlands Air Fiorce Meteor T.7 I-320 seen at Beek 8th July 1975.



There are also a couple of Meteors at Woodvale, but I'll keep those back and post them shortly on the Woodvale thread.

[avro748]

Hello Brian.

The Meteor WS613 is in 153 Squadron markings, its a bat on a star. As you said very similar to 9 Squadrons markings. They were based at West Malling (Feb 1955 to Sep 1957) and Waterbeach (Sep 1957 to Jun 1958) when they operated the type. WS613 flew with 25 and 153 Squadrons before being scrapped in Aug 1958.

Cheers

Shaun

Just spotted the shot of WS665, which is wearing 25 Squadron markings.

[viscount]

Quite alot of Hawker Hunter photos in the MAS collection. A s usual the quality varies, some are posted with very little alteration, others have required considerable 'massaging' to get to a quality worthy of sharing.

Grouped these shots together by mark, with single seaters on this post, two-seaters on the subsequent post. I'll number the photos through, so individual shots can be identified easily should there be comments, which hopefully there will.

1. This is a Flight International Photograph made into a Post Card, detailing Hunter F.1 WT631/- looking very clean and new



2. Another Hunter F.1, WT638/G, coded but no unit markings.



3. XE597/- was built in 1956 as a Hunter F.6, later modified to FGA.9. Whilst a Mk. F.6 it served with 66, 63 & 56 Sqdns, but which one had a chequer-board tail, I'm hoping someone will tell me. The nose of this aircraft survives at Bromsgrove.



4. XE645/B was built at Kingston mid 1955 as a Hunter F.6. Certainly known to have served with 54 Sqdn. The photo is noted to be at Wethersfield. The aircraft was modified to an FGA.9 and exported to Jordan in 1967 as '827' and written-off 6.78.



5. XF447/H was built at Coventry 1955/56 as a Hunter F.6. Badge maybe that of 65 Sqdn who flew Hunter F.6s 12.56 to 3.61 at Duxford. Later exported to Chile in 1968/69 as J-723.



6. XF526/78 in the red/white training scheme while with 4 FTS at RAF Valley. Built a Coventry as a Hunter F.6 in the mid 70s and around the time of service (mid 70s) with 4 FTS upgraded to a Mk. F.6A.



7. XF527/P is another Coventry built Hunter F.6. Here with 19 Sqdn. Today this aircraft is on the gate at RAF Halton.



8. Noted on the reverse to be XF520/K a Hunter F.6 of 92 Sqdn at Leconfield, but no date. This aircraft later was sold in Jordan in 1966 as 814.



9. XG185/74 a Kingston built Hunter F.6, here seen in the 70's red and white training colours of No.4 FTS Valley. Clearly this photo has been used in MAS Flypast.



10. XG197/26 of a TWU seen at Leuchars 5.76, probably by that time a Hunter F.6A.



11. XG290/- a Hunter F.6. The cockpit section survives with the Boscombe Collection at Old Sarum. This 'over-the-fence' shot could be while it was with the SoTT at Halton.



12. XK138/I as a Hunter FGA.9 with 79 Sqdn/TWU, seen in this Ken Ellis shot. Certainly with the SoTT at Halton in the early 80's , is quoted on an internet listing as to Chile as J-746 and preserved at Santiago.



13. ....../41 a Ken Ellis photo of a TWU Hunter. Unsure now which unit used the owl as a logo.



14. XJ.../D a fairly annonymous Hunter shot!



15. G-BABM was a Hunter F.74B civilian registered for SBAC Farnborough 9.72 before delivery the following month to Singapore as 526. Formerly RAF Hunter F.6 and later FR.10, XF432. Back of the print stamped Foto Report



16. G-9-434 is given as the serial on the back of this M.A.P. photo and a 1978 date. Formerly Danish Air Force E-403. Never sold to a customer, disposed of the a Mr Letcher in the USA.



17. ID46/F-7J a Belgium Air Force Hunter F.4 in the Brussels Military Museum.

[viscount]

This second post covering the Hawker Hunter deals with two-seater aircraft.

18. XE531 seen in RAE green and white colours, was bult as an F.6 and later coverted to a Mk. T.12. The aircraft crashed 17.3.82.



19. XL563 marked with the titles of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. A Ken Ellis photograph, clearly used in MAS Flypast.



20. XL591/82 a Hunter T.7 in day-glo high vis markings on tail, nose and wing-tips, with 4 FTS at RAF Valley from June 1967. Today this aircraft is in the Charlwood Aviation Collection at Gatwick.



21. XL596/90 a Hunter T.7 in the red/white training scheme and in service with No.4 FTS at RAF Valley. The aircraft only served with 4 FTS for around 18 months, as it crashed 2.11.73




22. XL605/T Hunter T.7 in 60's style yellow T-band scheme. Could well be with 92 Sqdn, as I found a photo of a 92 Sqdn fighter with small chequers on the fin base, which matches. This aircraft later exported in 1966 to Saudi Arabia as 617, then Jordan as 836 before return to the UK as XX467.



23. Difficult to be certain, but certainly seems also be XL605 in later 92 Sqdn colours - note their Lightning F.2 aircraft behind. Photo Marked R.L. = Rod Ludvigson?



24. A very clean looking XL613 Hunter T.7. With a RAF Britannia in the hangar and a Hercules, fairly certain this is at Lyneham. This Hunter became G-BVMB, now ZU-LEE at Thunder City, South Africa.



25. A further RAF Valey 4 FTS shot of a Hunter T.7. XL621/81 served with the unit from Spring 1972. Now G-BNCX at Dunsfold.




26. ...../688 a Hunter T.8 with the Royal Navy.

[viscount]

Well Javelins, Meteors, Swift and Hunters can be leading only to one type - the Engllish Electric Lightning.

There are 37 Lightning photographs in the MAS Collection, most are OK, a few very good, a couple very weak, but I'm going to post the whole lot here regardless as Lightnings fascinate.

As with other types I've digitial scanned, straightened where necessary, sharpened if needed, altered the contrast, cropped and then removed many of the specks, blobs, dust and scratch marks. Even removing those in the sky and on the ground make a difference. I might drop in a few 'before and afters' as a post after the Lightning posts.

With so many images, I'll cover the F.1 and F.3, then F.2/F,2A and F.6, followed by the T.4 and T.5 as three posts, each post in registration order where possible.

1. Perhaps odd to start with a tail. A major recognition of the F.1, F.2, and T.4 was the pointed triangle tail, while the F.1, F.2, F.3, T.4 and T.5 all had a smaller ventral tank underneath. XM177/Y a Lightning F.1 in the markings of Binbrook Target Facilities Flight (TFF). This aircraft caught fire 7.69. The back of the print is criptically marked 'Copy for RB'.



2. XM177/177 a Lightning F.1A of the Leuchars TFF. Dated 1970, this is a M.A.P. photograph. Note a former unit badge stained onto the tail.



3. XM188/F another Lightning F.1A of 111 Sqdn. This photo dated 19th May 1962 at Wethersfield. XM188 ended up on the fire dump at Coltishall having last flown with 226 OCU/145 Sqdn.



4. XP700/Z a Lightning F.3 in 111 Sqdn markings, seen at Mildenhall, but undated. The Squadron badge on the tail is quite diminutive (see also photos 7. and 8. This aircraft as K/29 Sqdn crashed on approach to Wattisham 7.8.72.



5. XP702/C 74 Sqdn 'Tigers', operated the Lightning F.3 fairly briefly before converting to the F.6 and taking them to Singapore.



6A. XP737/737 in the markings of 226 OCU, quite clearly at some speed. There is another post of this aircraft XP737/737 on post #8.



7. XP754/R in the final 111 Sqdn colours, just months before disbanding as a Lightning unit. Seen here at Finingley 21.9.74.



8. XP762/M in the earlier eye-catching full tail colours of 111 Sqdn in black and yellow.



9. XP763/G of 29 Sqdn at Wattisham 6.68.



10. XR719/D in the full tail red and white chequer-board of 56 Sqdn. This aircraft finished its days on the Coltishall fire dump 8.74.



11A. In the later days of the Lightning in RAF service, a two-tone camouflaged Lightning F.3 of the Lightning Training Flight (LTF) after 226 OCU had been disbanded. This delightful Gerry Manning shot at Coningsby was used in 1977 as the cover photo for the MAS book 'British Air Arms'.



11B. A tight formation of 4 camouflaged Lightnings of the Binbrook Training Flight - possibly at the time of their disbandment? Three Lightning F.3s XP749/-, XP750/B, XR716/C and Lighting T.5 XS417/W.

[viscount]

The Lightning T.4 was the two-seat trainer for the single-seat Lightning F.1, F.2 and F.3. The Lightning T.5 readying pilots for the F.2A and F.6. The Lightning T.4 had the earlier triangle tail, The T.5 the square-top tail of the later fighter marks.

12. XL629 was the second prototype of the two-seater Lightning.
It operated as a development aircraft and with the ETPS and today stands inside the gate at QinetQ Boscombe Down.



13. XM969/969 in the early 226 OCU markings



14. XM970 a Lightning T.4 in the markings of 65 Sqdn a 'shadow' unit within 226 OCU. Image-wise one of the weaker shots being rather dark as a print.



15. XM974/T of 74 Sqdn seen in an Alan J. Wright photo. This aircraft was ditched in the North Sea 14.12.72.



16. XM990/990 with 226 OCU in their early markings. Crashed near Plumstead, Norfolk 19.9.70.



17. Very likely XM995 which was for many years in the early 70s code /T of 92 Sqdn, here in the short lived olive green scheme.



18. XS417/Z a Lightning T.5 in 56 Sqdn markings in this mid 60's shot. Today this aircraft is preserved at Newark Air Museum.



19. XS452/452 Lightning T.5 with 226 OCU.



20. XS459/459 Lightning T.5 with 226 OCU. An Alan J.Wright photograph. Today this aircraft is preserved in the Norfolk Aviation Museum.



21. 55-714/D a Lightning T.55 of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

[viscount]

The Lightning F.2 and F.2A were only used by 19 Sqdn and 92 Sqdn - both based in West Germany. As a result this mark of Lightning was relatively rare in the UK. The F.2 was very similar to the F.3, the F.2A very similar to the F.6 - the quickest identification being the XN--- series of registrations and the squadron colours.

Compare the first shot here which is a F.2, with subsequent F.2A shots with the square tail and large ventral tank.

22. XN733/L as a Lightning F.2 of 92 Squadron.



23. XN735/A a Lightning F.2A with 19 Squadron in natural metal.



24. XN781/B another Lightning F.2A with 19 Squadron in the green scheme. A photo that has been used in MAS Flypast.



25. XN---/U of 92 Sqdn also in the green scheme. Note the lack of an underbelly ventral tank, making the profile quite different. Presumably this was one of the aircraft used as airfield decoys for a while.



26. Lightning F.6 XR772/E with the maple leaf of 5 Sqdn in the final two-tone camouflage scheme and seen here at Leuchars. This Gerry Manning shot was used in the 1977 MAS 'British Air Arms' book.



27. Glorious photo of XS901/D wearing at least two unit badges on the tail - 5 Sqdn's maple leaf and the Maltese Cross.



28. XS918 a Lightning F.6. As B/11 Sqdn crashed in Firth of Forth 5.3.70.



29. XS933/J of 11 Sqdn. The nose of this aircraft survives with a collector in Norfolk.



30. Lightning F.6 H/5 Sqdn in later two-tone camouflage. In the early 70s XS922 was H of 5 Sqdn, but examination of the photo seems to show an XR--- series serial.



31. XS934/K of 11 Sqdn, a Lightning F.6 with a pair of overwing langer-range fuel tanks.



32. XS937/C of 23 Sqdn, a Lightning F.6



33. A wonderful moody dawn shot at Binbrook by Hywell Evans.



34. MAS Flypast contributor, photographer Hywell Evans, a RAF Valley based enthusiast is one of a very select group of civilians to have flown in a Lightning! From that sortie, two air-to-airs of E/23 Sqdn, this one giving a great impression of altitude.



35. The second of Hywell Evans's air-to-airs of E/23 Sqdn. Way, high above the cloud-scape below.

[viscount]

Not one of the worst black and white prints in the pile by any matter of means, but unintentionally have placed both the initial raw scan and the improved photo onto Photobucket. To a great extent it is the way mediocre (in some cases) prints can be made to look so much better, that encourages me to keep working away at the MAS Collection and posting them here.

6B. Lightning F.3 XP737 (this is additional to the shot of XP737 which is Photo 6. in the first Lightning post above) with 226 OCU. The original, which still has backing paper attached from it being used in MAS Flypast, measures just 5" x 2" (or more correctly 12.5 x 5 cms).



After a little work in 'Picasa'. Needed to be straightened, cropped to the original print shape, contrast altered a little, slightly sharpened and a few blemishes removed eg from the sky area. The result looks much better than the small original.

[avro748]

Hello Brian

You are making a real good job of restoring these old B&W photos. If nothing else, it reminds us that we once had an air force! Keep them coming Brian.

Cheers

Shaun

[jetjockey]

Hi Brian

Photo no 4 Lightning XP 700 in your post 15th September is very useful as I am currently in the miiddle of a painting of this aircraft refueling from HP Victor K1A XH 650 the where abouts have added more info for me keep it coming

JJ

[viscount]

I prepared this post weeks ago, when I tried to post it, had a problem with Photobucket regarding bandwidth usage.  Now resolved, I've recovered the draft from MS word where I had pasted it, so posting now has proved straightforward. 

It is a while since I last posted a 'thematic' selection of photographs in the nostalgia section. These photos (and many more) come to me via Clive Harden having been passed on by Brian's Billington's wife rather than destroy them. Brian stored his photos thematically by type, which will make selecting some of them to post much easier. The great majority are military subjects from the mid-late '70s, so there are plenty of Phantoms, Lightnings, Jaguar, Buccaneers, Harrier, Tornado, Hunters, V-bombers, Starfighters, F-111s, Hercules and many more from a period of cold-war modernisation, when colour schemes still used colours and squadron markings were there to be proudly, sometimes boldly carried.

First though, the Lightning was still in front line service in the mid ‘70s, with earlier marks being phased out as Phantom FG.1s were passed on from the Royal Navy, although delivery of the Tornado F.2 was a few years off yet. The originals are all mounted in Agfa transparency mounts and do vary in quality and degree of colour cast. They have been digitised, cropped, cleaned-up and some adjustment to contrast where needed by Brian Jones for sharing on nwan forum. A few of slides appear to have been 'bought-in', where the original photographer is recorded, I will mention it in the caption, the majority are the work of Brian Billington - I know, I was stood next to him at times! Brian has pencilled notes onto all the slides, information I'm assuming is correct as I have not cross-checked it! I feel certain that if he was still around, Brian would be only too delighted to find that his camera-work is finding an appreciative audience on the nostalgia section of this forum.

Arranged roughly in mark and registration order, scroll through and enjoy times past!

The English Electric Lightning
Out of service examples

English Electric P.1B WG760 seen on the gate at Henlow 20th June 1976



EEC Lightning F.1, XM135 noted at Duxford 5th September 1977



Lightning F.1 XM172 on the gate at RAF Coltishall July 1975



XP738/E, on RAF Wattisham dump, August 1975



Another Lightning F.3 on the dump at RAF Wattisham, August 1975 formerly code 'F' of 111 Sqdn. Slidemount names Martin Chell as photographer.



XP745/H in 29 Sqdn markings, Lightning F.3 on the gate at RAF Boulmer, 9th September 1977



XM967 Lightning T.4 seen at Kemble in 1976, noted as being ex-Colerne.



XM972/972 Lightning T.4 on the dump at RAF Waddington, 19th June 1976. Rather a dark image this.



XM995/T a Lightning T.4 out of service, at RAF Wildenrath 8th June 1979



Five Lightning T.5s in external storage, pending disposal at RAF Binbrook 8th September 1977.

[viscount]

This second post of Brian Billington's photos looks at English Electric Lightnings still in service during the mid 1970's.

The English Electric Lightning
Active, in service, photographs

Two shots of XP695/O Lightning F.3 of 11 Sqdn, both at Waddington 19th June 1976



Same aircraft XP695/O, 11 Sqdn, this time seen at St.Mawgan 3rd August 1976 in evening light. Reckon this was the time MAS enthusiasts and the sales stall flew down to the St. Mawgan show by Air Atlantique Dakota, however the return was delayed while a cylinder was replaced.



XP696/696 Lightning F.3 in OCU markings at RNAS Yeovilton on 21st September 1974.  Looking back to the colour post above, XP696, still in the same colours, can be seen in the background of the photo of XP738/E on the dump at Wattisham July 1975



XR749/Q Lightning F.3 5 Sqdn marks on bare metal finish. No location or date noted. Slide mount annotated "via John Price".



XS422 Lightning T.5 of the A&AEE at Boscombe Down 5th August 1976.



A regular sight at RAF Station air shows, a pair of Lightning F.6s being 'towed' by a Victor tanker. The photo is at RAF Leuchars Battle of Britain 'At Home' 4th September 1976. The Victor K.1A is XH651, the Lightning F.6s are XS720/E and XS936/G, both of 11 Squadron.





4 Lightnings at RAF Binbrook 26th August 1978. Initially as a flight of four, then formed up into a tight diamond formation. As they would appear to be 3 F.6s and a T.5, almost certainly the same occasion as a black & white shot several posts earlier on this thread.



XR754/A Lightning F.6 in 11 Sqdn marks and two-tone camouflage, RAF Finningley 30th July 1977.



XR757/V Lightning F.6 devoid of unit colours. No location or date noted. Not a Brian Billington original, Martin Chell maybe?



XR757/D Lightning F.6 in 11 Squadron markings at RAF Binbrook. No date - could be before or after the photo above!



XR772/E Lightning F.6 in 5 Squadron markings at RAF Leuchars Battle of Britain 'At Home', 4th September 1976.



XR772/C Lightning F.6 now in full 11 Squadron markings at RNAS Brawdy, 31st May 1979.



XS925/J Lightning F.6 of 11 Squadron. Date November 1975 is written on the slide mount - could be when the slide was purchased rather than photo taken.



XS933/G Lightning F.6 of 5 Squadron at RAF Binbrook 8th September 1977.

[gwoof]

Fairly sure that XR757/D is 19/7/75 and an MAS coach trip.

It's rather eerie looking at some of those Lightning photos as I too have a number of very similar shots from times stood next to Brian!

Thanks for all the hard work that has gone in to these.

Ian Powell

[acklington]

Gorgeous Lightning photos!

XS925 'J', the location looks like Finningley, and I think that it was the September Battle of Britain display, as I was there. The date of "November 1975" printed on the cardboard slide mount would be the date the slide was processed, and this would obviously be after the date the photo was taken.