Chipmunk T.10 WG474, G-BCSL

[acklington]

Specially for Viscount here are some photos of Chippie WG474 in RAF service.

Taken by myself at RAF Ouston on 31 August 1972, WG474 was bashing the circuit in company with two others from Northumbria UAS, and two JPs from Leeming. Ouston was normally a very quiet airfield, so five aircraft in the circuit was somewhat exceptional! Sadly Ouston is now long closed, but it was taken over by the Army as Albemarle Barracks and the RAF buildings still largely remain unchanged. The airfield itself is now occupied by a very large Army storage facility, reputedly for Nuclear waste in-transit. It is also likely that some ex-RAF apron areas remain available for visiting Army helicopters, so this Battle of Britain airfield is not quite dead.









Northumbria UAS Chipmunks wore a unique style of markings, with a black fin and spine (or very dark blue - I could never quite decide). The airframe was light aircraft grey, with strip day-glo red (not the darker red of later day-glo years). The canopy frame was painted white, and the UAS badge was on the fin (same as the earlier Durham UAS badge). No individual aircraft letters were carried, rather each aircraft was identified by its spinner colour. WG474 was yellow, and also in the circuit that afternoon were WK633 (red spinner) and WP845 (blue spinner).

WG474 also carried the pilot's name "Flt Lt T. Ware" below the cockpit, with what looks like a 'winged motif' below the name.

Happy memories of a hot hazy Summer day, like wot we used to have!

[viscount]

Absolutely excellent Acklington.

What a great response from a passing comment on another thread.

Readers may not immediately associate that the WG474 pictured above is the same aircraft as the all black civilian Chipmunk G-BCSL/WG474 currently based at Liverpool airport.

I have tried an extensive 'Google' using 'WG474' as key word and can only come up with only photos of the all black WG474 - not a single photo of the RAF WG474 is searchable on the web - well not until today that is! Not even the current owners had a photo of her in true RAF colours, and what an interesting variation on a standard scheme is recorded too.

What a great result - and many thanks to you, Acklington.

I have been looking into the history of this aircraft on behalf of the Editor of FoLA's '09/27' for probable inclusion in the next issue. So the challenge is now out, does anyone else have WG474 tucked away in their collection.

[FoLA]

Yes indeed, as Viscount says, a splendid response (and really shows the value and power of this forum); thank you.

Perhaps, Acklington would allow us (me) to use one or more of these photos in our next 09/27 newsletter when we cover the history of Chipmunk G-BCSL currently being worked upon by Viscount?

Graham 09/27 Editor

[acklington]

Happy to be of assistance!

And an exchange of PMs will provide higher resolution versions of the photos.

It would be lovely to see WG474/G-BCSL eventually restored to her Northumbria UAS scheme, and for example, the owners of WD347/G-BBRV have already accurately re-created a 1970s scheme, as seen here on finals to Waddington in 2008.

[viscount]

Don't think the owners have a repaint in mind, but having now knowledge of striking genuine colours in RAF service, who knows?

Interesting selection of an example of a Chippie civilianised into a club scheme, then restored to genuine CFS 'Skylarks' aerobatic team colours - interesting as at the time of its repaint G-BBRV/WD347 was also a Liverpool resident and I know that Phil Butler (PHB), a regular viewer and occasional contributor on this forum, had a hand in providing information for that repaint.





Just for interests sake an aircraft that has been both in civilian colours and is now back in her own 'period' scheme, G-BBRV/WD347 in her CFS 'Skylarks' scheme, landing 27 in July 2011, and an undated winter photo of G-BBRV beside Banks Road and the closed-up former GPO bag sorting office at the edge of the Western Apron (so pre 2000).

For those you who have Chipmunk photos in their collections, then WG474's official service history, saw her flying with:

4 BFTS at Sywell, coded ?, 11.51 to 3.53
31 Sqdn/MCS at Hendon/Northolt, coded CB:F, later F, 7.53 to 4.59
Oxford UAS at Bicester, briefly 6.60 to 9.60
1 FTS at Linton-on-Ouse, coded ?, 5.61 to 6.67
PFS/AOTC at Church Fenton, coded 7, 6.67 to 11.69
UAS/11 AEF, Ouston, yellow spinner as code, 11.69 to c.73.

Knowing places and time periods might help with locating photos in collections.

[acklington]

Courtesy of a friend, here is a new photo of WG474 in RAF service.

This rather small b&w photo was taken at RAF Church Fenton on 8th October 1969, and shows WG474 as '7' of 1 Primary Flying Squadron.

The colour scheme appears to be light aircraft grey overall with day-glo red strip in the standard positions. The spinner is black, as is the code. The code is repeated on the front of the engine cowling.

The PFS had a badge at some point, but it is not apparent in this view, if carried at all.





Viscount - please see PM for further info, etc.

[viscount]

Since civilianisation as G-BCSL the aircraft has had 3 different schemes.



The first was painted on civilianisation and lasted until after arrival at Barton. G-BCSL in her blue colours seen here at the 75th Anniversary fly-in at Blackpool Airport 24th October 1984.







G-BCSL in her subsequent red colours, Liverpool 2008





G-BCSL in her black RAF training style colours, during 2009 - note the red center to the RAF roundel. Upper shot at a Liverpool, lower shot at a Barton fly-in.





However here in July 2010 and again in July 2012 the center to the roundel as been changed to black due to a disagreement over carrying military colours or not. Both shots at Liverpool.







While by the time of Chipmunk meet at Old Warden in May 2016 the roundel center was back in RAF style red. The 'Chipmunk Flyers' logo on the fin cleverly pointing to her military past as WG474.

I also suspect at one stage the red center had been changed to a red heart, but I cannot find evidence to support, or date, the memory.

The story of Chipmunk WG474/G-BCSL

Service life as WG474

Although all Chipmunks go under the designation DHC-1 Chipmunk, not all were built by De Havilland Canada (DHC). The Chipmunk with construction number C1/0534 was built in UK by De Havilland at Broughton, Chester, with fuselage number DHB.405 and was built in 1951. Presumably in bare metal with yellow T-bands scheme, Chipmunk WG474 was completed on 5th November 1951. On 21st November it was at de Havillands at Brough awaiting collection, and was taken on charge by the RAF the next day and immediately issued to No.4 Basic Flying Training School. No. 4 BFTS had 20 Chipmunks on strength, forming November 1951 at Sywell, operated under civilian contract by Brooklands Aviation. 4 BFTS was closed down in 1953 and all pilot training for the RAF returned to direct military control. During operation with 4 BFTS WG474 was damaged in a flying accident on 1st February 1952, but was repaired on site by de Havillands, with repairs completed 7 weeks later on 21st March and was back on the active strength of 4 BFTS on 24th March. After a little over a year and quarter of active service WG474, on 9th March 1953, was allocated to No.9 MU (Maintenance Unit) at RAF Cosford.

Only with 9 MU for four months, WG474 was issued on 6th July 1953 to No. 31 Squadron, a Communications Unit at RAF Hendon, mainly flying Avro Anson and DH Devon aircraft. With 31 Sqdn, WG474 wore war-time style fuselage identity letters ‘CB:F’. On 1st March 1955 31 Sqdn returned to its previous unit title of ‘Metropolitan Communications Squadron’. The MCS moved from RAF Hendon to RAF Northolt in November 1957. With the MCS, Chipmunk WG474 was simply coded ‘F’. A few months short of six years of service with the unit, WG474 was issued to No. 22 MU at RAF Silloth on 3rd April 1959.

After 14 months at Silloth, WG474 was issued to Oxford University Air Squadron, based at RAF Bicester on 3rd June 1960. Probably she was issued to Oxford UAS for their summer camp, the additional aircraft allowing the students more opportunity to fly. It is not recorded where the summer camp was held in 1960, however on 29th September 1960, she was back with a Maintenance Unit, this time No. 27 MU at RAF Shawbury.

She was with the MU for just 9 months before she was issued to No.1 Flying Training School (FTS) at RAF Linton-on-Ouse on 31st May 1961. Although 1 FTS was a Jet Provost T.3 unit, a small Squadron within the unit provided elementary flight training for prospective Royal Navy helicopter pilots. During this time she very likely exchanged her silver and yellow for a silver and day-glo high conspicuity colour scheme. Between September and early November 1966 repairs or modifications (probably centre tie-bar replacement) were made on site by No.60 MU personnel. In June 1967, her service with 1 FTS ended; just a few days over 6 years, the longest period with a single unit during her 23 years of military service.

From 1 FTS, she was issued to the Primary Flying School (PFS), Aircrew Officers Training School (AOTS) at RAF Church Fenton from 8th June 1967 for two and a half years. During this time she wore the individual code ‘7’. During August 1967 WG474 was grounded for a further short period of modifications by No.60 MU staff.

From the PFS at Church Fenton, on 5th November 1969, she was issued to the Northumberland University Air Squadron, who operated alongside No.11 Air Experience Flight (AEF) at RAF Ouston. Here she acquired dark blue wing-tips and fin (but not rudder), with a yellow spinner for individual identification rather than a code letter. This would be her last service posting, as by 1973/1974 Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1s were being received in some numbers, and many Chipmunks replaced and retired. She was passed to No.5 MU at RAF Kemble 20th September 1974, declared a ‘non-effective’ airframe and sold to Mr J.C.C. Wright, the sale recorded on 28th November 1974.

De-mobbed, life as a civilian, G-BCSL

On 26th November 1974, the UK civil registration G-BCSL was provided for WG474 by the CAA to owners Banbury Plant Hire Ltd of Oxfordshire. She was civilianised and painted in a blue scheme with yellow lightning flash cheat line. Near two years later, they informed the CAA of onward sale 21st September 1976, with new ownership from 30th September 1976, registered to Kelly Aeroplane Ltd of Buckinghamshire and based at Elstree. With neat symmetry, they informed the CAA of onward sale near two years later on 29th August 1978. New owner Mr Norman Bell of Enfield, Middlesex informed the CAA of his ownership 14th September 1978. He only owned the aircraft for a year and half before sale on 15th February 1980 to Jalawain Ltd of Wilmslow, Cheshire and a move of base to Barton, Lancashire.

G-BCSL was operated out of Barton Aerodrome by a group known as Barton Chipmunk Flyers and shortly after acquisition was repainted in a red, with black trim, scheme. On 6th August 2003 the ownership of the aircraft was transferred to Chipmunk Flyers Ltd with a Liverpool address. The aircraft moved into Liverpool Airport 26th August 2004 and has been based here since, initially hangared with Keenair in Hangar No.4, but more recently with Ravenair. The civilian red scheme was replaced with a smart all-black current style RAF training scheme (as on the Hawks) during 2008/2009. Throughout her time at Liverpool she benefitted from being kept indoors in modern environmentally controlled hangars. On 31st December 2010 G-BCSL is recorded by the CAA to have amassed a grand total of 13,188 hours in close to 60 years, of which 23 was with the military and 36 with civilian ownership. The hours flown had risen to 13,716 hours by 24th June 2019, and her current airworthiness ARC expires in June 2022. So in July 2021 the stats change to 70 years old, 23 years in military service and 47 in civilian clothes.

Units/operators/owners time-line:

As WG474:

4 BFTS at Sywell, 11.51 to 3.53, coded ?
31 Sqdn/MCS at Hendon/Northolt, 7.53 to 4.59, coded CB:F, later F.
Oxford UAS for Summer Camp, 6.60 to 9.60.
1 FTS at Linton-on-Ouse, 5.61 to 6.67, coded ?
PFS/AOTC at Church Fenton, 6.67 to 11.69, coded 7.
Northumbria UAS/11 AEF at Ouston, 11.69 to 9.74, yellow spinner as individual code.

As G-BCSL:

Banbury Plant Hire at Bicester, 11.74 to 9.76
Kelly Aeroplane Company at Elstree, 9.76 to 8.78
Norman Bell of Middlesex, 8.78 to 2.80
Jalawain Ltd at Barton, 2.80 to 8.03 operated by Barton Chipmunk Flyers
Chipmunk Flyers Ltd, at Barton 8.03 then Liverpool 8.04 to 6.18
Vulture Squadron Ltd and de Havilland Partners Ltd, Derbyshire 6.18 to 11.18
de havilland Partners Ltd, Derbyshire 11.18 to date (7.21)


Credits & notes

Compiled by Brian Jones for '09/27' with help from ‘RMR’ and Dave Harmsworth on The Aviation Forum and the CAA G-INFO website and the knowledge of the aircraft owners. With very many thanks to 'Acklington' for finding otherwise 'rare' photos of WG474 in active service. This article initially prepared for FoLA and use in their newsletter '09/27', my thanks to Graham Ward for allowing it to be repeated on nwan forum.

Note that the dates in the history are nearly all ‘paperwork’ dates, usually a couple of days after the event, but potentially upto several months behind!

[acklington]

Comprehensive and interesting 'read' Viscount.

Just one amendment that has arisen as a result of this thread - it has now been confirmed that the Northumbria UAS 'dark fin, etc' was in fact a very dark blue colour, not black. Also, the wingtips of their Chipmunks were also painted in this dark blue.

I have a colour photo or two of G-BCSL in her red scheme, taken on the IOM, attending the annual TT races. Chipmunks have been surprisingly rare visitors to the IOM during the past 20 years or more, perhaps no more than three or four in total. It has always been a treat to see one here.

[Beemer]

Two photos of G-BCSL taken 2007 in the red scheme.


G-BCSL de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 


G-BCSL de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk 22 

[vincec]

Fantastic thread! I was a founder member of Jalawain, when the present group first formed at Barton in the late '70s. I flew SL until last January when I sold my share (I briefly left the group at one stage to join a Yak 52 group, but re-joined the SL group when the Yak group folded).

The Chipmunk is the best aeroplane by far that I have ever flown (and I've flown a few!). Wrote a few articles in 'Pilot' about SL as well!

[loupie]

Superb photos which remind me of my time with Yorkshire UAS from 1970 to 1973. Does anyone have any photos of the YUAS aircraft from that time in the grey scheme without dayglo stripes? I seem to remember that our aircraft had only the grey scheme when I first joined, and since I purchased a Chipmunk only last week, I want to have it repainted in the YUAS scheme from 1970.

I did have a formation photo of our aircraft, but put it somewhere safe, and now cannot find it!

[acklington]

There are a few photos of Yorks UAS Chipmunks, taken in 1971 - 73 at Church Fenton, here
www.rafchurchfenton.org.uk/Photo%20Gallery%20Pages/yuas_gallery_3.htm

They show them in the standard light aircraft grey, and day-glo strip scheme, which applied to all RAF Chipmunks in the early 1970s. As far as I'm aware, the 'light grey only' scheme was only applied to the couple of Chipmunks that patrolled the British Sector of Berlin prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It would be interesting to know the identity of the Chipmunk that you have purchased, as it may be possible to find 'in service' photos of it.

[loupie]

Many thanks for the link - it is from David Quick who was on the YUAS at the same time as me - but the photo of F/WG321 was taken in 1973 at which time our aircraft did have the dayglo patches. He has a photo there of a line up of three aircraft, one with the red and white scheme and the others with the dayglo scheme.

I think the red and white aircraft is WB762 which was S/L Mike Bishop's machine. He was my instructor so I flew that machine more than the other ones. I think the red was on the leading edges of the wing, but cannot be sure until I find my formation photo. I think, from research, that the aircraft at Church Fenton had this "modified" scheme, presumably done that way because the painter thought it looked better.

My memory might be playing tricks, but I do seem to remember our aircraft, in the grey scheme, not having dayglo. I am certain we had the YUAS badge, quite small and not like the markings on WG321, on the cowling. The badge can be seen on the current YUAS website.

I have bought WK622/G-BZCH which crashed about 15 years ago and was written off as beyond economical repair. It is still under rebuild and is a good few months away from completion. I have found service photos of it in red and white.

[acklington]

Ah! WK622, the 'squashed cat' Chipmunk!

Taken by myself at Bentwaters on 16th May 1970, here she is;



It then belonged to the Wattisham Target Facilities Flight, otherwise equipped with the Lightning F.1 and F.1A. Their aircraft badge was a 'squashed cat', but dont ask me why.

On WK622 the same badge was applied both sides below the cockpit, cut out from day-glo red strip. The aircraft was light aircraft grey overall with red day-glo strip applied in all the standard positions. The canopy framing was also light aircraft grey, and the propeller spinner was black. No individual letter or code number was carried.

Note that the aircraft is equipped with a glider towing lug, and a rear view mirror on top of the windscreen.

I have a photo somewhere of the other side of it, which I'll find and post.

[acklington]

And here is the 'tother side of WK622 at Bentwaters on 16th May 1970



The HC-130H Hercules 69-5823, behind, is still going strong (with 9 SOS at Elgin AFB, Florida?), now a MC-130P.