Chipmunk T.10 completed kits

[acklington]

Both kits finished today, appropriately 15th September which is "Battle of Britain Day". Such displays in the 1960s and 1970s were always graced with a colourful Chipmunk or two.

WD388, WG474, RAF Ouston (7) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
The Airfix 1/72 kit on the left, and the AZ Models newish release on the right
WD388, Durham UAS, Ouston, 1963 (4) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
Airfix one completed as WD388 of Durham University Air Squadron at RAF Ouston in 1963. This was the Chipmunk in which I had a 30-minute Air Cadet air experience flight on 5th May 1963. WD388 was still wearing the Durham UAS badge on the nose, but in March of 1963 the UAS had been re-named Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron. To confuse matters further, the Air Experience flights were operated by 11 AEF at Ouston, but they used whatever Chipmunks were available.
WD388, Durham UAS, Ouston, 1963 (3) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WD388, Durham UAS, Ouston, 1963 (6) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WD388, WG474, RAF Ouston (10) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

We then move on nearly a decade to 31st August 1972, when WG474 of Northumbrian UAS was bashing the circuit at RAF Ouston, and I had a camera with a telephoto lens;
WG474, Northumbrian UAS, Ouston, 1972 (4) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WG474, Northumbrian UAS, Ouston, 1972 (3) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WG474, Northumbrian UAS, Ouston, 1972 (9) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
The basic colour scheme had changed to light aircraft grey, still with the same day-glo strip. The fin and wing tips were very dark blue, and the NUAS badge was on the fin tip (still the same as the former DUAS badge). Each NUAS Chipmunk had a different colour spinner, and WG474 was yellow. UHF blade aerials had appeared on the rear fuselage.

WG474 was de-mobbed circa 1974 (when RAF Ouston closed and was transferred to the Army), and it became G-BCSL on the civil register, subsequently based at Liverpool Airport, now in an all red scheme.

WG474, WD388, Ouston (3) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WG474, WD388, Ouston (1) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WG474, WD388, Ouston (4) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr
WD388, WG474, RAF Ouston (5) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

And the reason for my unsavoury language was 51 individually shaped pieces of day-glo transfer for each model. I started off with the Xtradecal Meteor day-glo decal sheet, but the leading edge strips wouldn't bend around the edge, and just cracked and split. So I raided the new Airfix Vampire T.11 (day-glo) kit, and its transfers do bend without splitting. But I had to cut the Vampire day-glo into the right shapes, and there was barely enough for the Chipmunk wings. Also the various decal sheets have different shades of day-glo, so my Chipmunks have Airfix day-glo on the wings, and Xtradecal day-glo elsewhere. Real Chipmunks actually had 73 strips of day-glo each, but I cheated and divided some of mine with thin lines of paint to produce the required 73.

I now know why I put off doing these models for the past 40 years! One post-scrip to this saga is that I've just booked an eye test at Specsavers. I really couldn't focus clearly at times! Thanks for looking ('scuse the pun).

[csnewton2701]

Both look fantastic.

Chris

[hatfield]

Sept 15, 2018 18:24:59 GMT 1 acklington said:

Both kits finished today, appropriately 15th September which is "Battle of Britain Day". Such displays in the 1960s and 1970s were always graced with a colourful Chipmunk or two.

We then move on nearly a decade to 31st August 1972, when WG474 of Northumbrian UAS was bashing the circuit at RAF Ouston, and I had a camera with a telephoto lens to record her colours accurately;


WG474 was de-mobbed circa 1974 (when RAF Ouston closed and was transferred to the Army), and it became G-BCSL on the civil register, subsequently based at Liverpool Airport, now in an all red scheme.

I came across this thread searching T'interweb for pictures of WG474.
My first flight was in WG474 on Jan 18th 1973.
My memory of the aircraft while it was in Jack Spencer's Flying Circus was that it was never as pristine as those models! Super Super Tony Ware had it rigged so that it flew like an Argosy and the engine was knackered. It definitely was the least nimble of the fleet.
Having flown Chipmunks in civilian use that were loved and cared for, it was like flying a totally different type. Hopefully G-BCSL is restored to how Chipmunks should be!