It's Goodbye from Us and Goodbye from Him

Welcome,

Unfortunately due to other commitments, and the spiralling cost of insuring Hoskins this will be the final blog.

Thanks for reading over the past year, and if you have had half the fun reading this that we had writing it, we will have had twice as much fun as you.

Uncle Roger, Reggie and Hoskins.

Number 56 in a Never Ending Series

Number 55 in a Never Ending Series

Supermarine Scimitar

Welcome,

today we blow some more dust off the archives and take a look at the Supermarine Scimitar, an often overlooked Naval aircraft built consequently in small numbers, but if you read the Air Pictorial series of the 1950's can be traced through a direct line of development from the Spitfire through laminar flow wings on the Spiteful, to the Attacker and Swift.

XD230  803 squadron

XD 219 736  squadron

XD267 800squadron

XD277 800 squadron

Thats all for now, till next time.

Number 54 in a Never Ending Series

Invicta Air Cargo

Welcome,
today we are blowing some more dust off the archives, and go back to the 1960's and take a look at the DC4's / C54's operated by one of the earlier incarnations of the Invicta brand Invicta Air Cargo.

G-ASZT seen at Manston 1966

G-ASEN

G-ASPM

G-ASPN

Thats all till next time.

Number 53 in a Never Ending Series

Number 52 in a Never Ending Series

We Are On Holiday

Number 51 in a Never Ending Series

Mystery Mosquito's

Welcome,

Blowing some more dust off the archives I found this picture of some deHavilland Mosquito's presumably in the late 1950's or early 60's awaiting the breakers axe, not that he was going to get much scrap metal out of them. But no indication of date or location, but maybe someone out there recognises the scene.

Number 50 in a Never Ending Series

B.O.A.C. Colonial Airlines

Welcome,
Today we are blowing some more dust off the archives, and looking at some of the Airlines set up by B.O.A.C.  in the late 1940's and early 1950's to operate regional services linking with  trunk routes from England, most of which were operated with loaned  B.O.A.C. equipment and crews. All of which disappeared into history along with the British Empire.

Handleypage Hermes G-ALDU in B.O.A.C. colours operating for Kuwait Airways.

Canadair Argonaut G-ALHG in B.O.A.C. colours operating for West African Airways Corporation.

Canadair Argonaut G-ALHU in B.O.A.C. colours operating for Kuwait Airways.

And finally Canadair Argonaut VR-AAR of Aden Airways in B.O.A.C. colours.

And so we leave the archives to gather dust till another day.

Number 49 in a Never Ending Series

Classic Farnborough

Welcome,
today we blow some more dust off the archives and return to Farnborough Air Shows of the 1950's with some official Air Ministry (ah remember the days when the man on the air ministry roof would stick his finger in the air, look at a piece of seaweed and give you an accurate weather forecast without the aid of a computer?) photo's of the participants.

Two also rans, the Short Sperrin back up in case the Valiant,Victor and Vulcan didn't work, followed by the Short Seamew contender for the Fairey Gannet programme.

Vickers Valiant WB215.

Straight sweep Avro Vulcan prototype VX770

Vulcan aerodynamic test aircraft Avro 707 WB280

So we return to the air ministry roof to see what this weekends weather will be. Till next time.

Number 48 in a Never Ending Series

Extreme Aircraft Spotting

Welcome,
Its April 1982 today we are off on one of the furthest spotting trips possible, to Mount Cook airfield in New Zealand, so you had better bring some extra tea and sandwiches as we going via a Pan American 747 to Auckland  then we will drive to Wellington catch an Air New Zealand F27 to Blenheim  then drive to Mount Cook via Christchurch. So lets be off as its going to take about 5 days !

So here we are at last, and first up is Mount Cook Airlines Cessna 185 ski plane ZK-CAV used for trips up the mountain to land on a glacier.

Showing the various titles used is Mount Cook Line Islander ZK-MCC as with all aircraft in New Zealand not expected to fly overseas the ZK is not used in the registration marks.

Air Safaris GAF Nomad ZK-NOM.

Air Safaris Pilatus Porter ZK-PTP.

And so as the Mitsubishi Colt roars off back in the direction of Christchurch we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

Number 47 in a Never Ending Series

Right Colours Wrong Name

Welcome, today you can choose your own mode of transport and camera, as we are looking at aircraft seen at Luton during the 1970's with unusual titles or colours when leased to other airlines.

Its december 1975  lousy day as usual when something unsual happens, and          Aer Lingus Boeing 737 EI-ASK arrives in Air Malta colours.

British Midland Viscount 800 G-AZLT  with Cyprus Airways titles. This would be taken just after the Greek Turkish war over Cyprus when Nicosia was captured by the Turks so Larnaca was hastily made into the southern airport with a short runway and a few porta cabins, and BMA was subcontacted to operate Cyprus Airways services.

Another lousy day as Britannia Airways Boeing 737 G-BAZG prepares to depart on lease to Yemen Airways.

Seaboard World's DC8 N804SW on lease to IAS.

And finally the ultimate mixture, Eagle Air Iceland's Boeing 720 TF-VLC in Air Malta colours with Britannia Airways titles.

And so we say goodbye to Roger and Reggie till next time.

Number 46 in a Never Ending Series

International Air Tattoo 1979

Welcome, It's going to be a tight squeeze to get you all into the MG Midget today, as we head south down the A34 to make a return visit to RAF Greenham Common for the 1979 Air Tattoo. Today we are looking at some of the Military Executive Aircraft used to transport the Scrambled Egg around the world.

First is Convair R4Y-1  141023 of the US Navy.

Beech Kingair 200 31213 of the USAF.

The Lockheed Jetstar 1 was originally designed for a USAF transport / training requirement but first flew as a twin engine aircraft  with Rolls Royce Orpheus engines  as there was no US engine in that power range, so the change was made to four lower powered units of US origin.

Swearingen Merlin CF05 of the Belgium Airforce

Another aircraft designed for the same USAF requirement as the Jetstar, North American Sabreliner  24461.

And so as the MG Midget roars off up the A34 in a cloud of blue smoke ( I must get those piston rings sorted one day) we bid farewell to Roger and Reggie till nex time.

Number 45 in a Never Ending Series

Vancouver Beavers

Welcome, today we return to May 1981, having left the Austin Metro at Heathrow and winged our way across the pond in an Air Canada Tristar 500, we now explore some of the unknown backwaters of Vancouver International.

So here we are at the Domestic terminal and light aircraft maintenance area on the far side of YVR, and find an unusual visitor in Alaska Civil Air Patrol Beaver N5342G.

At the down town seaplane base we see Beaver C-FCQP moored to the landing stage.

Its a little know fact that as well as the international and domestic terminal YVR also has a seaplane terminal.

Here Beaver C-FGCY taxies up to the slipway.

Beaver C-FOCY  comes ashore at the YVR seaplane slipway.

And so as the sun sets in the west, Roger and Reggie make their way to the international terminal to board the BA 747 to cross back over the pond.