Topics

1

Combat Warplanes / RAF Typhoons Take on Fuel

« on: January 06, 2015, 02:30:28 PM »

A Typhoon FGR4 takes on fuel from a Voyager tanker while en-route to Exercise Red Flag in the United States. Air-air refuelling is an integral part of RAF flying operations and Voyagers, operated by 10 and 101 Squadrons at RAF Brize Norton, provide support to Tornado GR4s on operations over Iraq, and to Typhoons on Quick Reaction Alert in the UK and Falkland Islands. (RAF Facebook Page)

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Miscellaneous Subjects / WWII Document Archive

« on: November 27, 2014, 01:01:05 PM »

An archive of varoius WWII Documents.

https://archive.org/browse.php?field=subject&mediatype=texts&collection=wwIIarchive

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Aircraft Modeling / Supermarine Swift FR.5

« on: November 03, 2014, 03:59:43 PM »

Airfix is to release in Nov 2014 a new tool 1/72nd Supermarine Swift FR.5 kit ref.A04003, the detail looks excellent, will be placing an order for one very soon. M
arkings are for both Nos 2 and 79 Squadrons.

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Combat Warplanes / Classic Avro's

« on: August 26, 2014, 09:42:04 PM »

Images of classic Avro aircraft, of course I'm talking about the Lancaster and the Vulcan.

2014 maybe the only year in which we will see two Avro Lancasters flying together and there is a possibility that the Vulcan may have to stop flying in 2015/16. So it was great to see them flying at the Little Gransden air show.

I was manning a display about the history of Photographic Reconnaissance along with fellow members of the RAF Wyton Heritage Centre who were displaying items from the Pathfinders collection. A great day was had by all and we made a number of new friends and contacts.

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Combat Warplanes / Waddinton Air Show 2014

« on: July 09, 2014, 09:39:06 AM »

Some of my images from this years Waddington Air Show. The 2015 has been cancelled due to major work being undertaken on the Runway next year.

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Combat Warplanes / Royal Air Force Typhoons Intercept Russian Aircraft

« on: June 21, 2014, 04:12:19 PM »

RAF Typhoons were yesterday (Tuesday 17 June) scrambled to intercept multiple Russian aircraft as part of NATO’s ongoing mission to police Baltic airspace.

The Typhoon aircraft, from 3 (Fighter) Squadron, were launched after four separate groups of aircraft were detected by NATO air defences in international airspace near to the Baltic States.

Once airborne, the British jets identified the aircraft as a Russian Tupolev Tu22 ‘Backfire’ bomber, four Sukhoi Su27 ‘Flanker’ fighters, one Beriev A50 ‘Mainstay’ early warning aircraft and an Antonov An26 ‘Curl’ transport aircraft who appeared to be carrying out a variety of routine training. The Russian aircraft were monitored by the RAF Typhoons and escorted on their way.

The Typhoon pilots involved in the operation were Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Mark Long of 29 (Reserve) Squadron (the Typhoon operational training unit) and a French Air Force exchange pilot Commandant Marc-Antoine Gerrard who is currently attached to 1(Fighter) Squadron.
Flt Lt Long said: “The Typhoon is a superb aircraft that makes intercepting other aircraft exceptionally easy, today’s interception of the Russian Flankers is all in days work for an RAF fighter pilot.”

Typhoon Detachment Commander Wing Commander Ian Townsend said:
“We regularly intercept Russian and civilian aircraft from UK Quick Reaction Alert and so this type of mission is core business for us and exactly what we were sent to the Baltic region by NATO to do. It was a thoroughly successful operation with both my groundcrew and aircrew performing to the exacting professional high standards I have come to expect.”

Photographs: SAC Dan Herrick

RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2014

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Combat Warplanes / Newark Air Museum Cockpit Fest 2014

« on: June 16, 2014, 04:24:13 PM »

Newark Air Museum Cockpit Fest, private owners bring their cockpits for display, you even get to climb in some of them.

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Aircraft Modeling / Model Display

« on: June 14, 2014, 08:09:29 PM »

Model display at Newark Air Museum, an event which was part of the Cockpit Fest.

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Combat Warplanes / Duxford D-Day Anniversary Air Show

« on: June 09, 2014, 02:25:39 PM »

On the 25th May I attended the D-Day Anniversary air show at Duxford, here are some of the shots I took.

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Combat Warplanes / New Collection of Images

« on: May 09, 2014, 01:26:00 PM »

Just added the following images to my collection. I understand that they were taken in the Toburk area, date unknown, by a member of N.462 Royal Australian Air Force.

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Combat Warplanes / The last two flying Lancasters to meet

« on: February 26, 2014, 08:05:26 PM »

The last two Lancaster bombers still flying in the world will come together in a series of events this summer, in a meeting unlikely to happen ever again.

The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (RAF BBMF) based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire will welcome the arrival of a very special guest during August 2014 when the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM) fly their prized Avro Lancaster to the UK for a month long visit.

The Canadian Lancaster will join the only other airworthy Lancaster in the world, owned and operated by the RAF BBMF, and participate in several events and activities while overseas.

The CWHM Lancaster will depart from Hamilton, Ontario on August 4th with plans to arrive in England on August 8th. The North Atlantic crossing will include en-route stops at Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, Narsarsuaq, Greenland, and Keflavik Iceland, prior to arriving in the UK.Shortly after arriving, the Lancaster will undergo a scheduled maintenance inspection. The CWHM crews will then complete a short training program with the BBMF in preparation to participate in several air displays and fly pasts with the BBMF Lancaster and fighters starting on August 14th. These displays will celebrate the exceptionally close British/Canadian relationship and to commemorate the sacrifice and dedication of Commonwealth Bomber crews and the professionalism of both nations’ air forces today. The CWHM Lancaster will also conduct a limited number of UK Bomber Membership flights from Humberside Airport, flying over historic Lincolnshire for those fortunate few who have obtained CWHM UK Bomber Memberships.

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum President and CEO, Sqn Ldr (Ret.) David G. Rohrer C.D. who is a current Lancaster pilot, stated that this Trans Atlantic crossing and visit to the BBMF and England is a "Once in a Lanc Time" event as it will not happen again. Rohrer indicated that this year, "a rare window of opportunity was identified to bring the last two flying Lancasters in the world together as a special salute to all the veterans of Bomber Command, many of whom are in their late 80s or older now." It is also an opportunity for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to fly together and showcase a flying display and tribute to all those who served in the time of need, in Canada, Britain, and the entire Commonwealth, that likely will never be seen again.

Officer Commanding the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Sqn Ldr Dunc Mason said “To see these two aircraft flying at events together will be a unique sight and also the opportunity to truly commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Lest We Forget.”

Source - RAF Website.

Hope to be able to see them both display 

Mick

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Combat Warplanes / First flight trials of Taranis aircraft

« on: February 06, 2014, 05:14:16 PM »

The most advanced aircraft ever built by British engineers made its maiden flight at an undisclosed test range on Saturday 10 August 2013 under the command of BAE Systems test pilot Bob Fraser. MOD has today revealed that the demonstrator aircraft made a perfect take-off, rotation, ‘climb-out’ and landing on its 15-minute first flight. A number of flights took place last year, of up to 1 hour in duration and at a variety of altitudes and speeds.
The Taranis demonstrator is the result of 1.5 million man-hours of work by the UK’s leading scientists, aerodynamicists and systems engineers from 250 UK companies.The aircraft has been designed to demonstrate the UK’s ability to create an unmanned air system which, under the control of a human operator, is capable of undertaking sustained surveillance, marking targets, gathering intelligence, deterring adversaries and carrying out strikes in hostile territory. The findings from the aircraft’s flights prove that the UK has developed a significant lead in understanding unmanned aircraft which can strike with precision over a long range whilst remaining undetected.

The technological advances made through Taranis will also help MOD and the Royal Air Force make decisions on the future mix of manned and unmanned fast jet aircraft and how they will operate together in a safe and effective manner for the UK’s defences. Costing £185 million and funded jointly by MOD and UK industry, the Taranis demonstrator aircraft was formally unveiled in July 2010, but only a very limited number of scientists and engineers have ever been given full access to the top secret aircraft.
Initial ‘power-up’ or ground testing commenced later in 2010 at BAE Systems’ military aircraft factory in Warton, Lancashire, followed by a comprehensive and highly detailed programme of pre-first-flight milestones. These included unmanned pilot training, radar cross-section measurements, ground station system integration and, in April 2013, taxi trials on the runway at Warton.
The aircraft and its ground station were then shipped from Warton to the test-range before being reassembled and undergoing systems and diagnostics checks. Taranis then made a number of high speed taxi tests in July before its maiden flight in August 2013.

Source - MOD

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Combat Warplanes / RAF Photo Competition 2013

« on: December 16, 2013, 03:11:50 PM »

Here are just some of the 1,000 images submitted to the 2013 RAF Photographic Competition. I hope to post more later.

It feels strange that for the first time in over 5 years I was not running the competition but I have to say that my replacement Warrant Officer Gareth Bufton did a truly excellent job. He invited me to the presentations at the RAF Club, London in October and the display was outstanding! The photographic trade within the RAF is very small, only 139 in total, and each year the trade has to fight for its existence. There are a number of Senior Officers that think that anyone can take a photo, but looking at the examples above I think that is totally not true, it takes a professional to take these. I was once told by a very senior officer that it "most be great to do my hobby as a trade", I replied, "Sir I can cook would you like me to cook dinner for you tonight!" My boss looked very mad, however, the senior officer laughed and then shook my hand.
I feel honored to have been the senior photographer and to have worked with truly professional and gifted photographers and it is great to see that the trade ins in "good-hands" for the future years.

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Market / RAF Historical Society Journals

« on: October 15, 2013, 07:38:55 PM »

Here is a link to free downloads of RAF Historical Society Journals. Some very interesting reading. 

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/default/raf-historical-society-journals.aspx

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Combat Warplanes / New imagery from my collection

« on: June 28, 2013, 11:53:46 AM »

Just obtained the following images of the Supermarine Swift FR.5.

Some background of the aircraft -

"The first flight of the Swift (Supermarine Type 510) was in December 1948, it was the first British jet aircraft with swept wings and tail plane. Trials were undertaken on aircraft carriers and as such, the Swift became the first swept-wing jet to land and take-off from an aircraft carrier; the US would carry this out a number of years later. Sad to say, the Royal Navy lost interest in the Swift."