RAF Abingdon 1968 Part 3 - Prop Aircraft

[PeteP]

The final selection of slides taken at RAF Abingdon in June 1968. This time it's a "bumper-bundle" (as they used to say on 'Two-Way Family Favourites') of prop-driven aircraft.

All photos by Michael Harries and are © 2007 The Tangmere Military Aviation Trust.
Pete


Vickers Wellington X MF628


Hawker Tempest V NV778 (ex-MkVI SN219)


Supermarine Spitfire I K9942, 79 Squadron


DH Mosquito B35 TA639


Westland Lysander III R9125, 225 Squadron


Hawker Hurricane I P2617, 607 Squadron


Boulton Paul Defiant N1671


Bristol Beaufighter X RD867, 600 Squadron


Miles Magister I T9967 (ex-G-AKKR)


North American Harvard KF183


DH Chipmunk T10 WP861, London UAS


Boulton Paul Sea Balliol WL732, A&AEE Boscombe Down


Vickers Varsity T1 WJ917


Vickers Valetta C1 VW197


Twin Pioneer CC2 XL993


Avro Lincoln BII RF398


Avro Shackleton MR3 WR988, 203 Squadron


Percival Proctor II Z7197 (ex-G-AKZN)


Hunting Pembroke C1 WV734


Avro Anson C19 TX213


Handley Page Hastings C1 TG527


DH Devon C1 VP960


Douglas Dakota IV KN452


Blackburn Beverley XH124


Beagle Basset C1 XS779


Auster Antarctic WE600

[Garry Russell]

Thanks again Pete.

The Devon is unusual as it has not been modified to C3? standard with Mk.7/8 mods.

Nice to see XH124 again.....a Beverley I went aboard when it visited my local. That was the last time I saw a Beverley as it flew away.........until I met up with '124 again at Hendon the year before they broke it up :-( .

Always nice to see a Varsity.......an amusing type to see in real life with undercarriage so short it just about reached the ground :roll: ...With the pannier one could barely see any ground clearance at distance.

The Valetta and Hastings are also the last of their type I saw in operation.........not surprising as they were about the last of their respective types in use.

The Beaufighter had been the subject of an article the year before (1967) when it had been realised the type was just about gone and the RAF museum managed to make one up using that basic frame and some other bits and pieces. Many more bits came to light since but that and a few other groups and individuals who realised the aviation heritage was fast dissappearing, represents pretty well the start of the restoration culture that has saved so many since.

Garry

[Jon.M]

Pete,

Thanks again for taking the trouble to post these photos.

This could be a dumb question, but that's nothing new from me. Were all these planes airworthy at the time or did some have to be transported to Abingdon by other means?

Jon

[ianhind]

I thought that some were transported from museum locations.

[Garry Russell]

Some at least were not airworthy.

As Ian mentions they were brought in

Garry

[Motormouse]

Its' not British, but IIRC Harvard KF183 is still on active service?

ttfn

Pete

[Jon.M]

I thought they can't all have been airworthy in the late sixties.

Transporting planes to the show in some ways makes it an even more impressive event. They'd never do it today.

Jon

[PeteP]

Transporting planes to the show in some ways makes it an even more impressive event. They'd never do it today.

Well, the way things are going, when they have the RAF's 100th Anniversary air display in 11 years time, they'll have to empty the museums to have anything at all to display! ;-)
PP

[Garry Russell]

You could also argue they have a living museum.......it's called the active fleet. :-(

Garry

[nigelb]

Thanks for all these fantastic pics, Pete! The HP Hastings nose certainly looks like it sits very high off the ground - and those guys could not hit shift-enter to change their viepoint.