Strikemaster...

[petermcleland]

http://www.haringey-today.co.uk/News.cf ... %20fighter

[grumpyoldb]

I thought strikemasters were export only? I can't recall seeing them in RAF training colours.
Looks to me like a JP. I don't recall JP's being fitted with weapons either.

Funny story.

[petermcleland]

Strikemasters are Jet Provosts...They fired rockets and guns. They operated in parts of Arabia and a friend of mine from 266 Squadron flew them operationally in an Air Force out there...I think it was the Sultan of Omans Air Force. I have some letters from him describing some of the sorties

Yes, I have just been re-reading his very interesting letter...He was a contract officer in the SOAF, a Flight Lieutenant in 1970...There was a nasty little war going on in Oman in the southern province of Dofar and he spent three years on ops with Strikemasters. The weapons config was usually 2 x 250lb MC bombs, 16 x SURA rockets (Swiss manufacture, and superb for ground attack, with very little gravity drop) and 2 x 7.62 GPMGs.

[grumpyoldb]

Sorry Peter, I wasn't trying to contradict you, but the information I have is that the JP didn't have wing hardpoints for weapons whereas.............. "the Strikemaster was modified with an uprated engine, wing hardpoints, a strengthened airframe, new communication and navigation gear, uprated ejection seats, a revised fuel system, and shortened landing gear."

The picture in the article is one of an ex RAF jet Provost trainer and not a strikemaster.

[stcame]

I have to agree with grumpyoldb, the articles shows either a JP TMk3, 3A or even a T Mk4, although the T4 was normally to be seen camouflaged. The BAC-167 Strikemaster is not a Jet Provost. The Strikemaster was a development of the Jet Provost, in fact a development of the JP Mk5A utilising a stronger wing with additional hard points, upgraded avionics and importantly an uprated engine. Hope this helps.

It's been a long time, but I flew the JP at Charlie Foxtrot in the early eighties.

Eric

[petermcleland]

Yes I flew a couple of flights the the JP in 1969...The first was in a Mark3 XM455 and the other was in a Mark 4 but I failed to note the registration of that one but it was a great flight and I did some close formation flying. At the time I was no longer in the RAF but I was visiting an RAF station on an Air Training Corps summer camp. The Boss of the JP squadron was an old friend from the RAF and he invited me for the flight in the Mk3 and allowed me to do the whole flight. I heard about the formation practice flight on the next day and asked if I could go...The Boss said "Yes Mac!" and he fixed it!

I knew nothing about the Strikemaster but a dear friend from my days on 266 Squadron did some work for Airwork and that was ferrying out three Strikemasters to the SOAF...On one of those flights he heard they were looking for pilots and he filled out the necessary forms and got the contract...He flew the Strikemasters on ops for three years and then returned to UK and did some more work for Airwork on Hunter T8s and GA11s. In 1975, he returned to the SOAF to fly Defenders (military version of the B.N. Islander) and Skyvans, doing both military and Civil Aid tasks...He was promoted to Squadron Leader.

He was a good friend and we had some adventures together in Germany on 266 Squadron in the Fifties...Sadly, He died last year.

[stcame]

Hi Peter - Thank you for your reply, I have followed your many very interesting posts over the years on this site and others, a fantastic story to tell - an RAF long gone I'm afraid; I have just left after 36 years: however, still working in the industry. During my time on 7 FTS at Church Fenton (CF) I had the opportunity to fly in a great many of the T Mk3s and the T Mk5s, I photographed all the remaining JPs is RAF service during 84 - 88 before moving onto Phantoms, ending my time in the RAF on the Typhoon. Likely I was able to use my resettlement to complete an instrument rating, how things have changed from the days of Chipmunks of 8 AEF at Shawbury.

Kind rgds

Eric

[petermcleland]

Hi Eric,

I do remember Church Fenton well...It was November and December 1958...I was based at Leconfield and using Anson VL357 as comms for 275 S&R Squadron with Sycamores. They closed the runway at Leconfield for extension and re-surfacing, so we positioned the Anson to Church Fenton and had to drive by car to and from it each day. The Anson stayed at CF overnight. It was on the 9th December that I flew the Anson from CF to Horsham St. Faith to deliver some spare...While having lunch at the Mess I heard that a Squadron Leader Ramirez was looking for Venom experienced pilots to form a squadron in Aden. I found that he was no longer at Horsham and had gone to West Rainham for some Venom familiarisation...I rang there but found they were all on a long weekend from Friday to Tuesday...So, I got myself put through the the married quarter of Wing Commander Coulthard (he had been my Boss on 266 Squadron in Germany and also at Pembrey where I had been the Wing Weapons Officer before the Duncan Sandys white paper has closed it and many other places down).

Anyway, I got through to the Boss and asked him to let Sqn.Ldr. Ramirez know that I existed and was keen to go...His reply was "I can do better than that Mac! When I get back in on Tuesday I will ring the Air Ministry".
Well on Jan 11th 1959 I flew one of 8 Squadrons Venoms for a refamil and then got on an airliner down to Nairobi to get a venom for our new squadron and I flew it back from Eastleigh to Khormaksar. It transpired that there was no room for us at Khormaksar so we had to form our new squadron at Eastleigh, Nairobi. It was briefly 142 Squadron and then with the disbanding of 208 Squadron in Cyprus, we took their number...That started the best three years of my life really and it is documented here:-
http://www.petermcleland.com/dl/208_Squ ... ya_PDF.zip

[Garry Russell]

The early JP were Hunting Percival trainers....up to T.Mk.4

The BAC 167 was a development as the Strikemaster AKA Jet Provost T Mk.5

[stcame]

Hi Peter, Yes indeed CF was a very nice station, it still retained all of its charm in the early eighties. I was posted to 7 FTS in Apr 84 and proceeded to Leeming as instructed by the helpful PSF, on arriving at Leeming I was told, don't unpack, the FTS has moved to CF, quick drive down the A1 turn left at Sherburn, wiz past the Fenton Flyer and through a time warp into CF in my MG, just like in the post cards, then the SWO got me for no hat.

The origins of the Jet Provost is a very interesting story, yes it was a Hunting Percival design manufactured at Luton, I can't recall where the T Mk4s were built, the T Mk5 was built at Warton by the then BAC as was the Strikemaster. Incidently BAC absorbed Hunting Pervcival in 1959. There is a very good historical section at Warton run by volunteers, within the section is a wealth of achive material on the early days of BAC; even more important many of the chaps who run the Historical section worked for English Electric in days gone-bye and have very interesting stories to tell.

Kind rgds

Eric