raf cosford Archives - Page 4 of 15

Hunter T.7A XL568

The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing, and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF.

XL568 was first flown, as a T.7, in 1958. She was delivered to 74 Squadron and later converted to a T.7A. Continuing to serve with 74, she also passed through the hands of 237 OCU before ending her active duty days with 208 and later 12 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, where she was painted in Black Arrows colours in her final years of flying.

She was retired to ground instructional duties at RAF Cranwell and in early February 2002 was acquired by the RAF Museum for display at Cosford. Losing her black scheme and being repainted in early training colours, she is now on display in a dramatic pose inside the Cold War Exhibition.

More photographs of the Hunter T.7A.

Photographs of the Hawker Hunter F.6A at Duxford.

Photographs of the Hawker Hunter FGA9 at RAF London.

Hungarian MiG-21PF Fishbed

A Hungarian MiG-21PF at RAF Cosford.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was one of the most successful and numerous aircraft ever built, with over 10,000 produced. The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aircraft combining fighter and interceptor characteristics in a single airframe.

The MiG-21 was introduced into service in 1959 and was used by the Soviet Union and many other countries around the world. It saw extensive combat use in the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli Wars, and the Indo-Pakistani War. The MiG-21 was retired from Soviet service in 1993, but it is still in use by a number of countries, including India, China, and Vietnam.

The MiG-21 is a small, lightweight aircraft with a delta wing. It is powered by a single Tumansky R-13M-300 turbojet engine, which gives it a top speed of Mach 2.1. The MiG-21 is armed with a variety of weapons, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and cannons.

The MiG-21 is a highly maneuverable aircraft, and it was known for its ability to perform high-g turns. However, it was also criticized for its lack of range and its limited avionics.

Despite its shortcomings, the MiG-21 was a highly successful aircraft. It was simple to fly and maintain, and it was relatively inexpensive to produce. This made it a popular choice for many countries, and it helped to shape the course of air combat during the Cold War.

More photographs of the MiG-21 Fishbed.

National Cold War Exhibition at RAF Cosford

Some photographs from the National Cold War Exhibition at RAF Cosford.

By employing the atomic bomb for the first time against Japan, humanity demonstrated its newfound capability to annihilate itself completely. Winston Churchill remarked, following the conclusion of World War II, that an “Iron Curtain” had descended upon Europe.

Following more than five years of intense warfare in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East, there ensued a period of over 40 years during which the East and West found themselves on opposite sides of an ideological chasm, with the terrifying specter of nuclear devastation keeping them apart. This era became known as “The Cold War.”

During the early years of the Cold War, the responsibility for Britain’s nuclear deterrent rested with the Royal Air Force, utilizing the “V Force” and “Thor” missiles. Eventually, this deterrent was transferred to the submarines of the Royal Navy. The National Cold War Exhibition explores the ideologies of both sides, delves into the social history of the era, showcases the technological advancements born out of the East-West competition, and examines the eventual dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, which has shaped the world we inhabit today.

Consequently, the Cold War narrative extends far beyond aviation alone. This national exhibition strives to enlighten and educate present and future generations about the immense threat that jeopardised global peace and security during this pivotal period of the 20th century.

Centurion Mark 3 Tank

This Centurion Mark 3 Tank was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Centurion tank was one of the most successful post-war tank designs. It was introduced in 1945, just too late to see combat in the Second World War. However, it went on to serve in a number of conflicts, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Arab-Israeli wars.

The Centurion was a well-balanced tank with a good mix of armament, armor, and mobility. It was armed with a 105mm rifled gun, which was capable of firing both high-explosive and armor-piercing rounds. The Centurion’s armor was also very effective, and it was able to withstand the fire of most enemy tanks. The tank was also highly mobile, and it was able to keep up with the latest advances in tank warfare.

The Centurion’s success was due to a number of factors. First, it was a very well-designed tank. The designers took into account the lessons learned from the Second World War, and they incorporated a number of features that made the Centurion a formidable fighting machine. Second, the Centurion was well-maintained and well-equipped. The British Army took great care of its Centurion tanks, and they were always ready for action. Third, the Centurion was used by a number of different countries. This gave the tank a wide range of experience, and it helped to identify and correct any weaknesses in the design.

The Centurion tank was a major success, and it played a significant role in a number of conflicts. It was a well-designed, well-maintained, and well-equipped tank that was able to withstand the fire of most enemy tanks. The Centurion’s success is a testament to the British Army’s engineering prowess and its ability to learn from the lessons of the past.

More photographs of the RAF Cosford Centurion Tank.

Photographs of the Centurion Tank Mk 3 at Duxford.

Photographs of the Centurion Mk I at Bovington.

Team Yankee Centurion Mk 5 Miniatures Gallery

Centurion Mk 5 Workbench

Hawker Siddeley Kestrel F(GA).1 at RAF Cosford

The Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 along with the Hawker P.1127 are the experimental and development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) jet fighter-bomber.

The Hawker Siddeley Kestrel F(GA).1 was on display at RAF Cosford.

Development began in 1957, taking advantage of the Bristol Engine Company’s choice to invest in the creation of the Pegasus vectored-thrust engine. Testing began in July 1960 and by the end of the year the aircraft had achieved both vertical take-off and horizontal flight. The test program also explored the possibility of use upon aircraft carriers, landing on HMS Ark Royal in 1963. The first three aircraft crashed during testing, one at the 1963 Paris Air Show.

Improvements to future development aircraft, such as swept wings and more powerful Pegasus engines, led to the development of the Kestrel. The Kestrel was evaluated by the Tri-partite Evaluation Squadron, made up of military pilots from the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany. Later flights were conducted by the U.S. military and NASA.

Another view of the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel F(GA).1 from an earlier visit to RAF Cosford.

British Aerospace EAP

The British Aerospace EAP (Experimental Aircraft Programme) was a British technology demonstrator aircraft developed by aviation company British Aerospace (BAe) as a private venture. It was designed to research technologies to be used for a future European combat aircraft, and eventually formed the basis for the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon.

The EAP first flew on August 8, 1986, and made its public debut at the Farnborough Air Show later that year. It was powered by two Turbo-Union RB199 engines and had a maximum speed of Mach 1.4. The aircraft was made of carbon fiber composites and titanium, and featured a number of innovative technologies, including fly-by-wire controls, relaxed static stability, and an advanced radar system.

The EAP flew for over 200 hours and helped to validate many of the technologies that would later be used on the Eurofighter Typhoon. It was retired in 1991, but its legacy lives on in the Typhoon, which is one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world.

It is now on display at RAF Cosford, and here are more photographs.

BAC TSR-2

The TSR-2 was a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) for the Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

This is one of the three prototypes, XR220, at RAF Cosford.

The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 was a strike and reconnaissance aircraft that was developed for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was designed to be a high-speed, low-level aircraft that could penetrate well-defended enemy airspace and attack targets with nuclear or conventional weapons.

The TSR-2 was a radical design for its time. It had a delta wing, which gave it excellent low-speed performance, and two powerful engines that allowed it to fly at Mach 2. It was also equipped with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite that would have made it difficult for enemy radar to track.

The TSR-2 was cancelled in 1965 due to a combination of factors, including rising costs, political opposition, and the changing nature of warfare. However, it remains one of the most iconic British aircraft ever designed.

Although never developed beyond the prototype stage, the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2 was one of the most exciting and controversial British combat aircraft designs of the 1960s.

The cancellation of the project is a subject of great discussion and debate to this day.

Boulton Paul Defiant

This Boulton Paul Defiant was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British two-seat turret fighter aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a “turret fighter”, without any fixed forward-firing guns, a design also found in the Blackburn Roc of the Royal Navy.

During 1935, the concept of a turret-armed defensive fighter to counter the bomber threat emerged during a time in which the RAF anticipated having to defend Great Britain against massed formations of unescorted enemy bombers. The RAF did not expect bombers to be escorted by fighters because fighters would not have the range to reach the UK from Germany. In theory, turret-armed fighters would approach an enemy bomber from below or from the side and coordinate their fire. The separation of the tasks of flying the aircraft and firing the guns would allow the pilot to concentrate on putting the fighter into the best position for the gunner to engage the enemy. However, manually-traversed turrets were viewed as having becoming more problematic and increasingly inadequate to effectively respond to ever-faster hostile aircraft, thus there was considerable interest in using a power-augmented turret.

The Defiant entered service in December 1939, and initially achieved some success during the Battle of Britain, shooting down 65 German aircraft. However, its lack of forward-firing guns made it vulnerable to attacks from the front, and it was soon withdrawn from front-line service. The Defiant was later used as a night fighter, and also for air-sea rescue and target towing.

In mid-1942 it was replaced by better performing night-fighters, the Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito.

The Defiant was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and had a maximum speed of 489 km/h. It was armed with four .303 Browning machine guns in a rear-facing turret. The Defiant had a crew of two: the pilot and the rear gunner.

The Defiant was a capable aircraft, but it was ultimately limited by its design. Its lack of forward-firing guns made it vulnerable to attacks from the front, and it was also relatively slow and had a limited range. Despite these limitations, the Defiant played an important role in the Battle of Britain, and it continued to serve with the RAF until the end of the war.

A total of 1,033 Defiants were built, and the type was retired from RAF service in 1945. They were used to test ejection seats before being retired.

On a previous visit the Boulton Paul Defiant was being assembled.

Fairey Delta 2 at RAF Cosford

The Fairey Delta 2 was a British supersonic research aircraft produced by the Fairey Aviation Company in response to a specification from the Ministry of Supply for a specialised aircraft for conducting investigations into flight and control at transonic and supersonic speeds. Features included a delta wing and a drooped nose. On 6 October 1954, the Delta 2 made its maiden flight, flown by Fairey test pilot Peter Twiss; two aircraft would be produced. The Delta 2 was the final aircraft to be produced by Fairey as an independent manufacturer.

The Fairey Delta 2 was the first jet aircraft to exceed 1000 mph in level flight. On 10 March 1956, it set a new world speed record of 1,132 mph. The Delta 2 held the absolute World Air Speed Record for over a year. It continued to be used for flight testing, and was allocated to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in 1958.

Another photograph of the Fairey Delta 2.

Hawker Hart

This Hawker Hart was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircraft in the inter-war period, but was obsolete and already side-lined for newer monoplane aircraft designs by the start of the Second World War, playing only minor roles in the conflict before being retired.

You could imagine though in the timeline of the A Very British Civil War that the Hawker Hart could have been used in that conflict.