raf cosford Archives - Page 7 of 15

Sopwith 1½ Strutter

This Sopwith 1½ Strutter was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Sopwith two-seater, quickly named the 1½ Strutter because of the unusual arrangement of its central mainplane bracing struts, was designed in 1915 as a high performance fighting aircraft. It was ordered in large numbers for both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service and it was widely used by escadrilles of the French Aviation Militaire as well as Belgian and United States air forces.

This aircraft was built to original Sopwith factory drawings and flown in 1980.

More photographs of the Sopwith 1½ Strutter.

Sopwith Pup

The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristics and good manoeuvrability, the aircraft proved very successful and was regarded by many pilots at the perfect flying machine.

This Pup was at RAF Cosford. Built in 1916 and flew on the Western Front. It was extensively rebuilt this plane was recovered from France around 1960.

It last flew in 1976.

Many thought the name “Pup” was undignified and wanted the aircraft to be referred to as the Sopwith Scout, which did more than anything else to ensure the name Pup was used.

More photographs of the Sopwith Pup.

Consolidated PBY Catalina

The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served with the RAF, as well as every branch of the United States Armed Force, and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. The last military PBYs served until the 1980s. The aircraft continues to fly as a waterbomber (or airtanker) in aerial firefighting operations in some parts of the world. None remain in military service.

This PBY Catalina was on display at RAF Cosford.

This was a Royal Danish Air Force Catalina.

I have always found this an interesting plane design. I once had a 1/300th metal model of it, which never stayed together due to the way the wings are connected to the fuselage. That was a badly designed model kit.

More photographs of the Consolidated PBY Catalina.

Lockheed SP-2H Neptune

The P-2H Neptune is a land based maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft. It was designed during WWII and is powered by two piston engines and two jet pods to assist in take-off and for extra power when required to reach submarine contacts.

Its first flight was on 15 May 1945 and squadron delivery was in March 1947.

More than 1100 were built and no other post war maritime patrol aircraft has been built in such large numbers.

More photographs of the Lockheed SP-2H Neptune.

Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1

I made a return visit to RAF Museum at Cosford. I was last there in 2017. I am impressed with the range and variety of aircraft on display at RAF Cosford.

The Nimrod maritime reconnaissance aircraft was derived from the Comet airliner. It had a flight crew of four (two pilots, a flight engineer and one navigator) and up to 25 crew operating the SIGINT equipment.

It originally entered RAF service in 1969 in MR.1 variant to replace the Avro Shackleton. From 1979 35 aircraft were upgraded to the improved MR.2 standard. Nimrod continued in service until 2010 when its successor, the MRA4 was cancelled. The aircraft was modified to carry wing mounted Sidewinder air-air missiles for self -defence during the Falklands conflict in 1982, they were known as the RAF’s biggest fighter! Less successful was the airborne early warning version, Nimrod AEW3 which was test flown but did not enter service.

The three Nimrod R.1 electronic-intelligence gathering aircraft entered service in 1971. They carried up to 29 crew and were involved in all major conflicts in the latter part of the 20th and early 21st centuries. When one of the original aircraft was lost following an accident in 1997, XV249 selected as a replacement and, after conversion, flew with No 51 Squadron from RAF Waddington. It took part in operation Ellamy over Libya in 2011 thus remaining operational until its withdrawal from squadron service on 28 June 2011. It arrived at RAF Cosford in 2012.

The Nimrod certainly needed a good clean and had a lot of moss growing on it.

More photographs of the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R1.

Hawker Siddeley Dominie T.Mk.1

I made a return visit to RAF Museum at Cosford. I was last there in 2017. I am impressed with the range and variety of aircraft on display at RAF Cosford. The first aircraft you see (well apart from the VC10, the Hercules by the car park, oh and the huge Bristol Britannia 312!

So once you have entered the museum, proper, the first aircraft you see is the Hawker Siddeley Dominie T.Mk.1 a navigation trainer that was used by the RAF.

The Dominie advanced navigation trainer was used for a long time with the Royal Air Force. It was the first jet-powered navigation trainer designed specifically for such a purpose to enter service with the Royal Air Force. The Dominie T1 was used to train weapon systems officers and operators, air engineers and air loadmasters in systems management, air leadership, decision making and teamwork.

It entered service in 1965 and was developed from the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 a twin-engine mid-size business jet.

This particular Dominie was retired in January 2011.

More photographs of the Hawker Siddeley Dominie T.Mk.1

Vickers VC10 XR808

The VC10 was designed as a long range airliner able to operate from short runways at airfields in hot and high conditions as found in Africa and the Far East.

The rear engine configuration meant that the cabin was very quiet. The aircraft had a high cruising mach number and had very good short field performance. However, this was achieved at the cost of very high fuel burn in the cruise which may explain why the aircraft attracted few overseas customers.

In the later part of its service the aircraft was modified for the tanking role but kept its passenger and freight carrying ability.

A gallery of photos can be viewed of VC10 XR808’s journey to RAF Cosford here.

There was a civilian VC10 at Duxford.

de Havilland Tiger Moth

The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft.

In addition to the type’s principal use for initial training, the Second World War had RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers.

de Havilland Chipmunk

One of the RAF’s longest serving aircraft types, the Canadian designed Chipmunk entered RAF service in 1950. Chipmunks replaced the Tiger Moth as an initial pilot trainer, offering relatively modern features such as flaps, brakes, radio and an enclosed cockpit.

They also equipped the RAF’s University Air Squadrons until 1973. Although the type was retired from flying training in 1993, Chipmunks continued to serve with the RAF’s Air Experience Flights until 1996, with which many thousands of Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force cadets have had their first taste of flight. Over seven-hundred Chipmunks were built for the RAF, some of which also served with the Army and the Royal Navy. A substantial number of civilian Chipmunks are still flying in countries around the world.

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.