Unwanted Promotion

[Paule]

Gary

If I can't be a Javelin then Leif (DDragon) and I will Skweam in unison for ever and ever.....and ever.

Paul

[DaveB]

Use your imagination mate!! I do

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[nazca_steve]

Three cheers to Hot_Charlie. T'was indeed RAF Binbrook. The Canberras were 85 Sqn, Javs 64 Sqn and the spit PS853 was there doing "secret" missile trials with the Lightnings of AFDS.

Your farthing cheque is in the post.

Now please Mr Moderator, can I be a Javelin? You know what will happen if you say no.

Paul

Do tell more about these secret missile trials - sounds very intriguing...

[Kevin]

Steve,

This should be famous, but isn't: the last (?) operational use of the Spitfire by the RAF.

In 1963 the AFDS conducted what would now be called 'dissimilar air combat' trials between a Spitfire Mk XIX and the EE Lightning.

The reason was that the Indonesian confrontation was starting and while the RAF was confident in its tactics against Indonesia's MiGs, the IAF also operated Mustangs. Battle trials were conducted at Binbrook to determine the best tactics to use against such opposition; the Spitfire served as a 'Mustang analogue'.

To quote from the last chapter of Alfred Price's 'Spitfire at War', AVM John Nicholls wrote:

In the end we evolved a type of attack which was the antithesis of all I had learned from my own operational experience of fighter-versus-fighter combat in Korea: instead of trying to get above the enemy and diving on him to attack, we found it best to use the Lightning's very high power-to-weight ratio to make a climbing attack from behind and below. From that angle the field of view from the Spitfire was poor, there was a good chance of achieving surprise and the infra-red source gave the best chance for missile acquisition. If the Lightning pilot did not acquire the target or bring his guns to bear on his first pass he could continue his steep climb - which the Spitfire could not possibly follow - and when out of range he could dive and repeat the process. Using such tactics, we felt that in the end a competent Lightning pilot could almost always get the better of an equally competent Spitfire (or Mustang) pilot.

John Nicholls was the Wing Commander in charge of the AFDS at the time, and had previously been an operational Spitfire pilot, so he knew both aeroplanes well.

Cheers,

Kevin

[Paule]

Bit of local colour on this.

The Spit pilot was a Flt Lt Stan Sollitt - rumour had it that each night as he tucked his Spit for the night he would kiss both wing tips goodnight. I never saw him do this, but his preflight walk around seemed to involve much more caressing than was necessary.

Wg Cdr John Nicholls (as he then was) had a gorgeous green vintage sports car he used to park outside the AFDS Hangar.

Perhaps because I knew about these 'secret' tests the RAF thought it best to send me to RAF Labuan on my next posting.

Paul