Original news reel footage of Victors flying at 'Tree Top' levels and the Blue Steel Missile
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Test Pilot - John R Blatch
I recently exchanged a few tweets with Andre about the sale of XL164 at Gatwick. My father, John R Blatch, flew the jet in the 1960s and Andre asked me to write a brief blog about his time.
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| Flying Officer John R Blatch in front of his Vampire Mk 9 (WR244) at RAF Deversoir circa 1953 |
Typically I suppose, I was rather dismissive of my father’s career when I was younger. Now, as an adult with my own children I look with some wonderment at his flying log books. After starting out as an apprentice mechanic, he became an RAF fighter pilot and went on to spend most of the 1960s flying pretty much everything the UK had as a trials pilot at Boscombe Down.
His log books would make most modern day RAF pilots misty eyed. I counted 8 different aircraft in ten trips in June 1959 alone. Types flown include 748, Anson, Argosy, B-47, Canberra, Devon, Dragonfly, Gannet, Gnat, Hastings, Hunter, Javelin, Fairey Junior, Lightning, Lincoln, Meteor, Tipsy Nipper, Oxford, Pembroke, Seahawk, Shackleton, Swift, Sycamore, Twin Pioneer, Valetta, Vampire, Venom, and of course the mighty v-force: Valiant Victor, Vulcan. That, believe it or not, is not a comprehensive list!
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| Two of his ‘V-Bombers’ Victor XA918 & Vulcan XM648 from Boscombe Down circa 1965 |
Of the V-Bombers, he flew the Victor the least, but took up 10 different airframes, of which XH673 survives as a gate guard at Marham and the aforementioned nose section of XL164 is up for sale…
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| Victor XL164, Farnborough 1960s |
His Victor trips include log book comments such as ‘Auto Pilot Stability’, ‘Handling – 180,000 lbs’ and ‘Window Drop’.
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| Vulcan XH534 at Farnborough 1960 |
I continue to trace the aircraft he flew, I have a pretty comprehensive list that shows most ended at the scrap yard, some were lost in accidents but a surprising number remain in tact, with one Harvard KF183, still in service I believe.
A more varied flying career it would be hard to find. Dad is still going strong by the way, now 81.
James Blatch
Monday, 17 September 2012
Major Fairy Tales from the land of Dragons!
It’s October 1982, the Falklands Conflict has come and gone and a new fresh faced J/T arrives from his fitters course. St Athan, near Rhoose Airport (as then) South Wales was like Marmite to RAF Technicians, it was either you loved it or you didn’t. Other words do come to mind I recall hearing from others but I loved it. This was a choice to return to Saints as I came from Devon, was currently seeing a girl in Devon so was easy to get home for weekends, hours of work were regular, even flexible, you got pestered by an odd exercise and Mineval/Taceval, but I was happy, Saints was a chosen posting since I was there before as a mechanic and knew the score.
To others, Saints wasn’t their idea of fun, many a time new “fellows” would come to say they wouldn’t be there long, it wasn’t the real RAF and they would escape!
As a mechanic I was on No3 Engineering Sqn Vulcan Majors. I spent a happy time there, good mates; wonder where they all are now.
I gained experience and was selected for and completed my fitters course, returning to unit and be posted to, what, no Tin Triangles?.... but No2 Engineering Sqn Victor majors. No difference you may say, but yes, Vulcans were maintained by an all RAF techie force, Victors were maintained by half RAF, half civilian. This meant my boss was a TTO III, a Welshman to boot!
So, the Victor Major service, the details, I can’t recall how long we had them for, (two at a time I do remember) 3 month turnaround comes to mind. Jobs to do, strip out LRU’s for bay servicing, system inspection, rectification and modification. Ah the mods, we had good ones to do, (translates to awkward), SRIM 3992 the removal of defunct “Blue Saga” and fitting RWR and PWR, sounds simple.
The wiring went from the nose to the tale, the top of the tail, we all know the “pointed bits on the tail”. So remove all the trunking along the route, days tasks in itself, sort the cabling, loom it in; without twists. Oh what fun, lying behind the Nav’s desk laying cable in the summer, all day, hey I was slim then! The mods involved all the trades, leckies for the power supplies, riggers for the airframe mods to accommodate our kit, so all in all a team job. It was always a sense of job well done when it all worked, oh apart from a leckie who set off the fire bottles with a Megger as he was testing the fire wire, but that’s another story, I can still see the image in my mind of the jet emerging from the haze of the extinguishant and a red faced leckie...oooopps.
Some jobs on the SRIM were good some were bad, I always enjoyed putting the looms into the rear freight bay as it allowed me to make a tidy job with lacing cord! I have satisfied my OCD in 231’s cabin even now on one of the main visible looms in the roof and over the door! Even now I’d say I could spot “one of mine”. To a point when I started helping out on XL231 I looked in the back of the freight bay to see; I found the looms, but I already knew 231 hadn’t come through Saints in my time on 2Sqn, it came just after I went, (to No4 Engineering Sqn Phantoms in 1985 as a docs controller with Cpl tapes!) There were Tywraps used to attach the looms, ohh a gash attempt it was too! Some months later, back in the freight bay I was fitting the RWR Receiver and PSU we had obtained, cutting off the protective bags around the plugs and sockets I found some masking tape around the cables. We used to identify the cables with written masking tape as connectors were only on one end and we had to attach the other end on. Removing and unwrapping the tape i see the writing, shock of shocks it was mine! We would have numerous mod kits and prep several at once so it must have been one I had prepared and done before moving to Tooms! (4 Engineering Sqn Phantoms)
My time on Victor Majors was enjoyable, the mix of RAF and civvie worked well mostly, England and Wales Rugby match weekends increased the banter somewhat. I bumped into one of the boys some years later at Lyneham, he had gone from being a Radar J/T to being Capt on Fat Alberts,(Hercules) he did well!
So now comes the question I guess, which was best, my Vulcan time or the Victor ones? Having worked on both and frequently hearing comments that the Vulcan was better. I am firmly going to sit on the fence, on paper the Victor does perform certain tasks better, but I still look at the Vulcan in the sky today fondly, and my times and experiences were equally memorable.
Rick Gill
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| No3 Sqn Vulcan Majors Patch |
To others, Saints wasn’t their idea of fun, many a time new “fellows” would come to say they wouldn’t be there long, it wasn’t the real RAF and they would escape!
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| 3 Sqn RAF St Athen patch |
As a mechanic I was on No3 Engineering Sqn Vulcan Majors. I spent a happy time there, good mates; wonder where they all are now.
 |
| No 3 Engineering Sqn Vulcan Majors |
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| No2 Sqn Victor Majors Patch |
So, the Victor Major service, the details, I can’t recall how long we had them for, (two at a time I do remember) 3 month turnaround comes to mind. Jobs to do, strip out LRU’s for bay servicing, system inspection, rectification and modification. Ah the mods, we had good ones to do, (translates to awkward), SRIM 3992 the removal of defunct “Blue Saga” and fitting RWR and PWR, sounds simple.
 |
| No2 Engineering Sqn Victor Majors |
Some jobs on the SRIM were good some were bad, I always enjoyed putting the looms into the rear freight bay as it allowed me to make a tidy job with lacing cord! I have satisfied my OCD in 231’s cabin even now on one of the main visible looms in the roof and over the door! Even now I’d say I could spot “one of mine”. To a point when I started helping out on XL231 I looked in the back of the freight bay to see; I found the looms, but I already knew 231 hadn’t come through Saints in my time on 2Sqn, it came just after I went, (to No4 Engineering Sqn Phantoms in 1985 as a docs controller with Cpl tapes!) There were Tywraps used to attach the looms, ohh a gash attempt it was too! Some months later, back in the freight bay I was fitting the RWR Receiver and PSU we had obtained, cutting off the protective bags around the plugs and sockets I found some masking tape around the cables. We used to identify the cables with written masking tape as connectors were only on one end and we had to attach the other end on. Removing and unwrapping the tape i see the writing, shock of shocks it was mine! We would have numerous mod kits and prep several at once so it must have been one I had prepared and done before moving to Tooms! (4 Engineering Sqn Phantoms)
My time on Victor Majors was enjoyable, the mix of RAF and civvie worked well mostly, England and Wales Rugby match weekends increased the banter somewhat. I bumped into one of the boys some years later at Lyneham, he had gone from being a Radar J/T to being Capt on Fat Alberts,(Hercules) he did well!
So now comes the question I guess, which was best, my Vulcan time or the Victor ones? Having worked on both and frequently hearing comments that the Vulcan was better. I am firmly going to sit on the fence, on paper the Victor does perform certain tasks better, but I still look at the Vulcan in the sky today fondly, and my times and experiences were equally memorable.
Rick Gill
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
"Never Again" part 4
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| Work continues on the starboard wing |
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| Rich demonstrating his expert sanding abilities! |
The morale building homemade rocky road and flap jack really has kept us going - it doesn't take much to keep us happy!
So with all that sanding, sanding and more sanding, how do we get rid of all the dust?
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| Largest umbrella in North Yorkshire! |
This is where the good old British summer has actually come in useful. The monsoon weather washes most of the dust away - at times turning the ground hemp.
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| Vacuuming a V-Bomber! |
For those hard to reach areas like dzus fasteners and panel lines the Miele 'Cat & Dog' vacuum is put to the test - do you think we can persuade Miele to launch a 'V-Bomber' vacuum, must be a market there????
With a bank holiday looming we are expecting to be rained off this weekend. When painting a V-Bomber you do become obsessed with the weather. If the weather is kind we should see the starboard wing finished then on to the fuselage and the lady herself 'Lusty Lindy'.
Follow the progress of the repaint here Never Again part 5
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
"Never Again" part 3
Now summer has half appeared progress on the repaint is coming along well.
The port wing is finished, other than the roundel and is looking fantastic!
Whilst the rest of the team turned their focus to the starboard wing, Graham 'volunteered' to take on the tail - at 28ft high he's a braver man than me!
Progress was going well until............ out of know where lightning hit the ground about 100 yards away from where we were working, followed by the loudest sonic boom we have ever heard, scaring us all half to death! 
Then the rain came (yes, the great British summer strikes again!) we took shelter under the largest umbrella in Yorkshire and out came the morale building homemade rocky road cake.
Thankfully the rain didn't last long and with the increased humidity it didn't take long for Lindy to dry off and work could continue once more.You really can see the difference a lick of new paint has made.
With the tail now finished Graham has now returned to terra ferma but not before giving you this unique shot.
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| XL231 - rather you than me! Follow the repaint progress with Never Again part 4 |
Saturday, 4 August 2012
The Iron Maiden
I may need 'Sanctuary' occasionally but this isn't the famous English heavy metal band but another form of English heavy metal - a traction engine!
The Iron Maiden is the only traction engine to have starred alongside a V-Bomber in the 1962 film of the same name.
The film follows Jack an aircraft designer with a passion for traction engines. His boss is eager to sell a new supersonic jet plane, Handley Page Victor, Jack has designed to an American millionaire Paul. Their first encounter goes badly and tensions heighten when Paul's daughter damages Jack's prize traction engine 'The Iron Maiden', rendering it impossible to drive solo. Jack is desperate to enter a steam rally but his fireman is injured, when all seems lost Paul steps in and they become firm friends. After an 'eventful' journey they arrive at the rally but last minute Paul is injured and unable to participate, just when you think all is lost Paul's daughter arrives and they drive the Iron Maiden to take first prize. In true cliched style the two share a kiss and The Iron Maiden boils over!
Unfortunately there are very few stills from the film but I have managed to come across this one....
'The Iron Maiden' is a Fowler 7NHP Showman's Road Locomotive and now calls The Scarborough Fair Collection home.
The engine was built in September 1920 as a road locomotive of the R3 class, with the works number 15657 and the registration number FX 6661. It was supplied new to F Barnes Ltd of Portland, Dorset for various duties including hauling heavy blocks of stone from the nearby quarries down to Portland Harbour.
She was sent back to the Fowler factory for a complete overhaul and conversion to full showman's specification. Once completed she entered fairground service with Mrs H. Oadley of Alfreton, Derbyshire and passed into preservation in 1952 when 'Kitchener' as she was then known was sold to John Crawley, the highly respected steam engine preservationist from Bedfordshire.
She received the name 'The Iron Maiden' for her starring role and has carried it ever since. Mr Crawley sold her on to Mr George Hawkins of Wadebridge, Cornwall.
In the early 1990's she passed in to the ownership of Dr Tony Marchington who commissioned a restoration. Since being purchased by Graham Atkinson in 2003 much more additional restoration work has been carried out to keep her in fine shape.
Today, she still carries the famous legend 'Mighty In Strength And Endurance' and continues to attract considerable interest both at home and on her travels abroad. The Iron Maiden visited Elvington in 2004 for a photo with 'Lusty Lindy' reuniting with a Victor once more.
The Victor which starred alongside 'The Iron Maiden' was XL230. Richard Thorpe better known for his roles in Emmerdale and The Dambusters portrays the test pilot.
XL230 and all the crew were lost on 10.5.1973 when the crew lost control and rolled over into the airfield during a night touch and go at RAF Wyton. Lest we forget.
The Iron Maiden is the only traction engine to have starred alongside a V-Bomber in the 1962 film of the same name.
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| The Iron Maiden |
The film follows Jack an aircraft designer with a passion for traction engines. His boss is eager to sell a new supersonic jet plane, Handley Page Victor, Jack has designed to an American millionaire Paul. Their first encounter goes badly and tensions heighten when Paul's daughter damages Jack's prize traction engine 'The Iron Maiden', rendering it impossible to drive solo. Jack is desperate to enter a steam rally but his fireman is injured, when all seems lost Paul steps in and they become firm friends. After an 'eventful' journey they arrive at the rally but last minute Paul is injured and unable to participate, just when you think all is lost Paul's daughter arrives and they drive the Iron Maiden to take first prize. In true cliched style the two share a kiss and The Iron Maiden boils over! Unfortunately there are very few stills from the film but I have managed to come across this one....
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| Victor starring alongside Michael Craig in 1962 film The Iron Maiden |
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| pre-The Iron Maiden days hauling stone from quarries to Portland Harbour |
The engine was built in September 1920 as a road locomotive of the R3 class, with the works number 15657 and the registration number FX 6661. It was supplied new to F Barnes Ltd of Portland, Dorset for various duties including hauling heavy blocks of stone from the nearby quarries down to Portland Harbour.
She was sent back to the Fowler factory for a complete overhaul and conversion to full showman's specification. Once completed she entered fairground service with Mrs H. Oadley of Alfreton, Derbyshire and passed into preservation in 1952 when 'Kitchener' as she was then known was sold to John Crawley, the highly respected steam engine preservationist from Bedfordshire.
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| Iron Maiden on display at The Scarborough Fair Collection |
In the early 1990's she passed in to the ownership of Dr Tony Marchington who commissioned a restoration. Since being purchased by Graham Atkinson in 2003 much more additional restoration work has been carried out to keep her in fine shape.
Today, she still carries the famous legend 'Mighty In Strength And Endurance' and continues to attract considerable interest both at home and on her travels abroad. The Iron Maiden visited Elvington in 2004 for a photo with 'Lusty Lindy' reuniting with a Victor once more.
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| XL230 SR2 with 'sniffer' pods on the underwing tanks |
XL230 and all the crew were lost on 10.5.1973 when the crew lost control and rolled over into the airfield during a night touch and go at RAF Wyton. Lest we forget.
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