Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

[Guest]

Captured by your ace news photographer on an XZ-2!

[Phil Angel]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Hi Mark,
Nice idea, and good photoshopping skills
Not sure if that is a lightning though.........I think its a De havaland vampire, but I stand to be corrected if I am off the mark.

[Guest]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Hi Phil, you are absolutely right - my mistake, it's a De Haviland Vampire.

[Wally]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Hi Phil, you are absolutely right - my mistake, it's a De Haviland Vampire.

Not as bad as one airframe fitter who arrived in Kuwait. In the early 70's, the advert was for experienced fitters to work on Kuwait Air Force Lightning aircraft... He got the job.

Arriving from Pakistan, his first day on the job left him 'slightly embarrassed' and ? The 'Lightning' he had worked on was the WWII Lockheed P38.

[Zuiko]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Looks like a rough landing is about to happen!

[brian1208]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

A cracking shot Mark, one of the finest "kit built" aircraft ever -parts of the fuselage were built out of ply in a similar way to the Mosquito, I think it was the only jet fighter to be built this way - http://www.aviastar.org/gallery/vampire.html

We have one that flies locally and performs in the Bournemouth Air Festival alongside a Meteor on occasions

[Jim Ford]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Apparently they were well liked by pilots.

The engine was a De-Havilland Goblin, which was the first gas turbine to gain military type approval. The similar Ghost engine, used in the first Comets, was the first gas turbine to gain civil type approval. I served my apprenticeship with the De-Havilland Engine Company.

Jim

[Guest]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Not as bad as one airframe fitter who arrived in Kuwait. In the early 70's, the advert was for experienced fitters to work on Kuwait Air Force Lightning aircraft... He got the job.
Arriving from Pakistan, his first day on the job left him 'slightly embarrassed' and ? The 'Lightning' he had worked on was the WWII Lockheed P38.

Very embarrassing Wally!
The P38 is a North American Mustang, is it not?

A cracking shot Mark, one of the finest "kit built" aircraft ever -parts of the fuselage were built out of ply in a similar way to the Mosquito, I think it was the only jet fighter to be built this way - http://www.aviastar.org/gallery/vampire.html We have one that flies locally and performs in the Bournemouth Air Festival alongside a Meteor on occasions

Thanks Brian - I was about 10 years old when I saw them fly over Hobart (Tasmania) in the early forties. It was the first jet engine plane that I ever saw and I can recall the excitement I felt at the time.

Apparently they were well liked by pilots.
The engine was a De-Havilland Goblin, which was the first gas turbine to gain military type approval. The similar Ghost engine, used in the first Comets, was the first gas turbine to gain civil type approval. I served my apprenticeship with the De-Havilland Engine Company. Jim

It's amazing and wonderful to have a number of retired aircraft personnel such as yourself on forum, Jim.

Looks like a rough landing is about to happen!

Well the pilot did have ground support to soften the landing, John ...

And a couple more UFA ... I think the first is a Wirraway but haven't a clue about the Pakistani?

XZ-2

[brian1208]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

the last one looks like an Auster

(can't remember what model but something like this one http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...lectedIndex=25)

and the first one reminds me of a Harvard Trainer

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Harvard+trainer+aircraft&id=EF90190835E2F2767CD67E7E8CA3AE529D19A399&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=EF90190835E2F2767CD67E7E8CA3AE529D19A399&selectedIndex=0

which I used to see flying around what is now Leeds & Bradford airport when I lived up there for a short while in 1946 / 47

[Guest]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

I think the first is the Australian built Wirraway - your eye might be able to confirm or deny it Brian. (I get too carried away with the 'tography and fail to pay enough attention to the info boards)
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAC_Wirraway"]CAC Wirraway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

[brian1208]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

A wonderful situation where we are both right! They are variations on the original North American Aviation NA-16

Australia The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced 755 units of a modified version of the NA-16-2K known there as the Wirraway between 1939 and 1946

[Guest]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

You'll make an aerophile of me yet, Brian!

[brian1208]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

I used to be a total aircraft nerd when I was a kid Mark and have been lucky enough to maintain an involvement and interest in aviation through most of my life (in one way or another, now photography)

[PeterBirder]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

Some great shots coming out of your trip Mark.
Haven't had much time to comment as I'm on 2 weeks "Granddaughter Duty" but I am looking in.

the last one looks like an Auster

(can't remember what model but something like this one http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...lectedIndex=25)

It's a Cessna O-1 "Bird Dog" Forward Air Control aircraft of Vietnam War vintage. This one is in Royal Thai Air Force colours, one of many air forces who operated this aircraft in that conflict.

Regards.

[Guest]

Re: Lockheed Lightning Lands on Sportsground

I used to be a total aircraft nerd when I was a kid Mark and have been lucky enough to maintain an involvement and interest in aviation through most of my life (in one way or another, now photography)

Harking back to your earlier thread and viewing your link, I think you are right in ID'ing the first as a Harvard trainer.

Some great shots coming out of your trip Mark.
Haven't had much time to comment as I'm on 2 weeks "Granddaughter Duty" but I am looking in. It's a Cessna O-1 "Bird Dog" Forward Air Control aircraft of Vietnam War vintage. This one is in Royal Thai Air Force colours, one of many air forces who operated this aircraft in that conflict. Regards.

Thanks Peter. As I said earlier, what an amazing pool of aviation knowledge there is here on forum.