Vintage Air Show Footage 1947

[Eric Mc]

Some great aircraft on display here at a relatively obscure post WW2 air display -



http://www.britishpathe.com/video/ata-pageant-air-...

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 7th February 23:24

[Yertis]

Thanks Eric. Ironic that of all the aircraft in that interesting and slightly sad film probably the only aircraft that still exist are the captured German machines.

[Eric Mc]

There are a couple of examples of early Meteors in a few museums. Of the German stuff, I would reckon that the Me163 and He162 are the likely survivors.

I'm not sure where the venue was.

[Yertis]

I wonder how many of the 190, 162 and 163 we brought over?

[Eric Mc]

It's all documented - somewhere.

By the way, a mate (who I e-mailed the link to) tells me the venue was White Waltham - which was home of the ATA - who were hosting the show..

[chiswick67]

Reminds me of the stories of British / German aircraft "dogfighting" over Farnham Common, British Pilots in both...

[Eric Mc]

One of them being Eric Brown, no doubt.

[Mojocvh]

Here's one for you.....then

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/macroberts-reply

...now

[Eric Mc]

I've seen that footage before. An amazing woman.

[Steve_W]

God - all those a/c we'd love to still have - Stirling especially.

Got to love the "come on schoolboys, have a go on a Vickers .303" - can you imagine the H&S bull that would surround it now?

Interesting to see that the guy on sentry duty with the German a/c seemed to be armed! I think he has a Lee Enfield over his shoulder?

Thanks for this Eric - White Waltham isn't that far from me; shame they don't still have these types there.

[52classic]

Anyone recognise the aircraft in the opening sequence.

Looks like a Miles design to me but I'm not sure which type.

[Total loss]

52classic said:

Anyone recognise the aircraft in the opening sequence.

Looks like a Miles design to me but I'm not sure which type.

Aerovan ?

[Eric Mc]

Yep - Miles Aerovan. The basic design was resurrected over ten years later as the Shorts Skyvan.

[FourWheelDrift]

Here's another, the 1945 Freeman Field airshow in the USA including lots of captured German aircraft being shown off the public.

It's a Facebook link but I don't do facebook and I can see it so it's a public page - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1723870789084

[Eric Mc]

Excellent stuff. Some very rare aircarft there. Great to see aircraft like the Junkers Ju290 and Ju88 actually flying.

Quite a few of those German aircraft survived as part of the National Air and Space Museum or US Air Force Museum collections. As far as I know, sadly the Ju290 did not.

[52classic]

Thanks gents! Couldn't even find that on the Miles website. I imagine something about the same size as the Short Skyvan and a very practical utility.

[Steve_W]

FourWheelDrift said:

Here's another, the 1945 Freeman Field airshow in the USA including lots of captured German aircraft being shown off the public.

It's a Facebook link but I don't do facebook and I can see it so it's a public page - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1723870789084

Excellent stuff - thanks for that.

Just thought - I presume they must have flown the Ju 290 back to the US (via the Greenland route)? I can see them shipping things like the Me 163 home in a freighter, but I doubt they went to the trouble of dismantling the 290 to take it via ship?

Anyone got any more info on how they shipped the stuff home - I seem to recall they used an aircraft carrier but can't remember much more than that?

[Eric Mc]

As you correctly state. the smaller aircraft wwere shipped across the Atlantic. I think they were flown to France and shipped out of Cherbourg where they were greased, sealed and cocooned for salt protection. Some were partially dismantled before being loaded onto the ship.

The jets were known as Watsons Whizzers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Lusty

[Steve_W]

Ah - thanks for that Eric.

HMS Reaper - excellent name!