Adler's Warbirds

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Hadley Page Halifax II
SN: W1048

Current Location: RAF Museum Hendon, London, England

Aircraft was built by English Electric at Samelsbury. It was assigned to No. 102 Squadron RAF Topcliffe on 27 March 1942. It was sent to No. 35 Squadron at RAF Linton-On-Louse on 09 April 1942. On 27 April 1942 it was one of 31 Halifax's that flew a bombing mission against the German Battleship Tirpitz. At 0300 hours the aircraft sustained FLAK damage while making its bomb run on the Tirpitz, setting the starboard engine on fire. Pilot Don MacIntyre was able to make a successful wheels up landing on the frozen Lake Hoklingen, Norway. 12 hours later the aircraft sank through the ice.

The crew on this mission was:

Pilot - Plt Off Don P MacIntyre
SIC - Observer Plt Off Ian Hewitt (Also operated as Bombardier and Navigator)
1st WOP - Sgt Dave Perry
2nd WOP - Sgt Pierre Blanchet (Mid upper gunner.)
Tail Gunner - Sgt Ron Wilson
Flight Engineer Sgt Vic Stevens

The six member crew survived with the only injury being to Sgt Stevens who broke his ankle during the crash. He was helped over the 150 yards of ice to the shore by the others and was later taken POW and hospitalized by the Germans. The rest of the crew, aided by Norwegian resistance, reached neutral Sweden after a three-day hike. Hewitt and MacIntyre were repatriated to England after a few weeks. Perry, Blanchet and Wilson after about a year. During his time in Sweden, Wilson rented an apartment and worked in Sweden.

In 1971 it was discovered, and it was recovered from the bottom of the lake 30 June 1973.

 
Hawker Hart II
SN: J9941

Current Location: RAF Museum Hendon, London, England

This is the 13th Hart II that was built, and delivered on 08 January 1931. It never served in the military, but was actually used as a test bed aircraft. During the period 1931-1936, it acted as test bed for most of the RR Kestrel series of engines, including 1S, 11S, 11B, 11MS, V, VDR, VIS, XFP, XDR, XVIFP, XVIDR and XVI (special). It also flew with an Osprey tail (1938), Audax message pick-up hook, Hardy low-pressure tires and Hind tailwheel, and was used as a photo platform by Hawkers.

It continued to fly until 1971, when it was turned into a museum aircraft.

 
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
SN: P3175

Current Location: RAF Museum Hendon, London, England

Aircraft was built by Gloster Aircraft Company, and delivered on 29 June 1940. On 09 August 1940 it as assigned to No. 257 Squadron at RAF Northolt. On 12 August 1940 it flew its first combat missions including an area recce and convoy patrol over the Portsmouth area. On 13 August 1940, while being flown by F/O Mitchell, the aircraft claimed it's first kill, a Junkers Ju 88. On 18 August 1940, P/O Maffett claimed a Dornier Do 215 in this aircraft.

Between 12 August 1940 and 31 August 1940, this aircraft was flown on more than 30 combat flights and claimed 2 aircraft.

On 31 August 1940, the aircraft was scrambled with P/O Maffett at the controls from Martlesham Heath along with the Squandron at 08:25. The Squadron attacked a formation of about 50 Messerschmitt Bf 110's at 16000 feet over the Clacton area that were escorting Dornier Do 17 bombers heading to attack Debden and Duxford airfields. At 08:50 P3175 was shot down. Witnesses on the ground saw it spiraling down, and P/O Maffett bailed out at approximately 400 ft, but his parachute failed to open.

 
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
SN: P2617

Current Location: RAF Museum Hendon, London, England

Aircraft was built by Gloster Aircraft Co. and delivered on 19 January 1940. Aircraft was assigned to Squadron No. 615 in Abbeville, France on 14 April 1940, and then allotted to No. 607 Squadron on 15 April 1940. The aircraft began flying combat missions in France on 10 May 1940. On 20 May 1940, the aircraft was relocated back to England as the Germans advanced on the Squadron base of operations. The aircraft continued to fly combat missions from England until it was damaged in a landing accident on 20 November 1940. Upon repair, it was allocated to several training squadrons until it was one of several Battle of Britain vintage aircraft selected for preservation by the Air Historical Branch on 03 April 1944.

Please excuse the terrible pictures. I need to get back over to England and take better ones.

 
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb
SN: AG287

Current Location: Hangar 11 Collection, North Weald, England

Aircraft was built by Canadian Car & Foundry Company factory in 1942 as construction number CCF/R20023. The aircraft was originally ordered as a Mk.1 for the RAF and allocated the military serial number AG287. The production batch was subsequently diverted to RCAF use and a new Canadian serial, 1374 was allocated. Delivered on 11 February 1942, she served with the RCAF until being returned to the factory in 1943 to be up-graded to Mk.XII standard - this included the installation of the more powerful Packard built Merlin 29 engine. Returning to RCAF use she was issued to No.1 (F) OTU (Bagotville, Quebec) where she remained until struck off charge on 6 September 1944.

 
Hurricane Mk.IIc
SN: LF686

Current Location: National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington DC, USA

Built at the Langley factory, near what is now Heathrow Airport, early in 1944. It served as a training aircraft during the World War II in the Royal Air Force's 41 OTU. It was part of the last RAF Hurricane order for about 1,300 aircraft. On March 14, 1944, the RAF moved LF686 to No. 5 Maintenance Unit at RAF Kemble airfield for installation of operational equipment. The fighter was delivered to No. 41 Operational Training Unit at RAF Hawarden airfield in Cheshire on April 15, 1944. It served in this OTU until the RAF reclassified the aircraft a maintenance training airframe, number 5270M, on June 27, 1945, and transferred it to RAF Maintenance Command at Chilbolton, Hampshire, where it was used to train mechanics. At some point the original engine was probably removed. In July 1948, the RAF issued the Hurricane to No. 7 School for Recruit Training, RAF Bridgenorth. Another Merlin XX was installed and the fighter was placed outdoors, opposite the guardroom.

 
Good stuff Chris.
Many of the RAFM Hendon aircraft have been moved to storage, or RAFM Cosford, particualrly those from the BoB Hall, awaiting the re-arrangement and re-modelling of Hendon. I just hope the lighting at Hendon is improved when it's all finished, back to the way it used to be in the 1980's.
 

I was not aware they have been moved.

Yes, the lighting has to be improved. All of the pictures I have taken at Hendon, look terribly dark. It is really hard to get a good picture there.
 
Andy, you're quite right.
However, RAFM Hendon seemed to go rather 'arty farty' in the early '90's, with their so-called "mood lighting" , and AV presentations, along with stripping out some of the authentic backdrops and 'diorama' details.
Unfortunately, it looks like the plans for the 'new' RAFM have been given to even more 'arty farty' designer types, who's aim would appear to be to make a name for themselves in their limited, luvvy dovey world, with 'design' and 'presentation' for achievement being their goal.
They seem to have missed the point - we don't need 'hi-tech' crap designer shite, just clear, well presented, well lit, presentation of extremely important historical artefacts, that visitors can see, and appreciate, without the b*llocks of some jumped up, overpaid young sprog who wouldn't know a Spitfire from the Rs end of his own pencil - not that he (or she) would know what a pencil is, of course !!!!
 
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