FighterControl

Sorry for the very poor quality, but they mark the last 892 visit I believe to Edinburgh.

1. Bookends


2. Lined Up for Departure


3. Destroying new runway surface #1


4. Destroying new runway surface #2


...they left 6 trenches on the newly completed runway surface. Apparently, the concrete was rippled for drainage. The afterburners heated the ridges, which "exploded" with the heat. The runway had to be repaired - don't know if the Navy got the bill....

J

no need to apologise, great pics. I never saw 3 FAA Phantoms in the same place, jealous.

Great oldies thanks.

So that explains the subsequent cuts which saw the old 'Ark' being axed - to pay the bill!

Not actually 892 Sqn, but the rarer POCU - the Phantom Operational Conversion Unit, which took over Fleet training duties when 767 Sqn was disbanded.
I believe it became the Phantom Training Flight around 1977 when the end of RN Phantom operations was in sight.

The aircraft would be FG1 XV570 Y POCU, FG1 XT857 U and FG1 XT866 W.

chek16 wrote:Not actually 892 Sqn, but the rarer POCU - the Phantom Operational Conversion Unit, which took over Fleet training duties when 767 Sqn was disbanded.
I believe it became the Phantom Training Flight around 1977 when the end of RN Phantom operations was in sight.

The aircraft would be FG1 XV570 Y POCU, FG1 XT857 U and FG1 XT866 W.

...wow, thanks for that! I have often wondered what the serials were. I've got a couple more of them when they arrived at Turnhouse the day before, but they are very badly damaged. I'll see what I can do though and hopefully get one posted....

John

You're very welcome - thanks for posting the photos!

Another anomaly with those aircraft, though probably only visible in a close up, is that they were RAF owned, but painted in FAA colours, except for the serial numbers which were in black on the spine as with RAF practice, rather than on the flanks in white underneath the also missing ROYAL NAVY banner as with 767 and 892 Sqns..

If you come across them, the other aircraft in the Unit would be FG1 XT861 V and FG1 XV569 X.

I used to work with a guy that was on the Phantom evaluation unit in the late 60's (700P ?). They deployed aboard USS Forrestal with a number of FG1's for some trials in the Med. The FG1 had a nose wheel strut extension which could be extended for launch off a carrier. This was longer than the equivalent US Navy F4 extension, with the result that the nose went higher, and the tail went lower when lined up on the 'cats. After a few launches it was noted that the deck of the Forrestal was buckling under the extra thrust/heat from the engines. They had to leave Forrestal shortly thereafter. So not just the Turnhouse runway

Apparently 767/892 were loaned/gifted a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow/Ghost (or similar) for squadron use that was often used for weddings and the like. Never did get to the bottom of what happened to it.

Love them,no need to apologise for quality the historical interest more than makes up for it.
Cheers and Thanks.

Interesting regarding the runway at Turnhouse.

A similar thing happened at RAF Kinloss, when the runway surface distorted severely, due to afterburner heat from 43(F) Squadron 'The Fighting Cocks' Phantom FG1s, during a 'Bolthole' from RAF Leuchars, between March and December 1979.

Here you go Malcolm, a link to FG1 XT859 VL-725 of 700P at Farnborough in September 1968.
http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Nav ... /1211931/L
700P was the Intensive Flying Trials Unit

chek16 wrote:Here you go Malcolm, a link to FG1 XT859 VL-725 of 700P at Farnborough in September 1968.
http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Nav ... /1211931/L
700P was the Intensive Flying Trials Unit

Great picture!

I'll maybe have to apply to airliners.net with some of mine, if they'll have them....

Yes, rather than being 892 squadron they're the rarer FAA Phantom OCU.

Great catches indeed

Hi John

Well worth the effort, IMHO

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

Malcolm wrote:
Apparently 767/892 were loaned/gifted a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow/Ghost (or similar) for squadron use that was often used for weddings and the like. Never did get to the bottom of what happened to it.

Hi Malcolm,

A friend of mine was an Observer on 892, so I have this on good authority... the aforementioned RR was loaned to 892 but the squadron had to pay all the insurance & running/servicing costs, so once the novelty had worn off, it became a bit of a millstone so to speak! In the end, it was a 'problem' that sorted itself out - one of the squadron pilots wrote the RR off on one of the back roads near VL. So that was the end of that!

There is a Pathe news video of the RR being delivered - i guess you've seen that?

Cheers
Nick