86 FLYPAST June 2018
bullet was bitten, and it was offered
for tender – in January the giant was
felled by a scrap merchant.
Wherever possible, airframes were
flown into Abingdon, although some
large aircraft such as Avro Lincoln
RF398 – now at Cosford – were
trucked in and re-assembled. As
the Valiant V-bomber fleet had
been retired in 1965, the prospect
of moving BK.1 XD818 from the
‘gate’ at Marham, Norfolk, was not
appealing.
Thankfully, Vickers had kept
XD816 airworthy at its trials airfield
at Wisley in Surrey. With no more use
for it, it made the last-ever flight of the
type to Abingdon on April 23, 1968.
With XD818 earmarked eventually1918 2018for the RAF Museum (today it
resides at Cosford) sister XD816 was
scrapped on site in 1970. Its cockpit
survived, and it is on show at the
Brooklands Museum in Surrey, where
it first took to the air on July 25, 1956.GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
In the static line-up and the flying
display was a pair of development
batch Harrier GR.1s. The
revolutionary ‘jump-jet’ entered
frontline RAF service with 1
Squadron at Wittering, Northants, in
July 1969.
Another Hawker Siddeley product
was glimpsed only in the air, the
prototype Nimrod MR.1 maritime
patroller. Test pilot Gp Capt JohnClockwise
from above
Helicopter’s eye view
of Vulcan B.2 XL386
and Valiant BK.1
XD816.Left to right:
Beaufi ghter TT.10,
Tempest TT.5, Meteor
F.8 and Vampire F.1.The incredible
Harrier entered
frontline RAF service
in 1969. GR.1 XV281,
a development batch
machine, was in the
static at Abingdon.Lightning F.6 XS931
of Leuchars-based 11
Squadron. It crashed
into the North Sea on
May 25, 1979 after a
control malfunction.
The pilot successfully
ejected.Based at West
Raynham, Hunter
FGA.9 XJ642 served
with 54 Squadron.
The unit converted
to Phantom FGR.2s
in 1969.Brought in by road
from nearby Bicester,
Javelin FAW.9 XH849
was condemned to
fi re training at West
Raynham in 1969.
ALL ROY BONSER“Both the Harrier and the Nimrod attracted huge attention as part
of a major re-equipment phase for the RAF”Cunningham CBE DSO** DFC* had
flown this for the first time on May
23, 1967. This complex programme
was in its early phase and made a stark
contrast with the type it was replacing,
the Shackleton MR.3, which also
made flypasts.
Both the Harrier and the Nimrod
attracted huge attention as part of
a major re-equipment phase for the
RAF. This included the Phantom
FGR.2 which began its RAF career
in August 1968, followed by the
Buccaneer S.2 in October 1969.With thanks to Dave Allport and
Mick Boulanger.