RAF C Mk.1 What, where and when?

[Jelle Hieminga]

Hello all,

I've had this photo for years, having bought it at an aviation fair ages ago. I've bought it for the U-2 but when I dug it out years later I realised that there is a VC10 in the background.


I've tried to create a close up of this part of the image but I just cannot make out the registration. More importantly, where is this? It seems to be a very specialised hangar modification to enable the front of a VC10 to fit inside, surely this had a purpose? Also the aircraft seems to be missing the titles along the top of the fuselage.


Anybody with an idea? What was happening, where and when?

[Tonkenna]

That is interesting... I have no ideas but will ask around.

Tonks

[AJW]

I cannot remember why this was done or where for that matter but I do remember reading about it somewhere. Something about the hangar being too small maybe? The photo might have been on airliners.net.

I am sure someone will be able to tell the whole story.....

[AJW]

Having said that, I have just found this photo from Abingdon....think I might have been mistaken!
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Vickers- ... ad47fcaf6f

[LSS]

If memory serves me rightly it is at RAF Wyton. Certain C1's had a few special radio mods done to them HF3 plus a few other bits an pieces at the Electronic Warfare Avionics Unit.

[ICM]

LSS may be right - the combination of Wyton and the U2 would make some sense.

[Jelle Hieminga]

So Wyton it is then, that's the 'where' question sorted. I also got an e-mail with links to these two photos:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air ... 1128451/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Ai ... 1170035/L/

That nails down the hangars in the background as well as a date as the serial number of the U-2/TR-1 in the second photo is the same (01070). Also the support equipment and location appear to be identical making this the same situation.

I realised that the scans above were made using my old scanner. I've since upgraded and wondered if I could get any more detail out of the photo. These are the re-scans:




From that second image I'm willing to conclude that this is XV102 as the last digit can hardly be anything else. As for the 'what' and 'why' questions, LSS seems to have a thought on that.

Just wondering but why does the combination of the U-2 and Wyton make sense? I know nothing of the U-2 operations from the UK but am willing to learn

[tubster1275]

Hi,

Looks to be XV102 in July 1984

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1093601/

Cheers,

Mike

[LSS]

We used to go up to Wyton to collect and drop off the C1's and I seem to remember a U2 landed for a refuel after it had diverted due to a blocked runway at Alconbury. It might not be this one though..

[ICM]

Jelle: Having confirmed the location for your picture, on the matter of the U-2 being there, Wyton has a long history as a RAF base for a range of specialist Recce, Radio, and Signals units, right back to high-level late-model Spitfire recce in WWII, which seems to tie-in with 102 being there for some Radio mods. So, whilst I'm pretty sure that the U-2 never operated from there on any regular basis, I was not surprised to see a picture of one there. (Interestingly, no attempt to hide this one, but when they were operating over Sinai - I think - out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus way back, they went straight out/into a hangar and were kept to a fairly confidential profile .... until a disastrous take-off accident. If you've not seen the U-2 threads on the Military Aircrew area of PPrune, you could spend an afternoon with them - one on Cold War U-2 RAF Pilots and another on U-2s in Cyprus. Fascinating stuff!)

Edit: thinking about it again this morning, the Spitfire Recce was from RAF Benson; otherwise, no change.

[rpontin]

It could be XR806 at RAF Wyton. I was the GE who went there with it. Arrived on 29th Nov 1982 and departed 1st Dec 1982. If I remember correctly it was so that they could test or set up there eqipment for Avionic mods but I cannot remember which ones. I cannot remember the U2 so it may not be that occasion.The captain was Sqdn/Ldr Garrity. Roy Pontin

Thinking about it and looking at the photo it probably was not XR806 because I remember that XR806 had to be on jacks and level. Roy Pontin

[mike j]

Hi All

As I recall, I think they were there to have a navigation system up-grade, inertial navs maybe.

Time, and alcohol, has taken its toll on the ol' grey cells............

Rgds

Mike

[F Troop]

Clear to see its XV102 shall endeavour to determine dates of HF3 modification within Topic 2 along with Mod Record Index!

F Troop

[petet16]

We rotated the K2s through Wyton for Inertial Nav fit sometime around 84/85.

[roadking026]

Good day
I remember this well .as I was based at Wyton at this time.
The VC 10 was pokeing out of EWAU as mentioned because we couldn't get the tail in !, & would have been the trial fit of the revamped cockpit & Nav staion. with a few aerials nailed on underneath for good measure.
The U2 was at Wyton because Alconbury { just down the road } Was being was having its runway resurfaced, So they stayed at Wyton whilst this was completed.