Spotty RAF Jaguar heads for new home

Welcome to this latest edition of Aerodrome and our regular look at the fascinating world of aeroplanes and the historic aviation scene around the UK.

Although now fully in the grip of a British winter and with the Christmas holidays just around the corner, we find ourselves in that uncomfortable position of being in our annual Airshow wilderness. This year's shows now seem so far behind us and next year's events so far in the future that we are in danger of allowing the aviation melancholy to take a hold, but we're determined not to let that happen here on Aerodrome. We all know that it's possible to find something to attract our interest if we only look hard enough and how the winter months don't always have to be a time for simply cleaning cameras and backing up hard drives - all we have to do is get out there and make things happen.

In this final edition of Aerodrome for 2023, we report on a couple of interesting historic aviation developments announced over the past few weeks, whilst also discussing how the winter months can offer some spectacular lighting conditions which really can illuminate your photography, much more so than the harsh sunlight of summer. Even though we might have to wrap up warm, there really is no excuse for not getting out there for a little aeroplane hunting over the coming few months.

Before making a start, could I please just take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your sterling and rather humbling support of Aerodrome over the past year, whether you access the blog via the Airfix, or Corgi websites. I know that many of you have been with us on this aviation blog journey since the very beginning and I am extremely grateful for that - I am also aware that other than the subject matter, the format of the blog has changed little over that period. There are plans afoot to give Aerodrome a presentation boost in the new year and I will share those details with you as soon as I can, however, you can hopefully look forward to larger images with much greater impact. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas and New Year holiday.

Right, on with matters pressing!

RAF Museum Midlands movement

Long-time Cosford resident SEPECAT Jaguar XX119 has left for a new home North of the border this week, as she heads for a new assignment as RAF No.6 Squadron's new HQ guardian aircraft.

During the past few days, information has been published confirming an unexpected  change of residency for one of the most distinctive former RAF post war jet aircraft, one which has been a significant enthusiast attraction at the RAF Museum Midlands for the past 16 years.

SEPECAT Jaguar XX119 was first flown on 5th November 1973 and subsequently delivered to No.226 Operational Conversion Unit the following month. By 1981, the aircraft had been transferred to the care of No.54 Squadron at RAF Coltishall, where she wore the codes GC. In March 1983, the aircraft was transferred to work with the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, where she would spend the next several months operating as a weapons trials aircraft. Having completed her work, she returned to No.226 OCU at Lossiemouth in May 1986.

By 1993, she was on the move again, this time to operate with No.16(R) Squadron and during her time with this unit, she underwent conversion to GR.3 standard, further enhancing her operational capabilities. She would spend another extended period operating from Boscombe Down, this time in support of the work of the Air Fleet Development Unit, before being allocated to front line service once more and No.54 Squadron at RAF Coltishall in Norfolk.

One of the most attractively presented RAF jets of the post war era, Spotty Jaguar XX119 always had the ability to draw a crowd of admirers.

Rather fitting lighting for this night shot of Spotty at RAF Cosford.

During her time with No.54 Sqn, she underwent upgrade once more, this time to GR.3A standard, but by 2006, was now representing No.6 Squadron, the final unit with which she would serve during her 34 year flying career. Following the closure of the base at Coltishall, No.6 Squadron moved operations to RAF Coningsby and with the impending withdrawal of the remaining Jaguars in Royal Air Force service, was selected to undergo a presentation transformation in order to pay a striking visual tribute to the Jaguar's RAF service.

Sporting a smart black tail, this was used as a canvas to display the squadron badges of all the units which had operated the Jaguar during its 33 year RAF career. Even more impressive than this, she was also resplendent in a very Jaguar-like orange and black scheme which undoubtedly promoted her to being one of the most attractively presented RAF jets of the post war era.

For anyone fortunate enough to have seen this aircraft following the application of her tribute scheme, they won't be surprised to hear that she quickly attracted the enthusiast nickname of 'Spotty' and when you heard this description used in any aviation discussion forum, you knew exactly which aircraft they were talking about. Jaguar XX119 would also have the honour of being the very last RAF Jaguar to be retired, making her final flight during her delivery to RAF Cosford on 2nd July 2007, where she was initially maintained in ground running order and used to train marshalling students in the ground handling of fast jets.

A real stunner, Spotty Jaguar XX119 will now be cared for by personnel of RAF No.6 Squadron at Lossiemouth.

During her time at Cosford, Spotty proved to be something of an aviation celebrity, the star of many a specially arranged photoshoot events at the airfield and also a popular display item at the annual Cosford Airshow. No trip to Cosford was ever complete without going to pay your respects to the Spotty Jaguar.

In a social media post shared earlier this week, Cosford officials confirmed that Spotty had left her long-time home in the Midlands and would be making the long road trip north to join up with No.6 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, where she will presumably serve as an extremely attractive Squadron HQ guardian. Lossiemouth is now generally regarded as the RAF's most active station and is home to No.6 Squadron and their Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 jets and whilst Spotty will no doubt be cared for by her new custodians, it's a shame that she will potentially be less accessible to members of the public than she has been over the previous 16 years.

If anyone up at Lossiemouth would care to send us images of Jaguar XX119 at her new home, we would be extremely grateful and will certainly include them in a future edition of Aerodrome. The RAF Museum Midland's loss is most definitely No.6 Squadron's impressive aviation gain. 

A momentous year ahead for 'Night Fright'

One of the most ambitious restoration projects currently underway in the UK, Douglas C-47 Night Fright has a busy few months ahead if she's to make her first flight and take her place on the D-Day Squadron Legacy Tour next summer.

With next year marking the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we are already beginning to see some ambitions plans starting to take shape which will see historic aircraft gathered at several events specifically to commemorate this historic occasion in style. Those who remember the spectacular collection of airworthy Douglas C-47 Skytrains and DC-3 aircraft which gathered at Duxford for a very special 'Daks over Duxford' event on 4th and 5th of June 2019 will be delighted to hear that another collection of these aircraft will be gathering in the UK next summer, specifically to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

It appears that plans are still in the process of being finalised at the moment, but current information is suggesting that ten C-47 and DC-3 aircraft will make up the D-Day Squadron Legacy Tour 2024, with six aircraft making the long trans-Atlantic flight from America, extending their stay to ensure as many people as possible across Europe have the opportunity to see these magnificent aircraft. It's intended that the US based aircraft will depart for Europe on or around the 18th May next year, travelling the North Atlantic Ferry Route on the way to the UK.

Organisers have announced that a dedicated website and social media accounts will soon keep people updated on their constantly changing itinerary, including the announcement of additional aircraft joining the formation, something which really should be a sight to behold. 

The eagle eyed amongst us will have noticed that one of the UK based C-47s listed as taking part in the commemorations is 42-100521 'Night Fright', an aircraft which actually flew parachute drops on the night of D-Day, but is currently the subject of a painstaking and ambitious restoration to flying condition. We have been fortunate enough to be allowed access to this historic project over the past few years and included updates in several previous Aerodrome blogs, so this will come as welcome news to Aerodrome readers and UK aviation enthusiasts alike.

This particular aircraft was manufactured at the Douglas Aircraft Company's Long Beach plant in California during October 1943, designated C-47A-65-DL and one of many such aircraft destined to transport Allied forces to victory during the latter stages of the Second World War. Following acceptance by the USAAF, the aircraft was allocated the serial number 42-100521 and assigned to 79th Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group.  Along with her new squadron mates, she was destined to fly over foreign lands, plying her trade in the war-torn skies of Europe.

Such a beautiful aircraft, Night Fright possesses wartime provenance which few other historic aircraft in the world can claim.

On 27th of December 1943, the aircraft departed Morrison Field, Palm Beach, Florida bound for England, flying the Southern Ferry Route stopping at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, then on to Atkinson Field, British Guyana, Belem in Brazil and on to Recife’s Iburia Field where they prepared for the long crossing to Ascension Island. They reached Ascension around New Year’s Day 1944, with their next destination being Roberts Field, Liberia, which was significant, as it was the first destination the aircraft would land at on the eastern side of the Atlantic. From there, it was on to Refisque, near Dakar then Marrakesh, before flying across the Bay of Biscay to RAF St. Mawgan in Cornwall. This leg of the journey would be particularly hazardous, as they were desperate not to attract the attentions of marauding Luftwaffe Junkers Ju88 heavy fighters, aircraft which had historically been extremely active in this area. They would have relished the opportunity to increase their individual victory scores attacking a large formation of American transport aircraft bound for England.

The aircraft arrived at its new ‘English home’ at Bottesford in Nottinghamshire on 7th January 1944, where it became part of the US 9th Army Air Force’s newly created Troop Carrier Command. Assigned to the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing, the 436th Troop Carrier Group was made up of the 79th, 80th, 81st and 82nd Troop Carrier Squadrons and they were going to be kept busy during their time in England. At their time of arrival, the aircraft’s crew consisted of Pilot 1st Lt. William K. Watson, Co-pilot 1st Lt Frank Bibas, Navigator 2nd Lt Arthur E. Thornton, Crew Chief T. Sgt Owen W. Voss and Radio Operator S/Sgt Robert S. McKnight. There was also one other member of the crew who had less challenging, but no less crucial duties to perform, ‘Hap’ the Cocker Spaniel, or as he was otherwise known to the crew, ‘General Happiness’.

Hap arrived with his owner, Frank Bibas when the crew met at Fort Wayne, Indiana to collect the aircraft and he would go on to fly on many missions with the crew. Clearly not normal military practice during wartime, Hap’s mission status appeared to have been overlooked by higher authorities, presumably as he was viewed as a vital ‘good luck’ member of a hard working C-47 crew. He survived his air force secondment and would return home to America with his owner at the end of the war.

The 436th Troop Carrier Group did not stay too long at Bottesford, but were to find a new, more permanent home at RAF Membury, between Swindon and Newbury in Berkshire from 3rd Match 1944, referred to as US Station 466 in USAAF hands.

D-Day for Night Fright

Night Fright is no ordinary restoration programme, with the team behind the project going to incredible lengths to ensure this aircraft will be as authentic to her wartime configuration as current regulations will allow.

As the Allies embarked on their great crusade into occupied France, the Skytrains of the 436th Troop Carrier Group were assigned to fly two sorties into Normandy on D-Day itself. 'Serial #9' would be flown by the 79th and 82nd Troop Carrier Squadrons delivering the 1st Battalion 502nd PIR onto their assigned DZ, whilst the 80th and 81st TCS would fly 'Serial #10' carrying the 377th PFAB and the 326th AB Med Co into Normandy. Due to the particularly heavy loads which needed to be carried for the 377th PFAB due to their field guns and ammunition, the 85th TCS from the 437th TCG over at Ramsbury airfield were sent on detached service to the 436th and assigned as a third squadron for 'Serial #10'.

The original planned departure day for the operation was to be the 4th of June, however, a violent weather front forced a 24 hour delay, with Operation Neptune finally getting underway in the late evening of June 5th 1944. Para-packs were assembled ready to load on to the six racks beneath each C-47, with the packs containing the component parts of broken-down field guns, ammunition, explosives, firearms and other essential equipment for war. Other packs including wheels for the howitzer field guns were loaded into the aircraft themselves, ready for the troopers to push out when the green light was turned on over their assigned Drop Zones.

On the 5th of June, shortly before departure for ‘Mission Albany’, General Eisenhower and 101st Airborne Division Commander General Maxwell Taylor visited Membury airfield and the troops who were about to embark on their ‘Great Crusade’. Eisenhower visited all five airfields of the 53rd TCW that day to rally the troops but when he saw the blackened faces and the number of weapons and knives each paratrooper carried, he knew that the men of the Screaming Eagles were itching for a fight. ‘Night Fright’ flew as Chalk No 20 in the first of the two serials which took-off from Membury at 2300 hours on the night of 5th June, carrying elements of 1st Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, arriving over the DZ ‘A’ near Saint-Germain-de-Varreville at around 0108hrs on 6th June 1944. The flight crew on that fateful night were Pilot; William Watson, Co-pilot; James Hardt, Radio Operator; Robert McKnight, Navigator; Arthur E. Thornton and Crew Chief, Owen Voss.

Upon reaching the coast of the Cherbourg peninsula, low cloud made staying in tight formation extremely challenging for pilots, particularly as German anti-aircraft fire became much heavier the closer they got to their assigned Drop Zone. Navigators aboard the lead aircraft skilfully guided the other aircraft in the formation to their assigned locations and they successfully dropped the paratroopers in roughly the correct area, give or take a couple of miles. Following the drop, a relatively uneventful return flight saw the Group’s aircraft returning back to Membury just before 0400hrs.

A second sortie, ‘Mission Elmira’, was planned to take place in the late evening of D-Day. '#Serial 32' consisted of two CG-4As and forty-eight Horsa gliders towed by Douglas C-47 Skytrains of the 436th TCG, departing Membury airfield at 2037hrs (Double British Summer Time). They were scheduled to meet the Mustangs of the 363rd Fighter Group over St. Alban’s Head, before taking a bearing for the onward route to LZ ‘W’ between St. Mere Eglise and Carentan. The gliders carried members of the US 82nd Airborne Division’s 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion, the 307th Airborne Medic Company, ‘A’ Company of the 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion and the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery.

Once in the air, Night Fright is destined to become a hugely popular addition to the UK Airshow scene.

Unfortunately, as the mission unfolded, many of the gliders were released prematurely, which caused some to land in or close to German-held territory at around 2300hrs as light was fading. Many of the gliders and C-47s encountered extremely heavy ground fire from the German-held territory, which forced three aircraft from Serial 33 to ditch in the Channel on their return – these aircraft were being flown by crews of the 435th TCG, operating from Welford airfield.

Miraculously, all the C-47s of the 436th TCG managed to make it back to Membury, even though a great many had sustained damage from the savage ground fire they encountered – ‘Night Fright’ herself sustained around one hundred separate holes in her wings and fuselage, which put her out of service for the next four days whilst she underwent repairs. The Group’s glider pilots were not so lucky, with several men being either killed or injured during the release and landing procedure. Between June 9th and 13th, the 436th carried out a number of further sorties, towing CG-4As needed to resupply troops fighting in the area of St. Mere Eglise.

As you can see from the impressive D-Day history this magnificent aircraft possesses, if she takes her place amongst the aircraft undertaking the D-Day Squadron 2024 Legacy Tour next summer, she will be paying a particularly poignant tribute to the men who took part in D-Day, especially those who took to parachutes and descended in gliders in their attempt to capture strategic objectives behind the invasion beaches in the early hours of D-Day itself. Clearly, project leader Charlie Walker and his team have much to do if this magnificent aircraft is to take its place in these flying commemorations and I'm certain that every Aerodrome reader will join me in wishing them every success.

The one thing I will say about Charlie is that he's a doer not a talker (although he is pretty good at that as well) and if he's confident that Night Fright will be ready in time, then I have every faith that she will. Having marvelled at their progress and attention to detail over the past few years, seeing Night Fright in the air will be quite the emotional experience for me, made all the more poignant because I know just how much such an achievement will mean to Charlie and his team. Once in the air, Night Fright will undoubtedly become the aviation darling of the UK Airshow scene, a living tribute to the men who took part in D-Day.

In search of the unusual

The lighting conditions of the winter months can often throw up some pleasing photographic opportunities for the aviation enthusiast, so why not wrap up warm and get out there during the first few weeks of the New Year?

Although we find ourselves in the teeth of winter, the cold weather and limited hours of daylight shouldn't prevent us from heading out in search of some unusual aviation photographic opportunities, particularly as the light at this time of year can produce some really appealing conditions to take advantage of. Of course we could use the next few months to recharge our batteries figuratively speaking, or spend the time visiting some of the excellent aviation museums we're fortunate to have here in the UK, however, if we wrap up warm and keep an eye on the weather, there's absolutely no reason why we shouldn't go in search of some outdoor aviation action to capture.

Many of us will have taken our places amongst the photographers who have discovered the delights of attending some of special events arranged by organisations dedicated to serving up interesting aviation related opportunities and whilst places are often limited, these do still take place throughout the winter months. If you have an airfield or airport within a reasonable distance from your home, why not spend a pleasant few hours catching the aviation action or better still, reconnoitring the venue to ensure you maximise your chances of coming away with some pleasing pictures when conditions are most favourable.

No matter what you decide to do, looking for the unusual is definitely a good plan to have when heading out for a few hours taking pictures, particularly as a winter photographic meander has none of the pressures and stresses associated with something like an Airshow event, and with hardly any people to worry about getting in the way of. All we have to do is find a spot and practice our craft, letting our creative juices flow without the subliminal pressures of obtaining those must have record shots of the star display item.

Just remember to take that flask of coffee with you, because I wouldn't want to incur your wrath if the day goes and turns all Siberian!

That’s it for another edition of Aerodrome and indeed for another year, but as always, thank you so much for your continued support, which is very much appreciated. As ever, if you would like to comment on anything blog related or suggest a subject you would like to see covered in a future edition of Aerodrome, please do drop us a line at aerodrome@airfix.com, where we would be only too pleased to hear from you.

Should you wish to continue the aviation discussions between editions, you will always find something of interest over on the Airfix Aerodrome Forum and if social media is more your thing, please use the respective official social media icon links at the foot of the main Airfix and Corgi website homepages to access our official sites.

The next edition of Aerodrome is scheduled to be published on Friday 5th January, the start of what we hope will be a particularly busy year for aviation here in the UK.

Again, thank you so much for your continued support of Aerodrome and may we wish you all a very happy Christmas and a particularly prosperous New Year.

Michael

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