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By: - 6th July 2011 at 16:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It is my understanding that several were lost during the period of use at Llanbedr. If you search on Youtube for Llanbedr Firefly there are several videos showing their demise....
By: - 6th July 2011 at 16:54 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes, seen those video clips. No doubt they lost quite a few aircraft due to landing accidents and actual shoot downs, some which are covered in high ground wrecks type books and Target Rolling, but my curiosity is the one in the dunes. Most Jindivik crashes are documented, but not so much with the Fireflys.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 17:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As a matter of interest it would also be good to know if any Mosquitoes were scrapped or burned on the airfield as i have a mossie flap/ mixture quatrant recovered from the fire dump shortly after the base closed.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 17:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
RAE Llanbedr Firefly Crash
If you send me the engine number I should be able to tie this up with the Firefly airframe. There were a number of Firefly crashes at Llanbedr.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 19:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This brings back memories. I remember a a young teenager, looking out from Harlech castle as a Jindivik flew past.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 19:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
PM sent!
By: - 6th July 2011 at 19:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Same here Alan.
Going back even further Alan, as a youngster myself in late 1940's early 1950's, every year we family Summer holiday'd just south of Llanbedr in a caravan,(Yes !!--an Eccles ). At that time, the big guns of Army at Towyn were in regular practice use on their range shooting at drogues towed a long way behind Mosquito Aircraft from Llanbedr Airfield. My brother and I would leg it up to the seaward side of Llanbedr Airfield and stand in sand dunes watching the Mosquito's and Occasionally FireFlies taking off and landing. The aircrew would give us a wave as they went by, sitting in shirt-sleeves order and side window open, what a great life hey !!!
We would watch and listen to the noise of the Towyn guns opening up on the drogues behind the Mossies, for a school-kid, this was high drama indeed.
I knew I would have to do my national Service in about 1958, and this summed it all up for me, brilliant !!
I don't remember any crashed Aircraft around there at all, I of course knew nothing about the P-38 that was in the sea off the end of the main runway, yet must have passed it many times, probably even swam near the thing.
Yes, a very interesting post here Scott, I'm sure a lot of info will be thrown up, I look forward to it all. Thanks fella's, keep it coming.
For myself, I'd just like to know what happened to those Mosquito's and if any survive today. There were some 4 or 5 Mosquito's being slowly dismantled and scrapped when I arrived at RAF Halton in 1958 to start my RAF Apprentice training, could these have been the ones from Llanbedr ? They had vanished by 1959.
Bill T.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 20:49 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I remember seeing a Jindivick as a gate guardian at Llanbedr. Does it still exist?
By: - 6th July 2011 at 20:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes, it's still there, but has been put on it's handling trolley and moved over the road to the local ATC unit. You can see it on google earth. Caernarfon airworld also have one or most of one.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 20:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks. Never thought of checking on Google Earth.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 21:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There used to be a Jindivik at the long defunct MAES ARTRO craft village, also a hunter cockpit, Westland whirlwind , Anson and plastic Spitfire. Any idea where they all ended up? .I know the Anson is still for sale on a certain website.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 21:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I had the Hunter but sold it to another forumite.
.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 21:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Although not strictly on topic, but still to do with Lanbedr, I have also retrived quite substantial airframe sections from the rocky beach area of Shell Island. Most of these parts look to be longeron sections and spar pieces and are in suprisingly good condition. Who knows what could be there right now waiting to be found:) One such part is about 2ft long with various sub assemblies, all starting with 300 . Spitfire? any ideas chaps?
By: - 6th July 2011 at 21:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Any chance of some pictures?
By: - 6th July 2011 at 22:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
[ATTACH]197111[/ATTACH] Spar section? from Spitfire? 1/72 model for size comparison.
By: - 6th July 2011 at 22:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
[ATTACH]197112[/ATTACH] 300 code
[ATTACH]197113[/ATTACH] 322 code
[ATTACH]197114[/ATTACH] 322 code
[ATTACH]197115[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]197116[/ATTACH] Griffon casing
[ATTACH]197117[/ATTACH] Engine number
By: - 7th July 2011 at 00:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Firefly remains
The engine number in the photo identifies the piece as a Griffon Mk.5900 series Engine Change Unit, full id being 46344/A639007 which was fitted to Fairey Firefly U.Mk.8 WM899 for the duration of its fairly short life.
It was built at the Fairey Stockport factory, making its first flight on 18 October 1956 from Ringway. The test pilot was F/Lt David Masters who took off at 15.35 and landed at 16.00hrs.
WM899 was delivered to RNAS Anthorn 1 November 1955 for storage. However, it was involved in an incident and returned to Fairey, Ringway 9 November 1955 for Cat 4 repairs. It returned to Anthorn and was stored until delivered to Fairey Ringway 27 November 1956 for modifications, staying until 24 April 1957 when it was delivered to Short Bros at Llanbedr. It was damaged while landing at Llanbedr on 13 May 1957 and returned to Fairey Ringway for repairs on 10 July 1957. After repairs it returned to Short Bros at Llanbedr on 26 November 1957.
WM899 crashed during operations at Llanbedr on 10 March 1958 and was Struck of Charge (SOC) 26 March 1958. After removal of useful items the aircraft was abandoned - some of the remains obviously surviving to the present day.
The Griffon 5900 identified the aircraft as for naval use, being cartridge start, required for flight deck operations, although in the later Mks of Firefly, the Mk.7 and U.8 this was not required as they did not operate from carriers. The 5900 featured a single propeller shaft driven through a plain spur gearing. When viewed from the rear the 5900 rotation was to the left.
Short Bros were the contracters to the Ministry for aircraft servicing at Llanbedr and Fairey had work parties. In 1957 RAF Llanbedr became RAE Llanbedr. By 1958 the area around the control tower and the dump near the hangar were littered with wrecked Firefly drones although U.9s continued into the late'50s. The last Firefly U.Mk.8 WJ147 was flown gracefully into the sea in June 1960 when the Meteor U.Mk.16s arrived.
Hope this helps, sorry I took so long!
By: - 8th July 2011 at 07:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That is excellent information, thankyou very, very much. Can't wait to tell my father the full story. He always called it 'the spitfire engine' against my protest of it being off a firefly. Cheers again.
By: - 8th July 2011 at 09:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
;)It may be timely to point out that Air-Britain are on the point of publishing a new book on British drone aircraft,and it is known that full details of all the Llanbedr Fireflies, Meteors and Jindiviks etc are included.
Posts: 118
By: sCOTT bROOKES - 6th July 2011 at 16:23
Hello, this will be my first post on this forum.
As a child, i remember being shown a Rolls Royce Griffon engine in the sand dunes next to Llanbedr airfield. This consisted of crank shaft and final drive, prop hub and several prop blades. I still have the front part of the engine casing , complete with engine number, and understand this to be from a Firefly drone. My question is, does anyone know the identity of this wreck, or indeed the circumstances of it's demise?. It appears a recovery operation was mounted judging by the steel sand tracks that littered the area. The site was some distance into the dune area. Any info would be greatly recieved.