Beaufighter ID

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21 years

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Stumbled upon this, but it says RD253, but that is the airframe currently at Hendon and went to the Portugese in 1950 IIRC. :confused:
So, if this shot was taken at Hendon's last flying display in 1958, which Beau is it??

Beaufighter photo

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,553

Hi Firebird,

Beaufighters ALWAYS get my attention... ;)

It's highly unlikely that this is RD253; by 1958 I would imagine RD253 would have started to lapse into the derelict state she was in when recovered in the early sixties.

The diagonal black markings under the port wing of this aeroplane would identify it as a TT10; the RAF still had a very few Beaufighter TT10's flying in the UK in 1958 (last Beau flight was out of Seletar in 1960), which would fit with the timescale. The only TT10 serial that I can recall off the top of my head is SR919, which was photographed quite extensively in those final years. However, somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to recall the TT10's having larger radomes than the aeroplane in the picture... I'll check that when I get home later. As for identities, if you can get a better resolution on the underside of the wing, that might give some clues.

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24 years 2 months

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I think that picture has been 'edited' to obsure/remove the serial

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24 years 2 months

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Hendon Beaufighter?

Living in North Wembley and central Harrow though 1956-64, a Beaufighter at RAF Hendon would have been 'top news' to a bunch of avid teenage enthusiasts/spotters.

I think this gentleman is out with his dates by about half a dozen years or more.

There was a Brigand at the last Hendon BoB in 1957 - RH749. I wonder if there is possibly some confusion with this machine.

Mark

Photo by my friend the late 'Rick' Reeves

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19 years 11 months

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RD253

According to my well thumbed copy of British Museum Aircraft, published by Merseyside Aviation Society in 1977 (cor blimey - is it that long ago) RD253 was delivered to 19MU at St Athan in November 1944

7/3/45 to Pershore for preparation for sale to Portugal
17/3/45 Pershore to Portella as BF-13
by 1950 Instuctional Airframe in Lisbon
1965 Presented to RAF
Thence to 71 MU at Bicester
Parts from RD253 used to rebuild RD867 fom Malta
Thence to 4SoTT St Athan who managed to totally rebuild it

RD253 was chosen over RD867 as the museum aircraft to retain and RD867 was then exchanged with Canada for the Bolingbroke now in the BoB Museum.

RD253 arrived at Hendon on 15/3/71

ps while we're on the subject of exchanges does anybody know what we got in return for the deal that saw the Mosquito TIII TW117 go to Norway??? :confused: