Days' in 68.

Colour slides taken in 1967-8 mainly at RAF Tengah in Singapore.
Showing 60 Squadron Javelins shortly before disbanding. 74 Squadron Lightnings mainly taken during a restricted station open day and the volunteer parachute team show how it's done.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• RAF
• Tengah
• 74
• Squadron
• English
• Electric
• Lightning
• 1968.

[longpastit]

Don't believe it. We were broke before north sea oil was invented. Flying was restricted because we couldn't afford the fuel. We devalued the pound, scraped TSR2, the V bomber force and bought American planes and Polaris. It's always been like that. Hawker Hunters couldn't fire their guns in case the engines stopped. The Meteors were no match for the swept wing Migs and Sabres. Spitfires had pea shooter machine guns and carbs while the ME's had cannon and fuel injection. But we're still here!!

[aldopeer]

Those British:....they really know how to build and fly the most ugly planes....the Lightning, the flying milkbottle or that Gloster Javelin....

[longpastit]

@aldopeer

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder! Lightning, first flew 1954, was a fair advance on the round shapes of the Hunters and Meteors of the time and to be fair had a teriffic performance for catching Russian Bears at 40,000 but was not fully developed. The Javelin, 1st real night fighter, needed that wing area to support that huge 10cm 1950's radar upfront (AI17). Amazing it actually flew at all!

[007bondspy]

yawn

[longpastit]

Hmmm! I know what you mean but does anyone really read all this ---.

[Hitam124]

The "Unknown location in Singapore" is the Padang at RAF Changi. The band is marching across the cricket pitch with the NAAFI building in the background. Nostalgia, there's nowt like it!

[longpastit]

Thanks, I knew someone would eventually come up with the answer and I think you're right. I remember driving over in that direction but not much else and there were so many similar looking buildings in those days. Bet it's a wee bit different now! (I remember Changi beach and those huge tree ants that dropped on you!)

[AVMamfortas]

I was in the Tower at Tengah and Labuan (in '64-66) when 60 and 64 had Javs and 20 had Hunters. These bring back memories. The Lightning was something of a 'stop-gap' aircraft but nothing else could touch it for getting high, fast so it lasted and lasted.

[stubbostubbs]

@aldopeer Well the Blackburn Bucanneer was called the flying coke bottle or the flying banana by the yanks. Come RED FLAG though, their super shiney, reheated F15`s couldnt get anywhere near it at low level. Sorry Mr President, after 2 weeks we havent been able to shoot down any Brit Buccs. LOL

[Ezza190]

The RAF, back then she was mighty, and so was the Army and Navy, now look, because of corrupt governments and shite defence cuts, its ruined our forces! :(

[canberra305]

I can imagine that the british was so powerful during that era.....

[leonelp51]

@longpastit yeah i have some weakness for the Lightning hahahha :P

[aldopeer]

@WinchesterRanger:

Yeah, I know about the fuel-consumption of the Lightning and the fairly poor weaponry. Still they were agile and indeed bribes helped the sales to the Arabs. I was crew-chief during the late 70's, early 80's, with the Dutch air force, maintaining the F-104G Starfighter. Now, there was a plane bought by many countries because of huge bribes! Still I love that plane. Lightnings visited our base regularely for dog-fighting our F-104's. Guess who'd won all the time...

[WinchesterRanger]

@aldopeer The Lightning was an interesting aircraft, startling performance with equally startling maintenance requirements. The British tend to view it through rose tinted spectacles because it was fast, but the truth was that it was a beast to maintain, had a poor weapon load, and negligible fuel (even the "flying gas can" F6 had an avergae sortie time of barely more than an hour). Suffice to say that only the Kuwaitis and Saudis purchased any, and that was because of the huge bribes involved

[xfire7]

Lightning intercepted the u2...don`t knock it!

[hotlanta35]

they were super fast planes, i like the twin engines on yop of each other..i think they are awesome