DH Sea Hornet TT193 in RCAF service

[alvin5182]

Gents: 

i am looking for wing and tail plane markings as well as the colour of the spinners in regard to the a/m aircraft. Have only seen a couple of photos which are inconclusive at best. 

I know the roundel types applied. 

Any help would be appreciated. I’ve pulled the old Special Hobby 72nd  scale F20 off the shelf of doom and it really doesn’t look all that bad. I would like to finish it.

 

Thanks in advance

alvin5182

[RCAFFAN]

The Aircraft flew at the WEE (Winter Experimental Establishment) in 1948 for testing and would have been used by RCAF personal as well as British but I believe it only ever flew in Royal Navy markings and was never actually on RCAF listings. It was then sold to Spartan (by the British) as CF-GUO and used for high altitude photo recon. There are pictures of the aircraft on page 228 of Larry Milberry's "Sixty Years" and a colour side profile on page 73 of the same book. The profile shows standard post war RN markings with a red /white(thin strip)/blue tail band. The profile shows overall aluminum/natural metal with red high viz panels on wing and fixed tail surfaces and red spinners. Knowing the composite construction I would believe overall aluminum paint, like the Vampires, most likely. The photos, while black and white, would appear to confirm this. The serial (TT193) was also under the wings in large black lettering with top of the lettering forward on starboard wing and to the rear on the port. You can clearly read "ROYAL NAVY" above the serial on the side of the fuselage. The profile shows a camera port on lower port fuselage forward of the roundel but that part of fuselage is not visible (behind rear of engine nacelle) in the photo showing the port side from the front. The Milberry book should be available in a library or new from CANAV Books , Milberry's publisher. HTH

Cheers

Bruce

 

P.S. Photos show A-frame tail hook fitted and the high viz red is a lighter/different shade than the red in the roundel center.

Edited November 26, 2017 by RCAFFAN

[alvin5182]

Thanks Bud! Late this aft I found a photo in an old CAHS magazine which showed the red markings on the main and tail planes. I believe the a/c was on strength of the RCAF from April til November of the year. RAF were not interested in the expense of return of the aircraft and signed off on it. Then sold to Spartan and thusly to Kenting aviaation.

thanks again

Alvin5182

[RCAFFAN]

I've not found any evidence that it was actually ever on the RCAF register and it was sold by the British (who indeed did not want to pay to ship it back) to Spartan who also bought other British aircraft for photo recon work. The Mosquito being restored here (at Nanton) is owned by the City of Calgary but was a PR35 (along with 7 B35s) sold to Spartan by the British. While the Mosquitos were quite successful for photo recon, the Sea Hornet was not and was abandoned in Terrace B.C, after an engine failure. The remains were actually stored on a farm north of Calgary until sold and shipped to New Zealand for restoration. All that was really left were engine nacelles, a center fuselage section and some wing panels. It certainly never had a Canadian serial being always "ROYAL NAVY TT193" until sold. I'm glad you found a photo showing the red panels as I wasn't about to try to explain where exactly they were. The pictures in Milberry are quite clear if you can get a look at them.

Out of curiosity where is "Downtown Haley Station" as I can't say I've heard of it though I was born and lived in Toronto (Scarborough) and still have relatives there but haven't been back since 1988.

Cheers

Bruce

Edited November 27, 2017 by RCAFFAN

[alvin5182]

Bruce

Toronto boy as well, work took me to North Bay for 40 yrs. Haley Station? Small townsite between Cobden and Renfrew, just off Hwy 17. Built in 1943 to support staff @ large open pit magnesium mine which produced the highest quality magnesium in the world during WWII. Obvious signs of military involvement. Houses are built to a standard military base standard of the time. ie. built like a “tank”. 

I have Milberrys books. Just haven’t gotten to them as yet.

Have Air enthusiast articles on Spartan as well as CAHS articles (2) on Spartan.

 

alvin5182

Edited November 27, 2017 by alvin5182
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