In 1960 92 Squadron was chosen as Fighter Command's official Aerobatic Display Team, taking over from "Treble One", and adopting the name the Blue Diamonds. Operating from RAF Middleton St. George. With its bright blue painted Hawker Hunters 92 squadron thrilled the crowds with its precision display including looping a formation of 18 aircraft - still a record to this day.
At the end of 1962, 92Sqn were adopted as the premier RAF Aerobatic team, A role they have held until today.
Originally intending to transition to the E.E. Lightning F.2 in early 1963, it was felt that the Lightning would not make a suitable Team aerobatic display aircraft,
so 92 remained equipped with the Hunter, Until the general run down and replacement of the Hunter by the Hawk T1, then team were re-equipped with Hawk T1's specially modified for smoke making.
So (puts on Raymond Baxter like BBC announcer voice) ;D
Ladies and Gentlemen, running in from your Left the "The Blue Diamonds"
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2133_NEF.jpg&hash=2bfd3c8e056c2828d4a668f8e39744513f60e893)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2134_NEF.jpg&hash=ca8619ceae60d3963844a492803de7a1ca3c41f1)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2135_NEF.jpg&hash=1eceaf478175018a176d2dd3656a74edda94f806)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2136_NEF.jpg&hash=a8b5ee475e5a068468b0e27aeaf6c46dbd166276)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2138_NEF.jpg&hash=3531cf0a9038747a03bc667428ff3fd48a6928c0)
Regards
Keith
funky new display team :ph34r: :ph34r: reminds me a little of the french team though ;D ;D
At the risk of introducing inter service rivalry, may I put in a word for "Simon's Circus" and their FAA Sea Vixens
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Quote from: Rheged on October 25, 2011, 07:52:25 AM
At the risk of introducing inter service rivalry, may I put in a word for "Simon's Circus" and their FAA Sea Vixens
That would be "Simon`s Sircus" (to be JMNish) (had to get that in being an ex crab ;))
Mmmmm.... a Sea Vixen would look good in Navy Blue with gold trim?? :wacko:
Quote from: flappydaffy on October 25, 2011, 06:18:30 AMfunky new display team
Not new, the Blue Diamonds actually existed. Nice to see them brought up to date! :thumbsup:
Very awesome plane. congratulations. :wub:
That works. Now for the Yellowjacks and Black Arrows as well. ;D
Very, very nice! :thumbsup:
Take some pics of it against a poster of blue sky or, better yet, real blue sky (if available). :party:
Great idea!
Quote from: ChernayaAkula on October 25, 2011, 02:52:35 PM
Very, very nice! :thumbsup:
Take some pics of it against a poster of blue sky or, better yet, real blue sky (if available). :party:
Seen over my house this afternoon ;)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2140.jpg&hash=b1e47f30608b55682a8c9804e337ce9327dff39d)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi980.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fae284%2FTourjet%2F_DSC2141.jpg&hash=13424f31e230f8b3b0407879c56b7d324df87f6c)
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Regards,
Keith (Almost in Holland)
:thumbsup:
You've really got to look hard at the 2nd piccie down, it's great! :thumbsup:
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 27, 2011, 08:49:04 AM
You've really got to look hard at the 2nd piccie down, it's great! :thumbsup:
Agreed! :bow:
Quote from: The Rat on October 27, 2011, 03:41:07 PM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 27, 2011, 08:49:04 AM
You've really got to look hard at the 2nd piccie down, it's great! :thumbsup:
Agreed! :bow:
Yes - excellent!
Brilliant!!
Didn't the Red Arrows use the Gnat before the Hawk?
Quote from: Rheged on October 25, 2011, 07:52:25 AM
At the risk of introducing inter service rivalry, may I put in a word for "Simon's Circus" and their FAA Sea Vixens
;D Put in as many words as you like!! I was privileged to see Simon's Circus perform in 1968. Amazing to see these huge fighters put on a display that would do credit to the Arrows!. Unfortunately, I believe Lt Cmdr Simon Idiens was killed when his Phantom crashed the year after the team was disbanded?
Quote from: McColm on October 27, 2011, 11:55:40 PM
Brilliant!!
Didn't the Red Arrows use the Gnat before the Hawk?
Indeed they did! And, before we had the Red Arrows, we had The Yellowjacks - also flying the Gnat! Now I just had a crazy idea involving the new Airfix Gnat!! Anybody else fancy building 2 complete aerobatic teams!! ;D
The old Gnat T1 was my first ever foray into kit assembling ( as opposed to building!! ;D). 1967 I believe!!
Quote from: albeback on October 28, 2011, 12:34:49 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 25, 2011, 07:52:25 AM
At the risk of introducing inter service rivalry, may I put in a word for "Simon's Circus" and their FAA Sea Vixens
;D Put in as many words as you like!! I was privileged to see Simon's Circus perform in 1968. Amazing to see these huge fighters put on a display that would do credit to the Arrows!. Unfortunately, I believe Lt Cmdr Simon Idiens was killed when his Phantom crashed the year after the team was disbanded?
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through! :o :o
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 28, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through! :o :o
That is something I would very much like to have seen!
I suppose that the FAA are so used to manoeuvring on restricted flight decks that a whole airfield runway that isn't doing 25 knots on a choppy sea is a luxury for them.
I was 12 at the time 807 did their party trick at Farnborough in '59 and I was right on the front row on the Saturday, so I got a great view of it. The commentator told us what was going to happen, about them about to land from both ends at once, but omitted to mention the folding wing trick!
To say I was gob-smacked was an understatement! My Dad had seen it the day before and he said my face was a picture when they did it, he was looking at me at the time, watching for my reaction. ;D
I Googled for a piccie of them doing it, but with no joy. Bizarrely Google Images came up with a piccie of my Convair-Hawker Osprey when I was searching under '807 NAS Scimitar Farnborough'!
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 28, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through! :o :o
Wouldn't be allowed now - health and safety :banghead: Just glad I grew up in the 50/60's and was allowed to enjoy myself
Quote from: NARSES2 on October 28, 2011, 07:56:23 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 28, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through! :o :o
Wouldn't be allowed now - health and safety :banghead: Just glad I grew up in the 50/60's and was allowed to enjoy myself
Well I grew up in the late 60`s and managed to miss the Scimiters, Sea Vixens, Black Arrows, Blue Diamonds..........
Steam trains, most of FROG kits.....
The list could go on, but you get the Picture.
Anyway, Thanks for all the positive comments, and the interesting thread drift :thumbsup:
Regards
Keith (who needs to finish a DH106 Comet C2R3)
Top class :thumbsup:
I like your new photos. I have taken the liberty to make this:
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg196.imageshack.us%2Fimg196%2F5884%2Fhawkgentle.jpg&hash=e4b127445cb5da84a1469c364b345fd7664d0af3) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/hawkgentle.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
Quote from: Pablo1965 on October 28, 2011, 03:37:24 PM
I like your new photos. I have taken the liberty to make this:
'Smoke on....GO!' :thumbsup:
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 02:17:48 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 28, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
That is something I would very much like to have seen!
I suppose that the FAA are so used to manoeuvring on restricted flight decks that a whole airfield runway that isn't doing 25 knots on a choppy sea is a luxury for them.
This reminds me of an old Wren cartoon, in a RAF Yearbook many years ago, shows a Phantom landing "all over the place" and two RAF controllers watching. One says to the other, "That's Flt Lt Smith, ex FAA, say's he'd have made a better job of landing if the runway hadn,t been so damn stationary".
Quote from: Pablo1965 on October 28, 2011, 03:37:24 PM
I like your new photos. I have taken the liberty to make this:
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg196.imageshack.us%2Fimg196%2F5884%2Fhawkgentle.jpg&hash=e4b127445cb5da84a1469c364b345fd7664d0af3) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/hawkgentle.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
Thanks Pablo1965, that`s brilliant! :cheers:
Regards
Keith
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 28, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through! :o :o
Which just goes to prove that SENIOR service pilots are eminentaly superior to thier Crab Air counterparts.. :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow:
Quote from: lancer on October 29, 2011, 03:53:12 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 28, 2011, 01:45:21 AM
Quote from: Rheged on October 28, 2011, 12:49:54 AM
I too saw the dancing Vixens in 1968 and was mightily impressed. You'd not expect to see aircraft of that size behaving as they did!!
Even more amazing was the Scimitar team flown by 807 NAS. They did a six aircraft take-off and their routine included a singleton picking up a banner from the airfield with an extension fitted to its arrestor hook and the first ever 'Twinkle Roll', in Scimitars! To cap it all they landed all six of the aircraft at once, two from one end of the runway and the other four from the OPPOSITE end, the pair folding their wings en route to make a gap big enough for the others to get through! :o :o
Which just goes to prove that SENIOR service pilots are eminentaly superior to thier Crab Air counterparts.. :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow:
Or have absolutely no sense of self preservation :o
Regards
Keith
Landing a huge beast like the Scimitar on a carrier the size of Formidable or Ark Royal doesn't exactly square off with that.
FRADU had their own Hunter display team.
I hope that your Hawks aren't using the Mark10 ejector seats!!
now I begin to wonder how it would look like in a YAK-130 ;)
now, was this the Blue hawk displayed on the Aerobatic sig what if themed display at Telford?
No, I'm afraid not, its still with me in Germany.
Regards
Keith (who would have liked to have been to Telford)