New Farley Fruitbat pictures

[The Rat]

A recent death of an old friend has brought into my possession a couple of pictures of the legendary Farley Fruitbat. Although they do not contain any new information, they are definitely of interest to the aviation historian.

Picture #1 shows a Fruitbat (believed to be the nightfighter variant) banking to port on approach. Both navigation lights are clearly seen, and the twin landing lights are only just warming up after being turned on. No exhaust flame is visible, probably because the engines have been throttled back to idle. The base may be RAF Little Fartington, Rutland.



Picture #2 is obviously the ground attack variant on a night exercise, tracer fire can be clearly seen. Faint notation on the back of the print gives the pilot as Squadron Leader Neville Pratt-Bottomly. Location is probably the island of Upper Down, sadly now obliterated as a result of years of live-fire exercises.

[kerick]

Reminds me of the picture of a polar bear in a snowstorm eating vanilla ice cream!

[Mr.Creak]

It's the Mk.1A.
You can tell by the seat adjuster handle.

[PR19_Kit]

It's the Mk.1A.
You can tell by the seat adjuster handle.

Oh yes, they were very distinctive, on the IBs they reverted to the Mini 'style piece-of-string' adjusters used on the prototype.

[Rheged]

One can tell it's a Little  Fartington based  aircraft in picture 2 as the armourers there used only white tracer  rounds.  Had it been  Higher Cludgington based  the tracer rounds would have been red.

[The Rat]

One can tell it's a Little  Fartington based  aircraft in picture 2 as the armourers there used only white tracer  rounds.

Hmmm, I saw them as light yellow. The plot thickens... 

[rickshaw]

Interesting how in the first picture, the two, "slowly firing up" landing lights betray their power source, Acetylene.  Now, those Acetylene lights were much cause of misery to both the ground and air crews of the Fruitbats. The fuel was very volatile but gave quite a bright white light.  The problem was it was dangerous to fuel them for each sortie and it was dangerous if there was a crash landing.  They were though, much slower to start up as pressure had to be built up from a hand pump powered by the observer/rear gunner.

[NARSES2]

 

[eatthis]

youre all mental its clearly a ufo

[TallEng]

One can tell it's a Little  Fartington based  aircraft in picture 2 as the armourers there used only white tracer  rounds.

Hmmm, I saw them as light yellow. The plot thickens...  

Are you sure? they could be orange tracer rounds, as used by the station armoury at Hiding in the hedges, where the O.C.U was based for a time.
You know how old color film can be affected with a colour cast, and then there is the RGB effect from your laptop/computer screen....
plus scanning of old photos/negatives and digitising.... its a minefield out there with regard to interpreting old pictures....

Regards
Keith

[Mr.Creak]

youre all mental its clearly a ufo

Don't be silly.
The RAF didn't operate UFOs from Little Fartington.

[rickshaw]

youre all mental its clearly a ufo

Mental?  Nope, not me.  I've got the release papers that prove I'm not mental! 

[The Rat]

Before he passed away my friend told me that there may be a Fruitbat crash site on the island of Lower Down, just north of Upper Down. As this is now a wildlife sanctuary it may be difficult obtaining permission for an investigation.

[Captain Canada]

Nice one Rat !

[Rheged]

youre all mental its clearly a ufo

Don't be silly.
The RAF didn't operate UFOs from Little Fartington.

Didn't ETPS lease a  couple  from British Railways in the mid 1970's? The BBC reported on it at the time......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4801928.stm