Banshee PR.Mk.1a

[Knightflyer]

One of the more unusual allocations of aircraft under the Allied Aircraft Testing and Evaluation (AATAE) Programme occurred in 1952.

Generally the programme, for all its intentions to test a wide variety of aircraft from NATO and other Western nations had seen the aircraft come mostly from the United States. This was perhaps (obviously) because the United States government was the most willing and able to support the AATAE Programme (note British spelling!) as an offshoot of its Mutual Aid Program (US spelling! )

it was therefore a curious and interested crowd of RAF officers and ground-crew that awaited the arrival of three aircraft at RAF Gutersloh in 1952. The allocation arriving that day was unusual in that a whole squadron wasn't being equipped with aircraft from the United States, but only a flight, to be shared between two squadrons, both specialists in their field of photo-reconnaissance. Also the three aircraft weren't aircraft being used by the US Air Force, but were actually aircraft of the US Navy and a relative rarity over the skies of Europe.

The three McDonnell F2H-2P Banshee aircraft has been allocated jointly to 2 and 79 squadron based at RAF Gutersloh in Germany for direct comparison with the Meteor FR.Mk.9s and PR.Mk.10s that the squadrons were flying at that time.

The aircraft were allocated to 'Y' (or Yankee) flight and were collectively known as 'The Three Georges' having been given the nickname George through a convoluted thought process from the US Navy's nickname for the aircraft. The nickname was then developed further to reflect the first Hanoverian kings of Great Britain (the combination of vast quantities of alcohol in the officers mess and British 1950s 'learn-by-rote' education produced one of its more off-beat results that night!)

The first aircraft, VZ615, was known as George I or German George and coded 'G' .It had no changes from the standard F2H-2P and flew in the US Naval dark blue colour scheme but with RAF markings. It was designated as the McDonnell Banshee PR.Mk.1

The second and third aircraft; VZ616, coded 'F' (George II / Fighting George) and VZ617, coded 'M' (George III / Mad George) had varying degrees of changes from VZ615, with the removal of the arrestor hook, wing folding mechanisms and most significantly, the replacement of the US rotating 6 cameras assembly with a 3 fixed camera RAF system. These two aircraft were designated McDonnell Banshee PR.Mk.1a
George II flew in a RAF standard medium sea grey over PRU blue, but George III ended up in a scheme reminiscent of that used by the Spitfire PR.Mk.19, being painted in an all-over PRU blue. All three aircraft carried the red identification patches on the upper and lower surfaces of the wings as required by the AATAE Programme

Below is a picture of VZ617 / M (George III / Mad George) showing the joint squadron markings carried by the Banshees, the tip-tanks decorated with the four colours pertinent to the two squadrons and also the replacement cockpit canopy, still in it's US Navy dark blue

[JayBee]

NICE!

[The Chaos]

Looks Good 

[PR19_Kit]

Brill that. 

[NARSES2]

(the combination of vast quantities of alcohol in the officers mess and British 1950s 'learn-by-rote' education produced one of its more off-beat results that night!)

Nothing wrong with either of those, didn't do me any harm 

Nice model sir 

[sandiego89]

Well done, like it. The Banshee is under Whiffed.

[bobbo]

I'm REALLY a Happy Camper now!  The Banjo is probably my favorite jet ever!

bobbo

[DogfighterZen]

That looks good and the story is pretty cool!  What kit is it?

[Knightflyer]

THank-you very much kind Sirs 

That looks good and the story is pretty cool!  What kit is it?

The kit is the (1980s ?) Airfix vintage one. I remember always admiring the box art as a teenager



It's only taken me 30+ years to get around to buying the kit  I was surprised how small the finished model is in comparison with the box size

[Cobra]

This was a First Rate Build The Banshee Just looks like it WAS Meant to be in RAF Livery! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

[Army of One]

Great looking finish on thst kit........

[zenrat]

Nice.

[PR19_Kit]

I was surprised how small the finished model is in comparison with the box size

It's minute before you even build it! I was amazed when it came out how they had the gall to put such a small model in such a large box. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! The colors suit the Banshee surprisingly well! 

[Captain Canada]

That is gorgeous ! Love the colours and markings, really suit her. I can't say that I've ever seen that kit. Unless it's the same one as either the HobbyCraft or MPC one, with a different nose.

Cheers !