Royal International Air Tattoo

RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire

15 - 17 July 2006

Of a more sedate nature perhaps, but no less interesting are the helicopters and other support types On the Saturday, the RAF Chinook was absent and only the Merlin HC.3 could be seen as far as the RAF's support helicopter force was concerned. Narrated by an enthousiastic team member, this Italo-British, or perhaps Anglo-Italian helicopter was put through its paces. 

On the Sunday, both the Merlin and its larger brother, the Chinook, gave their displays. Ever the powerful helicopter, the Chinook celebrates its 25th year of service in the RAF during 2006. Time really flies. It was not sprayed in any eye catching coloursceme for the occasion, but had been given a sticker on its tail rotor pylon denoting this fact. Proof of the high tempo of operations seen by this type, Saturday's Chinook was apparantly held in reserve for evacuations from war torn Lebanon.

Two Lynx helicopters from the Royal Navy flew their Black Cats pairs display again this year. Both can be seen in this image, enabling a comparison to be made between the older HAS.3S variant and the newer HMA.8DSP. In this image, the HAS.3S is in front. Apart from the Lynx and the RAF support types, helicopter fans could enjoy the Army Air Corps' Blue Eagles with their Gazelles and single Lynx AH.7.

A pair of Jetstream T.2's from the Royal Navy's 750 sq from RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall could be seen in the air. Not a usual participant in any flying display, these navigational trainers normally being confined to the static park. Their appearance was nevertheless quite welcome. They form a somewhat older part of the UK's inventory and although a pair were sold to Uruguay some years ago, a number is still left in Royal Navy service.

Another type to celebrate an anniversary in the RAF is the Vickers VC.10. This British bid as a long range transport in the class of the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC.8, the VC.10 entered service with No. 10 sq in 1966. In 1984,  10 sq was joined by 101 sq which after 10 sq disbanded last year is now the sole operator of the VC.10. XV104 was given a red tail with inscription for the occasion and on the Sunday was escorted over Fairford by the Red Arrows. The high tempo of operations meant that it could not be spared for a place in the static park.

As stated, trainers were much in evidence with all three of Pilatus' instructional types on display. The Royal Netherlands Air Force demonstrated the oldest of the trio, the PC.7. It was left to the Slovenian Air Force to show the more powerful offspring, the PC.9. Unfortunately and unlike the PC.7, it gave a generally high and far away display, no doubt the inhabitants of nearby Lechlade will have enjoyed it. 

Following the sad loss of the second prototype, the PC.21, developed from the PC.9, now exists in the form of a first prototype and a pair of pre-series machines. The Swiss Air Force will most likely have the first production examples in order to fill the gap between the PC.7 and the Northrop F-5F. A particularly useful step following the retirement of the Hawk some years ago. Both PC.21's are seen here on take-off towards Farnborough. 

Is it a helicopter? Is it an aeroplane? It is the Osprey. One of the strangest contraptions seen this year was the Bell-Boeing MV-22A. A very tricky thing to photograph because of the swirling wingtip mounted rotors/propellors, it can swivel its engine pods from vertical to horizontal and back, changing from vertical to horizontal flight. With the speed of an aeroplane and the versatility of a helicopter, the tilt rotor has been in development ever since the Bell XV-3 first flew in 1955. The technology of the day did not provide answers to technical problems, though. In 1977 it was followed by the XV-15 and the development of the MV-22 started in the early eighties. Sadly, more than 30 people lost their lives in test flight accidents with the Osprey, but the problems appear to be solved now, so that the U.S. Marines could now display an operational example.