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13 December 2024 Military Aviation » Deliveries » Demonstrators  
 

Military Demonstrators

Military demonstrator aircraft that landed in Malta on their way to their destination.

This page was added on 15.05.12.
        
 

 

AIRCRAFT OPERATOR SERIAL NOTES HISTORY
HS Hawk T. Mk.1 Hawker Siddeley XX156 Arrived for hot-weather trials between 26.06.75-18.07.75. Accompanied by HS.125, G-BAZB, and an A&AEE Britannia XX367. First Hawk to be seen in Malta.  
BAe Hawk T. Mk.1 BAe G-HAWK/ZA101 Night stop between 19-20.01.78 on its way to a Middle Eastern tour. Accompanied by HS.748, G-BDVH. It returned on 16 February.  
BAe Hawk Mk.50 BAe G-HAWK/ZA101 Night stop between 05-06.08.81 on another Middle Eastern tour, returning on 19.08.81.  
BAe Hawk Mk.50 BAe ZA101 Stop-over on another Middle Eastern tour between 31.03.84-01.04.83, returning on 18.04.83. Grey fuselage with a red fin, it had ‘HAWK’ after the fuselage roundel and was accompanied by BAC 1-11, G-AVOF.  
BAe Hawk Mk. 100 BAe ZA101 Night stop between 31.09.88-01.10.88. All white fuselage, converted to a Mk.100, with an elongated nose, housing FLIR equipment. Accompanied Hawk 200, ZH200 (below). Both aircraft were on their way to Australia for a demonstration to the RAAF.  
Bae Hawk Mk.200 BAe ZH200 Night stop between 31.09.88-01.10.88. Single seat version, accompanied ZA101. Both aircraft were on their way to Australia for a demonstration to the RAAF.  
BAe Hawk Mk. 128 BAe Systems ZJ961 Aircraft arrived on 08.02.08. Aircraft went unserviceable and remained in Malta pending repairs, departing on 14th.  
Casa 295 Airbus Military EC-296 Refueling stop on 12.04.12, c/s EC296A. Another night stop between 28-29.03.16, c/s AEDS1, with another night stop between 16-17.04.16 on its return flight from Hurghada airport.  
Embraer KC-390 Brazilian AF FAB2853 Arrived in company with Super Tucano PT-ZTU on 14.11.19, c/s BRS61. Departed after refueling, but Tucano night-stopped. Again seen, this time night-stopping, between 25/26.11.19.

Aircraft again seen on a re-fuelling stop on 12.02.23.
 
Embraer-134 A29B Super Tucano Embraer PT-ZNV Night stop between 05-06.02.16, departing for Hurghada International Airport, Egypt. Final destination, Singapore.  
Embraer KC-390 Embraer PT-ZNF Night stop between 22-23.07.16. In the camouflage colours of the Brazilian AF.  
Short Singapore III K5481 Aircraft was being delivered to No. 205 squadron, based in Singapore. Landed at Kalafrana on 26.07.35, departing for Egypt on the 28th. See report below. A brief, 30-second newsreel, showing the flying boat departing the UK, can be seen here.
Supermarine Type 221 Southampton Mk. IV     S1648 S1648 was the prototype Scapa, built to Specification R.20/3l, and was originally known as the Supermarine Type 221 Southampton Mk. IV. But so radical were the changes embodied, that in September 1933, the aeroplane was re-designated Scapa.

First flown in 1932 it was powered by two Rolls Royce Kestrel 1 engines. Whereas the Southampton 2 had a metal hull and wooden wings, the Scapa was all-metal. Considerable improvements to hull by drodynamics were made and the engine nacelles were attached to the upper mainplane. Crew compliment remained at five.

During development, for which purpose S1648 spent some months at Felixstowe, Kestrel 111MS powerplants were fitted, and these were chosen for production aircraft. Bristol Jupiters could alternatively have been fitted but were not.

In 1933, the flying boat was flown out to No.202 squadron at Kalafrana, where it was referred to as the “new” Southampton, although exact arrival date is unknown. During subsequent tests it was found that, with an operational load, nonstop flights from Malta to Gibraltar were quite within the aircraft's capabilities, the aircraft returning from Gibraltar on 10.06.33.

On the 26th, the aircraft was flown to Port Sudan for hot weather trails, returning to Malta on 20th July.

Six days later, on the 26th, S1648 departed for Gibraltar, on its first leg back to the UK.
        
 

Delivery of Flying Boat to Singapore.


Background.


Flying boat was to be delivered to 205 squadron based at Singapore.

Prior to their departure from Plymouth, following engine problems, it became apparent that the assigned fitters didn’t have enough experience on the Kestrel engine and none on flying boats.

Another problem was the lack of experience by the wireless operator, having been transferred from a fighter squadron. Following a round Britain flight operating the W/T set, he was judged able to carry out his duties on the Singapore flight.

The Flight

Originally, the flight was scheduled to depart RAF Mount Batten, Plymouth for 22.07.35, but adverse weather forced a 24-hour delay until the 23rd.

Their first stop was Portugal. H.Q. Coastal Area had given instructions that, unless that country was reached within 7.5 hours flying time, then a landing at Lisbon had to be made. Aided by a tail wind as they approached Portugal, which resulted in an increased ground speed and a reduced petrol consumption, it was calculated that the crew could reach Gibraltar, but by now, they had been airborne for 8 hours and 15 minutes. Attempts to convey the crew’s plans to continue failed as the W/T operator was unable to establish contact, and so the original instructions had to be complied with. After re-fuelling the crew took off again for Gibraltar. Communications were described as poor, chiefly attributed to the inexperience of the operator.

Weather again played havoc with the crew’s departure on the 24th and the 25th. A favourable weather report later in the morning, but the flying boat wouldn’t have reached Malta before darkness set in.

Better conditions were forecast for the 26th, Malta being reached after 10 hours 30 minutes of flying time. Communications were described as showing improvement. Malta’s D/F was only picked up after the island was in sight.

At Kalafrana.


On arriving at Kalafrana, the captain complained about the very poor communication results obtained on the Plymouth-Gibraltar and Gibraltar-Malta flights. He suggested that the operator be replaced by a more experienced one for the rest of the flight, and with the A.O.C. Malta’s approval, the operator was replaced by a more experienced one from 202 Flying boat squadron.

In Malta, maintenance work was carried out, fixing the auto-pilot and replacing inlet valves spring of the front starboard engine. (The Singapore III had four engine, but set in tandem, in a push-pull configuration.) The radio set was thoroughly tested by W/T personnel, and judged to be working perfectly.

Investigations into the communications poor performance resulted in the following.

The main battery of the driving the 80 watt motor generator wasn’t fully charged when the crew left Gibraltar, and remained in this partially discharged state throughout the flight.

The W/T operator stated that he had starting charging the battery for the Boats’ A.P.U., but after 90 minutes was ordered to stop by the captain, and send the battery to H.M.S. Resolution for proper charging. Although they were informed that it would require between 8 – 10 hours to fully charge, the battery was returned to the flying boat after two hours. It was then further discharged when it was used to supply power for internal lightning, mooring lights and Aldis lamp.

This may explain why signals were weak. Furthermore, when attempts were made to contact Malta, the operator had not been made aware that Malta’s D/F frequencies had been changed to 168 K/Cs. Even after Hal-Far, through naval channels, signalled the correct frequencies to the flying boat when in Gibraltar (delivered by hand), the operator claimed he had not been informed of the changes. This explains why he was so late in establishing radio contact with Malta./br>
There wasn’t adequate time to properly examine the testimony of the operator due to the strict time-table of the crew’s schedule. Because he was unable to fully charge the battery, and hadn’t been properly informed of the frequency changes, it was though he wasn’t entirely to blame for the poor communications performance.

Departure from Malta was on the 28th, destination Aboukir, Egypt, which was reached after 8.5 hours flying time. Communications were also described as showing a greater improvement the D/F on 168KCs being received up to 400 miles from Malta. A change to 6500KCs saw the D/F being received for another 200 miles.

This was the only time during the entire journey that HF communications were successful, contact being made with both Malta and Aboukir. Despite consistent attempts, no further contacts on HF were made with any other RAF W/T stations.

Demonstration

During the monsoon period of 1934, flying boats of No.205 squadron conducted a flight across India. The squadron’s report was that this was so hazardous as to make it impracticable.

Following the discovery of a new route, which eliminated some of the disadvantages of the route used by 203 squadron, it was decided to use the delivery of a Singapore III flying boat to Singapore to try the new route. The pilot was instructed to include not only his opinion of the practicability of the new trans-India route, but the chosen route had to be one where the flying boat landed in British colonies or spheres of British influence.

Special reference was to be paid to the following-

Can the route be used without undue risks by a squadron using standard equipment and trained up to the average RAF standard?

What delay is likely to be imposed by weather conditions in avoiding undue risks?
The part of the delivery flight that was a demonstration of flying trans-India is outside the scope of this website. It took place between 04.08.35, when the crew departed Ras-al-Khaimah, UAE for Karachi, and ended on the 11th, when they departed Chittagong.

The flying boat eventually reached Singapore on 30.08.35.

        
 
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