Authors: Gill Griffin

A Very Unusual Air War (37 page)

Summary for:- January 1944	1. Mustang	8–15
Date:- 3/1/44	2. Oxford	1–20
Unit:- AFDU Wittering	3. Proctor	3–10
Signature:- H.L. Thorne	4. Spitfire VII	−55
5. Spitfire IX	4–10
6. Spitfire V	1–10
7. FW190	−20
8. Tempest	1–45

Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr O/C Flying A.F.D.U

YEAR	1944	AIRCRAFT	Pilot or 1st Pilot	2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass.	DUTY (Including Results and Remarks)	Flying Time	Passenger
MONTH	DATE	Type	No.	Dual	Solo
February	1st	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Test long-range tanks		−35
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Comparative v. Tempest		−45
	2nd	Tempest	JN737	Self	A/C Roscorla	Comparative v. Mustang		−50
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self	Cpl Mauker	Fuel consumption and firing		2–20
	3rd	Mustang III	FZ107	Self	Cpl Mauker	Fuel tank change-over test		1–10
	4th	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Climb to 35,000ft		1–30
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Cine gun		−15
	5th	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Assistance to Typhoon		−15
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		To Poddington		−25
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		To base		−20
	6th	FW 190	PM679	Self		Air test		−15
	7th	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Comparative v. FW 190 & escort		1–35
		FW 190	PM679	Self		Comparative v. Mustang		−30
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Night flying trials		1–05
	8th	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Clims to 33,000ft & cine gun		−50
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Comparative v. ’190		−45
	9th	Spitfire IX	JL359	Self		Fuel consumption		−25
		Mustang I	AM107	Self		Compass test		−20
	10th	FW 190	PM679	Self		Comparative v. Tempest		−30
		Spitfire Vb	AB169	Self		To Cranfield		−25
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Test bubble hood		−30
		Spitfire Vb	AB169	Self		To base		−35
	15th	Spitfire IX	BS552	Self		Air test		−20
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Consumption test		1–00
	18th	Spitfire XII	EN222	Self		Air test		−15
	20th	Mustang III	FE107	Self		Fuel consumption		−40
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Speed runs and climbs		1–05
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Fuel consumption		−55
	22nd	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		To Gravesend		−50
		Mustang III	FZ107	Self		To base		−35
	24th	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Climbs		−35
		Oxford	V3791	Self	F/Sgt Bristow	To Cranfield		−30
		Oxford	V3791	Self	F/Sgt Bristow	To base		−30
	28th	Mustang III	FZ107	Self		Comparative v. ME 109G		1–05
	29th	FW 190	PM679	Self		Comparative v. Spitfire L2C		−30
						GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 945 hours 30 mins	3–30	10–20
							60–00	871–40	16–15

2 February
: The fuel tanks of a Mustang held 176 gallons against the Spitfire’s 96, giving the Mustang an endurance of a little over 3½ hours at normal cruising speed.

5 February
: First trip. The ASI (Air Speed Indicator) had failed so I led the pilot in for his landing.

6 February
: We are still trying our best to get that engine right.

7 February
: To the best of my knowledge the Mustang was never flown operationally at night. However, with its long range there was always a possibility of having to land after dark, so we still had to check that everything was in working order.

10 February
: ‘Bubble hood.’ This was the same type of canopy as was fitted to the Spitfire IX. It was called the Malcolm hood; it bulged outwards and gave much improved all-round visibility.

22 February
: To Gravesend. This was a winter cross-country exercise when I chose to fly there in order to visit my brother-in-law, LAC Ron Davies, who served in the RAF Regiment. It took me some time to locate him in an open anti-aircraft gun-pit on airfield defence duty. Although I arrived across the Thames in a blinding snowstorm, I treated them to 10 minutes of beat-up and low-level aerobatics. Stupid really, as gunners were notoriously trigger happy and quite likely to shoot at one of ours. Ron was frequently in action and probably saw more of the Luftwaffe than I did in this vulnerable and dangerous area of Britain.

28 February
: The ME 109G, known as the ‘Gustav’, was the latest version of that excellent fighter and still able to give a good account of itself in the hands of an experienced pilot.

29 February
: This was co-operation with NAFDU against a Fleet Air Arm fighter designated an L2C but actually a Seafire, used effectively as a carrier-borne fighter.

Summary for:- February 1944	1. Mustang III	18–00
Unit:- AFDU Wittering	2. Mustang I	−20
Date:- 1/3/44	3. Tempest V	−50
Signature:- H.L. Thorne	4. FW190	1–45
5. Spitfire IX	−45
6. Spitfire V	1–00
7. Spitfire XII	−15
8. Oxford	1–00

Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr O/C Flying AFDU

YEAR	1944	AIRCRAFT	Pilot or 1st Pilot	2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass.	DUTY (Including Results and Remarks)	Flying Time	Passenger
MONTH	DATE	Type	No.	Dual	Solo
March	1st	Mitchell	208	F/Lt Lane	Self	Ait test		−35
		Tempest V	737	Self		Air test		−20
	2nd	Typhoon	512	Self		Test drop tanks		−40
	3rd	Typhoon	512	Self		Test drop tanks		−55
	4th	Typhoon	512	Self		Cutting tests		−30
	5th	Spitfire IX	BS552	Self		Comparative v VII		−25
		Spitfire VII	BS229	Self		Comparative v IX		−45
		Spitfire VC	372	Self		Comparative v VII		−50
	7th	Spitfire VC	372	Self		Test dive brakes		−50
		Spitfire VC	372	Self		Test dive brakes		−25
	9th	Spitfire XIV	RB179	Self		Air test		−15
	13th	Typhoon	512	Self		Comparative v Tempest		−30
		Tempest	737	Self		Comparative v Typhoon		−45
	14th	Tempest	737	Self		Beat-up		−20
	15th	Spitfire VII	BS229	Self		Test dive flaps		−35
	16th	Tempest	737	Self		Comparative v Typhoon		−55
		Oxford	V3791	Self		To Wakely		−10
		Oxford	V3791	Self		To base		−15
	17th	Spitfire	AB169	Self		Air test		−30
	18th	FW 190	PM679	Self		Comparative v. Spitfire XIV		−35
	19th	FW 190	PM679	Self		Air test		−10
	22nd	Tempest	737	Self		Guns and camera		−40
	25th	Spitfire	MH415	Self		Rate of roll		−35
		Tempest	737	Self		Rate of roll		1–05
		Spitfire	179	Self		Rate of roll		−25
						GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 959 hours 30 mins	3–30	10–20
							60–00	885–40	16–15

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