From Jet Provost to Strikemaster: A Definitive History of the Basic and Counter-Insurgent Aircraft at Home and Overseas

FROM JET PROVOST TO STRIKEMASTER

DAVID WATKINS

FROM JET PROVOST TO STRIKEMASTER

A DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE BASIC AND COUNTER-INSURGENT AIRCRAFT AT HOME AND OVERSEAS

GRUB STREET | LONDON

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Copyright © Grub Street 2017

Copyright text © David Watkins 2017

A CIP record for this title is available from the British Library

ISBN-13: 9-781-910690-35-2

eISBN-13: 9-781-911621-56-0

Mobi ISBN-13: 9-781-911621-56-0

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Cover and book design by Daniele Roa

Previous page: Pre-delivery image of Strikemaster Mk.83 of the Botswana Defence Force. It had previously served with the Kuwait air force and been stored at Warton before its delivery to Botswana in March 1988. The aircraft was eventually sold to a buyer in the USA and registered as N4242T. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

01 JET PROVOST

02 RAF SERVICE

03 FLYING TRAINING SCHOOLS AND THEIR DISPLAY TEAMS

04 BAC 167 STRIKEMASTER AND FOREIGN SALES

05 FROM THE COCKPIT

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: RAF JET PROVOST DISPLAY FLYING TEAMS 1958-1976

APPENDIX 2: TECHNICAL DATA AND HISTORIES

ABBREVIATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank everyone who provided the generous and enthusiastic support to enable me to complete this book. It is a great pity that both Hunting and BAC disposed of most of its historic material and images some years ago and I am, therefore, particularly grateful to Reg Stock for the archive reports and photographs from his time as the Jet Provost/Strikemaster project pilot, and for kindly agreeing to contribute the foreword; to Ray Deacon, who once again provided me with constant encouragement to complete this work, together with numerous images from his vast collection; and Kate Yates for generously making available a large number of original images from the BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection; this incredible collection is worthy of a book in its own right and it is with great regret that only a small number could be incorporated into this work. I would also like to thank those who responded to my seemingly endless requests and for making their photographic collections freely available; I have attempted to include a representative selection of these images within these pages. I have also tried to ascertain the original contributor of each image, which has proved particularly difficult in some cases and I therefore hope that anyone who has not received the rightful credit will please accept my sincere apologies.

My gratitude is also extended to the following: Alan Allen; Gp Capt Dick Allen; Tim Allen; James Baldwin; Laurie Bean; Sqn Ldr Dick Bell MBE; Derick Bridge; Sqn Ldr Rod Brown; Eric Bucklow; Mike Butt; Steve Carr; Ian Carroll; Rob Chambers; Sean Chiddention; Philip Clifford (Brooklands Museum, Weybridge); Neil Corbett; Sqn Ldr Allan Corkett; Capt Nigel Courtis; Brendan Cowan; David Croser; Ms Judith Cross (PA to Comdt CFS); Peter Curtin; Wg Cdr Eddie Danks; Wg Cdr Barry Dale; Paul Dandeker; John M Davis; Rod Dean; Mike Edwards; Gp Capt Tom Eeles BA FRAeS; Hywel ‘Taff’ Evans; Rod Farquhar; Sqn Ldr Mark Fielding RAAF; Mike Fox; Bob Garlick; Guy Gibbons; Norman Giffin; Dave Gledhill; Y. K. Goh; Dennis Grey; Gp Capt Brian Gubbins; Jacques Guillem; Anthony Haig-Thomas; Wg Cdr P. J. ‘Curly’ Hirst; Gp Capt Brian Hoskins AFC FRAeS; Jerry Hughes; Capt Bruce Hutton MRAeS RN; Capt Bill Jago; Wg Cdr Jeff Jefford; Peter Jennings; Martin Kaye; Jukka Keranen; Fredric Lagerquist; Sqn Ldr Dickie Lees; Flt Lt Darren Legg MBE; Paul Lewis; John Lloyd; Terry Lloyd; Noel Lokuge; Gordon Macadie; Wg Cdr Doug Marr AFC*; David McCann; Don McClen; Keith McCloskey; Sqn Ldr Bruce McDonald AFC*; Gp Capt Paul McDonald; Dave McIntyre; Frank Milligan; David Milne-Smith; Mike Napier; Terry Nash; Brett Nicholls; Alick Nicholson; Air Marshal Sir Peter C. Norriss, KCB CB AFC MA FRAeS; Charles O’Neill; Bill Perrins; Mark Petrie; Mike Phipp; AVM Les Phipps CB AFC; Patrick Vinot Prefontaine; Air Cdre Richie Profit OBE AFC MRAeS; Captain William Portes, FAV rtd; Sqn Ldr R. M. Pugh AFC/Anthony Pugh; Graham Rawlinson; Wally Rhodes; Sqn Ldr Colin Richardson; Sqn Ldr John Robinson AFC*; Gp Capt Nick Rusling; Wg Cdr Mick Ryan; Bob Screen; John Scutt; AVM Sir John Severne KCVO OBE AFC DL; Brian Shadbolt; Ian Sheppard; Tim Simpson; Art Stacey; ‘Turbo’ Tarling; Bob Thompson FRAeS; Nick Tillotson; Claudio Toselli; James Watts-Philips; Joe Whitfield; Paul Wiggins; Nick Wilcock; Gerald Williams; Steve Wilson; Keith Wilson-Clark.

FOREWORD

‘Ready for Delivery to Saudi Arabia’. Brian McCann (navigator), Reg Stock (leader) and Alan Love pose for a company photograph prior to the delivery of the first Strikemaster Mk.80s, ‘901’ and ‘902’, for the Royal Saudi Air Force. (BAC via Reg Stock)

In his introduction, David Watkins regrets that despite training many generations of pilots throughout their long careers, the Jet Provost and Strikemaster have been largely overlooked. But obviously not by me, heavily involved as I was with both types for many years. My first connection with the company responsible for their gestation was during initial training as an RAF pilot on the Percival Prentice. Although aerobatic and ‘spinnable’ it was a rather lumbering beast. I remember whilst serving on a fighter squadron based in Celle, West Germany, it was required to transport our heavyweight boxer to Wildenrath for a boxing match. Being one of the few familiar with our Prentice, I was detailed for the flight. I naturally chose to take off in a westerly direction using the grass light aircraft strip, opened the throttle and away we trundled. It soon became obvious, when it was too late to stop, that we would not be able to clear the sergeants’ mess, I initiated a turn to the south west as though it were normal procedure and managed to retrieve the situation. I was thus rather surprised to discover that in its latter days one of them was converted to carry no less than seven persons. Anyway, on return to Celle the following day, in a casual conversation in the mess bar, the senior air traffic controller asked, By the way, why did you take off downwind? I leave the reader to fashion a suitable reply. But not before they have read this incredibly detailed book about the Jet Provost and Strikemaster.

I was a flying instructor on the Piston Provost, then converted to the Jet Provost in the early stages of all-through jet training. My service in the RAF was nearing its end during this period when the chief test pilot of Hunting Aircraft (previously Percival and subsequently BAC) visited us at Syerston and asked for a likely person to do production testing. I was that lucky chap and subsequently on moving from Luton to Warton (I was given the option of joining Eric Trubshaw at Wisley –Concorde?! But preferred the more vigorous alternative) I became the project pilot for the Jet Provost and Strikemaster, and that is why I have been inundated with questions from David Watkins.

I have to say that his attention to detail has caused me endless recovery forays into my logbooks and other various documents fortunately not thrown away. Even so I am amazed at the wealth of information he has unearthed, knowing how much persistent digging is necessary. However, as David has written several other memorable aviation tomes, he knows what is involved and thus earns our admiration and thanks. He has of course thanked his many contributors and I would also like to mention all those observers, navigators and test pilots who flew with me. Two in particular, flight test observers Dave Croser and John Scutt were present during some trials which were far from comfortable. Looking back, I do not recall anyone ever saying, Reg, are you sure we should be doing this? I would have asked myself that same question had I been required to write a book about the Jet Provost and Strikemaster.

Reg Stock

REG STOCK

was born in Harrold, Bedfordshire. He joined the RAF in November 1951, initially as a National Service pilot, and was posted to RAF Celle in Germany in August 1953. Then he was posted to 94 Squadron, a day-fighter/ground-attack unit flying Vampire and Venom aircraft, and during the next four years he was a member of the squadron’s rocket-firing and formation aerobatic teams. He returned to England in September 1957. Volunteering for an instructor’s course at the Central Flying School in July 1958, he was then awarded the Hopewell best pilot and Clarkson aerobatic trophies, and graduated as a B1 instructor. Between November 1958 and July 1961, Reg instructed on Provost and Jet Provost trainers at No.2 FTS, RAF Syerston, and also gave solo, synchronised and formation aerobatic displays. Leaving the RAF in 1961 he was appointed jet training officer at Marshall’s Flying School at Shawbury before joining Hunting Aircraft in March 1962 (later to become British Aircraft Corporation, Luton Division) as a test pilot.

At Luton, Reg became heavily involved with various aspects of test flying, including spin recovery and high Mach trials. In 1964 he transferred to BAC Warton when the Jet Provost was reassigned to the Military Division following the cancellation of the TSR.2 and became the Jet Provost/Strikemaster project pilot in 1967. He was in command of the first flights of both the Jet Provost Mk.5 (28 February 1967) and the BAC Strikemaster (26 October 1967). As well as the development flying of these two types Reg undertook most of the customer demonstration and aerobatic display flights, including the Farnborough air shows between 1962 and 1970 and the Paris Salon in 1969 and 1971.

Deliveries of various aircraft were also made to Iraq, Sudan, Ecuador and Saudi Arabia no fewer than fourteen times. He also tested Jaguar and Canberra aircraft from the production line. In 1973, Reg was deployed to Ecuador for two months to test rebuilt aircraft; he was also required to convert nine Ecuadorian pilots (subsequently reduced to four) on to the Strikemaster and include general handling, navigation, instrument and night flying plus bomb dropping, gunnery and rocket firing.

Together with his test flying, he was appointed senior communications pilot in 1978 and promoted to chief communications pilot in January 1983. During this time, Reg was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air in the Birthday Honours List of 1981. He left the company in February 1989 to fly Boeing 727s with Dan Air until it was sold to British Airways for £1 in November 1992.

Following retirement, Reg maintained his interest in music and gardening, including the redesigning of a local pub garden – which requires regular visits to check growth rates. He first met his wife on a bus, in 1961, and they live in Penwortham, a few miles across the river from Warton.

INTRODUCTION

Retaining many of the components from the piston-engine Provost, the prototype Jet Provost T Mk.1, XD674, was also fitted with temperature-sensing probe and control-position indicators. It is depicted during an early test flight from Luton. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

A formation of Jet Provost T Mk.1s from No.2 FTS. Between September 1955 and November 1957 three all-through training courses were carried out at RAF Hullavington to evaluate basic flying training on jet aircraft. (Author’s Collection)

Originally designed by Percival Aircraft at Luton in 1951, the P.84 Jet Provost was developed from the company’s Piston Provost primary trainer and built as a private venture in response to an RAF requirement for a jet-powered primary training aircraft. To reduce manufacturing costs and to speed up the development programme of the prototype, components from those of its predecessor were utilised, including mainplanes, tail surfaces and main undercarriage legs. The most significant change to the new design, however, included the replacement of the Alvis Leonides radial engine by an Armstrong Siddeley Viper jet turbine of 1,750-lb thrust, an expendable engine originally produced for the Australian Jindivik pilotless target drone. Also installed in the prototype was a nosewheel undercarriage leg; the tricycle undercarriage being pneumatically operated and retractable.

The constant debate as to the advantages of a jet-powered basic trainer to provide an all-through jet-training syllabus for the RAF eventually resulted in an announcement by the Secretary of State in March 1953 that an order for an initial batch of ten Jet Provost T Mk.1s (plus an eleventh airframe for use as a company demonstrator) would be placed with Percival Aircraft to enable a practical service evaluation to be carried out. The prototype first flew on 26 June 1954.

In August 1955, eight pre-production Hunting Percival Jet Provost T Mk.1s were delivered to No.2 FTS, RAF Hullavington, allowing the initial course of eighteen pupils to begin their training; two months later, on 17 October 1955, the first student, Fg Off Richard Foster, went solo after eight hours and twenty minutes of instruction. The subsequent results of the three evaluation courses conducted at Hullavington between August 1955 and November 1957, soon showed a ‘significant’ saving of flying hours during the advanced phase on Vampire aircraft, and an overall saving on the complete Wings course. The evaluation also successfully demonstrated the suitability of the Jet Provost basic trainer as a logical step in providing pupils with their entire flying instruction on jet aircraft.

There were those, however, who were slightly more cynical about the results of the evaluation of the Jet Provost at Hullavington, stating that, despite the savings that were achieved, the AFTSs and OCUs quickly noticed the degradation of the BFTS product with consequent extra flying hours required on more expensive aircraft, increased failure rates and the transfer of the initial students to the transport OCUs.

Meanwhile, work was progressing at Luton on a batch of four pre-production Jet Provost T Mk.2s, which had been jointly funded by Hunting and Armstrong Siddeley for development and demonstration work. The success of the Jet Provost service trials had resulted in a development programme which incorporated many refinements omitted in the Mk.1, including the installation of a 1,750 lb-thrust Viper 102 (ASV 8) turbojet. Also introduced was the hydraulic operation of flaps, brakes, undercarriage and airbrakes to replace the original pneumatic system, while the stalky undercarriage legs of the Piston Provost were substituted with much shorter and strengthened units. The result of these improvements culminated in the third pre-production Mk.2 becoming the prototype Jet Provost T Mk.3.

In February 1957 the RAF announced that it was to adopt the concept of all-through training on jet aircraft and that Flying Training Command would standardise on an improved Jet Provost basic trainer. The following August, an initial order for 100 Jet Provost T Mk.3s was placed with Hunting Aircraft, with the Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington and No.2 FTS at RAF Syerston receiving its first aircraft in July and August 1959, respectively. Two months later the first course of Jet Provost/Vampire syllabus students began their ab initio training at RAF Syerston and graduated in June 1960.

By early 1960, continued development work of the Jet Provost T Mk.3 at Luton resulted in the improved T Mk.4, which was fitted with a more powerful Viper 11 engine of 2,500-lb thrust, providing an increase in speed and a much greater rate of climb. Extended high-altitude training sorties in the T Mk.4, however, began exposing the instructors and students to a painful condition of the joints caused by repeated exposure to low atmospheric pressure called the ‘bends’, a problem exacerbated by the unpressurised cockpits of the early Jet Provosts.

The logical solution to this problem was to modify the Jet Provost to incorporate a pressurised cockpit, which resulted in the Jet Provost T Mk.5. Most of the design work of the new project had been completed at Luton, and modification work on two prototypes converted from production T Mk.4s began in 1965. Both airframes were transferred to Warton when the company was taken over by the British Aircraft Corporation and the first prototype, XS230 – officially designated as a T Mk.5 (Interim) – made an initial thirty-minute test flight on 28 February 1967.

Two major changes distinguished the T Mk.5 from the earlier Jet Provosts: a pressurised cockpit and ‘export’ wings with a greater fatigue life; the latter being fitted with hard points, capable of the possible carriage of external fuel tanks or underwing stores. The pressurised cockpit, however, was a major design change to the Jet Provost airframe and the changed airflow altered the handling characteristics to such an extent that a flight test programme was required to re-examine the stalling and spinning characteristics of the aircraft.

The BAe sales team actively promoted the Jet Provost and Strikemaster to overseas buyers. This artist’s impression of one of its products in the markings of the Swedish air force unfortunately failed to impress as they decided to acquire the SAAB 105 instead. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

141 Strikemasters were produced at Warton, with deliveries to eight overseas countries between 1968 and 1978. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

It is also interesting to note that the standard of the elevators remained the same from the Piston Provost up to the Jet Provost Mk.3, after which a different standard was introduced for the Mk.4/Mk.5 and the Strikemaster which included revised full chord elevator balances. In addition, a revised ‘thin’ tailplane had been fitted to the prototype Jet Provost Mk.4 in 1960 for high Mach trials. This singular experiment was intended to improve longitudinal stability at high Mach numbers in preparation for the Jet Provost Mk.5 / Strikemaster but did very little to overcome the natural limitation of the Jet Provost wing. Trials were continued with the H 166 (XS231 fitted with an uprated engine) in various attempts to increase the Mach number limit to M 0.8, particularly for the Australian air force, but behaviour at this speed was found unsuitable for Service release.

In July 1968, a one-off contract for 110 Jet Provost T Mk.5s was signed and deliveries to the CFS, Little Rissington, began in September 1969. Further improvements to the T Mk.5 included an improved canopy removal system and, to meet the latest air traffic control requirements, a large number of the RAF’s fleet of Jet Provost Mk.3 and Mk.5 aircraft were upgraded with new radio and navigation equipment during a three-year modification programme at Warton; the modified aircraft being designated as the T Mk.3A and T Mk.5A, respectively.

Following the transfer of the Jet Provost design and manufacture from Luton, the BAC 167 Strikemaster became the first export version of a basic military trainer/ground-attack aircraft to come off the production lines at Warton. The Strikemaster was essentially an armed version of the Jet Provost T Mk.5, upgraded with a 3,140-lb Bristol Siddeley Viper ASV 20 engine and a built-in armament of two 7.62-mm machine guns. Further improvements to the wing design included a ground attack capability with pylons to which a varied combination of armaments and fuel tanks could be fitted, together with a revised fuel system and wing-tip tanks.

With eight 25-lb fragmentation bombs and four Mk.8 rockets fitted on the underwing hard points, Jet Provost T Mk.51, CJ701, formates with the camera ship before delivery to the Royal Ceylon Air Force in December 1959. (HAL via Terry Lloyd)

The prototype Strikemaster made its maiden flight from Warton on 26 October 1967 and a total of 141 airframes were built there, with the first contract for twenty-five Strikemaster Mk.80s for Saudi Arabia being placed in December 1965. Between 1968 and 1983, ten overseas air forces purchased the type, including South Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, Botswana, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

Each mark of Strikemaster was unique in that the customer chose the communication/navigation systems, the armament configuration and other specific enhancements to suit their own national requirements. In the case of Mk.82/Mk.82A aircraft supplied to Oman, cockpit pressurisation was omitted and the aircraft was fitted with armour plating (side of the fuselage, cockpit floor, base of the ejection seats and the fuel collector tank) to provide protection during low-level operations.

With the completion of Jet Provost and Strikemaster production at Warton in May 1978, it was decided to assemble a further ten Strikemasters at Hurn against possible future sales; the first airframe being transferred from Warton for the newly established production line at Hurn in November 1979. Sales of these aircraft proved slow, however, with the final three eventually being handed over to Ecuador in October 1988.

Together with production contracts for the RAF, Hunting Aircraft at Luton had also enjoyed some moderate export success with armed versions of the Jet Provost T Mk.3 and T Mk.4 – the T Mk.51 and T Mk.52, respectively – with sales to Ceylon, Iraq, Kuwait, South Yemen, Sudan and Venezuela for training and close-support duties. Both the Jet Provost and Strikemaster saw limited ground-attack operations in border disputes and internal wars in Ceylon, Ecuador, Nigeria and South Yemen. But it was the Strikemaster aircraft of the SOAF’s Strike Wing which played a crucial part during the Dhofar War in Oman between 1968 and 1976, operating in the close-support and counter-insurgency role against well-armed, Communist-backed guerrillas. Flown by contract and seconded officers, at least ten Strikemaster aircraft were either shot down or badly damaged in a conflict which has been largely forgotten by the outside world.

The Jet Provost final assembly line at Luton in March 1959. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

First batch of pre-production Jet Provost T Mk.3s for the RAF at Luton in July 1959. The nearest aircraft are XM356 and XM359, which were delivered to CFS. (Hunting via Norman Giffin)

Between 1954 and 1983, some 723 Jet Provost and Strikemaster airframes were produced at Luton and Warton. By the time the Jet Provost was finally withdrawn from RAF service in July 1993 it had been responsible for the training of many generations of pilots as an ab initio, refresher and navigation training aircraft. During the later part of its Service career, the Jet Provost also provided instruction for trainee air traffic controllers at Shawbury and Forward Air Control students at Brawdy.

Despite going into the history books in July 1956, when the first course of students graduated from No.2 FTS at Hullavington as part of the evaluation of the RAF’s all-through flying training programme – a concept which would eventually become accepted by leading air arms throughout the world – it is unfortunate that both the Jet Provost and Strikemaster have been overlooked by many as lacking the appeal associated with other aircraft types. There can be no greater recommendation for the aircraft, however, than HRH Prince Charles during a visit to Warton, who commented that the Jet Provost Mk.5 was a delightful aircraft to fly: ……with nice tight controls and good response – I like to think of it as an MG as opposed to an Aston Martin.

Fortunately, many of the surviving airframes found further careers at various training schools as maintenance airframes, while others were acquired for preservation in museum collections. Between 1993 and 1997, a number of those put up for sale by the Ministry of Defence were also acquired by companies, such as Phoenix Aviation at Bruntingthorpe and Global Aviation at Binbrook, where they were stored and refurbished, before being sold to private enthusiasts for display on the Warbird air show circuit.

Finally, I make no excuse for including the coverage of the various RAF Jet Provost display teams, official and informal. Between 1958 and 1976, these teams delighted those who not only attended the SBAC Farnborough air shows, but also the numerous parochial and continental events. Despite lacking the excitement of the ‘big’ premier teams, they undoubtedly contributed to the good name of the Service, supplied a reserve of formation aerobatic pilots and provided an invaluable source of recruitment.

First prototype Jet Provost T Mk.1, XD674, prior to its roll-out and first flight at Luton in June 1954. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

01 JET PROVOST

JET PROVOST T MK.1

In May 1953 the Percival Provost entered service as the standard basic trainer for the RAF. Powered by an Alvis Leonides radial engine, the two-seat Provost T Mk.1 became the first half of the new pilot training scheme known as the Provost/Vampire sequence.

The Piston Provost proved a popular aircraft, being powerful, strong and highly manoeuvrable, and had been developed through a close association between Percival Aircraft at Luton and RAF Flying Training Command. During the war the company had been subcontracted to build large numbers of Airspeed Oxfords and de Havilland Mosquitoes for the RAF, which was followed by a succession of communication and training aircraft of its own design, including the Percival Proctor, Prentice and Pembroke. As a result of this association, the company had been given a valuable insight into the RAF’s concept of all-through jet training and design studies of a proposed ‘basic jet trainer’.

Following the production of the Piston Provost, in April 1951 Percival Aircraft began internal discussions on the feasibility of a jet-powered trainer based on the Provost and took the decision to proceed with such a project on a private-venture basis, the following August. By September 1952, preliminary design work was so advanced that a model of the jet-propelled trainer was exhibited at that year’s Farnborough show, attracting a great deal of interest.

On 27 May 1953 Specification T16/48 Issue 4, The Design and Construction of Provost Basic Jet Trainer to meet OR.321, was issued and was an extension of an original requirement released in 1948 to cover the design and construction of a single-engined basic trainer for the RAF. The specification included the following requirements: air brakes, provision for not less than 180 gallons of internal fuel for a typical sortie at 20,000 ft, and the installation of a Viper turbine engine. Although two other companies had also vied for the contract, the Air Ministry awarded it to Percival Aircraft on 8 June 1953:

These aircraft will be used to assess the advantages of using a jet trainer for basic flying training. The Provost Jet Trainer has been chosen because of the easy and rapid conversion to a turbine-engined version, while retaining the excellent handling qualities of the piston-engined trainer.

The development work on the original Percival P.84 design concentrated on the safe handling characteristics necessary for primary training, with performance as a secondary concern. Several structural designs had been considered for the project, including an engine installed in the forward fuselage with air intakes beneath the cockpit and an engine fitted beneath the nose.

The company had worked closely with the Air Ministry on the new design and it was concluded that to reduce manufacturing costs and to speed up the development programme, many of the components could be utilised from those of the piston-engined Provost, including mainplanes, tail surfaces and main undercarriage legs. Principal changes included the wings which had been adapted to accommodate six bag-type fuel tanks, with a total capacity of 165 gallons, and the provision for mounting 45-gallon fuel tanks under the wing tips. Other changes included a modified and strengthened rear fuselage being extended by three feet to house the Viper 101 (ASV.5) axial-flow turbojet; a hinged nose cap allowing access to radio, oxygen and electrical control equipment; the Provost’s side-by-side cockpit arrangement being retained and repositioned further forward to balance the weight of the engine; and the air intakes being placed next to the wing roots. While, to conform with modern instruction techniques, a retractable tricycle undercarriage, oxygen system, airbrakes and a revised cockpit instrumentation panel was also incorporated.

Cockpit of Jet Provost T Mk.1. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

The first prototype took to the air at Luton on 26 June 1954, flown by the company’s chief test pilot, ‘Dick’ Wheldon. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

On 10 May 1955, the Jet Provost T Mk.1 officially entered RAF Service when XD677 was issued to the handling squadron at RAF Manby for the preparation of the pilots’ notes. It subsequently served with the CFS and No.2 FTS before being scrapped in 1960. (BAe Systems Heritage Warton-Percival/Hunting Collection)

The choice of the Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet for the Percival design project would also reflect the aircraft’s continued use at present training airfields and give a fuel consumption which would enable the sortie duration of the training syllabus to be flown with comfortable reserves. The Viper turbojet had originally been designed by the Australian General Aircraft Factory in the early 1950s as a cheap expendable engine with only ten hours expected lifetime to power the Australian Jindivik pilotless target drone. A subsequent development programme resulted in a requirement for the turbojet to be installed in manned aircraft when it became clear that an engine of similar weight, size and performance was required. It was therefore decided to modify the Viper as a more cost effective alternative to designing and developing a totally new engine. By 1953, Armstrong Siddeley Motors had been awarded the contract to develop and manufacture a ‘long life’ version of the engine – the Viper 101 (ASV.5) capable of developing 1,640 lbs of static thrust, which was jointly selected by Folland Aircraft for its Midge lightweight fighter and by Percival Aircraft for its P.84 design project.

On 12 March 1953, the Secretary of State for Air, Mr George Ward, announced in the House of Commons that he had signed a contract with Percival Aircraft, worth £85,000, for an initial batch of aircraft to conduct a service evaluation. Ten Jet Provost T Mk.1s (XD674-XD680 and XD692-XD694), were ordered against Contract 6/Aircraft/9265/CB.5(a), dated 24 March 1953. An eleventh airframe (G-AOBU) was also included in this contract for use as a company demonstrator, while XD694 became the prototype for the proposed T Mk.2.

Typifying the RAF’s Provost/Jet Provost flying training sequence at RAF Hullavington in 1957, Jet Provost T Mk.1 XD693:Q-Z and Provost T Mk.1 WV625:R-A of No.2 FTS. (Author’s Collection)

The prototype Hunting Percival Jet Provost T Mk.1, XD674, (the company had changed its name during April 1954) made its first flight at Luton on 26 June 1954 in the hands of the company’s chief test pilot, R. G. ‘Dick’ Wheldon. Following its public debut at the Farnborough air show in September, further test flights over the next few weeks resulted in a number of structural alterations. These included the replacement of the original dorsal fin (which was fitted to compensate for the increased side area of the rear fuselage caused by the re-positioning of the cockpit) and a ventral fin extending from the wing trailing edge to the tail bumper. In addition, a fillet was fitted at the leading edge wing roots to increase the low-speed handling qualities, which was found necessary because of the absence of airscrew slipstream. In May 1955, the prototype was transferred to Armstrong Siddeley Motors at Bitteswell for engine handling work and development of the Viper ASV.5 and ASV.8 engines. It was eventually allocated for ground instruction use in May 1958.

On 25 June 1955, Phase A’ of the official Service trials began when two Jet Provost T Mk.1s, XD676 and XD679, (the latter being replaced by XD677 in August following a landing accident) were issued to the CFS, RAF South Cerney. During