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INDIVIDUAL HISTORY<br />
HUNTING-PERCIVAL <strong>JET</strong> <strong>PROVOST</strong> T Mk.1 <strong>XD674</strong><br />
MUSEUM ACCESSION NUMBER <strong>86</strong>/A/<strong>39</strong><br />
A/C SERIAL No. <strong>XD674</strong><br />
SECTION 2B<br />
Mar 53 Ordered under contract No 6/Aircraft/9265/CB.5(a) as one of a batch of<br />
ten (of which nine delivered) by the Ministry of Supply on behalf of the<br />
Air Ministry for tests and evaluation/service trials; the company had<br />
actually started work on the project as a private venture the previous year.<br />
1954 Built at Luton, Beds by Hunting-Percival Aircraft. Used standard Provost<br />
T.Mk.1 wings and empennage with new fuselage. Constructor’s number<br />
PAC/84/001. Prototype/pre-production serials batch <strong>XD674</strong>-XD680<br />
(allotted 24 March 1953), plus civilian demonstrator G-AOBU.<br />
26 Jun 54 Following engine runs, first flight, from Luton. Flew in natural metal with<br />
RAF serial only. Pilot R.G. ’Dick’ Wheldon, Hunting’s’ Chief Test Pilot.<br />
Photo of preparations for first flight; The Aeroplane 2 July 1954 p.3.<br />
Photos of flight; Flight 2 July 1954 p.2 and 16 July 1954 p.68; Air Britain<br />
Aeromilitaria September 2010 p.103. Made seven flights in the first three<br />
days. The first basic jet trainer to fly.<br />
Jul 54 Painted and full RAF markings applied by this time. Photos; Flight 30<br />
July 1954 p.131’ BAC Jet Provost & Strikemaster (Balch) p.2.<br />
18 Jul 54 Damaged in belly landing, probably at Luton.<br />
25 Aug 54 Photo sortie during which the aircraft was photographed in colour by<br />
Charles Brown, in full RAF Training Command Scheme of overall silver<br />
with trainer yellow wing and fuselage bands. See RAFM P100113 (MC)<br />
and P1002<strong>39</strong> (MC).<br />
Sep 54 Flown at the SBAC show at Farnborough. Photos - Percival and Hunting<br />
Aircraft (Silvester) p.149; Air Britain Aeromilitaria September 2010 p.<br />
104.<br />
Nov 54 To A&AEE, Boscombe Down, Wilts after initial programme of 123 hours<br />
development flying at Luton.
26 May 55 From Luton to Armstrong Siddeley at Baginton , Warwicks for AS Viper<br />
engine handling trials.<br />
16 Feb 56 Following formal allocation on 13 January 1956, returned to Hunting<br />
Percival Aircraft ‘for installation of flight refueling scheme of fuel<br />
proportioning’ to be followed by flight trials.<br />
21 Feb 56 To Armstrong Siddeley for flight development of Viper ASV 5 and ASV 8<br />
engines.<br />
4 Apr 56 Reverted back to Armstrong Siddeley upon completion of trials.<br />
31 Oct 56 To A&AEE Boscombe Down for Blower Tunnel tests.<br />
5 Nov 56 Returned to Armstrong Siddeley at Bitteswell.<br />
4 Jun 57 From Bitteswell to Hunting Percival Aircraft at Luton for inspection and<br />
incorporation of outstanding modifications prior to delivery to service.<br />
It was intended to convert this aircraft to the Handley Page HP.103 as a<br />
test-bed for boundary layer control but this did not materialise.<br />
10 Apr 58 Allotted maintenance serial 7570M - serial painted on fuselage.<br />
23 Apr 58 By road to No. 71 Maintenance Unit, RAF Bicester for spares recovery<br />
and disposal, according to the record card, but retained by the unit for<br />
display.<br />
1 Jul 61 Photographed at RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh as 7570M.<br />
5 Jun 62 Allotted to RAF Wyton for the fire dump but allocation cancelled.<br />
1968 At RAF Gaydon, Warwicks by this date and displayed alongside other<br />
historic aircraft at station open days.<br />
1970 RAF Finningley, South Yorks; regularly shown at open days along with<br />
the rest of the station’s collection of historic aircraft. Photo - Air Extra 13<br />
p.34 still with maintenance serial on the fuselage.<br />
Feb 77 To RAF Swinderby, Lincs for storage due to the clearance of Finningley<br />
for the Queen’s silver Jubilee review of the RAF, which occurred on 29 th<br />
July. Photo at Swinderby - Aircraft Illustrated June 1979 p.293.
May 79 RAF St Athan, Glamorgan to join the regional historic aircraft collection.<br />
Photos - Aviation News 2 Dec - 15 Dec 1983 p.631; BAC Jet Provost &<br />
Strikemaster (Balch) p.5 (dated September 1981).<br />
Nov 85 Aerospace Museum, RAF Cosford, Salop. The aircraft remains on display<br />
at the RAF Museum Cosford.<br />
Jet Provost T. Mk.1 civilian demonstrator G-AOBU also survives in<br />
airworthy condition, at one time with Kennet Aviation at Cranfield having<br />
been part of the Shuttleworth Collection for many years; more recently<br />
operated by Kennet Aviation from North Weald, Essex.<br />
TEXT; ANDREW SIMPSON<br />
© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 2012
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