G-ATVF History

Construction

The aircraft was constructed as De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk TMk 100 with serial no C1-0265 at the De Havilland factory at Broughton on Hawarden Airfield, near Chester. The factory originally was built by Vickers Armstrong before World War 2 as a ‘shadow factory’ subsidiary to the main factories to ensure that aircraft production was dispersed across the UK. The Broughton Factory built 5,786 Vickers Wellington bombers and also 235 AVRO Lancasters. The most famous aircraft produced at the factory was AVRO Lancaster PA474 that rolled out of the factory on 31 May 1945 – she is now the BBMF’s Lancaster and one of only 2 airworthy of the 7,377 Lancasters built. After the war the factory pretty much ceased aircraft production, producing aluminium prefab bungalows until it was bought by De Havilland to start aircraft production again on 1 July 1948. 

De Havilland began building Mosquitos, Hornets, Vampires and Chipmunks at the factory and when it became Hawker Siddeley in 1960 the De Havilland Factory had built 2,816 of its aircraft at Broughton. However, it is the Chipmunk that this story is about and the Broughton Factory built 889 of the 1,000 Chipmunks built for the UK military between 1950 and 1956.  Some 740 were destined for the RAF and the first contract was for 200 aircraft to be delivered between February and December 1950 – 100 to be built at the Hatfield Factory and 100 to be built at Broughton. The second contract, ‘6/ACFT/3836’, was solely for 100 Chipmunks from Broughton for delivery between December 1950 and April 1951. All of these aircraft would receive ‘WD; series Military registrations. On 7 February 1951 Chipmunk TMk10 Serial Number C1/0265 was finished at the Broughton factory to be delivered to the RAF and given the Military registration number WD327. Four more contracts would be given to Broughton to build a total of 640 of the 740 Chipmunks delivered to the RAF. The final delivery was WZ884 delivered on 1 October 1953 which is now registered as G-BXGL.

RAF Chipmunk TMk10 WD327

Delivered on 7 February 1951 Chipmunk TMk10 Serial Number C1/0265 was given the Military registration number WD327 and allocated to Manchester University Air Squadron (UAS) at RAF Ringway (now Manchester Airport). The Chipmunks replaced the UAS’s Tiger Moths in 1951 just prior to a move to Barton Aerodrome until moving to RAF Woodvale in 1953. On joining the UAS in 1951, WD327 was allocated the code RUM-C, with RUM being the code assigned to Manchester UAS. It was commonly known as “Rum and Coke” amongst staff and students at the time.

The “R” codes were a distinguishing mark showing the aircraft was a part of Reserve Command and when this became Home Command in August 1950 the codes were slowly phased out during 1951. For WD327 it remained as “C” on the UAS as can be seen below in this picture at RAF Ringway in 1953.

By September 1953 WD327 had been allocated the letter “M” with the addition of the Manchester UAS crest on the tail fin. Common to the time, the aircraft was painted silver with yellow bands. WD327 continued to be used by the RAF’s Manchester UAS until it was written off in an accident on 29 September 1958. WD327 was struck off charge on 30 Oct 1958 at No.60 Maintenance Unit (MU) at RAF Rufforth. 

Conversion To G-ATVF Chipmunk Mk23 Crop Spraying Aircraft

In 1961, Bill Bowker founded Farm Aviation (Hitchin) Ltd, one of the first aerial crop-spraying companies in the East of England. Consisting then of just one specially adapted Tiger Moth biplane, it was probably the smallest as well. Bill was also responsible for developing Rush Green airstrip beside the Codicote Road, three miles south of Hitchin. Bill trained as an engineering apprentice at De Havilland, Hatfield. He already held a pilot's licence when he was called up for National Service in the Fleet Air Arm; ending up flying jets from aircraft carriers. Farm Aviation acquired the airstrip and buildings at Rush Green in 1963 with the idea of resurrecting the plan to provide crop-spraying Chipmunks in the UK. Following an abortive attempt by De Havilland to set up and sell Chipmunk crop-sprayers in 1958, Farm Aviation bought the sole example, G-APOS, and the right to build more Mk23 crop sprayers in 1962. Bowker made some extra modifications to the De Havilland design including a bigger hopper with a singular, instead of a dual, outlet. 

WD327 was converted to a single seat crop spraying aircraft and Civil registered to G-ATVF on 25 May 1966. However, it was rebuilt using parts from Chipmunk TMk10 WB715, one of the first 200 built on contract that was sold back to De Havilland to become Chipmunk Mk22 G-APAC of the Luton Flying Club. WB715 was originally built on 20 July 1950 but was rebuilt to Mk22 standard and placed on the civil register 23 March 1958. It was then written off in an accident due to engine failure on approach at Luton Airport on 8 May 1962. The parts used are not known, however, it was the intention of Farm Aviation to convert it to Mk23 standard as well, but ended up donating its parts to G-ATVF during her rebuild. G-APAC was written off as “aircraft destroyed” by the CAA on 14 October 1965.

G-ATVF was owned by Farm Aviation Ltd, Hitchin, Herts until 16 April 1970 where the RAF Gliding & Soaring Association (RAFGSA) purchased the aircraft to join a fleet of Chipmunks to aerotow their competition fleet.

Conversion To G-ATVF Chipmunk Mk23 Crop Spraying Aircraft

In 1961, Bill Bowker founded Farm Aviation (Hitchin) Ltd, one of the first aerial crop-spraying companies in the East of England. Consisting then of just one specially adapted Tiger Moth biplane, it was probably the smallest as well. Bill was also responsible for developing Rush Green airstrip beside the Codicote Road, three miles south of Hitchin. Bill trained as an engineering apprentice at De Havilland, Hatfield. He already held a pilot's licence when he was called up for National Service in the Fleet Air Arm; ending up flying jets from aircraft carriers. Farm Aviation acquired the airstrip and buildings at Rush Green in 1963 with the idea of resurrecting the plan to provide crop-spraying Chipmunks in the UK. Following an abortive attempt by De Havilland to set up and sell Chipmunk crop-sprayers in 1958, Farm Aviation bought the sole example, G-APOS, and the right to build more Mk23 crop sprayers in 1962. Bowker made some extra modifications to the De Havilland design including a bigger hopper with a singular, instead of a dual, outlet. 

WD327 was converted to a single seat crop spraying aircraft and Civil registered to G-ATVF on 25 May 1966. However, it was rebuilt using parts from Chipmunk TMk10 WB715, one of the first 200 built on contract that was sold back to De Havilland to become Chipmunk Mk22 G-APAC of the Luton Flying Club. WB715 was originally built on 20 July 1950 but was rebuilt to Mk22 standard and placed on the civil register 23 March 1958. It was then written off in an accident due to engine failure on approach at Luton Airport on 8 May 1962. The parts used are not known, however, it was the intention of Farm Aviation to convert it to Mk23 standard as well, but ended up donating its parts to G-ATVF during her rebuild. G-APAC was written off as “aircraft destroyed” by the CAA on 14 October 1965.

G-ATVF was owned by Farm Aviation Ltd, Hitchin, Herts until 16 April 1970 where the RAF Gliding & Soaring Association (RAFGSA) purchased the aircraft to join a fleet of Chipmunks to aerotow their competition fleet.

RAFGSA and Conversion to Chipmunk Mk22 Standard

Requiring a Chipmunk Mk22 with Gypsy Major engine as a glider tug, then the RAFGSA commissioned Farm Aviation at Rush Green to convert Mk23 crop-sprayer G-ATVF into a Mk22 two seat glider tug. However, it was a far from ordinary Mk22 with a Bristol ‘bubble’ canopy, mudguards and retaining the leading edge slats to improve slow-speed flight handling. It also received a very unique silver and black paint scheme that really did make her look like one of the best Mk22 Chipmunks in the UK. Flown from the rear cockpit as there were no instruments in the front, with the bubble canopy fitted, a pilot of the time said it felt like flying a late Mark Spitfire or P51D Mustang.

The paint scheme was changed to a dark blue detail to replace the black and also ‘dayglo’ panels were added; such was the thinking at the time that it increased conspicuity, when Trial LONGVIEW in the 1990s scientifically proved that black is the best colour for UK weather for spotting aircraft at lower levels.

Lycoming Conversion

The Gypsy Major was always the weak point for the Chipmunk. In 1945 the designers at De Havilland Canada had always wanted to use the flat-four Lycoming but the abundance of cheap Gypsy Majors meant that the Chipmunk was given this aged engine design.  It was not until quite recently that an oil ring modification to the Gypsy Major reduced the ridiculously high oil consumption to less than a Quart an hour! Furthermore, Gypsy Majors burn around 7 Imp Gals per hour and only create 145hp,

Glos Air at Staverton Airport, between Gloucester and Cheltenham, completed the first Lycoming conversion of a UK Chipmunk in 1967. Using G-AOSU, which had an expired CofA in 1966, a major modification was applied for. The design work was completed by Personal Transportation Ltd and used a Lycoming O-360 A1A 180hp and a constant speed Hartzell propeller. However, the modification approval was cancelled in 1970 as it had not been completed and the aircraft moved to Lands End airport for storage in 1972. The conversion remained stalled until January 1975 when the RAFGSA, under the Chief Engineer Dick Stratton, purchased the aircraft from Glos Air. The first Permit to Fly was issued on 8 July 1975 with various extensions whilst flight testing took place. A full CofA was issued in March 1976. Shortly after G-AOUO was converted by Colton Aviation, which eventually joined the RAFGSA fleet in 1983. Over the years the O-360 A1A was replaced with the A4A version which had a more robust solid crankshaft, plus also a fixed pitch Sensenich propeller was also used. G-ATVF was the last Lycoming conversion by the RAFGSA and the bubble canopy replaced with a standard 2-seat Chipmunk canopy and the leading edge slats were removed. Whilst with the RAFGSA she was based at RAF Syerston, RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Odiham, RAF Cosford and RAF Halton (where she transfered to syndicate ownership in 2016). The last known Lycoming Chipmunk conversions were completed in 1998 by the Portugese Air Force where they are used for elementary flying training and glider towing by the Portugese Air Force Academy near Lisbon. These are aircraft are still in military service over 50 years later.

Syndicate Ownership

The RAFGSA decided to sell its Chipmunk tugs and replace them with Turbo-Falke motorgliders around 2015.  G-ATVF was sold to a private syndicate in 2016, many of whom are serving/ex-serving RAF personnel, who plan to continue to run her as glider tug and private aircraft.