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AIRCRAFT TYPES AT 70MU.
70MU was primarily a depot for holding stores but for a short time was a Dispersed Aircraft Depot. Whilst I have not yet been able to unearth any records to substantiate this, the personal recollections of those interviewed for this project; the location plan dated 27 April 1945 describing RAF Woodcote as a Dispersed Aircraft Depot; and the reference in the published history of 14MU Carlisle of the transfer of Section 53BK and 53BF (Body shell spare parts) to 70MU convince me that aircraft were assembled and stored for a short period at Goring Heath.
Tony Merrill recalls Mustangs and Spitfires at 70MU and the stencilled American cities on the wooden packing cases from the USA.
NORTH AMERICAN MUSTANG.
Perhaps the best all-purpose fighter of the Second World War, this aircraft played a decisive part in enabling the Allies to win command of the air over Europe in 1944. It was built in North American Aviation's factory at Inglewood, California, USA to British specification and the first production aircraft were delivered to the RAF in 1941.
The Mustang carried a crew of one; was powered by a 1,490 hp Packard built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; had a span of 37 feet, length 32 feet 3 inches, height 13 feet 8 inches; a range of 950 miles and 2,080 miles with drop tanks; and was armed with six 0.5 inch machine guns.
SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE.
The most famous military fighter aircraft of all-time and chiefly remembered as the symbol of the Battle of Britain. Designed by R.J.Mitchell, the prototype flew in 1936 and was constantly upgraded during the war and when production finally ceased in 1949 more than 22,000 Spitfires had been built.
During the war it was produced by Vickers-Armstrong's Supermarine Works at Southampton and at Lord Nuffield's factory (presumably at Morris Car Works at Oxford).
The Spitfire carried a crew of one; was powered by a 1440 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; had a span of 36 feet 10 inches, length 29 feet 11 inches, height 11 feet 5 inches; a range of 470 miles; and was armed with eight 0.303 inch Browning machine guns mounted in the wings.
AVRO ANSON.
Manufactured by A.V.Roe & Co.Ltd. at Newton Heath, Manchester and in Canadian factories it was originally designed in 1935 for military use for reconnaissance and training purposes.
The wings and tail unit were constructed with spruce and plywood box spars and plywood covered while the fuselage was welded steel tube, part wire braced and covered with fabric.
The Avro Anson carried a small crew; was powered by two Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah engines; had a span of 56 feet 6 inches, length 42 feet, height 13 feet 1 inch; a range of 790 miles; and was armed with one fixed gun for the pilot in a trough on the port side of the fuselage and one Lewis in A-W manually operated turret amidships.
Taffy Jenkins and both Iris and Les Novell recall Avro Ansons and Handley Page aircraft spares.
HANDLEY PAGE 'HAMPDEN' AND 'HEREFORD' BOMBERS.
Both bombers were designed with the impending war in mind and were in production and delivered to the RAF in 1939/40. The Hampden was built by Handley Page Ltd at Cricklewood and at other factories in Great Britain and Canada. The Hereford was built by Short and Harland Ltd at Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The wings and tail unit were of metal construction with flush-riveted stressed skin covering while the fuselage was an all metal monocoque. Two Bristol Pegasus engines powered the Hampden; two Napier Dagger engines powered the Hereford.
Both had a span of 69 feet 2 inches, length 53 feet 7 inches, height 14 feet 11 inches; a range of 1,725 miles, and was armed with one fixed gun for the pilot; one free gun in the nose; twin Vickers K guns in the upper rear turret and two further guns in aft lower position.
Taffy Jenkins and both Iris and Les Novell recall Avro Ansons and Handley Page aircraft spares.