Aviapedia

Early Jets of the RAF

By Tinwolf | April 11, 2009 on 2:06 pm | In Aviation films, Bombers, Fighters, RAF |

Click to download Early jets of the RAFtorrent file (What is this?)

700Mb, 01:08:28, 448 x336

This is a very well made documentary film which describes the development and operation of the earliest jets used by the British Royal Air Force from the Meteor to the Canberra and V-bombers.

Using footage taken at the time and film of surviving, flying examples as well as recent interviews held with some of the test pilots including Roland “Bee” Beamont, a comprehensive story is told of these early jets and their characteristics both good and bad.

Meteor jet fighter

The Vampire

John Cunningham hopping aboard the Vampire

The Swift

Canberra bomber

Many films which deal with older eras tend to show the same, tired flying sequences which have been repeated many times but the majority of the clips in this film have been rarely seen making this particular documentary very watchable.

It is particularly interesting to compare the test pilots of the past with the professionals of today, we can see a test pilot getting into a prototype jet dressed in shirt and tie, no flying suit, no G-pants. Almost as if he’d been sat in his office when someone had phoned and said “if you aren’t too busy would you mind taking up the latest “kite” for a bit of a “spin” to see how it feels?”. This is by no means to imply that these early test pilots were any less professional than today’s test pilots, indeed one must respect the bravery required to fly an aircraft which was unknown and hadn’t been through countless computer simulations before it’s first flight.

Also interesting and sad is to see these early test pilots hopping onto the wing and jumping into a jet (complete with suit and tie) and then seeing the same man, now rather elderly, talking about that flight.

A very good film for anyone interested in early jets, highly recommended.