| Vintage Aircraft
Flight |
| Tigermoth |
HU
512 |
| Spitfire |
NH 631 |
| Harvard |
HT 291 |
| Vampire |
IB 799 |
| Gnat |
E 265 |
| HAL HT-2 |
IX
732 |
| Bell G-47 |
- |
| C-47 Dakota |
IJ 302 |
As in vogue with other Air Forces of the World, the Indian Air Force
Museum maintains a Vintage Aircraft Flight, consisting of some single examples of aircraft
maintained in an airworthy condition. "Newer" aircraft are added to this flight
as aircraft are phased out from the regular inventory of the Air Force. The Idea to
maintain airworthy examples of aircraft went back to the late fifties when it was decided
that there should be a flyable version of a Spitfire to commemorate the twenty fifth
anniversary of the IAF. Accordingly a derelict Spitfire Mk VIII was rescued from the
scrapyard at No.1 BRD at Kanpur and restored to flying condition under the supervision of
the legendary Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh.
Since then, the flight has grown with
the addition of further aircraft as they were retired. The last such addition has been on
the occasion of the phasing out of the Ajeet from No.2 Squadron. The last Ajeet was flown
to the Museum on 31st March 91 by the commanding officer to Palam all the way
from Kalaikunda and presented to the flight.
The last occassion that the Vintage
flight was seen in the Air was during the Air Force Day parade in 1989. Some pictures from
that parade are at this link.
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Vintage Aircraft Flight,
Indian Air Force Museum, Palam
A rare photograph showing the aircraft (Spitfire,
Vampire, Harvard, HT-2, Tigermoth, Ajeet) of the Vintage flight collected on the ramp at
Palam. The Vintage flight is expected to be joined by a Hunter soon. (Photo Courtesy :IAF
Via Arun Sharma) |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk VIIIe NH631 The sole flying Spitfire of the IAF's Vintage Aircraft Flight buzzes
the podium at Low Level during its last public flight in Air Force Day 1989 (Photo
Courtesy : Arun Sharma) |
| Ten years later during the Air
Force Day 1999, The Spitfire is towed past the podium. The last known ground runs took
place sometime in the early Nineties. (Photo Courtesy :Phil Camp) |
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De Havilland DH82a Tigermoth - HU-512
A single example of the
Tigermoth trainer which was retired in 1959 forms part of the Vintage Aircraft
Flight. (Photo Courtesy : Peter Steinmann) |
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| North American Harvard - HT 291 The Harvard HT 291 painted in bright yellow is towed past the dais
during Republic Day 1998. (Photo Courtesy : Sainik Samachar) |
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De Havilland DH100 Vampire FB 52 Powered by the Rolls Royce Goblin Engine, IB 799 is another ex
airworthy aircraft of the flight. (Photo Courtesy :Phil Camp) |
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| Bell Model 47 The Bell 47 was a workhorse of the Korean war, and
about a dozen of them were acquired, some of them serving with 104 HU. This was the first
chopper that could carry out a rooftop landing. Strictly speaking , this helicopter
has not been seen flying with the Vintage flight. But it is not there at the IAF Museum
main collection either. (Photo Courtesy : IAF Site) |
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Douglas C-47 Dakota IJ 302 The Vintage flight also has the last flyable Dakota in
the IAF . IJ302 is painted a bright yellow. This aircraft was not seen flying in public
demonstrations, but is believed to be maintained in airworthy condition by the Vintage
Flight (Photo Courtesy : Simon Watson and Phil Camp )
In 2005, the same aircraft was seen parked in
the IAF dispersals to the north of Palam Airfield. (Photo Courtesy : B Harry ) |
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| Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HT-2
IX 732 Another
example of the HT-2 is maintained in Flying condition by the Vintage Aircraft Flight.
IX-732 is seen here on one of the rare occasions where the engine was revved up. [Pic Courtesy - Peter
Steinemann ) |
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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Ajeet (Gnat Mk.2) E-265 The
third example of the Gnat in the Museum is with the vintage flight . E-265 is an Ajeet
maintained in flying trim by the Vintage Aircraft Flight. It arrived in 1991. [Pic Courtesy - Peter
Steinemann / Air Forces
Monthly) |
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