Air Enthusiast 2003-01
G.Pitchfork - 'Cold war' tac recce
A Harrier recce pod in the process of being unloaded. Note the film magazines are colour-coded blue, red, green and yellow, to identify the respective camera positions. When operating from forvard deployment sites in the field the magazines would be collected from the Harrier and taken to the RIC by a motorcycle, which could cover the woodland ground faster and thus save precious time.
Harrier GR.3 XZ132 taxies in at Gutersloh after 4 Squadron's final photo-recce sortie on May 31, 1989.
Hunter FR.10 XE580 'D' of 4 Squadron, Gutersloh, 1969.
Hunter FR.10 XE556 of 2 Squadron at low level over Germany.
The outstanding Hunter FR.10. This 4 Squadron aircraft, XE428, carries full overload fuel to extend its low-level range.
No.2 Squadron Tornado GR.1A. Note that it lacks the 27mm cannons as fitted in the lower forward fuselage of its strike-attack brethren.
Meteor PR.10 VS975 of 541 Squadron taxying in 1957. The nose camera position can be seen clearly.
Camera technicians prepare to unload the magazines of the F97 night cameras from the forward camera bay of the 31 Squadron Canberra PR.7.
A Canberra PR.7 of 31 Squadron returns to dispersal at Laarbruch where the camera magazines have already been rushed to 3 Mobile Field Photographic Unit for film processing. This picture was taken from a low-flying 31 Squadron aircraft on the occasion of a VIP visit in May 1964.
Swift FR.5 WK298 of 79 Squadron at ultra-low level over Germany.
A clipped-wing Spitfire FR.XIVc of 2 Squadron showing the camera port on the port side below the open canopy.
A camera technician makes final adjustments to the photographic pod carried on this 2 Squadron Phantom in a Laarbruch dispersal circa 1973.
Meteor FR.9 VZ603 of 79 Squadron fitted with overload wing tanks.