Participators await the day's flying on the morning of July 30, 1920.
The start of the Relay Race. Each team flew an Avro 504K, a Bristol Fighter and a Sopwith Snipe.
THE FIRST R.A.F. "PAGEANT," 1920: The five Sopwith Snipes shown were responsible for a very beautiful display of aerobatics in formation, in which they performed numerous evolutions in perfect unison.
A Sopwith Snipe sees off a tank at the 1924 pageant.
A corner of the aircraft park at the 1921 pageant, consisting mainly (again) of Sopwith Snipes, Bristol Fighters, Avro 504Ks.
The shape of wings to come. Monoplanes fill the new types park at the 1936 pageant.
The BE2xyz at the following year’s pageant in 1921, complete with funnel and backward stagger.
AT THE R.A.F. PAGEANT: The B.E.2xyz, the last word (thank goodness) in early aeroplane design, which patrolled the skies and kept the flies off the flyers.
AN EXTRA TURN: An unexpected thrill was provided by three Vickers "Vimys," each of which dropped two parachutists. Our photograph shows four of the six descending.
A pair of Vickers Vimys, each dropping two parachutists, at the 1927 pageant.
Flt Lt Noakes stunts the SE5B.
Vickers Vanguard G-EBCP stands in the foreground as the Avro Aldershots of No. 99 Sqn fly past at the 1925 pageant.
EVENT AT THE R.A.F. PAGEANT: Halton and Digby Avros leading in the first lap of the Relay Race.
Two Avro 504Ks fly in a relay race at the 1924 pageant.
The two British Schneider types. Nearest is the Gloster-Napier VI, and behind that the Supermarine Rolls-Royce S.6, which won the contest and established a world's speed record of 357 m. p. h.
The Gloster Napier VI, nearer the camera, and the Supermarine S.6 also appeared at the 1930 pageant.
The Supermarine F.7/30 day/night fighter, K2890, forerunner of the Spitfire.
A Martinsyde F.4 and a Fokker D.VII about to take-off for a mock dog fight.
A.W. Siskins diving on the 1930 Hendon Pageant.
EVENT 1: EVOLUTIONS BY THREE FIGHTER SQUADRONS: The three Squadrons of Siskins, in Flights astern, are seen "Crossing Over" - two from opposite directions, and one at right angles.
Two of three squadrons of A. W. Siskins playing follow my leader at the 1929 pageant.
The unusual gull-winged Short R.24/31 Knuckleduster, K3574.
A general view of the participators at the 1922 pageant. Note the Parnall Puffin floatplane and Blackburn Darts on the left. Also present was the large Avro Aldershot.
Handley Page Heyfords skittle bombing at the 1936 pageant.
A view of the Heyfords from the two-shilling enclosures.
The new Vickers night bomber is fitted with Rolls-Royce "F" engines. Note the gun position in the tail.
The Vickers 150 B.19/27, intended as a Virginia replacement, appeared at the 1930 pageant.
The Cierva Autogiro at the 1926 pageant.
"OLD FRIENDS": The "Gugnunc" and "Autogiro" aviating above the Gloster Troop Carrier.
The Handley Page “Gugnunc” climbs away steeply over the Gloster G.33 Goshawk troop transport/bomber, J9832, during the 1932 pageant.
The Boulton & Paul Bourges Mk.II.
The Westland Pterodactyl 1A J8067 at the 1926 pageant.
HULLO TRIPLETS: A Flight of No. 25 (Fighter) Squadron come in to land with their connecting cords still unbroken.
A flight of 25 Sqn Furies land tied together at the 1934 RAF Display at Hendon on June 30. Three flights of three landed in this way, and all but one of the rubber cables remained unbroken.
THE R.A.F. DISPLAY: Event No. 1. Air Drill by Day-bombing Squadrons. This was staged to show the improvement in performance of modern machines. In 2, a squadron of Fairey "Foxes" are seen taking off
Five Fairey Foxes from No. 12 Sqn take off at the 1927 pageant.
A Hawker Audax neatly disposes of a kite balloon, much to the satisfaction of the 1932 crowd.
The Supermarine Seagull V comes into the 1935 pageant, bearing a Royal Australian Air Force service number.
A contract for a number of "Walrus" fleet spotter reconnaissance amphibians has been placed with the Supermarine Aviation works.
Too much realism. The unfortunate accident to the "pupil's" "Tutor" in the Instructional Flying event caught by the camera; the machine has not yet come to rest.
Flg Off I. V. Hue Williams careers across Hendon in his Avro Tutor after demonstrating the antics of a ham-fisted pupil rather too realistically.
Perhaps one of the two best-known racing types in this country is the D.H. Comet (two 224 h.p. Gipsy Six R). The presence of R.A.F. markings on the Comet indicates that the Service can learn from a racing aeroplane.
D.H. Comet “Grosvenor House” in RAF guise while under test at Martlesham.
The huge Beardmore Inflexible, 1928.
PIRATES BOLD: ... Meanwhile "Victoria" troop carriers arrive and deplane a small force who capture the surviving Pirates and salve the booty.
The grand finale in 1924 was a set piece involving two replica ships. Here we see a trio of Blackburn Darts that have just released their torpedoes at the foe.
"NEW AND EXPERIMENTAL": Some of the machines which took part in the "Fly Past" at the R.A.F. Display. (2) Blackburn "Cubaroo" (1,000 h.p. Napier "Cub"), a torpedo-carrier coastal-defence type.
A beautiful picture taken from a No. 9 Sqn Virginia dropping practice bombs on skittles from 400ft at the 1935 pageant, taken during a rehearsal a few days earlier.
THE NEW PTERROR: The Westland Pterodactyl (Gipsy) appeared in new colours for the purpose of monster-chasing.
The latest of the Pterodactyl series, the Mk IV, appeared in a monstrous colour scheme at the 1932 pageant.
Perfect timing. Five Supermarine Southamptons of 201 Squadron arrive from Calshot and pass over the aircraft park at the 1930 pageant. The Royal box is in the background, on the left.
The Westland P.V.7 general purpose aircraft participated in the 1934 show.
AT THE R.A.F. PAGEANT: New two-seater fighter biplane which took part in the "Fly Past." The De Havilland "Dormouse" (Bristol "Jupiter"), J7005.
Short Gurnard N229 is coaxed across Hendon by at least seven people at the 1931 pageant.
The Vickers Type 207, complete with torpedo, at the 1935 pageant.
The 25-seater Vickers Vernon, J6976, at the 1923 pageant.
