A Sample Feature From Aviation News

Supporting Forces
Pioneering Utilities

Above: With flaps and slats deployed, Pioneer CC.1 XJ465 whistles past the photographer to make a short landing at an up-country strip in Malaya during anti-terrorist operations in the 1950s.

A RATHER surprising supplier of aircraft to the RAF in the 1950s was Prestwick-based Scottish Aviation, a company principally involved with aircraft repair and flying school management. However, the issuance of Spec.A.4/45 to meet a joint Army, Navy and Air Force requirement for a light, front line communications aircraft, saw the company branch into aircraft design and manufacture. The result was an all-metal, high-wing, fixed undercarriage design, powered by a single 240hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen 34 piston engine. Given the name Prestwick Pioneer, early trials with prototype VL515 looked promising, but a more powerful engine was clearly needed to meet the tri-service specification. A 520hp Alvis Leonides was installed in an airframe modified to take four passengers instead of the earlier three, in addition to the pilot, and as the Pioneer II, the new aircraft flew on May 5, 1950. In the post-war economic gloom, military contracts were hard to come by and initially only four Pioneer CC Mk.1s were ordered. These were shipped out to Singapore and in September 1953 began operations with No 1311 Flt from Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, in support of British operations against communist terrorists. Their impressive short take-off and landing capabilities were quickly recognised and Scottish Aviation received a further order for 14 followed by a final batch of 22.

Below: No 230 Sqn flew the single Pioneer between September 1958 and March 1960 when it re-equipped with Twin Pioneers with which it deployed to the Cameroons six months later.

Air communications linking Army and police outposts across the country became vital so a number of ‘Pioneer landing strips’ were laid down. These were cleared areas 450 to 600ft in length, often on jungle-covered mountain sides, allowing the aircraft to make take-off runs of some 220ft (73m) and landings in 195ft (60m). The generous interchangeable Fowler flaps and leading-edge slats resulted in a stalling speed of just 43mph. However, the operating conditions were often hazardous and eight Pioneers were written off in landing and take-off accidents between 1954 and 1960.
   Subsequent deliveries went to 78, 209, 215, 230 and 267 Sqn, the latter using Pioneers during the Firedog operations against the terrorists. In 1956, Pioneers were sent out to the Middle East where No 78 Sqn did sterling work supporting troops fighting rebel forces in southern Arabia. The harsh environment claimed at least three aircraft. The swan-song for the type was between January and December 1969 when a small number went to the Hunter-equipped No 20 Sqn which flew them on Forward Air Control missions in Borneo during the Indonesian confrontation. After this, the Pioneer passed out of RAF service, but continued in use with the air arms of Ceylon, Malaysia and Oman. 

Above: The Twin Pin proved ideal for light transport work from Britain’s overseas bases, many of which were basic and required operations to connect often far-flung landing grounds with even fewer amenities. No 21 Sqn, based at Eastleigh in Kenya between 1959 and 1965, laid on this smart formation for an Air Ministry cameraman flying in a fourth aircraft.

For the rest of this article please see the April 2009 issue.