SRI LANKA Airforce Museum

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Am off to Sri Lanka in Jan - would have preferred somewhere else but the Missus was adamant and she's paying, anyway managed to get to fit the Museum in the itinerary, will take some pix for the forum naturally (they have a Beech and a T-6 apparently - woo-hoo!) anyone been before? Anywhere else worth seeking out for aviation/military interest - not sure whether the tsunami has affected any such attractions....


TT

[John Cooper]

When I worked with the RAF/RCyAF between 1958-60 there were Balliol, S-51 Dragonfly, Oxfords, Chippies, Doves and a couple of Herons. The Jet Provosts arrved in Jan 1960 and were formating over the lagoon end of the Katunayake runway when one dropped out of the sky
So anything from that period TT I would be chuffed to see, one of my mates returned to Kat recently and was given VIP treatment there are some shots of his visit on my Webshots albums below, it looked as if time stood still for 47 years!

Enjoy your trip, no counting the coconut trees though, after two years there we had them all numbered!

[Dave T]

Off again ?

You've only just come back :diablo:

[Flat 12x2]

Anywhere else worth seeking out for aviation/military interest

TT,take a spade & diving gear
20 Hurricanes shot done over Sri Lanka & 2 Swordfish in shallow(ish) water.

heres a list of A/C, all courtesy of Jagan's Warbirds of India

Beech E18 CS-450 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Bell 47G CH-580 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Bell 47G CH-577 Katunayake-Negumbo Collection Katunayaka
Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 CA-302 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 CA-310 SLAF Recruiting Center , Diyatalawa Diyatalawa
Cessna 337 Skymaster CC-651 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Cessna 337 Skymaster CC-656 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DH114 Heron CR-801 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DH114 Heron CR-804 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DH82 A Tigermoth CX-123 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DHC-1 Chipmunk CT-102 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana - Airworthy SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DHC-1 Chipmunk CT-103 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DHC-1 Chipmunk CT-107 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DHC-1 Chipmunk CT-110 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH DHC-1 Chipmunk CT-111 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH Dove CS-401 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH Dove CS-405 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
DH Dove CS-406 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Douglas C-47 Dakota CR-821 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Douglas C-47 Dakota CR-822 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
FMA Pucara CA-605 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Hawker Siddely HS-748 CR-831 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Kamov Ka26 CH-525 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Mig 15 UTI CF-901 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
MiG 17 CF-904 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
MiG 17 CF-906 Katunayake-Negumbo Collection Katunayaka
Pazmamy PL2 CX-122 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Percival Jet Provost T.51 CJ-704 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Percival Jet Provost T.51 CJ-707 Katunayake-Negumbo Collection Katunayaka
Percival Jet Provost T.51 CJ-710 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Percival Jet Provost T.51 CJ-711 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
SA Pioneer CC-602 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Siai Marchetti 260 CT-124 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Siai Marchetti 260 CT-163 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Siai Marchetti 260 CT-165 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Sud SA365C Dauphin CH-531 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Sud SA365C Dauphin CH-533 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Sud SA365C Dauphin CH-533 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana
Westland Dragonfly CH-501 SLAF Museum, Ratmalana SLAFM Ratmalana

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Bah! Shan't send you a postcard now David so ner....

Balliols sound interesting - and they have two - if memory serves Cosfords is a Sea Balliol will do by best to broker deal for RAF Museum to obtain proper Balliol and donate Sea version to Yeovilton, sorry, went-a-bit-Ollie there.

Ta for the gen chaps will do my best to take some pics - must admit thought Setter was down that way recently...

TTFN

TT

[wessex boy]

My brother is getting married out there in early '07, so a report would be most welcome, if it is any good I will add it to the list of must-dos.....

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Wilco!

TT

[pagen01]

TT, did you take any pictures? Would love to see the Balliols if you got them!

[knifeedgeturn]

Only the seven year interlude then!

[Wyvernfan]

Well at least Ben has had time to get them developed


Rob

[AndyMarden]

Here is a photo of one of the two Balliols, taken in March this year. The other one is hangared.

[Wyvernfan]

Thats an excellent photo Andy. Looks arnt everything but that one looks to be in fine fettle.

Always had a real soft spot for the Sea Balliol (and Balliol )


Rob

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Crumbs - talk about a time lag! That was four girlfriends ago!

Sadly no pics, wasnt allowed, there was a bombing the day before - sorry!

ATB

TT

[Wulfie]

Eighteen years ago the Shuttleworth Trust sent a team out to Sri Lanka to look at the Balliols with a view to buying one, and adding it to their RAF trainers collection. CA302 in the Museum was not available, but when they looked at CA310 they found it in very bad condition internally, 'cobbled together' was a phrase one of the team used. It would have taken an immense restoration effort to get it airworthy, which was the intention, and the price asked was way over the top, so they came home and dropped the idea. Another 18 years outside in the Sri Lankan weather will not have improved either of them.

[pagen01]

Thanks for the responses, sorry to hear about that TT, another time perhaps!
CA310 appears ok, but there are things in the photos I've seen of it which suggest a bit of 'cobbling together', the wheels look to be of the wrong type (unles Ceylon had different version).
I have never seen pictures of CA302 at all, at least they preserved two of type.

The Shuttleworth info above has reminded of an age old question in my mind, as to why the Balliol never found favour as a private or display aircraft?
They were retired in abundance, with low hours, three seats, and powered by a Merlin - and pretty to boot!

[Dave Homewood]

It seems to be little known that Ceylon was attacked on the 25th of April 1942 by the same Japanese fleet that had attacked Pearl Harbor and Darwin. They bombed both Colombo and the massive Royal Navy and RAF base at Trincamolee. I know a chap who was there and was patrolling in a Vildebeest as the first wave of Japanese aircraft came in. He managed to land safely and get under cover. His mate flying another patrol had to land on a beach to avoid the Zeros. Don said that luckily most of the bombs were dropped on a B-17 that had conked out and been left on the end of the airstrip, but they also bombed a lot of buildings including brand new barracks. He took photos of the burning base. I'm not sure how many ships they sank or hit. But Don also told me that there was a FAA Swordfish squadron on Trincamolee. he knew most of the guys in the unit as he lived in the same barracksand often he borrowed their planes if his Vildebeest was u/s. He said that the twelve Swordfish were sent out as a group to look for the fleet as they were suspected to be out there (this is before the attack). After the attack it was realised the Swordfish had not returned. He was sent to search and he found the wrecakge and rafts. It turned out a lone Zero had intercepted the 12 aircraft and knocked them all out of the sky. Of the 36 men aboard, only 3, or was it 2, survived.

I have tried to find more about this squadron and cannot find any information. I do not doubt Don, he has photos of most of the stuff he talked about and I think he was genuine about this event. but there seems to have been a media blackout on this loss as I cannot find which unit it was, and who were killed.

Following the attack the Royal Navy's Eastern Fleet was moved over to east Africa as a base for a long time till the Japanese were beaten back a bit. It's amazing how this massive attack seems to have bypassed most history books. It never gets mentioned.

[David Burke]

Pagen -Not sure about the pretty bit!

[CeBro]

IIRC some year ago there was a mention in the aviation press that on a remote airfield in Sri Lanka there was a twinengined aircraft claimed to be a Beaufighter.

Cees

[l.garey]

Last time I was in Sri Lanka (2003) I tried to get to see the Museum at Ratmalana, but it was closed. However, driving through Colombo I saw an aeroplane in a public park, apparently used as a climbing frame. To my shame I cannot find that I recorded it, so I presume there was no serial visible. And what is worse I cannot even remember what type it was. Can anyone refresh my memory?

[poloaa009]

Thats an excellent photo Andy. Looks arnt everything but that one looks to be in fine fettle.

[AndyMarden]

Last time I was in Sri Lanka (2003) I tried to get to see the Museum at Ratmalana, but it was closed. However, driving through Colombo I saw an aeroplane in a public park, apparently used as a climbing frame. To my shame I cannot find that I recorded it, so I presume there was no serial visible. And what is worse I cannot even remember what type it was. Can anyone refresh my memory?

Laurence,
I presume you are referring to Jet Provost T.51 CJ712, which is displayed in a large children’s play area in Viharah-Devi (formerly Victoria) Park.
Regards,
Andy Marden

Author - World Military Out of Service (2012 edition now at printers)

[pagen01]

Sorry, should have added that it's appreciated Andy posting the Balliol shot!

Looking at your book title Andy, have you covered or seen the Pembrokes on your travels that ended up in the African countries, ie Zimbabwe, Sudan, or Malawi?

[l.garey]

Thanks Andy. A JP was it? Very likely. Unlike me not to have written it down, but there you are! Thanks again.

[AndyMarden]

Sorry, should have added that it's appreciated Andy posting the Balliol shot!

Looking at your book title Andy, have you covered or seen the Pembrokes on your travels that ended up in the African countries, ie Zimbabwe, Sudan, or Malawi?

The only one I know of in Africa is AF-201, which sits derelict by the main apron at Livingstone Airport, Zambia (l/n Oct10).
The fuselage of AF-202 also used to be at the airport, but was scrapped.
Regards,
Andy Marden

[Jagan]

There is a third Balliol preserved in Sri Lanka at a recruit training center. I have a picture somewhere

[AndyMarden]

Jagan,
Sorry, but that is not correct.
CA310 went to the recruit training centre at Diyatawala, but later returned to the museum, as can be seen in my photo above.
The only aircraft at Diyatawala now is Dove CS406, photo below.
Regards,
Andy Marden

[T-21]

The Balliol suffered with carbon monoxide entering the cockpit ,torque rolling on approach if too much power was applied. However it would have made an excellent conversion trainer to Hurricanes and Spitfires ,Ray Hanna wanted one.

[pagen01]

Thanks for your answers above Andy.
Just to clarify, does CA302 still actually exist? Can only find pictures of CA310.

[AndyMarden]

Yes, CA302 is also at the museum. It is inside a dark hangar, which is why I didn't photograph it.
Andy Marden

[Ridge Runner]

I guess these are what you all mean?





Taken May 2010.

BRgds,

RR