Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Two-seat basic military trainer

Power Plant:

[T.1] one 410 kw (550 hp) Alvis Leonides 126 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

One 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine gun mounted under each wing; F45B camera in wing-root; two 113 kg (250 lb) or six 11 kg (25 lb) or 27 kg (60 lb) rocket projectiles.

History:

The Provost replaced the Percival Prentice in service in 1953 as the basic training aircraft for the Royal Air Force.  Designed to a British Air Ministry specification, the prototype (WE522) made its first flight on 23 February 1950 powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 18 engine but, in the event, the Alvis Leonides unit was installed in the third prototype and subsequent production aircraft.  A contract was placed in February 1951 for an initial batch of 200 aircraft, service commencing at the Central Flying School’s Basic Training Squadron at South Cerney; and in 1954 the type replaced the Chipmunk at the RAF College at Cranwell.

First public appearance was at Farnborough in September 1950 when the second prototype (WE530) was placed on display. A further prototype was produced as a test-bed for the installation of the Alvis Leonides 25 engine, driving a three-blade Rotol propeller, flying for the first time in March 1951 as G23-1.

In June 1951 it was named Provost and plans were to market two models, the Mk 1 being Cheetah powered and lower priced; and the Mk 2 with the Leonides. Tropical trials were undertaken in Nairobi and Khartoum from 28 May to 5 July 1951 with pilots from Boscombe Down. It was eventually decided not to proceed with the Cheetah powered variant and both the first and second prototypes were fitted with the Leonides engine.

The first Provost was delivered to the RAF on 28 May 1953, going to the Central Flying School at South Cerney. By 25 June the first four aircraft had achieved 631 hours. In 1957 the Provosts moved to No 1 Squadron at Little Rissington where three flights were formed, an aerobatic team known as The Sparrows being formed. On 1 July 1953 No 6 Flying Training School at Tern Hill took delivery of its first batch, and had 62 aircraft by May 1954.  After training on the Provost, trainees moved on to the Vampire T.11. Further training units were formed, including No 22 FTS at Syerston, No 2 FTS at Hullavington, No 3 at Feltwell, and the RAF College at Cranwell in October 1954.

Three more contracts were placed for a total of 183 Provosts, one (WV437) being retained by the manufacturer as a civil demonstration aircraft (G-AMZM). The last two Provosts (XF913 and XF914) were delivered in April 1956.  Other units which used the type included the Central Navigation & Control School at Sharbury, the RAF Flying College at Manby, and University Air Squadrons. One (WV614) was used for armament trials in April 1954. The first export aircraft were four Provost T.51s for Rhodesia, followed by a further 12; four unarmed T.51s and six armed T.53s for Ireland; 40 T.53s for Burma; 15 for Iraq, 4 for Sudan, and ex-RAF aircraft for the Sultan of Oman Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

The Provost, like the RAAF’s Winjeel, was a very popular trainer and had high performance, excellent aerobatic qualities, and a rate of roll of more than 90 degrees per second. It was well liked by pupils and instructors. Production concluded in 1959 after a total of 461 examples had been built. In 1959 the RAF commenced to phase the type out of service, replacing it with the Jet Provost.  Many were scrapped at Shawbury in 1960, and a number ended up at Technical Training Schools. It was finally retired from service in October 1960. In the United Kingdom a display team of three ex-RAF Provosts has been formed operating XF597/G-BKFW; XF690/G-MOOS, and XF877/G-AWVF.

A number of examples are known to have come to Australasia. The first was a Provost T.1 (WV495) which was expected to be flown to Australia in 1989 but restoration problems arose and eventually the aircraft, in 1993, was shipped to Australia, along with another example (c/n PAC/F/226 – ex WW397).  Following restoration work in the United Kingdom it became G-BKHP.  It was shipped to Sydney where it became VH-OIL in mid-1994 based at Bankstown, NSW. It was exported to New Zealand and in 2008 it became ZK-SGN, was based at Omaka and owned by the Old Stick and Rudder Company.  It was later sold to Robert Young of Feilding and the registration was changed to ZK-PPP.  At one stage it was painted in a Japanese World War II colour scheme for airshow work; and was later painted in 2004 as a camouflaged aircraft of the Sultan of Oman Air Force.  However, thereafter in 2012 it was shipped to Boulder City, Nevada in the US by Mr Young where it became N397WW.  In December 2017 it returned to New Zealand and again became ZK-PPP.

Aircraft c/n PAC/F/207 was a T Mk 1 and was operated by the RAF as WV686. On retirement it became G-BLFT until 1992 when it was shipped partially restored to Australia to Mr Keith Clark of Gosford, NSW being removed from the British register on 2 September 1991. On arrival it was placed in storage. Aircraft c/n PAC/F/058 – WV495, a T Mk 1, was under restoration in the UK using parts from XF914 until shipped to Australia. It was presented to HARS at Albion Park, NSW, and placed in storage as a long-term restoration project.

Further examples were imported to New Zealand. A T Mk 1 (c/n PAC/F/183 – ex WV666) spent its career at No 2 FTS RAF and later became an Instructional Airframe (7925M). It was exported to the US and became N2416R at Jacksonville, Florida.  It returned to the UK in 1991 as G-BTDH but was damaged landing near Lasham on 28 March 1998.  It was placed in storage until exported to New Zealand where it became ZK-JOT on 17 April 2003.

A further example was imported from Burma. In 1954 the Burmese Government obtained 12 Provosts for the ground attack role and these were T Mk 53s. Later a further 28 were obtained. They were serialled UB201 to UB240. After retirement they were sold at auction in 1999. One of these aircraft (c/n PAC/F183 – ex UB232, later 2232) was imported to New Zealand along with a Supermarine Spitfire IX (PV270).  Work commenced on restoration at North Shore aerodrome near Auckland but in 2012 it was conveyed to Ashburton Aviation Museum where restoration work continued.  The registration ZK-PPD was allotted but the reservation lapsed. The aircraft was eventually restored for display in its former Burmese markings.