Farnborough Fly Past (1955)

Actor Geoffrey Sumner takes us on a review of this 16th annual Farnborough Airshow, demonstrating the continuing success of this internationally renowned festival. Lord Mountbatten and Prince Bernhardt of the Netherlands lead the famous (with a brief appearance from the Italian Foreign Minister demonstrating post-war diplomacy seemingly working) and the not so famous as the De Havilland "Comet" opens the show. Quickly followed by the 4 jet "Vulcan" bomber put through it's paces by Roland Falk including a free fall; the AVRO "Shackleton MR3"; a formation of the Short "Sea Mew"; the new Rolls Royce "Conway" gas turbine engines are powering an "Ashton"; the Handley Page "Victor"; Vickers "Valiant"; the highly manoeuvrable AVRO "CF100" all weather fighter; the English Electric "P1"; the compact and lightweight Folland "Gnat" development fighter that uses a parachute brake; the "Delta 2" which features an adjustable nose cone; the Gloucester "Javelin" fighter; the Hawker "Hunter F4" demonstrating a full array of underwing weapons and closing the show flying in formation. Sumner's commentary is less engaging than Leslie Mitchell; he is clearly reading - doing a job of work and conveying little enthusiasm for the subject matter, but the standard of aerial and ground photography gives us loads of opportunity to enjoy the wide array of aircraft on display.