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In October 55 Years Ago
Updated 01.10.26
On the 28 October 1971 BLACK ARROW R3 launched from the RAAF Woomera range in Australia becoming the first and only British designed and built launch system to successfully put a British built satellite in to Earth orbit.
The programme was cancelled shortly afterwards.
Initial development was undertaken by Saunders-Roe, and then by Westland when the two companies merged. The first and second stages were assembled at Cowes, IOW and the Bristol Siddeley rocket engines were tested at the High Down test facility on the South coast of the island, before the launcher
was shipped to RAAF Woomera.
R3 was the fourth and final flight, placing the Prospero satellite into low earth orbit.
R4, the final complete launcher, is preserved and on display in the science museum, London.
Read more about BLACK ARROW Here
Our Next Meeting
Notices and News
Welcome to the new look
SHHAS website,
which has been completely rebuilt and
also has a new host provider.
Please checkout some new content under the
MEDIA menu, more will be added in due course.
Thanks to Richard Marchant for a report and photos
from the annual
LAA Andover Strut Barton Ashes Fly-In
and BBQ
Read It Here
BBC Coutryfile
11 October 2026.
This episode features the search for the remains of the last crew member of
B-24 '42-94841' which crashed in bad weather on
Twizle Head Moss, Holmfirth, on the 9th October 1944.
Watch on BBC iPlayer HERE
Read about B-24 Liberator '42-94841'
New content added to
Updated 28.09.26
Sea Vixen photos added to
Updated 20.09.26
Updated 03.10.26
Updated 11.10.26
Project SeaBlade to regain the world piston-engined seaplane speed record for Britain. The world speed record for piston powered seaplanes was set back in 1934 by the Macchi MC.72 - 440.681mph.
Watch the V24 Fiat AS 6 that powered the Macchi MC72
running on a test stand HERE
Official Project SeaBlade website HERE
Royal Aeronautical Society Article
Wednesday
4th November
"From IT Geek To
Extreme Bush Pilot"
A Talk by
Matt Dearden
Matt Dearden is a current commercial pilot and author of Flying from
Shangri-La which details how he went from computer geek to extreme bush pilot, flying the Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter. Come and join us for an exciting talk of what it is was like to go from answering emails to flying the most dangerous routes in one of the world’s last frontiers: Papua.
Aeroplane crashes, tropical diseases, tribal villages and jagged, jungle covered mountains all featured in his remarkable career and in what Channel 4 described as the “Worst Place to be a Pilot”.
Matt disagrees with that title and his talk will answer the question of,
How do you land on a 30% up-sloping runway (and take-off again)?
Download PDF Poster HERE
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Renews In August
Updated 11.10.26
BBC Sounds
Researched, written, presented, and produced by
Nat Doig
Weird in the Wade brings you true tales that are weird, wonderful and a little off kilter
Updated 30.09.26
Top Secret Tempsford
RAF Tempsford is probably most famous today
for the role it played in SOE operations during WW2
Aviation Mysteries
Two of the world’s most famous aviation mysteries originated in Bedfordshire, those of the Flying Duchess and Glenn Miller.
Nat also discusses the disappearance of Amelia Earhart
Test Your Aircraft Recognition Skills.
Name the aircraft
Updated 01.10.26.
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