The start of many quality signed covers...
They are comemorative envelopes (often simply called 'covers' and a bit like the First Day Covers issued by The Post Office) with both a philatelic (stamp) theme and aviation...all rolled into one. They are highly collectable and depending what you collect, can also be quite rare and in some cases, very valuable. Various specialised dealers, The RAF Museum and a few other organisations have released them over many years. I started collecting over 30 years ago!
What makes these covers particularly fascinating is that they have actually been flown in a named aircraft on a specific date and are invariably linked to some very famous names in the world of aviation. The most interesting and often more valuable covers are those that have been signed by the personalities themselves. Many of the best known, and loved, names in British aviation have signed these covers, like: Barnes Wallis, Douglas Bader, Johnny Johnson, Jeffrey Wellum, Bob Stamford Tuck, Neville Duke and so on - the list is almost endless...
Because of their origin the signatures are 100% authentic. I guarantee all the signatures on the covers I sell.
After WWII, the famous German aviation philatelist Hans Rossbach toured many countries to obtain the signatures of very famous, as well as less famous names from the war. Many of these are incredibly rare now, like: Willi Messerschmitt (who just about everyone knows!) and Kurt Tank (designer of the Focke wulf Fw 190 and others). Their rarity is simply because they signed so few covers. In fact Adolf Galland signed more covers than some others, but of course many of those who signed these covers have now, sadly, passed on and can never be obtained again.
Many of these commemorative covers were released in very interesting themed sets, like: Test Pilots, Bomber Command, 617 Squadron RAF (The Dambusters), The Dams Raid, raid on The Tirpitz, The Falklands War, Experimental Jet Aircraft and so on.
I hope you enjoy this intro to the world of flown covers? I will post many more over the months and I plan to make some of these available for sale.
Regards, Geoff
IF INTERESTED...
please e-mail me at geoff.coughlin@btinternet.com
PayPal accepted...or cheque drawn on UK bank (so that I can pay it straight into bank without incurring any additional charges!)
All covers include standard 1st Class postage and are despatched on receiving payment or cheque clearing. Optional despatch by Royal Mail Special Delivery (£5.00 added to cover price).
FOR SALE
BRITISH SIGNATURES
Price: £19.95 (SORRY, just SOLD)
EJA 28 - BAC TSR-2 First Flight 27 September 1964 Commemorative cover. Flown in Tornado GR4 ZA596 from British Aerospace Warton on a Production Flight Test after undergoing Mid-Life Update conversion from GR1 to GR4.
Signed Pilot: John Turner, Eurofighter (Typhoon) Project pilot
Signed Navigator: Philip J Compton, Tornado GR4 Project Navigator
Flight time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Price: £19.95
EJA(S)9 - English Electric A1 Canberra First Flight 13 May 1949 Commemorative cover.
Flown in Canberra TMk4 WJ874 of No 39 Squadron, painted up in the colours and markings of VN799 the original prototype, for a special 50th Anniversary re-enactment flight at British Aerospace Warton to commemorate the maiden flight on 13 May 1949.
Signed Pilot: Squadron Leader TPM Cairns
Signed Navigator: Squadron Leader BF Cole
Flight Time: 20 minutes
Price: £19.95
EJA(S)7 Blackburn B-103 Buccaneer First Flight - 30 April 1958 commemorative cover.
Flown from the grass strip at British Aerospace factory at Brough, near Hull, in their unique Blackburn B-2 G-AEBJ to Holme-on-Spalding Moor where the flight test programme for the Buccaneer had been carried out some 40 years earlier. G-AEBJ, the only remaining example of a B-2, was built by the Blackburn Aircraft Ltd at Brough where it flew in June 1936 and was allocated to Brough-based No 4 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School for RAF pilot training.
Signed pilot: R J (Dick) Chandler (Buccaneer development test pilot)
Price: £15.99
EJA(S)6 Gloster G41 Meteor First Flight - 5 March 1943 commemorative cover.
Flown in Gloster Meteor U Mk.16 WK800 'Z' from the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency airfield at Llanbedr in North Wales on a sorties to validate changes made to the Flight Control Software to allow PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) command transmission and telemetry reception in the Advanced Ground Station (AGS) used with the Jindivik unmanned drone control system.
Signed pilot: J S Pauli, major Luftwaffe (Retd)
Flight Time: 50 minutes
Price: £15.99
EJA(S)1 Hawker Siddeley HS1182 Hawk First flight - 21 August 1974 commemorative cover.
Flown from DTEO Llanbedr in Hawk XX154 on the 21st Anniversary of its first flight. The sortie flown from Boscombe Down, where the sircraft had been tested prior to its introduction to RAF service, overflew BAe Dunsfold where the aircraft was designed Hawk production. A diversion was made to Coningsby prior to its return to Llanbedr.
Signed pilot: J Pauli, Luftwaffe majot Ret'd.
Navigator: Tim Miles AFC, Flight Lieutenant RAF Ret'd.
Flight Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Price: £15.99
EJA(S)4 Gloster GA5 Javelin - First Flight - 26 November 1951
Flown by the Fast Jet Test Squadron DTEO Boscombe Down in Jaguar GR1B XX738 on a development test flight for the Jaguar 96 avionics upgrade on behalf of the Defence Research Agency.
Signed Pilot: Squadron Leader T J Roche MA
Flight Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
GERMAN SIGNATURES
RAFES SC21 Special...A very rare cover signed by 4 WWII ACES
Price £59.95 (SORRY, just SOLD)
Signed by: Adolf GALLAND, a leading Luftwaffe fighter Ace (104 victories)
Signed: "Bubi" Erich HARTMANN, the most successful fighter pilot ever! Over 800 missions and (352 victories), shot down twice
Signed: Gen Johannes STEINHOFF (176 victories)
Signed:US Navy pilot James Francis RIGG (11 victories)
RAF SC2 Special - signed by 3 WWII ACES
Price £44.00
Signed: Major Gunther Rall (275 victories, 621 missions)ACE
Signed: Sqn Ldr James Harry (Ginger) Lacey, DFM and Bar ACE
Signed: USAF ACE, Merle M. Coons
RAF SC39 - Special - signed 3 Luftwaffe ACES
Price £44.00
Signed: Major Erich Rudorffer (222 victories, over 1000 missions!)ACE
Signed: Willi Unger (22 victories)ACE
Signed: Wilhelm Crinius (114 victories, 400 missions)