207 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORY

'A TYPICAL DEVON COCKPIT'


source: Sqn Ldr Ian Hampton RAF (207's CO on disbanding in 1984)

Dennis Buck, Pilot 2/71-1/74

The Devon did not have electrical fuel priming. Two of the four buttons to the right of the ignition switches at the bottom of the right hand instrument panel in the photo are for fuel priming.

The Devon had a Ki-gas pump on the floor to the left of the LH seat. To operate this while adjusting the throttle position and pressing the starter button was an art. With the later mod, never fitted to RAF Devons only two hands were needed!

It was much easier to start the engines as I found out when flying the British Aerospace Doves. In addition in the civil version there was no chance of petrol being pumped into the cockpit and consequently the Dove was cleared for smoking on the flight deck (Yuk).

Another dangerous feature of the Devon was that there was no backup for the gyro instruments if the electrics failed. This was removed when the early Devons were upgraded by the RAF. The Dove retained a vacuum system for the turn and slip. The recommendation if you were in cloud was to fly south on the standby compass which was not then subject to “g” forces. I suppose if you were lucky enough to be heading south at the time ….