What-Where-When #222 - Austin Champ / RAF Abingdon / 1957

[Otto Puzzell]

Tell me what this motor vehicle is, and the circumstances of this picture (where, and when).

Only a complete answer will earn a point!  

If you haven't registered yet, you need to do so in order to reply.  You can do so by clicking here.

If you have not done so, please familiarize yourself with the AutoPuzzles Rules before attempting to solve this puzzle.

[Otto Puzzell]

Up

[gilescooperuk]

Well it is obviously an air drop.

So the question is military or advertising stunt?

[Otto Puzzell]

Yep

[gilescooperuk]

Advertising stunt?

[Otto Puzzell]

No

[gilescooperuk]

Military airdrop of a Jeep or similar

[Otto Puzzell]

More or less

[RayTheRat]

Total wild guess: Russian airdrop of a BMD-2 airborne infantry fighting vehicle.

[Otto Puzzell]

No

[RayTheRat]

Didn't think so...but since it was the only image I found with the appropriate number of chutes...well, I had to give it a shot. 

Just got back from shooting a car show.  I may have some fodder for a puzzle or two.

[Otto Puzzell]

Coming down and going up

[Wendax]

Carrick Watson send us a photo of an Austin Champ of which there are not many around these days. "The photo was taken in 1957 when I was in REME Airborne attached to Parachute Regiment at 1 Parachute Training School RAF Abingdon. The Champ was fitted with 5 forward and 5 reverse gears, you had to be very brave ( STUPID !!) to try the reverse at speed... It was a very heavy machine fitted with a Rolls-Royce engine. We got around 10 mpg. It was not an easy machine to work on... and a bit prone to falling over when driven with any enthusiasm. It was great to see one of them being parachuted down from a Beverly Aircraft which we were using at that time... as long as you managed to get down first! Suppose you could call this a real flying machine... !"

[Otto Puzzell]

Crikey - have you tapped into my hard drive? 

[Wendax]

No, when you picture-google "parachute heavydrop", it appears on page 3. 

[Carnut]

It's Beverley...

[Otto Puzzell]

 

[Tom_I]

Carnut is correcting the quote in Reply #12, which says that the Austin Champ was parachuted from a Beverly aircraft. What they mean is a Blackburn Beverley.

[Otto Puzzell]

Ah - I read that too fast.

Thanks!