This was the Pioneer prototype, VL515, originally powered by a DH Gipsy Queen inline engine. Re-engined with an Alvis Leonides radial, it became a civil Pioneer II, G-AKBF, and then the first Pioneer CC.1 for the RAF, XE512, in 1953. Photo stamped July 1953. Delivered in August and immediately shipped to Malaysia for service with the Far Eastern Air Force. Crashed there on 4 November 1958.

El Adem near Tobruk was an RAF base in the Kingdom of Libya, used primarily as a staging post. During March 1960 Pioneers of No 230 Sqn were deployed here for exercise Starlight One. They were based at RAF Upavon and probably airlifted by Beverley transports. Photo from: Imperial War Museums

Delivered 13 October 1956. It was DBR on 12 May 1962 when it encountered turbulence on approach to Kingussie airstrip, Inverness-shire, Scotland and struck the ground near Kingussie railway station, injuring the pilot and four passengers. It was SOC 15 May 1962 as Cat.5(c) and broken up for spares and scrap.

First flown December 1956 and saw service with 230 Squadron in Cyprus in 1958 and in the Far East with 209 Squadron from 1964 to 1968. Made its final flight at Seletar in August 1968 and allocated to the RAF Museum with maintenance serial 8034M. Returned to the UK and stored at Henlow for several years before display at the newly opened Manchester Air And Space Museum in 1982. Moved to Cosford in June 2003 and Hendon in June 2014 for display in Omani markings as 'XL554'. Returned to Cosford for further storage in October 2015.

On display at RAFM Cosford. Built to Air Ministry Specification A.4/45, the Pioneer first flew on Nov. 5, 1947. The underpowered 240 hp Gipsy Queen 32 was replaced by the 570 hp Leonides radial engine. The fully loaded Pioneer's STOL performance of 68m to take off and 60m to land allowed the RAF to operate from jungle airstrips in Malaysia and Borneo. A total of 59 were built, also operated by Royal Ceylon Air Force, Royal Malayan Air Force and the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman Air Force (SMOAF) as its first aircraft.

XG563 was written off on April 15, 1957. Photo from: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

217 Sqd - Dishforth

Part of the IWM collection displayed at Cosford

Showing quite clearly the reasons for its phenomenal STOL capabilities. At the Aerospace Museum, RAF Cosford during Cosford 95.

The Pioneer was one of the original STOL aircraft being able to take-off across runways rather than along them! This aircraft served with the RAF between 1958 to 68 and served in Cyprus, Libya, Singapore and Sarawak. At retirement she was allocated for museum display and arrived at Cosford during April 89.

Recently returned to display after storage and repaint from camouflage livery, this is one of only two of the 57 single Pioneers built still in existence (the other is in Sri Lanka). Delivered in 1956 and last flight in 1968 after service in Cyprus and the Far East

In fact XL703 on loan from the RAF Museum at Cosford and temporarily masquerading as one of four Pioneers transferred to the SOAF in 1958, for an exhibition featuring Oman

Newly built Pioneer CC.1 exhibited at the 1957 Farnborough Air Show. Later delivered to 230 Squadron RAF.