Aircraft General Discussion

[Richard ParsonsParticipant @richardparsons61721]

Ian I do hope that the 'Annie' they are restoring has the power underxart. I beleive the Mk 1 required 120 turns of a handle to raise or lower the undercart.

Remember

'She was tattered she was torn and her fabric badly worn'
but her ole Cheeter 10s fired now and then etc – I will nor go on

Rdgs

Dick

[Richard ParsonsParticipant @richardparsons61721]

Had a problem double posted

Rdgs

Dick

Edited By Richard Parsons on 09/05/2012 16:53:40

[thomas oliver 2Participant @thomasoliver2]

I have an old video of the life of one Charles Chabot – a very interesting character. He flew in the furst world war in the RAF and in spite of a medical condition, managed to wangle himself back in during the second world war. One of his final duties was to investigate the failure of Mosquitos in the far east. Wings fallingh of was only one of many things which caused fatality. On duty crew at Mauripur about 1946, I ushered in a Mosquito, and did the daily inspection, The two crew were South African and they came back, climbed in and I got them started up. They taxied out,, started to take off, blew a tyre and landed up off the runway in a ball of fire.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

Bill, you have a PM.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I can remember Dad, who was an RNZAF radar mechanic on radar stations around the UK during the war saying about a Mosquito flying into one of their masts, I think he said that the crew survived. Dad had just come down from working on the mast.

I don't know the details of the Annie, but they have even put dummy bombs in the bomb bay. Ian S C

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

As the Anson is a 1936 vintage mk1, it should have arm strong retracting for the undercarrage. Ian S C

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Hi Ian,

I wonder if my grandfather met your dad? There weren't too many radar folk around then.

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Don,t know Neil, one person he did meet was a WAAF Radar Operator, he married her and boufgt her home to NZ. He had quite an adventure, From Eastbourn, to Tiree, and Barra, and a good few other places, He met Mum in Aberdeen at the Services Club. There were quite a few Radar Mechanics trained in NZ, and sent to Britain, others went to the Pacific Islands. While Dad was at RNZAF Wigram they insalled a air to surface radar set in at least one Vickers Vilderbeeste for antie shipping reconnaissance, only trouble was that these aircaft, and the Vickers Vincents had to remain in gliding distance from the shore, they did'nt seem to trust the Bristol Pegasus engines that powered them, but they served untill replaced by Hudsons, and later by Venturas. Ian S C

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

The Vulcan XH558 now has a provisional UK display schedule for this year posted on the website.

http://www.vulcantothesky.org

Still needs donations as well if anyone wants to help.

 

 

Edited By V8Eng on 11/05/2012 18:24:02

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

I've never seen a thread on Loco's this long and fascinating…

My favourites – Lightning stood on its tail at full thrutch, a Vulcan coming in low over the hangar roofs and wondering why the total eclipse wasn't announced, standing near the runway watching Tornado's takeoff and being completely drowned in noise and vibration. The "private" Red Arrows display that was absolutely terrifying, all the standard manoevres but faster, closer, lower, awesome stuff. Or maybe it was just proximity and imagination.

Equally I cannot resist the 504's, SE5a's …..

I've been fortunate enough to have been able to fly in (no CPL, PPL) allsorts of commercial fixed and some rotary a/c. I suppose the Cessna Golden Eagle and the Hughes MD 500 would be my pick if I had three wishes. (the third would be free fuel forever!)

[Mark P.Participant @markp]

Hi Steve,I got a flight in a T6 Lightning just before I was demobbed from Binbrook …………….What a trip!! It was the aircrafts penultimate flight before she was scrapped so it was given the beans, never been so fast.

Regards Pailo.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Not sure if I've mentioned this, but I used to work at Yns HIr in the early 80s as a 'rhody basher'. One day I was out on the bog when a phantom came down the hill heading north to cross the Dyfi estuary. Just as it got over us, it pulled up hard and switched on the afterburner. The whole world shook.

Several years earlier, my briother and I were near a small plantation near the Black Mountain when a flight of Thunderbolt ground attack planes came (just) over the trees, slow but so quiet we didn't hear them coming. Spooky & scary.

As a kid I remmebr Concorde used to make the odd oforay along teh Bristol channel – we usually knew in advance, and sometimes we got the boom. I'm sure I remember it doing a touch and go at Rhoose (which was too short for it to take off from with full tanks or passengers).

Up on top of one of the beacons we got buzzed by a Hawk who banked so low we were looking across at him as he looked back at us.

In Sheepy Magna we rented a house for a season some ten tyears ago. Lots of odd planes went obvver that summer – best was amixed flight of gypsy and tiger moths (no I'm not sure how many of each).

We live near to where Drakelow was. We still get a few plans and lots of microlights following the A38. My wife got spooked by a Chinook she swears was actually in the garden, but we have had jaguars and C50s well below the statutory minimum height! get Best? The day I heard the sound of a merlin in my workshop, ran out the front in time to see the Battle of Britain Flight's Spitfire and Hurricane heading northwest.

Neil

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

Hi Neil (& Gentlemen),

Do you live near Locking (Weston-Super-Mare)?

RAF Locking #1 Radio School was where I did my NS GWM training in '56.

Learned how to `tin and solder ' and CRDF, amongst other things.

The fun soon ended with a Cyprus posting amongst the Rock Apes (RAF Regiment).

We were under canvas alongside the east/west runway, long since obliterated.

There are stories to tell about the craft using that runway.

Regards to all,

Sam

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Hi Sam,

I used to live (was born on) the right side of the Channel – used to watch the cars on Weston seafront twinkling in the haze using my astronomical telescope when I was a kid.

the RAF St. Athan is to become an airliner maintainence shop – apparently it's been sold at a knockdown price with all the amazing tooling – for once a brilliant decision that will bring a skilled market back to an area that's been struggling. If I recall corerectly it's even Mr waterman who is doing it.

Neil

Edited By David Clark 1 on 06/06/2012 10:16:30

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Good to see a Dak leading the fly past tonight. Ian S C

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

I remember in the late 60's my dad taking me to see some Buccaneers taking off and landing at Holme on Spalding Moor (he worked for BA) when I was 4 or 5. They were doing some low level stuff at what seemed like 50ft over our heads.

When we lived at Beverley there was a squadron of interceptor Lightnings based at RAF Leconfield and they kept me awake many a school night doing their vertical climbs as they headed to see off the Russian Bears over the North Sea. The runway took them straight over our house when they lit the afterburners!

And finally, me and my wife were enjoying the sun in the back garden with our newborn baby daughter when the RAF Memorial Flight lazily flew past across the horizon view, the Lancaster and two Hurricanes. The sound of the Merlin's droning across the sky stirred my soul.

We have lots of little airfields round here (Scunthorpe) and there are always light aircraft and gyrocopters and powered hang gliders buzzing around at the weekends. It's very therapuetic

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Well moderated David

Just spent a pleasant time re reading some of the posts on here and I notice a pic I posted is blanked – no doubt due to me messing about with Picasa at some stage.

Though I have tried to reinstate it to make the post complete I'm not able to. The re -instatement of the pic is not that important but the ability to be able to edit a post when things go wrong like this would be a big asset to this site.

Know it's been said before but just feel it's worth repeating

Regards – Ramon

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Ramon

Picassa is never a good idea.

Similar companies have gone bust and everybody lost their photos and lots of forums ended up with holes in them.

That is what the albums are for.

I am fairly sure you can edit the album as well.

regards David

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Hi David ,

Well I take your point about companies going bust but I would think it's as safe as it could be with Picasa. That said howeverrr…

I felt early on with the number of images linked to on the Racer thread for instance that they were rather an excesive amount to place in an album – I can see now that perhaps that was not such a good thought

I still think however it would be a big improvement if the ability to edit could be extended to being 'open' from what is the very short and limiting period at present

Regards – Ramon

[Chris CourtneyParticipant @chriscourtney72250]

I have memories of Lightnings at RAF Leconfield as well. My Dad was stationed there in the early 60's and I can remember the first squadron of Lightnings arriving. At the time I think there were a couple of squadrons of Hunters there including the "Blue Diamonds" aerobatic team. We used to watch them practicing formations as we played at primary school.

My Dad's comment about flying the Lightning was that with the afterburners lit you could actually see the fuel gauge moving.

Chris

 

Edited By Chris Courtney on 06/06/2012 18:06:55

[Ian AbbottParticipant @ianabbott31222]

When I was a youngish, we lived under the approach to Rolls Royce's airfield at Hucknall. Their commuter Spitfire came over at least once a week as well as the Vulcan with one Concord (definitely no 'e' on there) engine slung under the starboard side when they were testing. As each new type started testing, we had samples flying in. This was a youngster's dream location and the air displays over at the airfield were fantastic, 'cept when the Vulcan cartwheeled in of course.

Ian

[AESParticipant @aes]

John & Chris,

Your respective memories are spot on. I was ground crew on Ligntnings, arriving at Leconfield in April 1964 after completing my 3 year RAF apprenticeship. There were 2 squadrons based there (had been since the late 1950's) and both operated Hunters until late 1963 when they started re-equipping with "frightenings". When I arrived both squadrons still had 1 or 2 Hunters, mainly the 2 seater Mk T7. The 2 squadrons were 92 (flash so and so's with blue fins and fuselage spines) and the squadron I was on, 19 (not quite so flashy but MUCH better ).

As you say, tankage was always the Lightning's bugbear and the Leconfield aircraft (Mk 2s) were the last of the lot with the "small" (300 gallon) ventral tank. Not only did they ALWAYS leak (copiously – like sieves – there was tankage in the flaps and in the Leading Edges of the wings as well as said ventral tank), but total "block time" was never more thzan 45 minutes (i.e. time from removing the chocks on the pan and starting to taxi until arriving back at that starting point) – and that was WITHOUT using reheat! If reheat was used then as Chris says, you could see the fuel gauges moving. Dependant on how much and for how long used, typical endurance with reheat was cut to about 15 to 20 mins.

For that reason, although it was practiced quite a lot on normal training flights (and was always very spectactular), reheat takeoffs were very seldom used when we were on QRA ("Quick Reaction Alert).

But on the other hand I well remember a beautifully clear early summer Saturday morning when we were on QRA and the pilot scrambled with 100% (cold) power as usual, but then climbed only a couple of thousand feet and held it while speed built and built and built.

We could see as E. Yorks is as flat as a pancake and as the air that early Saturday morning was crystal clear (though no longer quiet!). We could even still just about see the aeroplane as he got to somewhere around Scarborough (i.e. over the sea) were upon he then pulled a climb of about 45 degrees, going supersonic in the climb roughly as he arrived at the coast. A tiny image by then but VERY spectactular. (BTW, when he got back the pilot told us that it was not the usual Russian Bear but an airline off course – "I woke the bastard up, disturbing my Saturday morning lie in&quot.

And while I'm reminiscing, what about those funny shaped buses with "domed" upper decks shaped to get through Beverley Bar? As a "Suverner" I'd never seen such a weird double decker bus before.

Incidentally 19 moved to Gutersloh (Germany) in September 1965 and at the same time 92 was moved to Germany too – Laarbruch if I remember correctly. I've never been back to that area since.

Ah, those were the days. Enough now!

Krgds AES

(and thanks for removing the politics David)

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

When I lived near Coventry I used to see the Atlantic Airways (?) dakotas regularly. I think they had oil pollution control planes there as it was the central point for access to the coast.

One day my wife and I were at Charlecote House and we sat in the garden watching (and listening) to a Dakota doing repeated touch approaches over Welelsborne, then coming low over us for another pass every few minutes.

Neil

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

An old lady I visit told me about her dad taking the family on holiday to France in the 1950s

They drove to Bristol…put the car onto a plane…then flew to France

(So I looked it up)

This service continued for quite a while too

**LINK**

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

In NZ SAFE Air used the short nose B 170 Mk31M Freighters, the same as the RNZAF ones for ferry flights across the Cook Straight, from Blenhiem in the South Island, to Wellington, and from Christchurch to Chatham Island, about 800 Km off the east coast. When passengers were carried, a removable pod was installed in the rear of the hold.

10,000 rivits flying in loose formation. Ian S C

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