Flying. Everything planes.

[rb14]

2 hours ago, Stouffer said:

Fucking he'll Rog, that sounds magic.

 

Nipping over to France for a pack of Gauloises and a baguette then smoking the full pack on the way home with the wind flicking at the mane.

I smoke me tits off when I'm flying. A little vent in the cockpit canopy lets air in one way and sucks it out the other. It's like your best ever ashtray. Pity the poor buggers having a barby in their garden when a fag butt lands on their pork cutlet. "Where the fuck did THAT come from?" 

 

And my vape is good for those in between fags moments. 

[Kepler-186]

Article on the Fairey Swordfish and the raid on Taranto.

 

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/taranto-november-1940

[Kepler-186]

[Kepler-186]

There’s a project rebuilding a crashed Spitfire that was shot down and over Norway. Pilot was in the PRU ( Photographic Reconnaissance Unit) and was captured and later escaped in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III. He was then shot by the Germans. 
 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-59233572

[Kepler-186]

[Kepler-186]

Good read about the FW 190. 
 

https://disciplesofflight.com/focke-wulf-fw-190/

[Preston Red]

5 hours ago, Kepler-186 said:

Good read about the FW 190. 
 

https://disciplesofflight.com/focke-wulf-fw-190/

The A-8 was a beautiful looking beast as she was in proportion, IMO, whereas the D-9 was a ugly bugger with that long nose.

[Rico1304]

I’m down at the MiL in the Cotswolds this weekend and it’s Fairfield air show this weekend.  Everything is flying over the house. 
 

Anyone have a flight tracker that show military planes?  
 

Just had a couple of fighters escorting a transport plane, the pilots were just dicking about kind of play fighting. 

[tokyojoe]

Farnborough. next week. Probably go but will achieve sod all business. Just the usual glorified piss up.

[Rico1304]

Saw a euro fighter, Saab, Hunter, various transporters and a Hawk. Bigger day tomorrow. 

[Preston Red]

10 hours ago, Rico1304 said:

I’m down at the MiL in the Cotswolds this weekend and it’s Fairfield air show this weekend.  Everything is flying over the house. 
 

Anyone have a flight tracker that show military planes?  
 

Just had a couple of fighters escorting a transport plane, the pilots were just dicking about kind of play fighting. 

I use 360 Radar but it's a paid for job as ADS-B Exchange can be hit and miss.

 

I'm down at Fairford on Sunday and the people I know who are there already have said the Typhoon QRA Demo from the Austrians is stealing the show so far.

[dockers_strike]

 

 

[Captain Willard]

A belated Father’s Day present was the Cold war experience at the RAF museum. You get taken around by ex RAF staff and get to sit in a Vulcan and a Phantom. The cockpit access to the Vulcan is just insanely difficult. 2 sets of ladders. That’s me in the Phantom making exhaust noises and pulling back on the stick whilst my guide is out of earshot taking the picture. 

[Stouffer]

The Range Controller where I used to work was a Vulcan Nav'. He said he hated those steps.

[Captain Willard]

2 hours ago, Stouffer said:

The Range Controller where I used to work was a Vulcan Nav'. He said he hated those steps.

Yes there’s 2 pilots with ejector seats then 2 - 3 crew who would have to climb down those steps wearing parachutes in the minute or so available whilst the now pilotless plane is plummeting to the ground. The crew seats are fitted with a primitive airbag to overcome the G forces and push you upright. After that you’re on your own. Not many crew ever escaped from a crashing Vulcan. 

[VladimirIlyich]

3 hours ago, Captain Willard said:

Yes there’s 2 pilots with ejector seats then 2 - 3 crew who would have to climb down those steps wearing parachutes in the minute or so available whilst the now pilotless plane is plummeting to the ground. The crew seats are fitted with a primitive airbag to overcome the G forces and push you upright. After that you’re on your own. Not many crew ever escaped from a crashing Vulcan. 

So they rarely lived long and prospered?

[Captain Willard]

4 minutes ago, VladimirIlyich said:

So they rarely lived long and prospered?

No not many. The Vulcan was more prone to crashes than the Valiant but the latter came fitted with a short piece of knotted rope on the floor of the flight deck so the crew could overcome G forces and climb out of the hatch in the event of a tailspin. This was standard equipment. 1950s health and safety. 

[Preston Red]

A few of the pics from RIAT on the Sunday show. I'm glad I was sat out in the heat from 7am, to acclimatise, as it was bloody hot. I was meant to go back on the Monday for departures day but I really couldn't be arsed with sitting there at nearly 40°C.

[Preston Red]

16 hours ago, Captain Willard said:

A belated Father’s Day present was the Cold war experience at the RAF museum. You get taken around by ex RAF staff and get to sit in a Vulcan and a Phantom. The cockpit access to the Vulcan is just insanely difficult. 2 sets of ladders. That’s me in the Phantom making exhaust noises and pulling back on the stick whilst my guide is out of earshot taking the picture. 

That looks like an amazing experience. Which RAF Museum is that at? Cosford or Hendon?

 

I sat in the cockpit of the Vulcan that was at Blackpool and was shocked how small it was. It was only after watching a documentary about the Vulcan that I realised how knackered the Navs were.

[Captain Willard]

1 hour ago, Preston Red said:

That looks like an amazing experience. Which RAF Museum is that at? Cosford or Hendon?

 

I sat in the cockpit of the Vulcan that was at Blackpool and was shocked how small it was. It was only after watching a documentary about the Vulcan that I realised how knackered the Navs were.

Hendon. The museum is free (unbelievably these days) but the Vulcan experience is £50. It is an hour one to one long tour/lecture plus 2 cockpit experiences so quite reasonable.

[Preston Red]

32 minutes ago, Captain Willard said:

Hendon. The museum is free (unbelievably these days) but the Vulcan experience is £50. It is an hour one to one long tour/lecture plus 2 cockpit experiences so quite reasonable.

Nice one. I'll have a look at that. I keep meaning to go to Cosford but I believe Hendon has more BoB exhibits.

[Captain Willard]

32 minutes ago, Preston Red said:

Nice one. I'll have a look at that. I keep meaning to go to Cosford but I believe Hendon has more BoB exhibits.

Yes they’ve got loads including a crashed Lancaster that was at the bottom of a freezing cold lake for 50 years so pretty much the same as the day it crashed. The museum is also very quiet weekdays so you get the place to yourself. Worth a trip. 

[Kepler-186]

Nicked off a FB page (you can see it at the top) 

 

Hawker Sea Fury takes off a carrier during the Korean War. 

 

 

[Kepler-186]

This is where the post was from.

 

Another good one is Cammfollowers, about Sydney Camm and his design work at Hawker. 
 

It’s not just aircraft but Rarity Colour does some good stuff colourising photos from the Pacific campaign and RAAF and RNZAF actions.

 

 

[Kepler-186]

Can’t link direct but this was on my FB vids. 
 

Extract from an interview with George Martin about being an observer in a Fairey Swordfish. 
 

You’ll be able to find it and more 

at Wings TV. 
 

The presenter’s name is familiar but don’t know much about him to be honest. He’s sadly passed away.