I own a book callled Biggles Flies Again, circa 1934 ish?, in it Biggles and co fly around in a plane callled a Vickers Vandal, I have seached but cannot find a plane of this name, the closest I can find, that looks like the picture in the book is a Walrus. Is this Biggles actual plane??
By: justintuijl - 1st July 2014 at 12:36
Have gone through all my Dale Brown books again, Looks like i might have to dig the old Biggles books out of the loft and have a read of them again for old times sake!
Jolly good idea old bean, they always strike me as being an awful lot better than I remember them when I pick one up for old times sake 🙂
By: 467 sqn RAAF - 30th June 2014 at 19:54
Have gone through all my Dale Brown books again, Looks like i might have to dig the old Biggles books out of the loft and have a read of them again for old times sake!
By: justintuijl - 30th June 2014 at 13:52
Well, at least “Biggles Takes it Rough” was a real title.
By: avion ancien - 30th June 2014 at 13:39
When I read the mention of ‘Biggles’ Flies Undone’, I went off in search of the copy of ‘The Brand New Monty Python Papperbok’ which I had but, as I cannot find it on my shelves, I must assume that I’ve disposed of – at some time over the last forty years! I did so because I believed that the ‘Biggles’ Flies Undone’ story appears in that. Having googled the book’s title, I note that the wikipedia mentions ‘Biggles’ as part of the book’s content but does not expand on that. Elsewhere there is reference to the book containing a story entitled ‘Biggles Flies Down’. Maybe someone with a copy of this book could consult it to ascertain what it contains vis a vis Biggles?
By: Malcolm McKay - 30th June 2014 at 12:33
Was there really an episode entitled “Biggles’ Flies Undone” ?
Moggy
No but there should have been. 😀
By: justintuijl - 30th June 2014 at 12:30
What he was thinking of was probably more like a member of the Supermarine Sea Lion family, or more likely Supermarine Seagull I to III (the fore-runners of the Seagull V, which became the Walrus) but most probably the Vickers Viking family.
Sounds spot on to me 😀
By: justintuijl - 30th June 2014 at 12:27
Quote from Wikipedia:
Biggles was parodied in a series of skits on the 1970s British comedy television show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, including one titled “Biggles Dictates a Letter”
“The fictional title Biggles Flies Undone was mentioned at the end of “Biggles Dictates a Letter”, but it was never produced.”
By: JDK - 30th June 2014 at 12:26
Fun, but I think a paintjob on the Matchbox Supermarine Walrus kit is just a bit anachronistic. 🙂
The Vickers Vandal was one of W.E. Johns’ made-up interwar types, and in the internal chronology, by the mid 30s was a bit long in the tooth, rather than a brand-new military-only production type!
What he was thinking of was probably more like a member of the Supermarine Sea Lion family, or more likely Supermarine Seagull I to III (the fore-runners of the Seagull V, which became the Walrus) but most probably the Vickers Viking family.
While Vandal sounds odd to us, the Vikings and Vandals were both groups who travelled as well as raping & pillaging! Vickers also had a Vulcan and Vagabond, so such an odd (to us) seeming name isn’t actually all that outré.
And remember what the Rover cars logo represented…
Regards,
By: justintuijl - 30th June 2014 at 12:10
Isn’t that a Monty Python sketch? 🙂
By: Moggy C - 30th June 2014 at 12:02
Was there really an episode entitled “Biggles’ Flies Undone” ?
Moggy
By: justintuijl - 30th June 2014 at 11:42
This is a model of the vandal made by one of the biggles forum members:
By: justintuijl - 30th June 2014 at 11:05
At the Biggles Forum we have often discussed the Vandal in particular. WEJ was great at making up aircraft, but often it seems he had a type in mind. Like the Supermarine Walrus. Though it is often interesting when he used standard types like the Sunderland. Certainly as a kid it was exciting when WEJ put together the latest plane for the mission! Amphibians rule though.
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March 27, 2011 at 1:57 pm