Komet

Look, even a place for tea and coffee!

Did she also notice the bunsen on the back end that could boil a kettle in about 35 nanoseconds? Truly, this sort of vorsprung durch technik should have finished the Englanders…! :stupid: :highly_amused:

i HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING RUDI OPITZ THE KOMET TEST PILOT TWICE, ON THE LAST OCCASION ON SHAKING HANDS I NOTICED THAT THE THUMB AND FIRST FINGER OF HIS HAND WERE DREADFULLY MISHAPEN DUE TO THE LEAKAGE OF FUEL THROUGH THE COCKPIT WALL FOLLOWING A CRASH DURING A TEST FLIGHT
BRIAN C D (WAKEFIELD)

I think it was C-stoff which was almost as explosive as Nitro-glycerine. spill a drop on a hard surface and it exploded. One of the two compounds was also highly corrosive. I think I read somewhere that the fuel mix was so explosive that if there was any left in the aircraft the shock of landing could make it explode and wreck the aircraft.

Neither fuels where shock sensitive explosives, indeed neither could detonate by themselves (for chemical properties Google is you friend – also note the T – stoff had an additional stabilising agent added). Both are highly corrosive necessiting for C-stoff the use of glass or ceramic liners within the tanks., and C-stoff also gave off lethal vapours if inhaled. The problem with landing was the risks of rupturing the tanks or pipework and then the leaked fuels mixing.

I

Or, when working with that stuff, a relatively harmless pastime.

hi,
could the spectra of the eastern front have been present, and smoking and its consequences seemed more attractive…

regards
jack…

Yes you did, I’ve seen that too. Certainly some nasty stuff to be messing about with. Mind you somewhere in one of my books I have a photo of an erk (Luftwaffe style) refuelling a Komet. The crazy ****** is sat astride the spine of the aircraft with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. That strikes me as having suicidal tendencies given the nature of the fuel the aircraft used.

I think it was C-stoff which was almost as explosive as Nitro-glycerine. spill a drop on a hard surface and it exploded. One of the two compounds was also highly corrosive. I think I read somewhere that the fuel mix was so explosive that if there was any left in the aircraft the shock of landing could make it explode and wreck the aircraft.

hi,
I think I saw it in one documentery that the 2 tankers could not be in the same area as the plane together, and after the first filling the ground had to be hosed down before the other tanker could approach- dodgy very dodgy…

regards,
jack…

I think it was C-stoff which was almost as explosive as Nitro-glycerine. spill a drop on a hard surface and it exploded. One of the two compounds was also highly corrosive. I think I read somewhere that the fuel mix was so explosive that if there was any left in the aircraft the shock of landing could make it explode and wreck the aircraft.

T-stoff was hydrogen peroxide and C-stoff was hydrazine hydrate

C-stoff was a mixture of hydrazine hydrate and methanol.

T-stoff was hydrogen peroxide and C-stoff was hydrazine hydrate

Wasn’t that the stuff they used to put in soldiers tea? ;o)

… Anyway we looked at the aircraft and my sister pointed out two panels , one with a T and the other C.
Before I could explain she said that the Germans thought of everything, Look, even a place for tea and coffee!

I hope you gave her a rocket.

Tim

T-stoff was hydrogen peroxide and C-stoff was hydrazine hydrate