Hi Neilly, I’ve been though my records, all I can find is Mossie DD758 taxying into Spitfire MK206 at Ford on 9 June 1944, this of course is no help at all! – in future could you please arrange for your questions to be ones for which I have answers!!

KeithMac:

Not really true, there were many squadrons re-equipping at the time and it was not until later that people like Bader moved across types and were expected to be fully operational. Many, many pilots went straight onto squadrons from the schools without any pre training on the aircraft type or fighting tactics. However flight commanders were expected to get them airborne on training flights initially, and then pair them up with “experienced” pilots. However by September 1940 Fighter Commands loss rate was relatively high and some pilots went into combat with pitifully few hours on type. Squadrons were rotated between high intensity areas like the 11 Group sector around SE England up to places like Scotland and Northern England where “new boys” could get some hours under their belt in relative safety.

KeithMac

The “scrapped” AEW’s were robbed of every possible common item of equipment to keep the MR.2/R.1 fleet going. When I ran ASF at Kinloss I got a letter from the chaps at the Solway Museum asking if we had any bits we could give them to fill in “holes” in their aircraft. I felt like asking them if they could supply me with bits! The whole Nimrod story is one of bad decision after another, but we talked about this before. The Nimrod has been a good aircraft and despite some appaling decisions over the last few years continues to soldier on. If there is an MR.2 spare at the end of the day it should be preserved, but where? we are into the big aircraft problem again.

Hi Chaps, Let’s get real when talking about getting Vulcans back in the air. The real issue is engines. Engines have rotating components, these have a finite fatigue life and are called “Group A” components. Once they have reached their life they cannot be flown again. Now back in the late 1970s the RAF calculated how long they would continue to operate the Vulcan and ordered enough replacement group A components to see the aircraft until it’s planned retirement. The Bristol factory produced those replacements, then shut down the production line. Then along came the Falklands War and the old “tin triangle” flew hundreds of hours more than had been planned for, and the fatigue life on the group A’s got used a lot quicker than planned. This accellerated the demise of the Vulcan. Those engines which had life left were gradually used up keeping 558 in the air, others went to the Navy to power aircraft carriers and other went to the Central Electricity Generating Board to produce electricity. So there can’t be many Olympuses around with any life left. The sad fact is that there just are’nt any engines around to keep a vulcan airworthy. As it’s not within the realms of credibility that RR will start manufacturing Olympus bits again, and there is no alternative engine that will fit (no, Mk. 593’s from Concorde will not fit). I’m afraid to say that the Vulcan is dead.

There is one major reason why many RAF gate guards have been scrapped – no one wants to look after or maintain them! Back in the old days when there were loads troops in the RAF it was easy to find airmen who could wash, polish and clean the “Gate Guard”, keep the tyres inflated and do all the jobs needed to keep them looking good. However the RAF has shrunk and many engineering tasks contracted out to civilian contractors who have no interest whatsoever in looking after gate guards unless paid for it, and there’s nothing in Station Commanders budget allocations for maintaining gate guards. So most CO’s don’t want a pile of slowly corroding aircraft at their gate. These day’s you’re more likely to see an “Investors in People” plaque on the gate!! During my days at Kinloss I tried to install an ex Cosford Shack, after getting an aircraft earmarked, arranging for 71MU to dismantle it, transport it, and re assemble it at Kinloss, the CO changed his mind and veto’d my plan! Sadly the trend is likely to continue as the defence budget is squeezed tighter and there are less and less people in uniform.

RE: Umpteen thousand rivets !

For all you Shack Fans – the corrosion inhibitor in the engine cooling systems is – “Sodium Mercaptobenzol Thiazol” or NaMBT for short!! I just thought you might like to know!!

I dropped into Mildenhall in a Shack many years ago, we were there to pick up diplomatic clearance to go to the States. While waiting by the aircraft a disbelieveing American Chappie asked me where we were going “To the States” said I, “What fer, a bet ?”” was his reply. Anyway, we went via Iceland and got back to Kinloss in one piece, so i wish it had been a bet!

KeithMac

RE: Vulcan at Hendon…….

Sorry Der! Missed the Argie connection!!

KeithMac