RE: Vulcan at Hendon…….

Der, If your linking Black Buck with TFR, your on the wrong track. TFR was Terrain Following Radar, installed when the Vulcan was switched from high level nuclear bombing to low level penetration. Even though the TFR was an early model, a lot of the circuitry within it was still classified when the Vulcan was withdrawn from service. The Black Buck raids were high level conventional raids, so they probably never even switched it on!

KeithMac

RE: What about multi-row radial engines?

Hi Christer, The Hydra is one of those engines which defies convention. I’ve not got too much info on it, but it appears to have 8 “double” cylinders, that is 8 outer casings with a double sleeve inside each! Even more unusual is that it is a row of 8 Cylinders, as far as I know, totally unique!! Anyway there’s a picture below. You’ll be as confused as I am. By the way, it’s not a faked or doctored picture, the engine is on display in the “Power for Flight” display at Bristol Docks on the same Quay as the SS “Great Britain”

KeithMac
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RE: What about multi-row radial engines?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 15-01-03 AT 06:29 PM (GMT)]Hi Multirole, There were 18 and 14 cylinder 2 row radials, you can’t really have a 16 because that would mean an even number of cylinders on a single row and that don’t work too well. You can have a single row or 2 rows or multiples of 2 rows, but not a 3 row without horrendous difficulties in balancing the crankshaft. The Bristol engine company tried to produce a “double Octagon” (16 cylinder) engine called the “Hydra” back in the 1933, it produced 870 HP, it was test flown in the Hawker Harrier (the original version), but they never put it into production. So it’s not impossible to have a 16, or a 3 row, but it’s never been a road that was successful. If you look back at some of my earlier posts on radial engines you’ll pick up some more info.

KeithMac

RE: Air museums free entry, good or bad?

Firstly, consider yourself lucky. We only have one aviation museum in Scotland, and that’s not free. It seems that Government funding does not extend across the whole country. Ah! the joy’s of devolved Government! I personally think we need to encourage people to take an interest in aviation, particularly the younger generation. When I was a wee boy, we had very little spare cash, and despite the so called affluent society, I’m sure there are lots of folks who really can’t afford to visit museums as often as they would like. Museums of course also have to employ people, so I have no doubt that having a known budget to work to makes the whole process of running the place a bit easier. So instead of spending millions on rebuilding rusting old piers that nobody cared about until it fell into the sea, or maintaining millenium domes that no one wanted in the first place, lets use the cash to make museums free for those who would like to visit them more often.
KeithMac

RE: Help wanted on RAF memorabilia

OK now for some more speculation! The wings probably mean that lofty was a pilot. Most presentations relate to what the individual did. If “Lofty” had been an engineer, ground or air, the presentation would have been more likely to have been a piston or something of that type. Kev also makes a good point on the informality of the inscription. Presentations from Airmen to Officers and vice versa are usually much more formal with rank included. My guess would be that “Lofty” was a SNCO pilot or WO pilot.

KeithMac

RE: Scottish

Der, in the book you mention, does it give the identity and details of the Warwick that went down in the Culbin forest? I’ve attached some photo’s of the crash site.
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RE: New Curator at East Fortune

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-01-03 AT 09:05 PM (GMT)]I’ve not met him yet. But I’m intending to contact him soon to see if he will allow me to use the presentations room to perhaps start doing some technical presentations and allow access to the aircraft as part of that. I’d also like to find out if they ever intend to use any of the items I donated. So far the only item I’ve seen on display is my old “Bone Dome”. I’m hoping to get a more positive response than I did from the previous incumbent!

KeithMac.