Another really knackered Spanish owned Tiger of unknown registration was used by Derek Piggott in the climax of the film to crash into the river bank after flying over the advancing Mexican rebels which were fording the shallow water. I think Charles drew the line at the risk involved in this particular caper. Derek was willing to give it a whirl as he had a great deal of experience in flying for the film industry.

Blue Max/ Skybolt et al.
I remember in the seventies there was an ITV children’s show called ‘Clapperboard’ hosted by a bloke called Chris Kelly.
It was basically a magazine about film, film making and the cinema.
I’m sure there was programme in that series about aviation and film making and the stunt quoted above was explained, as was the way the undercarriage on the Tiger was made to collapse.
B/M, I know you keep a track of these things–do you remember it?
Cheers
Andy

Oh and James.
Imperial Airways pilots and navs who were given guided tours of those Lockheeds were told to make no comment to the media or publicly
about the aircraft or the engineering they had seen on pain of disciplinary action being taken.

I think the reason was that the flagship aeroplane of IA at the time was the HP42.

I always smile about the DH88 Comet too.
An aircraft which did indeed win, but with more nasty characteristics than one could shake a stick at and carrying two people in a degree of discomfort and the DC-2 which came second (and not by much) after carrying passengers some of the way in a degree of comfort.
If anything illustrates a point, I always feel this is the one.

A.

I seem to remember that the Japanese motor industry gained a foot hold because, they were allowed to set up a restrictive trade through import tarrifs, as a way of getting them “back on their feet”, we weren’t so lucky, and are suffering a similar fate being part of the EU.

No they produced better products which worked.
Motorbikes which didn’t leak oil and started–they even had electric starters and cars that didn’t leak water inwards in the Winter and would run for 100,000 miles without throwing all sorts of fluids out underneath!
People liked them and bought them and still do.
Something the British motor industry kidded itself the punters didn’t want–what reliabilty???–s*d that when I can spend a January afternoon stuck under a car on the roadside.

Some would argue that if we only bought British in this country,and the industry had no competition, that we would end up driving and flying the equivilent of trabbands, wartburgs and antinov biplanes, however during the 20’s,30’s,40’s and 50’s our trains planes and automobiles were the best in the world.

Please give examples…?
I’m awaiting that with baited breath.

The problem doesn’t lie with Mercedes, but with the British govt, in allowing them to A, purchase the site, and B, allow the developement.

So you think the Government was at fault???

I’ll give you a simple automotive choice.
Japanese car electrics or Lucas–Prince of Darkness…?
or
Japanese motorbikes versus British ones…?

Or a Toyota versus–what??–oh Rover?
(and of course my Toyota was made in Derby.)

People like engineering to work and through years of neglect and incompetance in British engineering, it often didn’t!
Why would the British Government not want a wealthy and forward looking company to buy a site in Surrey and open a facilty which employs local people?
Would you prefer unemployment or has the last fifty years passed you by somehow?

As for kicking the Germans out–well I find xenophobia unattractive at best.

A.

Melv, I knew you’d jump in somewhere.
Whenever, on these places people criticise this museum or that museum, I ask the same question.
Would you like to volunteer?
Invariably I get the same answer, I’m too busy, too broke, My aunt needs her shopping doing, my leg has a bone in it–whatever.

What do they think the rest of us do all day–sit around at our leisure?
No we find the time and as I’ve said I could name half a dozen here who travel a lot further than fifty miles and often on very limited incomes to play a part in helping at museums or collections.
Even if you volunteered to sweep a hangar once a month, I guarantee your perspective would change.
You’d also feel good too.

As for fundraising, always a challenge.

Later.
A.

PS. I’m not certain Mag-men was filmed at Brooklands.
I thought the fictional ‘Brookly’ of the film was all at Booker.

Of course it can.

Just up the amount of your regular donation to support the museum and they’ll be delighted to expand, build more sheds etc.

Moggy

Correct Moggy, and when one considers what a few acres of that part of Surrey must be worth these days, then I think you’ve got a result that anything survives.

To WP840
Of course, you could always volunteer to help and that way you could improve things. A friend of mine is heavily involved there, would you like me to have a word with him on your behalf?

A.

Only on this forum could you start to get people going like that, My god experts!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

How’s that Gladiator?

Anyway all you experts, try looking up the Supermarine Type 327 fighter for the twin Spit mentioned above by XN923.

Catch you later.
A.