Good stuff.
Would the Whirlwind have come from 202 Sqn. at Coltishall..?

A.

Lord Wilks.
I guess there is a certain amount of something in this.
The first time the British would have really had a chance to look closely at a Curtiss V-12 would have been in the Fairey Fox light bomber, which was built a private venture by Faireys to prove a fast bomber could be built. The Air Ministry bought 28 of them and equipped a single squadron. (12 Sqn.).
Later Foxes were RR Kestrel powered.
The whole Fox project was so far ahead of anything the Air Ministry was planning that the Fox was 50mph faster than RAF fighters of the time.
The whole Hind/Demon/Hart thing was a response to the Fox, so maybe the engines were too.
Of course, RR were already building V-12’s at the time though.
Falcon, Eagle etc.

A.

“….LibDem MP for Eastbourne…..”? I thought he was MP for Eastleigh – 70 miles away !

He’s probably never been to either…:);):)

Andy

I am well used to your general bitterness as well illustrated in your posts so we’ll just have to agree to disagree about your opinion of politicians et al. And Lincoln usually follows in your shoes, as he has done in his response to your post, so he and I will have to agree to disagree as well.:)

Well Charlie.
I do realise that I am somewhat bitter about the World and I’m not ashamed of that.
I see much badness that I’m impotent to improve or even alter, and from that position, surely anger is a natural response??
However, in your case, I do respect your opinion–and often that of Derek F and Grey Area too–even though it’s apparent that you tend to stare at each other across a huge political void. I do sometimes wonder that if apparently intelligent men like yourselves could put your small scale political differences aside and actually work together, we might get somewhere. Or is that the last vestiges of youthful idealism on my part rearing it’s ugly head..?
As to Jim (Lincoln) we’ve met so its different.

Andy

I remember more years ago than I care to remermber being invited to write a paper on “benevolent dictatorship” as the best form of rule. The problem is that benevolence will almost always turn into malevolence and history tells us where that leads.

No system works perfectly – of course! But I cannot join in the genrral forum anti-politician hysteria. In fact the majority get on with their jobs without fuss or publicity and in fact represent their constituents responsibly and well.

Charlie.
I never mentioned the word benevolent, simply because I wouldn’t be.
I’d work on the principle that I had a limited time to feather my nest and I’d get my snout into every trough I could. Working on the principle that it was my turn.
Which is exactly like all politicians in my opinion.
And while you’re wondering, why I therefore consider myself different to politicians, and the great ‘educated elite’ (like no doubt Ms Pryce believed herself to be and therefore no doubt above the law), well it’s this. I don’t set myself up to be one of the great moral arbiters of society–telling the great unwashed how they should live, breath, eat and no doubt copulate.
Whereas Huhne and his ilk think and inform us that they are the ‘moral and political leadership’ of the nation, whereas in reality they’re just like the rest of us–thieves, shiesters, sh*ggers and low-life criminals.
As I said, hubris, and my contempt for them knows no bounds.
They’d have got five years a piece if I’d had any say in it.
And I have no doubt in my mind even now that had you have been found guilty (or I for that matter) of perverting the course of justice, we’d have been very lucky to have got away with eight months.

They are hardly a serious threat to society. A very large fine would have been much more appropriate.

Sorry Derek but being very wealthy, they’d just pay the fine and forget it.
No, prison will hurt them more, and their supreme hubris does need dealing with.

Lots of anti-politicians here and yet none come up with a credible or sensible alternative.

Yes, me as dictator.
The firing squads would work 24/7 for the first six months.
My own view is that universal suffrage was never a particularly good idea.
It’s like trying to run a business by committee–of 50 million, in the case of Britain.

So you’re in favour of the death penalty for speeding then, Bob?

This should be good.

Has anyone got any popcorn? 😀

GA.
No, he’s in favour of re-instating the death penalty for perverting the course of justice.
That may seem harsh to some but in the case of politicians, I’d happily see the lot of them given a dose of the Soweto necklace, so not in the least unreasonable to me.
There isn’t one of them of any shade, creed or party that I’d p*ss on if they were on fire.
I remain as ever, non aligned.

More than of interest–really marvelous.
Thanks for posting.
A.