An incredible recovery and IMHO better that the pilot has been given a proper funeral than left in the wreck.

A pity no Whirlwinds were sent to the USSR to be one day recovered.

The Best Thread

The best thread on the forum. But I still don’t understand how the scrap business works. E.g. what was the point of having Typhoon elevators or Bristol Hercules cowlings knocking about in your scrapyard for 50 years? :confused:

Into the Silk

Not quite escape stories, but the book “Into the Silk” by Ian Mackersey contains some vivid descriptions of what it was like to escape a burning, out of control bomber. It also features some of the amazing stories of airmen who came down without a parachute and (somehow) lived to tell the tale. Highly recommended.

Interior Design

Would it larger than a DC-3 interior wise?

Does the interior have any seats? I don’t think I have every seen any pictures of the inside.

It seemed larger than a DC3 in all respects but was a lot steeper! No doubt someone will post the relative dimensions of the two aircraft and prove me wrong…The interior has rearward facing seats in the RAF fashion. All the fittings and fixtures appeared all present and correct two years ago. Everytime I look at an old car or plane I conclude that life decades ago was a lot tougher but a lot more interesting… 🙂

I visited the Newark Hstings two years ago. Staffed by a former Hastings crew-member. Very impressive interior. Main impression was just how steep a climb it is to walk up the fuselage to the cockpit!

I thought that the bombing of German industrial targets during the Battle of France was something of a pointless exercise when I first read about it in “Before The Storm”. But if that strategic bombing was intended to provoke equally pointless Luftwaffe bombing of London then there was some purpose behind it. As it turned out the London bombing was one of the Nazis worst mistakes (perhaps their worst mistake). So if it was part of a Churchill plot he probably exceeded beyond expectations. But at this distance I don’t see how we can be sure what someone as shrewd as Churchill was thinking 65 years ago. An interesting thread.

Sorry about the Guppy

Sorry to hear about the Guppy getting damaged (and the Provost). I thought it was a very well-presented exhibit when I visited Bruntinghthorpe.