Still, your post does provide a basis for thinking about some new words to define builds based upon levels of ‘originality’.. to avoid misrepresentation in either direction. I like Andy’s ‘re-creation’ for the likes of P9374..

Grandads Axe? My dad replaced the blade and I replaced the handle.

I’m shocked that the DM didn’t mention the value of the CRS officers homes. ‘I may have to stop reading the DM on my £400 laptop in my £150,000 luxury home’, says slim, attractive brunette, Stuart. Neighbours described him as ‘An ordinary chap, who always says hello. Nobody would have suspected he read the DM online’.

Can ground effect help to prevent a mishap – apart from rabbits, fences and other tall objects getting in the way?

I’m not looking for advice as I’ll not be trying it myself – 20 feet at 100 kts in a sailplane probably felt more exciting than it looked…

It strikes me that the second most disgusting aspect of the whole incident is the political bandwagon. Every politician and his dog seems to want ever more intrusive surveillance into our lives as a palliative – the Communications Data Bill, and this has provided them with an opportunity to be widely quoted in the press.

A couple of loonies killed a soldier, but does that justify such a severe erosion of civil liberty, and will it contribute to preventing further such sickening incidents, or is it just doing something for the sake of being seen to do something?

It’s almost as if politicians are suffering from a form of paranoid projection – assuming that there is some massive terrorist bureaucracy, similar to the civil service, that will be crippled by not having emails circulating to department heads for thier approval.

Any terrorist worth the label will resort to buying envelopes and stamps.

I thought only unelected, overpaid Brussels bureaucrats were allowed to vote so I didn’t participate, in much the same way that I don’t feel it’s worth trying to participate in any political process.

Andy,

Inspirational teachers ? What a rarity to-day. Here’s a little something I’ve noticed of recent date. We go to three or four airshows most years. Usualy Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Shoreham and Duxford. When historic aircraft are flying or, for that matter almost anything, pause and have a look around at the ‘spectators’. The numbers looking every where but at the sky are astonishing. We look at each other and say: ‘Why have they bothered to come?’ Is it the case that they genuinely do not know what they are seeing?

Charlie,

What an inestimable blessing ! If you have to move Heaven and Earth, do so, to keep him there

Regarding teachers, In the sixties and seventies when I was at school, the male teachers were often like something from Pink Floyd’s, ‘The Wall’ – damaged veterans of WW2. I grew up losing a lot of respect for the older generation, in some measure due to those teachers. Having spoken to my grandchildrens teachers, although I don’t like the parameters they have to work within, I don’t recall many of my own teachers having the empathy with kids that they seem to have now. Perhaps we’re just lucky living in this area (N.E. Scotland). I do agree that there isn’t enough technical nuts and bolts experience taught though but surely parents and grandparents can help with this. I certainly do and my grandkids are easily persuaded to leave the electronic boxes to help me build a garage, apply some spanners to the bike etc.

As for airshows, the ones I’ve attended in the last few years are teeming with families who seem to be there for a diversion, another day out surrounded by fairgound rides and other kids attractions. The aircraft appear to be of secondary or no importance to them. I recall watching a Jet Provost doing a solo display just after the ‘big attraction’ of the Red Arrows. The crowds turned away and had absolutely no appreciation of the skill involved in flying a JP inverted with the undercarriage extended.

Still, I suppose the ‘family attractions’ are worthwhile if it kindles an interest in a few of the kids who wouldn’t attend otherwise.

I’d bet our entire inventory of missiles would be less than a decent sized WW2 German raid. And, I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of bombers that got through would be able to disable the very few UK military airfields we have left, rendering our air defence useless.

I wonder if several hundred WW2 piston engined german bombers supported by FW 190’s and Me 109’s would overwhelm the RAF’s current front line capability…

I suspect the sheer volume of cheap and cheerful aircraft would overcome a very few high tech expensive machines. And didn’t Me 262’s and Komets find that flying fast gave them less time to acquire a target?