What did you think of the Aerojumble?

I agree that it’s disappointing to turn up at events like this only to find they’ve come to a premature end. It’s happened to all of us.

Yesterday’s aerojumble seemed down on attendance – both on stall holders and visitors. The business side of things usually comes to an end at about 2.30 – 3.00 p.m. anyway and many traders are packing up by then, but I agree there was an even earlier start yesterday.

My pal and I try to hang on until 4.00 p.m. before packing up but when it’s so quiet and you face a 250+ mile drive home, you are naturally anxious to get away. We decided to start packing up at 3.00 and were away by 4.00 p.m.

On a brighter note, what “finds” did people make? I acquired the Volume I A.P.s for the Sunderland III and Halifax III and we added a Warwick throttle box to add to our “cockpit collection”.

If it’s the stainless steel version, as made by BSA, with one or two gun firing triggers in the centre of the ring, I would expect it to go for anything from £200 – 450, depending on condition, provenance etc. If it is a complete column, then it would be worth more. And if it genuinely is from a Hawker, you might find that nice Mr. G. Black comes knocking on your door!

Having learnt a bit about “Across the Lake” on the Campbell/Bluebird thread, this thread seems like a good one to ask about another BBC production I enjoyed many years ago.

The Brylcreem Boys (not to be confused with a cinema release of the same name) was about a young airman (I think it may have been David Threlfall who has recently been seen in Shameless on Channel Four) who is admitted into a RAF Hospital ward after suffering frostbite after a night’s sentry duty. The rest of the ward is occupied by aircrew, all recuperating after bad operational experiences.

That evening, they recreate a bomber by piling tables and chairs together and then they set off on another “op”.

The airman assumes that it’s all good humoured fun at the beginning but as the “op” continues, he starts to witness the horrors that haunt each one of them as they re-live their last flight.

Perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea – no aeroplanes, CGI etc, but I found it all very moving. Heaps better than Night Flight, for example.

I’ve never seen any reference to it since (about 1980, maybe?). Someone on this board might know something, please help a poor old man with fading memory!

Hi Herbert,

A.P.1086, Part 11E lists the following “ring control handles” for the Spitfire:

AH2174 for Spitfire IA, IIA, VA

AH8068 for Seafire, Spitfire IB, IIB, VB, VC, F.VI, VII, VIII, FIX, FXII, FXXI

The AH References are Dunlop’s own and they are usually to be found stamped onto the lower portion of the grip. The first listed one is for the classic round, pneumatic gun firing button, the latter is for the selective twin pneumatic switch.

I suspect there may have been others, and “yes” to what Mark V says about Ebay. I could spend all day emailing people to warn them off bidding for some of the “Spitfire” stuff that appears!

Meanwhile, here’s two from the collection….

I think the Vulcan fly past is mentioned in one of the many replies to the “Did you fly the Vulcan?” thread on the Pprune Military Aircrew forum.

As an aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the BBC production “Across The Lake”, starring Anthony Hopkins as Campbell. I thought it brilliantly re-created the latter days at Coniston and the air of growing dispair that surrounded the project. An “ex” eventually taped an episode of “Heartbeat” over my much played copy of it….sigh 🙁

I don’t think it’s ever been officially released. Anyone got a spare copy?

I am pretty sure we are talking early 1980’s here

I remember it being in black and white but, hey, us old folks aint infallible!

…and both the Mk. IB Artificial Horizon and the Switchbox, Identification are pretty much common items across the whole range of British wartime aircraft (and for many years post war, too).

The Mk. IB A/H came in in about 1941. The Switchbox is the later, bakelite, type which replaced the original metal cased version from about 1943/44 onwards – the metal ones are now quite scarce.

A nice haul of bits you’ve found!

There’s a great thread about the Canberra on the Pprune Military Aircrew board. Lots of very well qualified contributors. Someone might know the full story behind the remote control Canberra?