dark light
Airliner World
Combat Aircraft
AeroPlane
Flypast
Airforces
Aviation
Pcpilot
Air

DaveR

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 15 posts - 331 through 345 (of 393 total)
1 2 3 … 22 23 24 25 26 27
  • Author
    Posts
  • September 16, 2004 at 5:54 pm in reply to: Hawker Typhoon #1438770
    DaveR
    Participant

    Hendon Typhoon…

    Hendons Typhoon is MN235. Signed off as ‘accepted’ by the NZ pilot S/Ldr Allan Smith, on rest from 486 squadron, after 40 minutes of flying. Stored at 51MU Lichfield, Staffs before being sent to 47MU RAF Sealand and then shipped to the States for evaluation (given Foreign evaluation number 941 if I remember the text correctly). Flown for 9 hours before they pranged it and it was put into store. External storage at what is now known as Chicago 0’hare airport and then moved to maryland in 1953. 1967 RAFM requested that it be returned to the UK and was swapped for Hurricane LF686. Appeared back in the UK in 1969 missing 1 cannon, spinner, most engine cowls, starboard aileron, undercarriage parts, radiator/oil cooler unit, side panels below cockpit and various inspection panels.

    Hope this helps

    September 6, 2004 at 8:55 pm in reply to: Tempest —> Typhoon conversion #1561309
    DaveR
    Participant

    Conversion….

    OK cees I’ll bite 🙂 . I guess it would be possible but there is alot of work…to start with the main spars are different (to cater for the thinner wing) which would in turn require changing some of the cockpit tubing!! The forward section would also have to be totally rebuild from scratch to cater for the Sabre. The only real ‘bolt on’ part from the Tempest is the rear fuselage some of the cockpit frame and I believe the tail section.

    September 4, 2004 at 5:00 pm in reply to: Construction times #1563442
    DaveR
    Participant

    Lancasters…

    Saw a program about Lancasters last night and they said 150 per month were rolling off the production lines.

    September 2, 2004 at 4:50 pm in reply to: Spitfire short take-offs? #1565496
    DaveR
    Participant

    Short Take-offs…

    After researching RAF Lichfield I was intrigued to hear that a whole bunch of bored pilots (fighter and bomber) were hanging around trying to think of things to keep them busy. High on their list were

    How quickly can we get a Lancaster into the air?

    and

    Can we take a spitfire off from inside a hangar?

    The answer to this latter question was yes!! They opened the hangar doors and managed to get the spitfire off the ground along the short taxi way and in the air. Unfortunately I do not have any figures as I think this may have been a slightly unauthorised activity!!

    As another note there was one pilot who was barred from ever flying over Lichfield by the RAF top brass as he flew a Mosquito on its wingtips ‘through the spires of the cathedral’!!

    August 26, 2004 at 9:54 am in reply to: Anyone know of this Mustang? #1604598
    DaveR
    Participant

    Swapping Blades…

    There would still be 2 blades bent forward even if you turned the prop round.

    August 26, 2004 at 8:59 am in reply to: Anyone know of this Mustang? #1604685
    DaveR
    Participant

    Blades…

    I was looking mainly at the ‘top’ 2 blades…I have seen pictures of force landed Typhoons where the blade(s) that rest at the ‘top’ are bent forward as they were still rotating when they came into contact with the ground but the ‘bottom’ 2 are bent back as it slides along. I do not have the knowledge of recoveries that many people have here so ignore me if I am asking stupid questions….

    Whatever the state of the blades it is fantastic to see an aircraft recovered this intact go on to be restored properly!!! Can’t wait to see it in the air

    August 26, 2004 at 8:19 am in reply to: Anyone know of this Mustang? #1604755
    DaveR
    Participant

    Aircraft ID…

    Just a quick thought…the pictures of da’Quake posted by Russ show that the prop blades are bent backwards after landing. The recovered P-51 seems to have the prop blades bent forward.

    August 20, 2004 at 4:11 pm in reply to: Wartime Ministry Contractors… #1611532
    DaveR
    Participant

    AusterFan…

    Thanks for that…I had actually forgotten about them repairing Typhoons (amongst other things of course). I just looked on the Auster Club Web site and they actually repaired 368 Hurricanes, 281 Typhoons, 339 Tiger Moths, 1 Hornet Moth and 11 Kirby Cadet gliders, in addition to manufacturing components for Hurricanes, Spitfires, Oxfords, Albermarles, Tiger Moths and Audax aircraft.

    I tried to get some information on drawings from them a long time ago but I did not try the county archives…will try again now that I know more information.

    August 20, 2004 at 3:38 pm in reply to: Wartime Ministry Contractors… #1611601
    DaveR
    Participant

    Contractors…

    Thanks for the replies…

    I will try to look for the parts catalog (not sure if it exists for the Typhoon) and look for the trade lists!!!

    Did you get your list from the parts catalog Elliott?

    August 20, 2004 at 12:15 pm in reply to: Wartime Ministry Contractors… #1611824
    DaveR
    Participant

    Contractors…

    I was mainly after the contractors who built sub components…one example is the pressed steel company (found out this morning that it was based on a site next to the Cowley plant and was merged with BMC in the 60s).

    I am interested to find out where some of these companies were based, if they are still in operation etc.

    August 19, 2004 at 4:40 pm in reply to: Merlin engine rumour #1613641
    DaveR
    Participant

    Castle Bromwich…

    The factory with the rumoured remains is Castle Bromwich. There are some people who say they know exactly where crated items remain but the local housing trust (who owns the land where they lie) believes that they are worth millions in their current state (ignoring the fact that lots of money needs to be spent recovering them in the first place) and want a ‘slice of the action’.

    I was told a story that a contractor was doing some work on site demolishing a small building and they came across a crated engine in the basement (there was even some paperwork with it). The driver of the JCB was mysteriously given the rest of the day off (paid) by the foreman and when he returned the crate had disappeared!!! I was told this by one of the guys working on the site…would be nice to think think this was true!! There are also rumours of a crated Sabre engine there, however much I want this to be true I can’t see why a Sabre would be at the site of a factory that built Spitfires and Lancasters!!!!

    If only…..

    August 19, 2004 at 12:11 pm in reply to: Merlin engine rumour #1614099
    DaveR
    Participant

    Cheer Eddie…

    Will give them a try

    August 18, 2004 at 11:21 pm in reply to: Typhoon heaven(old thread 2004) #1614740
    DaveR
    Participant

    Southend…

    Wasn’t aware that there was a cockpit at southend? Do you know when this was and where it went?

    I saw JR505 (Brian Barnes ex. mike cookman) a couple of years ago when it was based at the midland air museum…this was just the cockpit framework and was of a sliding hood Typhoon.

    August 18, 2004 at 8:34 am in reply to: Typhoon heaven(old thread 2004) #1616531
    DaveR
    Participant

    ID

    If it is the one that was recovered from the Midlands then Peter managed to ID it a few years ago, the pilots armour had EJ922 marked on it (I believe from when the aircraft went back for mods). I had forgotten that this was also a car door type Typhoon…therefore 1 of only 2 known ones.

    August 18, 2004 at 12:10 am in reply to: Typhoon heaven(old thread 2004) #1616720
    DaveR
    Participant

    Midlands Recovery…

    The midlands recovery was from the Brownhills scrapyard. This is EJ922 currently owned by Peter Smith. It was complete with rear fuselage only a matter of weeks before it was ‘rescued’.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 15 posts - 331 through 345 (of 393 total)
1 2 3 … 22 23 24 25 26 27