Congrats to the small team for looking again at this design. I work as an aerial photographer in Scotland and would be interested in how you avoid the problem of reflections when taking pics. I like to film via an open window but it seems the Optica does not have this.

This thread brings up the memory of the Sea Prince Stream. I worked at both Western radar Aberporth and London Mil radar later. I can recall sitting next to the controller and watching the six or seven blips on the screen very slowly follow the same course from Culdrose across South West England. If it felt slow to us , what was it like for the pilots? The only break from the routine was waiting for one to miss a turn point, but they were too good for that !

Heritage laws in the UK when applied to buildings stifle progress. The rules make sympathetic restoration almost impossible without huge amounts of money. Once a property becomes listed and restrictions apply it can sit for years crumbling away if the owner has no funds. No one will buy it usually due to the extra costs involved. And where art is concerned its really crazy, in the Uk the government can step in after a sale and use public money to keep the art in the uk. For a fraction of the cost they can have a copy made and placed on display and use government funds for peoples needs.

If aircraft are treated the same way I can see the same happening. Free trade needs to continue. What causes the big upset is the huge amounts of value being placed on airframes by uninformed people. The outcome will be that that real collectors will go elsewhere and the airframes will sit unrestored.

The issue is with the spar life on ex AEW Shacks. During the unexpectedly longer time that the Shack stayed in front line service BAE did allow an extension on the spar life because the AEW was essential.

When ex military aircraft are sold as surplus ,it can be expensive getting them approved for civil use. For example the ex MOD Gazelles are not allowed to carry out public transport work on the uK register unlike those built for the civilian market.

Please check your pm box

Andy A33o please check your pm box

Ant ,the Halifax bomb bay doors were from Pluscarden monastry near Forres and they were part of the veggy growing beds or piggery. There may also still be a cart there with tyres from a Supermarine Attacker.

Tintagel Hunter between the houses

Propstrike thanks for that pic, for those who have not read the story there are more pics and a rather shocking account of MOD attitudes from the pilot at…http://www.tintagelweb.co.uk/Tintagel%20Plane%20Crash.htm