Intruders.

Disagree if you want to – but the records suggest differently. As I said, “Strutter” makes no sense anyway. But I’m just trying to set the record straight, so call it anything you like.

As someone who has had a great deal of involvement with Design/Engineering Authority inputs and Complex aircraft I find it exasperating that those with self-evidently little or no knowledge of the subject are happy to cast aspersions.

For my part my hat is well-and-truly off to what VTTS managed to do: XH558 will stand as the pinnacle of achievement (in terms of private warbird operations) for some time to come I think. And I am so glad that my sons were able to appreciate this fantastic machine airborne (many times), something they’d have missed if it had not returned to the skies: I’m sure their experiences will remain bold in their memories for many years to come and I imagine that XH558 has done more to nurture an interest in aviation amongst our youth than anything since Concorde.

I do however have slightly mixed feelings about what has happened since its inevitable grounding. I can only hope that it turns out well, and we can once and for all time forget some of the daft comments made above.

Air Britain K File confirms K7732 (lost a wing and crashed) as 29 September 1938. Sgt Ronald Ashley Cowan (26), Sgt Harry Newby (23) and AC2 Peter Asquith Corp (19) all killed.

From 8th October 1938 edition of the Bury Free Press:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]250646[/ATTACH]

Japanese katakana. Main title in red is kanji, with ‘battle’ in there (3rd and 4th-from-last characters).

EDIT: battle in kanji: [ATTACH=CONFIG]250622[/ATTACH]

Maybe someone can translate the rest!

Neither were fighters, and the Botha soldiered on as a trainer (mostly training crews to fly downhill on one engine) and then target tug.. The Albermarle was apparently used twice on operations as a bomber, which would presumably trump the P39, but was then used for paratroops and as a glider tug until 1946, so both had a second life and the Albermarle was very much operational evern if not as planned.

Adrian

Fair point: I missed the ‘fighter’ bit. But both types (Botha especially) didn’t get to serve in their intended roles for similar reasons to the P-39 (i.e being cr@p).

I do see the odd comment in favour of the Airacobra (Eric Brown maybe?).

A few from New Year’s Day:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]250558[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]250559[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]250560[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]250561[/ATTACH]