I’ve got a feeling that we may be witnessing the beginning of the end of classic jet operations in this country.

Can you expand on that? Nothing to report (that I know of) concerning Midair since last year. Do you have news?

According to Bristol Aircraft (CH Barnes, Putnam1964 etc), regarding design of the Scout E,

“…Capt Barnwell was informed of a proposal by Harry H Ricardo and Frank B Halford for a ten-cylinder two-row watercooled radial of 200hp, the ‘Cruciform’. This engine gained no official support and was not built even as a prototype, but nevertheless Barnwell built around it two alternative single-seater schemes, one a tractor biplane and the other a pusher”.

Well that’s certainly moved the debate forward!!:D Mind you your first sentence is very revealing in the circumstances!!:highly_amused:

Agreed: I for one was not doubting the first effort to put 558 back in the air – but I had the benefit of understanding why it could be done at that time.

Move forward a decade or two and I now have those decades of added aerospace industry experience to help me understand why it can’t be done this time.

But I suspect I’m wasting my time trying to explain, though I did attempt it in the last few posts, along with a few others.

Sadly there are still those around who think it’s only money that stopped ‘558 flying…

:stupid:

I’d suggest a search through National Archives and then a visit. These files held at TNA and Peterborough look promising for Brotherhood:

Reference Title – Start Date – End Date – Held by

Acc 2014/16 Peter Brotherhood Ltd, engineers, minutes, accounts, order books, staff wage books, and other records 01/01/1856 to 31/12/1970 – Peterborough Archives

T 173/137 Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors (Tomlin Commission): Records. CLAIMS FILES. Claimant(s): Brotherhood, Peter Ltd. Nature of Invention: Engines 01/01/1924 to 31/12/1931 – The National Archives

T 173/573 Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors (Tomlin Commission): Records. TRANSCRIPTS OF PROCEEDINGS. Claimant(s): Brotherhood, Messrs. Peter Ltd. Nature of Invention: Engines 01/01/1927 to 31/12/1931 – The National Archives

ZSPC 11/453/10 W E Hayward Collection. File containing magazine extracts and cuttings, booklets, photographs, etc, relating to: British and Overseas… Booklet, ‘Brotherhoods, Engineers’, by Sydney A Leleux, David [and] Charles, 1965, 85 pages plus card … 01/01/1965 to 31/12/1965 – The National Archives

It does seem a shame that after all the time and effort that went into XH558 that she is grounded because no one wants to take the risk? shouldn’t we just Boldly Go!?. I don’t want Olympus engines dropping into my back garden or wings fluttering down on orphanages, but if she’s solid and the engines running well then why not? the support was certainly in place and the money kept coming in despite the often threatened ‘Were Doomed’!! statements. if this was the United states she’d be in maintenance now ready for the season ahead. Come on guys lets do this!

A joke surely? No EA/DA support, so where does the statement ‘…the support was certainly in place’ come from?

Time to be serious and stop wasting everyone’s time: there are worthy causes out there that should be supported, and this, along with daft suggestions about Concorde, is not one of them.

Kev,

I’ve lost the ‘plot’ a bit here, but if it is 56 Squadron related they have a Squadron Association http://www.56sqnfirebirds.org.uk/index.htm plus they have a small Squadron History Room at RAF Waddington. I worked with them on a squadron history story a few years back, and they were very helpful; a former squadron member is also heavily involved with Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire.

TO23: He’s looking for Camels: thus 39 HD Sqn, 44 HD Sqn, 61 Sqn or 152 Sqn.

His RFC service post-flight training:

23 Sqn 17Feb16
22Sqn 09Mar16
9 Sqn 15Apr16
3 Sqn 15May16
Home Establishment 27Nov16
Test Sqn 08Dec16
56 Sqn 17Mar17 (SE.5)
39 HD Sqn 27Jul17 (SE.5/Camel)
44 HD Sqn 30Jul17 (1-1/2 Strutter/Camel)
50 HD Sqn 04Sep17 (BE.2e/AW FK.8)
61 Sqn (07Nov17?) (Pup/SE.5/Camel)
152 Sqn 22Oct18 (Camel)
Home Establishment 26Dec18
Vickers 09Jan19

According to The Aerodrome, his kills with 56 were all aboard one SE.5:

1 05 May 1917 1845-1945 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros D.III (OOC) Montigny
2 07 May 1917 0930 56 S.E.5 (A4853) C (OOC) S of Lens
3 07 May 1917 1830-1900 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros D.III (OOC) 1 N of Cambrai
4 11 May 1917 0600-0810 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros D.III (OOC) Pont a Vendin
5 23 May 1917 1555-1810 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros C (OOC) Beaumont
6 27 May 1917 1900-2000 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros D.III (OOC) E of Bugnicourt
7 07 Jun 1917 1200-1230 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros D.III (OOC) Wervicq
8 17 Jun 1917 0845-0930 56 S.E.5 (A4853) Albatros D.III (OOC) Haubourdin

[ATTACH=CONFIG]243668[/ATTACH]
Some 56 Sqn records of events at the National Archives (but generally 1st April onwards) which would be a good start for ascertaining other aircraft s/n which he flew. Ditto his Camel units (39 HD Sqn, 44 HD Sqn, 61 Sqn and 152 Sqn).

Not much chance of saving these I fear:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-35445419

A classic of British ‘aviation’ I can at least say I’ve ‘flown’ in!

Me too: noisy and uncomfortable though!