With the steel plate in that location it would seem to support the theory that the 37mm was fired from an aircraft.

It must have been from memory the Sapphires then that started up with a deep groan as they spooled up. Maybe powered up from trollyacs – the others presumably the Avons started up with a whoosh from the cartridges and a plume of black smoke reaching up over the fuselage.

Both the Avons and the Sapphires were cartridge started. The Sapphires used two 20 pound cartridges which were about 6 inches in diameter and 10 or 12 inches long. The access for loading was through a panel in the bottom of the aircraft and the cartridge was hopefully correctly inserted into the threads as the cartridge got heavier by the second. The starter was a dual cartridge unit and the cartridges had a safety switch which engaged when the cartridge was in the fully inserted position. The final tweeks of the cartridges were left until both cartridges were engaged in the threads as the system had a nasty habit of firing prematurely when the safety switch was engaged. The unit design was such that the exhaust from the cartridge starter was just by your neck as you reached, up, at arms length, to put the final pressure on the cartridges to engage the safety switches. Incidentally the cartridge starter was located between the fuel tanks! I only recollect one problem when a cartridge exploded and set fire to the tanks.

The Avon starters were a 3 cartridge unit and I thought them to be more sophisticated than the Sapphire units.

I was based at Waterbeach in the 1950’s and I seem to recollect that we had to ship half a dozen wheels to Wymeswold for the Swifts, which 56 Squadron were evaluating at the time. As I recollect it the tire design was still a bit iffy and each tire was restricted to 7 landings then it had to be replaced. For some reason the Swifts had landed away from base and now needed their tires replacing (AOG) so that they could fly back home. It is easier to replace wheels than tires so we loaded half a dozen wheels in the back of either the Anson or the Oxford and flew them up to Wymeswold. Having nothing better to do I asked if I could go along for the ride and help unload.

I never saw the Swifts when we landed at Wymeswold and we dumped the wheels and took off for Waterbeach arriving after normal working hours and having the usual hassle in the Mess for being late for a meal!

The last time I contacted them I used the private address georgejenks(at)hotmail.com, I am not sure that George is still with them, but he could probably give you the correct addy.

Deryck -maybe a period of rationalisation of the external exhibits is required ? The Hunter could happily find a new home as could the Mig-21 without any detrimental effect to the museum.

I couldn’t agree more David! I do not know what conditions were applied to the Hunter when it was delivered. I was with CWH in those days and I know they were very disappointed that they would not be able to fly their aircraft. I have some vague recollection that there were other conditions about disposal of the aircraft.

The static aircraft displayed outdoors need maintenance. The Museum is aware that several are in bad shape, especially the F-86. I heard that they were looking to have the Air Park covered, which would be nice, but at what cost? Trying to thread aircraft between columns would be interesting! We have heard that an Arcturus is coming into the Air Park and we are supposed to be getting a Chinook too.

Deryck, that hasnt been conformed yet as far as I know. Yes KB839 was also a MKX AR but has had several attempts at restoration and has changed into a hybrid post war early scheme with mockup turrets etc no under resto again back to bomber configuration…

You are correct Peter, as I understand it, the condition of KB882 was discussed at the last CAPA meeting and potential solutions were discussed. In order to display the Lanc. the museum would probably have to build a new building.

The NAFMC Rest. Team is shrinking due to attrition and we currently have the Hudson and the Anson in the shop with a Beech 18, Expediter, waiting to get in, a Northrop Nomad currently being recovered from a lake in Ontario, the prototype Tutor, an ex-RCAF C119, Boxcar and a Canso/Catalina waiting in the wings. Meanwhile the aircraft displayed in the Air Park are deteriorating and in need of TLC.

The last I heard was that consideration was being given to moving the Lanc to the National Air Force Museum of Canada at Trenton for restoration in their workshops.

Firebird, In reference to you comments regarding the US 4,000 lb bombs.

They were stored in piles on the roadsides near our village in Bedfordshire, I never ever saw any of them moved so I asked one of the armourers about them and he told me that they were not able to fit them in the bomb bays of either the B-24 or the B-17.

Sure, they could be hung on the under-wing mounts, but throughout the war years I never saw a B-17 with a 4,000 lb mounted that way. They did carry the ‘winged’ bombs that way but they were probably only 2,000 lb.

What was I doing in a bomb dump? Delivering English newspapers to the Americans!