Toddington TedI too hope that the Vulcan will fly soon but I believe Melvyn’s earlier post is very sound and the difficulty will be how to keep the Vulcan running once its flown. I did doubt whether it would be completed ready for flight but I am sure that this will now happen(no thanks to me as I haven’t contributed – yet). I was not serving in the RAF when the Vulcan was withdrawn from use and the only one I’ve seen “in the flesh” so to speak in recent years is the one currently at the centre of all the fuss, it being a regular flying visitor to Scampton when I was there in the v early 90s. However, talking to my more senior colleagues at the Aeronautical Engineering College these days, their nostalgic view is of a very,very manpower, fuel, oil, you-name-it hungry aircraft which needed a phenomenal amount of resources thrown at it when compared with the more modern types which replaced it (if anything could replace a Vulcan) and they were glad to see the back of them! I still thought that the Vulcan was far more impressive at an airshow than the Red Arrows but that’s my personal view!
Toddington Ted“I find it terribly disappointing that so little seems to happening to mark these anniversaries”
Well, I can assure you that the RAF College at Cranwell will be marking Whittle’s 100th birthday as I am helping to organise the event! Whittle was both an RAF Apprentice and later commissioned as an RAF officer so we will be marking both these associations with support from other units and august civilian bodies such as Cranfield University. We are fortunate to have a number of exhibits to display already.
Please note however that this centenary event at Cranwell will NOT be an open day for the public but will be mainly for organisations with an aeronautical engineering bias, particularly colleges and the Air Cadet Organisation etc.
I’m sure you already know this but Whittle’s remains lie at Cranwell so its only fitting that we honour this man who changed the World.
Toddington TedThe winning bidder Metrix (and remember the winning bidder doesn’t always get to deliver the contract – lots of talking still to do!) does indeed include wonderful EDS as BigVern1966 states. Whilst Cosford is currently our HQ site, our Lincolnshire-based bit won’t move to Cosford now but to St Athan, probably about 2011 (by which time I will have retired from the mob!:diablo: ). Politics aside, St Athan was once one of the biggest, if not the biggest in terms of acreage, RAF station in the UK. I have never had the pleasure of serving there but it does have a long military aviation training pedigree (but of course so does Cosford!). I am informed that the Army have a great deal of interest in any real-estate that we might have going so I’m sure there will be a military presence of some size at Cosford after 2013ish, when the new super-site at St Athan is complete. I won’t comment further as my Boss is probably reading this!
Toddington TedMany thanks for the replies!! A bit more effort and less time wasting for me next time! So what is the industrial ares to the SW all about?
The area to the SW is the erstwhile military depot of Long Marston which was built in 1941 for the War effort of course. It is still rail connected – although the main railway line used to run North to Stratford Upon Avon (I am a member of a society which is trying to reopen it – we have reopened 10 miles of line further south and are progressing north at present) and Long Marston Depot is now run commercially, one of its many uses being to store surplus or obsolete railway rolling stock items prior to refurbishing them. Industrial diesel locomotives are also overhauled there. When the Army ran it (until relatively recently) they had their own steam and diesel locomotives; there are miles of track there but I’ve forgotten just how much! Next to the depot was the (infamous) Birds Scrapyard which reduced many old steam locomotives to scrap – I can remember when it was full of wagons and brake vans.
Toddington TedCosford
Great News. I’m visiting Cosford today (work related I know but someone’s got to do it) and if I get a chance tomorrow, I’ll have a nosey in the Museum. As the Andover was the 1st RAF aircraft I flew in (as an air cadet many years ago) it is good to see one preserved safe from the elements.
Toddington TedYes, this item also appeared on Radio 4’s Today programme which I listened to on my way to the neo-georgian RAF Lincolnshire stately home lookalike this morning. Although it is (or rather was) not the Airfix I remember as a lad, I still enjoy making the kits and buying the odd one or 2 on well-known auction sites. Perhaps its worth investing in unmade pristine models in their boxes now after all (something which has not appealed to me). By the way, I believe Airfix make (made) a 1/72 scale model of the Vulcan didn’t they (sorry! – but nice to be proved wrong as a doubter on the other thread- well done to those who have fought and continue to fight for the Vulcan to fly!) I wonder who will rescue Airfix?
Toddington TedI sometimes wish I’d worked on the railways instead of serving in the RAF; then my hobby wouldn’t include rescuing signal boxes for heritage railways and my spare cash would be going towards a Vulcan Bomber instead of to one of Swindon’s finest (and one of its oldest) steam locomotives! (Conflict of interest but I can’t support both!) Sometimes it takes a tremendous effort to convince anyone to conserve or restore something; one thing I’ve learned is you cannot do it alone, even wealthy individuals need the help of researchers, craftsmen and women and, very importantly people who can convince joe public to cough up money again and again. I’ve never done a tour at Driffield, probably because its been an Army unit for as long as I can remember – MT driving school now I believe?
Toddington TedI had not realised that so much had been written by so many on this subject before the programme was aired tonight. As someone currently serving in the RAF I found it to be extremely interesting and very educational to someone who has a little knowledge of RAF ethos, history & culture (steady RN and Army!) but little knowledge of aviation archeology. It was a little drawn out at times, agreed, but most viewers will not be afficionados of military aviation history and archeology; they just want to be entertained by mystery and suspense and, since people will rush away from the TV from time to time, they will need to be reminded of “what’s happened so far”. I was also privileged to meet Douglas Bader myself (although I was only a mere air cadet at the time!) and I knew then that he could be blunt at times shall we say; which may well have given him the resolve to overcome such odds. Thanks to all who made the programme and all who took part, we must remember above all that people gave their lives for us over France – some of the archive filming was amazing and included French air Force Ms 406s at one point I believe!?
Toddington TedDouglas Devastator
Thank you very much for posting, this is certainly news to me. By strange coincidence I am putting together a 1/72 scale model of this aircraft type at present (preparing for retirement-reliving memories you see!). I already have one in the very colourful pre-war USN livery and this one will be in the 1942 livery which is the other option from the kit. I do hope that the project is successful, I have always been fascinated by these USN machines, Devastators especially, don’t know why!
Toddington TedNooo!
Noo that there’s a Varsity. I can remember them flying around when I was at School! I was lucky (!) to have some trips in the old Varsity as an air cadet but the tailwheel Valetta, no didn’t cop one of those in my log book.
Toddington TedExcellent Mossie Pics!
😮 Wow! I visited Elvington a couple of weeks ago (the only day of our holiday that it rained) and the Mossie was in quite a dismantled state with lots of bare wood and panels off. It looks fantastic, many thanks for posting Pen Pusher. The Halifax always looks marvellous these days but there is something wonderful about it sitting out there “ready for ops”.
Toddington TedDavid
Thank you for the info, I know where the photos were taken now. I will buy that book!
Toddington TedDavid
Many thanks for posting these photos. Always good to see something historical and aviation related regarding my adopted home town! Papa Lima, My daughter starts at Miss Roberts’ (later Mrs Thatcher) old school next month, notoriety or honour, well its a personal view I guess. Unfortuately although I’ve lived there for 6 years I can’t work out the orientation myself yet! May I ask whether these photos are from your collection David and whether copies are available?
Toddington Tedive heard a similar story about the u.s. airforce in the gulf using scare tactics, apparently they were dropping leaflets on the iraqis saying they wre going to bomb their barracks or postions by dropping leaflets, then the next day smashing the iraqi’s positions with laser guided munitions to prove to them that they had total domination of the skies, and it also had the effect of thining out the iraqi defence by generating fear of what was to come. nowt worse than knowing youre going to be bombed and nowt worse than u know its coming ant u cant do anything about it
Indeed, its no “story”. Its called “Effects Based Operations”. There’s quite a lot on various websites under “Psychological operations – leaflets – air” from WWI to 2003 Gulf War.
Toddington TedIt is funny that the BBMF aircraft appear on the RAF roll of battle and ARE officially listed as active on the same.
It is the same as HMS victory still officially on the Navy roll of battle not that i would like to go to war on her or in a lancaster.
I think this is the only country in the world with a navy with 200 year old ships and 70 year old aircraft still operational.
curlyboy
Not so, the USS Constitution, built in 1797, is still owned and maintained by the US Navy. As a previous serving RN officer and a currently serving RAF officer, I don’t find this situation funny, its part of our military ethos and culture which so many aspire to but cannot emulate (Gawd, I sound like my old Stn Cdr!). I presume you mean “unusual” rather than “humorous” in which case I would agree. To follow up Moggy’s post regarding C17s, its been announced that we are receiving another one (next year!) to make it 5 and yes we are buying them.
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