Bots

Just think of the fun you could have by putting some lights on them and flying them at night, you’d have the UFO brigade going in to overdrive.:D
Very impressive btw.

F-14

F-14 roll, when taking off the carrier. (Top Gun)

Murder

I’ve just finished Flightpath To Murder (Death of a Pilot Officer) by Steve Darlow, the story of Bill Maloney who crash landed his Tempest and walked away unscathed only to be murdered by the local police and government officials.

Sinking?

be realistic !! what on earth could one man do staying on board a ship on its side ??

the coast guard transcripts from a coastguard far removed from the scene are far from helpful , i believe the coastguard was 100’s of miles away

how on earth does the captain get around a ship on its side that is 50% submerged to give useful information ???

it is also like the old boll*cks of women and children first , i bet that tradition didn’t stand in this case but are we hearing passengers condemed ??

my guess is he stayed till he was no further use then abandoned ship

he is better alive and at the enquiry than dead and no further use

being arrested for manslaughter is standard procedure over there after fatal accidents it tells me little other than the police are following enquiries

it is all being dropped on one individual with little mention that the company was apparently encourage it to wave at directors etc and to make the companys ships give an impressive display to people on shore at night

who knows it may have been a company directive that the captain did not like following and may have feared something like this for many years

after all the company seems to be an exceptionaly quiet party in this !! maybe they are happy for him to take the blame !!

I agree, he’s better alive than dead, and also the ship didn’t sink it ran aground and fell over:rolleyes: there is a big difference. most captains don’t get the chance to reboard a ship that has actually sunk, as in under the water. All that bull about women and children first, give me a break, 99% of people think only of there own a%se.

Swift

£45K for a static restoration, really?

Just from that point of view the aircraft is worth struggling to preserve – I think.

Seeing as there are only five of the type left I agree

Swift

Bruggen you might be right with the specifics of the F-86 (I’m in no position to check at the mo), but I was possibly generalising a bit in that sentance.
The Swift was certainly the first to embody swept-wings, reheat, and the flying tail all in one design for the RAF, I think the F.4 was the first variant to bring all of these features in one airframe into service, all be it in a restricted operational manner (not that unusual in those days!).
It did pave the way for successful service of the FR.5, not to mention give the RAF some experience of operating aircraft with these innovations.
At the very least it was the first British fighter to combine these ideas, and this F.4 is the last remaing example of it.

Cracking shot of WK281:)

Sorry but I don’t think the F.4 were flown by the RAF, the F.5 had all those things, but the F-86 was the RAFs first swept wing all flying tail
aircraft, as for the pic thanks, I’ve had that neg 30 odd years and never knew
the serial:D

serial

Looks like WK281 on the rear fuse under the horizontal stab.

I think I need specsavers:D

Swift

I think as there are only five complete airframe’s left then yes it’s got to be worth saving at the right price of course.

pagen01

(This airframe is the only complete reminder of the pure fighter type Swift which was from that righ risk era when both aircraft companies and the services were grappling with high-speed aeronautics, the type provided the first RAF experience of Swept-wings, reheat, and all flying tails,)

Are you sure about that I always thought that honour went to the F-86,
I didn’t think the RAF ever used the reheat version and I dont think it had an all flying tail either, but I’m probably wrong again:D

Can anybody ID the serial of this aircraft, pic was taken at Finningley.