RE: Serious Mozzie..

Hi Glenn,
The Mossie is 1/5th scale & will be radio controlled. To fly it now (any model over 20Kgs.) you have to get a CAA exemption certificate. The model has to be throughly checked over by model inspectors, from the LMA (Large Model Association). Now, we also have to do so many test flights, before the model can be displayed in public. To fly the model in public you also need a BMFA (British Model Flying Association) ‘B’ licence.
The wingspan is just over 126ins. & the fuz over 96ins. The power comes from 2x 45cc four stroke petrol engines (about 6.5 hp. each) turning 22″x8″ 3 blade props.

TTFN,
Neilly

RE: Kabir…

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 12-04-02 AT 10:16 AM (GMT)]Suppose I’d betteradd my ugly mug, to the hall of ???
Neilly with his number one toy!
Attachments:

RE: Most successful aerial operation of WWII?

I think you could only call Pearl Harbour a partical success. As I said before the PRIME objective was to sink the USN’s carriers, which the Japanese failed to do. This fact came back to haunt the Jap Navy, when the American Carrier bourne aircraft desimated the Jap Carriers & there by turning the tide, of the Pacific war into American & Allied favour. Had the USN lost it’s carriers at Pearl then, I feel certain the Japanese would’ve pushed them & the British & Commonwealth Forces, out of the Far East. Battle of Midway would still be my choice in the Pacific war.

Cheers,
Neilly

RE: Yorkshire Air museum

Ashley, what about Tangmere Air Museum?

Neilly

RE: What is the greatest WWII fighter?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-04-02 AT 08:56 AM (GMT)]Hi Squasher & All,
Squasher, I was interested in your thinking over the Mossie. The Mosquito was the first twin engined aeroplane, in the World, to Land & take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier (HMS Indefatigable, March 1944). Lt.Comm. Eric Brown was at the controls. After several landings & take offs the payload was increased till the Mosquito was taking off with maximum armaments.

I agree the P-61 didn’t have much time to prove itself, however, from the books I’ve read, admittedly written by RAF people, who either trained the US aircrews or actually flew the P-61, they were not that impressed with it. They were, however, all very impressed with it’s climb rate & endurance. However, it doesn’t alter the fact that over the skies of Europe the only aircraft , the P-61 nearly shot down, was an Allied Mosquito!

Looking at the armaments side, I think 4x 20mm Cannons pack far more ‘punch’ than 8x 0.5″ machine guns, but that’s only my opinion. Perhaps someone can put us both right? The Mosquito Mk.XVIII (Tsetse) even had a 57mm Molins cannon (which the Americans later tried in the B-25) for use against shipping & U-Boats. It was very accurate & effective. Mosquitoes sank several U-Boats & a lot of German shipping, with this weapon.

The Mosquito was used in the Far East (The Australians even made 212 Mosquitoes). There wasn’t a problem with the original British made Mosquitoes. However, there was a major problem with the Canadian built Mossie. The Canadians used a different type of glue in the main spar, which was more sesptible to fungus attack. When they were making the spars they also left small gaps in the lamination, which allowed the fungus to get in. Once de Havilland sorted the problem the Mosquito once again proved itself, to be an excellent aeroplane.

Now the V-1 Sites: I took my figures from Basil Embry’s book Mission Completed (He in charge of 2nd TAF, so should know what happened!), the Bostons of 2TAF destroyed 1.5 V-1 Sites, so I guess it was a joint operation. The figures make interesting reading:

8th Air Force B-17; destroyed 30 sites, used 195.1 tons of bombs

9th AF B-26; destroyed 26 sites, used 223.5 tons of bombs

2TAF B-25; destroyed 11.5 sites, used 224.8 tons
Boston; destroyed 1.5 sites, used 344.3 tons
Mosquito; destroyed 19 sites, used 39.8 tons
(The bomb totals are averaged)

83 & 84 Groups Typhoons; destroyed 5 sites, used 266.8 tons
So draw your own conclusions from the above.
And finally, the good old Beaufighter, excellent aeroplane!
Look forward to all your comments,

Cheers,
Neilly

RE: Most successful aerial operation of WWII?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 10-04-02 AT 09:57 AM (GMT)]Pearl Harbour didn’t achieve it’s main objective either. The US Navy aircraft carriers were not attacked (for the obvious reason, they were still at sea!). The carriers were one of the prime reasons, that Japanese force finally lost the war in the Pacific.
Carrying on the Pacific War theme, surely the greatest battle & victory was The Battle of Midway? The brilliance of the American Commanders & the bravery of the USN pilots. Especially the bomber/torpedo crews, who knew they didn’t have the range to attack the Japanese carriers & return to their own carriers, but still went. This was courage of the highest order!
The Battle of Midway, would be my choice from the Pacific.

Neilly