neillyRE: RAF’s 28 sqn
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-11-01 AT 09:53 AM (GMT)]Hi Keithmac,
I’ve been considering getting the RAF Squadrons book, for sometime. How good is it? Does it cover aircraft serial numbers or just odd samples of aircraft type/serial numbers as well as deployements etc.?
I’d be most interested in your views on the book.
Thanks,
Neilly
neillyRE: The Pathfinders
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 16-11-01 AT 10:12 AM (GMT)]The Lancasters that I’m refering to are recent models & still flying. The Lancaster that ,I think, you’re thinking of, belonged to Keith Mitchell, who now flies a 1/4 scale Beaufighter. His Lanc. was modelled on a 617 Sqd. aircraft, & dropped a Tallboy bomb. If memory serves me right the model crashed while doing a bit of dive bombing, but I might be wrong, as you say it was a few years ago!
The series sounds correct, too.
Neilly
neillyRE: The Pathfinders
LAST EDITED ON 15-11-01 AT 12:11 PM (GMT)[p]The Model aero club I belong to built 5 scale radio control Lancasters. Unfortunately there are only 3 left (1 of the damaged models is repairable). They were featured, I think, on one of the BBC local area news programmes. The Models are fairly big, I can’t remember the exact scale but I think it’s around 1/9th scale, but I’ll check.
The incident you refer to, the cause was a faulty servo, on one of the undercarriage doors,which very effectively drained the receiver battery, causing the crash.
Neilly.
neillyRE: The Pathfinders
DD Video are the people to contact:
E-Mail sales@dd-video.co.uk
Tel 0845 855 2539
There are 6 videos, each about 1hr 40mins long, £12.99 each or the whole lot for £57.94.
(I should be on commission)
Regards,
Neilly
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
LAST EDITED ON 15-11-01 AT 11:04 AM (GMT)[p]The article was taken from Mosquito Log by Alexander McKee. It was in the section called ‘Arming the Mosquito’, David King (see above post), was describing the fitting of cannons etc. to the Mosquito. I’ve copied the last paragraph below:
Instrumentation tests on the 20mm Hispano gun mountings showed that shock loads on firing were completely absorbed in about 1/3rd the distance on wooden structures, compared with metal, were breakages were common until new buffering methods were devised. De Havilland’s had fortunately found a solution first time. Wooden beams for 20mm guns of later marks were used on all subsequent aircraft- Hornet, Vampire, and the 30mm Aden guns of the DH110, later the Sea Vixen,where it was the only wood on an otherwise metal aircraft.
I would think, if you say the Sea Vixen didn’t have guns, that the prototype maybe did, & knowing the way De Havilland design thinking went, then maybe the provision for guns was perhaps there (but I’m only guessing!) on the Sea Vixen.
Over to you,
Neilly
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
LAST EDITED ON 14-11-01 AT 10:41 AM (GMT)[p]I only put what was in the article, written by a de Havillands engineer. He stated that the Sea Vixen had a 30mm Aden cannon. I’m not very well versed in the Sea Vixen, so if the last statements wrong, don’t shoot me!!!
How can anyone say an aeroplane that has never seen service is the best? You can only judge an aircraft by it’s record, just because it looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it will perform well in action. The other problem in this theoretical arguement is the opposition will have also upgraded, so it’s impossible to say how good bad or indifferent an aeroplane like the M-B 5 would’ve been. However, having said that,it was a very nice looking aeroplane, which probably have done quite well in action.
Neilly
neillyRE: BBMF other types – early RAF Middle and Far East ops?
The saxophone exhaust didn’t give the Merlin anymore power, but because of the shape they gave a ‘jet like’ effect with the exhaust gasses. It probably made little difference on an aircraft as heavy as a Lancaster, but on the Mosquito, because it’s a lot lighter, it did give another 10-15 mph top speed.
Neilly
neillyRE: BBMF other types ?
LAST EDITED ON 12-11-01 AT 08:59 PM (GMT)[p]With regard to the flame damping on the exhausts. The exhaust system is different. The exhaust stubs are not there,as such, instead there are whats called saxophone exhausts, with a shroud over them. So I would think this would cost lots of cash to change. I also think this system gave more power, not less. It did on the Merlins of the early Mosquitoes, but didn’t make much difference on the later Mks. of Mossie.
Neilly
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
Yes, it was the Tsetse. This was the Mosquito XVIII. I think we are all on sticky ground, concerning the F-B Mosquito. I disagree that it didn’t have good load to take on the enemy. Look at the figures, nearly 700 enemy aircraft shot down,over Northern Europe,is not bad, for this sort of aeroplane. I do agree that you wouldn’t want go 1-1 with a fighter such as an FW 190 (or similar), unless the Mosquito had the advantage,or you had no choice. But then again you would be hunting aircraft like the JU 88 or similar, which the Mossie could (& did) deal with because of it’s superior speed & mobility, over these aircraft.
neilly
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
The actual gun wasn’t, but the automatic ammunition feed load was. The gun was an army anti tank gun, so it carried quite a punch!
Neilly
neillyRE: Purple Plain
Hi Whalebone,
RAF Units flying FB VI’s in the Far East:
27 Sqd.
45 Sqd.
47 Sqd.
82 Sqd.
84 Sqd.
110 Sqd.
211 Sqd.
Also No 1 Sqd RAAF
If you want bases then that’ll take a fair ammount of time!!!
Neilly
ps I don’t think it would be very safe in a FB VI bomb-bay, if, indeed a man could fit in!
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
LAST EDITED ON 11-11-01 AT 08:38 PM (GMT)[p]It sank several U Boats, off the top of head, I think it was either 3 or 6, U Boats. One interesting incident: several Mosquitoes were U Boat hunting in the Bay of Biscay & were about to be ‘bounced’ by a larger force of JU 88’s, sent to protect the U Boats. One of the Mosquitoes opened fire (at extreme range)with it’s 57mm cannon, the first (& only) shot completely destroyed one of the JU 88’s (lucky shot?) & broke up the attack! The gun was very accurate, I think it fired 25 rouds, in about a minute. The Banff wing used a mixture of the Mk XVIII’s with rocket firing FB VI’s & also Beaufighters, to attack & sink many German ships around the Norwegian coast. They were very effective.
Regards,
Neilly
ps. You’re right it was called Molin. After the cigarette vending machine maker who invented it.
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
Hi GZYL,
De Havilland were very clever in most of their designs. The option of the guns , was to try & get the Air Ministry to accept the original design concept. The actual decision, to arm the Mosquito, was taken in October 1940. W4050 didn’t fly until the end of November. The RAF were also desparate from a good night fighter, which was probably the main reason for the change of options.
The person who was given the task of converting the Mosquito, was David King. He was the person who change the armament on the Spitfire, to take 20mm cannons. De Havillands expected some problems, but because the wooden structure absorbed the recoil so well, there weren’t any real problems with installation. In fact the Mosquito Mk XVIII had a 57mm (6lb)field cannon fitted without problems. As a matter of interest DH kept these wooden mounts right up to the Sea Vixen, the only wooden parts in a metal aeroplane!
As for the FB VI as a pure fighter, I inclined (grudgingly) agree with you, as one thinks of Spitfire, Mustang etc I will conceed to your arguement. However, the Mosquitoes record is fairly impressive.
I would be interested in the numbers of aircraft shot down by particular fighter aircraft types eg Spitfire, ME109, etc of, either Allied or Axis Air Forces, from January 1942 to May 1945, over Northern Europe?
All the best,
Neilly.
Another 2 good books on Mosquito developement Mosquito Log by Alexander McKee & Mosquito-50 Years On which was based on a symposium in 1990. The first looks at the Mossie developement from the people who worked on it. The 2nd, 1990 a symposium was held to discuss the achievements of the Mosquito by people who designed, built & flew it in combat. Both very readable.
N.
neillyRE: Mosquito Squadrons
51 OTU was not a Mosquito training unit at the time you give. It was a Mossie OTU based at Cranfield July 1944 to 14th June 1945
60 OTU: High Ercall 17 May 1943, merged with 13 OTU 11th March 1945.
13 OTU:Bicester/Finmere January 1944. Harwell/Finmere 13th November 1944, Finmere 01st March 1945, Middleton St. George 22nd July 1945. Merged with 54 OTU 01st May 1947.
I’ve not looked up the 2 Squadrons, I’m assuming the above post (& Mark H., Mossie page) are correct.
Hope this helps.
Neilly
The dates & places were taken from Mosquito by Martin Sharp & Michael Bowyer.
neillyRE: Best single engined fighter-bomber of WW2?
LAST EDITED ON 09-11-01 AT 10:54 AM (GMT)[p]LAST EDITED ON 09-11-01 AT 10:53 AM (GMT)
I’m just using the same arguement that you used against The Mosquito! “A bomber with guns added”. The arguement then, against the Mossie, was that because the original design concept was for a bomber, that a different, later, mark could not be classed as a fighter! Your arguement, not mine. (I’m in a pedantic mood!). I’m just trying to stimulate some discussion, but I don’t seem to be having much luck!!!
How’s your opinion of the Mosquito, GZYL, done any reading, yet?
All the best,
Neilly
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