merkleIt’s television for grown ups. 😉
Very Aptly put Moggy :D:diablo:
merkleWhat if you were a private individual ??,
say you were picking up a cockpit nose wreck from France/Belguim/Holland ??
could you not register it as Scrap ??, and bring it in that way ??as I imagine the tax could be horrendous, saying that, Would you need to pay tax for aircraft wrecks entering the UK from the EU ??
I had a friend who looked into this many years ago after visiting Raul Castro in Cuba, regarding the Cuban Furies , and he Very nearly got one, but the vote in Cuba was to keep the ones they had as they didnt have many,But he was offered old Migs if he wanted one, (he declined) .
To get past the massive Tax he would have to pay etc, he looked into shipping the Aircraft to Southern Ireland (Eire) and then driving it over the Border into Northern Ireland ,then thus Putting it on British soil, taking the ferry to the mainland and off to home, He seemed to work out a loophole in the law at the time, which would save him alot of money ,in Tax etc and charges,
I dont know if this still applies since 9/11. but thought it worth mentioning
as how can you bring a aircraft across if you are not VAT registered ??.
incidentally ! ,whilst In Cuba, he was given a tour of the military bases, and shown all the old aircraft wrecks, I have seen the photos, he was shown a complete P51 mustang, But it was so corroded he managed to poke his finger through the skin in the wing root ,he did climb into the cockpit, and I remember seeing a photo of his kids in a fuselage of a wreck of a Douglas Boston Havoc, which had become part of the fence ,on one of the bases he visited,
Why were the Cubans so helpful, Simply Put !!, He DIDNT mention Money , they hated the capitalist way of life, However he was wanting to bring back 2 ,restore one for them for static display to return to Cuba, and keep one in the UK in Cuban Bay of pigs colours, and restore it to fly at major airshows, which the Cubans thought was a very good bit of publicity on his part, for them, and he wasnt bothered what colour it was aslong as he had a fury ,as for the Cubans they had no equiptment, or spares, or believe it or not the right paints , so for them to get a pristine “Model” back to put on display was very interesting for them, However they just didnt have that many to spare, and in the vote , he lost by a small margin, but they did think alot of my friend because of his “Passion” for aircraft.
the Cubans seem very more of “If you can do something for us/ we will do something for you ” and Money, well that just wasnt mentioned.
merklewhats radio:confused:
You Know the Wireless set, Next to the Gramaphone Dear man 😀
Bring back Billy Cotton !!!
I dont even watch telly anymore, I got a house full of wimin !!, and as such I am subjected to Xfactor,big Bruvver,and all the other reality tV, Celeb Rubbish,
and if thats not bad enough all the soaps known to modern man !!, I tell you I am GOING INSANE !!:D,
so now I sit on my PC and watch old comedy , “on the buses,open all hours,last of the summer wine” les dawson , bless this house, Carry on films and
documetarys , etc etc, ANYTHING to get away from our CELEB soaked TV,
with about as much talent as a dog turd in a tumble dryer……..CRIKEY thats it ,I could enter that in the next Modern Art competition , and give it a title of “Modern TV”
I could win the worlds art prize for it,
Just goes to proove , the modern world has gone Mad, or is it me …..Getting older :confused::diablo:
merklewhats radio:confused:
You Know the Wireless set, Next to the Gramaphone Dear man 😀
Bring back Billy Cotton !!!
I dont even watch telly anymore, I got a house full of wimin !!, and as such I am subjected to Xfactor,big Bruvver,and all the other reality tV, Celeb Rubbish,
and if thats not bad enough all the soaps known to modern man !!, I tell you I am GOING INSANE !!:D,
so now I sit on my PC and watch old comedy , “on the buses,open all hours,last of the summer wine” les dawson , bless this house, Carry on films and
documetarys , etc etc, ANYTHING to get away from our CELEB soaked TV,
with about as much talent as a dog turd in a tumble dryer……..CRIKEY thats it ,I could enter that in the next Modern Art competition , and give it a title of “Modern TV”
I could win the worlds art prize for it,
Just goes to proove , the modern world has gone Mad, or is it me …..Getting older :confused::diablo:
merkleBrought a framed Taylor print the other sunday at a local carboot.
paid a few £s for it , not bad as the print is large and frame.Harrier by Robert Taylor is the print.
depicts 2 sea harrires in flight.
Nice one !!!!:)
My personal best find was a couple of years ago, whilst at Duxford, there was a RAF Museum Stall, on which in the corner rolled up ,were about 10 of Identical Sqn Prints depicting a Fe2B (I think thats the correct aircraft) which was signed in Pencil By a WW1 British Aviator and and his Observer,
of which the Pilot had won the VC ,
these Sqn prints had been in there store room for many many years, and as such they were selling them off for a few quid each,
I jumped at it as you never get WW1 signatures these days, and being it was from the RAF Museum, You knew it was the genuine article,
I stored it somewhere and now cannot find it,stored it so safely I cant find it, Thats me all over :o.
My other Sqn print was of a Thunderbolt ,which i took to the last reunion of the 355th Fighter Group at Steeple Morden,also there were members of the 91st Bomb Group there, due to there age they said this was there last trip to the UK , (2004) i got about 10- 20 signatures that day, including one from one of there fighter aces, Ward Douglas,
we had been invited by the 355th on account of some investagative work we had done to find one of there servicemens crashsite .
its still one of my most treasured possesions 😀
merkleThanks Kev35,
Unfortunately it looks like a frame, there are 2 small “Pins” in the 2 top corners
of a Aluinium Frame, on the back it looks like a frame, with Board, and hanging wire, and brown Paper tape around the board to seal it,
it was framed by F.J.Harris of Bath ,in January 1980 ,
(there is a little Tag on the back).
Cor Imagine if it was a storage frame , that would be something ,
thanks again
Chris
merkleExellent, 😀
thats got to be a dream come true for a Chopper fanatic, Like what a spitfire flight is to a fixed wing fanatic !!, bloomin Marvelous !!,
Ive never flown in a chopper, But I cant think of anything More Iconic than the Huey ,
Now you didnt have to sit on your helmets to stop your Balls being blown off ??,
Well thats what they say in the Film Apocalypse Now ??
When you gonna get a trip in a Hind Gunship?? 😀
merkleThanks Lads,
Yep Thats the one, But when I saw the original on the websites you showed me , well, Shock !!, Horror, it seems mine must have been hanging in direct sunlight, as it has lost some of its colour, and has a “Blue” effect 🙁
you can look at mine and see just what damage 30 years of sunlight can do to a print, (i am a little gutted ,but still pleased with it , its my “First ” robert Taylor, as I can never really afford the ones at the shows , and a first edition, so it will be going on the wall, Well with Mrs permission of course !!:eek:
merkleXP33
Ive just contacted the fire school regarding XP330,
the boss was quite interested in the Borneo connection of XP330’s History,
He said its been with the school for 28 years and is in a very bad way, and they desperately need a replacement, But still need it as they have no choice but to use it for there training
If any type of Helo fuselage civillian or military (please no wessex’s or i would cry LOL)could be found he would gladly swap,
a interesting turn of events , It may be personal But i think she is quite unique in the fact she has such a colourful Military history ,before being turned into a officers transport in the late 60s early 70s , and she is also on the Australian war memorial site ,conducting a SAS raid on insergents, and she was in that conflict for quite a few years I think , she must have seen some action.
If I cannot do it for what ever reason , would any Museum or group out there be interested in saving this war veteran, even though it “Might” be too late ?? due to her condition ??
a new interesting note !!!!
Ive just recieved another phone call to be told the fire school is going to take some photos tomorrow whilst on the training ground, as soon as I get them, I will put some on here for all to see!!
merkleColerne Whirlwind wreck
thanks David,
I will contact them, for advice etc , thanks for the input, I notice it is not on there website, it must be one of there ongoing restorations for the future, they seem to have done some tremendous work in the past ,
ahh I tell a lie, yes it is on there website in the news for 2005 /06 archive ,
merkleJust the canopy (incidently, never nicknamed greenhouse by either engineers or aircrew so dunno where that one came from…) the remainder of the cockpit is an integral part of the airframe structure like most aircraft. Try copious amounts of WD40 on the nuts and bolts. As a last resort, drill off the heads of the bolts – access to the underside to cut off the nuts is extremely limited. Some are anchor nuts so too much force before the WD40 has had a chance to do it’s stuff will result in shearing the retaining rivets.
You could try contacting the Secretary of the BAPC – he has his own Whirlwind and has worked on them even longer than me.
Ahh as I thought, regarding the Canopy, (the name of greenhouse was one of my own inventions:) )
I will contact the BAPC , thanks for the advice,
merkleMerkle
The cockpit on the Whirlwind is held on by bolts, no need to cut anything. I recall changing several that had suffered excessive corrosion to the top panels in 1975/6 – changed the last one in a little over one hour.
What the WHOLE cockpit ???, or just the greenhouse Canopy ??
if that is the case the whole cockpit can be removed then it could be a quick operation
Many thanks bravoalpha !!
although as for “cutting” i imagine the bolts would be Rusted and seized by now so they might need cutting, ?
merkleColerne Whirlwind wreck
Sorry to fling another question, But does anyone know the museum who removed the cockpit from the wreck of the whirlwind at RAF Colerne ,Wilts ??
I am not asking to find out where it is to try a buy it, I am only asking as I would like to approach them for advice on there team /or contractor who removed the cockpit ,
Ie , what sort of equiptment was needed, and indeed allowed on site , and how did they manage it , Ie was it cut, or de riveted etc, and what sort of time frame it took to complete the operation ??
I only write this from previous mistakes from another fire training school where we just didnt have the right equiptment needed for the job, which was mainly down to HSE issues and cost, (Ie,No electrical cutting tools allowed on that perticular site)
merkleXP330 photo
heres a pic of her last year i believe
she was moved to teeside some time ago, and as you can see she is in a terrible state well past repair,
many thanks to the photograher Mr Stuart Ried for applying this photo on the web.
here is a link to his web site http://www.stuartsaviationpictures.co.uk/
on the latest photo of XP330 you can see the greenhouse is damaged ,but these can be sourced I am sure,
and the middle photo is one taken by Mr Ian Howet of her in Jan 1976 being stripped of usefull parts , from “airliners.net
and lastly, a very interesting photo from the Australian war memorial web site
of Xp330 in Borneo 1966, dropping off members of the Australian SAS,
so as you can see such a shame this war Vet is in this condition, I am keen to know more about her , or to find a contact to talk about her future etc
merkleWhirlwind XP330
Hi all,
Just wondered if any of you knew if whirlwind Hulk XP330 still resides the dump at Teeside airport Durham ???
I know she is or was in a Very sorry state, But its not often you see a war veteran, I just saw a photo of her dropping off Aussie troops in Borneo during that conflict, in the 1960s
seems a shame she is in such a bad way, you could even say no way repairable,
have any of you ever been up close to her on the fire dump, what is left of her inside or is she tottaly Gutted, I expect she is just a shell, as she was stripped of “usefull” parts way back in 1976,
any Info would be greatfully recieved ,
.
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