Stooging along from Lancaster to Van Nuys in a Maule. I happened to look to the right just as a seagull passed between the window, the strut & wing.
Kinda focus’s the mind….
And yes, it was going in the other direction, I know a Maule ain’t exactly fast, but they are faster than seagulls…
Years ago at Duxford listening to him tell the story about how he barrel rolled a VC10 over the Atlantic. The guys in the cockpit liked it, but they neglected to mention what was about to happen to the wagon dragons sat in the Self Loading Cargo Compartment.
It was devoid of paying passengers at the time…
Seeing him wandering around in that dufflecoat looking a bit like Popeye…. …thought he was looking for a boat.
Actually those aircraft were modified to be remote controlled flying bombs. The cut away cockpit was to allow the pilot who was responsible for take off to bail out once the accompanying control a/c took over.
The book I have (someplace) states they only made 1 Torpedo carrying B17 & it was only used experimentally. It was never used in anger because of.. weight issues.. go figure?. It wasn’t part of the RC bomber program
Proof that there is such a thing as an “old, bold pilot”
But the B17 bomb bay is integral to the aircraft’s structure and I doubt it could be chopped about as the Lanc’s was.
Have you read the story of the one they modified to drop torpedos? They stripped it of just about everything that wasn’t needed to make it fly. The cut the top open to load the torpedos from above & this resulted in the worlds only open cockpit B17.
There was a funny part when they’re on the way back from a test & therefore somewhat light in their stripped down form. They come up alongside a formation of B24’s whereupon the copilot stands up in the cockpit & salutes the B24’s as they accelerate past in their open cockpit bomber 😀
….thereby proving that a B17 was faster than a B24….
I found some “banter”:
Jones: Morning, Squadron Leader.
Idle: What-ho, Squiffy.
Jones: How was it?
Idle: Top-hole. Bally Jerry, pranged his kite right in the how’s-your-father;
hairy blighter, dicky-birded, feathered back on his sammy, took a waspy,
flipped over on his Betty Harpers and caught his can in the Bertie.
Jones: Er, I’m afraid I don’t quite follow you, Squadron Leader.
Idle: It’s perfectly ordinary banter, Squiffy. Bally Jerry, pranged his kite
right in the how’s-your-father; hairy blighter, dicky-birded, feathered
back on his sammy, took a waspy, flipped over on his Betty Harpers and
caught his can in the Bertie.
Jones: No, I’m just not understanding banter at all well today. Give us it
slower.
Idle: Banter’s not the same if you say it slower, Squiffy.
Jones: Hold on then — Wingco! — just bend an ear to the Squadron Leader’s
banter for a sec, would you?
Chapman: Can do.
Jones: Jolly good. Fire away.
Idle: Bally Jerry… (he goes through it all again)
Chapman: No, I don’t understand that banter at all.
Idle: Something up with my banter, chaps?
Palin: Bunch of monkeys on the ceiling, sir! Grab your egg-and-fours and
let’s get the bacon delivered!
Chapman (to Idle): Do *you* understand that?
Idle: No — I didn’t get a word of it.
Chapman: Sorry, old man, we don’t understand your banter.
Palin: You know — bally tenpenny ones dropping in the custard!
(no reaction)
Palin: Um — Charlie choppers chucking a handful!
Chapman: No no — sorry.
Jones: Say it slower, old chap.
Palin: Slower *banter*, sir?
Chapman: Ra-ther.
Palin: Um — sausage squad up the blue end?
Idle: No, still don’t get it.
Palin: Um — cabbage crates coming over the briny?
The others: No, no.
Idle (voice-over): But by then it was too late. The first cabbage crates hit
London on July the 7th. That was just the beginning.
(Chapman seen sitting at desk, on telephone)
Chapman: Five shillings a dozen? That’s ordinary cabbages, is it? And what
about the bombs?… Good Lord, they _are_ expensive.
Nothing right now, shortly to be one of these (if the damn insurnance check ever gets here 😡 )
Got a 429 & a 460 sitting in the garage looking for a home. I’m thinking 2200lb & 500-600hp should be quite a giggle.. not to mention the possibility of it being a rather adept fanny magnet 🙂
Theres also BoeShield T9 🙂
“Metal Prep” from any auto paint store will kill the corrosion, it’s diluted phosphoric acid & brightens the Al at the same time.
Nope, polished off the BoB beer the other day when another Brit dropped by. Lovely drop of stuff 🙂
email:
[email]ZRX1100@antelecom.net[/email]
Has no one on here heard of ACF-50? :confused:
If you send me a private e-mail with your address on it I will sort a lense out for you
Alan
Any trouble leaving the US with the camera ya got from me?
Lightning, Vulcan.
already done B25s, B17’s, P51’s SeaFuries, A26’s, T6’s etc. Been turning down P51 & SeaFury flights lately.
Last time I was in a Navion the pilot slammed the throttle shut so violently on Van Nuys approach the damn plane stopped, lol
I’ve learned one thing: NEVER, I repeat NEVER get in P51 behind Skip… 😮
Here in LA we still have the Glendale terminal, google it.
Woo, a Nixon leaker 🙂
Linen is still acceptable for covering, but S**** is WAY better….for starters you’re not replacing it every few years….
Then there are the Merlin parts made by Roush which are far better than the original RR & Packard parts..
As for what was acceptable then not being acceptable now…?
Hmm.. apparently the aircraft covering that starts with *St* & ends with *its* isn’t allowed to be mentioned around here.. LOL!