skypilot62Only the Hurricane was there on the 13th August when I visited. See:- http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=29950&highlight=Capel
mmitch.
I didn’t realise the Spitfire had been put in place so recently. It’s painted in the markings of the aircraft Jeffrey Quill flew for a very short time on his operational “experience” tour (65 Sqdn IIRC) in August 1940. He claimed an Me109 and damaged another during his 3 weeks on type. He’d felt that without combat experience in the Spitfire he could not help to develop it properly so he ended up with an operational squadron for a month.
When Jeffrey retired to the Isle of Man, I got to know him and his wife quite well – he was the first president of the Manx Aviation Preservation Society which I organised in May 1994, his wife taking over the reigns when he passed away. His wife too was a real character – formerly Wg Cdr Claire Legge, she still had her copy of the Battle Of Britain film script which she acted as technical adviser to – you can see her in one of the “extras” films on the recent DVD release. She too had a very ineresting career. When I married they gave me one of six facsimile blueprints of the first plans for the Spitfire, when it had no name, just an Air Ministry type specification. He’d been given them when he left Supermarine-Vickers and had the original on his study wall. I had a few wonderful afternoons sat in the study listening to both of them answer what must have been tedious questions from a very keen 21 year-old. It was nice to see Jeffrey’s aircraft represented as it brought back some very happy memories for me.
Dean
skypilot62Wonderful shots Skypilot, thanks for posting them up.
I’ll add some of mine if you don’t mind – these were taken by my ex-girlfriend on the way back from Calais back in July (she had her uses!). If you look closely, I believe the Hurricane replica was on site, but no Spitfire at that point.
Steve
Course I don’t mind! They add to mine very nicely. I’ve flown over the sight stacks of times but my 200mm lens can’t pick out the detail too well at 37,000ft! And as I get paid to fly, I can’t justify the cost to Mrs. Skypilot for paying to potter around in a spam can doing some real flying, none of this autopilot malarkey! Shame cause I’d love to get my S/E rating current again.
skypilot62Fantastic images – this is one place I really want to go to.
The statue of the pilot looks as though he’s waiting for missing comrades to return (or so I think, anyway!)
Glad you like them Daz. I was trying to capture that look but the dull day didn’t help with the effect. I like the other one with him looking out (watching over) the white cliffs too. I also visited in March but it was so foggy I couldn’t even see the statue! As I live in Wigan, it’s a little too far to wait for ideal conditions.
skypilot62And a couple more…
skypilot62Yep, West Freugh.
I took the picture in 1998 as we used to do a lot of circuit training there from prestwick. At the time, the Argosy was being gradually whittled away by the fire service angle grinders as an evac/rescue trainer and the Phantom was just sat there doing nothing – as far as anyone knew it was complete. From the air whilst on a downwind leg I also saw loads of other stuff lying around the dump, wings, components, oleos etc. but as it was across from the active runway, I needed to get a lift from MT to get over there but they were never available. A couple of other students also got their cameras and film confiscated there so I only ever took pics as I was taxying out!
I reckon there’s a reasonable chance of some wartime stuff kicking about in there. The old mess hall that was being used as the canteen still had the original station commander boards etc. up on the walls – I think I’ve got pictures of them some where if anyone’s interested. The most amazing find there that I came across was a pair of German Kriegsmarine marked high-powered binos on their original stand, up in the tower used for airfield observation! Apparently they’d been acquired by a previous CO during the war (from a U-boat allegedly) and had been there ever since. I spent a good few times peering through them watching some very interesting aircraft trials going on whilst I waited for my turn to bash round the circuit. Happy days!
Dean
skypilot62Personally I don’t believe a word of what Mark12 said – and to prove he is wrong I am quite prepared to spend several hours in said Spitfire testing his ludicrous theory – only in the interest of scientific research, naturally! 😀 😀 😀 It wouldn’t be fun, no, not at all! 😀
Casting my mind back to a distant memory of “exciting” aerodynamics lectures…..
The very reason the Spitfire used the beautiful eliptical wing shape is to make benefit of the very low stall speed characteristics and controllability at & near the stall. As has been pointed out (okay so Mark12 is telling the truth, but it was worth a try!), the eliptical wing design ensures a stall occurs nearer the root than the tip, thus retaining lateral control via the ailerons even in a stall. The shape also reduces tip drag considerably.
Every wing shape has pro’s and cons and the end use usually dictates the shape used – ie there’s little point in a swept-wing design on a single engined piston trainer such as a Cesna 152 or PA-28. Similarly, a pure high-lift ratio wing would be less than ideal on a sub-sonic airliner. Compromises are made and elements of several shapes are usually incorporated into the final design. The cross-sectional profile of the wing is also very critical.
That said, the eliptical wing not only serves well for the reasons stated, but it provides us with the best looking aircraft ever built in history – IMHO
skypilot62Ok, I got it wrong guys 😮 It’s not AH numbers that Skypilot, among others, had put together. It´s Manufacturers Part Codes. If you want to have a look at it, try here
Sorry about the mix-up guys
Yep, “my” list was/is aircraft part numbers etc, not wheels, although I’m after that list myself!
I know of one forum user that has given me info on wheels before, probably the same one Von Perthes has alluded to. Not sure if he has a complete list though.
skypilot62Must say that’s an improvement on a few years ago when I last was involved in such activities. 🙂
Aah, Steve Vickers and his loud toy cupboard….. 😉
Detling eh……what LH group would that have been with?
Normandy 44, although I’ve now retired from such shenanigans!
In fact, I think it may have been a different weapon supplier at Detling. I certainly paid the same figures to Steve and Mrs. earlier on in the year.
skypilot62the small matter of the not inconsiderable cost involved, .303 blanks in partucular arn’t cheap, as there isn’t an awful lot of ex-mil blanks left.
Great idea though……would be nice from a veterans point of view, say an armourers re-union for example.
.303 blanks: 21.15 per 100rnds inc. VAT – not old stuff either! a possible alternative for a “bang” would be the gas-firing weapons that living history vehicles are often fitted with (same type as the quad Flak guns fired on “Day of Days” in Band of Brothers)
One does not need a licence to hire and fire an MG either – 2 forms of ID with address and photos, plus £50 got me a “live” Thompson SMG for 3 days of shows at Detling this year from Vickers Sporting Services. Ammo was extra – £35 per 100 rounds .45ACP. In previous years I or my associates have also hired .30cal Brownings, BAR’s, M3 Grease guns, M1 Garands, No.4 Lee-Enfields, MG42’s, .50cal Brownings (AWESOME noise!), Bren’s etc., etc.
Obtaining live aircraft – type Brownings may be more of a challenge but I’ve had dealings with several arms companies who can/could even supply live WW1 Aerial Lewis guns, assuming you have the right licence, 20mm cannons, MG151’s etc. Deactivation extra cost.
The main issues are the ones mentioned about the aircraft itself.
skypilot62Cajun,
As far as I know only “flying” badges or brevets were and are worn above the left breats pocket.
They are Army glider pilot wings and all aircrew were either NCO’s or commissioned.This wasn’t policy at the start of WW2,as AC2 (RAF) aircrew were common in RAF multi-engined types.
Hope this helps.
Sat2, you’ll see that Cajun21 has corrected himself already. In fact, para wings (SAS/SBS and Standard Parachute) were worn over the breast a la brevet style early in WW2 but the edicts later stated that they were to be worn on the right sleeve. There’s a few well-known pictures of early SAS troops wearing their wings in this fashion.
Dean
skypilot62Wrong end of the county for me, but according the Control Towers website theres still one of the old hangars standing at Elsham Wolds, which is only down the road from Humberside/Kirmington.. not been up to Elsham so no idea if you can get on to the airfield or what else is still there.. if not the Humber Bridge is always worth a look! the dog may even be impressed.. 😀
http://www.controltowers.co.uk/E/ElshamWolds.htmmore info here…
http://raf-lincolnshire.info/elshamwolds/elshamwolds.htm
Neil.
Excellent Neil! Elsham Wolds it is (the mutt can stay in the car if necessary!).
My dear friend Denys Teare (Author of “Evader”) took off from Elsham on his fateful mission with 103 sqdn. so it will be a most appropriate visit.
I shall take along the digi cam and post any noteworthy results!
skypilot62Does it still count if they’re not British?
Brig General Frederick Castle posthumously won the Medal of Honour flying in a 487th BG B-17G, 44-8444.
Also seem to remember a very nice painting being released just a few months ago by Robert Taylor that depicts Lt Col Gen “Jimmy” Doolittle flying over the Normandy beaches in a P-38 on 6th June ’44 to “see for himself”.
And of course Brig. Gen. Roosevelt who came ashore at Omaha (Robert Mitchum in “Longest Day”?) during the D-Day landings. He died a few months later from heart failure IIRC. He too held the Medal of Honor.
Who was the British chap that had to take on an assumed name and rank in case he was shot down? Wasn’t it Sir Ivor Broom, whilst flying he was an AVM or similar?
skypilot62What about “We’ll Meet Again” – loads of actual combat footage and Sally B galore, available on VHS and I think now on DVD too?
Didn’t “Shine On Harvey Moon” feature any aircraft?
Matt Houston used to have a Lear Jet or similar IIRC.
Not quite 80’s but how about “Wings”? Set in WW1 and shown in the 70’s I think. I only remember it because some kid on Jim’ll Fix It got “Fixed” to fly his staircase as a WW1 fighter with one of the pilot chaps from the series acting as pilot of said staircase and kid acted as observer/gunner – it was even worse than it sounds!
And of course there was “Chopper Squad” – Aussie surf rescue show – lots of Jet Ranger stuff.
skypilot62Final one..
This is the last one.
For more info try the book: “Island Farm – Special Camp 11” by Susan M Hawthorne. ISBN 0951539507. It is long out of print but I’ve occassionally seen copies for sale around and about – not the exorbitant ones on Abe Books!
Also, you MUST check out this fantastic website.
http://www.islandfarm.fsnet.co.uk/index.html
All you could possibly want to know plus a load more photos of the murals I didn’t photograph, plus you can see the state of them now.
Hope this is all of interest.
Dean
skypilot62More….
Few more. The POW’s bucket reads “POW Porridge”
Sign In
