In “One of the Few” Johnny Kent describes flying the R4 – it seems to have been a bit of a handful, and prone to interfacing with the ground at unwanted moments. Probably a good reason not to try to fly one today – whose lovely R4 do you want to break today?

Adrian

I thought we were just playing silly b.s here but… What is he doing with what look’s to my untrained eye to be a Vickers “K” machine gun, and is the first one really a Spandau?

OK, let the flame war recommence!

Adrian

Ah… I used to live in Cornish Hall End (where that?). That first camp was somewhere round Oxen End, I think – certainly somewhere twixt Gt Bardfield and Gt Dunmow. As you can probably imagine the Rebel Air Museum made an impression, but I can also remember sheltering from a downpour under a hedge, and seeing a milking machine for the first time…

Would the Mystere have been there then (1981ish)? I don’t remember it, but I do recall the grass snake they were showing off that had got a bit too close to the gang mower.

Adrian

It’s an old French Air Force Mystere at Andrewsfield in Essex

A225HVY

Blimey, I’m sure I read somewhere it had been scrapped long ago. Obviously not! Must be a tough old bird to survive well enough to need a polish, because it’s been there an age!

Where are you, A225? I went on a hike from my first cub camp to the old Rebel Air Museum at Andrewsfield – that was a while ago now! Now based in Oxford, so unlikely to help you with the polish sadly.

Anyone any idea what happened to the RAM’s collection in the end? Especially that Marauder tail section?

Adrian

I know – wish you were right, though!

Adrian

As I grew up under the Stansted flightpath, I used to see the Heavy Lift Belslows quite often – amazing how long they used to take to come over!

IIRC the line about their capacity was “a cement mixer to Singapore or a box of eggs to Hong Kong – so long as you want your cement set and your eggs addled!”

I’m sure I recall the RAF borrowing them on several occasions, not just in 1982.

What a shame the last two will both be down under soon – still, at least they’ll be rumbling slowly through the air!

Adrian

Not quite the same thing, but scariest? My girlfriend’s mother used to work in a nature reserve just under the end of Upper Heyford’s runway – most peaceful! One day she was there and there were sirens and blue lights and panicky announcements over the tannoy on t’other side of the fence, and an F-111 came over her head trailing a huge trail of flame and showering bits.

Nice!

Adrian

The memorial is a statue of early aviator and competitor with Bleriot for the first channel crossing, Hubert Latham, near Sangatte.

http://www.latham77.fsnet.co.uk/Sangatte%20Ninety.htm

So let me get this right…

The English commemorated a Frenchman in England for getting there. The French commemorated an Englishman in France for not getting there?…
:confused: :confused:

Rum folk, these French and English…

Adrian