Almost certainly, Tim!

I suspect that there’s an element in there of how visible it was – I surmise that British AA was still learning its trade when the Luftwaffe was at its most visible raiding by daylight, and it must have had some effect on the enemy thought-wise as the later daylight raids tended to be tip-and-run at zero feet, the hardest environment for AA fire to be effective*. By the time the early lessons were learnt, the Luftwaffe was coming in much smaller numbers, so weren’t necessarily there to be shot at.

However that’s pretty much my guess – how you’d prove it either way I haven’t a clue.

Adrian

*of course, you could say the same for radar and fighters.

I think you have a choice of TFC’s Hawk 75, or the MS406.

Other than that, the choice of surviving aircraft that could have been in French service in 1939 is surely diddley-squat?

Adrian

They had so many accidents with barrage balloons that a flight was formed to specifically fly into cables to try and improve survability.

There’s an interesting account in Johnny Kent’s book “One of the Few” where he describes being the pilot taking part in trials not only of cable cutters but also of various cable-type weapons such as the long aerial mine, and flying various aircraft into the things – including a Fairey P4/34, a Battle and a Wellesley. It seems a crazy thing to do, so imagine how the initial pioneer felt – a Major Roderic Hill deliberately flew an Fe2 fitted with a cable deflector into a balloon cable during WW1, and he did it without benefit of a parachute!

I cannot find any figures, but I’m reasonably certain that Allied losses to the UK’s balloon barrages massively out numbered German losses. A challenge for someone there? Tim had every reason to be twitchy, especially as I don’t think a Hind would have put up much resistance if it had hit one!

Adrian

Do I recall that Blake Hall had a V1 replica hanging up, and you could put 20p in a slot to play a recording of one in flight? I’ve never forgotten – put my 20p in and an old lady gasped as the recording finished and simply said “Oh God, I was all right until I heard it stop!”.

I have to say that I recall nothing else about the place…

Adrian

My head says “How much? It’ll be a big job, and it’ll take a lot longer than you think”.

My heart says OH YES!

I know which I want to be right.

Just an idle thought (one of many) – were Just Jane, the Strathallan Lancaster, and PA474 ever all airworthy at the same time?

Adrian

Dunno who to give feedback to at OW, but can I just say that I thought it was bloomin’ marvellous! I didn’t knowingly meet any other forumites apart from Andy who was rattling round like a one-armed paper hanger and was about to be maithered about starting a motor bike… but I’ll yell if we turn up in a photo, and I did spot John C by his accoutrements.

However, it was fantastic to be able to look at all the gubbins that makes everything work, to listen to the engineers talking about their babies, to see aeroplanes in the nuddy with all their bits hanging out (or up, in the case of AR501), and to listen to a couple of the pilots who I’m sure were in “There I was at 50 feet with nothing on the clock…” territory – all thoroughly good fun.

Next time I’ll check the weather forecast and dress a bit more appropriately, though – I’m only just thawing out now!

Adrian

P.S. Verbatim comment from SWMBO – “It Was Fun! Would definitely go if they do it again!”

Happy Birthday, Tim!

Adrian & Ailsa