TIGHAR have a little problem with alternative universes. Gardner Island had a comprehensive record of human settlement that shows occupation for relatively lengthy periods going back to the late 19th century and the Arundel plantation. There’s the Norwich City wreck in 1929 then from 1937 onwards several survey parties and then after 1939 until 1965 we have the Phoenix Island Settlement occupation. But in the TIGHAR universe they are able to reduce all of this activity to claim that there is one site and a couple of camp fires that are unique due to the fact that …. well they’re unique that’s why.

I expect at some stage there will be a special scholarly paper to show absolutely undeniable proof that a gnawed seagull bone has Amelia Earhart’s teeth marks on it. That will be released after a public search for photos of Amelia with her mouth open wide enough to show her teeth. If you think I jest we need look no further than the recent hunt for pictures of Amelia with her sleeves rolled up so that her arm length can be demonstrated. It’s sort of a cloud funding style of scientific research. Find a bunch of amateurs and allow them to contribute opinions then average those results out and bingo – scientific proof. 😀

I still say that wherever the horrible thing was designed to fit it still was an example of failure to properly test its built in drag problems. It was bad enough on the Halifax – what were they thinking.

And the Blackburn Roc, Saro Lerwick, Blackburn Botha etc.

In the case of the Roc it was taking a reasonable dive bomber (the Skua) and slowly destroying the combat potential it had (think Douglas Dauntless) by equipping it with a turret then following that act of aerodynamic silliness, compounding the problem by putting it on floats. You’d think by that stage someone would have woken up, nope they then went on to pretend that the enemy wouldn’t notice that it was the world’s slowest and most torpid interceptor.

And the least said about those marvels of engineering practice the Lerwick and the Botha the better – except that in the case of the Botha as it was clear even before it actually entered service that it wouldn’t be fitted with its intended engines that would mean that it had no chance of ever meeting the criteria it was designed for. I suspect that the Lerwick got through to production because someone forgot to check the designers’ calculations in a wind tunnel. No hindsight here – these were easily avoided mistakes if the engineering practices of the time had been followed as they were in the case of other aircraft that went on to useful operational careers.

That great bulbous Boulton Paul turret was a monument to induced unnecessary drag. I wonder why the much smaller turret design that was a feature of the Blenheim couldn’t have been used.

More good work Blue_2.

Keep the work up at that rate and I might become spoilt. 😀

Well I suppose that everyone has some vice. 😀

Excellent stuff as usual Blue_2.

To be authentic you must fit it with a replica piece of wood.

Thanks Blue_2 I can now face the coming week invigorated.