Oh for *******s sake….:rolleyes:

TT

Gawd TT, with all that rubb…. stuff you’ve got, I don’t know how you can sleep at night! :diablo:

The aeroplane has been acquired by the gentleman who also bought my Hindustan Pushpak. He certainly likes unusual aeroplanes!

I suspect therefore it will be based somewhere on the Leicestershire/Lincolnshire borders.

I understand that it’s needed a few items of work to gain its Permit to Fly, but it should be fullly opersational before the summer’s over.

Had a little sit in and play yesterday……

TT

Yes, Blue Max said he’d heard “vrooom,vrooom, tacca-tacca-tacca” noises coming from next to his workshop. He was about to call men in white coats! :diablo:

Mais un Rallye est suelement un parachute de tin n’est pa? 😀

Bear in mind that as well as being hugely impressive, these buildings are among the most historically significant in Britain’s aviation history…….

…they are also ideally placed in the centre of the UK, close to major road and rail routes between London and the Midlands.

…they also are in sufficiently close proximity, to offer an “Aviation Heritage Trail” which could extend across the country including Old Warden and Duxford to name but two.

If some of the senior names in our larger museums were a bit more courageous imaginative and dynamic, there’d be a strong case for proposing that:

1. From the 1960s-designed and failing buildings at Hendon, the RAF Museum’s collection could be rehoused in exciting multi-level presentations in the Cardington hangars. Some of the cost could even be reclaimed by selling off some of the high-value real-estate the museum buildings are standing on.

2. The scale of the Cardington buildings would also allow the Science Museum’s Wroughton aircraft collection to be rehoused and made more publicly accessible. Once again, Wroughton’s expensive to keep and rarely opened facilities could be sold to generate revenue.

3. A number of other historically significant large aeroplanes (Concordes, Shackleton, Britannia, Vulcans), currently destined for external storage, could be easily accommodated and presented indoors in a building of Cardington’s size.

Of course it would take imagination, money and a degree of courage to propose such a controversial idea.

But if we can get a Vulcan to fly…it can’t be that impossible!

And think of how much was spent on the other “tin triangle”, the building at Cosford which might win some architectural accolades but has no heritage value whatsoever!

Even as early as 1915, aircraft like the BE-2c were operating up to and over, 10,000 feet on reconnaissance patrols.

By 1917/18, flights up to 20,000 feet weren’t unusual for such as SE-5 squadrons etc. Pilots would condition themselves by working up their altitude tolerance in stages. Cecil Lewis in Sagittarius Rising desribes getting blinding headaches when high-altitude flying after even just a few days’ leave.

The RFC/RAF began to try oxygen on a limited basis in 1918. I guess it was stored in small cylinders. It was apparently dispensed through a canvas oxygen mask, not too disimilar to the early WW2 pattern designs.

One problem recognised by crews even early in the War, was cramps when descending from altitude, similar to divers suffering from “bends”. Airship, high-altitude balloon and aircraft crews were recommended to “pause” at between 14,000 and 10,000 in the their descent if possible to minimise the risk.

Cold was of course a massive issue. The sidcot fleece-lined flying suit was one answer and many crews privately bought everything from special coats to full-face balaclavas to handle it. It was also a regular thing to smear one’s face with goose fat to minimise the risk of frostbite.

In some units, to get frostbite was regarded as chargeable negligence! There is also one BE pilot who talked of an observer who had less than hygenic toilet habits having a significant body part badly damaged by frostbite! 😮

Congratulations!!!!

Shall we start a rumour that TT’s buying a celebratory round of drinks in The Aviator? :diablo: