dsinnett,
If you think “everyting in the garden is rosy”, then think again!!
Resmoroh

See below about Whittle (admittedly from Wiki!!)

Without Air Ministry support, he and two retired RAF servicemen formed Power Jets Ltd to build his engine with assistance from the firm of British Thomson-Houston. Despite limited funding, a prototype was created which first ran in 1937. Official interest was forthcoming following this success with contracts being placed to develop further engines, but the continuing stress seriously affected Whittle’s health, eventually resulting in a nervous breakdown in 1940. In 1944 when Power Jets was nationalised he again suffered a nervous breakdown, and resigned from the board in 1946.[3]

Does this indicate that WITH Air Ministry/Govt support we (the UK) might have had a jet fighter fairly early on in WW2? I am not trying to go over who did what, first, and/or when. I am simply trying to indicate that this might well have been an example of Whitehall Mandarins (forget the Politicians!) educated in Greats (Latin, Greek, Ancient History) not having a clue about Science and its application to the warfare that even they must have seen coming in 1937!
Please discuss in less than 100 Postings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Resmoroh

Yup, that’s the one.
Had just been posted as the Adj (i.e. Chief Gopher) to the Mobile Met Unit in HQ 38 Grp at Odiham. If they were short of bods (leave, sickness, etc) in the airfield Met Office we would do the odd shift to help them out. Pottering about my Met business in the airfield Met Office one day when this “thing” appeared! “It’s come for its CofA” said Air Tragic! I thought this is the new secret weapon, mostly of wood (wouldn’t show up on radar), slow (could be confused with a flock of birds), and the leaflets it distributed might have caused the fall of Communism long before the Berlin Wall.
Tks the info. Happy days!
Resmoroh

Brilliant!
Left it as late as possible for the gusts to die down – and before he had to exercise his night IFR skills! (Query? – is the Vimy fitted with ILS???????)
Resmoroh

Is it actually true that the long dimension of the freight hold of the Spruce Goose could accommodate the Wright Bros first flight distance?
This is what I was told when I walked round that awesomely big airframe in the Evergreen, Oregon, Museum. I’ve never bothered to check the details. Not only walk round, but also be allowed to clamber into the bits normally inaccessible to the Great Unwashed Public (it was a slack day in the Museum and, I suspect, the guide was bored!). It’s a great museum. The hardware is fantastic, but they also cater for the lady-persons! When I was there a few years ago my accompanying females were wife and step-daughter. They had resigned themselves to being bored out of their trees, but a female guide engaged them in conversation (women’s war uniforms, flight attendant’s kit, etc, etc,) to such an extent that when I returned after an hour of what I thought was as much as they could stand I was politely instructed to go elsewhere – they were deep in technical (clothes!) conversation!!
Not many aviation museums where both sides come out having had “a damn good time”.
HTH
Resmoroh

There used to be a “bang seat” Training Rig that toured the Bomber Command stations in the mid-50’s. The odd adventurous Met Man got a “ride” in this. There was also a mobile decompression chamber. The odd adventurous Met Man also got to be decompressed (sometimes explosively) in this , or demonstrated the symptoms of anoxia! When I had got all my “Ticks in the Boxes” I asked for a Familiarisation Flight (normal Met Office staff procedure). All sorts of obstacles were put in my way but eventually, after signing more Blood Chits than you can imagine, I got my Fam Flight!
But what I’m getting at was that on the Training Rig the harness, etc, was tensioned by the Techies, and when you’d come down the Doc asked all sorts of questions about what you’d experienced, and which bits of you (if any!) hurt. Was this normal?
Was this just Bomber Command, or was it in use in Fighter Command where, I suspect, it’s services may have been of more use?!!!!!!!!!!!!
Probably accounts for my advancing senility!!!!!
Rgds
Resmoroh

Neville Shute always a good aviation orientated read.
But I’m trying to get my head round Max Hastings’ “Nemesis” – his take on the Japanese War (from both sides!). I don’t know about the Axis Commanders, but it appears that a significant number of the Allied Commanders (Monty, Patton, King, McArthur, Leigh-Mallory, Browning, etc, etc) were so egomaniac as to be described as ‘Mad As Hatters’!!.
“We” never won – “They” lost because “They” (either the Top Commanders, or those lower down the ‘Chain’) made bigger and better mistakes more often than Our Lot did.
Resmoroh

Best as Nat Svc airman pax proceeding to Middle East in the mid-50’s. We refuelled at Malta and, after about the 3rd bacon, egg & chips in 12 hrs, we climbed back onto this York. As we were settling down I felt a drip of something on my head. It turned out to be petrol! Instant evacuation (and yet another bacon, egg & chips meal!). Air blowers were brought in to evaporate the petrol. Not, you understand, to find out why it had got there and/or to cure the problem!! Without that warning we would have got airborne and (as one did in those days) lit our fags up! The sky might have been lit up as this flaming a/c plunged into the Med!

Worst as pax on a Queen’s Flight positioning flight many years ago. The halberds of the Beefeaters were laid down the central aisle of the Andover. The G&T was not as strong as one might have liked!!! It’s difficult to criticise TQF, but there were standards that should have been adhered to!!!
HTH
Resmoroh