Sorry for the confusion, I’ve no problem with the word ‘bodge’ it is a well known and accepted engineering term, and in many of the cases stated, highly appropriate, but I just didn’t want C-TT-18 singled out for criticism; he is young but as he quite rightly points out, a least he is taking the trouble to read about this period of our history.

And quite comendable as well.

As for your Falklands experience I am green with envy…..but I don’t doubt there was a lot of hard work too.

Well the first time was an adventure (Flight in a C-130 around the islands after refuelling a Phantom and a bit of fighter affil, Fox 3 kill on the Herc, plus had to do a trip down to MPA by S-61N, which had the RAF Engineering and Supply AOC on it. hour flight to MPA, turned into a four hour battlefield tour with a landing at the back of Government House (got to see Major Tomba’s dead Pucara near Goose Green on that ride). The Dagger wreck (C-403 flown by Capt. Donadille who safely ejected after being shot down by Steve Thomas in ZA190/”009”) was at the bottom of Mt Caroline, which had a comms relay station on the top of the mount. A couple of Army signallers were on the mountain fixing a fault, and the wind was a bit strong, so the ‘Eric’ (Bristow’s were operating the S-61N service at the time, hence the S-61’s were named after the crafty cockney) pilot dropped the rest of the passengers by the wreck, so that he could pick the army guys up without endangering the rest of us. I actually had the gun sight in my hand, but rules on battlefield souvenirs down there are very tight, and I knew that I would never get it though the baggage checks (was on my way to MPA to fly back to the UK, hence I chucked it in a pond by the crash site. A pity really, as my bags didn’t get checked on the way back. The following trips down south more of a bore (Though thanks to knowing my OC from my space cadet days, did San Carlos (interesting drive though the Sussex mountains), Goose Green, Mt Kent, Buff Cove and Stanley Airport (The first attempt to get there on my first trip ended up with me on foot being surrounded by signs saying ‘DANGER MINES!!!’ and a quick 180 about turn and withdraw). As for the work, ‘bodge city’ with a minimum two weeks turn around on spares for the kit I was on at the time.

Clearly, but I’m amazed it got even as far as these trials!

Yes, but personally I’d have taken a gas-axe to the lot! Even then I don’t suppose there was much chance of doing anything other than a vertical take-off. Maybe with a couple of weeks in a RN dockyard a ski-jump could have been ‘bodged-up’ (I mean superbly improvised!) but time was too short.

VTOL was the only way they could operate, and even then getting onboard at ASI was tricky due the temperture at any time of the day when the aircraft embarked,as it is HOT, HOT, HOT all of the time. As for the cutting, quite a large bit of stucture,and quite important in keeping the worst of the sea’s off the main deck as shown here.

As for the ramp, would a Harrier actually fit in the stern ramp?? it would be very tight.

Wasn’t it? Maybe I’ve got it all wrong but I’d assumed that the footage came from the tracker of the Type-22 that shot the Dagger down, so yes, I thought it was a head-on engagement?

When the Dagger pulls up, you can see the cockpit and I’m sure its the Sea Wolf Tracker video from HMS Broadsword (I’ve got a map somewhere that shows the location of the ships in Falkland sound on the Day, and Broadsword was not far from Ardent if memory serves).

Glad you mentioned BIGVERN’s use of the word ‘bodge’ but Chris G was actually quoting Canberra-TT18 who certainly wasn’t born in 1966…..anyway back to the topic. :).

Well my source, who was involved in the fitting of the winders to the GR3 considered the fit a bit gash (Seeing that fitting winders to GR type Harriers had already been done with the AV-8A a decade earlier). Plus the term Bodge, in RAF slang means a non standard quick fix (Hence the black duck type tape we use is normally known as ‘Bodge Tape’). As for myself, 16 on the day the war finished, but I knew where the Falkland and South Georgia were long before the Scrap dealer incident kicked off in mid March of 82, unlike a lot of the people who though they were of the coast of Scotland. On the other hand, worked with a lot of people who were there since joining up the following year (and currently work with an army guy who got off a landing craft at San Carlos on 21st May and saw all of the action within the bay itself until the breakout). I’ve actually been there (more than once!!!) for 4 times the length of the whole war, including the Scrap metal incident. Seen a few wrecks (on the ground, and in the air from both Helicopters and a C-130) and even stood on the wing of a Dagger (C-403), shot down over West Falkland by Lt Steve Thomas on 21st May (got a turbine blade from the engine kicking around in the loft somewhere).

That’s interesting; I’ve never heard anything about that before. Presumably the plan was to transport the GR3/FRS1 south inside and under cover (the GR3 apparently lacked some of the saltwater resistant features of the FRS1).

From the sounds of it the take-off would require lots of skill (and a dead-flat-calm).

Sounds like a dodgey plan that got shelved before the ship departed. Flying a Harrier like that is something you see in ‘True Lies’, and not in real life. Harriers flew on to the forward pad (which wasn’t that easy to get on and off, from comments which have been made in a number of publication since the war (To the front of the pad was a forecastle weather shield, and a large mast). If you remember the photo of the SHAR armed on the pad when the ship was on the way down south, you would have noted that it was parked across the pad with the nose facing the side of the ship. One thing to remember about the early Harriers is that they didn’t like hovering in a crosswind. Hence the ship would have to slowed down to launch (The GR3 had a nasty vice, in that if you didn’t watch the crosswind component while in the hover, the crosswind could cause the aircraft to turn, caused by drag on the windward side engine intake, one wing would have lift, the other wouldn’t and the aircraft would roll faster than the puffer jets on the wings could counter act. Result, Harrier is on its back and falling out of the sky) That the reason that the GR3’s and SHAR’s had a wind vane in front of the windshield, so that the pilot could gauge the wind over the nose while in the hover. GR 3 Corrosion problems were due to some magnesium alloy components, which were treated with protective coatings and the aircraft, were then bagged (except for a SHAR left on the pad for QRA duties, which had those parts replaced with non- magnesium alloy parts when the type was on the drawing board). Rear Deck pad was used by Choppers, and there was a Chinook on that deck in a flyable condition, when the ship was hit by the Exocet(s). Due to the fire, a crew couldn’t get to it and fly it off.

I know this piece of footage well and agree with your description except that I’ve always assumed that the Dagger was struck in the rear as opposed to from the rear?

Well it was not a head on engagement, was it.

One bit of often shown Falklands footage is of ‘something’ moving rapidly from left-to-right in the distant sky over (presumably) San Carlos. After perhaps five seconds the object explodes with a short sharp bang, there is no ‘fireball’ but four ‘glowing’ pieces are seen to fall.

Although it is often presented as an exploding aircraft I’ve always thought it was a Sea Cat missile exploding at the end of its run. Anybody?

Most likely, though there is footage of something a lot bigger making quite a splash in San Carlos water. If memory serves, it was a Dagger, who’s injured pilot got to see the wrong end of a SLR on the well deck of Fearless.

Back on topic.

Yes there is footage from the HUD Cameras of both the FRS1 and GR3 in the Falklands war kicking about, some of it from a GR3 attack on Stanley Airfield is in Jerry Pook’s Book about GR3 Ops during the war. I don’t know what system was used at the time, but if it was video,and not wet film, there is a good chance that after a while the tape was wiped and reused. Video tape wasn’t cheap back in those days. One piece of footage that was shown on TV just before the war ended, was taken from the Sea Wolf TV Tracker from one of the Type 22’s (HMS Brillant if memory serves). Some of the footage given to the media is well known, Ardent on fire and sinking, two A-4’s dropping bombs while being tracked (Sea Wolf didn’t engage). Two pieces of the orignal footage released however show a Dagger being hit by a Sea Wolf from the rear (aircraft pitches up on fire) which has been shown on the odd occasion, and the second, shows the Sea Wolf is tracking a Sea Harrier. Flash under the SHAR’s wing and the tracker then follows a Sidewinder from the SHAR, all the way to an A-4, which explodes when the 9L hit it. Only seen that bit of footage once on the national news back in mid 82.

a great recreation of Manston in 1944 with FIDO operating.

Why Manston??? could be Carnaby, Woodbridge or a couple of other WWII Fields. Nice Photo though.

Seen it before, quite interesting especially the conclusion over who might of shot him down.

Bader is an interesting character, a hero and inspiration in one respect and an arrogant prima-dona in the other.

Quite true,from what I’ve heard from the people I know who met him.

His big wing theories are debatable.

Debatable is a mild way of putting it (A lot of people I know who are in the Air Defence battle management business think that he should have been hung, drawn and quartered for his help in stabing Dowding and Park in the back).

I just assumed they would have used Mk.80s. I had no idea they adapted the kit to the UK made bombs. Do you know where I can find a photo of one of these?

Go to Google and Type “UK PAVEWAY 2 1000lb Bomb”!!!!!!!!!! there are hundreds of photos. Modified Paveway 2 kit is built in the UK by Portsmouth Aviation, while the bomb itself is the standard British Mk 11/13 UK 1000lb casing. The only Mk 80 series bomb used by the RAF is the 2000lb one, and that needs a special adapter on the bomb to allow it to be fitted to RAF weapon plyons

Is this true or has someone hacked the site?
I’m booked for the Sunday.

Its true, been reported on BBC News 24 and BBCi, some of the reports from guys I know of on the RAF Colour Parade say that the place is a swamp at the minute, so not surprised. Hope it dries out sometime tomorrow.

The best neutral account of the airwar I found was the one produced by the BARG team. Unfortunately, I lent my copy to somebody (I don’t even remember who) and never got it back.

Yes ‘Falklands, The Air War’, tis the bible on the subject, and likewise, I’ve lent my copy to somebody else and not got it back YET!!! But rest assured I will get it back as that book is like rocking horse poo.