A very good obituary in the Telegraph today. I just love the idea of there being a book on aerodynamics and aircraft design in the Colditz library ! And then they went ahead and built it. Their imagination is really almost beyond belief. What a fantastic generation is passing on.

RIP

I absolutely agree with the comment about Al Kay and his display in Ferocious Frankie. His passes down the runway on Saturday brought back fond memories of Ray Hannah.

Actually, I think he had got up that morning, looked at the sky ( a 500k sky for sure), remembered he is really, deep down, a glider pilot, and reverted to doing competition finishes…but in a P51.

Way to go, Alistair.

COI..a glider pilot.

I think it’s called a Dagling as a play on words..one of the original primaries was called a Zogling, and the design was built, presumably under licence, by RFD, owned by Reg Dagnell.
Also note that Health and Safety were in on the act….the very first primaries had a large structural member that went from the leading edge of the wing to the keel, at the nose. This became known ( for obvious reasons) as the skullsplitter..and you will note that the later designs do not feature it !!
Must be the only aircraft design based on a five bar gate.

Beautiful as always. I wonder if anyone has ever thought of fabricating a slipper tank for a Spitfire…that really would be a bit different. There must be plans somewhere for one.

Excellent. The BBC did him proud with a wonderful tribute to a lovely man and a real 100% hero. Not a dry eye in the slicer household, I can tell you.

Blue skies, Raymond.

Fascinating stuff. Here are 2 snaps I took at a Culdrose air day possibly about 1960/1..(the trials Buccaneer was there in anti flash white…someone will know the date, I’m sure). Sorry about the quality..they are very old!
As I recall this was in fact Fred’s Five..but of course Fred couldn’t count, I remember the commentator saying. The smoke was multicoloured I think.

I’ll always remember his description of an RAF Phantom, when he was commentating on the BBC during a BoB display (rememember when there used to be air displays on the telly!).
“an old warhorse, but stills packs a punch”

Rather described the man himself, I think.
Fond memories, RIP.