The Wright-built version of the Sapphire was the J65,and it seems it wasn’t as good an engine as the original.The changes Wright made to the engine meant that it was both heavier and less powerful (one source I have here states the J65 was the better part of 2,000lb down on power output compared to the original Sapphire!).The J65 was installed in the the Republic F84 Thunderstreak and RF84 Thunderflash and the combination of the under-performing engine and the heavywieght airframe made for some interesting take offs,interesting in the sense that take-off didn’t always occur!

Cheers for the pics Andrew,interesting to see.I’ve been wanting to visit the museum at my namesake airfield for years,but it’s quite a trek up from London and so far I still haven’t managed it.It’s yet another of those places/museums on my’ must see’ list!
How many of the wartime buildings still survive on the site?I know the old theatre block was deteriorating quite rapidly a few years ago.

“Well well well… Thanks Ant, I never knew that!

Any idea what he’s actually saying? I can make out “Flaps set”, but the rest is drowned out by by guitar and drums…”

Hi Steve,
I found this website which contains all the lyrics for Floyd songs,including the pre-recorded spoken bits etc.Here’s the lyrics page for Momentary Lapse of Reason…

http://www.allfloyd.com/lyrics/Moment.html

Reading through the lyrics,it seems as though the aircraft they are flying is some sort of multi-engine type,perhaps even a warbird.There’s mention of ‘Friction locks’,which as far as I know only appear on old propliners and warbirds.I’ve just remembered that a DC-3 is used in the Learning to Fly video,so perhaps they’re flying a Dak???

“I was lead to believe that the “Final Cut” caused the break up of the band, as Gilmour & Mason thought that the tracks were just rejects from The Wall, as are many of the tracks on Amused to Death, personally I prefer Radio K.a.o.s.”

To be honest,I think the Floyd were going to the wall (pun pun!) alot earlier than this.The band members themselves have said that the last album they worked together on was ‘Wish You Were Here’ in 1975.”Animals” was written almost entirely by Waters,as was ‘The Wall’.Keyboard player Rick Wright left the band after the Wall tour in about 1981,and Mason and Gilmour basically became session musicians on ‘Final Cut’, it’s really a Roger Waters album under the Pink Floyd name.

Dave Gilmour is not the only PF member with an interest in aircraft;drummer Nick Mason owns and flies a Piper Cub based at,I think,Sywell.Both Gilmour and Mason learned to fly as a means of overcoming a fear of flying that they had developed during thier years of touring in the 70’s.
According to a radio interview with Dave Gilmour a year or so ago,the excerpt of radio chatter that appears in the middle of the track ‘Learning to Fly’ is a recording done during one of Nick’s flying lessons.There’s a useful bit of info for you…

Welcome aboard,Solent! We’re all a bit mad on here,but perfectly harmless I assure you…well,most of us anyway!Harmless that is,we’re definately all mad…:D

Well if I’m allowed a second guess,I’ll stick with my previous suggestion of a T.IX,but change the location to India in the 1970’s.ML417 perhaps??