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snafu

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Viewing 15 posts - 3,541 through 3,555 (of 3,597 total)
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  • snafu
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    the Fighter Controller would have had no idea of what or how the threatening formations were comprised. Fighters only? Or escorted bombers? He couldn’t really tell what he was sending his squadrons in to

    So what was the Royal Observer Corps for?
    I’m sure that the watchers on the South coast who gave type, height and direction to someone on the other end of the phone had some purpose – even if it was just so that the air raid sirens were sounded in London, although that would display the fact that someone understood that bombers were on their way and the population needed warning.

    in reply to: Bristol Freighter GA-IFF #936956
    snafu
    Participant

    Little bit of Photoshop and we could get the other going for you…;o)

    in reply to: Harvard Mk I identities #937023
    snafu
    Participant

    Anyone with the Air Britain Harvard File should be able to tell you which unit they were with, if there is a date of sorts (mine is stored and out of reach until tomorrow, if I remember).

    snafu
    Participant

    An air-ship???

    in reply to: Bristol Freighter GA-IFF #937035
    snafu
    Participant

    There was a picture on Evilbay recently of G-AIFF (note the correct registration):
    http://i.ebayimg.com/t/LARGE-ORIGINAL-VINTAGE-PHOTO-BRISTOL-FREIGHTER-B170-G-AIFF-IN-FLIGHT-/00/s/MTIxMVgxNjAw/z/rS4AAOxyhodRytT4/$T2eC16Z,!yME9s5qHs(EBRytT4CDMw~~60_58.JPG
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LARGE-ORIGINAL-VINTAGE-PHOTO-BRISTOL-FREIGHTER-B170-G-AIFF-IN-FLIGHT-/130936576320

    in reply to: Rocs? #937039
    snafu
    Participant

    A quick look through the Blackburn Roc pages in FAA Aircraft 1939-1945 suggests that whilst lots of Rocs went to lots of MUs, only a (relative) few went to 20MU, and those that did (L3101-L3109) were at best there up to Feb 1940, ie before the arrangement was finalised with Finland. Date range is (for example) L3101 20MU 8-18/10/39 then to RNDA (Royal Navy Deposit Account, apparently for FAA aircraft held in storage by the RAF) 20MU until issued to 806NAS 8/2/40. Other examples are L3104 20MU 8/10/39 then 759NAS 11/11/39, or L3108 and L3109 which jointly were 23/10/39 then 2AACU 1/11/39. The only possibility is L3107 which was delivered 20MU 18/10/39 then PD (Papers Deposited, essentially where the SOC date was unknown but the aircraft was no longer a viable concern) 5/9/40, with no other details.
    This is the case for all Rocs as detailed in the book: the Roc was delivered to its MU then within a few months it was delivered to its operating unit or. in a few cases, a storage section at an FAA station before onward dispatch to its unit. If the details are correct in the book then maybe it was another maintenance unit that was to supply Rocs from its stock, or maybe the Air Enthusiast writer was right and the records did not mention each Roc being dispatched to 20MU.

    Now, this requires that FAA Aircraft 1939-1945 is correct despite the fact that there is no mention made of this event that involved FAA aircraft (my copy in dated 1995, so it might be that any update does mention the Finnish affair); I have no idea when this event surfaced, although I have a copy of FAA In Camera 1912-1996 by Roger Hayward which has this picture in it (FAAM ref:ROC/39), so it has been around since at least 1996.

    I have no idea how to access any ORBs, unfortunately, but would be interested if anyone can give them a glance.

    in reply to: Harvard Mk I identities #937857
    snafu
    Participant

    Of course there’s always the ones I forgot about – P5783-P5982 – which would work.

    Stupid stupid stupid.

    in reply to: Who can spot the howler? Spitfire quiz. #937993
    snafu
    Participant

    4. The Fairey Swordfish planes flew so slowly that naval anti-aircraft guns couldn’t lock onto them to shoot them down.
    These antiquated planes became famous after an impressive display in the famous 11November Battle of Taranto, in which they sank the battleship Littorio and two others. However, all six attacking Swordfishes involved in the February 1942 ‘Channel Dash’ were shot down, mostly by anti-aircraft fire.

    Lt/Cdr Esmonde had part of a port wing damaged by AA fire, but was shot down by the covering fighters – as were the rest of the flight from 825NAS. Still, it was an important part of the Battle of Britain…

    in reply to: Who can spot the howler? Spitfire quiz. #938005
    snafu
    Participant

    I was about to jump in and tear apart all those myths but… the title is actually

    7 common myths about the Battle of Britain and WWII

    which accounts for the Me262 and Swordfish stories.

    in reply to: General Discussion #265109
    snafu
    Participant

    At 2:30am today, whilst trying to sleep, I was kept awake by the calling of two owls and another unidentified bird chirping.
    One of the owls was so close – and loud – I thought it might be sitting on the gutter just above my window.

    in reply to: Who likes birds ? #1865918
    snafu
    Participant

    At 2:30am today, whilst trying to sleep, I was kept awake by the calling of two owls and another unidentified bird chirping.
    One of the owls was so close – and loud – I thought it might be sitting on the gutter just above my window.

    in reply to: Harvard Mk I identities #938013
    snafu
    Participant

    Well, it would be easy to solve if the numbers were quoted for those with the facility to confirm of deny that these are the serial numbers with the letter omitted. If I recall correctly, the only ones with the opportunity of having four numbers in their serial would be the first 200 – mark 1’s in the N7000-N7199 region – since all after that would have two letters and three numbers for a serial.

    An IWM Harvard that might help.
    http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/51/media-51622/large.jpg

    in reply to: Who can spot the howler? Spitfire quiz. #938132
    snafu
    Participant

    #7 France fell in December 1940?

    Enjoyed these? Discover more intriguing facts here:
    Winston Churchill
    Adolf Hitler
    Josef Stalin

    Oh, great.

    Churchill was born after his parents enjoyed a holiday in Jamaica.
    Adolf Hitlers mustache was actually the result of trying to repair an accident at his local barbers.
    After Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili changed his name, he was relentlessly pursued by twitchers who phonetically mistook his new surname for Sturnus Vulgaris.

    in reply to: Rocs? #939280
    snafu
    Participant

    Found this What If… whilst researching for this thread:
    http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=185434&page=29

    Without realising what that post was about it initially caused me great confusion – I knew the Finns did not get any Rocs, but the idea that they might adapt and improve them rather than curse their rotten luck is interesting. Finland was not the luckiest of nations regarding some of their aviation acquisitions, but despite the fact that everyone else used the Brewster Buffalo more or less because there was nothing else available they used it with much success, so the idea of them using it against the Soviets is food for thought.

    in reply to: C-141 towing a F-106 #939324
    snafu
    Participant

    Sorry, stupidly trying to come up with something about low mileage jet fighters but then realises that a chunk like that is not going to help the aerodynamics. Would it have put stress on the airframe as well?

Viewing 15 posts - 3,541 through 3,555 (of 3,597 total)