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Merlin3945

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March 30, 2002 at 10:28 pm in reply to: RAF Lossiemouth in WW2 #2111732

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: RAF Lossiemouth in WW2

Hi Neilly

***I don’t think 540 Sqd operated under Coastal Command because it was a Photo Recon. Squadron flying Mosquitoes. Their main bases were Leuchars (Oct 1942)& Benson (Feb 1944 to March 1945)***

I think you will find that 540 sqn did actually work under costal command and that Leuchars was thee main costal command base up in Scotland.

Regards Merlin

March 29, 2002 at 11:52 pm in reply to: Historic aircraft engines salvage #2111817

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Historic aircraft engines salvage

Hi Steve and Keith.

Steve I hear what you are saying about ethics etc.

But I am sorry to dissappoint you but you are preaching to the preacher. I am very familiar to the laws regarding crashed aircraft.

I have been on digs (and I must stress licensed ones) and have found a handful of components and not much else but I know there are still some usable engines out there. I am not only talking crashed aircrat but scrapped a/c as well or maybe a local scrap yard has some. Also when engines were scrapped the aircraft was pushed over two trenches with the outer wings removed and then a still saw taken to the engine mounts where upon the engines dropped to the trench. Does anyone know where these trenches are.(mostly found on airfields). All sorts of places have engines so not just crashes am I after.

Secondly Ethics.

I am fully aware that on crash sites we can and do find human remains on site. The correct procedure for this type of dig is to cease activity at the dig the very moment the remains are found and contact the local police. Normally this will result in no more licenses being issued for this site.Also inform the issuing office of the finds.

I have had experiance of finding remains and think that our situation was a strange case. Upon finding the remains we stopped the dig and informed the police. But although the crash report said body recovered intact we now know that there was no way possible that the body was recovered because of the explosion.The RAF records were WRONG.There will be no more digs on that site and a memorial is to be placed on site. I myself can sleep soundly at night .When we take on the task of aviation archaeology we accept the risks involved like finding human remains and explosives.It comes with the job. A friend of mine who has done far more digs than me said you have about a 75% chance of findings remains everytime you dig as the RAF records for the time are pretty vauge.

I do not however enjoy finding bits of bodies but in order to establish what really happened to the aircraft and crew we need to dig these sites. Its not just to get the parts but to understand what happened.

To get a good idea of what a good site dig / report is check out this site I found. This guy seems to have done everything right and has made a good understanding in his report of what happened.

http://www.neeacr.fsnet.co.uk

and click on the visit crashes and the 1958-59 link and then hunter

Hi Keith

I will mail you about the engines. We have talked before about such things. I would really like to build a spares list so people could contact me for thier engine requirements for spares. Not for money but possibly barter as I know that you cant sell aircraft parts on for money if you have lifted them from a crash site. Also I would like to attempt a little restoration project myself having seen a crash site merlin brought back to life at East Fortune.

regards Merlin

March 19, 2002 at 7:00 pm in reply to: Vickers Windsor #2112276

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Picture at last

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 19-03-02 AT 07:00 PM (GMT)]I think that this aircraft is beautiful considering we had things like the Blackburn Beverly etc etc. If you look at any of the transport planes of that era then they all look pretty ugly. Or what about the Argosy. Just another ugly bird or is there a hidden beauty. Remember Beauty is only skin deep.

Regards Merlin

March 17, 2002 at 12:09 pm in reply to: For all you Vulcan Fans #2112456

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: For all you Vulcan Fans

Hi Keith

Great picture and quite simply thee best delta wing aircraft ever to be built. Forget all the modern nonsense.

ps bound to get a few replies to that post.

Also heres a pic of XM597 at East Fortune on an airshow day.

dont know how it will look on the post though
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March 8, 2002 at 7:45 pm in reply to: Junkers JU 88 #2112961

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Junkers JU 88

Hi Moggy and Neilly

Moggy you were close but let me tell you the answers first

What squadron captured it? 165 (Ceylon) squadron

how many aircraft were sent to intercept? This is a bit tricky as my records tell me 2 Spitfire VB’s flown by Flt Lt Arthur Ford Roscoe in BM515 and Sgt B R S Scamen in AB921.

what happend to it before landing? It was fired upon and damaged by AA guns at the airfield despite being escorted by Spits.

what aircraft intercepted it? Spit VB’s as shown above.

After being designated PJ876 why was it grounded? It was grounded in July 1943 after the Cylinder head blowing. but returned to flying condition in September.

and finally who on this forum knows more than most about this aircraft? Keith McKenzie knows most about this aircraft and was my source of knowledge.

The last question is not me trying to be smug it is a real question as someone that uses this forum has worked on this aircraft at some point and to ask another question Where did they work on it?

He worked on it at St Athans where he took part in it restoration. So the credit for its present condition should in part go to Keith and his team.

I ask Keith for the info on it as we talked before about local airfield history and he told me of this aircraft and I got the official Hendon report compiled by someone else so thats how I know.

Kind of took the fun out of guessing but I just though it would be good to be the knowledgable one for a change instead of the thinker.

cheers guys.

Merlin

March 7, 2002 at 8:27 pm in reply to: Junkers JU 88 #2112993

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Junkers JU 88

Hi guys

PJ876 or W/Nr 350043 with IV/NJG.3 coded D5 + EV

was captured at Dyce airfield on the 9th May 1943 and was taken over at 6.20 in the evening.

now some questions for you.

What squadron captured it?

how many aircraft were sent to intercept?

what happend to it before landing?

what aircraft intercepted it?

After being designated PJ876 why was it grounded?

and finally who on this forum knows more than most about this aircraft?

The last question is not me trying to be smug it is a real question as someone that uses this forum has worked on this aircraft at some point and to ask another question Where did they work on it?

regards Merlin

March 6, 2002 at 10:27 pm in reply to: Hawker Hunter colour picture challenge. #2113044

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Hawker Hunter colour picture challenge.

Thanks for your info Snoopy.

We didnt see the badge on XG236 as she is in too many pieces to even get a good idea of her size or even what she actually looked like. The explosion saw to that. The biggest piece we found if I am correct was a piece of airframe skin that had ( trestle point ) stencilled onto it. The next biggest part was a piece of the wing spar near the undercarrige.

Thanks again for the book reference. And I know we have the badge on file somewhere I will put it on the completed hunter but may be difficult for me to reproduce.

I also noticed that I had been saying to everyone that she was with 61 squadron and not 66 I am always doing this with the numbers so thats why I write everything down.

regards Merlin

March 3, 2002 at 11:51 pm in reply to: Crowdline distance ? #2113333

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Crowdline distance ?

Hi

try looking on the Red Arrow website there might be somthing in there about crowd safety. I think I remember seeing it on tv and I think the distance from a flight line had to be 200 metres but I might be wrong. I am totally unsure of the distance from a runway but at an airshow in Scotland you are lucky if you can see the aircraft take off.

The runway is a typical A style runway where the crowd are on one part of the A and the aircraft land on another part.

regards Merlin

March 3, 2002 at 11:39 pm in reply to: 26 OTU (RAF Wing) #2113335

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: 26 OTU (RAF Wing)

Hi Zippy

Sorry about the confusion but I have seen many amateur postings with things like that on the board and just thought it was someone just starting out and had not grasped the full comprehension of how the RAF structure worked.

once again I apologise and now know you are a well versed member in the way of things RAF.

regards Merlin

March 1, 2002 at 10:01 pm in reply to: 26 OTU (RAF Wing) #2113477

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: 26 OTU (RAF Wing)

Hi Zippy

26 OTU is not an airfield. OTU means Operational Training Unit.

The OTU could work from any number of airfields so if you find out where the OTU was based (ie. The name of the airfield – eg. Duxford Hendon Biggin Tangmere Drem Turnhouse East Fortune)

Then we might have a better chance of helping you.

also if you find the name of the airfield you can possibly order site plans of the place from the RAF museum.

regards Scott

February 24, 2002 at 8:22 pm in reply to: Airfields in the east of Scotland #2114055

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Airfields in the east of Scotland

What not even a comment on the pic oh well back to the drawing board.

February 24, 2002 at 9:41 am in reply to: A few questions! #2114135

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: A few questions!

Hi

I didnt see that issue but I do know of a case whereby a RAF Spitfire landed on a Navy Carrier because his drop tanks failed and killed the engine. I dont know the specifics about the failure but he saw the carrier and it was his only chance to land so he landed with brakes only with a bit of a bump.As you can imagine he was called a stupid Bloody idiot that he had endangered the lives of the crew and the carrier and got a good telling off. The Fate of the spit is less desireable it was throwen of the side of the carrier as it was RAF and this was a Navy vessel.

I was told this by another Spitfire Pilot so am pretty sure it is true.

cheers Scott

February 24, 2002 at 9:28 am in reply to: RAF WEST KIRBY #2114149

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: RAF WEST KIRBY

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 24-02-02 AT 09:29 AM (GMT)]Hi guys there is also a book that you can get probably better look for it in the library as this series is well sought after.

the Series is called Action Stations and then a number ie 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 etc

My Local book is Action Stations no 7 Scotland, North East England and Nothern Ireland.

If you post here with the county that West Kirby is in ie Yorkshire etc then I will tell you the number of the book to look for.

Also if you want additional info on the airfield then Im afraid it a trip to the PRO in London at Kew.

They have mostly all the Station ORBs and the Wing ORBs and individual squadron ORBs but it would have to be a well planned visit.

search for the PRO on the internet and browse their PROCRAT catalogue for the station you want it is in the AIR series of the Catalogue but I dont know the individual number.

regards Scott

February 24, 2002 at 9:20 am in reply to: Pic Of The Day-24/02/02!! #2114152

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: Pic Of The Day-24/02/02!!

Hi Kabir try this for a pic of the day they dont get much better than this.

This is a Hawker Hart of 603 City of Edinburgh Squadron If I remember correctly it form 1933 or 34

I also have some Harts from the same flying over the Forth Rail bridge but it a little fuzzy to make out the aircraft.

this picture is copyrighted to someone so cant be published but I though seeing as I have permission and its on my site I would share it with you.

regards Scott
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February 23, 2002 at 7:09 pm in reply to: RAF WEST KIRBY #2114233

Merlin3945
Participant

RE: RAF WEST KIRBY

Hi guys if you want to get a site plan of the place then youll want to contact the RAF museum at Hendon. They have a information services department. Ask fo the plan by name and they will tell you if they have it and from what dates they have ie:- 1917-1919 or 1933 or 1939-1945 etc etc.

From there you will need to send an email (or letter) saying Please accept this as my order (with the name or reference of the plan) and they will send it out.

I have ordered all the local plans of my area and luckily they had all the plans except 1 which I got from a local history group so also try these type of groups.

The plan from the RAF museum will cost £1 £2 £3 depending on the size ie A4 A3 A2.

happy hunting. you will get the contact details if you search for RAF HENDON.

regards Scott
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