I remember going to a talk by Robert Pleming just over two years ago in which he said that the really difficult bit was getting it into the air. Everything that followed was going to be a doddle.

It just goes to show that if you have big plans you need to deliver quickly, ideally with funds ready and waiting, otherwise some unseen phenomenon (worldwide recession in this case) will suddenly appear to put a spanner in the works.

Peter

theloft

Good choice – hope you enjoy it 😉

Still not sure on this one. The RAF left MSG in April 1964 but I understood that the first production T.5’s were not delivered until April 1965 by which time the OCU was at Coltishall.

Peter

John

A Google of ‘tipsy belfair g-afjr’ comes up with a site showing JR in a mid-blue scheme. No indication of when this photo was taken, but it still has the race no. 46.

Peter

A few years ago when writing a book on the early RAF jets I got in touch with Bruce Spurr who was an instructor at CFS. Some of his observations might be of interest.

…..on one occasion after completing an air test on a Vampire T.11 which had required a climb to 42,000 ft to check pressurisation, I attempted to loop the aircraft from 40,000 ft. Naturally I ran completely out of airspeed before I was completely inverted at the top of the loop. Keeping the power on caused the high-revving engine to act as a gyroscope with, initially, torque reaction starting the aircraft to roll around the engine. The roll started very slowly, and only because at near zero airspeed there was little resistance to what bit of torque came from the engine,which had to be at near max rpm. This was followed by precessional forces causing other gyrations which can best be described as ‘tumbling’ as the aircraft tried to stabilise itself as its downward vertical speed began to increase. On further attempts the same thing happened if power was kept on, but if the throttle was closed the aircraft just fell backwards into a straight dive.

Hope this helps

Peter

Thanks Tim

Will get something off to you in the next hour or so

Peter

Tim, thanks once again for that.

As you might already have realised I have a research project under way concerning your former squadron. This should result in a book (it has been agreed verbally) which would be my 14th. All being well the last one I did should be coming out next month (The Biggin Hill Wing 1941).

I can’t really say too much on here at the moment but I could PM you if you would be interested to hear a bit more. Suffice to say that I have mentioned you a number of times already!

Peter

Oh dear…but very easily done I can assure you. The older I get the more careful I have to be!

Tim, I wonder if you could answer a query I have regarding No.1 Squadron.

Many years ago I knew a pilot who flew with the squadron. His name was F/Sgt Walter Ramsey (later P/O) and he flew Hurricane IIs and Typhoons from April 1942 to January 1944.

He assured me that the slang term for the motto In Omnibus Princeps was ‘It’s Quicker By Bus’. I wonder if you can recall this term ever being used during the Battle of Britain period?

Peter