I’d have to go with A Race on the Edge of Time by David Fisher. This is an American book about British radar development and is truly the worst book I’ve ever come across – so bad, it’s not even worth buying to see how bad it is. To give an example, he mentions that Dowding was a spiritualist. Many of the upper classes were, in the early 20th century, including Churchill, Arthur Conan Doyle and others. However, Fisher claims that because Dowding believed in an afterlife that he was certifiably insane and, had the Air Ministry known of this, he would have been sacked from his job and we would have lost the Battle of Britain.

Whilst I don’t belive in spiritualism, I wouldn’t knock someone else’s beliefs. However, believing in spirits certainly doesn’t make someone insane!

I really hate books that take half an idea and run with it when there’s nothing there in the first place. Fisher’s book is riddled with factual errors, but this claim takes the biscuit.

The first Spitfire crash in Scotland appears to be:

Spitfire Mk I K9965
No 602 Squadron
8 September 1939
Sergeant John Martin Cullen Bryden, RAuxAF, 802600

Sergeant Bryden took off at 10.10 pm on his first night flight. He was seen taking off into the darkness, banking at about 500 feet and then the Spitfire came down the sky at full throttle, creating a fireball visible for miles around. He was, apparently, the first Fighter Command pilot ‘killed on active service’.

Spitfire: The History merely mentions that K9965 crashed near Glasgow on a training flight. Perhaps others here can provide a more specific location.

Daz,

I have a copy of Eyes of the RAF, if you want to borrow it sometime. I also have Evidence in Camera by Constance Babington-Smith about photo-interpretation whcih may be of interest. A third book I have is a general large-format history whcih provides some useful background details, Allied Photo REconnaissance in World War II.

Let me know if you’d like to have a look at any of these books.

Thinking about it, I seem to recall that some chap tried to fly using wings made of chicken feathers and throwing himself off the walls of Stirling Castle. This was in the 17th century I think. I don’t remember his name, but I’ll try and check this and find out more. Anyway, the guy survived (miraculously) and claimed that it didn’t work because he had used chicken feathers, and chickens don’t fly! However, he didn’t try it again with different feathers! Point is, this could well be the earliest ‘aircraft’ crash in Scotland.

Originally posted by RadarArchive
I must say, though, it will be quite something to see a building with both the Concorde and the Comet inside. British civil jet aviation at both ends of the scale.

From my previous post, you’ll notice that it is my understanding that the plans are to get not only the Concorde, but also the Comet and Vulcan under cover. It may well be that the museum is taking the opportunity of Concorde unlocking Scottish Executive cash in order to achieve this, which has always been a long-term aim anyway.

Originally posted by Buddy Boy
Didn’t realise they had tried before with public transport.

I do feel that it does suffer from it’s location though in being able to attract visitors staying in Edinburgh. Anytime I’m on holiday I try and find an aviation museum (to my wife’s despair!). Wonder how many people do the same, but find it too far out of Edinburgh if you don’t have a car?

Then again if no-one used the service I’m not sure what else could be done.

I know this is a sweeping generalisation, but many, if not most, aviation museums tend not to be easily accessible by public transport. The most obvious exception is Hendon, but I assume that Duxford isn’t easy to get to except by car? I must admit I drive and have visited numerous different museums. One of the most out of the way has to be the Tank Museum which is hard to find even by car.

Anyway, my point is that the Museum of Flight is by no means alone in being primarily a drive-to museum, but most people in the UK either have a car or access to one, so I wouldn’t have thought this was a major problem. The MoF gets 60,000 visitors a year, which isn’t bad for an out of Edinburgh museum, but it certainly has the potential to get a lot more visitors. The arrival of the Concorde should give it the publicity to attract a substantial increase from next summer onwards.

I think I’d have to go with my own personal bias and nominate the Blenheim as “best warbird,” if only for the dedication of the team to keep an example in the air, despite two major crashes. Having seen the Blenheim flying on a couple of occasions, it is a fine testament both to the team that have spent years of work keeping one airborne, and also to the many men who lost their lives flying Blenheims during the war.

Originally posted by David Burke
Maybe the Scottish Executive could fund a hanger seeing as they can spend £400 million on their parliament building when it should have cost £40 !

Perhaps! Certainly, when the National Museums of Scotland built the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, it opened on 30 November 1998 on time and on budget, so the NMS have a good record of cost-effective construction programmes. It may be that funding has already been arranged, and I hope these plans to come to fruition. I’d just like to see details of where the money is coming from before I can rest assured that a hangar will be built for Concorde. I must say, though, it will be quite something to see a building with both the Concorde and the Comet inside. British civil jet aviation at both ends of the scale.