There is a lot here which is repetitive. Firstly does the wheel need to be reinvented? If air shows are “doing well” then doing more will probably cost more, anyway.

It also depends what the visitor wants. Speaking personally I want to see as many varied aircraft as possible, being brilliantly and excitingly flown, to illustrate the best of the aircraft and to evoke nostalgic memories of the past, where the oldies are concerned.

I think some commentators need to be better informed and better prepared. And once the show is in flow gaps between displays are definitely crowd-stoppers, but in the wrong way.

More stands and at lower prices would enhance the enjoyment, especially for the visitor whose prime interest is the aircraft. Some static displays are poorly set out without enough thought for optimum viewing.

But at the end of it my guess is that a considerably re-worked show with all the added attractions you propose would not attract many more visitors and certainly not if the price was to be increased as well.

Because this single event did indeed signal the effective end of the British aircraft industry. The many highly able and experienced teams involved in the design of the aircraft scattered all over the world and with them went any chance of another British potential world-class aircraft.

No-one can genuinely understand British aviation without an interest in, and some knowledge of, the TSR2 story. By all means take a view one way or the other but don’t belittle or ignore the significance of it.

Sorry, but I was in no way belittling or ignoring the significance and fully agree with you. My point had more to do with the sense that somehow we could re-awaken that period and that project.

It was a moment in history and signifies exactly what you say but we can never go back and millions of words have been written about it and I am not sure how much more can be contributed, however erudite the contributions might be. That was all I meant by “roasting the chestnut”.:)

Yes you’re correct in thinking that the “Guppy” series was based on the Stratocruiser. This particular aircraft is a ‘one off’ conversion of a Canadair CL-44 (the Canadian version of the Britannia that was slightly stretched and had RR Tyne engines). It was really called the Conroy “Sky Monster”, so how it got called a ‘Guppy’, I have no idea. More info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conroy_Skymonster

..and NO, there are no Britannias left flying anywhere.

An update – last week the CL-44-0 (outsized?) was still intact, minus engines, so scrapping seems to have been delayed.

Thanks for that AMB – interesting. Sad about the Britannia, although I had a feeling there were none.

What facts are known about the performance and capabilities of the TSR2? Whenever I read anything about the TSR2 be it memories or about resurrecting the aircraft all I see is people talking about the aircraft as if it was without compare. If that is really so why did they not even finish testing it?
I would be interested to know what was found out during testing of the aircraft and the equipment inside it.

There is useful information in Beamont’s “Testing Years” and also I think in Project Cancelled, but I cannot recall the author’s name.

Out of interest does this thread hold the record for the highest number of views and posts in the shortest period of time?

So, I believe, were the Poles.

Regards,

kev35

Indeed they were – and still are……….

…………it might be too late for that!

Emphasising the western ‘betrayal’ in the hope that Poland would forget both of the Russian invasions and occupations you mean?

No doubting the sacrifices made by the Russian millions but IMHO I don’t think for a second that Stalin was fighting to save Britain and the rest of Europe. Once they went onto the offensive Russia was heading west as fast as they could, ignoring vast losses, not to defeat Germany but to make sure the finish line was as close to the Channel as possible. The ‘iron curtain’ could well have started at the borders of France, or at the Channel!

I often wonder about the Russian ‘demands’ to start the second front earlier. Could Stalin have wanted D-Day to actually fail but provide the sort of behind the lines distraction that the Warsaw Uprising did but on a vastly greater scale? After all wasn’t the Warsaw Uprising encouraged by Stalin as the Russian forces drew near?

I’m sure you are right. Stalin’s alliance was out of self-interest and his motives always suspect. But nevertheless, without, it we would have lost the war. It was a fine line in that the Western Allies were fighting two despots, in a way, but utilising the Soviets on the Eastern front to weaken Hitler’s strength in the West.

And your suggestion about the possible position of the “iron curtain” under different circumstances is a chilling one. For reason I struggle to understand Stalin has never been painted as black as Hitler whereas he was just as tyrannical. Perhaps it is to do with the perceived antithesis between National Socialism and Communism. The latter has always had a better press!