Hi Eric

I’ve now seen that Rhonlerche at Arnborg, looking very nice, but I got to fly the Limburger one instead. The T21 is looking terrific. Not so sure about Dutch politicians and Annex II aircraft though. It sounds as though the VGC rally in the Netherlands may not be possible next year.

cheers
Dave W

Eric

I assume that you tried the VGC’s T21 CD?

cheers
Dave

Hi Eric

You a) Apply to the RAF for permission to carry RAF markings then b) Apply to the BGA for permission to carry alternate markings. You have to keep the BGA number but it can be small and hidden under the tailplane.

Apply to RAF Strike Command, High Wycombe. I can email the address. It was all quite easy.

However it’ll be more complicated if you’re in Holland as you will probably also have to get permission from the Dutch authorities.

The RAF permission is only applicable to the country of residence of the applicant and technically we’ve been illegal whenever we’ve taken the T21 into Europe, but no-one has ever complained yet.

Oh and the aircraft must not be flown “in a manner which may cause criticism of the RAF”, the markings must be historically accurate and the application must be by the legal owner of the aircraft.

cheers
Dave

Hi Eric

I’m just about coming up to the cladding stage on my new Skylark trailer. When you built your trailer for the T21 what sealant did you use in the joins between the aluminium sheets? Any advice based on your experience?

cheers Dave

Many years back I assisted with lifting some parts of a dismantled glassfibre
Spitfire at Duxford. I was astonished by the surface quality, it had clearly been made in a mould taken off a real Spitfire as some of the “rivets” looked quite dodgy!

Somewhere I have seen a photo of a WWII RAF airframe fitter’s toolkit. It seemed to consist of one hammer, one chisel, one screwdriver. one “King Dick” adjustable spanner and a handheld pin vice. Not sure what you can maintain/repair with those! I also seem to recall reading that Packard Merlins came with a socket set! – but that the sergeants nicked them pronto.

Thanks very much Pete – I’ve now nailed down the farm where I worked as a student to TN32 5NG – due south of Salehurst and 2 miles east of your V1 incident

It therefore sounds sadly as if old Jasper was exaggerating more than a little. Like moving the V1 incident two miles and having one “Eyetalian” POW blown up such that “We never found one bit of ‘ee – Did we laugh”.

While we’re at it, for some entertainment and especially now to be taken with more than a pinch of salt, old Jasper’s other POW story was:-

“Back in the war they sent us some Eyetalian prisoners of war to work on the farm. Useless lot! Slept under the hedge all day and chased the village women all night. Got half the women in the village pregnant, so they had to get rid of they (the Eyetalians). They sent us some Gerrymans instead. By God did they work! Their own sergeant would march them out every day and he made sure they worked…………………Mind you, they got the other half of the women in the village pregnant!!”