Winged Heroes

[Stanley]

This was the sentence that grabbed me: "During McClean's flight to Khartoum and back (which took exactly three months), his aircraft's Gnome engine suffered no fewer than 13 breakdowns". Good job it was a 'hydroplane'. Far better description than sea plane when you think about it. First I knew about this...

[PanBiker]

Looking on the BBMF website for scheduled activity, I came across the BBMF's facebook page which you can see on the link below:

Some fantastic pictures and latest news on the aircraft in the flight. Looks like the UK will be getting a visit from the only other airworthy Lancaster which is normally based in Canada throughout the summer.

BBMF Official Facebook Page

[PanBiker]

BBMF Dakota will be at Haworth 40's weekend on Sunday. Fly past scheduled for about 10.30, not sure of flightpath so an ear and an eye if you are around the district may pay dividends.

[Stanley]

I'm enjoying David Omissi's book 'Air Power and Colonial Control', in effect the history of the RAF from before 1919 to 1939. He chose 1919 for the title because that was of course the date the RAF was formed from the previously separate branches of air power.
In early 1919 the RAF was engaged in supporting the Third Afghan War (Yes, that's right, we were there long before the latest saga.) Apart from general observation flights and harassment of groups of soldiers in the open, the first major event was the decision to bomb Kabul. A Handley Page 0.400 was moved forward to a position from which it could reach Kabul but never made a flight in anger because before it could be sent it was destroyed completely by a severe dust storm.



During the final days of WW1 a larger Handley Page four engined bomber was designed for bombing Berlin but never used. The V.1500. (LINK). In January 1919, one of the huge bombers named 'Old Carthusian' arrived in Karachi after the first through flight from England to India.



The Wiki article gives the story of the raid on Kabul and if you search on Google Books you'll find David's book.

One thing puzzles me, it was described as the largest plane in the world but was it bigger that the 'Giants' which were used by the Germans to bomb London? Incidentally, bigger than any bombers used by the Nazis in WW2.

[Tizer]

Lovely pictures, these are typical of some of my favourite aircraft - enormous with multiple engines, fixed undercarriage, open cockpits...and a brave, hardy crew! Often travelling no faster than the cars do on our motorways. Thinking of them taking off reminds me of what RAF Vulcan pilots used to say of the big American bombers at the time: "They can only take off by means of the curvature of the Earth".
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On 28th June it will be 75 years since the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was established in the UK (1939) and then mobilised on 28th August. I hope the 75th anniversary will be celebrated and it doesn't get lost in all the media coverage of D-Day's 70th anniversary. There is plenty of detail about the WAAF on the RAF Museum web page, with accompanying photos, here:
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/on ... -1949.aspx

[Stanley]

Glad you liked that... I was reading the chapter on the uses of the RAF to police the empire and in it there is a section on how they were used in this country. This was based on fear of a revolution, in 1920 the Minister of Transport Eric Geddes stated that revolution was impending in the Spring. In December 1917 aircraft dropped leaflets urging aero engine workers in Coventry to stop their strike. In 1920 Trenchard drafted a paper discussing the possible use of aircraft to suppress 'industrial disturbances or risings' in settled countries such as India, Egypt, Ireland and England. He admitted that machine gunning of bombing was not accurate and might kill innocent people. Churchill was horrified and asked for Ireland and England be removed from the paper. In the General Strike of 1926 heavy bombers of 9 and 58 squadrons were used to deliver 1,377,000 copies of the British Gazette (Churchill's strike paper) and short runs of the Times and the Sunday Times. In certain 'Red Towns' where newsagents daren't stock the British Gazette bundles of the papers were dropped by light bombers. In 1931 bombing the mutinying sailors at Invergordon was considered but not acted on. Aircraft were used extensively in Ireland during 'The Troubles'. Funny how any discussion of RAF history seems to ignore things like this....

[PanBiker]

See Good TV for a fantastic documentary:

Good TV

[Stanley]

I almost watched that Ian. The name Winkle triggered me to go and search for something that has lurked at the back of my brain since 1955. When a man called Alfred Wintle de-bagged his solicitor. Have a look at this for another amazing story. LINK

[PanBiker]

Alfred Wintle sound like some Flashman type guy straight out of Ripping Yarns or other such daring do stories. I like some of the quotes in the Wikki.

Eric was nicknamed "Winkle"because of his diminutive stature, this got him out of bother on a number of occasions when having to make quick exits from "incidents" in aircraft. If I had done half of what he has experienced or achieved I would have thought I had a busy life. He comes over as a very calm unassuming and measured individual, I suppose essential in his line of work. Definitely deserves the "Britain's Greatest Pilot" accolade.

[Stanley]

Obscure fact from Omissi. During the conquest of Libya in 1911/1912 by the Italians, hand grenades were dropped on Libyan towns in October 1911. This is thought to be the earliest record of aerial bombing. The Italian High Command thought that the bombing did no material damage but had 'a wonderful moral effect'. A sentiment echoed by the British Air Staff in 1920.

[Tizer]

Strange to think that regardless of all the fancy advanced bombs developed over the years the latest record of aerial bombing is the `barrel bombs' dropped on civilians in Syria, oil drums filled with explosives and nails. It's estimated that 600 children have been killed by them. I suppose Assad too would say "a wonderful moral effect".

[Stanley]

Reprehensible but logical and efficient of all you want to do is kill people. The one thing that is clear and incontrovertible about every study of the accuracy of bombs and shells is that the user always contends they are more accurate than they are. The old fallacy of 'the surgical strike'. Even laser guided bombs can fail if the target is wrongly identified or if intelligence has failed and got the contents wrong.

[Stanley]

I had mail from a friend, Oliver Pearcey, this morning concerning the 'Giant' bomber attacks on London in 1918. (Oliver knows about these things...)

"Dear Stanley, Yes I do read them! And this one was particularly interesting because the Kew Bridge Pumping Station was bombed by a Giant bomber in early 1918. It took out the Gatehouse and Workshop and some pipework and killed two employees. We know the machine, the route, the crew and the victims. Hope all goes well with you. Early days yet but the London Museum of Water & Steam (new title) seems to be going OK so far.

Best wishes, Oliver"

[Tizer]

Here's another Gotha bomber image:

[Stanley]

Imagine crossing the Atlantic in a machine like that! Hard men!

[Tizer]

16 July 2014, BBC
Imperial War Museum London to reopen
The Imperial War Museum (IWM) London has undergone a £40m transformation and is due to reopen this week with new displays to mark the centenary of World War One.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-28316238
The web page has some good, large pics.

[Stanley]

That V1 brings back happy memories! They got as far North as Stockport and both my sister and I can remember hearing one go overhead. For many years I thought this might be a rogue memory but then Dorothy found an article at the local history society about it. We weren't mistaken! Funny feeling hearing the ram jet stop.... (LINK)

[Tizer]

BBC web page, 31 July 2014
Aircraft crashes on to runway at Royal Navy Air Day
An aircraft has crashed onto the runway at the Royal Navy Culdrose Air Day in Cornwall. The pilot of the Royal Navy Sea Fury, Lieutenant Commander Chris Gotke, walked away uninjured....
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-28594569

Unfortunately this is `our' Sea Fury, the one based down the road at RNAS Yeovilton and which regularly gives us a free display as the pilots keep it in flying order. It's the one that I mentioned some months ago which, in formation with a Provost, broke off from its journey and circled Mrs Tiz and me as we walked across the moor. I hope they can repair it and get it up in the air again. A lovely plane! Thank goodness the pilot was OK.

[PanBiker]

Undercarriage failure, skilful pilot did a good job by the looks of the video. She will probably fly again with lots of TLC.

[Stanley]

The report said he 'got out'. I should say from the pic, at some speed!

[Tizer]

This is a link to the page where I described the two aircraft circling us and it has links to information on both the Sea Fury and the Provost:
http://www.oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk/view ... ury#p43352

[David Whipp]

We have enjoyed the Air Day very much when holidaying in Cornwall, but haven't witnessed anything as dramatic as that.

[Stanley]

When I was in training for National Service we were used for crowd control at an air show in Cheshire. One of the participating planes dived straight into the ground in front of us. We covered it in the old site and found out where it was. Nobody got out of that and the pilot's wife was in the crowd watching.

[Tizer]

David, we've never attended the Air Day at Culdrose but we often go to the visitors' observation area when we're nearby - they do a good cup of tea while you have fun watching what goes on! Once while we were there the Red Arrows landed to have their lunch between two displays on the south coast. They did a beautiful landing in formation and taxied, still in formation, all the way up the main runway and practically to the front doorstep of the main building!

[Tizer]

Historic tandem Lancaster flight halted by bad weather
A first flight by the last two airworthy Lancaster bombers has been postponed due to bad weather. The Canadian Warplane Heritage's aircraft was due to meet the UK-based Lancaster and then pass over Lincoln Cathedral, escorted by the Red Arrows. However, due to bad weather in the area, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's aircraft were grounded. The two Lancasters are due to give a series of displays across the country during August and September.
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-li ... e-28703745