Originally Posted by
NutLoose
The courses just in front of myself did the last copper smithing at Saints, there was a display wall of the best of their work. We were one of the last piston courses and cover rotary, radial, sleeve valves, inline air cooled. Water cooled, prop swinging etc.
The basic metalwork etc during hacking and bashing was to give you the basics so in a war you could make or repair tools or equipment
My course was the first Airframe Mech course, as St Athan closed and transferred, at Halton, 1975. We had only Appo stuff around us so we had no idea what we were to be taught. But we worked on Sea Vixens, Hunters, Provosts and Gnats and even we did a blade fold on a Whirlwind! Cosford now has Jags and Tornadoes - controlled by spoilers and elevons (surrounded by massive cushions) no basic aviation stuff to learn on (in my opinion). You even have to do an introductory course to get familiarised on "helicopters" as, I believe, they don't teach that at Cosford.