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Alan Mann knew Colin Chapman VERY well indeed! TRC referred earlier in this thread to the replacement of a turbine on Chapman's J/R. I was involved in that one too as DCE. We orchestrated TRC and
JS (known affectionately as Tom-not-bloody Jack and Jack-not-bloody Tom respectively) to go to Klagenfurt where the F1 event was taking place. Initially Colin Chapman called, he thought, the CE. I answered the phone (actually June did but passed it across the desk PDQ becuase of the evident ire). When I spoke he asked "who the hell is this? Oh never mind" and put the phone down. Then called Alan. I had a phone call 2 mins later "Colin says the engine won't start, and what are we going to do about it?"
And there, gentle reader, started the saga which was played out with characters drawn from that Keith Michell song mentioned earlier. As I remember
JS was Artful Owl, TRC was Hissing Sid and I sported the moniker of Captain Beaky. Telex in those days so comms addressed accordingly. That came back to bite me because, when eventually things had deteriorated to the point that someone had to pay HUGE sums of duty to the Austrian Customs I was invited for a 'royal interview' to explain what's going on - all a bit difficult, and at that level neither CC nor AM knew who the hell Keith Michell was ..........
In the event
JS went to Klagenfurt and reported that the engine was blued everywhere on teh turbine section due to a start without the detent activated. Impossible to turn
The replacement starter/genny he had with him was something less than what was required. It was all too difficult to ship the turbine and CC was jumping up and down so we despatched TRC with a turbine section as excess baggage (I wonder to this day how much that cost?!!) with the edict that he was NOT to let the box out of his sight. Spent the night at Vienna airport with the box at his side!
In the morning, on the apron, 2 x Sveringen Metros, one going to Klagenfurt, the other to Stuttgart and a general Round-robin trip of Germany. Where it wasn't going was Austria................ No prizes for guessing where the turbine went. And when it finally tuned up, 24hrs later, a customs bill of significance to be paid. So I'm left with a crew in Klagenfurt, and no turbine; by this time, an incandescent customer; and the Royal interview mentioned above..................
CC left the J/R there in disgust at the sheer incompetence of all concerned! I think it was Col Bob Smith (TRC will remember) who was called upon to do ground-runs and ferry the machine back.
Oh what fun (in hindsight
)
VFR