VFR wrote:
The very early Agusta J/R's had the forward cowling originally installed with 'hundreds' of 10/32 screws into anchor nuts ..
VFR: I'm sure these must have been a 'delight' to work with!
Look forward to catching-up with you and learning a little more about your days with Freddie!
FH1100 wrote:
Sav, that intake cowling you talk about is just the original snow baffle for the 206A.
1100: Thank you for this tidbit, I never knew that. I am still wondering though whether there may have been another type of cowling as I do have a photo showing what appears to be a one-piece unit with a central hole and which totally covers the normal air intakes .
Industry Insider wrote:
G-AVZG in Post 2097 would have the the predecessor of G-BASE, both being Endeavour Motors aircraft ..
Correct Amico!
Tommy's aircraft line-up (the one's we know about) go something like this:
Brantly 305 G-ATSJ, purchased in May 1966
Bell 206A G-AVZG, purchased in December 1967 (Photo: Ambidextrous)
Bell 206B G-BASE, purchased in May 1973 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)
AS350B G-GINA, purchased in May 1978 (Photo: Adrian Batchelor)
AS350B G-IINA, purchased in December 1990 (Photo: Helipixman)
~ ~ ~
The Crewdson Files:
From the UK's '
Indy' newspaper, an article about 'Forts Roughs' which makes reference to the use of a helicopter (and pilot) which I am fairly certain was the late great John Crewdson:
They lured Roy to a meeting in Austria, and meanwhile, sent a helicopter to the fort. The sole occupant, Michael, was suspicious. But he let them land, only to find himself taken prisoner for several days. After his release, he was reunited with his father, by then furious that his son had let the interlopers outwit him. His mother was just as harsh. "You've thrown away our life's work," she hissed. Once everyone had calmed down, they discussed what should be done.
"We were going to go out in an inflatable, and scale [Sealand] using ladders," Michael told me, in his characteristically matter-of-fact tone. Instead, the Bateses persuaded a friend who had worked as a stunt pilot in a couple of James Bond films to fly them and two mates out in his helicopter. They arrived at dawn, approaching into the wind so the bad guys wouldn't hear the hum of the rotors.
Michael had a sawn-off shotgun. The others had pistols. They couldn't land the helicopter, so the pilot held the machine in a hover 40 foot up, while Michael and his dad shinned down ropes they had tied to the seats. The enemy emerged to see what the noise was. As Michael hit the deck, the butt of his gun smacked against it, and the thing fired, almost blowing his head off. Terrified, the Dutch and German heavies surrendered. The battle was over.
The unwanted guests were sent packing, with the exception of a German lawyer named Gernot Putz. As the weeks went by, the German authorities became concerned about Putz's fate. Finally, they sent out a diplomat from their embassy in London to sue for his release. Which brings us to the third FCO observation: that Sealand lacks "the ability to conduct international relations". Clearly this wasn't the case back in 1978.
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FH1100 wrote:
Sexy then, and sexy now, that 206.
I have to confess that these days there really are more comfortable craft around but .. she will (for me) remain one of the most nostalgic rotorcraft of all time!