Nutloose,
Re: EASA - it was ever thus ("That was Yesterday - It's All Been Changed") Yes, Danny finds it very interesting, says, and notes in italic:
"In that one second, the V-12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engine would have gone through 60 revolutions",
(3,600 rpm - surely not ! every Spit and the few Hurricanes I ever flew, it was 3,000 max. Could they have "souped it up" to that extent ? Is it even possible ?) Come in, the Engine Fitters and Mechs !
...."with each of the 48 valves slamming open and closed 30 times"..... (25, as above)....."The twenty four spark plugs have fired 720 times".... (Yes, but not each one) ...... "as the exhaust gas is expelled from the cylinder with a velocity exceeding the speed of sound".... (which is why we've all been high-tone deaf for the rest of our lives - it is also the source of that "tearing" sound from a Merlin which has just gone past at full chat).
Poetic exuberance - but doesn't it just stir the heart ! Thanks again, Nutloose.
PS: ("Loctite", is the stuff you want - but you've heard that already, I suppose). Danny.
ancientaviator62,
It looks a heck of a rope ! - you could tie up the QE2 with that. We still haven't solved the problem: what was it doing to get like that ? The nose doesn't look damaged, the props aren't bent. Could they have braked heavily, the cargo broke loose and finished up on the Flight Deck ? (Chugalug, we have need of thee - what do you think may have happened here ? - and somebody must know).
VVs in a crosswind ?, most of the time there didn't seem much wind (except in the monsoon, and then you spent nearly all your time in the Crewroom, or getting soaked outside, or getting malaria.
Apart from that, most proper airfields then would have two or three runways, you took your pick (no interfering ATC - no ATC !) On the rough jungle strips you'd only one, of course (and in my case only one direction, too).
So you didn't worry about it, just threw the thing onto the ground. It might skitter about a bit, but as there was so much inertia in the huge beast, it usually ended up still pointing in the right direction. When it did "go walkabout", it did it in a big way, but as there were only bamboo, banana trees and the like to trample, usually no harm was done. Danny.
PS: Fareastdriver and ancientaviator,
"WHY don't I read all the Posts before I put pen to paper ! I've had many heart-stopping moments in Spits myself, but luckily never bent or splintered a blade....Yes, but even so the thing doesn't look as if it was moving when it tipped up, does it ?... Supplementary questions: what are the little group on the left looking at in such "wild surmise" ? And look at the legware on the chaps at the nose. Could they possibly be Naval ratings ?..D.
Chugalug,
Your #4801 refers, how nice to hear that justice prevailed: you left the Court without a Stain on your Character ! (doesn't often happen, does it ?). * Now step forward, Sherlock, and tell us what must have happened to 491...Danny
* EDIT: No, no, I don't mean that ! I just mean that Justice prevailed !...D.
Fareastdriver,
Fine body of men ! (and who is the laddie in front with the novel headgear ?). I note that there are no airman pilot trainees around (unless the ones in shirtsleeves), and that the Piston Provost looks a nice piece of machinery - I do like to see a nice, wide "straddle" U/cart - and the Cap SD on the prop !
Never had anything to do with 'em myself, but remember that Marshalls of Cambridge had them at Shawbury to fly as "clockwork mice" for the GCA School at Sleap.
blind pew,
Your: ......"One morning he took off without doing an outside check...around 1000ft AGL a wing fell off ..he described to me the effects of the controls before he hit the deck"......
Not the first time such a thing has happened: I recall reading some years ago an Accident Report on a Syndicate owned, light aircraft. Over a weekend the engineering genius of the group had removed the elevators for some purpose, but had not had time to put them back. On the Monday, another member turned up, pushed it out of the hangar, didn't check the paperwork or do a walk-round, jumped in, cranked-up, lined up and gave it welly......(I don't think it was fatal - not for him, anyway).
The Flying Flea; yes, it was an aerodynamic nasty that had been overlooked in the original design. And there are some people you just can't help. Years ago, when the Benson/Wallis Gyrocopter (how I would have loved to try that ) came out, a (Yorkshire ?) farmer with a bit of fixed-wing experience got one, and tried to loop it (at least that's what they told the Coroner).
Wg.Cdr. Wallis (RIP) himself told a good story: a local farmer approached him with the idea of buying one to do some light crop spraying (or something like it). Wallis asked him what flying experience he had. "Well, none, actually" was the reply, "but I suppose I could pick it up over a weekend"....
Truly, there's one born every minute.
Cheers, Danny.