All this brings back memories of HSA Brough in the early 70's, writing the production test schedule for the flying controls in the Hawk wing and wondering how much backlash to allow in the flap linkage.
Watching Tom Robinson battering the undercarriage doors on the first wing with a big hammer in an attempt to meet the steps and gaps limits.
Listening to Eric Lewis from Brough arguing with Bill Allen and Marshall Smith from Kingston about the need to seal the ribs that separated the collector tank from the wing tanks. They didn't believe Eric when he said it was necessary or the fuel would not transfer properly. It tooks lots of PRC and someone with long arms to fix the first wing when we finally started to test it.
Watching XX154 fly at Farnborough and thinking theres a bit of me up there.
Alrthough I thought I had retired from Brough for ever at the end of 2009, in a few weeks time I will be starting my third session as a contractor in the same department I worked in 40 years ago. In all the time that Flight Systems Department has been in existence at Brough, now over 50 years, there have only been 5 heads of the dept, (and I wasnt one of them)
Walbut