Thank you,
airborne artist, (your #6246) I'm delighted that what I look upon as my hobby seems to give pleasure to so many people. It's just that I've been given "the gift of the gab" (must be in my ancestry !)...D.
FantomZorbin,
I'm delighted that I've been able to awaken a precious memory of your childhood....D.
Here we are:
kookabat,
You do me far too much honour Sir (but thank you all the same !)....D.
mmitch,
So the old-timer is flying still (the Spit, I mean). Sadly Ray Hanna is dead, and his son Mark is dead, too (so Wiki tells me). Seems they founded the Old Flying Machine Company together. RIP both...D.
pulse1,
The Navigator etc trainees would include a fair component of the "washouts" from the Arnolds and BFTS. The British Commonwealth (that pale ghost of the Empire) played no part then - it came later. (It was formally constituted by the London Declaration only in 1949 - Wiki).....D.
Chugalug,
Thank
you, Sir ! (you are much too kind) And thank
you, and others, for the help and support you have given me since the very early days of my tale (2½ years ago - how time flies !) ....D.
Fareastdriver,
Your:
"...Not without difficulty because the Junkers was only doing about 110 knots and I don't know how a Spitfire handles in formation, flapless, at that speed.."
and
"....left the Junkers behind and there was a session with just the Spifire tucked in. He found it a lot easier at 145 knots....."
By itself, 110 knots would be all right (only S&L) but wouldn't care to try Formation. Trouble was, there was no take-off Flap, it was all or nothing. (But there were occasions, when they were flying Spits off a carrier fot delivery to (say) Malta, when they got round that by putting flaps down, a wooden "spacer" block under the wing, then flaps up to hold it trapped between. That gave them about 30º for take-off, then when well airborne, they put flaps down, dropped the block, and lifted flap.
On the Spit Mk.1, 145 knots (with the Merlin II or III down to 1800 rpm, and well leaned-out) needed very little boost. It was reckoned that it would do 16 ampg, so your internal 85 gallons gave you 5 hours. That worked out at 20 mpg, not bad for a big car on the road ! (And you were doing 170 mph as well !.....D.
MPN11,
Crept up on me while my back was turned, didn't you ! Now as to your:
".... As a 'wingless wonder' there is little for me to say...."
Not so, Sir. You, too, can say:
"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth" as well as any of us here....D
Cheers to you all, Gentlemen. Danny.