Fairey Delta 2 Inside Out
Fairey Delta 2 Inside Out
BBC1, Inside Out on Monday at 7:30 pm has a feature on the Peter Twiss speed record in the FD2, 1132 mph if I remember correctly.
I believe it is only being shown in the South though.
I believe it is only being shown in the South though.
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I once had the privilege of sharing a cable retrieve car at Lasham for half a day with Peter Twiss.
What a wonderful gentleman and total aviation person. We talked of this and that and enjoyed watching the flying, but his modesty and my shyness meant that we never discussed the FD2... I mean, how do you slip that one into the conversation?
What a wonderful gentleman and total aviation person. We talked of this and that and enjoyed watching the flying, but his modesty and my shyness meant that we never discussed the FD2... I mean, how do you slip that one into the conversation?
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I saw FD2 WG774, painted maroon and flown flown by Peter Twiss, at Farnborough in 1957 - awesome display if I recall..
WG777 was the one which broke the speed record - and here's a piccy I took earlier: http://www.brendan-mccartney.fotopic.net/p26052093.html
WG777 was the one which broke the speed record - and here's a piccy I took earlier: http://www.brendan-mccartney.fotopic.net/p26052093.html
It is being shown on BBC South only as part of the 30 min regional programme. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/south/index.shtml
If you have Sky and live outside the BBC South area, select Channel 954 rather than Channel 101 in order to receive BBC South.
I remember seeing a colour film about PeterTwiss and the FD2 world record when I was still in short trousers in around 1959-60. "Approaching point Able.....".
Shall certainly be watching on Monday!
If you have Sky and live outside the BBC South area, select Channel 954 rather than Channel 101 in order to receive BBC South.
I remember seeing a colour film about PeterTwiss and the FD2 world record when I was still in short trousers in around 1959-60. "Approaching point Able.....".
Shall certainly be watching on Monday!
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Some FD2 info / pictures in this discussion: http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...highlight=XB70
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When I was at the FAAM, they had a contemporary colour film (on a TV loop by the a/c) of Twiss' 'drive to work' at the same speed as the flight - a remarkable period piece. Dunno if it's still showing though.
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There's some superb footage of Twiss and the FD2 on the Pathe archive.
If you're not sure how to work the site: use the search to find the footage that's relevant, and add it to your shopping basket. Once at the checkout, select "free preview" and you'll get to download all the clips gratis (albeit at "medium" res).
If you're not sure how to work the site: use the search to find the footage that's relevant, and add it to your shopping basket. Once at the checkout, select "free preview" and you'll get to download all the clips gratis (albeit at "medium" res).
For 10 minutes to the great unwashed genpub, the programme gave a brief insight into the way things were back then.
Fascinating stuff - and surely worthy of a more comprehensive documentary?
I also had the 'Observer's Book of Aircraft' hidden in my prep-school desk back then - and my copy of 'Faster than the Sun' is now on order!
Fascinating stuff - and surely worthy of a more comprehensive documentary?
I also had the 'Observer's Book of Aircraft' hidden in my prep-school desk back then - and my copy of 'Faster than the Sun' is now on order!
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Being based within the "Greater London" Beeb area, I tuned into "Inside Out" and duly fell half asleep...
Should anyone have a video copy of the article, I'd be extremely obliged if they could lend it / copy it / host it? Failing that, I'll contact the Beeb and see if there's a way to get a copy; I'm told the Beeb will sell you a tape, but it runs to around £45
You wouldn’t get any argument from me…
Should anyone have a video copy of the article, I'd be extremely obliged if they could lend it / copy it / host it? Failing that, I'll contact the Beeb and see if there's a way to get a copy; I'm told the Beeb will sell you a tape, but it runs to around £45
surely worthy of a more comprehensive documentary?
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BEagle wrote
Ahh, so its was you were the school boy surreptitiously reading the book behind his desk lid in the film clip they showed 
Wonderful piece which I only saw by chance.
Brooklands
I also had the 'Observer's Book of Aircraft' hidden in my prep-school desk back then
Wonderful piece which I only saw by chance.
Brooklands
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I've just finished reading "Faster than the Sun" - had it on order for over a year (!) at my local library, but once it arrived, I saw that it was a reprint (2005) with an added section about Peter's wartime experiences. All in all well worth the wait!
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Is the wonderful Peter Twiss still with us? I should know but I don't. He was an instructor at Lasham when I was learning and, as someone else has rightly said, a very modest man, as all the true greats are.
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Seloco,
Please check the link in my previous post. The superb Peter Twiss is most definitely with us, and still enjoys flying - albeit at a subsonic pace (gliding) - from what I can gather.
Please check the link in my previous post. The superb Peter Twiss is most definitely with us, and still enjoys flying - albeit at a subsonic pace (gliding) - from what I can gather.
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Thanks to a particular member of the group, I was able to watch a tape of the article.
For once, TV got something right. The article finishes on this gem:
Priceless
For once, TV got something right. The article finishes on this gem:
"Flying is flying really... There's nothing very dramatic about it... On the whole it's pretty routine stuff..."
Peter Twiss
Peter Twiss
Per Ardua ad Astraeus
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Time to bring this back to the top.
1000mph+ 50 years ago today! Celebration at the FAAM as per WG's link and at Middle Wallop. More on BBC 'South Today' tonight if that makes sense!!
Good to see Peter Twiss looking so fit.
1000mph+ 50 years ago today! Celebration at the FAAM as per WG's link and at Middle Wallop. More on BBC 'South Today' tonight if that makes sense!!
Good to see Peter Twiss looking so fit.
FD 2
great day at faam yesterday.three world record holders.p twiss (fd2) n duke (hunter) t egginton (lynx) all very modest, and still joking about thier efforts.
typical british event, sitting underneath concorde,WG774 only a few feet away,all that history and tech excellence,but the pa system comes from car boot sale!
several interesting facts came over,the difficulty in timing the attempt,the lack of problems with the aircraft,the lack of fuel on return to boscombe(only about 10 galls left,not a lot says peter,i would have liked a bit more),the fantastic potential of the design ignored by the uk,and taken up by the french.
i do not think that the fairey team ever received the recognition they deserved, the fd2 was a huge tech jump, and it still looks fantastic today(albeit in 221 mod form)
anyway, well done 50 years ago, and you helped keep the great in great britain.
typical british event, sitting underneath concorde,WG774 only a few feet away,all that history and tech excellence,but the pa system comes from car boot sale!
several interesting facts came over,the difficulty in timing the attempt,the lack of problems with the aircraft,the lack of fuel on return to boscombe(only about 10 galls left,not a lot says peter,i would have liked a bit more),the fantastic potential of the design ignored by the uk,and taken up by the french.
i do not think that the fairey team ever received the recognition they deserved, the fd2 was a huge tech jump, and it still looks fantastic today(albeit in 221 mod form)
anyway, well done 50 years ago, and you helped keep the great in great britain.