Brand new Bombers flown into the sea??? Myth or reality?
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Not that this helps much but I have checked with my father ( now 95 ) on this story. His friend ( now sadly long gone ) was stationed at Carlisle at the time ( possibly RAF Crosby-on-Eden ???) .
As I said before the whole story has a whiff of the bar room tale about it but now at least you know all the facts...
Also he wasn't in the RAF but in the Air Transport Auxillary ( which makes the parachuting out bit even less likeley )
As I said before the whole story has a whiff of the bar room tale about it but now at least you know all the facts...
Also he wasn't in the RAF but in the Air Transport Auxillary ( which makes the parachuting out bit even less likeley )
Last edited by denis555; 18th May 2008 at 17:59. Reason: Adding facts
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With regards to underwater wrecks etc, does anybody know if there is a compehensive list available of underwater aircraft wrecks that can be dived on with standard scuba gear? I'm aware of the better known wrecks in the South West Pacific, but there must be others?
You might try there, the site was good laid out like a guide book, so maybe they have some aircraft.
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Possibly this was a misremembering of the Aphrodite missions where war weary aircraft were packed with explosives and aimed by radio control at Submarine pens and V2 Bunkers. The take off was made by a volunteer crew who then baled out leaving the aircraft to be flown to its target by remote control from a chase plane....
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Possibly this was a misremembering of the Aphrodite missions where war weary aircraft were packed with explosives and aimed by radio control at Submarine pens and V2 Bunkers. The take off was made by a volunteer crew who then baled out leaving the aircraft to be flown to its target by remote control from a chase plane....
Howver my aged father swears this was what was told him - the empasis being the waste of money and resources during a time of rationing and belt tightening...
A friend of my father who served in the FAA remembers pushing crated, zero timed Centaurus engines destined for Sea Furies/Firebrands 'over the side' for various budgetary reasons 
And now we hear about the RNHF scratching around for engines/ engine parts to keep their Sea Fury (s) airworthy; its enough to make a grown man cry...
One of my favourite moans is I cannot believe that a single Sea Hornet (or Hornet for that matter) wasn't kept for a museum. If the aircraft looked like something designed by Homer Simpson, one could understand, but the aircraft was a beauty & a thoroughbred. I'll shut up now as I'm depressing myself & probably boring a lot (all?) of you...
And now we hear about the RNHF scratching around for engines/ engine parts to keep their Sea Fury (s) airworthy; its enough to make a grown man cry...
One of my favourite moans is I cannot believe that a single Sea Hornet (or Hornet for that matter) wasn't kept for a museum. If the aircraft looked like something designed by Homer Simpson, one could understand, but the aircraft was a beauty & a thoroughbred. I'll shut up now as I'm depressing myself & probably boring a lot (all?) of you...
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Au contraire.
While the Hornet carries the fine de Havilland bloodlines, the Mosquito is the real looker. The stubby nose of the Hornet relative to the Mossie is a distraction. Therefore, advantage Mossie.
Nevertheless, it is a terrible shame that there are no Hornet airframes remaining in existence, as it is a shame that there are (not yet) any Mosquitos flying around. (although some are being made flyable, and some could fly.)
But what did happen to all of the Hornets? All scrapped? No bits left anywhere?
While the Hornet carries the fine de Havilland bloodlines, the Mosquito is the real looker. The stubby nose of the Hornet relative to the Mossie is a distraction. Therefore, advantage Mossie.
Nevertheless, it is a terrible shame that there are no Hornet airframes remaining in existence, as it is a shame that there are (not yet) any Mosquitos flying around. (although some are being made flyable, and some could fly.)
But what did happen to all of the Hornets? All scrapped? No bits left anywhere?
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While the Hornet carries the fine de Havilland bloodlines, the Mosquito is the real looker. The stubby nose of the Hornet relative to the Mossie is a distraction. Therefore, advantage Mossie.
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I'm afraid that I cannot agree with NickB on this. I agree that the Hornet looks good, but the Mosquito looks much better. There was something "balanced" about the Mosquito that made it look just right. The Hornet seems just that little bit "unbalanced" to me.
I still agree that it is a shame that there are no preserved Hornet airframes around, or even better flying aircraft.
I still agree that it is a shame that there are no preserved Hornet airframes around, or even better flying aircraft.
Of course we are all entitled to our opinions and I respect others when they say they prefer the Mossie.
But for me, if I can make an analogy, the Mossie is like a cart horse, strong & dependable, but the Hornet is a thoroughbred racehorse, slim, sleek & fast (but perhaps a bit less sturdy!)
Either way, I still cannot believe there is not a single whole one left
But for me, if I can make an analogy, the Mossie is like a cart horse, strong & dependable, but the Hornet is a thoroughbred racehorse, slim, sleek & fast (but perhaps a bit less sturdy!)
Either way, I still cannot believe there is not a single whole one left
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Talking of preserved Mosquitos / Hornets – am I correct in thinking that they are especially difficult to preserve as the glue used in the laminated wooden structure has a very limited life and after a two decades or so starts to loose it’s composition and the plywood layers start curling up like a stale sandwich?
I guess a few months in the sea would see them disappear into soggy silt…
I guess a few months in the sea would see them disappear into soggy silt…
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Denis,
You might want to ask the Royal Netherlands Air Force. I remember a presentation by one of their colonels about the aircraft found in the Zuider Zee when it was drained. They found one Mossie with a Luftwaffe crew!
You might want to ask the Royal Netherlands Air Force. I remember a presentation by one of their colonels about the aircraft found in the Zuider Zee when it was drained. They found one Mossie with a Luftwaffe crew!
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dennis: I cannot quote you the source because it was too long ago I read and heard about it, but IIRC many Mossies and Hornets in the far east had to be scrapped because of the failure of the glue joints in critical areas.
The glues used in those days could not stand up to prolonged exposure in wet hot and humid climates.
A friend in an earlier life flew Hornets and reckoned they were one of the all time great aircraft.
Handed propellers so no swing, long range and endurance, lovely handling, and high speed when required.
The glues used in those days could not stand up to prolonged exposure in wet hot and humid climates.
A friend in an earlier life flew Hornets and reckoned they were one of the all time great aircraft.
Handed propellers so no swing, long range and endurance, lovely handling, and high speed when required.
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Regarding the "Lufwaffe" Mossie. IIRC what was apparently found was german armament. I have the article somewhere by the Dutch officer in charge of recovery ( Flying Review C 1963-4?)
This incident was claimed to be the trigger point for a later very fictional and unlikely story about K.G. 200. I remember wasting money buying the paperback.
P.S Just checked; the Jan 64 article in FRI ("Museum in the Mud") doesn't mention the Mosquito oddity . It is mentioned ,I am pretty sure, in the preface to "K.G. 200" which was around the early 70's. I binned my copy many years ago. The authors were also interviewed on television when,as well as the interesting Mosquito story , the claim for an improbably large K.G. 200 was voiced . Unfortunately it did not set off sufficently loud alarm bells to deter me from buying the book!
This incident was claimed to be the trigger point for a later very fictional and unlikely story about K.G. 200. I remember wasting money buying the paperback.
P.S Just checked; the Jan 64 article in FRI ("Museum in the Mud") doesn't mention the Mosquito oddity . It is mentioned ,I am pretty sure, in the preface to "K.G. 200" which was around the early 70's. I binned my copy many years ago. The authors were also interviewed on television when,as well as the interesting Mosquito story , the claim for an improbably large K.G. 200 was voiced . Unfortunately it did not set off sufficently loud alarm bells to deter me from buying the book!
Last edited by RETDPI; 29th May 2008 at 07:11.
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The glues used in those days could not stand up to prolonged exposure in wet hot and humid climates.