Channel 5 – Battle of Britain 3-parter
 

Next Tuesday (July 7th) at 2100, Channel 5 is starting a three-part series – on consecutive nights – about significant days in the Battle of Britain. Features Dan Snow and Kate Humble (gdd of Hawker test pilot Bill Humble).

Just reading John Nichol's Spitfire for the first time. These would go together well, I should think.

PS Last night I watched a WWII Documentary The Mosquito, with a friend's father featuring; this whole story was really an eye-opener for me.

Interesting programme on the Mosquito with some good survivors' talk.
Only a couple of days ago we had "The Plane that Saved Britain" on UK TV.
Both programmes were good in parts and each had a member of the original design team - Ralph Hare, who was a structures man and David Newman, an aerodynamicist, both of whom eventually were heads of their departments at Hatfield.
Thirty years ago we held a symposium at Hatfield to mark 50 years since the Mossie's First Flight while we still could have a sensible number of designers, builders and crew taking part. We published the proceedings in book form which is still a good reference source:
https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9...117-uk-300.jpg

Note the sequence at 8:35 where a Mossie demonstrates a low-level slow-roll with a feathered prop!

XV, thanks fot the heads up. My father was in 32 at Biggin/Hawkinge at the time.

When they were filming 633 Squ, Taffy Rich and Neal Williams had a bet about that, Rich did the SE roll, but not at low level!

That reminds me to comment that someone, probably Pat Fillingham, did a low fly-past in a Hornet upside-down with both engines feathered long before the trick was "invented" by Bob Hoover.

As a young RAF ATCO in the mid 1970s at RAF Leuchars, I was able to listen to a discussion in the mess bar between F4 crews, Ltng crews and Bucc crews. Very interesting. I cannot remember who said this but I think it was a Bucc Sqn Ldr. His argument was that we need a cheap, capable strike aircraft. Easy to build, easy to repair, easy to maintain, twin crewed, twin engined. Up to date modern avionics and weapons systems. Capable of ultra low level at high subsonic speeds. Able to absorb punishment with a low radar signature, low IR signature. Able to carry a respectable weapons load at a long range. Highly manoeuvrable and flexible. Gentlemen, I give you the Mosquito. There were no dissenting voices!!

I believe Geoffrey de Havilland Jr used to demonstrate the Mosquito with low level single engined rolls, so may well have been him in the clip.

The single-engined roll, but climbing, not low and slow, was initially done by Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. during early demonstrations at Hatfield.
It was one of the things that impressed "Hap" Arnold and caused him to take drawings back the States for Beech to be rude, and very wrong, about.