Chipmunk
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Managed to track down pics of a few of one's former chariots c/o http://www.airliners.net :
Happy days...
Happy days...
Join Date: Oct 2003
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Halcyon days... 69-71 on ULAS at White Waltham on the venerable Chipmunk. 145bhp, if I recall, which was the same as a Vauxhall Cresta. Fri nite in the mess, Sat morning hungover, strap in, pull the chain, face full of cartridge fumes, taxy out, launch off to overhead the White Horse on Lambourn Downs, aerobat oneself silly, trundle back to White Waltham, attempt a three-pointer (and bounce), repeat same after lunch, then back to the mess for afternoon tea and toast, while waiting for the bar to open. Repeat same on Sunday. And get paid for it!
27 mm: you omitted the bit about back to Messrs Brown and Booth for a black coffee and LOUD music to help with the problem of the bar only closing at 0200 or so......
That was the start of my Chipmunk days. Sadly, my most recent flight was just before my terminal leave in 1990, when I ferried WP900 from Brawdy to Shawbury. I'm working on getting back in one....
If you're going to the ULAS 'oldies' bash this Saturday evening at 128 Piccadily, see you there.
That was the start of my Chipmunk days. Sadly, my most recent flight was just before my terminal leave in 1990, when I ferried WP900 from Brawdy to Shawbury. I'm working on getting back in one....
If you're going to the ULAS 'oldies' bash this Saturday evening at 128 Piccadily, see you there.
Join Date: Jun 2000
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Chipmunk's over Berlin
Chipmunk's also had an important intelligence gathering role over the Berlin Zone.
For further details see: www.spyflight.co.uk/chipmunk.htm
Proletarian
For further details see: www.spyflight.co.uk/chipmunk.htm
Proletarian
They were still Silver Grey when I left ULAS in 1971. By the time I went through BFTS in 1975, the Bulldogs, JP etc were all in the red livery.
No doubt somebody can be more precise.
No doubt somebody can be more precise.
Join Date: Nov 2001
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idlestop - regards to all the ULAS chaps tomorrow who were at WeissWaltham AB between 1969 and when it sadly closed.....
Brown and Booth - what a great pair of chaps to introduce one to the joys of the Thundermunk! Particularly when moderated by the great Andy Whittaker!
Brown and Booth - what a great pair of chaps to introduce one to the joys of the Thundermunk! Particularly when moderated by the great Andy Whittaker!
Hobie,
Nice picture, which brings back some happy memories of flying CF-BXI in the 70s. The bubble canopy was so much nicer than the T10 greenhouse. The picture also shows one of the many differences between the Canadian version and the T10, which I had completely forgotten about. Note the rear cockpit mag switches, which are mounted Tiger Moth style, between the two cockpits.
I42
Nice picture, which brings back some happy memories of flying CF-BXI in the 70s. The bubble canopy was so much nicer than the T10 greenhouse. The picture also shows one of the many differences between the Canadian version and the T10, which I had completely forgotten about. Note the rear cockpit mag switches, which are mounted Tiger Moth style, between the two cockpits.
I42
Join Date: Aug 2000
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Can someone confirm whether the mil Chipmunks had a rather nasty spin if left to wind up? The civilian mods for a C of A included so-called 'anti-spin strakes' on the rear fuselage, presumably for this reason. I was told that in extremis it was discovered the spin could be stopped by pulling the yellow knob, jettisoning the canopy, unstrapping and standing up! - something to do with changing airflow over the tail I was told.
AFAIK, all UK Chipmunks civ and mil had the strakes fitted as a Mod, and the Mod also increased the chord length of the rudder.
The aircraft is cleared for up to 8 turns of an erect spin. As the spin develops, it becomes flatter, and recovery eventually very difficult.
There was a lot of folklore about Chipmunk spins. Do it by the book and at a safe recovery height and be prepared for the recovery delay to increase with the number of turns completed.
Anyway, who would want to spend all day getting to sufficient altitude to begin an 8 turner? 250 ft per turn and 1500 ft for recovery and, as per then RAF rules, recovered by TL plus height of ground.....
The aircraft is cleared for up to 8 turns of an erect spin. As the spin develops, it becomes flatter, and recovery eventually very difficult.
There was a lot of folklore about Chipmunk spins. Do it by the book and at a safe recovery height and be prepared for the recovery delay to increase with the number of turns completed.
Anyway, who would want to spend all day getting to sufficient altitude to begin an 8 turner? 250 ft per turn and 1500 ft for recovery and, as per then RAF rules, recovered by TL plus height of ground.....
Chipmunk
A photo on FB this morning of a Chipmunk that had landed in a field with Fiddlers ferry power station in the background.Supposedly from AEF ,RAF Shawbury.I didn't know Chipmunks were still used !