Help Required-Urgent

[George120]

I am ex RAF nav and have been requested by an Army friend to organise a Sods Opera spot called Wellington/Lancaster Bomber for a forthcoming party. I remember seeing this many years ago at Nav School but do not know/remember the majority of the story. Basically, individual people play each engine (they swing material to act as propellers), two pilots (dressed up, goggles, white scarves etc) rear and top gunners.
Can anybody help??
I have tried the majority of my ex colleagues and some Cranwell staff but people remember seeing the show but not how it was all stitched together.

[spanners123]

I can only remember bits of it....
The pilots go through a start procedure and one of the engines catches fire on start up and loads of water is poured over said engine.
There will be more, but hope this helps.

[Saintsman]

and loads of water is poured over said engine.

Water? Didn't it used to be bottles of beer - lightly shaken?

[spanners123]

or maybe fire extinguishers!

[hihover]

Basically - 4 engines and gunners as described. Pilot and co-pilot. The co-pilot is normally the individual being stitched (soaked).

Commentator builds the crew/engines (pre-briefed) from the audience and narrates the story of the flight. Any short flight over water would do. The flight is attacked by bandits and the engines are lost one by one. Eventually, the crew glide into the oggin and at the point of impact, the skipper hands over the captaincy to the co as he jumps out the way and someone from the front row throws a bucket of water over the poor bugger as they "splash" into the sea.

Story telling ability and sound effects make it all the funnier, of course, copious amounts of beer help too.

I would like to add that it sounds very childish and not at all what I would expect from Her Majesty's finest - hang on, we're retired, have a blast.

tam

[Top Right]

If you do it on start-up it'll be over far too quickly. A good performance depends on reaching that climax, so to speak. Set yourself up with 4 engines, rear-gunner, top-gunner, captain, co and bomb-aimer. If you can get them sat on bar stools so much the better. What makes it work is a good narrator, ie you, who can set the tone, create atmosphere for a reminiscent bombing trip somewhere over Europe (or even the odd dam or 2), and get the audience behind you. Make sure each engine starts in turn with single arms rotating wildly with plenty of noise, ensure pre-flight checks and as much banter for captain and co as possible. Then it's clearance, take-off and away you go. Whilst on mission a few fighters should run around the "aircraft" for some good gunner sport (you commentate throughout), make sure the bombs are away and then head for home. Unfortunately through fighter or AAA action an engine catches fire - this needs to be quenched as quickly as possible with any type of liquid or human-friendly fire extinguisher, and delivered by as many onlookers as possible. The choice of engine is entirely yours - and could be more than one. The aircraft may even have to ditch as a result of the fire ........ more liquid required!!! This is the version I've seen practised regularly, but I'm sure there are bigger and better ones still to come.

[C_Cret]

Have the pilot, co-pilot, nav, engineer and 4 engines on stools, tail & front gunner sat cross legged facing outwards, top gunner laid down firing upwards. All positions have a sound unique to them when in action - engines whirring, guns rasping, nav chattering on comms, etc. As previously mentioned, the narrator builds the story (all with the aid of sound effects from participants) this is the key to success. Generally the whole thing is a successful mission after bomb release and heading for home, until the engines splutter and die or catch fire, skirmishes with enemy fighters take place and handling problems occur (if you have multiple victims then a soaking for each goes down well). Eventually, not far from home, they need to bail out, but, the heroic front end stay and try to save a/c....needless to say mopping is required after. Ah, the memories....Enjoy.

[The Swinging Monkey]

This 'game' used to take place with both Nimrod and Shack crews also, but I can't remember the full layout either I'm afraid. It was definately fire extinguishers we used (famous story of a crew getting thrown out of the 'Cally Pally' in Gib doing it and letting them all off!)

Pontius the Navigator - you must be able to help out here, you spent long enough on the dear old ladys' - can you help this chap out??

TSM

[Green Flash]

The first time I played Shackletons the number 2 engine caught fire on finals.










Guess who was No2, then.

[Wader2]

I remember this being played in the mess at Geilenkirchen. Naturally you need to use this as a teaching seminar as the NATO stooges will not be aware of the drills as most were not real aircrew anyway.

As recounted the Shack engine start drills were run through with the Shack crew doing the business. Then one of the engines would not start so an engine change was necessary. - Enter stooge. The rest is history as they say.

[TacLan]

Ooops!

Played this at Pec, HQ MNB(W) Kosovo in '99, whilst providing comms for the Italians. They don't drink too much when on ops, so the Brit Barbies were the function of choice.
Our Lancaster bomber was a very international affair. Italian Pilot, American Nav, Portugeuese bomb aimer, you get the idea. One of the engines was obviously German (No. 2 IIRC) so we knew the ice we were on was pretty thin. When I spoke to him afterwards, He was fine about the game even though he was a little damp. When pressed on his home town, "Dresden" came the reply He must have read my face, because the next thing he did was put an arm around me and say "It's ok"
Top Bloke.......but then most are