Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
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Well I'm glad to hear that. The camshaft/rocker wear was the reason so many cylinder blocks needed changing before any other part of the engine was seriously worn. Who was doing the rebuilding and why?
One of my jobs when I was a piston engine performance engineer at R-R in the mid fifties was redesigning the supercharger quill drive to allow Merlins to be used for hydroplane racing on the great lakes in Canada. When the prop came out of the water during a sharp turn at a buoy the engine went to full overspeed RPM and seconds later back to 1500 as the prop re entered the water. The quill shafts were too flimsy for that kind of trick and soon broke. I came up with a much fatter one which fixed that problem. We never heard how they kept the water out of the supercharger intake though.
One of my jobs when I was a piston engine performance engineer at R-R in the mid fifties was redesigning the supercharger quill drive to allow Merlins to be used for hydroplane racing on the great lakes in Canada. When the prop came out of the water during a sharp turn at a buoy the engine went to full overspeed RPM and seconds later back to 1500 as the prop re entered the water. The quill shafts were too flimsy for that kind of trick and soon broke. I came up with a much fatter one which fixed that problem. We never heard how they kept the water out of the supercharger intake though.
O-463,you might `google`,Masters of the V12`,or Dwight Thorne,Mike Nixon,Dave Zeuschel,or Vintage V12s; You might be surprised that some of the Reno racers are running up to 150 inches/60lbs boost/3000+hp....think they also add `IrnBru` as well.....
Slight diversion, Kermit Weeks visits Mike Nixon's Vintage V12s. The video is in 3 parts two have been posted so far. 16 Merlins in the workshop and a warehouse full waiting their turn! They show the differences between Merlins and Allisons. Roller cam followers etc.
mmitch.
Pilot's Notes - Sptfire Hurricane and Lancaster
Periodically I receive a copy of 'Museum Selection's' latest brochure.
The latest one intriguingly includes an advert for books including this one for facsimiles of the Pilot's Notes for the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster which may be of interest to members of this thread.
I have no connection with Museumselection.co.uk so this info is passed on FWIW.
WT
The latest one intriguingly includes an advert for books including this one for facsimiles of the Pilot's Notes for the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster which may be of interest to members of this thread.
I have no connection with Museumselection.co.uk so this info is passed on FWIW.
WT
About 25 years ago I took an ex ATA lady pilot for a ride in my Jodel light 100 h.p. a/c. She'd not flown in a small 'plane since the war but was amused and thought it a rather delicate little thing when i gave her control.
She'd ferry flown single and twin engine a/c in her time, & afterwards borrowed her wartime (man) boss's book of instant pilots notes. I took a photo-copy.
I'll have a look for it tomorrow and see what might be of interest to folk here.
mike hallam.
She'd ferry flown single and twin engine a/c in her time, & afterwards borrowed her wartime (man) boss's book of instant pilots notes. I took a photo-copy.
I'll have a look for it tomorrow and see what might be of interest to folk here.
mike hallam.
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@mitch
Wow! Amazing videos. Took me back to my graduate apprentice days in Hillington. Those long cylinder head holding down studs - on Friday afternoons near finishing time the six of us GA's used to meet up in the experimental shop and have a competition to see how many of the nuts (28 of them) you could torque down on a Merlin before your arms gave out. Loser bought the beer. Thanks for the lead to that site. Happy days indeed.
Wow! Amazing videos. Took me back to my graduate apprentice days in Hillington. Those long cylinder head holding down studs - on Friday afternoons near finishing time the six of us GA's used to meet up in the experimental shop and have a competition to see how many of the nuts (28 of them) you could torque down on a Merlin before your arms gave out. Loser bought the beer. Thanks for the lead to that site. Happy days indeed.
Apropos my mail 11647 I looked all over for the copy of brief pilots' notes that the ATA were using in 1943-5.
However I did rediscover all the 1942 charts she'd kindly given me, covering all G.B. with many fields marked in red ink some of which aren't known of (by me) now.
Of course some have their earlier names Westhampnett for Goodwood.
But what about, e.g. Pulborough unless that's where the gliders fly from at Parham ?
Another old name marked along the south coast area is Wilmington S.W. of Hailsham, which could be where Ripe AKA Deanland now is ?
My lady friend was Mary Villiers from Horsham who lived to 95 dying nearly 3 years ago in January. My one flight with her was in September 1994 when she was a youthful 75.
I looked her up and found she'd flown some 550 hours delivering 'planes from various centres from 1943 to 1945.
I'm now 80 but had a fly this afternoon in my Rans S6-116 with all of 80 h.p. up front !
mike hallam.
However I did rediscover all the 1942 charts she'd kindly given me, covering all G.B. with many fields marked in red ink some of which aren't known of (by me) now.
Of course some have their earlier names Westhampnett for Goodwood.
But what about, e.g. Pulborough unless that's where the gliders fly from at Parham ?
Another old name marked along the south coast area is Wilmington S.W. of Hailsham, which could be where Ripe AKA Deanland now is ?
My lady friend was Mary Villiers from Horsham who lived to 95 dying nearly 3 years ago in January. My one flight with her was in September 1994 when she was a youthful 75.
I looked her up and found she'd flown some 550 hours delivering 'planes from various centres from 1943 to 1945.
I'm now 80 but had a fly this afternoon in my Rans S6-116 with all of 80 h.p. up front !
mike hallam.
mikehallam
My late father ferried A/C around India for three months, March to June 1944 for No. 21 Ferry Control based at Mauripur before he joined 229 Group Comm Flight in Delhi. I have his ATA Ferry Pilots Notes (India Command Edition) printed in India Aug. 1943. The notes cover some 48 A/C types, some of which were incredibly rare specimens in the sub-continent - but nevertheless they were in the notes.
Ian BB
My late father ferried A/C around India for three months, March to June 1944 for No. 21 Ferry Control based at Mauripur before he joined 229 Group Comm Flight in Delhi. I have his ATA Ferry Pilots Notes (India Command Edition) printed in India Aug. 1943. The notes cover some 48 A/C types, some of which were incredibly rare specimens in the sub-continent - but nevertheless they were in the notes.
Ian BB
PS
And of course the notes include Danny's Vultee Vengeance (not that the senior pilot of this thread ever had the benefit of such information himself, no such featherbedding) - self taught in a matter of minutes, in the field don't ya know!
And of course the notes include Danny's Vultee Vengeance (not that the senior pilot of this thread ever had the benefit of such information himself, no such featherbedding) - self taught in a matter of minutes, in the field don't ya know!
Parham airfield is the same site as the old landing ground but it is now prob less than half the area that it used to be,if you look at satellite view the landing ground would have extended over to where the rugby club is now.
I worked and lived down in that area for many years (and a lovely area it is too)
rgds LR
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Ian (#11651),
Don't think I'll be investing in one of those. We had them up on here years ago, and concluded that they'd been cobbled up for the unfortunates who had to fly the Mk.IVs which came over to the UK late in the war, and were all converted into TTs (AFAIK).
When the first Mks I and II came out to India in autumn 1942, there was a sketchy Vultee sort-of Pilot's Note, not much use. As you say, we learned the hard way - by trial and error ! When I think of the comprehensive "conversion courses" which were deemed necessary (postwar) before we flew anything with more than one seat, it is amusing to recall my introduction to the VV - 20 mins in the back (which had a [detachable] stick, a rudder bar, a throttle and nowt else). Take-off, trim and landing by an 'experienced' (5 hr) VV man. Then I was a fully trained VV pilot ! ...... But they were good days ...
Spitfire Notes - now you're talking. Will raid piggybank and order one for Mk.I and another for Mk.XVI. Warmtoast (#11646), thanks for the steer, I presume, if I email <Museumselection.co.uk>, they will tell me how to do it.
Cheers both, Danny.
Don't think I'll be investing in one of those. We had them up on here years ago, and concluded that they'd been cobbled up for the unfortunates who had to fly the Mk.IVs which came over to the UK late in the war, and were all converted into TTs (AFAIK).
When the first Mks I and II came out to India in autumn 1942, there was a sketchy Vultee sort-of Pilot's Note, not much use. As you say, we learned the hard way - by trial and error ! When I think of the comprehensive "conversion courses" which were deemed necessary (postwar) before we flew anything with more than one seat, it is amusing to recall my introduction to the VV - 20 mins in the back (which had a [detachable] stick, a rudder bar, a throttle and nowt else). Take-off, trim and landing by an 'experienced' (5 hr) VV man. Then I was a fully trained VV pilot ! ...... But they were good days ...
Spitfire Notes - now you're talking. Will raid piggybank and order one for Mk.I and another for Mk.XVI. Warmtoast (#11646), thanks for the steer, I presume, if I email <Museumselection.co.uk>, they will tell me how to do it.
Cheers both, Danny.
Danny
You don't need to email just point your browser here:
Special Interest Books | Gift Books | Unusual Books | Museum Selection
...but I don't think you get a choice of Mk for the Spitfire - just the Spitfire 2. The two other aircraft included in the order cover various marks of Hurricane and Lancaster.
Late PS. Just had a look and according to the site these Pilots Notes are now out of stock.
WT
You don't need to email just point your browser here:
Special Interest Books | Gift Books | Unusual Books | Museum Selection
...but I don't think you get a choice of Mk for the Spitfire - just the Spitfire 2. The two other aircraft included in the order cover various marks of Hurricane and Lancaster.
Late PS. Just had a look and according to the site these Pilots Notes are now out of stock.
WT
Danny,
This, at the IWM shop, may be more useful - apparently covering all Marks of Spitfire, if the cover is to be believed:
The Spitfire PocketBook : Welcome to the Imperial War Museum Online Shop
This, at the IWM shop, may be more useful - apparently covering all Marks of Spitfire, if the cover is to be believed:
The Spitfire PocketBook : Welcome to the Imperial War Museum Online Shop
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A little thread drift. Those who served in Changi in the late 1950's and early 1960's may be interested in this video of John Hutchinson's recollection of the Shackleton which came down off the Island of Borneo on 9 December 1958.
The Shackleton was powered by RR Griffin engines.
https://aviation-safety.net/database...?id=19581209-0
Hutchinson who was due to be part of the crew, by chance swapped with another RAF pilot because he had recently married and was house hunting in Singapore before his wife came out. In the interview he offers a theory as to why the accident happened.
add
For a brief description of his RAF career see here:
The Wind Beneath my Wings - John Hutchinson, Concorde Pilot
The Shackleton was powered by RR Griffin engines.
https://aviation-safety.net/database...?id=19581209-0
Hutchinson who was due to be part of the crew, by chance swapped with another RAF pilot because he had recently married and was house hunting in Singapore before his wife came out. In the interview he offers a theory as to why the accident happened.
add
For a brief description of his RAF career see here:
The Wind Beneath my Wings - John Hutchinson, Concorde Pilot
Last edited by roving; 18th Dec 2017 at 10:45. Reason: added link
Book Depository have huge range of Pilot's Notes for wartime aircraft. Just ordered four of interest,€7 or €8 a copy andfree delivery (no commercial link, of course)
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Commercial link?
https://www.bookdepository.com/Royal...ef=bd_recs_1_1
add
You mean you have no commercial link? ;
I do not think anyone would suggest that you would promote a website out of commercial interest.
https://www.bookdepository.com/Royal...ef=bd_recs_1_1
add
You mean you have no commercial link? ;
I do not think anyone would suggest that you would promote a website out of commercial interest.