RAF Chipmunks

[CoffmanStarter]

Yes Wander ... But not the 'bulged' rear Perspex configuration ... That came as a RAF requirement for improved forward visibility for the QFI in the rear seat

[Dan Winterland]

Going back to the Hood Flap for a moment ... I have a very vague recollection of a reported incident where a RAF Chipmunk was in a Flat Errect Spin and when the crew decided the best course of action was to leave the aircraft (normal recovery actions were ineffective apparently) ... the mere operation of the hood flap and subsequent opening of the canopy ... the aircraft recovered, the crew then stayed with it and recovered back to base safely.

Not sure about this happening to a Chippy, but it definitely happened to a Bulldog in t the early days of it's service. The crew jettisoned the canopy and the aircraft recovered due to the large canopy blanking the rudder.

Beags - I had heard this while flying the Chippy, but never heard it confirmed. It's possible with the introduction of 100LL, but the Gypsy has such a low compression ratio, I can't believe it would have changed the risk of detonation or valve seat erosion. I suspect it was after some carb icing events.

[The Helpful Stacker]

https://youtu.be/ZGCvonfiaR0

I can almost smell the Avgas.

I wonder if the infamous 'John Andrews' film is available anywhere online for that full on hit of AEF nostalgia?

[gpugh]

I believe it happened with one of the naval Chipmunks at Roborough as well

[Dora-9]

India42:

Thanks for that Canadian canopy diagram - it's a corker! I wasn't aware that they also had a drag flap.

Dan Winterland:

There must be a number of my signatures in the 700s Dora 9 has with his spiders. I flew WG478 a lot.

Simon, I was aware you often flew WG478 (still puzzling about your "the fastest Chipmunk" comments - I'm having all sorts of issues with speed at the moment) but there's been a lot going on here currently and, other than brushing off the livestock, I haven't had much time to look through the old paperwork -but I will soon, and look out for your signature!

WanderOO:

Aah, had not appreciated that early Canadian Chipmunks had the "UK style" hood

Not really! All "glasshouse" Canadian canopies had a much narrower cross-section (much "pointier" at the top), the windscreen not only had the same cross-section (obviously) but viewed from the side had a different profile, having a flat horizontal lower edge (UK-built Chippies have a curved edge) - it's obvious in the photo. Further the canopy release handles were on the centreline (biased towards the LHS on UK builds) while the side-panel release latches were located in the centre of the LH side panel sill (as opposed to forward LH corner for the fwd panel and aft RH corner for the aft panel).

DHC-1A's (the first 62 Canadian-built Chipmunks) also had notably thinner framing. Contary to some opinions, the framed canopy, albiet with thicker frames, continued with the DHC-1B. The first 39 aircraft (DHC-1B-2's, DHC-1B-2-S1's and DHC-1B-2-S2's) all had framed canopies. Neither had the bulged rear canopy side panel. It wasn't until the advent of the DHC-1B-2-S3 order of 39 aircraft for Canadian Flying Clubs (paid for by the Canadian Government) that the blown canopy appeared. Even so these aircraft (and the subsequent RCAF DHC-1B-2-S5, sometimes called the Chipmunk T.30 in that service) retained the original profile windscreen, which (apart from the different side rail mountings) is why a Canadian blown canopy won't fit a UK-built Chipmunk...

[Wander00]

Blimey, amazing what you can learn on here. Many thanks

[Dan Winterland]

Thanks Helpful Stacker - that's my video.

I have a video copy of the John Andrews safety film. As soon as I've digitised it, I will post it on you tube. The chap playing the cadet is a friend of mine. His dad was the pilot in the film and the boss of the AEF. "John" became a photographer in the RAF and is now a bus driver!

[Dora-9]

Here's some "eye-candy", they're all (ex) RAF Chipmunks (that's if you ignore the Mk.21 at the back):







These have all appeared before, but from front to rear:

VH-MMS (WG478)
VH-SSJ (WK507)
VH-KMF (WK555)
VH-DBS

[India Four Two]

Dora-9,

Lovely pictures. Was the camera ship also a Chippie?

Would have been better if WK507 (UBAS aircraft) was in the foreground.

Are you flying over Bribie Island?

[India Four Two]

While checking out DW's video again, I came across a gem. It's a short flight at Downsview in 2006, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Chipmunk. The pilot is George Neal, who was a DHC test pilot and was in his late 80s when he piloted this flight:



It's a shame that the photographer didn't think to get some shots of George and the whole aircraft. However, more information about the event here:
Cross Country - Wings & Wheels Heritage Festival celebrates - Canadian Owners and Pilots Association

Unfortunately the picture link is dead.

There is a recent thread on the Canada forum about George. He is now in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest active pilot - 96 years old!
http://www.pprune.org/canada/563290-george-neal.html

[Dora-9]

I42:

An Aeronca as camera ship, and over (you're correct) Bribie Island.

If you look carefully at the middle photo you can see the thought balloon coming out of my head: "just how much further over the water is he taking us?"

[Dora-9]

Rear seat max weight

I came across this in the front of the 700, showing the method of calculation for the max weight in the rear seat:



Interesting that the Mk.22 AFM gives a max wt of 250 lbs.

Dan Winterland, I looked for your signature, all I could find were scribbled initials. What does the term "SNOW" mean?

This log is for 1993-1995. The last few entries are quite sad, as WG478 is stripped of components prior to disposal. Starting on 10.5.1995:
"Starter, breech & barrel assy removed".
"Oil tank robbed."
"Propellor removed for return to supply system"
"Port & Stbd flaps removed for return to supply system"
"Canopy assy removed..."
"Tailplane removed..."
"Port & Stbd mainplanes removed..."
"Voltage reg removed.."
"Oil tank removed..."
etc

When I purchased my box of bits in late 1996 it was a real jumble; WG478's fuselage (with a damaged fin), WP805's wings (with the fabric in a dire state), a brand-new tailplane etc. There was nothing forward of the firewall save for the oil tank (again seemingly brand-new), the cowlings and a time-expired engine (but not the one WG478 ended her RAF service with - overhauling this turned into quite an effort).
I had to source a new propeller, spinner, engine frames and all the engine accessories.

It was very much a mixed bag, although to be fair to the seller it was exactly as he'd described.

[CoffmanStarter]

Morning Gents ...

Dora-9 ...

I reckon it won't be too long before we have enough material to publish a Vol 2 of a certain book just dealing with the RAF Form 700

SNOW = Serial Number Of Work. The SNOW is a 4-digit number which runs consecutively up to a maximum of 9999, before recommencement at 0001, irrespective of when scheduled maintenance occurs.

No I'm not that sad ... I looked it up

http://maa.tools.mod.uk/linkedfiles/...RAF)(C17A).pdf

[CoffmanStarter]

Dan ...

Thanks for that

Come to think of it with your memory 'jogger' ... it was a Bulldog incident.

[India Four Two]

An Aeronca as camera ship, and over (you're correct) Bribie Island.

If you look carefully at the middle photo you can see the thought balloon coming out of my head: "just how much further over the water is he taking us?"

I'm glad it wasn't another Chipmunk. Missing out on a five-ship photo would have been unforgiveable.

I have to say I did look to see if you were wearing life jackets. Your back seater seems to be looking wistfully at the shore!

By the way, nice formation, for a bunch of civvies!

[Dan Winterland]

Dora 9 - my signature is illegible. I'll send you a copy when I get back to HK. I'll also send you the scans of my logbooks from that period so you can match them if you ever get bored enough. The RAF engineering system used to keep samples of our signatures because of our signatures because of people like me.

The state of 478 sounds like a nightmare. She was the quickest in the fleet at EFTS, but if all you have of her is the fuselage, I can understand why she isn't as quick now. The rigging is everything on the Chippy and the expertise of the engineers at Swinderby got her perfect for the air racing. Her engine was one of the best too.

[Dora-9]

She was the quickest in the fleet at EFTS, but if all you have of her is the fuselage, I can understand why she isn't as quick now. The rigging is everything on the Chippy

Mumble, mutter, mumble. I went on an 800 nm trip in company with SSJ, and it became glaringly obvious something is amiss. At 2100 rpm (and we've already done the looking through the prop arc trick to confirm both tachos read the same) he indicates 5 knots more than me, and will slowly draw away until, with much gnashing of my teeth*, disappears out of view. After 2 hours he'll be 12 miles ahead, and gets a GPS GS 5/6 knots greater than mine.

*I should stress here that I have a psychological problem with being overtaken, as anyone who has driven with me on the motorway will attest.

Both engines are newly top overhauled and both props are at the coarse pitch limit - climbing at full throttle and 70 KIAS gives us the same (2150) rpm. But there's something funny with the rigging - I seem to need a small amount of left rudder and right aileron to fly S & L, the rudder deflection is apparent in the earlier formation photos.

A set of rigging boards are on the way from DHSL as we write...

[CoffmanStarter]

Originally Posted by Dora-9

I should stress here that I have a psychological problem with being overtaken, as anyone who has driven with me on the motorway will attest.

That's the spirit Dora !

[India Four Two]

Further to my post about George Neal, I found an article about him, which includes a picture of George and his Chipmunk, with an amphib Turbo-Beaver in the background as a bonus

See my post here:
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post9024702

[CoffmanStarter]

I was looking through my collection of Chipmunk papers today ... and came across some press cuttings from 1997 covering the 'Northern Venture' Expeditionary Flight. I thought they might be of interest ... That's eighteen years ago that all this took place !



Image Credit : Daily Telegraph





Image Credit : The Saturday Times (Both Above)



Image Credit : The Times

Squadron Leader(s) Tony Cowan (Leader), Ced Hughes, Bill Purchase and Tony Severs.

I don't know if it's still possible to obtain copies ... but there were two books published covering the expedition.

"Around The World At 90 Kts" - The Chipmunk Circumnavigation by S/L Bill Purchase MBE

"Chipmunks Around The World" - A Royal Air Force Expeditionary Flight by S/L(s) Cowan, Purchase and Hughes

Sadly I don't have copies of these books

Confirmation Details of the flight by S/L Cowan.

Northan Venture

A little more background as recorded by the RAF Museum against WP962

RAF Museum Chipmunk WP962 Service History