What oddballs have you flown or been flown in?
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Adding an engine
Anyone notice that I've now added an engine to the J52 in the OP. I've often wondered what that funny twirly thing on the front was!
Rgds SOS
Rgds SOS
Last edited by SOSL; 11th Mar 2013 at 13:19.
Army Scout out of Nicosia, Comet IV ditto, Britannia seated backwards, Topcliffe Varsity, Beverley.
Shows my age nicely.
Shows my age nicely.
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Got a Flight in this Crate at the age of 11 on the 1st January 1975
Not unusual granted but it was the Aircraft HRH Prince Charles learned how to scare the sh1t out of instructors in
Not unusual granted but it was the Aircraft HRH Prince Charles learned how to scare the sh1t out of instructors in
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Not a pilot but had some fun as a passenger.
1st flight ever was in a Comet C4 XR398 (1972), later I flew in the same airframe but as G-BDIW (1978). Only time as the same a/c and different ID's.
Also has some pax time in Chipmunk WK518, now with the BBMF (1977).
DC-3 G-AMCA, sitting on mailbags in the back from East Midlands to Gatwick.
1st flight ever was in a Comet C4 XR398 (1972), later I flew in the same airframe but as G-BDIW (1978). Only time as the same a/c and different ID's.
Also has some pax time in Chipmunk WK518, now with the BBMF (1977).
DC-3 G-AMCA, sitting on mailbags in the back from East Midlands to Gatwick.
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I'd never heard of a Fauvel Flying Wing, but there's a picture of it here:
RAFGSA Fauvel Flying Wing Glider
STH
RAFGSA Fauvel Flying Wing Glider
STH
I thought a C-47 was a vintage aircraft, until our charter ride out of Vung-Tau (S Vietnam in '79) was a C-46 (Curtis Commando) with a suspiciously oil stained starboard wing. Single pilot operation. I asked if I could ride along in the right hand seat, and the pilot said he was looking foir a volunteer to back up the throttle friction on take-off. Delighted to do so. After take off, which took most of the available runway and reaching 500 ft, the pilot started progessively throttling back the no 2 engine and winding on left rudder trim. Once stabilised at 1,000 ft we crossed the gulf of Thailand and then tracked down the Malaysian East coast where he let me fly it until we arrived in circuit for Seletar.
Otherwise the only oddballs are RAFGSA gliders like the Gull 1 and Rheinhart Cumulus.
As an ATC cadet, I had a fair number of hours in Lincoln, Hastings, Beverley and Comet 4 as well as the obligatory Chipmunk and Piston Provost, but didn't fly in anything particularly interesting while in the RAF.
From deepestsouth's post I can identify the 1* and possibly DS - there were a lot of people around that day. Oh how we laughed.
Otherwise the only oddballs are RAFGSA gliders like the Gull 1 and Rheinhart Cumulus.
As an ATC cadet, I had a fair number of hours in Lincoln, Hastings, Beverley and Comet 4 as well as the obligatory Chipmunk and Piston Provost, but didn't fly in anything particularly interesting while in the RAF.
From deepestsouth's post I can identify the 1* and possibly DS - there were a lot of people around that day. Oh how we laughed.
I had the joy, whilst a member of Four Counties RAFGSA at Syerston, to fly Tony Povey's T45 Swallow. I can't remember why he let me fly it, but he was not best pleased with me finding a stubble fire and keeping it "afloat" for nearly 30 minutes. I spent longer cleaning it. Lightning T5 with Henry Ploszek out of Akrotiri, circa 1974 had to be the bees knees for the pond life that I was.
Smudge
Smudge
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Going back to "Short Trouser Days" ... has anyone hopped in one of these on the end of a bungee ? Never got the chance myself 
Confucius say ... You want fly young glasshopper
Confucius say ... You want fly young glasshopper
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 11th Mar 2013 at 20:00.
C-S,you`ll need your bicycle clips for that one,and a `flat-cap`...
As oddballs go this is what I fly most wekends, only 18 ever built and G-VIZZ the sole UK example, Sportavia-Putz RS180 Sportsman
[img]Photograph of Aircraft G-VIZZ[/img]
[img]Photograph of Aircraft G-VIZZ[/img]
Last edited by N.HEALD; 11th Mar 2013 at 20:23.
As an ATC cadet, a few flights in a T-31.
Soloed aged 15 in a Rhonlerche.
Other slightly oddball a/c since then (flown, or flown in) include the Airtourer (several versions - they were built in my homeland), Beagle Pup (only one in the country) Piel Emeraude, Devon, Chipmunk, and a few Bristol Freighters (got to have a play, once.)
Does an R22 count?
Soloed aged 15 in a Rhonlerche.
Other slightly oddball a/c since then (flown, or flown in) include the Airtourer (several versions - they were built in my homeland), Beagle Pup (only one in the country) Piel Emeraude, Devon, Chipmunk, and a few Bristol Freighters (got to have a play, once.)
Does an R22 count?
He surely was, I think OC B Flight on 56 when I was there. I also flew with him in a Bulldog when he was the Unit test Pilot on the Jags at Abingdon. A smashing bloke if ever there was one.
Smudge
Smudge
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Oddities
Can claim the following oddities, Primary at Bicester along with the Windrushers before it became the RAFGSA in 1958, the Fauvel flying wing (when it belonged to the Rhine Army Gliding Club) did my 5 hours Silver C in it at Dunstable as well !! that was bum numbing, Avro York, King Husseins Airspeed Ambassador, C82 Packet, Helio Courier, Mk1 Jet Provost (long legged one) back of a French Skyraider & JU52 out of Djibouti, Heinkel 111 (ok the CASA variant) Wildenrath, T28 Trojan at Chino, then back of P51, Grace Spitfire, B25 Grumpy, Duxford , Broussard, plus about another 150 types through 40 years of aviation scrounging, Paul H, Bicester.