One for the maintainers, hardest job you have done
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,021
Received 2,902 Likes
on
1,243 Posts
Longer Ron has it right, the metal shaft was to the end of the wooden handle, this meant you could hit it with a hammer without damage to the handle.
Unless you were slightly wayward, in which case the wood was liable to shatter.
The modern yellow plastic handled ones are much better, but somehow not 'the real thing'!
Unless you were slightly wayward, in which case the wood was liable to shatter.
The modern yellow plastic handled ones are much better, but somehow not 'the real thing'!
Little things... pilots minds
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,021
Received 2,902 Likes
on
1,243 Posts
Gouldie, when 20 Sqn Jags disbanded we were allowed to help ourselves to the tools as they would be scrapped, didn't bother myself and left the mob with no ex RAF tools, I then bought at considerable expense a load of new tools and kit to start out my Civi career, only to find a lot of them had the bloody crows foot on 
Tonka trauma
When on 16 for my one and only time on fast jets the job nobody wanted as a sooty was changing the LP Cock Actuator, a relatively simple task if it hadn't had the rest of the aircraft built round it! We had one JT on the shift who we reckoned was a genetic freak as he could get his arm in to the space and change the actuator without having to dismantle half the bay, guess who normally got the job.
Thule prop and Engine change
Spent four days at Thule on a Prop and Engine change during one winter as a G/E, the hangar floor was permafrost which had melted so the was a slope towards the middle of the hangar, result aircraft not level, engine on crane level, further result, get one engine bearer bolt in and let the engine pivot about that to get the other top bolt in and then lever the bottom of the engine in to get the bottom bolts in.
After the engine change was complete we had to taxi onto the runway for the runs so Captain, Eng, Self and SVC start up and taxi out, remember this was winter so grand total of about 2 hours daylight and it wasn't, positioned on runway with clearance for two hours as nothing due in and ground runs commenced. At some point during the run, every body heads in watching the gauges, the SVC commented that the lights outside were moving and so they were! Herc on full chat engine runs with brakes on versus coefficient of friction of icy runway meant Albert was slowly sliding down the runway, good job somebody noticed before we hit anything, could have been very embarrassing.
The high point of the trip was that the Yanks used to fly in a stripper to entertain the guys, she came in while we were there and fell over on the way in from the aircraft and sprained her ankle so badly she couldn't perform but just socialised for the week she was there!
After the engine change was complete we had to taxi onto the runway for the runs so Captain, Eng, Self and SVC start up and taxi out, remember this was winter so grand total of about 2 hours daylight and it wasn't, positioned on runway with clearance for two hours as nothing due in and ground runs commenced. At some point during the run, every body heads in watching the gauges, the SVC commented that the lights outside were moving and so they were! Herc on full chat engine runs with brakes on versus coefficient of friction of icy runway meant Albert was slowly sliding down the runway, good job somebody noticed before we hit anything, could have been very embarrassing.
The high point of the trip was that the Yanks used to fly in a stripper to entertain the guys, she came in while we were there and fell over on the way in from the aircraft and sprained her ankle so badly she couldn't perform but just socialised for the week she was there!
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Hants
Age: 80
Posts: 370
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SVC
I note that SVC as a member of crew has been mentioned a couple of times. I don't recall having one of those in the crew of the Vulcan!
What is an SVC please?
ACW
What is an SVC please?
ACW
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, New York, Paris, Moscow.
Posts: 3,632
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"Some of the Yellow ones also had the shaft all the way through the handle too, it was also square shafted to facilitate an adjustable spanner for extra grolliness.. the nice thing about the yellow ones was that by holding the screwdriver by the blade you could throw it like a throwing knife at the ground in front of you, the thing would strike the ground on its handle base and bounce back up into your waiting hand as you walked towards it..."
We were formally warned about this practice after some fairy tried it and "stabbed" himself in he hand, changed days indeed, 3 months earlier on the F4 version of the SQDN you would have never even considered admitting such a event....
We were formally warned about this practice after some fairy tried it and "stabbed" himself in he hand, changed days indeed, 3 months earlier on the F4 version of the SQDN you would have never even considered admitting such a event....
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Canterbury, New Zealand
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yellow GS
An ongoing competition on Nimrod Line, many moons ago, was to throw the GS into the air and get the maximum number of end over end rotations before catching it. All stopped when a certain sooty managed 17 followed by spearing his hand 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Luton UK
Age: 83
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Now back too that wonderful tool, the wooden handled GS. Used for everything, including killing rats ! 60 Sqn line Tengah circa 60, Meteor 14's. Just completed the B/F out jumps a rat and legs it across the ramp. Sootie grabs said GS , hurles it at the rat, and spears it to the ground!! Many uses for this tool!
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Just south of the Keevil gap.
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
GS screwdriver
Funnily enough, I came across this forgotten item at the bottom of an old toolbox last week. This is what I've always called a GS screwdriver.
Cue comments re. state of it etc..
Cue comments re. state of it etc..
