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Ten worst British Aircraft.

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Ten worst British Aircraft.

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Old 6th Mar 2016, 22:17
  #101 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Sevarg
What about the Valiant, the only aircraft with an engine life longer than the airframe. Good value?
Valiant XD818 which is now at Cosford used to be on display outside at Ops at Marham. Sometime in the 70s they took her four Avons out of her and flogged them to the Swiss for their Hunters. So we got a bit of money back!
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Old 7th Mar 2016, 08:40
  #102 (permalink)  
 
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When the last Nimrod that went in because of **** practices on maintenance (120 sqn crew 3 ) I shed a tear. Because of those bad practises and crap design of the airborne refuelling system, the Nimrod became the worst aeroplane in my service career.
I agree about the "crap design", but what were the "**** practices on maintenance"?

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Old 7th Mar 2016, 08:48
  #103 (permalink)  
 
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Shack 37 - absolutely not. I think we had some of the best groundcrew ever and list many as life long friends. Sometimes I think they were given ridiculous
tasks to modify the aeroplanes often at a whim.

Last edited by 5aday; 7th Mar 2016 at 10:05.
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Old 7th Mar 2016, 13:16
  #104 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Tankertrashnav
Valiant XD818 which is now at Cosford used to be on display outside at Ops at Marham. Sometime in the 70s they took her four Avons out of her and flogged them to the Swiss for their Hunters. So we got a bit of money back!
I remember the gales of 1976/77 at Marham. The Valiant was so light it actually strained the chains holding it down, thankfully the tanks were still intact, they filled it with fuel to keep it on the ground. That same night a bomb-scare was caused by the tip-tank of a Canberra falling off and being blown into the main-road. Sorry about the thread creep, memories are flooding back.
ABS
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Old 7th Mar 2016, 17:28
  #105 (permalink)  
 
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Agreed. I flew Key Publishing's 206 several times, but in fairness never near MAUW. Good handling and great FoV - ergonomics poor though. I always remember how as the oil pressures came up post-start the oil pressure gauge needles swept out of sight.....
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Old 7th Mar 2016, 19:34
  #106 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
How about the Anson replacement, the Bassett, to ferry a V-bomber crew to a dispersal. Add a nav, a VIP toilet, and you finish up with an aircraft that dug its props in the taxiway and needed two aircraft to do the job.
The Basset didn't need a heavy load to dig its props in; Bovingdon had an undulating main runway and they did it virtually from when the first one was delivered.
I was told by a guy who worked for Shorts (who had the contract for ground support) that they simply cut a piece off the prop blades as they were delivered but somehow I don't think that's true.
About my last 'encounter' with the type (a civilian 206) was Roly Beamont departing from Brooklands one day (back in '75) ; his first call to Farnborough was 'I'm going to have to land with you, one of my propellors has fallen off'!
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Old 7th Mar 2016, 20:47
  #107 (permalink)  
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Chevvron, wasn't it Brian Trubshaw who lost the 206 prop departing Brooklands?
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Old 7th Mar 2016, 21:07
  #108 (permalink)  
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Chevron, it was certainly what was said at the time, no worries about balancing apparently.bY
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Old 8th Mar 2016, 11:26
  #109 (permalink)  
 
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5aday
Apologies for misunderstanding your post.
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Old 8th Mar 2016, 18:06
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A common strand?

Since Blackburn seems to crop up quite a bit in this thread, how about these legendary products of that company?

The Blackburn Blackburn:

http://stringbagsandrattleboxes.devh...ad/gjiu6tt.jpg

The Blackburn Overstrand:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Overstrand.jpg

The Blackburn Sidestrand:

http://www.aviationancestry.co.uk/Hu...-1929-6967.jpg

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Old 8th Mar 2016, 18:33
  #111 (permalink)  
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LBP, Bolton-Paul surely?

Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 8th Mar 2016 at 19:06.
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Old 8th Mar 2016, 20:09
  #112 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
LBP, Bolton-Paul surely?
Agreed, PN. Apologies for thread drift but as the Sidestrand and Overstrand have been mentioned, they recall the BCH campaign to preserve RAF Bicester where both types equipped 101 Squadron. For their time they provided a stable bombing platform, with the latter sporting an enclosed turret. This is a page from "RAF Bicester 1917-1995" in which is described a rather inventive system for determining drop wind velocity, and hence the DS solution for practice bombing training on the airfield IP. I wonder if Messrs Tate and Lyle had any idea of the crucial part their tins played in our defence?



Sorry, for those searching in vain for Syrup Tins, I had inadvertently posted the wrong page. The above is the right one (I hope!)

Last edited by Chugalug2; 8th Mar 2016 at 22:21. Reason: Wrong page of book
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Old 9th Mar 2016, 14:36
  #113 (permalink)  
 
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Oops

PN

You are of course absolutely correct. The embarassing part is that I actually searched for Boulton Paul Over/Sidestrand images and then got caught up with the whole Blackburn thing, one thing led to another and here we are

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Old 9th Mar 2016, 19:46
  #114 (permalink)  
 
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During the Battle of France in 1940 a Fairey Battle pilot was asked about the qualities of his aircraft and replied "A lovely aeroplane to go to lunch in"

Nuff said!
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Old 9th Mar 2016, 20:04
  #115 (permalink)  
 
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Not a bad flying a/c as such and I'm not one to dent icons but does anyone else find Tiger Moth seats the most uncomfortable in the world? Never flown anything where I've had to visit a chiropractor the next day, and I jest not. I was in agony when I climbed/fell out.
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Old 9th Mar 2016, 20:57
  #116 (permalink)  
 
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I never had a problem in the Tiger (as far as I can remember) but the Cadet Mk3 Glider (Slingsby T31) rear seat could beat anything in terms of back pain.

ACW
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Old 9th Mar 2016, 21:31
  #117 (permalink)  
 
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ACW

I will second that............ A true pain in the but !
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Old 8th Apr 2020, 10:49
  #118 (permalink)  
 
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Aircraft not needed

Now that just about every aircraft that has flown since the war has been nominated, how about aircraft that did see service and shouldn't have done. I nominate the Saunders Roe Skeeter.
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Old 8th Apr 2020, 10:53
  #119 (permalink)  
 
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Sepecat Jaguar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 8th Apr 2020, 11:01
  #120 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Boslandew
Now that just about every aircraft that has flown since the war has been nominated, how about aircraft that did see service and shouldn't have done. I nominate the Saunders Roe Skeeter.
I guess the Supermarine Swift might qualify. But they were early days post WW2...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Swift
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