Ten worst British Aircraft.
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Interesting list.
The mention of the Scimitar agrees with my dad.
He flew them plus Buccaneers and Hunters etc
"It was the most fun aircraft ever made. Guns, Rockets, Nuclear bombs, 6G till you ran out of fuel and all piloted by a lone Midshipman off an aircraft carrier. Utterly useless at all roles and brilliant."
.....and he crashed one which seems to agree with the writer too.
The mention of the Scimitar agrees with my dad.
He flew them plus Buccaneers and Hunters etc
"It was the most fun aircraft ever made. Guns, Rockets, Nuclear bombs, 6G till you ran out of fuel and all piloted by a lone Midshipman off an aircraft carrier. Utterly useless at all roles and brilliant."
.....and he crashed one which seems to agree with the writer too.
The Fairey Battle. Built to Spec P27/32. A single engine light bomber with a crew of 3. It was under powered, slow and lacked defensive firepower. The then CAS, Sir Edward Ellington directed that no more Battles were to be ordered in December 1936 - before it entered squadron service.
137 Battles were lost in the early stages of WW2 in France from the 10 Battle squadrons deployed.
137 Battles were lost in the early stages of WW2 in France from the 10 Battle squadrons deployed.
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What, no Brabazon? Ahhh military.... you never said that 
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Wot no Defiant?
With you on that...
Not only did Percival's P.74 look like a pig, it comprehensively proved the old adage that 'Pigs can't fly'.... With everything set to maximum noise and up-ness, it just sat there shuddering and grunting, displaying no ambition to leave the ground.
Worst RAF aircraft I've flown? The loathsome Jetstream T Mk 1.
Worst RAF aircraft I've flown? The loathsome Jetstream T Mk 1.
Surprised to see the Sea Vixen I that list. I used to work with an ex FAA observer who had nothing but praise for the Vixen and not a lot of praise for the Buccaneer S1. Mind you his opinions had a lot to do with the fact that he'd never had the need to eject from a Vixen but he had from the Bucc.
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Tornado F2.
Radar (when it eventually arrived) best at picking up weather returns. Constant reheat and throt warnings from mechanical engine controls. TD box in the HUD that was smaller than the target!
Radar (when it eventually arrived) best at picking up weather returns. Constant reheat and throt warnings from mechanical engine controls. TD box in the HUD that was smaller than the target!
Then there was the Gloster Javelin. Engage reheat at altitude and it slowed down - it had the distinction of being the world's first all-weather non-aerobatic fighter....
BEagle,
So perhaps the Javelin should have been an IMC fighter rather than an all weather one! Interestingly, the F-101 also slowed down when you first engaged reheat (only flew against one, never in one).
27mm,
I am not disagreeing with you but with respect to the F2 and "Constant reheat and throt warnings from mechanical engine controls", the engines and MECUs were the same as on the GR1 and the same that the GR4 still has.
So perhaps the Javelin should have been an IMC fighter rather than an all weather one! Interestingly, the F-101 also slowed down when you first engaged reheat (only flew against one, never in one).
27mm,
I am not disagreeing with you but with respect to the F2 and "Constant reheat and throt warnings from mechanical engine controls", the engines and MECUs were the same as on the GR1 and the same that the GR4 still has.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Percival P.74
Wot no Defiant? The best 1918 fighter ever built?
Thank you, Beverley.
Whilst still in RAF training I had an indulgence flight to Malta and back seated in the tail boom of a Beverley. The experience confirmed my decision to avoid large piston-engined aircraft if at all possible.