Cam was that in 1985? I remember seeing that, and watching the canopies come off and a very smooth landing all things considered. Was one of the pilots the incoming station CO?

Not taking the piss but has nobody thought of putting a dead rope steel cable between the front and aft connectors?

You could even be fancy and run a hydraulic sensor up the middle of it and when it pulls tight when the pin sheers it will ring a bell. If you put the cable over a pully it will sound the alarm when it breaks pushing and pulling.

Or would that just spoil the fun?

Dan,
It would have been around '85, but can't be precise...I've slept since then. And, yes, I do believe the incoming Groupie was one of the participants...however, see clause one above.

Mad Jock,
Either or both of your ideas make perfect sense. I can't comment on the tow bars in use today, but I don't remember anything sensible like your ideas in use. Maybe there was but I was just in attentive.

Camlobe

I recall the RAF banned this procedure after a civilian contractor managed to push a hangar door off its rails. The door fell on him, his tractor and one of his colleagues, who was working on a Chipmunk at the time. The hangar door flattened the lot of them.

Another one #3
 

Shy's comment reminds me of the following.

Panic detachment to investigate and recover a Shack at Topcliffe. Linton (or was it Leeming) supplied and delivered a tractor and power set. We arrived after an eight hour trip in a four-speed Sherpa, no doubt the worst piece of MT ever.

At the time, Topcliffe was an army base with a small aviation contingent, JEFTS (Joint Elementary Flying Training Squadron), the starting point for RAF and RN pilots.

Linton had towed our Shack into JEFTS hangar, which was then filled up with their Bulldogs. Needless to say, our kite was at the end of the hangar with the hangar doors that hadn't been used for decades. Parked by the Shack was the tractor and power set.

Camlobe needs to get the Shack out and ground run the suspect engine to confirm his phone diagnosis. Problems are, the hangar doors are seized, the power set is huge and in the back of a Bedford 8-tonner, and the tractor is a Tug, and Linton Mt will take at least an hour to get to us.

The rules say, we can't use MT on hangar doors; I can't drive the 8-tonner as I don't have it specified on my RAF driving licence; and, although I am a towing instructor and examiner, I most definitely do not have Tug on my licence.

For the only time in my career, I issue a direct order...to my team to assist me and I state most clearly that it is my decision and my decision alone, and if it turns to a can of worms, I'll carry the can solo. To a man, they have no qualms about what was going to happen next, safe in the knowledge that their careers will be intact.

The Tug was used successfully to open and close the seized doors three times in total, and a considerable amount of paint was transferred from Tug to doors.

We had the aircraft back on line following an engine change, and everyone pleased with the result.

Except for OC MT at Linton.

Upon return to base, I went straight to SENGO's office and fully briefed him of events, warts and all. I emphasised the point that the team were merely following my direct orders, and no blame or fault should be attributed to them. When he asked why I made the decisions I did, I stated I was doing my best to ensure we could continue to meet our 'Q' commitment in the safest and quickest manner.

Over the next couple of weeks, SENGO would call and ask " so you had no licence for the tug?' 'No, sir'. 'And you used the tug for opening and closing the hangar doors?' 'Yes, sir'. 'And you knew that was wrong?' 'Yes, sir'. 'Hmmm'. In Cyprus a couple of weeks later. "Camlobe, SENGO on the phone". Questions once again same as above. Then silence. I never heard another thing again. I had expected a severe punishment for my serious transgressions, but nothing.

A year later, I was I/C Doomwatch. One of the lads found the Squadron Occurance folder that had been left on the debrief desk by mistake. "Hey, camlobe, you're in here". Who ME? Sure enough, the whole episode described above was in graphic detail. The Linton OC MT wanted my blood. Even Lossiemouth OC Eng Wing wanted my blood. And he gave SENGO a hard time.

SENGO backed me to the hilt without reservation. This was the first I knew. Mike Duguid, I still owe you many beers and fine malts for that one.

Camlobe

P.S. No one ever asked or fussed about me using the Tug to tow the Shack in and out of the hangar or driving the 8-tonner. Proof that paintwork is more important than rules???

Camlobe,

A classic if ever I read one. Sometimes the old "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." Really rings true. Your SENGO obviously backed the correct horse, and good to know there was no comeback.

Smudge:ok:

I know that this is supposed to be 'military' stories and anecdotes, but all my aviation experiences are from the civil world. A few 'towing' and 'pushback' events that I either witnessed, or was involved in (in a minor fashion) ...

Towing team detailed to move an airliner from a stand/gate at the terminal to remote parking as it won't be required for the rest of the day. Towing team tow the wrong aircraft ... two identical aircraft on adjacent stands, and they picked the wrong one! Red faces.

Notified of an aircraft arriving shortly and has indications of a hydraulic failure. The plan is, they will stop on the runway and a towing-team will connect the bar and tow the aircraft to the stand. The towing team are waiting near where I am working, so I spend some time chatting with them while they explain how it will all happen. Aircraft lands, and one of them says (checking his bit of paper) "that's the one we're here for". At which point I advise them that they've bought the wrong tow-bar for the aircraft. Red faces.

Sitting in our crew-room when there is a very loud and sudden 'b-o-o-o-m!' and the whole place suddenly goes quiet. Everybody does their best meerkat impression and heads for the nearest door to see what's happened. No smoke or visible signs of damage, but there is an aircraft half-way through its push-back which is now stopped mid-taxiway.
During pushback, just as they're about to start the turn, a tyre burst on the tug. A big 70-tonne brute, with tyres nearly 6-feet across. Not sure what tyre-pressure it was, but it was loud. I suspect that the ground engineer needed a change of under-crackers.

What the eye doesn't see......
 

camlobe,

In '56, as "Talkdown" on the old MPN-1 Radar, I regularly drove the 8-ton AEC "Matador" which carried the Lister generator set for the Radar truck, to which it was coupled and which it hauled round the airfield.

I had no instruction whatever in driving this vehicle, no HGV licence, so no endorsement on my RAF Driving Licence, (which would have been difficult in any case, as I didn't have one :sad:). I had a civvie one, though, so I suppose that was all right so long as I wasn't on a public road. And everybody in ATC drove our landrover with or without a RAF Licence. Life was simple in those times.

So they wouldn't let me take it on the road ? (Wouldn't be too sure about that either !)

Your SENGO sounds the "Right Stuff". Pity we didn't have more like him (bet he was an old Fitter 1 (E) or (A)).

Happy Days..Danny.

Another one #4
 

The French trip
We land at a French Naval air station populated with Breguet Atlantique and Breguet Alize aircraft. Following ATC instructions, we taxy along a tree-lined taxyway watching our wingtips with great care as the trees don't look far enough away. Eventually, we are confronted by a marshaller. He brings us forward, stops us...and then gives the marshalling signal for...reverse. After a team laugh, the Crew Chief de-planes and has the most animated, hand-waving, same-words-with-raised-voice conversation with the marshaller. Crew Chief climbs back on board and advised the front end that the locals would like us to park in the very nice and pretty, tree-surrounded pan just to our right. The captain, the venerable and larger-than-life B###s H####n, decides he can manoeuvre us around and in. Most of us disagree, but as he outranks everyone else on board, round we go. The French welcoming committee is enlarging by the second, perhaps because none of them have ever seen a Shackleton before, or maybe waiting for les Anglaise to muck it up.

The Boss does an excellent job of getting us into the pan, but as we are now facing the wrong way, he does his best to swing us round the right way. Due to the closely bordering trees, we stop after loosing three static wicks, oh, and the wildly cross-arms waving of the Crew Chief. I hand down the undercarriage locks and climb down the ladder...to see the starboard mainwheel visably sinking into the Tarmac.

Without a moments pause, I climb on board and accost the boss. "Look Boss, the aircraft is sinking into the Tarmac. You speak fluent French! I need a tractor and towing arm RIGHT NOW". With all due credit, the Boss recovers from the shock of my rather forceful interruption, meets the head French fish head and requests tractor and towing arm and points to the disappearing mainwheel. The French are now embarrassed hosts, and with great rapidity organise both.

As most of us know, France wasn't part of NATO. When the combo turn up, the only available towing arm is for an Atlantique. Lightweight aluminium, short, and non-compatable with our home-grown NATO-compatable axle pin which slots through the middle of the tail wheels. The Crew Chief Al, the SGT rigger Del, and myself rapidly break down the towing arm, reverse a bit here, upside down a bit there, and voila, it will fit. Now for the tractor. And it is a tractor. An agricultural tractor. With twin rear wheels. I get the Boss to translate "I will tow". I don't think he translated the rest of my stressed message which went along the lines of "I'm not having some garlic-smelling foreigner ripping the tail wheel out of this aircraft in his enthusiasm to impress us with his Paris taxi driver antics". Well, I had seen him arrive with the Renault.

Del had placed a large chock in front of the mainwheel in an attempt to arrest the rate of sinkage. We all briefed what I was going to attempt. I would gently pull and ease back, then try and pull a bit more etc etc in order to try and rock the mainwheel out of its resting place. There was absolutely no room for any error on my part as there wasn't a sheer pin in the towing arm, and no tension spring, so all inputs from the tractor would be directed onto the tail wheel leg and surrounding structure.

In for a penny...feeling for the bite on the clutch and then take up load. Back off and try a bit more...then the tractor wheels spun. It just didn't have enough mass to pull the Shack. I explain the problem to the Boss who translates. Three minutes later, a small aircraft tug arrives. It was a similar size to the small American machines used to move F4's, about half the weight of our Shack. But it had to be better than the Renault. Problem was, this single-seater cab already had an occupant, and he wasn't going to get out. So I forced him into the corner, and we tried the rocking trick. This tug had an automatic gearbox which is fine for a smooth take-up, but lacked the precise feel needed in this situation. So, with the greatest trepidation, I started pulling, with my other foot resting on the brake to prevent any rollback. The tugs engine note increased, the tow bar creaked, the Shack groaned, and camlobe sweated. A bit more..."it's moved" from Del, who jams his chock in a bit further. A bit more rocking..."it's moved again". Al is concentrating on the tail wheel leg, and look, he's sweating too. I'm terrified I'm going to pull the leg out. Maybe I should ease off. Maybe there is another way. "It's moved again, it's going, it's going" and it's out. The feeling of relief was indescribable. I wasn't responsible for causing Cat 4 damage to one of her Majesty's aircraft. I straighten up the aircraft on the pan, give my towing 'partner' his tractor back, the French decide to leave the tow bar with us for the duration, and the Boss and crew leave to enjoy some French hospitality. Del does a most detailed inspection of the tail wheel leg and surrounding structure and proclaims everything in excellent health. Thank you Mr Chadwick, you built them well.

The reason why the mainwheel sank through the Tarmac was due to a culvert below that collapsed under the weight of half a Shack. The depression left by the mainwheel was around 6 inches deep.

That evening, we are gathered in the bar of the hotel drinking far more than is responsible. The bar closes, so the Boss insists we retire to his room and continue. After a few minutes of this, the porter knocks and quietly advises us the 90 year old lady next door is not amused. We move to another room and continue. The Boss and I are discussing the 'event' when he slurs " you know" he chuckles, " I did the same thing here 20 years ago in Mk III"

Happy daze.

Camlobe

The 3 speed Bedford CF took some beating LOL on a drive from Brawdy to Colt to recover a hawk... I had to wear ear defs on the dual cabbageways :).
Of course prior to that - the Austin J4 - then JU250 were pretty crap.

Just remembered - on the 3 speed CF - reverse was where first gear is normally on the gate...outstanding safety feature ...well done vauxhall :ok:

Ah - Mike Duguid: he of the Hundustani Granny song. Yes,one of the best: A very sensible head on broad shoulders.

Wasn't that the one that you could fry eggs on the engine cover between the seats after a long run?

Sherpas, we took one around the Banked track at Brooklands :) hanging on for dear life..

I remember going to Salisbury Plain in a Bedford RL, as we drove along at warp factor nought you could here this rattling chinking noise, we both looked at each other and shrugged, arriving and getting out my fearless driver found the noise was caused by all the coins in his combat trouser pockets falling out and dissapearing through a hole in the floor, he lost quite a bit of money lol.

The discussion on shear pins brings back memories.
Late 70's bombing comp at Lossie. Laarbruch's folding wing bombers operating out of the navy hangar where the exit is immediately up an incline. At the hangar door threshold is a drainage channel where the grating is not level with either the hangar floor or the sloping taxiway. The navy have given us a tractor. Not your usual RAF line type but a Massey Ferguson original, probably made even before M & F actually met each other. The trick was to get enough speed on the tractor/Bucc combo to get up the slope but not so much as you jumped the nosewheel on the threshold.
One morning when I thought I'd really got the hang of it, first two aircraft out and two shearpins worked exactly as advertised. Navy chief takes pity and says "you'll never do it with one of those (insert derogatory adjective here) RAF towbars, use one of ours".
The navy towbar was exactly the same as ours, at the nosewheel end. Tractor end was different. Bolted welded and very, very solid. Given what had just happened I said I couldn't use that as the weak link was now the nose leg. Chiefy reminds me Blackburn milled their aircraft out of solid and pilots have been landing them on pitching carriers for years " so you aren't going to break it". And do you know what, he was right. Mind you for the rest of the det it was the most controlled and considered movement of aircraft I've ever done.
Lightning tales later.

Smudge and Danny,

Don't know if SENGO backed the correct horse, but he certainly had my back. What has made it the sweeter is, I never asked for his coverage, and I knew unquestionably that I had deliberately flaunted a long list of 'golden rules', especially the standard Engineering Wing Routine Order on every airfield in the RAF that thou shalt not use MT to move hangar doors. I didn't plan on setting myself up for the chop, but I did accept total responsibility for my decisions. I am guessing I must have convinced Mike Duguid that this was very much a one-off set of circumstances, and not my normal practice. Honest. Then again, we had known each other for some years, and he probably knew me better than I thought I did.

Danny,
In my day, MT would issue the licence (C if you didn't have a civil driving licence, B if you did) and after a test on each type, annotate them specifically on said licence. I had a 'B' with a 'C' attachment for our de-icing bowser before Her Majesty issued my HGV. Then everything was a 'B'. A 'C' licence was restricted to the station only i.e. not public roads.

But, it was Air Traffic that issued the airfield driving permits, and would charge anyone caught driving on "their turf" without it.

Poacher turned gamekeeper perhaps?

Old Age and Treachery,
"Will triumph over youth and spirit". Eight Squadron's best catchphrase. We probably know each other. I completely concur with your description of MD. He single-handedly steered the Great Eight's engineering forward during trying and difficult times, and had the natural gift of convincing everyone we were winning. And as for the Hindustani Granny, I have never before or since met anyone who could make up so many great lines on the go, even when rather tipsy.

Mike was a breath of fresh air to Eight, especially after the atrociously poor, spiteful and divisive J#hn Alt#n, who let the officer corp and the engineering branch down badly.

Camlobe

My first time on brakes.......
 

I arrived at a certain base in Rutland as a new liney and spent my first Friday afternoon towing some of the 28 ac from the line to the hangar. I get a brief from the Cpl i/c and get into the front cockpit. For reassurance, there is an experianced liney in the back to keep me company.

Just as we set off, I'm told that my passenger has just returned from the med centre after being on suicide watch due to girlfriend/wife/money issues. The canopy closes and the chap in the back starts moaning about life being poo and wanting to end it all. As we pass ATC, he passes me an ejection seat pin and tells me he's about to pull the handle to bang out.

Naturally, I tried getting out but, of course, the canopy wouldn't open! I was a jibbering wreck as we got to the hangar....but the towing team were pis#ing themselves laughing as it's revealed that my miserable pax did indeed have a spare ejection seat pin and the episode was part of my 'welcome'..........

Loosely associated with aircraft towing. Many years ago at a fighter base in Fife it was my turn for a week as a corporal I/c duty crew. The week went well until a 23 Sqn Jav went of the runway. Crash siren blasting around the base and panic in the duty crew room!! Now ,we were based in one of the ancient early wooden hangars that has numerous support pillars. In our panic, me driving the crash kit on the bomb trolley , taking a corner a little too soon, managed to jam said trolley between the pillars. Ten minutes now spent jacking the bomb trolley to free it from it,s prison ! Tower is now going berserk , where the hell is the crash crew? We dare not tell them! Finally freed, we went screaming through the partial open hangar doors ( wooden doors, but big ) when there was a rather loud bang, followed by a rather louder bang. What the hell was that was the cry?
No problem came back the reply just keep driving, we will try to put the hangar door back on later !! Not a good night, but we did get the Jav out of the mud.

Damaging buildings, now I was good at that, I was temporarily assigned to an engine bay between squadrons for a month or so, I was responsible for shuffling about engine modules and their cases... Having to move a module I drove over and under it with the forks and started to lift it, blimey it was heavy, heavier than I remembered, but I persevered, forks straining to lift it then all of a sudden bang and it was up.. Stopping I looked behind the packing case to find I'd also lifted the cast iron heating pipe that ran the length of the building fracturing it... Oops, but good old PSA had drained the system for the summer... Thinks to self, own up and take the grief for a genuine accident or leave it for them to find in the winter... I do wonder when they found it.. :p

newt
 

I have been away/busy/not interested.................................

And I come back to this!!

Have you no shame starting a thread such as this??

The Jaguar you so carelessly abandoned could have been easily towed to the threshold - with or without a shear pin - in no time at all!

I think you have been deliberately naughty!!:E

Belle and Sebastian
Than had me in stitches, brilliant. I was at Cottesmore mid 80's and heard about someone during the Friday afternoon rush getting "briefed" by ATC for towing 2 Tornado's one on the front pushing and the one on the back following, I don't know if it was true but I thought it was a good idea.
Peppermint Jam
We had the same thing happen at Marham in the early 90s I was in ASF and we got called out to lift it out, we had to wait till a crane arrived from Norwich though.
ExRigger
My story is also about Marham in the early 90s I was the ASF tower and we were collecting a Tornado from one of the squadrons, it was when some review was on and we had to do our servicing's on the other side of the airfield. We had collected the aircraft and stopped at the side of the runway and my Chief radioed ATC for clearance, then said Chief said "Go", off we trundled and when we had just hit the piano keys I pointed out to chief that there was a fin showing on the other end of the runway, apparently my mate Lenny on brakes could see the whole of the Andover heading at great speed towards us but could do nothing to let us know, Yikes forget the rules about not reversing a tractor pushing an aircraft we did just that and then sat on the taxiway waving to the pilots as they went past. Chiefy was told to report to ATC and bring his driver. They gave him a good talking to and even wanted to take my license off me, I told them where to go, I was doing what I was told, in the end only Chiefy lost his. Fond memories.

clicker is sitting in a civvie herk at Grotwick, crew have the pushback clearance from ATC and so inform the pushback crew we are ready to go.

They come back with a "sorry can't do, the towbar has broken." A few more questions and we find that the only herk towbar at Grotwick is the one in front of us, spare is at Thiefrow. Umm problem, due to sked crew will be out of hours before that gets to us.

"Grotwick Ground, NxxxST, can we reverse off the stand please?
"Negative due night time noise restrictions"
"Cockpit to Tug, can you send your chief to speak to us please"

A little conversation and agreement reached and so pushback resumes. Well pushback was not quite the right word to use. We did a power run on four engines in reverse pitch.

Tug and broken towbar kindly escort us to the taxiway center line so we don't get lost. Grotwick Ground, NxxxST readly for taxi."

Always wondered if any noise complaints got recorded that night. :E

I think the world record for towing must be held by a Puma, from near Micheldelver back to Odiham. :E

And another #5
 

In the late '70's at the secret base in North Wales, i do a deal one evening and buy a hulk of a mini from a friend. Problem was, the mini was at the MR site on the North side of the field, and my garage was in the domestic site. The mini has no seats, battery, brakes or steering wheel. A quick chat, I make a (really foolish and stupid) suggestion, and we have a plan. Mate in front towing the mini with a very questionable rope, mate behind bringing up the rear. Camlobe in the mini, on his knees, mole grips on the end of the steering column, and handbrake to hand. Off we go. We leave the North gate and onto the public road, lead and trail with lights on, camlobe in the dark (something's don't change). Hey, it's Ll working. This is going well.

CLANG, SCCRRRAAAAPPPEEEE. The mole grips are 'wrenched' (sorry) from my hand as the right front wheel goes on a UDI navex, and we grind (sorry again) to a halt. We are stuck on the public road right between the traffic lights, in line with the runway centreline. Half a dozen guys stand around still creased up at camlobe's expense.

And then the lights start to flash. What the f###...

Someone produces a torch, someone else chases after the wheel, the rest grope around for the errant wheel nuts...and the F111 deafens us and blows us around. He does a touch and go, and we renew our efforts with a frantic zeal, not wanting to still be here when he comes around again.

He must have seen us. He will have told ATC. We are going to be for the high jump now. It can only be a matter of seconds before the plods come to investigate. This was a stupid, stupid idea.

"Got one". "So have I". "I've got the wheel". "How are we going to jack it?" Stuff jacking it, I shout. Just lift the front end and I will spin the nuts on. Two will do.

We just clear the lights when our American friend returns. We got the mini back to my garage, and all the beer I had to buy that night cost more than the mini.

Camlobe

camlobe,

Splendid ! (the things we did - and sometimes got away with - when we were young !)

=====

Sad Hangar Door Story:

Teeside Airport on a freezing winter morning. The pax are finishing their coffee before boarding the first (0630) "shuttle" to LHR. The crews are ready.The aircraft is fuelled and (S) in the hangar. Now to open the doors.

Frozen solid !!!.........

=====

"Airfield Driving Permits".......What were they ?

=====

Wheel digs in, but is hauled out (after herculean efforts).

Same happened late '45 at Cochin (Wilingdon Island). Liberator sinks to the axles through the tarmac (contractor hadn't put anything between it and sand below !).

Couldn't get it out; war over anyway so didn't want the thing; left it there as war memorial; probably there yet.

=====


Keep it coming ! :D Danny.

Danny you will find this interesting, most of the survivors today came from India

Bharat Rakshak ? View topic - Why were B-24 Liberators demolished after World War II?

Apparently, before we invented the IRA and barbed wire, it was possible to depart Waddington via the A17 gate that linked the airfield and "the site". It is said that if you were in the car park (it was larger in the 1960s) of the Green Dragon on Lindum Hill, around suppertime, you may just be able to spot brightly coloured RL Befords laden with air or nitrogen bottles with the added attraction of the odd Landrover or J2 RVT thrown in for good measure.

Of course none of us could have driven them there as we all held C class licences. Was it possible to escape from Scampton in the same manner? If so, what was their destination? The Turks Head maybe.

Liberators in India after WW2
 

Nutloose,

Thanks for the link ! (there is an awful lot of good stuff on Bharat Rakshak about the IAF in the war years, and I served in the IAF (8 Sqn) from 12/43 to 12/44).

The B.R. flurry of interest dates back to 2002, so not much purpose in my poking my nose in there now.

But the simple reason for the destruction of the B-24s I know only too well. "Lend-Lease" meant exactly what it said. The US will have lent these a/c to the RAF to fight the war (I don't think any were supplied to the IAF then).

The war was over, the deal was off. Now: (a), anything we want (eg Daks), you have to hand back to us (no option to purchase). Or (b), if you want to keep any of the rest, you must buy them from us (in dollars). Or (c), if you're not willing to do that, you must destroy them completely, so that no component can come back on the market to compete with US sales.

This would have applied here (I was ordered to burn my aircraft where they stood !).

Danny.

I seem to remember seeing an article (and maybe some photos) about the Royal Singapore AF aircraft that were moved to Cazaux AB in SW France (they set-up a new pilot training school there). The aircraft were delivered as deck-cargo by ship to the port at Bordeaux, and then towed by road all the way to Cazaux. Not sure how far that is, maybe 30 miles? And it wasn't just one aircraft, it was 12-15 aircraft.

In the 50s and 60s when Fairey Aviation were based in Hayes they were building Gannets. Once the aircraft was completed, it was towed (at night) to nearby RAF Northolt for flight-test and delivery to another airfield (Woodley?, White Waltham?). Once again, not just one aircraft, but dozens of 'em.

Worlds Fastest Lightning (on the ground at least)
 

Location; Akrotiri
Timeframe; 1969 - 1971
Tasking; Lightning Fire Mod programme

103 M.U. was tasked with carrying out a Fire Mod programme on 56 Sqns Lightnings to try to keep them from bursting into flames when they went flying, at least apart from the ones coming out the back where they were meant to! The Mod consisted of cleaning out the upper engine bay and resealing it with PRC, doing the same to the wing tanks and setting up all fuel connections with gauges and then X-raying them to prove they were aligned correctly. All this took place inside a wooden hut erected around the airframe to keep the temperature within the curing limits of the PRC. This was then proved by filling the engine bay with water to see if it leaked and doing the same to the fuel tanks but pressurising them to check for any leakage. If all ok then give it back to 56 for rebuild, engine runs etc., but there were leaks appearing after rebuild and runs so more in depth leak checks were needed before giving the frames back to 56.
Much thought resulted in the need to introduce stresses to the frame and PRC during the leak checks, particularly of the tanks so some bright spark said why don't we tow the aircraft around a bit. Further thought given and permission obtained from relevant authority, even futher thought applied and need to really stress the frame realised and permission sought to tow faster,imagine when permission granted with the rider that we could tow at such a speed we decided was required! Game on!
The taxiway sloped down from the M.U. to 56 dispersal so it was decided to start in that direction, pass through 56 dispersal and back to the M.U. It is amazing just how fast a David Brown tractor with a stripped out Lighting can go with a slope to help it.
The resulting phone call from the W.O. at 56 to the M.U. was I gather quite heated along the lines of "what do your lot of idiots think they are doing with my airframe!" Granted the speedo on the D.B. was showing about 25 mph when the wheels actually touched the ground so maybe he did have a point but the frame didn't leak and was rebuilt and flown succesfully so aqll s well that ends well.
So much so that the check was adopted so 56 had to get used to seeing there frames going through the dispersal rather quckly.

gopher01,

I once managed to screw the "Matador" Generator truck, with MPN-1 GCA Radar set in tow, up to 21 mph (again on a gradually sloping bit of taxiway) at Strubby in the mid '50s.

You still trump me with your 25 mph Lightning - but then your tow was designed to go fast ! :ok:

D.

Some years ago at a Saudi Air Base we were tasked with putting a Lightning airframe on display. After much restoration work and much polishing the big day arrived when we tow 219 to its display plinth. Unfortunately when we reached the tech site gate the guard would not let us out! A captain was called then a major then.a colonel but the one stripe guard was immovable! Finally the base commander persuaded the guard to let us proceed. We then had to make a 90 degree turn and with only 8 inches wing tip clearance on each side proceed through the gate which we managed quite well. Then the easy bit...slalom along a Palm tree lined road and park it for lifting onto its plinth the next day. Unfortunately a culvert with a thin layer of tarmac over sand intervened and the port main gear sank. After much cursing a crane lift and copious quantities of p s p we finally parked and checked it for the night. The next morning the same guard was guarding 219 but that's another story!

I can vouch for mole grips on Mini's steering columns not working. Picture: Dining In Night, JOs in No 5s, coming up with a bright idea to tow the Mini to the front of the Mess, on reaching ~30mph then massive PIO occurs, Mini hits lamp post, lamp post now in half, lots of giggling and then the "it" hits the fan!

Location? Coningsby ~1995

LJ:ok:

IIRC the scottish folk singer Aastair McDonald had a song about a Hindustani Granny - who made curried mince and tatties - same one?

Excellent tales chaps - haven't stopped laughing!

Back in the mid 80's we heard rumors of a Lancaster up around the Edmonton area. Cut a long story short two brothers purchased two Lancasters surplus.
Over the years the brothers had moved twice.

The surviving brother broke out their photo album documenting the moves.
Each fuselage (minus wings, tail planes and bomb bay doors) had a wooden cradle under the bomb bay made of 12" x 12" timber.
Notches were cut on the underside each side external to the fuselage.
The main wheels/hubs were supporting this contraption.
He had a picture of one of them with the tail turret mount lashed on the end of a pickup truck 'parked in a gas station' getting fuel.
Parked would be a loose term, the last 40 feet or so of the fuselage has yet to leave the road.

These were the folks that Doug Arnold got his long/short nose sorted out.

The road to were the remaining brother lived and to get to where the last fuselage was defied the thought process of getting something that size to where it was.

Not quite towing, but...
 

One sunny afternoon at Norfolk’s much lamented Jaguar base sometime in the mid 90’s, a Charity event has been scheduled, to wit a race between two teams of willing volunteers, one RAF, t’other Army. Each will be hauling a Jaguar behind them and the Devil take the hindmost. It’s been done many times before and never a hint of a problem – but – SEngO wades in, raising concerns about the well-established practice of lashing tape (which will be used to haul the Jags) being tied around the main undercarriage legs.
T’will not do says he and insists that a better solution would be for the aircraft to be pulled whilst facing backwards, i.e. lashing tape secured to the shackles located at the rear of each leg, and the teams with their collective backs to the jet pipes.
An experienced Chief raises strenuous objection but this wisdom is ignored by our man who insists that he knows best…
So, picture the scene - two Jaguars parked side by side with perhaps an aircraft’s width between them, two teams of lusty troops braced and ready, with a firm hold on lashing tape and right at the back (or the front depending on your point of view), two lineys holding on to aircraft steering arms. – Waiting at the side of the flightline ready for the ensuing spectacle is the Stn Cdr, the Stn Execs and visiting Army VIP’s.
Well, I can tell you that a clean and lightly loaded Jag gets up to running speed surprisingly quickly, however, what our man had failed to anticipate was that with the aircraft moving backwards, the noseleg was effectively facing the wrong way. Now this isn’t a problem at a slow walking pace (i.e. winching back in a HAS) but to my knowledge, no-one had ever attempted it at the run.
All of a sudden (and without warning), the first aircraft noseleg decides it really, really needs to castor through 180 degrees; this literally spits the liney off the steering arm and causes the aircraft to veer rapidly towards the adjacent jet – which is now doing exactly the same thing!
"Brakes!", scream I (and others) – thankfully the brakemen were alert and we had lots of brake pressure so disaster was averted, but honestly, not by much.
The result? 2 lineys lightly injured (cuts, grazes, bruising), much egg on collective Stn face, 1 ego comprehensively shattered and the Charity aircraft pull abandoned.
I gather SEngO had a one way conversation with OC Eng and the Stn Cdr – wish I could have been a fly on that particular wall :E

Great story!

Youth And Skill Are No Match For Experience And Treachery.

I hope the Chief received an appropriate apology.

@ Davef68

"I've got a granny, a Hindustani granny
She's my Hindustani Granny from Bombay
When she feeds me chapatis
With curried mince and tatties
I'm vindaloo all day"

:p

That's the one !!

An even slower than usual Swordfish
 

Some years ago while driving south on the A74 (before it mutated into the M74), I encountered a Swordfish (wings folded, of course) on tow behind a truck moving at around 40 mph. It was of pristine appearance and as I recall even carrying a torpedo, but cannot be absolutely positive on that.

So far as I know there are no naval air museums in the Beattock/Lockerbie area, so it was plainly in for a long journey. It did occur to me to wonder if the wheel bearings were up to withstanding a long run of many miles at a fair speed, never mind rotating in the 'wrong' direction - has any one a clue as to where it was going from/to, and where it is now?

I was once involved in towing a Hawker Fury ISS from Southampton Docks to Southampton airport. Although the aircraft had its wings removed for the purpose and was being towed with a rigid towbar bolted to the main undercarriage structure, one of the restrictions placed on the move was that a 'qualified pilot' should be in the cockpit and able to apply the brakes if required.

So one dark wet Sunday morning we set off at a sedate pace through Southampton, with yours truly in the cockpit sheltering under an umbrella. When you've seen the size of the prop on the Fury / Sea Fury, you'll realise how tight the average road can be..... Let alone a roundabout!

At one stage I couldn't resist winding back the hood and asking a passer-by "Are we right for the airport, mate?"...;)

All went fine, eventually we reached the hangar and re-attached the wings. The aircraft was flown out to Wroughton a day or so later - and now it's flying somewhere dunnunda.

My only trip in a Hawker piston fighter!