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-   -   RAF " workman " helps himself. (https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/591257-raf-workman-helps-himself.html)

ian16th 22nd Feb 2017 07:24


Now the power pack used to provide hydraulic pressure to the jacks used to load Vulcan bomb carriers was powered by a Ford 100E engine, so need I say more?
The standard PE set in the mid 50's had the Ford 100E engine.

There was a story went around Lindholme where a clapped out Anglia had a quiet engine swap done over one weekend.

The Nip 22nd Feb 2017 08:37

Some years ago a study was done looking at the the use of a single fuel being used in the FIs. This was mainly looking at the HRS at Hillcove and Fox Bay.

Taking into account of the heating for the accommodation and running the 2 L/R it was judged that using Avtur in the vehicles would only take about 20K miles from the expected life of the engines. The generator would be negligible for it's life span.

pontifex 22nd Feb 2017 09:20

One of the things good quality Avtur is useful for is in model aircraft gas turbine engines. They are becoming increasingly popular. I wonder if the culprit was into aeromoddeling

Pontius Navigator 22nd Feb 2017 10:50

pontiflex, I think a 7.5 tonne truck disproves your theory :)

NutLoose 22nd Feb 2017 11:33


One of the things good quality Avtur is useful for is in model aircraft gas turbine engines. They are becoming increasingly popular. I wonder if the culprit was into aeromoddeling
What... like a Reaper? with the amount he was nicking.

NickB 22nd Feb 2017 11:59

I was told once by someone who had a car with a large V8 in it, that when working on a Devon squadron, any 100LL collected when legitimately draining the tanks on the Devons found it's way into his car... diluted down, the car ran without any issues at all.

My father' cousin also ran his old Austin on 100LL when serving at St Eval in the 50s... by all accounts it had sparks coming out of the exhaust, so not sure how long the engine lasted on that one!

Haraka 22nd Feb 2017 12:53

My father' cousin also ran his old Austin on 100LL when serving at St Eval in the 50s..
I can vouch for the fact that he wasn't the only one doing that at St. Eval at the time Also for circular dope tin labels, which had a crown on them, being inserted in tax disc holders which they fitted perfectly, then being passed off as "official " to the local civil police.

Fareastdriver 22nd Feb 2017 13:06


I can vouch for the fact that he wasn't the only one doing that at St. Eval at the time
Now the truth can be told

Wander00 22nd Feb 2017 14:21

ISTR my Dad ran his car on a petrol/TVO mix for a while

Geriaviator 22nd Feb 2017 14:41

Two airmen were court-martialled at Binbrook in 1951 for stealing petrol. As I recall from childhood there, my father told me it was impossible to fully drain the tanks of a Lincoln in normal tail-down stance, so the remaining dregs were allowed to flow onto the dispersal and the surrounding grass. The airmen had collected this Avgas in a mop bucket for use in their motorbikes, and paid the price in jankers ...
Prolonged use of avgas 130/145 will knacker valves and seats of roadgoing engines. Less exotically, my Austin Champ (£47.10s in Army disposal auction 1967) ran beautifully on a 50/50 mix of three star and paraffin, just as well as it did 13 mpg whether driven hard or gently, with trailer or without.

NutLoose 22nd Feb 2017 15:35

Ahh ex military surplus, I made sure I had no tools with the crows foot on when I left, I was fastidious about it, coming out the RAF I bought my first proper tool kit for going contracting, it was a King Dick one and cost me well over £1000, which in 1989 was quite a bit.... It was delivered and I got it home, it was beautiful and everything in it had been individually wrapped at the factory.... As i peeled off the individual wrappings I found that half of the tools had the damned crows foot on them. :sad:

racedo 22nd Feb 2017 15:54

Guy I grew up close to was heavy into Motorbike racing, good racer as well as includes some races in IOM TT in his career. Never won but hell finishing is a win there.

He used to head for small civil airport before a race to stock up on AvGas................. doubt it is same quality as FJ standard but he did rather well in races and never got rumbled.

Doubt it did much damage to the engines but they were always taking them apart between races anyway for cleaning etc

Pontius Navigator 22nd Feb 2017 17:07


Originally Posted by Warmtoast (Post 9683718)

Ah, that is the beast that put me off flying. Strapped to the front of the dart, two teams of boys set out across the cricket pitch pulling the bungee ropes. When they eventually ran out of puff, the ground tether was released one was literally catapulted across the crease. Two large spoilers were designed to prevent one getting airborne and attacking the 2.35 on the down line. It didn't stop our doughty commander getting airborne and bending the skid on landing.

The Nip 22nd Feb 2017 17:30

1 Attachment(s)
Attachment 1797

This wasn't me but this is what the RAF side of CCF did week in and week out.

I am not sure if AVM M Brecht is on this one.

Lightning5 22nd Feb 2017 18:16

Many years ago ( mid 60's) I was I/C duty crew at Leuchars. Rather busy night, high wind, and a few diversions including Shacks and a RN Pembroke(?). Pembroke was duly filled to the brim and hangared. Up in the am to find that the Pembroke was empty, some nocturnal thieves drained the lot. Never heard a thing Sir !!!

Alber Ratman 22nd Feb 2017 18:48

All my tools have no arrows on them either. When I was working for ATC Lasham a few years ago, a Polish Connie at Lasham was caught nicking waste Jet A1 and taken to court. Shortly afterwards HMRC paid a view to ATCL's Southend MRO. A lot of people were bricking it as the vultures would be about any aircraft being defuelled for tank entry. 4 cars were chosen (Obviously diesel) and two were found to be non compliant and a 500 pound fine with impounding without payment. My mate was one of them, that was a classic when they asked him to test his car, his reply was "Don't bother, it is red diesel".

Fareastdriver 22nd Feb 2017 20:45

I posted on another thread about a place called Sepulot in Sabah, North Borneo and it reminded me about Avtur.

All our fuel was parachuted in by Beverley and there was no way of returning the empty drums so the were rolled, or marshalled by helicopter, into the river. They would float downstream and the local Muruts would pull them out to use for a multitude of uses. Foundations for longhouses, water storage, you name it. There would be about two gallons of fuel left at the bottom and they would use this for cooking or something.

We, the Air Force left and handed the operation over to the Navy. The situation changed. The locals now had to collect the empty drums and apparently they had to pay for the remaining fuel. There were arrangements, so I was told, that a full drum would be available if required. M$25 being the suggested price.

I don't know how true it was but my airmen were being charged at a 100% mark up for their cans of Tiger.

Pontius Navigator 23rd Feb 2017 13:29


Originally Posted by The Nip (Post 9684510)
Attachment 1797

This wasn't me but this is what the RAF side of CCF did week in and week out.

That's posh, we didn't have a launch rail, that might have been a little less daunting as it might have held the missile in a straight line a little longer. It was a real PITA but if the wind was wet or not straight down the Valley we were spared for that week. I think the glider was stored down a track near the rifle range and had to be dragged a quarter mile or more to the sports field. Hated dragging it, hated erecting it, hated sitting on it, hated it.

4mastacker 23rd Feb 2017 18:56


Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator (Post 9685525)
That's posh, we didn't have a launch rail, ...................

That "posh" launch rail looks like sections of the old Beverley rollers. Former AQMs of a certain era might be able to confirm.

langleybaston 23rd Feb 2017 20:52

crows foot? No pheon!


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