Yup, I recall that as being the case as well, and IIRC, Ford's Trafford Park factory in Manchester ended up building the highest number of Merlins out of all the UK Merlin production factories.

The ASK18 I flew from Four Counties gliding club at Syerston, back a few years, certainly enjoyed thermalling to the left rather that the right. It also enjoyed a large boot of right rudder on approach to land. Now, having carried out servicings on the said glider, I could find no asymmetry in the airframe, nothing likely to cause any bias, but flying it always led to a boot full of right rudder. Go figure, as our American friends might say !!

Smudge :ok:

A sensible project manager always tries to hand pick his Trials Installation aircraft. Saves a fortune on time and cost. But the squadrons hate it.

On my last programme, after being stripped to nothing for over 2 years at Westland the TI got a visit from the sqn AEO. He walked up to her, patted the nose and said "That's my baby". He'd told me, fuel and oil and she'll fly forever. He was right. 5 months saved on programme. Refund from Westland, paid for a couple of nice-to-haves. Everybody happy.

The Proof Installation was a dog. Hardly serviceable during main trials. TI did the work of both.

Possibly apocryphal
 

I recall hearing a tale of a Royal Ordnance Factory being contracted to build some steam locomotives during, I think, WWI. On seeing the tolerances in the wheel bearings on the drawings they concluded that such sloppy workmanship would never do, and worked to their own much finer tolerances.

All went well - the first locomotive steamed beautifully and ran happily up and down the test track. The first curve proved too much, however - the machine stuck fast.

It was common practice to omit the flanges on one or more of the inner wheelsets of locomotives with large numbers (>=8?) coupled driving wheels in order to allow them to traverse curves and points, I gather.

I'm sure I read/heard somewhere that a wing replacement turned out to be slightly longer than the original. Could have been a Canberra.
After various checks to cure it's subsequent odd flying characteristics someone decided to actually measure the wing length and discovered the fault.
I know the PR9 wing was different but were there variations between the other marks?

Wing changes would appear to be quite common. In the early 90s BA Helicopters st Aberdeen got the contract to refurbish Dominie wings. First aircraft in had its wings removed and refurbished. Second aircraft had its wings removed, first set fitted etc etc.

Just a few years ago we visited the RAF Museum reserve collection. We were shown at the BBMF Spitfire wings.

Wing replacement
 

I read a tale of a Junkers being assembled at Farnborough during or after WWII. IIRC a Luftwaffe technician was amused to point out that wings from two different marks had been used.

Probably one of the more famous 'different length wings' aircraft:


The DC-2½; a DC-3 with a starboard wing from a DC-2, about 5 ft shorter!

Full story at: CNAC's Famous DC-2 1/2

It certainly did! I put it down to the fact that DF cartwheeled it down the airfield from a winch launch. An ambulance was called but ended up taking his mother to the hospital as Dave was fine, but she had a few medical issues as a result of the crash.

Ka8 R85 was the same, right hand thermals only. When we winched it up on a chain hoist as part of the FGC display for families day, it was clear there was a bout a 2 inch bend in the fuselage.


We must know each other!

Many years ago, there was a rogue C130 based out in the Far East, every so often in the cruise it would pitch up for no reason. No fault could be found after extensive work then some bright spark noticed that every time it happened, the same loadie was on board. It turned out he was disaffected and thought it a good wheeze to swing on the control runs every now and then.

Re the Varsity incident detailed earlier. According to mates who were there at the time, it was standard practice to try to barrel roll the aircraft when on a student mutual GH ride. On this occasion, the handling pilot (CR I believe) became unhappy half way round and pulled through rather than continue the roll.

Smudge (your #62),

Clearly Gremlin infestation - as in so many of the cases cited here !

Danny.

Fleet 12
 

Cranwell early 80s, JP5A "Fleet 12" well-known for only being able to stall-turn to the left. (Presumably bent, although possibly through sheer force of student-habit!)

Re barrel rolling the Varsity - I had it demonstrated to me by a QFI (who should have known better(!) but had also claimed to have done the same in a Lancaster for a much more practical reason) with strict instructions NEVER to do it or even mention it whilst he was still in the RAF. Two weeks later another stude did it and also chickened out and we were all taken to see the result -the airframe was 'fine' but the port engine mountings had failed and the engine was hanging down at about 10-15 degrees!

ISTR a Nav School Dominie was barrelled from Finningley, possibly on an exercise to Gib. c. 1974.
Word was the culprit was a tad senior for such malarkey.

The bugger did it on one of my route forecasts too! I required the utmost probity from aircrew that I trusted with a MetForm 2305 [number might be wrong]. Pretty clouds and the occasional eagle sneaked in somewhere.

Flew into Haverford West many years ago in a PA18. After refueling I was accosted by a spotter who told me the a/c had one wing longer than the other.
When we looked closely he was right the port wing had one extra rib out board of the wing strut than the stb. and thus was about 6-9 inches longer. It flew OK though

Goudie

Quite possible - depending on where each wing had been built :)
We sometimes struggled to get the Aileron Pressure Balance Beaks gapped evenly if we had (say) an EE wing but Shorts built aileron (or vice versa) :)

XM599 was the most twisted bomber I ever flew. Not surprised when it was scrapped fairly early in the programme.
R

Some Vampire 5 wing leading edges were formed from a single sheet (DH?) but others showed a butt joint (EE?), and by the mid-50s some airframes had gained one of each. No problem - but the butt-joint wing did always seem to drop first on a HSR.

There also was at least one oddity doing the rounds, which had a Mk9 wing on one side with its Godfrey cold-air unit intake blanked off, but again it didn't seem to make much difference.

50, 599 was also the Vulcan dropping 21x1000 for a PR shot that had been required by SAC for display at Offutt

PN


Vulcan dropping 21 x 1000 bomb load -

So, 60% of the load of a real V Bomber!!:O