Did the Chipmunk shrink?
Thread Starter
Did the Chipmunk shrink?
Yesterday, in Caboolture, Queensland, I had my first flight in a Chipmunk since 1974 and my first in a T10 since 1969.
Great fun, thanks to Dora 9.
However, it seems the cockpit is much smaller than I remember. How did that happen?
An added bonus to the trip was formating with a Globe Swift, one of my favourite aircraft.
WG478 - an RAF Chipmunk T10
Two of the Glasshouse mountains, which are Oligocene volcanic plugs - Mt. Beerwah on the left and Mt Coonowrin on the right.
Captain Cook’s Journal 17 May 1770
“…this place may always be found by three hills which lay to the northward of it in the Latitude of 26° 53′. So these hills lay but a little way inland and not far from each other, they are very remarkable on account of there singlar form of elivation which very much resemble glass houses which occasioned my giving them that name, the northermost of the three is the highest and largest, there are likewise several other peaked hills inland to the northward of these but they are not near so remarkable."
The glass houses referred to by Cook were conical glass kilns in Yorkshire, that he was familiar with.
VH-UAU - one of two Globe Swifts in Australia. A remarkably advanced aircraft for its time. It first flew in 1942.
Great fun, thanks to Dora 9.
However, it seems the cockpit is much smaller than I remember. How did that happen?
An added bonus to the trip was formating with a Globe Swift, one of my favourite aircraft.
WG478 - an RAF Chipmunk T10
Two of the Glasshouse mountains, which are Oligocene volcanic plugs - Mt. Beerwah on the left and Mt Coonowrin on the right.
Captain Cook’s Journal 17 May 1770
“…this place may always be found by three hills which lay to the northward of it in the Latitude of 26° 53′. So these hills lay but a little way inland and not far from each other, they are very remarkable on account of there singlar form of elivation which very much resemble glass houses which occasioned my giving them that name, the northermost of the three is the highest and largest, there are likewise several other peaked hills inland to the northward of these but they are not near so remarkable."
The glass houses referred to by Cook were conical glass kilns in Yorkshire, that he was familiar with.
VH-UAU - one of two Globe Swifts in Australia. A remarkably advanced aircraft for its time. It first flew in 1942.
Last edited by India Four Two; 16th Dec 2023 at 04:24. Reason: Replaced small picture
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I think you'll find reports of many Chipmunks getting bigger not smaller.
Many of them were used by the RAF for glider towing and it's a well known fact that a lot were an inch or two longer than orginally due to the airframe being stretched by the glider towing.
Many of them were used by the RAF for glider towing and it's a well known fact that a lot were an inch or two longer than orginally due to the airframe being stretched by the glider towing.
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I have it on good authority that the older DH's shrink over the decades. An older client of mine, who owned and ran a busy maintenance shop had his Tiger Moth sitting in the back of the hangar for many years. He had owned it for ages, and flown it in the earlier days. As there was excess shop capacity, it was slowly rebuilt. He kept saying over those years, with a sly smile, "I'm going to enjoy getting back up in the Moth again!". Eventually it was ready, and everyone was enjoying seeing his mounting enthusiasm to fly it again....
I was flying a Caravan test program for one of his clients. I called to the shop to speak to him, to make some planes for that afternoon's Caravan test flying. At the end of the conversation, nearly in passing, he said to me: "By the way, while you're hear, take the Moth for it's test flight.". I was very surprised that something he had been looking forward to for so long was now my pleasure. When I arrived to the shop, some of the maintenance guys gathered around, and told me that he had gone to fly it the day before, climbed up, and could not fit into the cockpit. He declared that it must have shrank, and walked away in defeat.
I test flew it, we corrected a couple of snags, and I reflew it - is was airworthy, and I signed the declaration. The next week, it was gone, sold, I was told, and never spoken of again....
Nice pics I42!
I was flying a Caravan test program for one of his clients. I called to the shop to speak to him, to make some planes for that afternoon's Caravan test flying. At the end of the conversation, nearly in passing, he said to me: "By the way, while you're hear, take the Moth for it's test flight.". I was very surprised that something he had been looking forward to for so long was now my pleasure. When I arrived to the shop, some of the maintenance guys gathered around, and told me that he had gone to fly it the day before, climbed up, and could not fit into the cockpit. He declared that it must have shrank, and walked away in defeat.
I test flew it, we corrected a couple of snags, and I reflew it - is was airworthy, and I signed the declaration. The next week, it was gone, sold, I was told, and never spoken of again....
Nice pics I42!
From time to time back in "the old days" we would have WW2 fighter pilots visiting with us and I'd take them out to the field so they could see a Mustang.
Climbing into the cockpit for the first time in many years more then a few of these pilots remarked at how the pit seemed smaller to them.
We finally came to the conclusion that this might have been the result of them being bigger than they were before. A lot of them had put on some weight.
Just a guess but this might be what you are experiencing.
Dudley Henriques
Climbing into the cockpit for the first time in many years more then a few of these pilots remarked at how the pit seemed smaller to them.
We finally came to the conclusion that this might have been the result of them being bigger than they were before. A lot of them had put on some weight.
Just a guess but this might be what you are experiencing.
Dudley Henriques
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Thanks for posting the nice pictures! As for the plane shrinking, I can well imagine it is rather the pilot who grew "broader" like in DAR's fine story, or the similar tale from Dudley. Another possible explanation could be over-zealous cleansing - clothes are well known to shrink if washed either with inappropriate cleaning agent or at too high temperatures. Who knows if the RAF maintenance staff erred on the exaggerated side when washing/cleaning the planes?
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Thread Starter
One thing that hadn't changed was the ineffable aroma of leather and Avgas. Luckily the other aroma, associated with the first Chipmunks I flew that were used exclusively for spinning, was missing! 
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It's amazing the things you never forget. :-)))))))
Dudley Henriques
Around 40 years ago I walked the Routeburn Track in NZ. Practically ran it, did it in one day. Recently had another crack at it, took 3 days. Had considerable difficulty with the hills. Conclusion: obviously there's been a lot of volcanic activity there which has made the hills steeper.
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Lovely narrative. Rather reminds me of a flight in a Tiger Moth over Niagara Falls upside down, piloted by a Canadian ex-BofB pilot.
Somewhat on the same theme, I regularly wear armour for public displays. To bemused looks, I have complained loudly in the changing rooms about shrinkage in the very poor quality of Japanese iron used in their cuirasses.
Somewhat on the same theme, I regularly wear armour for public displays. To bemused looks, I have complained loudly in the changing rooms about shrinkage in the very poor quality of Japanese iron used in their cuirasses.
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Famous Chipmunk
I had an Air Experience flight in this Chipmunk at RAF Colerne back in 1967. The aircraft went on to undertake some interesting adventures, as I found out when I googled WP962. It now resides at the RAF Museum Hendon. I told my grandchildren that it's there because I flew it all those years ago, but I think they've rumbled me now. 
Of course airplanes shrink ! Everybody knows there is a low pressure area inside the fuselage when in flight. That pressure differential slowly presses the sides of the cockpit together and hence your experience. That's my story and I am sticking too it !
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Everybody knows there is a low pressure area inside the fuselage when in flight. That pressure differential slowly presses the sides of the cockpit together and hence your experience. That's my story and I am sticking too it !
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