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Post by yenilira on Feb 4, 2011 11:34:46 GMT 1
Good point. #ok#
YL>
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Feb 15, 2011 9:59:54 GMT 1
this may be of interest to Yeni and Sherlock, sending brithday greetings to Canada yesterday reminded me of my one and only trip to Canada to a place called Goose Bay in Labrador. studysupport.info/vulcanbomber/goose_bay.htm
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Post by yenilira on Feb 15, 2011 12:25:49 GMT 1
Thanks for that, Whit. #ok#
Those on the other side of 'The Pond' do have a liking for our aircraft, don't they? Some guy in Florida has one as well, didn't he, or was that some other a/c of ours? YL
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Feb 15, 2011 12:56:23 GMT 1
It wouldn't surprise me Yeni if there was the odd one or two in the states, as in the 50's and 60's the v bomers and particularly the vulcan took part in excersises whereby the v bombers simulated Russian attacks on US cities and their reputation for manouverability even against fighter aircraft at high altitude was greatly appreciated by the Americans, they like Big and Fast and that was the Vulcan.
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Post by yenilira on Feb 15, 2011 13:24:30 GMT 1
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Post by yenilira on Feb 15, 2011 14:27:11 GMT 1
I know it's not directly connected with the OP, but seeing it is 'air-minded', thought this the best place and of interest:
Amongst the Forces' spending cuts is the one just announced about approx. 150 trainee 'Top Guns' are to be made redundant. Those fliers who have spent up to five years being trained and taught how to handle the fast jets in the front line, were sent "an email" preparing them for the chop.
And how much will that cost? For starters, it takes about £3million each to get them fully trained.
By the way, I read that a Harrier Jump Jet was for sale on e-bay? the other day/last week.
YL.
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Feb 15, 2011 15:55:08 GMT 1
I know where you are coming from on this one Yeni, it appears soldiers have also been emailed, what a way to carry on. On the subject of fliers being axed, it comes as no surprise to me, as I see it, any future attack on this country would be by missile, the days of dog fights such as in the 2nd WW are probably now over. Bombers used to carry huge amounts of exlosives to distant targets are now a diminshing spectical, except in certain possible theatres of war, such as the Middle East. The Americans have seen the world getting smaller, once upon a time there was hardly an air force capable of inflicting much damage to mainland America, but in recent years certainly since the Grenada attack when they discovered the Cubans building this superb new airfield on Grenada when it already had an adequate airport, but this one had missile silos under the main runway, hence the invasion. When I visited Grenada with my wife soon after the invasion, the Russian transport planes used by the Cubans to airlift into the island were still parked up at the south end of the runway side by side. I think at some time a missile defence shield will be forthcoming in Europe, no doubt there will be plenty of debate, just what at the present time do we have if some loon launches a missile or missiles against us, very little.
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Post by yenilira on Feb 15, 2011 19:51:33 GMT 1
I saw that article re the soldiers, but only well after I'd done the RAF one. Didn't think it nec. to have two separate posts on similar topics, so left it for someone else to raise.
That's an interesting bit re Grenada.
Your last para. rings very true.
YL.
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Post by mickyg on Feb 18, 2011 14:29:26 GMT 1
found this interesting footage of the TSR2....
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Feb 18, 2011 14:58:26 GMT 1
Cheers mickyg cracking video
such a shame it got scrapped and not much hope of the last one ever flying again as i think ithe engines where removed at least its undercover, and still leaking oil lol
I counted 7 different planes in that clip might have been 8 lol oh and one whirly bird thing.
Back to the RAF, farce wonder what we going to do with the 65 euro fighters that have still to be delivered.
oh hang on a min we can moth ball them like the 12 apache helicopters we have already moth balled because we don't have the qualified pilots to fly them
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Feb 18, 2011 16:03:47 GMT 1
The footage is excellent Micky, the scrapping of the TSR2 came not long after my stint with the RAF and at the time caused a few raised eyebrows. The were several reasons it didn't go ahead some of which were complex but at the end of the day the government thought that it was doing the right thing, this was a costly machine and on it's test flights, of which there had been quite a few had not lived up to it's expectations and still had design faults which the government of the day thought would prove too be excessive, in terms of additional cost.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Feb 18, 2011 16:16:05 GMT 1
and not lets forget the french!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by bigjohncraven on Feb 18, 2011 19:34:43 GMT 1
My brother and I grew up with the tsr2 as our late father worked on it and future projects. Strange looking back at it how clumsy it looks where at the time we thought it was the dogs bollocks. Did notice in the vid a bit of Lightning footage,now there was a plane totally impractical but fuck I would have given my eye teeth for a go in that!! I was working at Warton when they where doing tests to see if it was practical to use it from an aircraft carrier.The basic theory seemed to be ,tie it down give it full afterburners and then let it go!!!The best noise and sight I'v ever seen.
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Post by mickyg on Feb 21, 2011 11:14:08 GMT 1
Yeah, re the Lightning and Warton, I remember walking to school one day when there was a scramble of three lightnings, all on full re-heat and ascending vertically. The ground was shaking violently and the noise was deafening but as I continued to watch them it became obvious as to what it was all about......2 MIG spy planes at high altitude. The MIGs were duly "escorted off the premises" as you might say! I also have many other great aircraft related memories from Warton.......like when Concord was brought up from Filton, on about it's third or fourth flight, to show it to the staff at Warton where the wings had been built. Brian Trubshaw, the chief test pilot did a couple of low level passes over the runway, tipping the wings gently to show off the plane's sleek lines and then he gave it the beans! He started doing barrel rolls and loops with the damned thing....an amazing sight. Another great memory was getting up at about 7o'clock one summer's morning to watch the maiden flight of the MRCA (later called the Tornado). With the "old man" being one of the designers of it, we were privvy to the flight plan for the maiden flight, which ammounted to basically....take off, fly it a couple of times, gently, round the airfield and then land it.....simples. Then they made a mistake by giving the maiden flight to Brian Trubshaw.......so it went something like this.......take off, fly it round the airfield a couple of times (gently, of course).....then a 20 minute or so aerobatic display....amazing!
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Post by yenilira on Mar 9, 2011 10:09:55 GMT 1
Again, there's no suitable 'thread-line' so I trust you'll forgive my intrusion here..............
Whilst we are still talking about 'flight', everyone seems to have missed the 75th Anniversary of the the First Flight of that iconic aircraft, the Spitfire, which first flew from Eastleigh Aerodrome (now Southampton International) on 5th March 1939 - the only Allied aircraft to see continuous frontline service from 1939 to 1945.
I can still hear those Merlins........
YL.
p.s. I'm really looking forward to my copy of the 16-page supplement to the 'Sunday Post' at the w/e on the 75th Anniversary of 'Oor Wullie' and 'The Broons'...
Crivens, jings, an' help mah Boab! Are they all that old?
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Mar 13, 2011 13:22:45 GMT 1
I remember a little while back Yeni mentioned the end of the Cold War and yet some aspects of it still exist. Last week a Russian "bear" a Tupolev TU-95 bomber (capable of carrying a N weapon) came within seconds of British airspace 12 miles out from ST. Andrews in Scotland, no doubt to test our air defences, as they did on a daily basis back in the CW days. Further out to sea was another Tu-95, both aircraft turned before entering our airspace after being intercepted by two British Tornado F3's, (yes they are soon to be scrapped), from Leuchars, (likely to be closed in the future). In the past year there were 15 similar operations and since 2006 a total of 65 alerts. The old Boy Scouts motto "Be Prepared" seems to have gone out of the window.
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Post by yeoldetangerine on Mar 13, 2011 14:30:12 GMT 1
Was fascinated to see how fast the government changed it's mind to scrap a couple of Nimrods this week. I assumed it was to do with a potential no fly zone, maybe it was as a result of the Bears. Had a great week at Lossie as a kid air cadet, Nimrods, Jaguars (I think bfore the Tornado) and the venerable Shackleton. Now there was a plane!!
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Mar 13, 2011 18:36:59 GMT 1
The Shakelton mainly with coastal command, submarine detection and used as an early warning aircraft prior to the Nimrod.
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Post by yeoldetangerine on Mar 13, 2011 21:37:20 GMT 1
Cheers for that, friend of mine was lucky enough to get a trip up past Iceland in one, I'm sure today's 16 year olds would think that dead borning, we were jealous as owtt..
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Post by whitstabletangerin on Jul 30, 2011 14:08:25 GMT 1
A legacy from the Cold War was shown last night on TV, when it showed veterans now numbering just over a thousand, who took part in experiments when Britain exploded A bombs in Australia and the Pacific back in the 50's. Thousands of veterans have now passed away, with many suffering from various conditions including cancers attributed to being within close proximity to the blasts. The U.S.A., France, China and Russia have paid out contributions to their veterans but in the UK, court battles have been ongoing for years and are set to continue. The MOD, it is alleged having spent £6.5mil on court costs so far, but as I understand it, the veterans have now had their legal aid stopped and will have to somehow find their own funding for further court action. I do find it odd that we have no trouble finding milllions for overseas aid and yet to compensate our own people in their old age means lengthy and costly court actions. This should come as no surprise in reality, some things never change, back in the late 50's early 60's, the pilot and co pilot of the V bombers could leave the jet in emergencies by using their ejector seats whilst to their rear the remaining crew would have to escape by the exit door and parachute, ok if you were at 1000 ft or more but not on landing and take off when the plane was more vunerable to an emergency. After several fatal crashes, the manuefacturers of the front seats designed a rear facing seat which they fitted to a valiant and proved to be successful. The Minister of Aviation at the time recommended to the government that the fitting of all V bombers with these rear facing seats would not be cost effective as the number of emergencies were rare and so the idea was never implemented. The government then never cared a toss about it's service personnel and in the latest theatres of war there have been a number of shortcommings as well.
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Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Jul 30, 2011 14:54:22 GMT 1
They don't care full stop whit, never have never will and its a sad state of affairs next we will be loaning money the country does not have to America at this rate.
When people join the armed forces they know th erisk but not to give them the tools to do the job or sub standard gear is just wrong and then to but them in danger in a non war footing like the testing in the 50's and still to deny and fight in a court of law that the test are nto to blame, when it has been clealry proved in our countries taht they are is a joke.
but its not just the people that took part in the test's its the next generation which have now become more likely to have cancer later in life, i think it was something like 40% greater risk if one of your parents had been exposed to the test's.
Mind you we also managed to test and kill service men in the 30's and 40's while playing with nerve gas and chemicals and they where not even told they had been exposed...
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