EwenS

Amazon & eBay operate as an online marketplace allowing buyers and sellers to meet and transact business. They don’t deal with the VAT side of things out of the goodness of their hearts, but because the law requires them to do so because of their status as online marketplaces. Paypal is in a wholly different business. They operate as a facilitator of online financial transactions ie like a bank. They are neither buyer nor seller nor marketplace provider and don’t need to know what the VAT status of the transactions is to allow them to supply their own service. The only amount t

Well it is not a Swordish or an Albacore. Only one set of fins!

Ah but to me that has always been a reel!

Probably because back in the day, before everything in the world of you youngsters went digital, it was in common usage for a device, cylindrical in shape, with a lip at each end which is what the device on the aircraft looked like. Commonly used term for example for a bobbin (look it up!) for winding thread or a reel for holding film. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spool Just another part of our heritage.

It seems at least the first airframe might have a few more miles than “initial flight tests”. A 10 year old B737-700 BBJ previously owned by Deer Jet, a Chinese charter airline and currently in store at San Bernardino. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38536/first-royal-air-force-wedgetail-radar-plane-will-be-converted-from-ex-chinese-airliner

Very different packing. Fuselage in one case and the outer wings in a second case on the right hand side of the photo.

From the IWM - unboxing them at Takoradi Tailplane span is 11'. So it needs removed to fit the box.

Thanks. It confirms Melonfish’s figure.

Thanks. That is to within a few inches of what I calculated by scaling from a smallish plan I found online. Good enough for my purposes.

Can anyone tell me the width of a Hurricane sitting on its undercarriage without its outer wing panels? In other words as it would be put into the packing case for overseas transport or put into a carrier hanger. TIA

I was looking at some of the photos of Albacores on Malta 1942/43 that were supposed to be TSS upper surfaces and black undersides. The contrast between upper camouflaged and lower black surfaces seems very much greater than in the above photo. So I’m inclined towards overall black with signs of weathering.

415 (Canadian) squadron operated a flight of Albacores between Oct 1943 and July 1944 on nocturnal anti shipping operations in the southern North Sea / Channel area. That flight became 119 squadron RAF in July 1944, continuing to use Albacores until Feb 1945. Swordfish III joined the squadron in Jan 1945 to replace the Albacores until the squadron disbanded in May 1945. Both squadrons used NH codes. The main targets were E-boats & R-boats and later midget subs. The main weapons were bombs and depth charges not torpedoes. Photos of the Albacores are rare but here is an example.

That is a sign of old age! First flew 2004. First operational sortie 2008.

The worry about the Wedgetail for me is how long it will continue to be developed. It took a long time to get into operational service with the RAAF in 2009. Earlier this year the RAAF published its long term replacement plans for it. Funding for improvements is planned out to the late 1920s after which funding is to switch to a currently unknown replacement. The only other countries with it are South Korea and Turkey. The total fleet at present is 14 plus the RAF order for 5 (or will it be 4 or 3?). US replacement plans for the E-3 call for a new platform by the mid 2

Just catching up on the discussion. ”Stays” at bow. I don’t think that there are any. Firstly from looking at all the photos I have of Barras with lifeboats, that first photo is the only one that appears to have that feature on the starboard side. None of them, including the second photo, have a “stay” on the port side. For me, if it was somehow connected to the release of the boat there should be one each side to stop a twisting effect when dropped. As to what it actually is, no amount of staring at it is giving me any clues. Length of boat I’ve b