JohnT
-
Posts
4,334 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Events
Profiles
Forums
Media Demo
Posts posted by JohnT
-
-
The bullets landing in the street was, IIRC, during the October 16th raid when Colin Robertson of 603 chased a Ju88 across Edinburgh. The He111, which was the first aircraft brought down on the mainland, was the "Humbie Heinkel" brought down later in October. It was an H-2 of Stab/KG26:
John
Humbie is about 10 minutes from where I live.
My Mum was a girl with my Gran out in the streets of Edinburgh when they reckon they saw the 16 Oct chase across the skyline. (Her other claim to fame was being in the same class as Sean Connery!)
-
Hi John
thanks for the linky!
To be very parochial, have a nephew in Prestonpans who works at Edingburg Airport
You are welcome
When I was student I worked 2 summers at Edinburgh airport for BA and then Scotia Airport Services. Giving my age away it was at the old Turnhouse and I was on and off Trident3's, Vanguards, Britannia, F27's and the saturday DC3
Fun and games with the short runway in bad/wet weather. I recall we once sent a Trident with almost no fuel on board off to Glasgow to top up with fuel there as it couldn't get off the short Edinburgh runway with enough fuel to get to Heathrow!
Tony's right about the FAA - I noticed that too but tucked in the text is the proviso "in British airspace"
From memory a wee while later they clobbered some He 111s and that was the first to be brought down on UK soil. Some houses got peppered with .303 when a Spitfire sprayed a 111 over the district of Portobello wile it was beating a retreat.
JohnT
-
BBC running news item on the first German a/c to be shot down by RAF in WW2 destroyed in British airspace that is.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_...and/8306768.stm
lets hope Fl Lt Gifford gets his Memorial erected
JohnT
-
Sorry if this has been done beofre but East Fortune Museum have a quality 360 degree interactive look round in colour of the cockpits (front and rear) of their Vulcan - the Black Buck/Rio one
They also do the Jaguar, Comet and Concorde interiors too along with a couple of educational interactive games for the kids - well thats my story and I am sticking to it
link:-http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/museum_of_flight/360_degree_cockpit_views.aspx
enjoy
JohnT
-
suppose just suppose they do produce a Valiant, and have the Vulcan on sale too
would it be too much to ask that they also produce the lovely crescent wing one too.......................
and maybe even offer all three in an all white scheme boxing along with a re-issue of the Bristol Bloodhound set
sorry just slipped off into a dream while dozing there...
JohnT
-
Great watch
as was written recently how typical of us Brits - first time we get the FAA first rate fighters and strike aircraft and helicopters in their history capable of taking on anyone anywhere and then we axe the carriers - Duh!
JohnT
-
-
just for their looks
1 Victor (straight out a Dan Dare comic)
2 Vulcan
3 Sea Vixen
4 Lightning
5Hunter
1st Sub Bucc or Harrier
JohnT
-
what about the hustler!
If going on sexy looks only and non RAF so I can't say Victor and Vulcan or Hunter
1 Hustler
2 Vigilante
3 Early Mig 21
4 XB 70 Valkyrie
5 Tu 22 Blinder
1st sub off the bench - B47 Stratojet
2nd sub F104 Starfighter
ah nostalgia ain't what it used to be
John T
-
I saw him interviewed several times on television and he struck me as a decent man. If I recall correctly in one interview he talked about a time when a train carrying his wife (she might have been pregnant?) and child (children?) were attacked by Mosquitoes and they were hurt (grievously I think) and he did so without rancour or any hint of bitterness. (Memeory fails me in the detail)
Rather just left the impression that it was war and these things happen sadly. I wondered if he didn't like war very much.
If the chap was as he appeared I'd say he was a decent type and I am sorry to see him pass away
-
OK dumb question about the Nimrod AEW.3 - assuming that the system worked as advertised, could it only scan forward and behind? Or did the radar also scan to the sides in two arcs that provided full 360° coverage?
I tried looking it up on the forum but didn't get much success. I tried Googling it too but the sites majority just said the AEW.3 was bad idea.
Thanks!
I understand the surveilance was to be through 360 degrees
this web page gives some useful insight with the usual caveats as to accuracy of content
http://www.spyflight.co.uk/Nim%20aew.htm
JohnT
-
Hi Dave
as you know I am doing a couple of these as part of a wee pet project so will follow where you lead ! keep up the good work !
regards
John
-
A pressure pot is next on my list of things to get... They seem inordinately expensive in the UK for some reason. That's unusual!
I don't want to add something off thread but this might help Steve in a round about way. If the cost of some equipment is a bit steep for some of us and the others probably wouldn't use it that often anyway is there any scope for modellers like myself paying a fee to other modellers for assistance in say moulding a part for us using their expensively bought equipment that might end up paying for itself? Then Steve gets helped out and Mike gets the dosh to buy his wunderworkshop. Suppose the down side is Mike working all hours for us lazy gits though!
Mods please move to another thread if this is too off topic
JohnT
-
just saw this and thought what an amazing story.
http://spitfiresite.com/reference/camoufla...e-galitzine.htm
Wonderful material for a film.
Anyone know any more about this guy?
sorry if this has been covered before
JohnT
-
Nothing's really effective at reversing the yellowing, it's a property of some plastics. I would fill the canopy with resing and use the plug to mould a new canopy from PETG, which is a UV stable plastic,
Cheers,
Bill.
Thanks Bill for the advice. Much appreciated. Normally my skills don't extend that far but there is a first time for everything! As a novice to vac forms I guess I should have a go as otherwise its a write off anyway so nothing to lose, which takes away any pressure. Unlike the Echelon Lightning I have had sitting untouched but admired for some years. I bottle it when I think about screwing it up given what I paid for it !
regards
JohnT
-
sorry if this has been asked before but are they "fixable" ? I have an old 1/32 primitive Hawk vac form and the canopy has been stored in the dark since Victoria had an Empire. Had a look and the canopy is a uniform yellow tint all over. Is it totally screwed or are their any ways to remove the offending discolouration?
Thanks
JohnT
-
I reckon its horses for courses if you excuse the pun!
I'd say the Mustang was undoubtedly the best escort fighter of the war - no question. Whether that makes it the best interceptor is doubtful and by no means was it anywhere close to being a good ground attack fighter, far too vulnerable to ground fire. The lovely Spitfire had the same problem.
Also its very difficult to fairly compare a Mustang with any of the aircraft developed and put into service pre 1939 as she was at least a half generation onwards in design tech and the operational requirements at design were totally different.
The point made earlier re pilot quality, war situation and tactics all mean we get a skewed view of any aircraft and its worth. A good example is the Zero. Quite feared early in the war when up against a Brewster Buffalo but not big issue when being bounced by a well trained USN pilot in a Corsair.
I think that rather than say what the "best" aircraft was its maybe better to note aircraft that "made a mark in history" whatever their qualities and honour the guys that flew them whatever their nationality
-
There were a number of small-scale kits of WW1 aircraft given away with a cereal in the early 70s, and later sold as a set by Cross & Cockade. Going by an article in PAM News, they were mostly around 1/168 scale and were: SE5a, Bristol M1c, DH5, Sopwith Pup, Fokker DVIII and Albatros DII. I know I had the DH5 and the Fokker, which I remember being quite nice models, considering how tiny they were.
I also remember the NASA spacecraft, which included a Lunar Module, Command/Service Module and some sort of fictional moon rover thing with a large round window at the front.
Reading this I have just remembered from the depths of my memory getting a model of Fireball XL5 and a badge from cereal - I think? You had to collect tokens and send them off. At least I think so. I remember the front capsule part came off as per the tv series. Anyone else get this?
John
-
I didn't build my first models myself as I was only about 5 or 6. My two uncles started me off with an Airfix Hurricane in the early 60's along with an Airfix Me110 and the black arrows hunter. My uncle also did a great job on the Airfix Lancaster, Sunderland and Bismark when they came out. I can just remember him coming round on Saturday nights, working in the garden a while then coming in and putting the Lanc together while a programme called "Ghost Squad" was on the box - anyone remember that?
My first own builds were probably the 1/72 Revell fighters as the local paper shop got them in at pocket money prices - Me109e and Me262 with moving cockpit canopies, Mustang, P- 40e, Tempest V, Hein, FW190, and the WW1 Camel, Albatross, Spad 13, Fokker D VII
and for ships they had a small waterline or full hull Eagle Warships - tiny size and can't recall scale but HMS P of W, KG V, Cossack.
Turning full circle I have recently come back to the hobby and have been putting some ideas together but not started off yet. Except my three year old spotted an Airfix Concorde when we visited East Fortune on a day out and we built it together. No paint, glue everywhere, small parts broken and sticky fingers all over the thing but its right there in pride of place top of the drawers next to the bed. He reminded me why I really like this hobby so much.
John
-
Does anyone have any good close up photos of the Jaguars undercarridge legs and main wheel bays? Im lining up a project to build a few soon and id like to make more accurate legs and possibly detail the wheel bay.
Theres a Jag just been added to the Museum at East Fortune. I am stuck for time for a few weeks as busy the next 2 weekends then off on a fortnights hols but if you can wait I could pay a visit with the camera when I get back and let you have any shots of anything you are coming up short on.
John
-
111 flew just about everything so plenty of scope there and some cracking colourful schemes too
-
Yep, it's a flash pic mate.
Whilst doing research for my 104 I found lots of pics of the C2 and none appeared to be the same as regards colour, but I'm pretty sure they all were.
PM me and I can let you have all the pics I gathered if you like.
rich
Thanks Rich
really appreciated - pm sent
John
Thanks Julien
thats a big help
much appreciated
John
-
Have been doing a bit of research on the Lockheed C2 ejection seats fitted to the Canadian CF 104's for a 1/32 build on a model delivered today courtesy of a great trade with Zero (Brian - many many thanks by the way)
Found this site - see link
http://www.ejectionsite.com/f104seat.htm
http://www.ejectionsite.com/f104c2.htm
Can the seats really be this blue? Or is that a product of the flash photgraphy?
Looks a bit wild either way
Quite an interesting site though and the anecodotes section worth a read
John
-
I presume that the small windows above the pilots' heads on the Whirlwind helicopter were tinted. If so, what colour please? And any ideas on how to replicate it in 1/72?
In case it matters, this time round I'm asking about the HAS.22, but would be interested in answers for others eg HC2, HAS.7, HAR.9, HAR.10.
Thanks in advance.
Nick
Hi Nick
I have bought a 1/48 civil version in an ancient Revell boxing on a whim as I bought some 1/48 decals for the Scimitar and they are a non type specific sheet covering all types off a carrier so you get Sea Hawk, Sea Vixen, Gannet, Skyraider etc. Anyway the decals are for a whirlwind circa 1950.s. You come across any reference material in your searches as there does not seem to be that much on the net? I guess whirly things are not so sexy?
I will bear your post in mind and write you if I find anything that answers your question - Good luck.
As for tinting I suppose it might depend on how opaque they were? Some thing tells me that I saw some pretty dark coloured windows on one at Leuchars way back in the mists of time but I could just be talking nonsense and have it totally wrong
John
"Navy surrenders one new aircraft carrier"
in Real Aviation
Posted
Heard Sir Christopher Meyer on BBC Radio 4 Start The week this am on way into work and he said something which made more sense than most things re what we do usually and pertiment to this abject nonsense.
I was driving and therefor only half paying attention but I think the gist of what he was saying was that we need to identify what our national interests are. Once we have done that we should then put policy and hardware into place to prosecute those interests. What we tend to do is leave the various Government Depts, Foreign Office, MOD etc to do their own thing far too much and as a result we fail in our prepartion and planning.
Sounded about right and would explain this fiasco over the carriers, JSF, as well as Trident, Eurofighter Typhoon - need I go on?
On a previous post I said I wondered if only two carriers were enough and were not three the minimum for force credibility? But one ! What about the need for 2 decks to have an alternate landing deck if one goes down? Or do we only go along with our European allies and share with France? Too bad if they veto our Foreign Policy a la Iraq and leave their carrier in port. (ok bad choice of example but you see where I am coming from!!!)
One is a waste of money as it normally can't do the job on its own without a divert land base or other countries carrier in anything like a real war situation or so I would have thought.