John Aero

I too have just dug out this book and the radio fit/ops panel is located behind the pilot. The radios were probably stacked in this position against the pilots bulkhead. The dark curved area is probably the kite shaped cockpit door, seen open, I'll try and scan the photo later. The engine generator fit probably accounts for the top cowling shape. John

These are the reduced drawings. This is a dorsal turret, Hudson/ Halifax, the lower illustration by dogsbody is a nose (Halifax) turret, note the pivot bearing on the top and it's slightly narrower. John

Yes if Photobucket will let me in tonight. I couldn't use it yesterday. John Success, It's not a very good shot.

Yes if Photobucket will let me in tomorrow. I couldn't post use it yesterday. John

I do have a set of factory drawings for the C type but they are massive. I have some smaller copies and I've scanned them and if Photobucket will let me in tomorrow I'll try and share them. John

G-AHKV 6792 I believe that it was primarily for reporting and broadcasting on traffic jams so it would have had a Radio op's desk, probably behind the pilot. The aircraft had a long and varied career with a standard seating fit. I have a photo of it in AA use and you can just see that it has a full load of passengers on board so the interior fit wasn't too different. John

The winch type B was the most common wartime version. The drogue when released, pulled out the cable which was de-clutched from the windmill by a cam when the mill was at the lowest angle of attack, ie horizontal. The cable run-out was controlled by the angle of the windmill to the airstream via the clutch and a drum brake so the cable could be brought to a controlled stop (either way). The target drogue was drawn in by rotating the windmill from the horizontal to the vertical (fully into the slipstream). The angle of the windmill blades to the slipstream controlled the speed in which the cable was drawn in by varying the the axis angle of the windmill by the combined clutch and speed control. The clutch was operated by a cam on the windmill pivot so that the speed of the cable return was variable up to a point when the clutch ceased to drive the cable drum The operator had a rev counter dial and he could monitor the cable length with a calculated placard and a counter. John

A good call on the flag colours. I'd say that in this case the main stripe is Blue. John

Alan, I too feel that I've seen a photo with the Belgian reg applied, It might have been in Aeroplane Spotter, or as you suggest in Aeroplane monthly. Either way it will take a bit of time to find. I wish that the Freighter picture was clearer, because it does appear to have the roundel missing. In the meantime Photobucket has let me download the new version (which I like), hence the attached pictures. John Aeroplane magazine January 30 1948. Cover and back cover page Aeroplane Magazine February 20 1948 back cover.

Yes this is very similar but G-AILL had no Wayfarer script on the side and silver cowls. The Freighter gets a lot of coverage in the Aeroplane magazines of 1948. I remember as a boy, sitting on the fence at RCAF Langar (Nottinghamshire) watching the Canadian ones. Of interest is the Belgian Stirling in the background. John

The front and back covers of Aeroplane for Jan 30th 1948 has G-AIFF (Black letters) shown in colourised format. It is OA Silver with a wide dark red stripe/ flash, similar to the earlier illustration, from nose to tail, which then extends up the fin about a third of the fin/rudder height. This Red flash has a thin Yellow stripe along it's entire lower edge. There is then a natural/Silver skin coloured space of about 3"s and then a mid blue lower cheat line which mirrors the Red and Yellow lines from nose curve to rudder. The Yellow/ Silver /Blue edge is repeated on the top of the extended Red band on the fin and rudder (only). It also has yellow spinner front halves. Pre-war, the colour Black was often used on Bristol civil aircraft fuselages, as suggested in the earlier illustration. I can't scan it as Photobucket is still not working. Addendum. The wide Red stripe actually goes over to cover the whole fuselage top aft of the raised cabin. John

Meatbox 8, The Wings series is available on DVD in a 7 disc set. code 132305. (I have a boxed set). Available from the BBC. The Dutch recovery teams are expert and caring and they have been doing this kind of work since the war's end and they know exactly what they are doing. I'm sure that all will be well. Even with a coffer dam a digger may be the only possible way as at times as simple spadework just isn't possible in such waterlogged conditions. John

Occasionally the Avatar hides the person behind quite successfully to a 'T'. Martin, of course you also knew my dear late wife Angela and you must certainly vie for being one of my oldest customers. We are certainly fortunate. John

Nothing wrong with younger wives, Mine's 25 years my junior, and it's been that way for 20 years 😀 John

Vaughan Williams, definitely seconded, I have a number of his works including Symphonica Antartica, The Lark.., Tallis Fantasia and my favorite The English Folk songs suite etc. John

Some time ago when Clare and I were on our way to France we called into Canterbury Cathedral and were lucky enough to catch the choir practicing the Allegri Miserere in an almost empty cathedral. Pure magic. John

I too thought that Anastasia was a super craft. Do we have dimensions? My great mentors Ada and Jim Winterbottom up in Lancashire, helped make my childhood in Oldham a magical place. They bought me the Eagle every week and gave me materials to make things with. Now look where that led too. John

Note also the little 'bite' out of the DH letter 'G', peculiar to DH. Now I hadn't noticed the rounded corners! One D merit.

No Martian, Plankton isn't spelled planet. Very good idea though. 😊

The Air Kruise DC 3 picture was a Roy Cross painting. Many of Roy's civil paintings appeared in a small soft back book called "Know your Airliners" in the 1950's The colours are overall Silver with a White top mid to dark Blue cheat line the with of the windows and the title in the same Blue. John

I can't help with Lukgraph it's self, but the attached is an DH 84 Dragon layout and this is very similar to the Rapide centre struts The outer strut wires will be in line with the front wing spar and not to the base of the I strut. John

The Tiger registration GAIRJ is virtually a phonetic for Herge. John

Exquisite. John

In answer to the Contrail question, of what happened to the Dies (moulds). Unfortunately the extrusion dies became very worn and I looked at replacing them and I also asked about using a better stiffer material. The Contrail range because of the small production amount were always produced by a small company of jobbing extruders on a small workshop built machine, when there was a gap in their normal business. Unfortunately, (for me) I then discovered that I was ill with cancer and I then had over two years of treatment, of which most people hadn't a clue, as I had a radical new treatment called Brachytherapy and fortunately I didn't have Chemo therapy so I showed almost no outward signs. I was already aged 75 three years ago, so Clare, my family and myself (I admit) said it was time to walk away from Aeroclub, bearing in mind most folk have retired at 65. I doubt it's worth any one picking up the traces because the Contrail stuff was always very specialist and was only viable as a part of a busier company, especially when Vacforms and white metal started to wane with new technology. John

Pete, Well spotted. I bought it at a shop in Sherringham Norfolk. The shop had a large range of Tin-tin merchandise and I hung my nose over the bus as I thought it was delightful. At over £70, I hesitated until Clare said "for goodness sake ,buy it". So I did as I was told! Thanks John as I couldn't remember which book it was from as I sent a couple to my grand kids in NZ. I wanted it for background for my Stackton Tressel Aerodrome as I estimated that it might be 1/48 or 1/50 scale to go with the rest of the vehicles I collect. John