Jeepboy
-
Posts
215 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Events
Profiles
Forums
Media Demo
Posts posted by Jeepboy
-
-
7 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:
November 1987 in the instructor's Beige Vauxhall Shuvvit saloon I think it was a W reg. Then got home and tried to convince my parents that I had failed, but they saw straight through that and jumped in my car that I bought when I was 16 as it was a cheap old Skoda S110R that cost £90 and I had saved up my paperpund money and tips and used a full tank of fuel that day.
Chris
My second car was a yellow S110R. Wonderful underrated little car.
-
3
-
-
British School of Motoring in Plymouth about 1981. There was a choice of Mini, Triumph Toledo (the Toledo seemed a big car to me to take a driving test in ) or a Metro. So, it was an Austin Metro, when they first came out, with British School of Motoring. Every lesson was a different Metro as they had so many problems with them. Cars were lime green, bright yellow, vivid blue, plain white. The clutches were awful trying to find the biting point, indicators switches were random in operation. The rear lift up parcel shelf had a little round catch in the centre, near the rear window. The instructor told me when reversing around a corner I should line the catch up with the kerb and keep it in line as I reversed.....it worked. Passed first time 😀
-
3
-
-
Loved the photos....so many memories, and loved the little black Polo G40.
-
1
-
-
Just shows what can be done with an old model and patience. So glad that you stayed true to old modelling without replacing 95% of it with aftermarket stuff. Great model.
-
1
-
-
Wonderful work. My late father served on her and I visited her when she first went to Birkenhead. Thank you for keeping her memory alive.
-
1
-
-
6 hours ago, Farmer matt said:
I see this quite often around here, oddly usually when it is tipping with rain so they must be confident of the roof.
Anyway, I was looking out for the postman when the latest in Italian exotica made an appearance in the dry for once.
Matt
I borrowed one of these for a week years ago and I realy loved it. Basic yes. Total lack of crash protection yes. Noisy yes But so practical and such fun to drive. They fetch silly prices now and I would still like one (Wifey had a 2CV Charleston, another basic with no safety but fun)
-
5
-
-
4 hours ago, heloman1 said:
Hello fellow Froggers. I did some clearcoat and decal application over the weekend, the lady now wears full plumage. So, maybe a little panel wash and add the wheels. Make a base and a suitable support...
I'm afraid, or not that this is all for this post.
More to follow...
Colin
Do you know, it hadn't realy occurred to me to add decals before final assembly. Doh!
-
I've only just noticed, the box art is a two door and the model body is a four door.....more salable as a model but sadly not a Lotus Cortina ho-hum.
-
2
-
-
....anyone want my my boxed SRN4? Just thought I'd ask. 😉
-
3
-
-
... I guess someone at Airfix has had a meeting with senior management without coffee about this 😒
-
2
-
1
-
-
Sorry, there are two - there is the SS Great Britain in Bristol. A marvellous museum and a great day out with lots of Brunel history including his notebooks. Interesting and not dumbed down like many museums.
https://www.ssgreatbritain.org/
-
Great to see the Matchbox stand 😀
-
1
-
-
Loved the old Revell kits because of the little things like opening cockpits and engine panels.
Happy happy memories, thank you 😊
-
1
-
1
-
-
We just need that Wasp now 😀
In fairness, well done Airfix and long may you continue to produce kits for us.
-
3
-
-
1 hour ago, JohnT said:
Perhaps not in keeping with the title of the thread but the spirit of if things can go wrong they will and worse than you expect. No criticism of the pilot (no relation though we share a surname) but why do birds keep running out in front of jets???
Sadly no longer with us but from what I have read well liked by those who knew him
Ejection from a Harrier
by
Air Commodore Peter Taylor AFC
At about midday on May 4,1972, I ejected from Harrier GR1 XV794 in northern Germany. I was not hurt and, on the face of it, that could have been the whole story. Except that it wasn't. There was a bit more to it than that, and as this month's Today's Pilot features an article on ejection seats, Editor Dave Unwin thought you might like to read the whole story.
Casting my mind back to the early 1970s, the Harrier had only recently been introduced into the RAF. In 1971, the Wildenrath Wing in RAF Germany had been formed with 3, 4 and 20 Squadrons and I was posted to 4 Squadron as a Flight Commander. The early Harrier was a tremendous aeroplane, albeit a bit of a handful. I think most of us had great respect for her and simply couldn't get airborne often enough. However, a combina_tion of a novel aircraft, demanding operational flying, and a general lack of experience resulted in occasional accidents and incidents. We had our share at Wildenrath, and the Station Commander, Gp Capt George Black, would 'encourage' us to the effect that while we could and should press on operationally, we should do so with care!
Denmark, for a ten-day exchange visit On the morning of May 4,1 was tasked to lead a four-ship attack mission on several targets in the Flensburg area of Northern Germany. The formation was also to be attacked by two other Squadron Harriers which were acting as enemy defensive fighters armed with simulated air-to-air missiles and guns. The planning and briefing for this type of sortie was lengthy and very thorough. I remember filling at least two blackboards with administrative and operational detail.
At the appointed hour, six aircraft were allocated to us and the four attack pilots and their two defensive counterparts gathered for the brief_ing. This lasted about an hour. However, as the briefing progressed, kept getting messages that first one aircraft, then another, then another had all become unserviceable. In the end, there was just one available:
mine! There was no alternative but to go on the sortie by myself, converting the profile to a solo attack/ recce mis_sion. So much for planning!
At about midday, I got airborne in XV 794, turned south and headed for my first target, flying at 420 knots and 250ft AGL. All went well until I was preparing to attack my second target. I had just looked into the cockpit to re-arrange my maps, when looking up I saw a formation of three large (they have got much larger over the years!) birds flying straight at me. Instinctively, I pushed forward. I missed two of the birds, but the third went straight into the intake.
There followed an almighty bang, fol_lowed by some rather worrying mechanical noises from the normally robust Pegasus 100 engine. Clearly, it did not like what was going on. I noticed that the RPM was just below idle, the JPT in the middle of its range, height 200ft and speed about 400 knots, although rapidly declining.
Generally, I was in open country, which was fairly flat with a few houses in my path. I opened and shut the throttle, but nothing much seemed to happen. I broadcast a quick 'MAYDAY' but since I was quite low, I had no great expectation that anyone would hear me. Since I had made up my mind that the engine had suffered what sound_ed like catastrophic damage, I turned my mind to what to do next. (In reali_ty, I said to myself: "I'd better jump out quite soon or I'm going in with the aeroplane!") Then, exactly as you read it in books and newspapers, I saw that I was still close re to houses, and steered the aircraft away from them towards open ground as best I could. Time was now getting short, and as I reached open ground, I saw a small hill ahead with trees at the summit. I pointed the aircraft at the hill, took one last look at the height and speed (100ft and 200 knots respectively) trimmed the aircraft straight and level, tightened my straps, and pulled the handle.
I recall everything working perfectly in my Martin-Baker Mk9 seat. I was quickly in my parachute and heading for a field full of cows. Also in the field were some quite large concrete blocks, and remembering a parachuting tech_nique I had learned some 17 years pre_viously, I steered myself away from the blocks, and executed a hard, but per_fectly serviceable, 'side-right' landing.
The whole event had taken less than 60 seconds.
To my astonishment, I saw the air_craft continuing to fly beautifully in a slight climb away from me to the north. I cannot tell you the feelings I had as I watched what now seemed to be a perfectly serviceable aircraft leaving the scene of my ejection. Indeed, the aircraft eventually flew into cloud at about 7,000ft and disap_peared from sight.
Except for the cows, I was now com_pletely alone in a field in Northern Germany with no means of communi_cation, a used parachute, the remains of an ejection seat and no method of transport. I had also forgotten in the heat of the moment that on ejection, a radio signal was initiated on the emergency broadcast frequency, so that the emergency services were becoming aware that there was an air_craft in distress.
I gathered myself together and began to walk across fields until I could find a road. After about 20 minutes, I found a road, absolutely deserted, and eventually came upon a farm. My German wasn't too good at the best of times, and my attempts to explain to the farmer's wife what had happened to me took some time. Eventually, and mainly through a com_bination of sign language and the sight of my parachute, I managed to explain my predicament and persuade her to let me use her telephone to contact the Squadron at Skrydstrup. The resulting conversation with 4 Sqdn Ops, about an hour after my ejection was surreal.
The phone was answered by Flying Officer Andy Bloxam. The conversation went something like this:
"4 Sqn Ops, Fg Off Bloxham speaking." "Hello Andy, Pete Taylor here." "Oh! OK, aren't you still airborne? Anyway, I'll get Roger Austin." That was it. No questions, no 'How are you?', 'What's happened to the aircraft?', or 'Where are you?'. Andy just put the phone down and took about five minutes to find Roger. After that, things moved fast. Roger Austin established what had hap_pened and the rescue process was put into action. Apparently XV794 had climbed to over 20,000ft and contin_ued to broadcast on the emergency frequency. Because the aircraft was close to a Warsaw Pact border, a German F-104 was sent to intercept and was, I understand, mildly sur_prised to find a Harrier flying very nicely, but with no-one on board. Shortly after that, the aircraft ran out of fuel and glided into Southern Denmark, where it crashed in an open field, narrowly missing a farmhouse. The Harrier had stayed airborne for 38 minutes after my ejection. Apparently, the reason for XV794's 38-minute solo trip was that the bird which I hit had spread itself quite thin_ly across the engine's compressor. The flames and gases from the Martin-Baker ejection seat dislodged the bird as I left the aircraft. The engine heaved a sigh of relief, drew a deep breath and started working normally again. As it happens, I had trimmed the aircraft rather well and XV794 flew until she ran out of fuel! For my part, having given Roger an idea of where I was, the German Air Force sent an S-65 helicopter to pick me up. However, as I was apparently difficult to find, I had to use my SARBE beacon and flares to direct the S-65 to me. As far as I know, I was at that time the only person to have used my SARBE beacon on land, and the company very kindly presented me with a silver pot.
At Skrydstrup I met up with the rest of the squadron, was given a brief, but thorough, examination by a lady doctor, and went back to the Officers Mess. Life was never dull at Wildenrath in those days. I have a SARBE silver mug, membership of the Caterpillar and Martin-Baker clubs, an ejection seat handle and my log book to prove it allIt's a strange world sometimes 😀
-
2
-
-
I do like to see a model plane with wheels up and on a stand 😀
-
Please keep the build log going.
It looks like a sweet little kit that will build a presentation piece, despite the useless instructions
-
1
-
-
My kit of this mysterious vessel arrived today. I'm hoping to follow your lead....
How are things progressing???
-
26 minutes ago, Bigmick said:
Julien, thats how we rolled in the 1970s, not only did you have a tank kit but it had a base, each tank was different, Sherman had a section of bridge, Panther had a broken wall I think
Indeed! Having the base was a wonderful and previously unheard of bonus. A well done to Matchbox for that.
-
I have oone in the attic and I don't think I'll ever get to build it 🙄
-
I've just looked - you are so right and I do like thw standin figures to add a bit of atmosphere. Oh well.....next time 😉
-
1
-
-
Glad you haven't given up as this is so inspiring. I do wish Airfix would update some of their kits. lease keep going 😀
-
1
-
-
Wonderfull job
-
1
-
-
On 1/15/2023 at 7:09 PM, Toftdale said:
Fairly eclectic mix over the last couple of weeks, these two were outside a body workshop in Great Yarmouth
This was chained up outside Ipswich Hospital, but who would nick it 😅🤣
On an industrial estate in Ipswich. Obviously a kit, but very well put together, however no idea whether there's a V8 heart or a Ford pinto.
Not very exciting, however can't remember the last 323 I've seen and this looked a daily driver. Its outside a factory that makes electronic monitoring systems for F1 cars.
Many years ago I nearly had a little Mazda 323 as a company car but the small engine version didn't have electric windows in the rear doors and the bigger engined version (with electric windows) had a very heavy drinking problem with petrol - so I went for a rare Honda Civic Saloon with a 1.5 VTEC engine that sipped petrol but went like the proverbial **** off a shovel if you floored it. (I do have a MK1 MX5 tucked up in the grage to make up for it though). I often wonder if I would have enjoyed the 323 but to be honest the Civic was a real Q car and great fun
-
2
-
What car did you pass your driving test in?
in Vehicle Discussion
Posted
Crashed mine, St Levans Road in Plymouth, bit of a hump hill with poor camber, wet, diesel on the road. Back end went and rear wheel hit the kerb, I overcorrected and back end spun the other other way clipping a bus coming toward me. Then span completely 180 and went down the hill backwards. Police were very good and noted (for insurance) road camber, wet and diesel spillage. No charges for doing anything silly. Next car was a Mk1 Escort Mexico which was ten years old and all my mates had XR3s and Capris. Wish I still had the Mexico, but preferred the fun of the Skoda and would rather have that.