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Albatross, Get Your Albatross Here!


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Martian since the Seamew was one of the first Keil Kraft models which I built as a lad that actually looked as if it was in (controlled-ish) flight it is on my list of favourites but I do not allow the scales to blind me

She ain't pretty. 😱

 

 

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I too am with you on the Barra - though definitely not the Mk5, which managed to delete most of the type’s good points and emphasise its poor ones (I mean, those Alphorn exhausts and that basking shark mouth... please!).  The Seamew never went into service, but I am sure had it done so it would have matured into glorious full bloom.

 

It is no more possible to tell someone that they must admire a specific aircraft than to fancy a particular human being; opinions simply differ (eye of beholder, etc.).  People bang on about the Spitfire, but I’m one who far prefers the Griffon-engined versions (which makes me Just Wrong in the eyes of most Schönheit Polizei); the longer nose gives them better visual balanace and the stubby fin of the early versions is gone.  [I wasn’t joking in my Seafire 46 build when I described it as the best of them all].

 

...but give me a Sea Fury over any Spit.  And a Firefly 4, probably.  

 

There are far too many other factors involved for any objective scale.  I suspect part of my love for late Spits originates in my Dad giving me the classic Mk. XIV & V1 kit in about 1970.  Similarly, my Dad flew Barras, and for years it was fashionable to say the design was useless - you still see a lot of that written, though better perspective has come of late.  But my Dad loved it; as an Observer, it was a huge leap forward from the Swordfish - centimetric radar, closed cockpit (imagine trying to keep your navigation accurate on a piece of paper in an open cockpit on a rainy day), better radios, better communication with rest of crew, huge windows with completely unobscured view downwards...  If someone who flew it loved it, then as a boy I was always going to defend it.

 

Beauty is not just superficial surface grace.  Power, character, fitness for purpose (the Seafire was one of the worst deck landing machines in history), your own history with it...

 

 

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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With you on the Sea Fury and Griffon Spits, not quite as with you on the Firefly IV, I'm  a fan of the V myself

 

I have already vowed that the last Spitfire I built will be my LAST Spitfire, enough already, already

 

Oh well I have tree residue to shift outbof my garden and am hoping to return to this erudite topic later

 

Ciao guys

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2 hours ago, CedB said:

Oh, Bill's objecting to the Seamew and Barracuda comment... I thought he was talking about the reflection of the topless Martian in the laptop screen! 

Well, there's a bit of extra and in this instance, unintended excitement for you all. Cold showers all round methinks!

2 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Excellent 'trossing Martian.

If only I could find a pair of sunglasses as sharp as that windscreen on it: de Havilland missed a trick not producing themed fashion accessories...

Thanks Tony.

1 hour ago, Terry1954 said:

She is a splendid looking aircraft Martian, and you have captured that splendidness perfectly!

 

I'm with you on the beauty of the Barracuda, but less so on the Seamew!

 

Great stuff.

 

Terry

I am amazed that nobody can see the gorgeousness of the Seamew's lines. Someone will be telling me the Short SB3 is lacking in looks next!

 

 

sb3-6.jpg

 

Martian 👽

 

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20 minutes ago, limeypilot said:

I'm assuming there's an aeroplane somewhere in that photo.....🧐

 

Ian

Its that lump of aerodynamic gorgeousness in the middle of the picture! Mind you, I can see how from certain angles it could just be mistaken for a Vogon with a particularly bad hangover. :drunk:

 

Martian 👽

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A while back it was rumored that a locally based airline was considering purchase of an "improved" Seamew for a new commuter service and had asked Short for a quote on a batch of 35. An artist's impression was released but almost immediately recalled:

 

35617852485_44c7a67fb7_o.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

People bang on about the Spitfire, but I’m one who far prefers the Griffon-engined versions 

Absolutely with you on that, especially a naval one! I have as many Griffon Spitfires in my stash as I do Merlins. Also the growl of a Sea Fury does take some beating. But then I am partial to any aircraft that can land on any of the worlds smallest, moving runways!

 

I am reminded of the surprise, and following pride, at a comment my wife made at an air display some while back. A Griffon Seafire approached, quite high, and my wife looked up puzzled. "Thats odd, that's a Spitfire, but it doesn't sound like one". Not only had my years of constant nurd like teachings given her the confidence to identify a "Spitfire", she also knew she was NOT hearing a Merlin! It's those little moments that make for a loving relationship! I did later tactfully explain it was not actually a Spitfire but a Seafire (the Mk XVII I think), but that got the don't push it look!

 

More thread drift Martian, sorry!

 

Terry

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On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 18:32, Space Ranger said:

A while back it was rumored that a locally based airline was considering purchase of an "improved" Seamew for a new commuter service and had asked Short for a quote on a batch of 35. An artist's impression was released but almost immediately recalled:

 

35617852485_44c7a67fb7_o.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Careful, people might start thinking you have turned into @general melchett and then we will have to call the vet!

On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 18:44, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Ah, the Shorts Flying Mouth Organ; a truly classic design

It sounds like you have turned into @general melchett Crisp! Does the BM vet do discounts on simultaneous call outs/ 

On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 18:57, Terry1954 said:

I am reminded of the surprise, and following pride, at a comment my wife made at an air display some while back. A Griffon Seafire approached, quite high, and my wife looked up puzzled. "Thats odd, that's a Spitfire, but it doesn't sound like one". Not only had my years of constant nurd like teachings given her the confidence to identify a "Spitfire", she also knew she was NOT hearing a Merlin! It's those little moments that make for a loving relationship! I did later tactfully explain it was not actually a Spitfire but a Seafire (the Mk XVII I think), but that got the don't push it look!

 

More thread drift Martian, sorry!

 

Terry

Mrs Martian had to do aircraft recognition tests before she got to be Mrs Martian!

 

Don't worry about the thread drift Terry. I expect it every time I start a thread and am frequently responsible for the drift myself. It all adds to the fun of a build. Keep it up and you will soon have the honour of being invited to join the ranks of the "Usual Suspects" .

 

Back to what passes for reality, today the model got it's first application of filler. I have ben a little critical of the join where the wing leading edges meet the fuselage but on reflection, I can't see how even the likes of Airfix could have done much better as due to the layout of the original aircraft, the real issue is lack of space between the first radiator intake and the fuselage. I can see me having to make some bespoke sanding tools to deal with the problem.

 

Martian 👽

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You mean you haven’t heard of the Shorts Chapeau, their radical variable-geometry anti-submarine aircraft.  It was a Seamew fitted with an Olympus to speed up dash time to the target area.  Way ahead of its time, but it would have made all other aircraft obsolete overnight... so the Deep State killed it; it was cancelled quietly while everyone was distracted by the TSR2 debacle.

 

Bloomin’ politicians, eh?

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I heard, although with such a sensitive subject it is difficult to be certain, that the real reason for the cancellation was a lack of underbelly room for undertaking Blue Steel ops

 

 

(I did hear of a study whereby Blue Steel was configured to carry the Seamew below it, another discard because the RAF didn't want to cut trenches the length of Marham's runway to make room and the Admiralty point blank said very rude things )

 

😉

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13 minutes ago, perdu said:

Does the Fruitbat need replacing?

We haven't had a tongue in cheek aircraft thread since 2016 when the Fruitbat saga reached its 40 pages. It was obviously popular given the 176 results in BM search.

I think a subtle hint to @Ex-FAAWAFU is needed for a new thread in chat.

Your comment won't fool us though. All this talk of boring stuff like Lightnings and Spitfires is part of your cunning Christmas surprise.

 

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Wow, I didn't think my comment about the Albatross being the most elegant aircraft would cause such a ripple!

'Beautiful' and 'best' are indeed subjective, but the TSR.2 wasn't elegant.

On 9/22/2018 at 10:39 AM, perdu said:

...not quite as with you on the Firefly IV, I'm  a fan of the V myself

@perdu the Firefly IV looks just like a V or 6, or am I missing something:confused: 

 

I'm one of those that prefer the Firefly 7 and Barracuda 5 over the previous versions.

Anyhow, whom am I to say, the Gannet is the best aeroplane, far betterer than Seamew, SB.3 and YB.1 - in my opinion!

 

Arthur Hagg drew up the most elegant aircraft though, Albatross, DH88 Comet, Heston Racer, Airspeed Ambassador.  Martian is doing top justice to his Albatross for sure.

 

Edited by 71chally
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3 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

You mean you haven’t heard of the Shorts Chapeau, their radical variable-geometry anti-submarine aircraft.  It was a Seamew fitted with an Olympus to speed up dash time to the target area.  Way ahead of its time, but it would have made all other aircraft obsolete overnight... so the Deep State killed it; it was cancelled quietly while everyone was distracted by the TSR2 debacle.

 

Bloomin’ politicians, eh?

Quite so General, err, I mean Crisp...…...

2 hours ago, perdu said:

I heard, although with such a sensitive subject it is difficult to be certain, that the real reason for the cancellation was a lack of underbelly room for undertaking Blue Steel ops

 

 

(I did hear of a study whereby Blue Steel was configured to carry the Seamew below it, another discard because the RAF didn't want to cut trenches the length of Marham's runway to make room and the Admiralty point blank said very rude things )

 

😉

Is there a vet in the house?

53 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

It's been off it's feed...

Perhaps its an ex-Seamew?

46 minutes ago, Scimitar said:

We haven't had a tongue in cheek aircraft thread since 2016 when the Fruitbat saga reached its 40 pages. It was obviously popular given the 176 results in BM search.

I think a subtle hint to @Ex-FAAWAFU is needed for a new thread in chat.

Your comment won't fool us though. All this talk of boring stuff like Lightnings and Spitfires is part of your cunning Christmas surprise.

 

Forty pages of bonkers waffle? Sounds right up my street! There you go the Crisp, as task for you in these dark days; well at least when you have subdued those little vixens of yours.

 

Martian 👽

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16 minutes ago, Martian Hale said:

Blasphemy!

Not so!

Here is the definition:

elegant

ˈɛlɪɡ(ə)nt/

adjective

1.

graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.

"she will look elegant in black"

synonyms:stylish, graceful, tasteful, discerning, refined, sophisticated, dignified, cultivated, distinguished, classic, smart, fashionable, modish, decorous, beautiful, artistic, aesthetic, lovely.

 

They were obviously looking at the Scimitar or Wessex when they wrote that :whistle:

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3 minutes ago, Scimitar said:

Not so!

Here is the definition:

elegant

ˈɛlɪɡ(ə)nt/

adjective

1.

graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.

"she will look elegant in black"

She looks elegant in white.

 

Martian 👽

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