Flying a council house from the upstairs loo

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

This is about the HAS1 but most of it still applies to an HC2

https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1957/1957 - 1752.PDF

 

Interesting points in here too:

 

[bobsyouruncle]

Thanks for the great opinions on what it might have been, Tramatoa, Scimitar and Hendie, very much appreciated. 

You'll all obviously have a much better idea of what it actually was than me and yes I guess it would've been unusual to have a guy in a flying suit climb up there, (I don't exactly remember how he got up there either) but there was only us, a fire engine and some fuel at whitehaven.

Whatever it was, they must've been happy enough to then fly it over that bit of the sea back to Valley (whilst I just sat in the back, wondering (hoping) if it'd stay up).

 

I was also just reading a page or two back reference the SARBE beacon. I was dropped off just below the Nantille ridge once with one and instructed to 'go and hide' for a bit before they came back and found me under some boulders by using it (so I presume they could locate alright). 

 

I was just trawling through sites looking for further wet fit photos (I'd love to know the layout of the pouches opposite the door and if it was standard -may be in a SARTU training publication in the archives?) and found this Navy shot of one of their wet fit versions (no canvas pouches SAR set up in this). I've found another internal rear cab shot that shows the wet fit with a rolled up side window fitting, but am waiting on permission to show it.

They must've had a casualty bag stowed and probably a set of those MAST trousers (which were popular then) and a first response medical bag, I'd have thought.

 

This is the link to the Navy one which is OK to link to on the IWM website.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205125503

 

Cheers Bob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

11 minutes ago, bobsyouruncle said:

Tramatoa, Scimitar and Hendie,

Scrub me from that list! I was only an enthusiastic part-timer.The others were the professionals.

I have hunted high and low for the box of slides with the detail photos of an HAR2 interior. Still looking for the safe place they're in.

I don't remember pouches on the wet fit but I do remember the rolled up bit at the windows.

All the gubbins seemed to be hanging from the port seat rail at the two seats nearest the front bulkhead. Spare strops were tucked in behind the rail.A couple of bags were on the seat.

Ear defenders were popped over the rail at the top of each seat. Usually all of the port seats were folded up .                                                                                                                     This I know because I built a model using the aforementioned slides. 

Your photo of XT602 clearly shows the green floor with the natural metal strip at the door's edge but not the black rubber circles.

Wonder if I'm confusing the wet fit on the Sea King?

[Wafu]

YAW PEDALS not RUDDER PEDALS, day one theory of flight (Rotorcraft)

[Tramatoa]

Who got out of the wrong side of his hammock this morning?

 

Edited December 5, 2018 by Tramatoa
Addition of nautical term..........

[Tramatoa]

I thought I’d posted this two days ago but due to the random nature of the internet it doesn’t seem to have uploaded. 

This is the Cabin aft bulkhead showing the Very pistol, Cartridge and First Aid Kit stowages. 

The Very pistol stowage was black canvas and had a press studded strap. I recall the pistol itself had a long reflective streamer attached as per the previous picture. I can recall one of these being pitched out of the door in the mountains after a misfire, no idea if it was ever recovered. This also happened to a Form 700 in its canvas bag which was believed lost which obviously caused a bit of a flap. It was subsequently recovered some time later in a grotty state and handed to the engineers who hid it in the loft, there to gently continue decomposing until the pilot’s leaving do. I have no idea if it was ever presented to him and it may still be up there to this day, last relic of 22 Squadron’s presence in the building. 

[Tramatoa]

As far as I remember the SAR Wetfit it in the mid eighties was green and had circular raised ‘pads’ over the tank access covers, roughly 10” in diameter and 1/2” high but was all one colour, the pictures of the Ghanaian aircraft are a red herring. 

As to the droop stops they were there to reduce the chance of a blade hitting the tail cone, you could shut down with one stuck out with care I have seen it done. The pilot would be able to see the low blade come round at slow rpm and time the brake application accordingly. 

Regarding the F700 it lived in a pale green canvas bag with a Velcro closure behind the seat back of the seat forward of the door. They always carried it as far as I recall.

[Wafu]

19 hours ago, Tramatoa said:

Who got out of the wrong side of his hammock this morning?

 

Feeling better after a rum tot, you crabs crack me up.

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

Here's a couple of HC2s on a Navy floaty thingy  (*) in December 1964,

 

 

(* HMS Albion on trials after refit. Can't see @Wafuthere though.)

[Wafu]

18 minutes ago, Scimitar said:

Here's a couple of HC2s on a Navy floaty thingy  (*) in December 1964,

 

 

(* HMS Albion on trials after refit. Can't see @Wafuthere though.)

I’ll be down in the Joss’es office 😂

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

Clean and shiny for an official photoshoot.

Wonder how she got so high?

[Wez]

10 minutes ago, Scimitar said:

Clean and shiny for an official photoshoot.

Wonder how she got so high?

By using anthracite instead of the usual nutty slack!

[Pete in Lincs]

And the Loady breathing helium.

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

XR498 at Bessbrook Mill.

[Tramatoa]

I was interested in the two aircraft on HMS Albion as I hadn't ever looked back that far into Walter's past (the picture narrowly predates my arrival on the planet) and was surprised to see the early nose fitted. I expected someone to jump in in and cry HAS1 and must admit I was tempted.

Looking at the early aircraft we find the following;

Wessex IFTU (01JUL63 - 27JAN64) RAF Odiham

XR499 (A)

XR500 (B)

XR501 (C)

XR502 (D)

XR504 (F)

18 SQN

XR506 (H)

XR516 (E)

Which makes the aircraft nearest the camera XR506 but can anyone help me out with the identity of the rear one? I note that 'H' has the standard exhausts but the rear one (coded N) has the early stubby exhausts. There doesn't seem to be any reliable link between the letter codes and the registration. Can any of you SH boys enlighten me please?

 

 

[Tramatoa]

Ah, Scimitar must have been saving this for later..........

This is from the same source, HMS Albion, December 1964. My guess is XR509 or XR519

[Tramatoa]

https://goo.gl/images/sbHhjW

Confirmed as XR509 ‘N’ of 18 Squadron, stubby exhausts and all, on AirBritain. Hope the link works but I’m not optimistic!

Oddly it seems to have become ‘M’ at a later date.

[bobsyouruncle]

Regarding Scimitar's photo of XV498 above, does anyone know where that aircraft is at the moment at all?

There are quite a few photos around of her in the summer at Cosford, but I can't find out yet if she's still there or moved elsewhere?

 

 

[Tramatoa]

Found in the loft this morning; Aircraft Illustrated, June 1983 credited to Adrian M Balch on the Wessex Silver Jubilee

[Tramatoa]

From ‘With Courage and Faith, the story of 18 Squadron, Royal Air Force’.

A XR499, XT677, XV725

B XR515

C XR501, XT677

D XR502

E XR516

F XR504

G XR517

H XR506

J XR517

K XR508, XR676, XT721

L XR518, XT678

M XR519

N XR509

O XR510

P XR511

Q XT681

R XV723

S XV724

T XV720

U XV722

V XT676

W XV728

Additions from IWM Archive photos

Edited December 10, 2018 by Tramatoa

[Tramatoa]

Further information from ‘With Courage and Faith, the story of 18 Squadron, Royal Air Force’.

BA XT681, XV725

BB XR518

BC XR501

BD XR502, XR519

BE XR516

BF XR504

BG XT676, XV728

BH XR505, XV722

BJ XR517

BK XR521

BL XR502, XT678

BM XR509, XR519

BN XR508, XR529

BO XS674, XT676

BP XS679, XV722

BQ XT681, XV724

BR XV728

BS XV724

BT XT603, XV720

BZ XV731

This is reproduced as per the information in the book and would indicate that there is no logic behind the codes beyond the initial attempt to issue sequential letters which was messed up when XR500 crashed at Tern Hill. Other than that it would seem that letters were applied as aircraft rotated through the Squadron after Minor/Major services.

[Tramatoa]

I thought I'd also include this as it touches on something we discussed earlier. This is Master Pilot Taffy Walker, the last Master Pilot on helicopters in the RAF, Gutersloh, 6 February 1967. 

Once again it seems the Wessex proved the last posting for another Master Aircrew branch, that's three so far.

 

[bobsyouruncle]

Firstly a quick one that I thought was slightly atmospheric, even if it was scanned from a print and a bit rough and grainy.

This is at Alport Castles, with Kinder plateau behind, Peak district. Saturday 7th March 1986.

 

I've been looking at my options, regarding the Fly Model and that nose intake. The cover's good but I liked the tea strainer modification idea, as already mentioned on this site and wanted to know more about what's behind the fod guard.

I couldn't find it in walkaround photos and don't (yet) have the '4 plus' book as it seems to be out of stock at the moment.

So I had a run out to Newark myself yesterday to try and see in to the intake a little. Some shots in case anyone else needs these angles:-

 

I wanted to see this bit around the side...

 

...this bit around the top...

 

..and this bottom bracket.

 

 

It was the intake interior I was also after, so I took this one from above, which unfortunately focused on the mesh rather than the interior, but gave an impression...

 

 

...this one through the mesh

 

 

....and likewise this one.

 

It was also good to be able to see what everyone was talking about regarding the winch position relative to the hatch in the drop-down engine panel and winch type and so I took a lot of reference shots.

 

Another thing I'd been wanting to look at closely was the side door runners and arrangement as the Fly one looked a bit heavy handed on the bottom runner especially, to me.

Just a few quick shots of the runners then:-

 

Top runner

 

 

..and bottom

 

 

Which confirmed that the door doesn't sit 'in' the runners, but overlaps them, so I'll be bearing that in mind, when the time comes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by bobsyouruncle
Removed photo that did not load

[perdu]

Nice work on the intake filter, the internal separator follows through down to the Gnome intake area although it isn't separated at the intake itself

 

I might have pictures of that in my 'upstairs' computer hard drive if you need them

 

Post a note and I will search 'em out for you

[perdu]

Ah better still, found some in my Postimg set

 

The intake nose inside the shell

And the engine intake faces, I used Airfix Sea King Gnome noses for mine

 

You can see how the internal 'fence' follows down to (probably) keep the airflows smooth for each Gnome