Flying a council house from the upstairs loo

[Tramatoa]

[Tramatoa]

Ta dah! It worked 😁

Starboard electrical bay XV728 at Newark 

High Energy Ignition Unit (HEIU) is the black box to the left and the LT lead is disconnected with a red plastic blank fitted, which wouldn’t be there in service.

When one of the engines wouldn’t start it was common for the Lineys to pop in here and smack everything in arms reach with a torch (either grey and burgundy or yellow and black depending on which era you served). I seem to recall you would see dents on some of the electrical components as a result of this but there was no evidence on 728. Perhaps it was because they didn’t spend half their time hovering over the sea sucking salt spray into the engines.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Tramatoa

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

@Sabrejet

Interesting to see the black starboard undercarriage legs. This became standard when they found that the normal yellow caused dazzle when the spotlights were fitted as far as I know.

I visited Manston in April 82 and did a trip in XR520.  Dick Bendy was the pilot,Mick Bush the winchman and the Nav was the RAF's last Master Navigator Tony Melton. He was a remarkable man and I have attached a link to his obituary.

His dry sense of humour showed at the debrief when he tuned to me and said  " I hate policemen and with a big grin,especially policemen who can navigate !"  

This part-timer appreciated that.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12074615/Master-Navigator-Tony-Melton-obituary.html

[perdu]

XR525 wasn't always upon the ceiling at Cosford thank gods

 

She was on the deck on our first meeting and I was able to get some very modellable photos that day

Considering she was being used as a backdrop to a model show

 

I love this thread, all those golden pictures never before seen of the best helicochopter in the world

 

Carry on chaps

[Sabrejet]

19 minutes ago, Scimitar said:

@Sabrejet

Interesting to see the black starboard undercarriage legs. This became standard when they found that the normal yellow caused dazzle when the spotlights were fitted as far as I know.

I visited Manston in April 82 and did a trip in XR520.  Dick Bendy was the pilot,Mick Bush the winchman and the Nav was the RAF's last Master Navigator Tony Melton. He was a remarkable man and I have attached a link to his obituary.

His dry sense of humour showed at the debrief when he tuned to me and said  " I hate policemen and with a big grin,especially policemen who can navigate !"  

This part-timer appreciated that.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/12074615/Master-Navigator-Tony-Melton-obituary.html

Remember all of those, plus Karl Pollock, Ron Jackson, John Ide, Lefty Wright (Frank Rush?) and Merv Fowler. Probably more but memory is dodgy.

[lasermonkey]

Separated at birth?

 

 

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

 XT602 landing in front of the Kames Hotel at Tighnabruaich after a lifeboat exercise.

XT681 over the Kyles of Bute. This is a 72 cab fitted with a winch.

 

 XS679 at a Leuchars airshow. Note the fast rope attachment rather than a winch.

All scanned from old slides so please excuse quality.

[Tramatoa]

Perdu, Ref the Tail Rotor Disconnect Coupling you can see the ratchet mechanism has been reversed after opening to extend the pin back through the fork fitting which has pushed the red indicator flag back flush. This would normally stick out and was spring loaded. The little tee shaped plate on the rear part (on the left) was to stop the Tail Rotor windmilling. We always nudged the lowest blade to make sure it was clicked into place. Not sure what the yellow box is but imagine it came out of someone’s toolbox, I’m sure it’s not meant to be there.

[Tramatoa]

Starboard Electrical Compartment showing the interior of the door and attached Cooling Fan. 

This little monkey was responsible for us breaking down at Stuttgart where we had a fantastic night out waiting for a replacement which duely turned up in the back of a Hawk. 

If you look behind I think the duct was cooling for the coupling gearbox but I’m not 100% sure.

[Tramatoa]

Scimitar, thanks for posting the obit, great read. I seem to remember Jim Clark was the last Master Signaller in the RAF? It seems SAR was the last bastion of Master Aircrew.

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

Purists look away now as I'm going to post a civvy!

 

 

The former XT671.

[canberraman]

Tramatoa,

If you haven't already got one I would recommend the Haynes Manual Westland Wessex Owners Manual which contains numerous close ups and internal workings photos. Available from Amazon and all good booksellers

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Westland-Wessex-Manual-Haynes-Manuals/dp/178521117X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542049252&sr=8-1&keywords=westland+wessex

 

Regards

 

Mark

[71chally]

Some of the last RAF Wessex det, St Mawgan March 2002,

Wessex HC.2 XV721 H by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Westland Wessex HC.2 XR525 G 72 Sqn by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Westland Wessex HC.2 XR525 G 72 Sqn by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

Have a load more but fresh house move has buried them

[TimB]

On 11/10/2018 at 9:55 PM, Tramatoa said:

That reminds me of going flying at Finningley in an aircraft just off a Major which was so many different colours it looked like a harlequin. There must be some photographs of similar aircraft out there. My main memory of that time was how bitterly cold it was over there in winter, perhaps the  binkers we’re wrapped up at home. Having said that in my experience there’s always one hardy individual out there with a camera.

Like this?  The view from the office sometime around 1988.

Regards

Tim

[Selwyn]

1 hour ago, TimB said:

Like this?  The view from the office sometime around 1988.

Regards

Tim

This picture must have been a year or two  before 88,  as the AEW Nimrods had been cancelled in 1986 and were all in store at Abingdon by 1987.

 

Selwyn

[huvut76g7gbbui7]

1 hour ago, 71chally said:

Have a load more but fresh house move has buried them

Now that you have told me you know that I will now nag you until we get to see them 

Your pictures confirm for me that the Wessex really suited its final colour scheme.

[Tramatoa]

Does anyone know what the red pipes/cables are at the lower rear corner of the cabin door cut-out on the late 72 Sqn cab? I have always been fascinated by the extra lumps and bumps on the green versions. I had it in my mind that there was some kind of IR jammer that could be mounted there.

 

TimB, thanks for posting, I told you there was always one lurking with a camera! That is exactly what I had in the dark recesses of my memory, a complete patchwork of different colours. 

[Tramatoa]

Nearly forgot I had this tucked away. The former XV729, the last flying ex-RAF Wessex?

[Phone Phixer]

1 hour ago, Selwyn said:

This picture must have been a year or two  before 88,  as the AEW Nimrods had been cancelled in 1986 and were all in store at Abingdon by 1987.

 

Selwyn

There was an AEW Nimrod at Finningley right up to closure in 1995/6. It was used for NCO aircrew procedure training.

We used to service the fire bottles and change the carts in the armoury.

 

The photo is from the days when HQSAR wing was sensibly located at a central station for all the flights. Then they moved it to St Mawgan. 

 

[Sky dancer]

Does anyone have any photos of the various cabs that 72 Sqn used for camouflage trials in the early 1990's?

 

I think there were a couple of black schemes ( 1 x matt, 1 x semi-gloss - not sure about this!), a light grey one and possibly a light blue one - although this may have been a misreporting of the light grey one.

 

Only got to see the light grey one once, at a distance, as it provided top cover to a Lynx (which crashed about 10 mins later)

[perdu]

I managed to 'grab' pictures of those from a previous We Love Walter thread

 

They're on my PC's hard drive upstairs, when I can get up to it this afternoon I can post 'em here if you like

 

Light grey, black (a n other I forget details)

 

Oh yes James thanks for pics of 525 when she was alive, anyone know why "SUNSHINE"?

[Tramatoa]

 

One of the reasons I came onto the forum in the first place was that I had been unable to find any photos of a Wet Fit installation or SAR Role Kit and all the aircraft I had found either in real life or online did not have this fitted (presumably its not good for long term storage because it traps moisture). Then last night I came across this in a group of photos of XV729. 

Now I have several reservations about this photo. Firstly, the aircraft had been renovated and I'm assuming that someone either managed to find new parts from storage or have them made up to suit but (and this is a big but) the colours in this photo seem all wrong to me. I remember the Wet Fit Curtains as being a pale blue/green not at all this apple green colour. Also the Wet Fit Floor was not to my memory anywhere near a green as this and has raised 'pads' moulded into it, not this kind of black reinforcement. I spent a fair bit of time studying this while wielding Kimwipe and Hibitane spray. I also don't remember the silver metalised reinforcement on the left hand side which is where the much bashed about heater duct would have been bolted through to the structure underneath (it may have been there but much toned down by age). The seat colour is correct but they were much salt stained and I'm assuming the frame and belts/buckles are as they would have been in-service.

The door seat to the right I remember as a single but the black rubber gaiters are new no me and I recall a steel circular foot "pad" which fitted into the base of the leg on a quick release coupling which had a tendency to fall off. The folded frame under the seat base I recall as present on some aircraft but I'm not sure why it is there or how it would unfold. It wasn't used. 

The clear vinyl access panel to the rear of the Coupling Gearbox would be yellowed with age in-service. You can see the Priming Pump (Kissgas?) and a Fire Extinguisher through it. Above it sits the Transmission Tunnel, which is where you would attach the block for the accelerometers for vibration analysis (Scientific Pacific in the early years or Rotortune later on). Not really relevant in a modelling context, sorry. The upper press studs were not very positive and had a tendency to come undone and the curtains were easily torn and often patched. The seat rail fittings came through the curtain as seen and had pip pins attached by wirelocking. 

Now for the SAR Role Kit. The Monkey Harness colour is good for me and hangs from a rail in the ceiling. There were usually two installed. The seat at this left hand forward location wasn't fitted except for the rail, which had a pale green canvas (?) pocketed stowage sheet attached with the Hi-Lines, spare Harness, etc hanging from it. Under the right hand seat aft of the door there was a ten man(?) Liferaft in yellow (fibreglass base with gloss yellow and rubberised canvas upper in a paler yellow with white lacings) which was held by the forward handle to the seat forward frame by a short strap with Martin Baker clip. On top of the seat, secured by the seat straps, were two woven nylon carrying bags, oblong roughly 10"x10"x30", one in black (oxygen) and one in blue (entonox). Lastly, secured to rings in the ceiling, was a large Mountain Rescue type stretcher with a plywood back and cream canvas front with wooden stiffeners. Somewhere down here was a Very Pistol and a brown ammo box full of smoke cartridges (occasionally pitched out the door in the event of a misfire) but I can't for the life of me remember where it went. All this is from memory, and it's a long time ago. I can't find any period photos of the interior anywhere and would be very grateful if anyone had any and will share them. 

Blimey that got the old grey matter going, time for a brew.

Tramatoa.

[Tramatoa]

Canberraman, I picked up the Haynes Manual in the Works for a fiver, money well spent as it put me on to the Navy Wessex Restoration Project, well worth a look and good luck to them. Hopefully it won't be long before Walter once again takes to the skies as XT761 was issued with a Permit to Fly by the CAA last week.

[Sabrejet]

I recall wetfit being battleship grey: sadly I don't have the material but I do have a few pairs of scissors that used to come with the repair kits!

[perdu]

 

All the photos I saw, and my memory of examining inside Walters little brother the HAR Whirlwind at Leconfield gave me an internal wet fit colour closer to the Sky type S end of the spectrum which was what I used inside my HAR2 model

 

Sorry to be clogging up the discussion but if we can't discuss colour are we modellers?