Thank you for the gift Richie.

Thanks for posting.

Fantastic images thanks for posting them Richie.

Vulcan
 

For those interested....



Falklands' Most Daring Raid in Channel4

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/f...st-daring-raid

On 30 April 1982, the RAF launched a secret mission: to fly a Vulcan bomber to
the Falkland Islands and bomb Port Stanley's runway, putting it out of action
for Argentine fighter jets. The safety of the British Task Force depended on
its success.

However, the RAF could only get a single crumbling, Cold War-era Vulcan 8000
miles south to the Falklands, because one bomber needed an aerial fleet of 13
Victor tanker planes to refuel it throughout the 16-hour round-trip. At the
time it was the longest-range bombing mission in history.

From start to finish, the seemingly impossible mission was a comedy of errors,
held together by pluck and ingenuity.

On the brink of being scrapped, only three of the ageing nuclear bombers could
be fitted out for war, one to fly the mission and two in reserve. Crucial spare
parts were scavenged from museums and scrap yards: one vital component had been
serving as an ashtray in the Officers' Mess.

In just three weeks, the Vulcan crews had to learn air-to-air refuelling, which
they hadn't done for 20 years, and conventional bombing, which they hadn't done
for ten.

The RAF scoured the country for Second World War iron bombs, and complex
refuelling calculations were done the night before on a £5 pocket calculator.

With a plan stretched to the limit and the RAF's hopes riding on just one
Vulcan, the mission was flown on a knife-edge; fraught with mechanical
failures, unreliable navigation, electrical storms and not enough fuel.

Of the 21 bombs the Vulcan dropped, only one found its target. But it was
enough to change the outcome of the war.

Astonishingly, this great feat has been downplayed into near obscurity by
history, but this documentary brings it back to life, providing a thrilling and
uncharacteristically upbeat account from the Falklands War: the Dambusters for
the 1980s generation.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~S~

Was first aired last week. EXCELLENT program - incredible story.
PPP

"Of the 21 bombs the Vulcan dropped, only one found its target. But it was
enough to change the outcome of the war."

Absolute TV history bullsh#t!

Agreed re that bit ;). Why do they feel the need to write that stuff?! Never-the-less an amazing story, very well told IMHO.

Gents i think the post was trying to say it was a great mission? and if you agree or not on the war it was a great mission.

Cheese

Totally agree - sorry if my post was vague! I thought it was an incredible mission in every respect. The book, Vulcan 607, tells the whole story in detail and is superbly written - gripping stuff!

I was just thinking about Robert Redford telling a story about when he was a young man walking down a long stretch of highway and being able to hear a car coming from a mile away. That is real "One The Road" moment. You'll probably never find that now a days.

Do17 underwater survey for the RAF museum
 

Photos, photos and more photos
 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8270787...69786717/show/

all in color

Cool, thanks for posting:cool:

I agree with this statement http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/Woot.gif

Unbelievable collection thanks for the link.

Shame there's no background story to cover the pics.

Try clicking on "Show Info" in the upper right corner, awesome stuff this site thanks!

Bingo.......... works great on Firefox

Thanks for posting.

And shot down by a Defiant?

it's gonna be a helluva restoration job if they manage to recover it in one piece.
The Do-17 wing surface is HUGE, so recovering it in one bit will be quite a challenge, especially considering how thin the tail section is. Even if they manage to recover it though, there will be a massive and extensive restoration job needed to bring it back to its original shine, and there might be a case where they will have to decide whether to leave it as it is (once they stop corrosion) or give it back its original shine.

I hope they bring her up to the surface for a restoration. I remember reading that the wreck was known about for some time and some people have pinched the guns from it - the RAF say it's MoD property and want them back.

I can't imagine them being in any nick good enough to be used, so it's not a security threat, but these kinda folks really grind my gears!

As for the claims of the MoD, LOL! Come on chaps, you find a unique relic in shallow waters and not expect somebody reckless enough not to have a go at it?

Anyway why is it considered MoD property? I don't know much of the UK legislation on the matter.

Battle of Britain today
 

I am coming to London on business at the end of May and have about 2 1/2 days available to immerse myself in some BOB History. What are the must-sees in your opinion>? Thanks:cool:

Bit of a trip out of London but IWM Duxford is well worth it...

http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

+1

And Duxford if you dont mind a small bit of travel

Without doubt, the Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge - it's a hidden gem!!
One needs to travel by train to Canterbury & then by bus to Hawkinge - the museum is a relatively short walk from the bus stop in Hawkinge. The museum has a website.

if you do make your way to Hawkinge then i suggest you go to Manston as well, great little free museum,

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...9082010056.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...9082010043.jpg

Depending on my work schedule i could meet up and show you around some of the BoB stuff in S.E Kent, i live 2 miles from Manston.

RAF museum Hendon. A very good museum, I think it's as good as Duxford...and you won't have to travel out of London.
Look at the list of aircraft on display (including a Sunderland and Lancaster):

http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/E...rce_Museum.htm

I'm certain there is a Wellington too, but it's not on the list.

The Battle of Britain exhibition hall is excellent.

If you get the chance to hop on a train to Folkestone/Dover, the BoB memorial at Capel-le Ferne, situated on top of the White cliffs;

http://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/the-memorial/

Also, not everyone's cup of tea, but the RAF's Church of St. Clement Danes in central London.

Hendon RAF Museum
Imperial War Museum London
HMS Belfast...sorry seems HMS Belfast is currently closed and will not be reopening until after Easter 2012. But u can take nice pictures cause it is anchored near London Tower Bridge
Churchill War Room
if u have enough time to go near Cambridge u can visit IWM Duxford and the Shuttleworth Collection at the Old Warden airfield (WWI)
This is my favorite tour in England ;)

+1

I don´t know the other ones in the UK (i know several across the US, Germany and Spain) but I must tell you that Hendon is indeed an excellent museum.

Worth to be included in your agenda.

The War Museum is a good visit, and not that far from central london, just on the south side of the Thames.

SO w1nd6urfa, what did you see?

phoenix1963

Try and go to Old Warden near Biggleswade.

It's an old aerodrome with a grass runway. Anywhere that has Biggles in the name has my vote.

http://www.shuttleworth.org/gallery.asp

Better still, buy myself and my lady a firkin of beer and we'll take you there ourselves:cool:


Best Regards,
MB_Avro.

Duxford... definitely Duxford... :D

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7...07a8a0a6_b.jpg

I was there on a conference a few years ago and If you have a diving license I can recommend an exhibition that is 15 meters below the surface right in the outer part of the Grand Harbor of Valetta ;) HMS Maori, a tribal class destroyer that was sunk by Stukas in 1942...

Very easy dive and very accessible from the shore of the harbor...

EDIT: Oups - old thread but I stand by my advice for other people visiting Malta ;) And there is a Blenheim and a Beaufighter amongst other aircraft out in the ocean... Rather deep though in most cases...

Best aviation museums:-

Duxford near Cambridge, may even be flying displays, check their program
http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford

Hendon is nearer to London
http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/E...rce_Museum.htm

If you are near the South Coast, Tangmere Aviation Museum near Chichester is fairly small but a gem. I'll put you in our Lightning Simulator :)
http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/

The Aviation Museum is great! they have restored a Spit IX and a Hurri recovered from the sea:

.

There's the remains of a Swordfish awaiting restoration:

.

A Tiger Moth which apparently is airworthy:

.

And the grandad of IL-2 ;)

.

Bomber Boys available online
 

Watched Bomber Boys on the TV last night. Pretty good show with great footage of one of the only two flying Lancasters in the air.

You can watch it online here:

http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video...77/Bomber-Boys

It's only available online for 14 more days.

enjoy!

Synopsis: Ewan McGregor and his aviator brother Colin tell the story of the RAF's Bomber Command and the men who fought and died in the skies above Europe during World War Two. Ewan and Colin meet a number of key surviving members of Bomber Command and take on a variety of practical challenges. While Colin fulfils his lifetime ambition of flying one of the only two surviving Lancaster Bombers, Ewan learns what it was like being a tail-gunner - perhaps the most lonely and dangerous job of all bomber aircrew.

"This content is currently unavailable".

Maybe it because I am out of the Australian zone.

Yeah I'm sorry didn't check if it was available outside AU.

Can I watch On Demand outside Australia?
Rights agreements mean that SBS On Demand is only available in the Australia. Even if you are an Australian citizen you cannot access the service from abroad. Some videos of Insight, Dateline and World News Australia clips are available to watch internationally.

That was friggin excellent mate. A great show. Thanks for supplying the link.

"Friend - Foe" The Soviet documentary film
 

Hi people. A very good man made subs and uploaded on YouTube.
This documentary film of 1991 about people in aviation made in USSR just before its dissolution. The quality is not very good, but you can find only VHS rip... it's a very rare movie.
Planes Su-27 and MiG-29. The film is dedicated to Ivan Kozhedub.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfarD...ature=youtu.be

The theme of the forum sukhoi.ru: http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthrea...73#post1825573

Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
 

For those interested in warships:

Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
by Robert K. Massie
(This is Massie's second book, the first being Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the coming of the Great War).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eel_Cover1.jpg


The book begins in the lead-up to the declaration of hostilities between Germany and Britain, whereas Massie's previous work ended with the beginning of the war. All the significant naval strategies and battles of World War I are covered, including the Battle of Coronel, where a German squadron led by Admiral Maximilian von Spee destroyed a weaker British cruiser squadron under the command of Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock; the ensuing Battle of the Falkland Islands where von Spee's force was annihilated by a superior British squadron; the Battle of Dogger Bank (1915); Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign; and a detailed multichapter narrative of the Battle of Jutland and its aftermath.

Other chapters describe German submarine warfare and events triggering America's entry into the war. There are also chapters dedicated to central personalities such as British Admirals John Jellicoe and David Beatty and the German Admirals Franz von Hipper and Reinhard Scheer. The book ends with an account of the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet in Scapa Flow.



~S~

I have this book it's brilliant :)

That I've not read this book yet is an omission of the highest order.

This looks really interesting Grathos. There is a third book in this story but not by this author and unfortunately long out of print but a quick google search produced the first 46 pages in pdf. Check out the pics. A truly amazing story.

http://www.pr-productions.co.uk/The%20Man.pdf

Nice story, never heard about it.

Thanks Arthur!

~S~

Of course from a 2012 perspective we would have been better off if the German fleet was still there sunk rather than salvaged and cut up for scrap.

Imagine all the archeological opportunities and BBC/Discovery-Channel documentaries it would have created.

F18 breaking cable while landing on aircraft carrier
 

Impressive video, one (very lucky) guy jumping over the snapping cable, seven others less fortunate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=1c0lfwxRpj0


~S~

walking the deck of an aircraft carrier is still one of the most dangerous jobs on the market. I wonder how much these guys earn!

I think if you were to ask any of those guys who were hit by that cable, the answer would be "Not enough!"

;)

Few years ago on my construction site cable torn off leg of worker

I bet! ;)

yeah, that's the actual risk: the whiplash of such big steel cables can cut through metal, let alone a human body!

then you have the risk of being sucked in by a jet or minced by a propeller, roasted by jet exhausts, decapitated by wings, blown up or burned by weapons/fuel, thrown in the sea (with pretty much little to no chance of even being found), crushed by unsecured aircraft...

All in all they could probably do a "Final Destination Special" only on aircraft carrier ops! :shock:

Heres a good example...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ugvYWyiUDw

this ones frightening...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI9Sj...eature=related

Just seeing how quickly the men on the deck react is a testiment to the quality of the men, their professionalism and training.

Yeah, this sort of thing does make great TV. I would imagine a few TV production companies are in talks with our Burmese Spitfire hunters right now.
I seem to recall there is a demand for sunken battleship steel today. It was generally of very high quality and more importantly, being beneath the ocean since before August 1945 means it has not been irradiated by atmospheric nuclear weapons testing and is needed for sensitive medical testing instruments, space satellites designed to detect cosmic radiations, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCdExWtHWrA
We don't need fire brigade, we can fly vertically:)


P.S. about cable the ripper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_8735oeQI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sknyliv_air_show_disaster
(Many people have died from the cable which hooked to the plane)

Which US carrier was it that had an incident with a missile release on the flight deck during the Vietnam war?

Can't remember the name of the ship but the documentary about the incident was chilling. An electrical short circuit released an A-A missile which set fire to another aircraft also preparing to take off on the other side of the flight deck and resulted in a good bit of ordinance cooking off.

Absolutely horrifying, but as Skoshi just said above, the crew's reaction was testimony to the quality of the men and their training.

Regarding your post xpzorg, thanking you for posting a video which cuts off at that point. I was there for that airshow and witnessed the crash, I tried to help injured and shocked off the airfield and it was my definition of hell on earth. Just seeing the aircraft again brings back those memories.

Sorry, i didn't want to seem cynical and callous. Of course i understand that is big tragedy and that's why i post it in reply in 3 first humorous posts.

That was the Forestall. John McCain was sitting in the plane that was hit. In an odd twist of fate (after miraculously surviving) he later transferred to the Oriskany which had been the site of a fire that killed 44 men the year before. He was promptly shot down and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

Seems like aircraft carrier duty is not for the feint of heart.

Navy Flight Student Crash Video, at 1 min - are those his legs? :(


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeRXre_FG1w

jeeez, that tumbling bomb on the deck was scary :shock:

Massie's book is arguably one of the best on the subject of the naval arms race of the early 1900's, it's affect on diplomacy across Europe and it's ultimate contribution to sowing the seeds for war in 1914. It's more than just another book on the Battle off Jutland.

It's broad scope lays down the factors that contributed to the ill feeling that grew between Britain and Germany from the late 1890's onwards. The naval arms race between the two was much more than just a desire by Germany to seek parity with the Royal Navy, it was a direct threat to the status of Britain as the premier world power, it's trade affilations and influence.

A brilliant book.

Finally laid to rest.
 

THE family of Australian Spitfire pilot RAAF Sergeant William Smith will gather in France for a final farewell almost 70 years after he went missing over the English Channel.
Last seen engaged in a desperate dogfight with a large group of German fighters on May 9, 1942, 24-year-old Sgt Smith was listed as missing in action until October 2011.

Excavating what they believed was the wreckage of a downed Czech aircraft in Hardifort, northern France, a documentary film crew found the remains of Sgt Smith and his Spitfire.

Today, Sgt Smith, who was commended by his commanding officer for his "quiet, calm way of going about his duties" will be interred at a ceremony with full military honours at Cassel Cemetery in France.

Sgt Smith's surviving brother, Bert, is expected to travel from Australia to attend the ceremony and deliver a eulogy for his sibling, who was born at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and lived at Whittlesea in Victoria.


At the time of his disappearance, Sgt Smith was single and flying with an Australian squadron within the Royal Air Force. He enlisted in the RAAF in 1940, aged 22.

Some closure for his family, RIP

Sgt William Smith was stationed at Redhill in Surrey with 457 Squadron and on May 9, 1942, his Spitfire helped escort a number of Boston bombers in a raid over northern France. On their return to England the squadron was attacked by up to 30 Fock-Wulf Fw 190s midway between Mardyck and Dover. Sgt Smith, who was 24 at the time, was last sighted at 20,000ft in combat with a number of Fw 190s.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...78_634x430.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...86_634x453.jpg
An identification tag and charms belonging to the brave pilot are pictured

R.I.P. Bill.

The world can't thank Sgt. Smith and Australia enough for their sacrifice.

P-40 Found In Sahara
 

Found by oil explorers, looks genuine to me. Would be very hard to fake that kind of detail.

Can any of our Polish friends talk to this guy please and see if they can find someone to recover it before it's trashed by scrappers? Would hate to see it go the same way as Lady Be Good.

Polish website but here's the translation:

http://translate.google.com/translat...ge%3D1&act=url

Wow! look at that. Nice pics Sutts, it looks like the dry desert has preserved it quite well.

S!

Interesting find and seems not to be too much robbed by looters. Would be nice to know more about this plane, how it ended up there etc. Thanks for sharing.

I have a soft spot for tomahawks and kittyhawks.

It appears this looks like a tomahawk, you can tell this by the air intake on the nose. By the development of the C variant the intake had been streamlined and lowered, also the nose mounted machine guns had been removed.

Tomahawk's were P40C & D's. Kittyhawk's were P40E,F & G's, Warhawks were K's upwards.

What do you reckon this one is DroopSnoot?

Sorry sutts I made a typo ive updated my post above.

This is a tomahawk I'm betting, looks like an early one at first glance as the iconic Radiator intake is smaller. Although by the E the air intake was more streamlined the oil radiator was much larger to cope with the larger uprated engine.

Another indication is the spinner size and frontal nose area, with the Kitty is much bigger and boxy than the tomahawk:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._kittyhawk.jpg

In comparison:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...6_tomahawk.jpg

(Not ideal photo I know)

Thanks DroopSnoot. I can't stop looking at these pics, just love timecapsules. Hope it gets the treatment it deserves. Wonder if the pilot got home?

Sad thought but many pilots didnt because of the vastness of the desert. I could be wrong but i dont think the RAF had a search & resuce for the desert because of the fluid nature of the war there.

I remember watching a war film years ago with P40's, it had a Tomahawk and a Kittyhawk in it. I'm gonna go hunt for it watch this space.

Wonder if it is restorable?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069953/

Never released to DVD but my father did video it, maybe i ask him to see if he still has it and convert it.

FOUND IT !!!

It was under its American Title, awful quality though.
ENJOY :grin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sstU7qvLw7Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFB8D...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E817k...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KowZk...feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy5ju...feature=relmfu

oh yes, everything is restorable, and that one is in remarkable conditions as well! In fact I wouldn't restore it, we already have flyable P-40s, considering how complete it is it would be nice to put it in a museum as it is, since a restoration would get rid of the original paintjob and panels.

That is definitely a Hawk 87 RAF name Kittyhawk, not the early Hawk 81, known to the RAF as a Tomahawk.

An amazing find.

I hope they are able to secure it.

Incredible Find.

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/Sahara1.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/Sahara2.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/Sahara3.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/Sahara4.jpg

http://www.cubpilot.com/Tspin/Sahara5.jpg

:shock::shock::shock:

Yes,they've restored Spitfires with a little more than a data plate,have that and money and it could be flying in a few years.

Amazing! Thanks for sharing. I wonder what happened to the pilot? Great forced landing.

I also wonder just how many other well preserved wrecks there are in the world's deserts.

PPP

wow, that is fantastic! p40 is my favorite plane of all time and someday i will enjoy flying it in Dover.great find!maybe russian p40 in my future?soon?

That's awesome!

Are those bullet holes? I'm putting my money on a BF109 as the killer :twisted:

Cool info, thanks for the post. Amazing no on has come across it and stripped it. Goes to show what a wasteland the desert is. As was said looks well preserved, hopefully someone who can do something with it saves and restores it.

On a side note. I still regret not attempting to buy a rusted out Original 1968 Mustang GT500 I came across in 1990 or so, it had been sitting outside since the son had left for Vietnam and died there. It was in the middle of no where as I had gotten lost getting off a highway off ramp looking for fuel for my 67 Mustang 390BB Fastback. I found a gas station and asked about it and the guy told me about the son and Vietnam and said I should offer her some money for it and get rid of it so it would not be a constant reminder to her. But I did not. Hindsight. (They sell for 50-100k now and even a frame with a serial number is worth 8k or so.)

I also came across what I believe is a complete WWII fighter engine in a small shop corner in NZ when I was living there and it was in excellent condition , I wrote all the numbers down from it and meant to pursue it further but have no idea where I wrote the info.

Reminds me of places I've worked in Algeria

Looks as if there's a radial cowling behind it.

Are we really sure it's not a hawk 75/P36?

True, and saved money as well - you can skip the sandblasting. ;)

I know my Curtiss Hawks. Note the exhaust stacks on the side of the engine cowling and the scoop on top.

That is a Hawk 87.

What you are seeing in the background is the Prop, Spinner and reduction gear box that broke off in the crash.

No kidding! Those surfaces have been sandblasted by mother nature herself, bet you can almost see your own reflection on that or put a fresh coat of mottling on it.:)

Okay, yes, I see the gap where the exhasts should be, good point.

If you say so. No offence intended, I was curious.

:cool:

Didn't take any offence sir.

Poor pilot. I can't help wonder if he survived, and for how long.

It's in good condition, considering the time that has passed. Barely a scratch really. Looks like one of my better landings :-).

i was wondering the same thing, if they identify the plane I would be curios if the pilot survived and is he still alive, if he is it would be nice to see him reunited with it :)