Bomber boys - bbc one

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

I lived in Bologna, initially in the city itself and then we moved into the hills in a place called Rastignano, I wen't to a catholic school in pianoro, I spoke Italian fluently (people thought i was a local kid) and have subsequently forgotten it completely, easy come easy go when youre a kid.

ouch, catholic school with nuns?!

I know Rastignano! We flew to an ultralight airfield nearby with the Tiggies once and had a great meal there, which was spoilt by the flight back: bouncy August afternoon flight back, I really struggled to keep all that yummy food in as soon as I gave control to my co-pilot

[bongodriver]

ouch, catholic school with nuns?!

LOL....not quite that catholic, but Catholic enough for me to be excluded as a Satanic non-believer, the school dress was a black shirt with a white detachable collar, for some reason I wasn't allowed to wear the collar, I look at my old school photo and the look on my face is precious, a real sense of 'I wan't to kill you all damn you!', I was popular with the girlies though...hehe!

I know Rastignano! We flew to an ultralight airfield nearby with the Tiggies once and had a great meal there, which was spoilt by the flight back: bouncy August afternoon flight back, I really struggled to keep all that yummy food in as soon as I gave control to my co-pilot

Ah.....I didn't quite realise you are a fellow Tiggie pilot, how many hours? I haven't flown a Tiggie for about 10 years now (270 hours), I fly a Stearman for my vintage fix now.

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

LOL....not quite that catholic, but Catholic enough for me to be excluded as a Satanic non-believer, the school dress was a black shirt with a white detachable collar, for some reason I wasn't allowed to wear the collar, I look at my old school photo and the look on my face is precious, a real sense of 'I wan't to kill you all damn you!', I was popular with the girlies though...hehe!



Ah.....I didn't quite realise you are a fellow Tiggie pilot, how many hours? I haven't flown a Tiggie for about 10 years now (270 hours), I fly a Stearman for my vintage fix now.

last time I flew one it was in 2005! I have some 350 under my belt (if memory serves!), then tried a Jungmann and fell in love with the thing!
The Tiggie was my first vintage plane experience, and a first love too, with all its quirkiness and the handling of a barn door a good ol' gentle lady that can bite, but it's a pleasure to fly for a stroll above the countryside
I fly with a Stearman here too, another world, esp with the beefier engine, still not too sold about that cheeky torque though

[bongodriver]

Yep Tiggers are wonderfull things....tops made out of rubber and bottoms made out of springs!.....particularily if you stuff up the landing and that well sprung udercarriage throws you back ito the air with zero speed....gotta love those innefective ailerons and rudder that stays locked in full deflection, have you tried a Canadian Tiggie yet? tailwheel is nice but those brakes are lethal.
haven't flown the jungman.....absolutely beautifull aircraft to look at, I must go and wink at Anna Walker and see if she will let me fly hers.
Stearman is just plain easy, I like the cheeky torque.

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

Yep Tiggers are wonderfull things....tops made out of rubber and bottoms made out of springs!.....particularily if you stuff up the landing and that well sprung udercarriage throws you back ito the air with zero speed....gotta love those innefective ailerons and rudder that stays locked in full deflection, have you tried a Canadian Tiggie yet? tailwheel is nice but those brakes are lethal.
haven't flown the jungman.....absolutely beautifull aircraft to look at, I must go and wink at Anna Walker and see if she will let me fly hers.
Stearman is just plain easy, I like the cheeky torque.

one day I'll tell you the story of when my engine quit on top of a tumble at 1100ft ("remember, if your engine quits, your only chance is to nose it down and let the propeller windmill and start up again, but you need to be at 1000ft ground to get enough airspeed!")

brakes can be lethal, but bleeding them can be even worse!!

The Jungmann is like a glove, a pilot's dream! Responsive, no slack stick, super fast, compact.. you feel like you can land it on top of a helipad!

[bongodriver]

brakes can be lethal, but bleeding them can be even worse!!

Hydraulic?....thats a new one, hydraulic brakes must be relatively nice, I'm used to the cable operated heel brakes....on or off and nothing between.

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by bongodriver

Hydraulic?....thats a new one, hydraulic brakes must be relatively nice, I'm used to the cable operated heel brakes....on or off and nothing between.

they actually had a proper hub kit, they were quite good, if anything to slow on landing, although they can be dangerous.. tailskid is generally good to stop, but taxiing with a tailwheel is way better.

Never tried the cable brakes, and frankly I'm in no hurry to try them either

[kendo65]

Originally Posted by Sternjaeger II

...
well he was a general indeed unfortunately, and I can mention to you other bad generals: Rommel, Alexander, Gamelin, .

... if you want details on them let me know
...

Sorry, can't help but ask. Why, in your opinion, was Rommel a bad general?

[ATAG_Dutch]

Hmm..... Also interested in Mr. Sternjaeger's opinion of Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay.

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/t...-meetinghouse/

Here's another one.

http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=217

[Sternjaeger II]

Originally Posted by kendo65

Sorry, can't help but ask. Why, in your opinion, was Rommel a bad general?

Rommell was an astute tactician, but not a good general: he didn't listen to more experienced colleagues (he deliberately and blatantly dismissed and ignored the suggestions of Italian generals during the North Africa campaign, who had a better understanding of logistics and artillery use), undermining his relationship with his Italian allies, who never thought much of him and didn't manage to coordinate their work efficiently in North Africa.

By the time he named Kesselrig as CinC of the Mediterranean based German Army it was too late, and never managed to efficiently coordinate the armed forces with the Allies.

So he lost that, he then screwed up big time in Northern France as you all know..

In addition to his stubbornness and arrogance, he deliberately didn't obey certain orders he received, and last but not least he tried to murder his leader.

So no, he wasn't a good general. An astute tactician as I said, a socialite, and a good man that understood that Nazism and Hitler were the real enemy, but not what you would normally define a good general.