'Quirky' Historical pictures.

[IBob]

Ah, right...for some reason, I had the idea it was to make 'em go faster...for the chasing of V1s and that sort o' business.

 

I'm pretty sure the aluminium/alzheimers link is now discredited. Not that that's of any help to your Dad, or my late Mum.

 

No, hold on, looks like that debate is still very much alive. And certainly we all moved to stainless cookpots years ago, for fear of this.

 

Didn't they also saw off all the railings to make tanks? There were certainly an awful lot of low front walls with neatly sawn off railing bits still embedded in 'em...

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Can I ask what all this has to do with quirky historical pictures? Please.

 

 

[IBob]

Can I ask what all this has to do with quirky historical pictures? Please.

Sorry...I am chastened (but not caught!)......................

 

 

[old man emu]

Apparently the "Pans for Spitfires" was simply a morale booster. The aluminium that the pots were made from was not suitable for the manufacture of Duralumin. Duralumin is 95% aluminium, 4% copper, 0.5% magnesium, and 0.5% manganese.

 

Applications

 

Aluminium alloyed with copper (Al-Cu alloys), which can be precipitation hardened, are designated by the International Alloy Designation System as the 2000 series. Typical uses for wrought Al-Cu alloys include:[8]

 

• 2011: Wire, rod, and bar for screw machine products. Applications where good machinability and good strength are required.
   
   
  
• 2014: Heavy-duty forgings, plate, and extrusions for aircraft fittings, wheels, and major structural components, space booster tankage and structure, truck frame and suspension components. Applications requiring high strength and hardness including service at elevated temperatures.
   
   
  
• 2017 or Avional (France): Around 1% Si.[9] Good machinability. Acceptable resistance to corrosion in air and mechanical properties. Also called AU4G in France. Used for aircraft applications between the wars in France and Italy.[10] Also saw some use in motor-racing applications from the 1960s,[11] as it is a tolerant alloy that could be press-formed with relatively unsophisticated equipment.
   
   
  
• 2024: Aircraft structures, rivets, hardware, truck wheels, screw machine products, and other structural applications.
   
   
  
• 2036: Sheet for auto body panels.
   
   
  
• 2048: Sheet and plate in structural components for aerospace application and military equipment.
   
   
  

 

 

 

 

[onetrack]

Get that 4th pilot in the formation to visit me in my office in the morning, and he can explain why he's 6 feet out of line, in the formation.

 

There had better be a good explanation for it, or he's busted!

 

Regards, the OC, 41 Sqdn.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Not 'Quirky' but Historical ( And nice. . .) Seven Mk12 Spitfires of 41 Squadron RAF, based at Friston in Sussex. Seen here flying over the South Downs.[ATTACH=full]51392[/ATTACH]

It's a pity some of these plus a few Hurricans were not still around for the movie Dunkirk.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

It's a pity some of these plus a few Hurricans were not still around for the movie Dunkirk.Alan.

I believe that, at time of Dunkirk, that Mk of Spitfire hadn't been developed. The early versions are a bit thin on the ground. We often see the wrong version of Spit in historic movies.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Actually I was referring to posts prior to Phil's Spitfire photo so you go unpunished. Obviously, several of us were typing at the same time and posts came in 'out of order'.

 

 

[Marty_d]

. . .the 'Missing' wingtips were a modification resulting from problems with 'Tip Stall' durring exteme military aerobatiics. . .

That's not what I've heard Phil - like IBob I thought it was for speed and roll rate.

 

A quick scan of the net seems to indicate that they clipped them to improve roll rate at low altitude, but interestingly a report from the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) apparently advised that it made insufficient difference to be worth doing.

 

I'd be interested in your sources...

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

That's not what I've heard Phil - like IBob I thought it was for speed and roll rate.A quick scan of the net seems to indicate that they clipped them to improve roll rate at low altitude, but interestingly a report from the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) apparently advised that it made insufficient difference to be worth doing.

 

I'd be interested in your sources...

...but worth it because they are the best-looking version of the Spitfire.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

 

Can I ask what all this has to do with quirky historical pictures? Please.

OI. . .yer larrikin. . every time a new thread starts, it tends to elicit comments pertaining to the original Picture OR comment. . . .THIS is what makes this site so darned INTERESTING. . .we usually discover more useful info from the response comments, than the original, ANYWAY . .. It;s MY thread, so pull yer 'Ead in cobber, or I'll show yer what I can do with the rough end of a breadfruit. . . or was it a zucchini,. . .I don't remember now. . . I've been away from Aus for so long, I've lost all the 'Put Down' sayings. . . . .can you forward me a few ? ? ?

 

 

 

[bexrbetter]

...but worth it because they are the best-looking version of the Spitfire.

Personal opine, I've never liked them, I'm a B109 or early P51* man myself.

 

*P51 A, B or C. You would think they never made a P51 other than the P51D.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

That's not what I've heard Phil - like IBob I thought it was for speed and roll rate.A quick scan of the net seems to indicate that they clipped them to improve roll rate at low altitude, but interestingly a report from the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) apparently advised that it made insufficient difference to be worth doing.

 

I'd be interested in your sources...

Ackchully, to be honest,. . . I have not looked at this in deep journalistic mode Marty. I know a bloke who is Spitfire Crazy and has built all sorts of models of the type using original drawings, but one thing I DO know is that Mr. Reynolds, of the famed 'Reynolds Numbers' oft quoted by aircraft designers, found that fluid dynamics, on which most lifting surfaces are based,. . . do not scale very well. . . .In fact they don't scale mathematically very well at all, which is why small Spitfire models just would't perform as expected. . . I read several items regarding Tip Stall' but this was whilst I was still involved in modelling myself seven or eight years back. . . . flooged it all now and concentrating on Ham Radio, now that the International 'Wormholes' are availble on VHF / UHF, so I don't have to string up 800 feet of copper wire to get an HF signal into Europe,. . I just use a wormhole,. .. from my car. . .had a chat with a VK6 ( Perth ) last week, using 5 watts from my mobile rig. . . ( Another story for another post. . .)

 

I read about that on a model website in the USA,. . from which my daft modeller mate Eric says he gets a lot of his info.

 

If you want the link references It might take a while to find them. . . .

 

Sorry. . . BUT if that evdence says that removing the 'Pointy Tips' didn't actually achieve much then I damn them to hell for spoiling the best, nay ICONIC plan view of any aircraft anywhere. . . .EVER. . . . Barstards !

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Personal opine, I've never liked them, I'm a B109 or early P51* man myself.*P51 A, B or C. You would think they never made a P51 other than the P51D.

I think you might have been referring to the BF109 there mate,. . . I've sat in three of those over the years,. . and NO, I didn't fly one. These are iconic warbirds and if I owned one, I wouldn't let just any jock take it up into the LUFT. . . .I found THE ME109 cockpit VERY tight and uncomfortable, I've never been a 'Little Bloke,. . .I've always had broad shoulders and muscles like a Brickie's labourer and the cockpit is so narrow you'd have to be a very slender example of manhood to find it altogether a nice environment. I wouldn't have been able to rapidly access all of the controls for this reason, but the Mustang was made for big, solid Yanks. . so it is quite spacious by comparison. . . .

 

One of the 109s I sat in, was owned by a Vintner bloke in Bulgaria, ex-airline pilot, who had purloined the aircraft from a relative. He actually allowed me to taxy it up and down his runway, but I had to give him a solemn promise that I would not try to fly it. . .( ! ! ! ) Oh yeah ?. . . without any briefing ?. . . I enjoy life too much to try a stunt like that mate. . . I gave up after two runs up and down the strip as the exhaust fumes entering the cockpit from inside the fuselage, were making my eyes water. . .even with the cover slid back. . . I reckon that if I'd actually taken off, I'd have been dead from excess carboxyhaemoglobin overload before I could finish a circuit ! . . .

 

A guy in Croatia had an FW190, in 'almost' flying condition back in 1989. . .bigger cockpit, lovely radial engine. . but I didn't get a chance to taxy that one around. . . . He promised me a 'GO' in it later, but due to circumstances, I've never been back there. . .this pi$$ed me off bigstyle, as I researched the Flight manual on it and got all the speeds burned into my tiny brain. . . BUT later, after a business downturn, and the Brit government raiding my private pension fund to the tune of £29K . . .I decided that I couldn't afford it. . .

 

NOW,. . as of a month ago,. . my mate Kal ( Ex-Russian Military aviator and current Pilot with Aeroflot ) tells me that he could organize a ride for me in a Mig. . . .I hope he meant the plane, rather than the welding machine. . .

 

Apparently, the Russians are STILL allowing stupid Westerners to take rides in their military aircraft at certain bases, as they are desperately short of funds due to US and EU sanctions and the low price of oil and gas. . . and their pilots are not getting the hours they need to remain current, or 'SHARP' as he put it. . .. . . but I doubt if I would ever be able to afford it. I didn't ask how much, or did they do reduced rates for pensioners. . . . .

 

Friend Marcel, resident of France and a nice pilot bloke I've known since the solar eclipse,. . .had a ride in a Sukhoi last month. . . in the Ukraine apparently, with a Russian trained pilot.

 

He didn't say which marque of Sukhoi, but he said he went up to ( Altitude in Metres, so non understandable here. . .) near to the edge of space, but that it cost his company 7,000 Euros for the privilege . . .he says he would do it again tomorrow,. . .and that it was Fangoo Magnifique. . .whatever that means. . . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

How about this one,[ATTACH=full]51370[/ATTACH]

A Wright Flyer over Chippenham UK. Below, same view today.

 

[ATTACH=full]51371[/ATTACH]

That's Bollox Desky. . .where's the Bristol Boxkite in the second pic then ? ? ? ? Or should we juxtapose a Lightwing ? ? ?

 

 

[bexrbetter]

NOW,. . as of a month ago,. . my mate Kal tells me that he could organize a ride for me in a Mig. . .

Well I'm hoping to secure one soon, I have my doubts but I'm going to sure as hell try.

 

There are quite a number of them in parks with military themes, quite banged up to because people can crawl all over them, which is fantastic.

 

Of course I am talking of ones quite a bit older.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Well I'm hoping to secure one soon, I have my doubts but I'm going to sure as hell try.There are quite a number of them in parks with military themes, quite banged up to because people can crawl all over them, which is fantastic.

 

Of course I am talking of ones quite a bit older.

I don't give a toss how old the plane is mate. . . . the first ( And ONLY the second ) Military Jet fighter ride I've ever had was in an EE Lightning. . .mentioned before in these pages. . .I was a 14 year old Air Cadet and I barfed me ring up. . . . I did not enjoy it at all at the time, but I'd like to do it again with what I know now. . . . . .The first time was fcuking terrifying but now. . .it would be just PURE orgasmatronic mate. . . .

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

...*P51 A, B or C. You would think they never made a P51 other than the P51D.

Agreed, Bex. Movie-makers use what is available, and few the earlier Mks seem to have been preserved.

 

Actually I've always found the early P-51 more visually appealing. The FW-190 has beautiful lines.

 

 

[red750]

pull yer 'Ead in cobber, or I'll show yer what I can do with the rough end of a breadfruit. . . or was it a zucchini,

I think pineapple is what you're referring to, Phil.

 

 

[Deskpilot]

OK Phil, funny......sort of. Are you saying I've described the wrong aircraft. Wouldn't be surprised but it's definitely the same bridge over which it (whatever) flew.

[Guernsey]

I don't give a toss how old the plane is mate. . . . the first ( And ONLY the second ) Military Jet fighter ride I've ever had was in an EE Lightning. . .mentioned before in these pages. . .I was a 14 year old Air Cadet and I barfed me ring up. . . . I did not enjoy it at all at the time, but I'd like to do it again with what I know now. . . . . .The first time was fcuking terrifying but now. . .it would be just PURE orgasmatronic mate. . . .

I know this is off topic but interesting anyway. Like you Phil as an air cadet at 16 yrs of age I flew in a RAF Meteor mk7 out of RAF Odiham. I flew it myself for 20 minutes at 10,000 ft.

 

The pilot advised me that a few Hawker Hunters were also getting airborne and often engaged the Meteors in a dog fight, however, lucky for me they didn't or I would have been throwing up also.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Oscar]

I think you might have been referring to the BF109 there mate,. . . I've sat in three of those over the years,. . and NO, I didn't fly one. These are iconic warbirds and if I owned one, I wouldn't let just any jock take it up into the LUFT. . . .I found THE ME109 cockpit VERY tight and uncomfortable, I've never been a 'Little Bloke,. . .I've always had broad shoulders and muscles like a Brickie's labourer and the cockpit is so narrow you'd have to be a very slender example of manhood to find it altogether a nice environment. I wouldn't have been able to rapidly access all of the controls for this reason, but the Mustang was made for big, solid Yanks. . so it is quite spacious by comparison. . ..

Phil, if you think the Bf109 cockpit is small, try an Me162 for size. When I worked for the Australian War Memorial, I moved both of these, and OF COURSE did not fail to try them out for size, when (mostly) nobody I couldn't bully was watching.. The 109 cockpit is tight, even for a small-ish guy like me ( as is the Spitfire Mk 5, that Bluey Truscott flew), but it's no wonder that Hanna Reitsch was an Me162 test pilot. You'd have to be a shaved rat covered in Vaseline to get into the Me162, not some fat-arsed 67kgs, 5'8" hulk like me.

 

 

[Marty_d]

You'd have to be a shaved rat covered in Vaseline to get into the Me162, not some fat-arsed 67kgs, 5'8" hulk like me.

67kg IS shaved-rat weight... at 102 I've got no hope, it'd be off to ze Vestern Front, Soldat! You vill as pack-horse be used.

 

 

[ClintonB]

67kg IS shaved-rat weight... at 102 I've got no hope, it'd be off to ze Vestern Front, Soldat! You vill as pack-horse be used.

Not the only one here like that. something to do with spending more time on a planet with gravity maybe. Or at least that's my excuse.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

OK Phil, funny......sort of. Are you saying I've described the wrong aircraft. Wouldn't be surprised but it's definitely the same bridge over which it (whatever) flew.

No worries mate. . .Good juxtaposition of the old / new pictures that. . . nice pic, definitely 'Quirky' . .