|
Post by planeimages on Oct 29, 2007 16:57:51 GMT 12
Various sources suggest formation lights while others say IFF lights. The latter seems more likely.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Oct 27, 2007 19:24:38 GMT 12
The Harrier caught my eye. The Lancaster, “S” for Sugar was of interest for my story on Antipodean Lancasters (crewed by Aussies and Kiwis anyway) and the Le Rhône Rotary posed in interesting challenge to capture its movement while maintaining a satisfactory level of sharpness on the other exhibits.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Oct 27, 2007 15:25:54 GMT 12
Thanks Dave. Here are two more. The light was very diffused on the day I was there. The Mozzie and the Tempest II at Hendon in June 2007.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Oct 27, 2007 14:06:27 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Nov 29, 2007 23:09:59 GMT 12
Concur. Politics and religion should be kept out of public forums such as this one. Besides which, politics is a banned subject for the next three years in Oz now. PF.
|
|
|
Clock
Nov 7, 2006 16:49:07 GMT 12
Post by planeimages on Nov 7, 2006 16:49:07 GMT 12
Thanks PF
|
|
|
Clock
Nov 6, 2006 18:31:29 GMT 12
Post by planeimages on Nov 6, 2006 18:31:29 GMT 12
That would explain it. All part of the 6th state plot!
|
|
|
Clock
Nov 6, 2006 16:07:13 GMT 12
Post by planeimages on Nov 6, 2006 16:07:13 GMT 12
Dave,
Is the clock on this site out of synch?
Hoping you are well. Haven't heard from you for some time.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Aug 1, 2006 21:06:24 GMT 12
Hi Dave, Here is some more info, July 30th - The two Caudrons of the Half Flight upon returning from an operation are both forced down. The Caudron of the Indian Flying Corps pilot Captain Reilly lands at the village of Abu Salibiq, fortunately among friendly Arabs. The Caudron of Lieutenant G.P. Merz and Lieutenant W.W.A. Burns was forced down with engine trouble about 20 miles from the refilling station amongst hostile Arabs. After a shoot out with the Arabs both Merz and Burns are killed. Friendly Arabs who witnessed the gun fight retold the incident to British authorities later. Cutlacks Official History of the Australian Flying Corps remarks that the pair fought a running battle of five miles in which they killed one Arab and wounded five others before being killed. White led a group which tried to find the Arabs that had shot Merz and Burns but was unable to find the. White's group burnt the house of the local Sheik in a village where the Arabs were reported to be hiding www.australianflyingcorps.org/2002_1999/afc_squadron_mesopotamian_diary.htm
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Jul 31, 2006 21:15:01 GMT 12
Here are some more details: The remains of an aircraft flown by Lieutenant G. P. Merz and Lieutenant W. Burn, who were killed in action after their Half Flight aircraft was forced down by engine failure in Mesopotamia on 30 July 1915. The Caudron was collected by motor transport after it had been hacked by Arabs. www.diggerhistory3.info/raaf/pages/01-introduction.htmI copied the pic of the remains of the Caudron but I cannot get it to paste.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Jul 30, 2006 21:13:36 GMT 12
This quote supports your information: The second Caudron of Merz and the New Zealander Lieutenant Burn was forced down amongst a hostile Arab force who attacked them upon their aircraft landing. Armed with only revolvers the two airmen decided to make a stand. In the ensuring engagement both airmen died. According to reports from friendly Arabs groups in the area, Merz and Burns inflicted one dead and five wounded on their opponents. The bodies of Merz and Burn were never seen again. Their Caudron was found a few days later and returned to the aerodrome at Basra by Barge and Truck, it had been virtually destroyed by the attackers. www.australianflyingcorps.org/story/2006/2/28/10595/1308
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Aug 11, 2006 0:04:02 GMT 12
Too late at night to look at lists but Joseph Joel Hammond is credited with being the fist Kiwi to fly. He worked for "Bristols" (British and Colonial Aircraft company) and was the chief pilot of the ""Bristol Air Mission" in 1911 to try to sell a pair of Bristol "Boxkites" (10 & 11) to the Australian Government.
The Gov't declined but No.11 was sold to W.E.Hart who, after rebuilding the machine when a windstorm wrecked it, became the holder of the first (and only) Australian Air League RAC-endorsed pilots' licence.
I understand that Hammond returned to the UK and lost his life shortly after. I do not know if this was in military service or, like his mechanic/instructor in Australia, Leslie McDonald, he died in a civil prang.
I am presently writing a story on Hart.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Nov 3, 2007 18:44:56 GMT 12
The gentleman in the white gloves seems agitated! Just imagine standing that close to anything as it swings past. The man on his left has a case of ""the leans". Ah, things aren't like they used to be.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Mar 30, 2007 17:49:59 GMT 12
Looking at motor racing as a comparison of belts and stretch, one of the problems in sedans is the tendency for builders to attach the shoulder straps to the rear "parcel shelf" area (suitably re-inforced or using a standard safety belt mount or part of the cage.
This procedure gives the same potential problem of the long tail and attendant webbing stretch.
Current Australian requirements call for a "taxi bar" or similar structure behind the driver's or navigator's seat to which the shoulder steaps must be attached.
To prevent sideways movement in a lateral impact, the belts must be prevented from moving. Flanges on the cross tube where the belts are wrapped around the tube are required. If the belts are bolted in then that problem does not arise.
Having said all that one should cast one's mind back to Mikka Hakkinen's prang at Adelaide in the AGP some years ago in his McLaren. He head-butted the steering wheel despite being secured by 75mm wide shoulder straps affixed iin close proximity to his body... as close as a belt could ever be.
One can only imagine where the stretch came from.. not much from the belts and the wheel did not come back to meet him. The human body can withstand incredible amounts of stretch, so I am led to believe. Analysis of the trauma suffered by rear seat occupants in road MVAs indicates that a great deal of neck and body stretching occurs and is, in many cases, survivable.
Every time I board a commercial aircraft and listen to the safety briefing I have trouble controlling my warped sense of humour when they come to the part which advises pax to put their head between their knees if they cannot take up the standard brace position of head on hands on the seat back in front of them.. "place your head between your knees" (and kiss your ass goodbye) is the addendum I hear my inner voice say.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Feb 15, 2007 15:31:16 GMT 12
Why not get John Howard to look after things for you?
I am now sitting in the car with the engine running if any one wants to discuss this!!!!
Joke Joyce.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Dec 15, 2006 17:31:35 GMT 12
This is what Wikkipedia says about Randy "Duke" Cunningham. It would seem apparent that the USAF used personal callsigns in the Vietnam era...
Randall Harold "Duke" Cunningham (born December 8, 1941), usually known as Randy or Duke, is a Vietnam flying ace, convicted felon and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 50th Congressional District from 1991 to 2005. After receiving his bachelor's and MBA degrees from the University of Missouri in 1964 and 1965, Cunningham spent a year as a high school swimming coach in Hinsdale, Illinois before joining the United States Navy in 1966. During his service, Cunningham became the first Navy ace in the Vietnam War, flying an F-4 Phantom from aboard aircraft carriers, and recording five confirmed kills, making him one of two U.S. pilots to "ace" in that war. He was one of the early graduates of the Navy's TOPGUN school that taught dogfighting techniques to F-4 Phantom pilots and RIOs. It has been alleged that Cunningham downed a MiG-17 piloted by Vietnamese fighter ace Col. Nguyen Toon. Although "Col. Toon" was a North Vietnamese manufactured myth the Vietnamese pilot was still a superb dogfighter.[6] Cunningham was reportedly almost court-martialed while still in flight school for breaking into an office to compare his records with those of his colleagues—a charge denied by Cunningham, but supported by two of his superior officers at the time.[7] Regardless of the controversy, there was little doubt about Cunningham's piloting abilities. He was one of the most highly decorated U.S. Navy pilots in the Vietnam War, receiving the Navy Cross once, the Silver Star twice, the Air Medal 15 times, and the Purple Heart for wounds he received under enemy fire. After returning from Vietnam in 1972, he became an instructor at the Navy's TOPGUN school for fighter pilots at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego. Cunningham says many of his real-life experiences in combat and as an instructor were depicted in the popular 1986 movie Top Gun,[8] although the movie's producer says it was not based on any specific aviator.[9] Cunningham was a commentator on the History Channel program "Dogfights: The Greatest Air Battles", in the Vietnam War segment, where he discussed his experiences as a fighter pilot.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Nov 8, 2006 22:10:21 GMT 12
It looks like the radome colour change was part of the repaint during the "Project Kahu"may have been painted. Ref to the original pic, the subject of this discussion does not confirm that view.
Can't help you with the fin flash. An observation is that the ex-RAN aircraft had a swept fin flash when accepted into the RNZAF even though their colour scheme was as supplied until the Kahu upgrade.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Nov 8, 2006 20:32:28 GMT 12
RAN SKYHAWK N-13-154906/885 was lost from the deck of HMAS Melbourne on 21 October 1980 after catapult failure, 200km south-west of Colombo. Sub.Lt D.Baddams ejected and was picked up by Wessex helicopter. This was the final RAN Skyhawk loss.
The RAN Skyhawks which went to the RNZAF were:
A-4G/A-4K N13-154903/882 (RNZAF NZ6211) , N-13-154904/ 883 (NZ6212), N-13-154905/884 (NZ 6213) ,N-13-154908/887 (NZ 6214), N-13-155052/871(NZ 6215) , n-13-155061/874 (NZ6216), N-13-155063/876 (NZ62117), N-13-155064/877(NZ6218).
TA-4G/TA-4K: N13-154910/880 (NZ 6255 )and N13-154911/881 (NZ6256).
877 flipped onto its back while landing in heavy rain at Townsville in June 1985 while owned by the RNZAF. It was flown back to NZ in a C-130 Hercules and repaired with a new tail obtained from the US Navy, wings and rebuilt aft fuselage while being upgraded to the Project Kahu standard.
Thanks to Stewart Wilson's The Phantom, Hornet and Skyhawk in Australian service.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Oct 5, 2006 21:37:11 GMT 12
Careflight Helio pilot (Ken) suggests that the A/C broke up in flight. The tail was found about a mile from the main wreckage. He expressed a fairly negative opinion of "Warbirds" and maintenance. Wouldn't allow any member of his family to ride in one.
The crash stated a bushfire and was in the Turon area north of Bathurst.
Sad business all round.
|
|
|
Post by planeimages on Oct 5, 2006 20:52:06 GMT 12
|
|