Originally Posted by Alec_Lomas

Originally Posted by Drlligaf

Originally Posted by pongo6863

Originally Posted by 06FA56Paderborn

de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

The first aeroplane I ever threw up in...

Ah yes, the Slowpide magnificant machine, there used to be one at Weston on the Green, used by the parachute club as a jump ship, flown by a crazy Polish exRAF pilot.

Gerry S (G - WOTG) was the man. His son took up the mantle but only on the end of a parachute. Gerry always kept a questionable bundle of 'ladies' magazines beneath his seat for those 'laze around and wait' days at WOTG. Ex fighter pilot reduced to flying around this old beast, but oh how we appreciated him RIP.

I still remember those "educational mags" from my first free fall jump. I was sat at the front thinking why the f*ck am I doing this, when the airframe driver turned round and stuffed the centre page in my face.

Yes indeed, fondle memories of the old Slowpide.

I would question the remark about "reduced to flying this old beast". The Slowpide is by any definition a real aircraft, ie a tail dragger and biplane to boot. Not the easiest of aircraft to fly, but fun, in a masochistic manner.

Blue/GreenJob

I heard of the incident you illustrate, told to me by a pilot, whilst at Headly Court in the 80's, who had been in Oman at the time, must admit I thought he was spinning a yarn, but no it appears th at he was telling the truth!

He did say that the car belonged to the Sqn 2ic who was just posted out and they thought they would give him an appropriate send off.

Yeah, the pilot in question was a guy Called Andy C**** who from what I can remember also took out a stair rail on the range officers hut some time later with the same kite, can't remember the name of the Car Driver.

As we used to say "Jaguar Pilots are afraid of heights, they even get vertigo climbing into the cockpit!"

Spotted this on the Leixlip to Celbridge Road in Co Kildare and had to take a snap. I always liked the Buccaneer for its sleek and graceful looks. Its at the Weston Airport, a civvy airfield, and I'm not sure if its flying.

Originally Posted by Blue/GreenJob

Pah, helicopters! Little toys for little boys...

Spent 3 years working on 'Frightening Lightnings' back in 1975. Simply the best.
Watching two cones of flame sweep down the runway at night is something that stays with you forever, along with the hugely powerful noise that accompanied it.

Jeepers SP1 did not know we had a Bucc @ Weston. Looks like it is a Shiny 12 airframe still in it's Muharraq paintscheme from GW1. Good spot mate.

Here is Shiny 12 vid on YT about 14yrs before GW1 in the late 1970's at Gib when we had a proper Navy Fleet & a credible Strike Force. Halcyon days indeed. Quite a few Jim Shortt lookalikes with their 1970's German Porn Star moustaches !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4vkBWLmnZA

Originally Posted by Blue/GreenJob

Pah, helicopters! Little toys for little boys...

Stay low, keep accelerating, at the end of the RW pull to 2.4g and go vertical.

Unlike a guy I knew who over-cooked it, pulled N-g, went straight through the drag-curve and speared in ... fatal.

Home video and Vertical Departure ... nice one for the family

You see that small projection underneath, at the forward end of the Mk 6's ventral tank? I probably fitted that, as I fitted about 40 of them in my time at Binbrook. For a good six months I seemed to be doing nothing else but these tedious modifications.
It's a drain tube with a shaped venturi vane to draw away any residual fluids that may leak into the lower engine compartment.

I'll have to say Mosquito or my Mom (ex DH draftswoman) will come back and haunt me. I'll add the Vampire too. I remember the Rapide at Weston from when I was one of the first Air Cadets to do a parachute course with the RAF Sport Parachute Association. Step out onto the lower wing, grab that diagonal strut and chuck yourself off backwards. Makes a Herc seem like getting off a bus.

BTW, there's one flying at Coventry this weekend:

http://www.classicflight.com/

From WW2 I'd say Spitfire, Mustang and FW190-D. From the jet age I'd say Lightning, Mig 29, F14 Tomcat, and the SU27/SU37. As for helicopters, the earlier Cobra with the more rounded canopy!