Another Navy Wings article...

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#401 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Aug 13, 2022 8:51 am

The Navy Wings newsletter arrived yesterday with nary a mention of prize draws (or even prize drawers) or scratch cards, but sadly without any photographs at all either, thus I present this review of a recent display at Old Warden...

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#402 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:42 pm

Friday's newsletter was the first I had for three weeks. That's the second time it's happened and they came back and said this was the reason: "Soft bounce details for CharlieOneSix:3002: Inactive/Disabled Acct". The innumerable Draw emails to the same address were getting through without a problem.

Of course my email account isn't disabled or inactive but something odd is happening as for the past year my monthly email credit card statements from Nationwide have never got through but their other messages to the same address do arrive. They suggested I set up a hotmail account! I think this must be a problem at Krystal's end as they host my email as part of my account with them. Will see what they have to say.

TGA - do you want me to forward Friday's email - mine came through with photos?
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#403 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Aug 13, 2022 4:04 pm

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 12:42 pm
TGA - do you want me to forward Friday's email - mine came through with photos?
Yes, I would be most grateful C16, thank you. Odd, as the photo's were missing here... perhaps I have accidently set the deny images option.
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#404 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:46 pm

Thanks to C16...

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#405 Post by FD2 » Sat Aug 13, 2022 8:31 pm

If I'm remembering correctly that was the anti-radiation paint scheme on the Mk 1s. It didn't last for long and I guess it was thought better to paint them in dark colours for camouflage purposes on their way to Latvia/Lithuania or wherever they could get to with their shiny whites.

I think only Victorious, Eagle and Hermes had the superb Type 984 dustbin '3D' radar and the bridge looks like Eagle's.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#406 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:15 am

Lamps aside, this article was uplifting in yesterday's Navy Wings newsletter!

NavyWings20220819.JPG
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#407 Post by Woody » Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:22 am

Surprised that the torpedo was loaded on a test flight or is it a weight and balance issue?
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#408 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:53 am

Woody wrote:
Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:22 am
Surprised that the torpedo was loaded on a test flight or is it a weight and balance issue?
I would suspect that the torpedo is a light weight facsimile, used only for verisimilitude. The aircraft would have been designed so that the torpedo was hung, plumb centred, between the forward and aft CG limits so that when it was dropped the aircraft remained within those limits (albeit a lot lighter). I suspect that display flying an aircraft with a heavy (although disarmed) torpedo would be frowned upon by the CAA, but what do I know?

Interesting point, I am going to have to find out now, you know that! =))
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#409 Post by TheGreenAnger » Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:47 am

I was interested to read about the Fleet Air Arm pilots who were "loaned" to the RAF at the beginning of the Second World War and was intrigued by the sad tale of one such pilot. I post the summary of the article here for those who might be interested. The full article can be read here...

https://www.key.aero/article/battle-bri ... al-aviator


The tragic tale of Fleet Air Arm pilot Arthur Blake, who fought in the RAF alongside a childhood friend.

When someone dies it is easy to paint their life in simplistic terms, settling for a stereotyped, clichéd precis. This is particularly so when recalling the life of a soldier, sailor or airman whose existence has been cut short by war. More often than not, all trace of personality is stripped away to be replaced by a list of exploits. For Arthur Blake, a young naval fighter pilot who was seconded to the RAF in June 1940, this is especially so, as records reveal:

“Born in 1917, joined the Royal Navy in 1939. Completed pilot training in mid-1940, joined 19 Squadron at Duxford. Probably shot down an ME 110 [sic] on 3rd September, destroyed an He 111 on 9th September 1940, a Bf 109 and shared an He 111 on the 15th and two Bf 109s two days later. Shot down and killed on 29th October 1940 in Spitfire No. P7423. Buried in St Mary’s churchyard, Langley, Slough.”...
Blake 1.JPG
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Epitaph - Richard Cork said in a letter to his brother, Brian, “By now, of course, you will have heard about Blakie — it was awful the whole business and to make matters worse I had to arrange everything about his affairs and the funeral. He was shot down while on patrol over London at 30,000 feet so I don’t suppose he knew much about it thank God.”

Brian Lane wrote a letter to Blake’s parents. “He attacked one enemy aircraft and shot it down”, Lane reported, “but his own aircraft was badly hit in the engine. The cockpit was filled with oil and smoke and the plane was liable to catch fire at any moment. He opened the hood to clear the smoke and then proceeded to attack another Hun, which he also shot down. I don’t think many pilots would have stuck to it the way he did under the circumstances. He showed wonderful dash and courage, in addition to being an exceptional pilot. For all his gallant actions he was recommended for a DFC. I offer my deepest sympathy and that of the squadron in the loss of a very fine gentleman.”

According to fellow No 19 Squadron pilot Frank Brinsden, writing to the author, “Arthur was not a ‘gung-ho’ press-on fighter boy so beloved by the press at the time. He was quietly spoken, justifiably self-confident and amiable with all ranks in the squadron without being patronising. He was a brave man and a capable pilot.”
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#410 Post by TheGreenAnger » Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:30 am

Some interesting stuff in the Navy Wings Newsletter this week...
We were delighted to see Navy Wings Associate Aircraft, Waterbird, take to the skies above Windermere last week.

Navy Wings Chairman, Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham, attended the event and was delighted to see Waterbird fly. He said, 'It was a real pleasure to witness the justifiable sense of achievement within the Waterbird Team as they celebrated their magnificent testament to the history of aviation on Lake Windermere.'
Windemere.JPG

https://www.waterbird.org.uk/the-replic ... on-flights
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#411 Post by TheGreenAnger » Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:34 am

A Fairey Barracuda if I am not mistaken. No doubt I will be corrected if am! The ship I leave to the true cognoscenti?

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#412 Post by CharlieOneSix » Fri Sep 30, 2022 3:51 pm

From the following Fleet Air Arm song of the era it would seem that aircrew of the time did not have much confidence in either the Barracuda or Fairey's. As for the ship, it's an Implacable class carrier, probably HMS Implacable herself. EDIT: confirmed as I found a photo of HMS Implacable with the same emblem on the side of the island. Only two of that class were built, the other being HMS Indefatigable.

Somewhere A Barracuda's Always Pranging
To the tune of Pedro The Fisherman (available on Youtube, oldies will recognise it!)

Somewhere a Barracuda's always pranging,
Dive brakes hanging down.
Somewhere a Barra's diving - Merlin banging,
Pilot's pants are brown.
Whistling down towards the sea,
A.L.T., bags of 'G'
Wings will never stand the strain.

Night navigation with the compass on "Setting"
Pilot's getting twitch.
While in the back the "O" and T.A.G. are sweating,
Both are betting "Ditch".
Did he have his finger in? Was it gin caused the spin?
Can we blame hydraulics once again?

Frame 25's are cracking, Fairey's slacking,
Large scale sacking due,
But soon we'll have the Barra V
Longer may we stay alive
Then we'll know that Fairey's have a clue.

EDIT:....more...

Any old iron, any old iron,
Any, any, any old iron.
Down at Lee you get them free,
Built by Faireys for a crew of three.
Bags of fun, no front gun,
An engine you can't rely on.
You know what you can do
With your Barracuda Two.
Old iron, old iron.
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#413 Post by TheGreenAnger » Fri Sep 30, 2022 5:29 pm

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Fri Sep 30, 2022 3:51 pm
From the following Fleet Air Arm song of the era it would seem that aircrew of the time did not have much confidence in either the Barracuda or Fairey's.


Perhaps apocryphal but to quote a US navy officer after seeing one on a carrier. "It's an amazing flying machine but it will never replace the airplane."
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#414 Post by TheGreenAnger » Fri Oct 07, 2022 11:56 am

A pleasing Fairey Gannet in this week's Navy Wings update.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#415 Post by Boac » Fri Oct 07, 2022 12:08 pm

Ah! the sound of Anyface with their twin Mambas soothing my nerves over the North Sea in the middle of the night!

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#416 Post by FD2 » Fri Oct 07, 2022 7:26 pm

I think I may have posted this before.

An over-enthusiastic 'attack' on a sub back in the days of the A/S version meant this pilot broke off the outer portions of the wings on pulling out from the dive. I guess they contained the ailerons but he still managed to fly the thing back to base (using rudder to turn?) - perhaps it was Brawdy. I read that he stated he flew quite fast as he didn't know what the new stalling speed was. :D

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#417 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Fri Oct 07, 2022 7:40 pm

Whatever happened to the low speed handling/approach check at height?
I had to do this once with a rather large top intake panel flapping around, still attached at the back.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#418 Post by Undried Plum » Fri Oct 07, 2022 8:01 pm

FD2 wrote:
Fri Oct 07, 2022 7:26 pm
I think I may have posted this before.

An over-enthusiastic 'attack' on a sub back in the days of the A/S version meant this pilot broke off the outer portions of the wings on pulling out from the dive. I guess they contained the ailerons but he still managed to fly the thing back to base (using rudder to turn?) - perhaps it was Brawdy. I read that he stated he flew quite fast as he didn't know what the new stalling speed was. :D


Gannet shortwing version.jpg


Both wings unlocked? Simultaneously?

Wow!

Synchronicity. In the Navy. All at the same time.

How do they do that? By flags?

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#419 Post by FD2 » Fri Oct 07, 2022 9:33 pm

It was first flown 1949 and used by Britain, Germany, Australia and Indonesia. Some of the A/S versions were used for COD duties later, after ASW duties were taken over by helicopters. They were then replaced in turn by an extra 824 Squadron Sea King in Ark Royal. I'm not sure about Eagle.

It may have been a 'Gannet' but it was a fundamental re-design/rebuild to produce the AEW version. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Gannet

Returning to frontline service, Tony Light, who was the boss of the Chipmunk EFT squadron at Church Fenton was killed in the circuit at Lossie when the flaps extended asymmetrically. One of the instructors from the squadron, Tony Trudgett, was killed in a similar accident at Yeovilton in the circuit at night. Both were great guys and great instructors who took me through my initial flying stages.

Like many aircraft back then the Gannets were not very reliable - eg the Sea Vixen which C16 has mentioned before. Another hair raiser: https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/i-quickly- ... ump-630522

I'll see if I can dig up some information about the enthusiastic anti-submarine dive bomber's incident. The outer wing sections both departed after a very high 'g' pull up at the bottom of his 'attack'. I seem to remember reading that he experienced some odd characteristics which may have included a low speed handling check.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#420 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Oct 07, 2022 10:16 pm

I have never thought about it, but I assume that the Gannet didn't have ejector seats (as, of course, neither did most - if not all - of the WWII aircraft).
Would the Meteor be the first British aircraft to be fitted?
The first operational aircraft with ejection seat was the German Heinkel He 219 during World War II.

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