Another Navy Wings article...

[FD2]

The Gannet certainly didn't. The Meteor's looking favourite.

Martin Baker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_Mk.1

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... tion-seats

Bernard Lynch wins the trophy for the best moustache ever!

[TheGreenAnger]

The Gannet certainly didn't. The Meteor's looking favourite.

Martin Baker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_Mk.1

Bernard Lynch wins the trophy for the best moustache ever!

I propose the Heinkel He 280 Prototype.

The Heinkel company began the He 280 project on its own initiative after the He 178 had failed to interest the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (R.L.M.) (the German Reich Aviation Ministry ). The head designer was Robert Lusser, who began the project under the designation He 180 in late 1939. It had a typical Heinkel fighter fuselage, semi-elliptical wings and a dihedralled tailplane with twin fins and rudders. It had a tricycle undercarriage with very little ground clearance. This arrangement was considered too frail for the grass or dirt airfields of the era; however, the tricycle layout eventually gained acceptance. The He 280 was equipped with a compressed-air powered ejection seat, the first aircraft to carry one and the first aircraft to successfully employ one in an emergency.

[FD2]

I think you're right TGA. Maybe not a 'bang' seat, rather a 'pop' seat though.

Here's that 'tache:

Lynch in Meteor 3.png (207.35 KiB) Viewed 969 times

Early ideas for the F104. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2022 ... ctor-seats

Early 104 ideas.png (170.22 KiB) Viewed 969 times

[TheGreenAnger]

I think you're right TGA. Maybe not a 'bang' seat, rather a 'pop' seat though.

Here's that 'tache.

I own a copy of Sir James Martin: The Authorised Biography of the Martin-Baker Ejection Seat Pioneer by Sarah Sharman, well worth reading, and Mr Lynch emerges as quite a character, a brave one, but a man not afraid to fortify himself with a glass of the hard tack before being blasted out of an aircraft (and who could blame him). He was definitely the first man to eject out of a Meteor in Britain.

I am acquainted with two characters who work for Martin Baker today, both quite eccentric in their own way, who are good fun to be with. It still seems to be a good company to work for.

While this rather stuffy news reel of the time shows a litany of jolly young RAF types riding the rack, it was in fact Lynch, who appears briefly assisting one of these chaps, who bore the brunt of the early testing, and who was injured multiple times on the tower testing the nascent technology prior to his first live ejection(s).



Mr Lynch in action...

EJECTION SEAT TESTING
An intrepid employee, Bernard Lynch, attempted the first static ejection up a specially built tower on 24th January 1945. He then conducted the first mid-flight test ejection on 24th July 1946. He ejected himself from the rear cockpit of a specially modified Meteor 3 at 320 mph, 8000 ft in the air. Bernard Lynch made a perfect landing and subsequently made a further 16 test ejections.

https://martin-baker.com/about/history-founders/

[TheGreenAnger]

The first British pilot to eject in an aircraft emergency was John Oliver Lancaster, D.F.C.

30 May 1949: While testing a radical “flying wing” aircraft, the Rolls-Royce Nene-powered Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52, TS363, test pilot John Oliver (“Jo”) Lancaster, D.F.C., encountered severe pitch oscillations in a 320 mile per hour (515 kilometer per hour) dive. Lancaster feared the aircraft would disintegrate.

In the very first use of the Martin-Baker Mk1 ejection seat in an actual emergency, Lancaster fired the seat and was safely thrown clear of the aircraft. He parachuted to safety and was uninjured. The aircraft was destroyed.

[TheGreenAnger]

The Navy Wings newsletter clumped to the metaphorical floor of my e-mail inbox yesterday, and it showed this evocative image of the classically beautiful lines of the Supermarine Seafire next to the Aston Martin Bulldog.

I am sorry to say it, but this image differentiates between beauty and the beast, and the Aston Martin is pug ugly (but not as ugly as the Aston Martin Lagonda) in my, perhaps jaundiced, opinion. It looks horribly reminiscent of the dreadful DeLorean from the 70's. Cost of development aside, one can understand why only one was built.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_Bulldog

The Bulldog - named after a Scottish Aviation Bulldog aeroplane flown by Aston Martin's then managing director, Alan Curtis, but nicknamed "K9", after the robotic dog from the Doctor Who TV series

NavyWings Bulldog.JPG (46.55 KiB) Viewed 843 times

The car was officially launched on 27 March 1980 and was set to be the fastest production car on the road, capable of 200mph. Aston Martin originally planned to build 15-25 Bulldogs but ultimately deemed the project too expensive. Only one prototype car was actually made.

The Bulldog aircraft, however, was an amiable beast, much like the canine, very harmonious and balanced, and a pleasure to fly, which I have, having the grand total of 3 hours on one that was sold off by auction and registered as a GA aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Aviation_Bulldog

[TheGreenAnger]

Noted in January's FlyPast magazine.

Navy Wings Supermarine Seafire Mk.XVII

SX336 ran its Rolls-Royce Griffon engine at an evening photography event at Yeovilton, Somerset, on October 6. The Seafire was built locally by Westland in Yeovil in April 1946. During its Royal Navy career, SX336 first flew from RNAS Bramcote in Warwickshire and, in 1953, from RNAS Stretton near Warrington. This beautiful machine thankfully avoided the scrapman following retirement – its derelict fuselage was discovered in 1973, with a restoration programme commencing five years later.

The aircraft changed hands a number of times, but under the auspices of former US Navy pilot and entrepreneur Tim Manna, a return to airworthy status was accomplished at North Weald by Kennet Aviation. The Seafire flew again in 2006, and is currently painted in the colours of Yeovilton-based 767 NAS. Navy Wings acquired the machine from Tim – a long-time supporter – in November 2021.The October 6 shoot was organised by well-known aviation events company Threshold Aero. Along with airside management, the group specialises in photo-call events, night shoots and tours. On December 10 it will be hosting a night event with Avro Shackleton WR963 at Coventry, prior to the aircraft being transferred to Elvington in Yorkshire next
year. Please see the company’s website for more information and details of forthcoming events:

www.threshold.aero

[FD2]

Thanks TGA - do you think the Seafire was having a bit of a wet start? The propeller seems to be turning though.

[TheGreenAnger]

Thanks TGA - do you think the Seafire was having a bit of a wet start? The propeller seems to be turning though.

Looks like a wet start to me, although the prop speed does beg questions.

Appeared this week.

Ivor Faulconer, a distinguished Fleet Air Arm veteran, sadly passed away peacefully this October at the honourable age of 101. Ivor’s funeral was held on Friday 25 November in Sturminster Newton and the weather put on her best show with blue skies a lovely backdrop for our Seafire and Harvard which were performing a fly past for Ivor.
Below is some details on Ivor’s incredible military career.

During the Second World War Mr Ivor Faulconer served as a Commissioned Officer in the Fleet Air Arm. After his flying training, Ivor flew Walrus aircraft from the Royal Naval Battleship, King George V, taking part in various military operations all over the world.

Ivor went on to fly several other aircraft types in the Fleet Air Arm, including the Swordfish and Fairey Fulmar and eventually went on to become a Night Fighter Pilot. On demobilisation in 1946, Ivor went to work in The City, while at the same time, because of his love of flying, he joined the RAF Reserve and flew Tiger Moths. He was a joint founder member of an aviation organisation titled ‘The Air Squadron’ since its formation in 1966. Ivor also wrote a book ‘Take to the Air, all about his memories of his flying career.

Ivor was honoured with the Arctic Star Medal in 2013 and the Russian Ushakov Medal for Gallantry in 2015 and the Patriotic Medal in 2020.

Above left, is Ivor when he was a young Lieutenant, and on the right is Ivor celebrating his 100th birthday with Sue, Communications Director here at Navy Wings.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Ah, the Bulldog.
I have 145 hours in that.
Very well balanced as you say, and great visibility.
Back in the 1980s, students were trained up to Solo Formation.
For some unfathomable reasons, we were allowed to chuck the thing around with gay abandon.
Such as operating it half a 'G' above the Release to Service for about 10 years, till some spoilsport at CFS noticed, and doing rolling loops.
The rolling loop consisted of 1/3 of a loop with +5 kts on normal entry speed, then applying full pro-spin controls.
The aircraft would proceed to do a 360 roll whilst covering the second third of the loop.
It recovered quite smoothly to allow the last 1/3 of the loop to be completed.
This in an aircraft that was known to sometimes enter unrecoverable spins.

I also recall going on a staff night sortie, sandbagging with one of the instructors doing his continuation trip
Quoth he after we reached altitude "It's a pity we aren't allowed to do night aeros any more.........here's my sequence".

It's a miracle any of us lived!

[FD2]

Our instructors at Church Fenton (50/50 light and dark blue) had a pre-arranged dogfight one night near York. Unfortunately the squadron boss witnessed it from home after going outside to investigate the racket. After the dagga dagga attacks they switched their nav lights off and disappeared in different directions so no concrete evidence of who was involved. A sort of reverse Spartacus interview without coffee next morning.

The annoying thing about the Chipmunk was its dislike of inverted flight, when the engine stopped. Otherwise a great machine.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I learned some tricks from that old staff member
1. Ensure nobody, but nobody, is around
2. Do it somewhere remote.
3. turn off Mode C on the transponder
4. Turn off anti-cols, and navs as well if solo
5. Don't do vertical manoevres like stall turns - totally disorienting. - came in handy later when I wasn't doing night dogfights (Oh, no, no, no, no, no...Deny everything Baldrick!) on the Tornado.

In fact all the very old guys were marvellous. One guy who'd bombed Berlin taught me how to do night landings - first with no runway lights, then no landing light, then neither.
He'd done it a few times in anger.

[FD2]

Night landings were a little frightening - sinking into the darkness and hoping the runway was not too far below. It's great to hear that tips from the old guys are still useful.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

We did not officially do night flying as students on the Bulldog, but the old guys were happy to take me up on their staff trips - I was keen and kept my mouth shut.
I therefore knew how to night land with no lights long before the RAF officially taught me to do it with lights. I have always found night flying very peaceful as a result.
And of course there are less bernoullis to bump the aircraft around.

[PHXPhlyer]

My instructor who was finishing off my private took me out and had me land, first without runway lights, and later without a landing ight, was very focused on real world conditions, damn the syllabus.
When I taught my students as I was taught, their roommates confronted me as to if I had actually done those things with them.
After I told them that everything that they asked about was true, they asked if I would take them out to do the same with them.
My instructor did some other unconventional things which also made me a better pilot.

PP

[TheGreenAnger]

My instructor who was finishing off my private took me out and had me land, first without runway lights, and later without a landing ight, was very focused on real world conditions, damn the syllabus.
When I taught my students as I was taught, their roommates confronted me as to if I had actually done those things with them.
After I told them that everything that they asked about was true, they asked if I would take them out to do the same with them.
My instructor did some other unconventional things which also made me a better pilot.

PP

Same with me, and my then instructor, Mark Vaughan, who having seen me complete the lights off landings, to his satisfaction, sent me off on my own over the Brecon Beacons on a dark, dark, night, with just one admonishment "watch your altitude, there are mountains out there!" Eyes on the instruments all of the way, never was a man happier than me when I saw the bright lights, big city, and the long Cardiff runway's glowing welcome in the dark on the way back in.

But enough of that, this is Frenchman Baptiste Salis showing what you can do with a F4-5U Corsair...

I don't think that the FAA flew the F4-5U but they certainly flew the F4U!

The Royal Navy received 2,012 Corsairs. It was the fleet air arm that first used the Corsair from a carrier. Ironically for an aircraft that made its name in the Pacific, the Corsair’s first carrier action came in the North Sea. On 2 April 1944, Corsairs of No. 1834 squadron, based on H.M.S. Victorious took part in an attack on the German battleship Tirpitz, providing fighter cover. Further strikes against the Tirpitz followed in July and August, this time supported by 1842 squadron.

Chance Vought Corsairs of the Fleet Air Arm
The Royal Navy received 95 F4U-1s (designating them as Corsair Is) and 510 F4U-1As (Corsair II) from Chance Vought production. They also received 430 Brewster produced F3A-1Ds (Corsair III) – just over half of the Brewster company's total production of Corsairs, and 977 Goodyear produced FG-1Ds (Corsair IV). If the war had continued in 1946, F4U-4Bs were allocated for the Fleet Air Arm, but were never delivered.

Despite their early European venture, the British Corsairs spent most of the war in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They entered British service just as the fleet returned to the Indian ocean in strength, and took part in strikes against Japanese targets in Burma and Sumatra, including the oil refineries at Palembang. In 1945 the British fleet carriers moved to the Pacific, to take part in the final attack on Japan. British Corsairs saw action against Kamikaze attacks as the British Pacific Fleet attacked the Sakishima Islands, at the southern tip of Japan, before finishing the war making attacks on the Tokyo.

Rickard, J (24 April 2007), Chance Vought F4U Corsair in British Service, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/we ... ote][quote][/quote][/quote]

[G-CPTN]

A few years ago, on a sultry afternoon at Duxford, a Corsair emerged from a hanger and taxied out.
I lay down on the grass as the pilot proceeded to go through his display routine above me.

It was like a 'personal' performance that I fully enjoyed and remember with satisfaction.

[CharlieOneSix]

......Unfortunately the squadron boss witnessed it from home after going outside to investigate the racket.....

Shades of the late Pete Frame doing night aerobatics in a Gannet some distance from its base at Brawdy on a very calm night. Unfortunately Commander Air was out walking his dog.....the sound of a Double Mamba being vigorously exercised is unique!

[FD2]

Can't harm anyone to tell it now - he was one of the Church Fenton Chipmunk night dogfighters!

[TheGreenAnger]

Can't harm anyone to tell it now - he was one of the Church Fenton Chipmunk night dogfighters!

A large hole in the ground? Or a superb pilot!