Another Navy Wings article...

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TheGreenGoblin
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#321 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:04 am

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:33 pm
CharlieOneSix wrote:
Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:13 pm
What a wonderful tribute from Mark Woolley to his father.
I agree. I took the liberty of contacting Mark Woolley and thanking him for his wonderful site and for sharing his memories of his father.
I received a very gracious response and a confirmation from Mark Woolley that that was an official RAF photograph.
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#322 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:44 pm

Based upon the scuttlebutt going around and the news in this Navy WIngs update, it seems they are having a long hard think about the engineering side of things with engines being very pertinent in their plans for the existing Hawker Sea Fury, given the issues they have had with the Brisol Centaurus engine(s) and ongoing work with the Pegasus engines.
Navy Wings is delighted to now be working with our new engineering partners, Retro Track and Air.

Retro have extensive experience working with aero engines and heritage war birds through their work on the Battle Of Britain Memorial flight and they are currently in the process overhauling three Pegasus engines for the Swordfish aircraft.
http://www.retrotrackandair.com/aero-en ... _JeBDb72lQ

In further news...
News from Navy Wings associate aircraft the Bristol Scout'
Last week was a tense time. I had four days free in my diary to carry out filming for an upcoming Indie film production by Dan Arbon about Lanoe Hawker VC, who got his gong for forcing down three German machines in one flight, using Bristol Scout 1611, which was an almost exact contemporary of 1264.

The problem was to get Dan and his wife Charlotte, two actors, the aircraft, me and three ground crew (Theo Willford, Richard Chillingford, and Andrew Willox), access to the field and suitable weather, all at the same time'.
Bristol Scout


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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#323 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:44 pm

This Week's Navy Wings update highlighted the following good news.
We are delighted to announce that the Seafire MK XVII SX336 has joined the Navy Wings Heritage Aircraft collection.
The aircraft is seen being ground run in the fog here...



Rebirth of a Seafire

In addition...
The Wasp XT420 is now complete in her new scheme of the early markings of 829 Naval Air Squadron, representative of an airframe which would have been embarked in the Leander Class Frigate, HMS Arethusa.

XT420 has conducted post-maintenance and tracking test flights in the hands of the experienced pilots John Beattie, Tim de La Fosse and Simon Thomas and we look forward to her return from North Weald to the Navy Wings Heritage Hangar and a busy season of displaying in her new colour scheme.
I popped down to have a peek at the Wasp at North Weald two weeks ago. The trip reminded me of a similar trip that involved a 20 mile round trip bicycle ride at the age of 12 years old, with my still very good friend Steve, on our bicycles to go and see the Wasps of the SAAF practising for an airshow at Ysterplaat airfield. One of the pilots saw us hanging around at the gate and he invited us in and gave us a tour of the hangars and allowed us to sit in a Wasp while he explained in the broadest of terms how it worked. I can still remember the enjoyment of that day as if it were yesterday. A nice gesture by a very nice man.

Wasp.JPG
https://navywings.org.uk/portfolio/westland-wasp/
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#324 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jan 23, 2022 3:06 am

I won't win any prizes for photography but I snapped Wasp XT420 after her last check and departure last week.

Wasp en route home.JPG

The official record of the ground run is better than my paltry effort.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#325 Post by FD2 » Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:31 pm

It is small and a long way away - just like most of my aircraft photos! Apologies to 'Father Ted'.

More seriously, they did a great job at the time in the roles they were designed for and more I think. Powered by little more than a palouste too! We once took one from Singapore to Bangkok to reunite it with its ship (Mohawk I think, which had been forced to sail without it), after two engine changes in quick succession depleted spares in the U.K. We left our Wessex 3 behind in Tengah for an engine and gearbox change with the flight commander and observer (RHIP, but they missed the run ashore in Patpong ;))) ). I was given some ship's OOW time for the good of my soul, not having done any since before flying training, but I took the opportunity to go up in the Wasp for a test flight and was very impressed with the comfort and smoothness - it was well tracked and pleasant to handle.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#326 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Jan 31, 2022 9:38 am

FD2 wrote:
Sat Jan 29, 2022 11:31 pm
It is small and a long way away - just like most of my aircraft photos! Apologies to 'Father Ted'.

More seriously, they did a great job at the time in the roles they were designed for and more I think. Powered by little more than a palouste too! We once took one from Singapore to Bangkok to reunite it with its ship (Mohawk I think, which had been forced to sail without it), after two engine changes in quick succession depleted spares in the U.K. We left our Wessex 3 behind in Tengah for an engine and gearbox change with the flight commander and observer (RHIP, but they missed the run ashore in Patpong ;))) ). I was given some ship's OOW time for the good of my soul, not having done any since before flying training, but I took the opportunity to go up in the Wasp for a test flight and was very impressed with the comfort and smoothness - it was well tracked and pleasant to handle.
Yes, it was a very 'Tedesque" photo... =))

Interesting overview of the aircraft's handling characteristics FD2. As the snotty nosed teenager, as I described in a previous post, I watched the SAAF WASP pilots practicing for an airshow, and the aircraft seemed very nimble indeed!

SAAF Ysterplaat.JPG
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#327 Post by FD2 » Tue Feb 01, 2022 3:08 am

That's a great echelon port - very difficult to maintain if number 2 moves backwards or forwards a little it's magnified up and down the line like a whip.

Somewhere in the old albums there's a snap of us up Table Mountain about 1948/9 - wish I could remember it happening!

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#328 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:38 pm

I am tempted to attend this show. Anybody else similarly tempted?
Fly Navy returns to Shuttleworth!

After a few years off the calendar, the Fly Navy air show returns to the skies above Old Warden Aerodrome with a blend of the best piston and rotary wing examples of naval aircraft.

Expect a few surprises as we celebrate and commemorate naval aviation.
Visiting Pilots
Information for our visitors wishing to fly into the air show and how to book your PPR slot will be posted her in due course.


https://www.shuttleworth.org/product/fl ... RJ0GcAwL0g
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#329 Post by Boac » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:50 pm

FD2 wrote:That's a great echelon port - very difficult to maintain if number 2 moves backwards or forwards a little it's magnified up and down the line like a whip.
Which is why No3 should not formate on No2 :))

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#330 Post by FD2 » Fri Feb 04, 2022 6:06 pm

Exactly.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#331 Post by FD2 » Fri Feb 04, 2022 7:07 pm

Apologies if it appeared I was giving a formation flying brief. Well done number 8 then! ;)))

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#332 Post by CharlieOneSix » Fri Feb 04, 2022 7:31 pm

I've always thought helicopter formation flying was bloody dangerous! We managed the amazing feat of getting all eight Squadron aircraft serviceable for our attempt at this flypast over Sembawang airfield in 1966. At least we got the side numbers in sequence....50, 51, 52 etc if nothing else! Somewhere there is a superb photo of either 845 or 848 Commando Squadron doing a formation flypast with a much larger number of Wessex.
815 Simbang Jan 66 (4).jpg
815 Simbang Jan 66 (2).jpg
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#333 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Feb 11, 2022 3:22 pm

Great photo in this week's Navy Wings newsletter...

FG.JPG

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#334 Post by Boac » Fri Feb 11, 2022 3:52 pm

C16 - your pic of a very impressive Wessex wing-ding leads me to ask if you know what the formation shape was? It is not easily discernable so I assume it was a 'special' for some event.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#335 Post by CharlieOneSix » Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:24 pm

Boac wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 3:52 pm
C16 - your pic of a very impressive Wessex wing-ding leads me to ask if you know what the formation shape was? It is not easily discernable so I assume it was a 'special' for some event.
It looks very much like 'same way, same day' doesn't it! I really can't remember what formation we were attempting but I suspect the photo was taken not long after take off whilst we were still forming up ready to fly past Ark Royal before landing on. Looking at my logbook it was 13 April 1966 and I was on my own up front, flying XM923 with an Observer (Nav) and Aircrewman down the back but I've no recollection where in the formation I was.

My logbook say "Formation flypast, 8 aircraft, Sembawang to Ark Royal". It was our last time in Singapore as it was back to our second stint on the Beira Patrol then after anchoring off Aden on 31 May - no shore leave permitted due to the situation there - it was home to Devonport on 13 June.

Approaching Aden an Army Auster and a RAF Single Pioneer did some touch and go's on Ark - the Single Pin did come to a hover before landing on one occasion!

EDIT: Just looked up the history of XM923 in Lee Howard's superb book ' Fleet Air Arm Helicopters Since 1943'. In 1966 in 815 Squadron it was side numbered 52, so I'm in 52 in the front row of the formation, nearest the camera.
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#336 Post by Boac » Sat Feb 12, 2022 8:20 am

'same way, same day'
No, I wouldn't brand it like that. To put that many rotating palm trees that close together is no mean feat and disaster would be knocking on the door if there had been no 'plan'. :))

The front section could almost be finger 5 with a 'missing man' - does that ring any bells? I reckon the rear 4 are in box and closing up.

Most impressive!

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#337 Post by Undried Plum » Sat Feb 12, 2022 1:29 pm

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:24 pm
52 in the front row of the formation, nearest the camera.

The only one in the formation who can simply line up the helmets.

How'd you judge the distance so that the main rotors don't clatter when they swap paint with the one on your observer's side? Or is that his job?

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#338 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sat Feb 12, 2022 6:24 pm

I think that was probably the last time I did any helicopter formation so as it was almost 56 years ago I really can't remember the ins and outs! A little bell in my grey cells says the aim was for your rotor tips to be a main rotor diameter distance from any opposing rotor blade tips...but I'm really not sure....FD2? The aspect of the photograph certainly makes it seem much closer than that. It amazes me now that the guys in the back during that formation put so much trust in the 21 year old up front whose grand total all types at the bottom of the logbook page was just 492 hours!

Just pinched these from elsewhere - still forming up in the first one, no details of the occasion but it shows the spacing from other airframes. Helicopter formation is rarely attractive. Second one must have been taken around 1969/70 when the Sea King had just entered service, all have CU on the tail meaning all were Culdrose based.
fp1.jpg
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cutypes.jpg
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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#339 Post by Undried Plum » Sat Feb 12, 2022 6:29 pm

Dissimilar types in formation. Tricky. That Wasp guy clearly had his work cut out. Collective in armpit, stirring the porridge like crazy to get in the groove.

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Re: Another Navy Wings article...

#340 Post by Boac » Sat Feb 12, 2022 7:19 pm

Those are impressive pics, C16. Heli formation is by no means easy and can never look pretty - I think it is something called 'wings' that are missing (even if rotating) but they do 'make shapes', and most certainly help with spacing!

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