Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:31 pm
PP
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Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
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Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:36 pm
Just don't let the wife know.
PP
PP
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:44 pm
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:53 pm
Maybe try for a mistress with books? 
PP
PP
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 9:09 pm
We'd end up squabbling over the books! If she turned up the edge of the page in one of my books, I'd lose my mind, while she would get her knickers in a twist by me using her books as table mats
Apropos Jimmy Buffett and my wrong guess, this is the guy I was thinking of... I began to think I had imagined the documentary, which I am still looking for now...
Colonel Robert Edwin “Sky King” Darlington (Ret.)
Colonel Robert Edwin Darlington, affectionately known as Sky King, passed away on February 16, 2008, at the Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez Texas State Veterans Home in Big Spring, Texas.He was born in Denton, Texas, on August 7, 1929. He was 78. Colonel Darlington had a remarkable and distinguished thirty year career in the United States Air Force. He served his nation as a jet fighter pilot in two wars. In November of 1949 he joined the Air Force graduating in the Aviation Cadet Class of 50G. Following he went to James Connley Air Force Base in Waco, Texas, Williams Air Force Base near Phoenix, and Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas where he trained in the F-80. He flew missions in the Korean War out of Itazuki, Japan and Kimpo Air Force Base in Korea.
On July 5, 1951, Sky King’s plane crashed and burned shortly after take off due to plane malfunction. He was pulled from burning wreckage and his life saved by two Korean women working in the rice fields. He was hospitalized with severe burns until September 1952 at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. In 1952 he went to Squadron Officers Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Upon graduation he went to Nellis Air Force Base training in the F86. His next assignment to Korea was cancelled due to the signed truce. Instead he went to Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. November 1954, the day before Thanksgiving, brought new assignments for Lt. Darlington. He was stationed in Luxembourg and Etain, France until Christmas of 1955 and in Bitburg, Germany from 1955 – 1957 where he flew the F100. From 1957-1958 he was stationed in Oklahoma. In 1958-1960 he was at the 12th Air Force Headquarters in Waco, Texas. He was stationed in Japan with the 5th Air Force Headquarters from 1961-1964. Re-stationed at 12th Air Force Headquarters in Waco, Texas from 1964-1966. He served in the Vietnam War flying reconnaissance in the Skyraider from 1966-1967. He served with the Royal Air Force in Weathersfield, England from 1967-1968 and with the Royal Air Force Woodbridge from 1968-1970. He went on to Headquarters TAC and was Chief of Flight Safety from 1970 – 1972 in Virginia. His last assignment was at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, Georgia. There, where he was dubbed The Silver Fox, he worked as the Air Force Advisor to the Georgia Air National Guard from 1972 – 1980. Before he retired, he supervised the unit’s switch from transports to F100’s and F105’s.
His awards include: Aviation Cadet Training Distinguished Graduate, Purple Heart with Device, The Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Force Commendation Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster), The Bronze Star Medal with Valor (First Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medal with 5 Devices, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Silver Star, Republic of Vietnam Medal of Honor, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 2 Devices, Korean Service Medal with 2 Devices, Air Force Longevity Service Award with 6 Devices, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Devices, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Occupation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Combat Readiness Medal.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Darlington and Madge Fyffe Darlington, of Austin, Texas; siblings, Frank Darlington, Jr. and his wife, Carol, of Seattle, Washington; Mary Elizabeth Moss and her husband, Winston, of Palos Verdes, California; and William Darlington of Palos Verdes, California; brother-in-law Guy Chandler, of Hearne, Texas.Since retirement in 1980 from the Air Force, Sky King lived in Midland, Texas, flying for Tiger Charter, a private jet charter service. During Tiger Charter days he was a popular pilot on board with many rock bands. Befriending Jimmy Buffet, he would teach Jimmy how to fly single props on their days between traveling and concerts. Jimmy affectionately called him Captain Bob. Col. Darlington is responsible for restarting the High School ROTC in both Midland and Lee High Schools. Today there are over 80 members in the program.
He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Barbara Darlington; Daughter, Rebecca Townsend and husband, Jay, of Cornwall on Hudson, New York, and their children, Richard and James Harrison of Manhattan, Jonathan, Emerson and Oliver; daughter, Carol Merenda and her husband, David, of Suwanee, Georgia, and their children, Erin Booe and her husband, Ritchie, and their children Mariah and Ritchie Jr. of Missouri City, Texas, Angelo of Washington D.C., James Howell, of Meridian, Mississippi, Frank and Nicholas; son, John Darlington and his wife, Tami Lemons, of Dallas, Texas, and their children, Megan Madge and Sarah Grace; daughter, Mary Madge Darlington and her partner, Lisa Moore, of Austin, Texas, and their children, Max and Milo; and sister, Dorothy Chandler of Hearne, Texas and her family.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 1:46 am
I'd put the Vulcan in there because I was always impressed with the appearance and some of the tales I was once told by someone who I think was ground crew rather than air crew on a Vulcan squadron.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:24 am
May I add the 727 bringing jet services to smaller airports, good capacity and a distinct noise
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 7:48 am
Re books, my mother was an avid absorber of crime mysteries and our library in Birkenhead a short bus ride away. I used to be despatched about once a week to exchange her books - 8 at a time.
The system was simple. Drop off the previous 8 and thence to the mystery section selecting books really at random. All I had to do was check for the secret mark. All the books in the section were littered with secret marks. Her's was a dot above the page number 54.
Books that had been heavily edited, words crossed out, sentences underlined, lots of marginal corrections, were all rejected. Never crossed my mind they might have been secret codes for spies.
The system was simple. Drop off the previous 8 and thence to the mystery section selecting books really at random. All I had to do was check for the secret mark. All the books in the section were littered with secret marks. Her's was a dot above the page number 54.
Books that had been heavily edited, words crossed out, sentences underlined, lots of marginal corrections, were all rejected. Never crossed my mind they might have been secret codes for spies.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 7:52 am
RiS, the Comet too with its clean wing.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:19 am
And the Victor:
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 9:36 am
The Mk 1 was very graceful, but the time they stuck everything on the Mk 2 not so.
Same as the Vulcan, a white Mk 1 was so clean.
Same as the Vulcan, a white Mk 1 was so clean.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:35 pm
I always thought that this was remarkablly pleasing looking aircraft... when it wasn't on fire...
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 5:40 pm
The Grippen is also very aesthetically pleasing...
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:56 am
Steady on TGG, you will be praising the Anglo-French airfix jet next.
How about the Midge and the Gnat. Now they were neat.
How about the Midge and the Gnat. Now they were neat.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:25 am
I have already paid homage to the Gnat. I am sitting here thinking that I have been bitten my Midges but have never seen anything but the insect fly, although I know that the Midge was a demonstrator for the Gnat to come, Petter's last aircraft as it were.Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:56 amSteady on TGG, you will be praising the Anglo-French airfix jet next.
How about the Midge and the Gnat. Now they were neat.
William Edward Willoughby "Teddy" Petter was a genius, but sadly, like many extremely bright, creative men, was apt to strange fancies, and his were religious in nature. He was effectively ruined by a French charlatan and scoundrel, 'Father Forget', a former minister of the Reformed Church of France! It was such a sad end to such a prodigious life and career.
Irrelevant TGG fact - worked briefly for Lister Petter, but the company was in sad decline at the time, some years after Hawker Siddley forcibly married the Lister and Petters Limited companies back in the mid 60's . The Lister Petter company is a shadow of its former self, but is still going. No longer based in Dursley but on the site of the old RAF Aston Down airfield.
- Midge.JPG (31.6 KiB) Viewed 1869 times
The Anglo-French Airfix jet (as you call it) isn't bad. The acrimonious Anglo French relationship aside, they have pushed some wonderful engineering projects to completion, vide. Concorde!
Another project was the channel tunnel, although it took a South African project manager to brutally knock English and French heads together and complete that project, now often reviled by silly, inward looking little Englanders who, like an unhealthy, yellowing in-growing toenail, are poisoning the confident, strong, consitituion of this once fine, outward looking island nation.
Sir Alastair Morton - an exampe of what happens when you meld Afrikaners and the English Scots.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 12:59 pm
Just noticed that De Havilland are disgracefully underrepresented in this thread 
Uncle Roger would be horrified
Uncle Roger would be horrified
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 1:34 pm
Superb, and of course Dove and Devon
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 3:57 pm
A rare visitor to Speke 
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:47 pm
Harrumpffph!
What was the first aircraft to be mentioned in the beginning of the root post?
Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs.
Best
Nicest
Most clever
Most beautiful, therefore.
First prize first, therefore.
Many worthy runners up, of course, but that was the point of the the thread.
Carry on.
Re: Best and nicest and most clever and most fit-for-purpose designs
Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:46 pm