Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[RED-DOG]

Name an animal with four knees

Bill.

[celtic]

There are some old planes flying over Derbyshire at lunchtime, if you're up that way.

[Tal]

Name an animal with four knees

Bill.

Winner

[tikay]

There are some old planes flying over Derbyshire at lunchtime, if you're up that way.

Sadly, I'll miss that, I'm London-based today, as I'm working with Lord Smug tonight.

Dread to think what he was up to in Photo # 2.

Click to see full-size image.

[millidonk]

XH558 (Vulcan bomber) is hoping to be up dependant on weather. It's the air displays marking 70th anniversary of dambusters but I imagine you already knew that.

BY KIND PERSMISSION OF SEVERN TRENT WATER the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and 617 Sqn are planning to carry out a flypast on Thursday 16th May over the iconic twin towers of the Derwent Reservoir, recreating history as we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters. The aircraft will pass overhead the reservoir between 1300 and 1315 (local time) – 3 passes by the RAF BBMF and 2 by the GR4’s of 617 Sqn.

Tikay, have you heard about the guy whose bomb fell short in dambusters, but instead of going home he circled back to attract fire from the enemy so his mate could get a direct hit? Had a google just now but couldn't find the exact story.

[tikay]

XH558 (Vulcan bomber) is hoping to be up dependant on weather. It's the air displays marking 70th anniversary of dambusters but I imagine you already knew that.

BY KIND PERSMISSION OF SEVERN TRENT WATER the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and 617 Sqn are planning to carry out a flypast on Thursday 16th May over the iconic twin towers of the Derwent Reservoir, recreating history as we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dambusters. The aircraft will pass overhead the reservoir between 1300 and 1315 (local time) – 3 passes by the RAF BBMF and 2 by the GR4’s of 617 Sqn.

Tikay, have you heard about the guy whose bomb fell short in dambusters, but instead of going home he circled back to attract fire from the enemy so his mate could get a direct hit? Had a google just now but couldn't find the exact story.

Wow.

Great post Milli, thank you.

No, I was not aware of that particular Dambusters story.

I absolutely love the Vulcan Bomber though, which last saw action in that remarkable bombing raid on Stanley Airport during the Falklands War. It is arguable if those bombing raids were successful, but what a triumph of logistics they were. It was called "Operation Black Buck" & a wonderful book about it was written, which I highly recommend.  

Click to see full-size image.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck

The Vulcan Bomber XH558 being flown today is now based at the awfully-named "Robin Hood Airport", near Donny of all places, which used to be RAF Finningley.

What a magnificent beast she is. There is one based at Southend Airport, & another at RAF Duxford.

Did you ever see a sexier warplane?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

I wish to add that those photos of the Vulcan Bomber were NOT taken by me. Just in case you were idly wondering.

[tonytats]

Did you ever see a sexier warplane?

Leaving Peterborough early one morning ,4am ,! heading south passing the end of alconbury runway ,a blackbird spy plane took off, flew over us seemingly so slowly ,then at some point the pilot hit the throttle ,and it roared off into the atmosphere ,it really was an amazing sight , similar to working near heathrow every day at 11 am as Concorde took off , no matter how many times we had seen it we still stopped and did some ooohhhiing and a aahing

[millidonk]

Yea, the vulcan sure is sexy, I also don't think I have heard anything louder. I think I mentioned on blonde once before that my wife got a "special preview" of the battle or Britain memorial flight, she got to go in all the cockpits etc and they even fired up a spitfire which I have a video of somewhere. I will try and dig it out later today. (She is still in the RAF and a proper spotter, don't know why such a geek wanted to marry a ruffian like me)

My area of expertise and what I am most fond of is Russian aircraft. Next time we are at a table together I must get you to test me on my Russian aircraft NATO codenames.. I imagine I am tez now, but my fav is this badboy:

TU-95MS (BEAR)

Gotta love the Russkis, won't find any jet engines here! Came into force in the 1950s and isn't going anywhere for the next 25 years or so. It's an abs beast!

Click to see full-size image.

I should also stress that I did not take this photo either.


Found out the story I was talking about: Wing Commander Guy Gibson awarded VC in Operation Chastise, Attack on the Möhne Dam.

from wiki:

Attack on the Möhne Dam [edit]
Gibson made a dummy run over the dam to look the target over and reported how he 'liked the look of it'. The second formation of 3 led by Young arrived at this point. Gibson made his bombing run, but the bomb was released short and did not damage the dam. It took about 5 minutes for the water to settle down after the explosion. He then called in Hopgood to make his attack. He watched as Hopgood's plane was hit by flak, caught fire and then exploded. Hopgood's crew managed to release their bomb, but it overshot and destroyed an electrical station below the dam. Gibson waited again for the water to settle. He then called in Martin to make his attack, but this time decided to fly alongside him, parallel and slightly ahead, in an attempt to draw off the flak. Again, Martin’s mine did not damage the dam. He then called in Young and Martin flew alongside him ,again to draw off the flak, while Gibson flew along another evasive path. It wasn't obvious until Maltby started the next bombing run that Young’s mine had actually breached the dam. At 00:56, Hutchinson sent the code word to signal the breach to 5 Group and then confirmed it on their request. Martin and Maltby then departed for home.[94]

[tikay]

Great Post Mr Milli.

Quite a beast, that TU-95, apparently even noisier than a Vulcan.


LOVE those twin proppy things, they are monsta good.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[millidonk]

porn itt

[bobAlike]

I remember watching the Cosford airshow, a few years ago, when a Vulcan made a guest appearance and promptly set off all the car alarms.

In a previous job I had the pleasure of visiting lots of different airbases, I'd always turn up early and leave late if there were a lot of flights going on. Even the helicopters were facinating to watch.

[Mohican]

My area of expertise and what I am most fond of is Russian aircraft. Next time we are at a table together I must get you to test me on my Russian aircraft NATO codenames.. I imagine I am tez now, but my fav is this badboy:

TU-95MS (BEAR)

Gotta love the Russkis, won't find any jet engines here! Came into force in the 1950s and isn't going anywhere for the next 25 years or so. It's an abs beast!

Click to see full-size image.

Turboprop engines, most definitely gas turbine engines.

[tikay]

If we are having a porn morning, how about these babies?

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[millidonk]

Mohican, I'm confused are you implying that the Bear does infact have Jet engines? If so it can only be via semantics surely? The Bear has always been widely considered to be a jet engine free aircraft

Unfortunately for the designers, piston engines simply wouldn’t provide the lift and speed necessary to haul such a heavy payload at high enough speeds. Jet engines would be able to provide the needed power, but would be too heavy and burn too much fuel to give the plane the necessary range.[1]

Designers opted instead for a turboprop aircraft. This would provide the range and speed close to that of a jet, but would still enable the aircraft to fly huge distances.

The Tu-95 is the world's only swept-wing turboprop ever to enter service. Its distinct engines, each with two counter-rotating propellers, also make the Bear the fastest propeller-driven airplane ever built.

The original Tu-95 was designed to carry two nuclear bombs to targets in the continental US.