OT - for our aviation nuts.

Very interesting.

Also extremely good is a war time documentary on the Utube, It's in about 4 parts. It concerns the USAF based in Corsica with Thunderbolts and their missions to Italy to bomb and shoot up as much German war effort as possible. So dangerous, the guys really are brave, I'm not sure I could do it. Sorry I can't just find the link at the mo, but it's really worth watching if you find it.

Julian.

Thanks Kim, You know I always wondered why they didn't show the "pheonix" landing at the end of the film. One of my all time favourite films - the piece with the coffman starter - brilliant! Kev

Found the first one:

Did you spot this one?

Kim,

Very interesting clips, as somebody who has aviation interest in his blood I was pleased to learn something, I knew the Brabazon had contra rotating props but I didn't know it was powered by eight radials all sitting at angles. I naturally assumed it would have been four engines. The Phoenix film was very sad as if you watch carefully the aircraft was badly built, it broke its back when the wheels touched. As somebody who spent seven interesting years helping to rebuild a B17 I always find the film of one very interesting.

That film showed some familiar sites for me. The open test bed shown early on in the film (known as "the Wing") was still in use in the 1970/80's for such things as bird ingestion tests etc.I've destroyed a few engines from that control panel in the film.On the opposite side was an open Pegasus (Harrier) test bed,walled on four sides but no roof. the plant was right on the approach path for the runway and when we ran with nozzles vertical up air traffic control were informed by a hotline so they could warn the university air squadron Chipmunks to steer clear. Mike.H.

Mike,

I heard a story once about engine destruction testing which I would like to think is true. The British designed and built a gun for firing chickens into engines to see how the engine faired, the design was sold to the USA who built it but ran into difficulties as they kept destroying engines. They asked the British for help and described the problem and the answer they got back was " defrost the bird first" oh if it were true :-))

Martin P

There was a "Chicken Gun" at the Brooklands site of British Aerospace, (ex Vickers) Weybridge. It was huge affair, hydrogen powered. I never saw it in action, but you could hear it from most parts of the site when it was in action. AFAIK one of its last uses before the site closed was for testing Intercity 125 windscreens. I am sure the frozen chicken story is an urban myth, it was certainly circulating in the early '80s when I worked there.

Stuart.

In message , SB11 writes

There was one at Hatfield Aerodrome too. Back in the very early '70s, I worked in the Buying Office as part of my Commercial Apprenticeship with Hawker Siddeley, and had to place orders for, inter alia, some of the chickens for the gun - one order specified 'as killed; weight 1.5lb.

All the orders I placed were for fresh chickens.

Been there,done that.No T shirt tho ----

The new Russion fighter - see those canards working!

Regards,

Kim Siddorn