We lived in Goch, lovely little town best 3 years of my life one early trauma in my life was not being able to go see Pink Floyd in concert because I was too young. they went in my dads mates MK1 Golf Convertible [:^(] the food you coudl get there was amazing, when we had the singlies over we used to get this big meat platter thingy delivered which was basically a huge box nearly the size of a pallet full of loads of different kinds of meat and chips, you would all pile in free for all stylee also there was an amazing chinese restaurant over the border in Holland not so many interesting plane piccies as he wasnt a pilot, he worked on all the ground equipment and the like. the big genny trailer thingies you often see dotted about, things like that. we're both into aircraft though, but mostly WWII stuff. though the early jets are cool too!
I think my `rents used to drink in Goch, and did all their shopping over the border since it was cheaper (Venlow?) There`s literally thousands of pics of our time there, since their house and their friends` (still in regular contact now) were party central. I was pretty much brought up by a group of p*ssed up singlies. Me and Dad. c.1979. Mk1 in the background (not ours sadly)
Ah, the 'Wooden wonder'.. The originals never had guns. But then most didn't really need them as they were pretty much the fastest thing flying in northern Europe (I think the Me109 caught up eventually). I like the special edition above, though I also like the modern equivalent: "Is that a 105mm howitzer poking from your waste or are you pleased to see me?" "It's a howitzer." "oh. I'll be off then."
Mossie B 35 - 4000lbs of bombs at 422 mph Lockheed B 17E 'Flying Fortress' - 4000lbs at 320 mph Mossie BOAC Transport - 2500lbs of SKF Ball Bearings at 408 mph ps. One of my Irish uncles, Eoin, was only 5' 2" tall, so they made him a tail gunner, in a Wellington Bomber, with the 'Desert Airforce', during WW II. He went through the North Africa and Italian campaigns, with only a broken arm. pps. Funnily enough, my Da. and his brothers all joined the British Forces for WW II, and all were stationed in the Middle East. Obviously someone in the Military was having a joke sending O'Irish 'Bog Trotters' to the desert!
Martin Baker MB5. From an Engineer's point of view, probably the best Fighter design of WW II. I say this because, it was a modular design, so initially building, and thence repairs, were much simplified! I believe that this was the first aircraft with an Ejector Seat, which Martin Bakers invented. RR Contra Rotating Prop Griffon 83 460 mph Prototype, at full combat load. It was expected that it would approach, if not exceed, 500 mph when developed. It was not put into production cos. the Tempest II (Fury) was close to production status, and, moreover used a Bristol Centaurus Radial motor, and all Griffons had been earmarked for the later model Spitfire and Spitefuls. It is so good, that the Yanks have built a replica! ps. I think that Lockheed stole the wing design for the F 101 'Starfighter'!
yep me too, christmas was always awesome at ours also my dad had a good tash going on back then, eventually shaved it off when Boehringer made him put a little tash net over it when working on the machines I was there in the mid 80s, lots of Opel Mantas and things like that
that has an incredably small wingspan by the looks of those images.... thst is an incredably interesting piece of information, love aircraft (and infact vehicles) from this era.... true enginering as aposed to electronicly controled aircraft of today.... that is a lovely looking aircraft....
theres a beaufighter being fully restored at duxford, iirc to flying condition. not been for a couple o years so it should have come along a fair bit since i last saw it
I have a really good auto-biography of a WW II Night Fighter pilot who was in Beaufighters. Funnily enough, the worst Beaufighter was the model they fitted RR Merlin engines into. It was just about unflyable, and killed a lot of pilots!
last time and my dad went it was on its wheels with plumbing done cockpit on and almost as if it was ready to have engines and wing tips put on.... apparently its going to the isle of wight to have the wings installed and is then going far over seas (Australia iirc) so probally wont see flight in the u.k..... shame as u.k volenteers have done most of the work....
