OT: Dixie's BBMF stuff

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Thanks for GREAT pictures Martin! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

[sprior]

Nice pics Martin.

My son joined Air Cadets and is off to summer camp at RAF Odium. That's what the letter says, I suspect they mean RAF Odiham,

Gen dit.

[mikkey]

Thanks for posting this nice pics Dixie.

[Dixie]

A quick video of MK356 and PZ865 joining formation with the Lancaster on our way to Waddington airshow. I would apolgise for the shaky filming, but I won't because it's bumpy back there! [:D]

http://youtu.be/hnTenYt-PMw

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Nice pics Martin.

My son joined Air Cadets and is off to summer camp at RAF Odium. That's what the letter says, I suspect they mean RAF Odiham,

Gen dit.

Poor sod. I wouldn't recommend Odiham to anyone, it's full of stupid Wokka-wokkas.

[Dixie]

MK356 outside the hangar yesterday. She's tethered down for some high power engine runs, the tail is tied to the ground to stop her nosing over and the chocks are also tethered to the ground to stop her from either jumping them or just shoving them out of the way.

[sandman455]

Wow!
[&o]
Some really incredible pictures. Thank you so much for sharing!

[Dixie]

I went of to RAF Fairford for RIAT at the weekend. After three days away I looked back through the pictures I took. I didn't take long because I've only got two! Most airshows are full of jets, particularly the small, pointy variety or (even worse) helicopters. [>:][>:]

The one picture I took from the actual airshow was of the Red Bull F4U as she went out past our Lancaster for a display.

[Dixie]

Saturday and Sunday were spent at the airshow, but although I flew in on the LancasterI didn't get to fly back in her. Instead three of us went to Bristol to repair one of our MkXIX Spitfires which had a technical problem the previous weekend.

Here she is missing a wheel as we were changing the brake unit. The Spitfire uses pneumatics to operate the brakes (like the Hurricane and Lancaster). Air pressure is used to inflate a rubber bag (the black things on the workbench) which press the brake pads against the inside of the wheel. After that it was a long haul back to Coningsby by road once a pilot had flown the Spit away.

[reg113]

I visited the "Mighty 8th Air Force Museum" last week in Pooler, SC. They are doing a really fine job of restoring a B-17G. If I can figure out how to get the pics off of my dangnabit phone I'll try and post 'em.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Dixie

We must have been pushing our max speed in order to keep the Tornado at a safe airspeed.

warspite1

What a superb picture! [&o]

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: Dixie

Saturday and Sunday were spent at the airshow, but although I flew in on the LancasterI didn't get to fly back in her. Instead three of us went to Bristol to repair one of our MkXIX Spitfires which had a technical problem the previous weekend.

Here she is missing a wheel as we were changing the brake unit. The Spitfire uses pneumatics to operate the brakes (like the Hurricane and Lancaster). Air pressure is used to inflate a rubber bag (the black things on the workbench) which press the brake pads against the inside of the wheel. After that it was a long haul back to Coningsby by road once a pilot had flown the Spit away.

Wot!

The pilot didnt let you sit on his knee on the way home!!

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: JeffK
Wot!

The pilot didnt let you sit on his knee on the way home!!

Well two of them did fly down in a Chipmunk. [:D] Unfortunately I was needed to drive the van back. [:(]

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: reg113

I visited the "Mighty 8th Air Force Museum" last week in Pooler, SC. They are doing a really fine job of restoring a B-17G. If I can figure out how to get the pics off of my dangnabit phone I'll try and post 'em.

If it's anything like my phone it connects through USB, the pictures are usually stored somewhere in a folder named DCIM (iirc) with a subdirectory for camera pictures in there.

Get 'em posted!

[Dixie]

This was taken on Monday morning, sat on the wing of PM631 whilst carrying out an after-flight servicing. It's difficult to tell from this pic as I used a bit of zoom, but the prop is about 8 feet away from where I was sat (on the wing root just in front of the cockpit).

[Dixie]

And PM later that afternoon undergoing an engine ground run (EGR). We changed the tacho drive (mmmm, Mexican food) earlier due to fluctuating RPM gauge readings. So she had to go outside and check that the new drive worked.

Some people like the big Spits more than the babies (the Mk II and V) or the mid sized (IX and XVI). Me? I like the Hurricanes (although the Mk II Spit is close), particularly LF363. PZ865 has to prove herself worthy of my affection first [:D] She'snot done well so far though... Still ahead of the Spitfires though.

[John 3rd]

That CORSAIR looks fantastic. Wonder how many of those are still flying?

For that matter how many Spits are still airworthy?

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

That CORSAIR looks fantastic. Wonder how many of those are still flying?

For that matter how many Spits are still airworthy?

This site tracks surviving warbirds:
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/

Bill

[Dixie]

I think there's around 50 Spitfires airworthy around the world. Mostly mark 9s and up.

[JeffroK]

We have a MkVIII and a Mk XVI flying regularly out of Temora.

The VIII was still in a box at the end of WW2 but the XVI saw action over NW Europe in 1945.