Don't get me wrong I haven't started to get into planes etc, but when scrolling throughout the many youtube films and clips etc you can get lost at times, being on permanent nightshift does take its toll at times as its hard to get back into a normal pattern if you don't get back to normal the first day it can take about 3 days.......so being wide awake at 0300 in the mornings when there is not much on the TV or no book to read youtube is a handy encyclopaedia.
As there was talk on a recent thread regarding the lost plans for the Mosquito, I had my doubts there was many Airworthy Merlins left, looking for info etc on the Merlin got side tracked with this, it shows a guy who rebuilt a Merlin and watch out for the bloke firing the Browning......... some will recognise him, he has wrote a few books.
Information
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That problem you have with night shift it interferes with the bodies Circadian rhythm which is programmed into us that we sleep at night and play in the day going on permanent night faff's this around and throws you out of whack so
to speak.
I bet the first week of your holidays your falling asleep during the day and bouncing off the walls at 02:00 in the morning......
There’s a wonderful scene in the 1969 film Battle of Britain, in which Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring asks one of his Luftwaffe officers what he needs to defeat the RAF, in preparation for Operation Sealion – the invasion of Britain. (See footage below always makes me chuckle)
The officer brazenly replies “Give me a Squadron of Spitfires!” which infuriates Göring. Hitler’s second in command turns on his heel and walks away without saying a word. The scene captures the grudging admiration many German pilots had for this deadly fighter.
Squadrons of Spitfires (and Hurricanes, the true workhorses) would shoot down hundreds of Luftwaffe bombers and fighters in the autumn of 1940, thwarting the planned invasion and giving the British time to rearm after the disaster at Dunkirk. As Churchill so memorably put it, “Never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few.”
The plane has an almost iconic status for the British. Even today Spitfires are spoken of in reverential tones. They are lovingly preserved at the Imperial War Museum and the RAF Museum. At Bentley Priory at Stanmore there is even a stained glass window commemorating the Spitfire’s role in winning the Battle of Britain. And perhaps more prosaically, Spitfire beer is “downed all over Britain, just like the Luftwaffe.” The British love the Spitfire.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
And Messerschmitt BF109G:
Experienced pilots have described the G variant as posing a marked, continual, underlying menace to the pilot at all times. Operational WWII 109G bases typically had a charred pile of metal 3/4 of the way down the strip on the left. Throttle, stick, and rudder discipline were crucial. Being angled outwards, the wheels tended to try to dig in. Given the prop torque the plane would yaw 10' to port when the tail came up and the tail's surface area wasn't large enough to correct it. They say the only answer is to give the plane its head and let it take off in the new direction. An attempt to correct it would be rewarded with a high speed ground roll, wing tuck, and crash.
Bob
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring
As there was talk on a recent thread regarding the lost plans for the Mosquito, I had my doubts there was many Airworthy Merlins left, looking for info etc on the Merlin got side tracked with this
There are still hundreds of airworthy Merlins (and sister built Packard versions) around the world.
I can understand Willy Messerschmidt's keeping the oleo legs on the fuselage for strength so the impact is taken by a strong section and not by the wings, how hard it would have been to alter the wing to change it to the config like the FW-190 is baffling given how good the Germans were at building things.
As far as the negative G getaway by the 109's to quickly counter this whilst the boffins got to work on the problem with the Spitfires carby cutting out the pilots devised a stop gap measure to get onto the tail of the 109 as it dove away.
And that was to roll the Spit onto its back pull hard on the stick and dive on the 109 inverted first then either rolling out or continuing the dive in the same attitude it became a nasty shock to some of the Luftwaffe pilots to find as they bunted to scoot away the Spit was still on their tail.
Cannot remember if it was in either a book by Tuck, Bader or Rob Doe I have but it is there and shoot the 109's down they did of course the new carby came out and that was that as well as up gunning the Spit with heavier 50 cals and 20mm or a mix of both.
From my library here is a little book every enthusiast should have do not let the size fool you its pretty packed with technical information on the Spitfire.
There are still hundreds of airworthy Merlins (and sister built Packard versions) around the world.
And the plans for the Mosquito were never lost.
I think I would be right in saying that the amount of airworthy Merlins is actually going up as a steady flow of Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang rebuilds take to the air.
In fact there are more Spitfires and Hurricanes (don't know about Mustangs) airworthy today than there where 40 years ago.
Last edited by mrclark303; 08-28-2017 at 06:29 AM.
I think I would be right in saying that the amount of airworthy Merlins is actually going up as a steady flow of Spitfire, Hurricane and Mustang rebuilds take to the air. In fact there are more Spitfires and Hurricanes (don't know about Mustangs) airworthy today than there where 40 years ago.
And to think it all got started with the Battle of Britain Film and Spitfire Films Ltd. resurrecting as many gate guards as they could get their hands on. I just wish there had been more Hurricanes around to salvage.
Bob
"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' "
Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring
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Originally Posted by bigduke6
