Spin

http://books.google.co.za/books?id=TEObYvmPEG4C&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1

 

If old magazines are a weakness, don't venture here unless you have plenty of time. Finding the link was a mixed blessing for me; reminding me that my grandfather gave me about 15 yrs worth of Flying from the late 50's onward, but they mysteriously disappeared during one of our house moves when I was a kid - too early for me to really appreciate what I had. Some of the issues are familiar though, particularly the '60's classic feature on the airwar in Vietnam which I recall reading several times over.

 

 

Frozen in Time Gallery, Restored Old Aircraft Photographs

 

Some of you may know this collection, which includes the following photograph, a well known fake I'm told (pre photoshop at that)

 

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According to the caption this was taken at Amberley and involved a bored RAAF pilot flying through a hangar, whereas the aircraft was actually up on jacks, which were carefully painted out on the resulting photo

 

 

 

Worth a try, if it doesn't take off it could always be consigned to the depths of the forum.

 

You mean this sort of thing;

 

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Congratulations Bas, it has a very clean, user friendly look to it.

 

 

Interesting concept, but the phrase "sitting duck" comes to mind. In a conventional battlefield you'd count it's survival time in minutes; even in Afghanistan the bad guys seem able to produce all manner of missiles and artillery from their caves. Maybe more useful in a domestic situation, eg the so called war on drugs.

 

 

Heh heh, there are some classics out there, collected a few over the years..

 

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Volume up!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlW403CRUOQ

 

 

With an instructor if you don't want to get RA-Aus offsides and void any insurance.

 

I agree though, it is a valuable exercise; only time I have done it was during my flight test for my RA conversion and there was a slight but noticeable difference in elevator feel and effectiveness in the flare. One of several things that I felt RA did better than my initial GA training.

 

 

I think you're right about the BLC wings, seems the whole design was driven by naval requirements, eg folding wings and nosecone. I must dig deeper into the operational history; I have a book Phoenix Squadron by Rowland White (Vulcan 607) waiting for a quiet moment (whenever that might be:)) about a bit of gunboat diplomacy in Belize involving Buccs. I know too the SAAF deployed them in Angola, but not much is said about their exploits. Perhaps there is still a little reticence about where they acquired the laser guided weaponry and whether they were the intended delivery vehicle for the nukes?

 

 

Certainly is an interesting set up, a bit counter intuitive needing high power when flying slowly - it also explains that enormous air brake. I remember that this complexity was one of the reasons there were serious reservations about Mike Beachy-Head stepping up from the Hunters and Canberra he already owned, to the Buccs and Lightnings. Especially considering the Canberra had already been written off, taking two SAA pilots with it. I guess times have moved on, Thunder City probably suffered a lower attrition rate than the airforces who flew these planes when they were new, but in this day and age, one loss is too many. Here's a link to a few photos taken by the lucky sod who got to ride along during the test flight.

 

http://www.flyafrica.info/forums/showthread.php?46174-Thunder-City-Buccanneer

 

 

Looks great, I just love that sort of thing at a country airstrip. Really disappointed that we weren't able to get out to Kilcoy for the QVAG Kilcoy Kapers today - old aircraft and grass strips are special.

 

 

Peter's beautiful video of the wingsuit flying in China reminded me to go and have another look at what can go wrong; you may remember that Jeb Corliss who features in many of these videos came unstuck on Table Mountain in Cape Town recently. I see he has released his own video to complement the original news footage - the stills at the end illustrate just how close he came to ending it all right there!

 

 

 

Wow! Beautiful countryside and some amazing skill on show there - didn't realise though that wingsuiters were IF rated, that smog is pretty grim.

 

 

Lovely video Dexter, glad to see someone is getting some flying in - rain and consequent soggy ground scuppered my plans for the weekend.

 

One question though, I didn't see a certain Zephyr featured??

 

 

GRRRR what's with not being able to edit the title, which the half witted software had decided I might not want in caps?

 

 

http://pavel-kosenko.livejournal.com/303194.html?thread=22669914

 

Publicity (propaganda?) photos from the WWII era. I would imagine that being colour, they are pretty rare. Interesting snapshot of the times.

 

 

 

"Somewhere in Africa" I suspect given the scenery and general disregard for normal rules

 

 

Entertainment indeed! I now understand why the pilot of a spotting chopper was so insistent I hold and damp the control movement when he had to get out whilst it was running. Muttered something about ground resonance in the tones normally reserved for describing mothers in law.

 

 

http://www.news.com.au/world/chopper-falls-apart-on-camera/story-e6frfkyi-1226280729120

 

Horrifying demonstration of ground resonance disassembling a perfectly good helicopter.

 

 

http://www.saairforce.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2507&start=300

 

Gives a whole new meaning to "Can I take her for a test run..."

 

 

Yup a Brazilian priest no less, he disappeared out to sea; turns out he had neglected to learn how to use the GPS and radio properly, which might otherwise have allowed him to be rescued.:(

 

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/cluster-ballooning-helium-baloons-strapped-to-chair/8823

 

Back to the original video, I was at school with Dave Briggs and have followed his wild and wooly adventures since. He has managed to bend and break enough bits of his body on a regular basis, that a little road rash would be neither here nor there. I flew one of the very early prototypes of those PPG's, powered by a little kart engine screaming away at 13,000rpm odd, a rather dicey experience! Back then we believed that you needed a larger wing to compensate for the increased weight, which meant some hairy collapses. There is something very appealing about a flying machine that fits in the back of the ute though and I wouldn't mind having a go at one of the modern ones. Maybe electric? As you say Dazza, a little early am cruise along the beach at Straddie would be pretty special.

 

 

Here's one for those forever bemoaning the "sophistication" and "wannabe GA-ness" of current RA aircraft.......I don't think you get much more basic in a powered flying machine;)

 

 

 

There must be 100 pieces of aluminium on the bottom of the wing, what a patchwork of manufacturing

Probably the typical mixture of brilliance and bloodymindedness that characterises Pommie engineering.:)

 

 

Willie, I don't think any of the Thunder City Bucs are ex SAAF, I know there was a SAAF one on site, but that was on loan I understand and will probably end up back with the SAAF museum.

 

Edit: You got me thinking so I went and did a little digging, I see the S2B designation (as advertised) is for ex RAF aircraft as opposed to Royal Navy. The SAAF's Bucs were designated S50 and were essentially S2B's with a manual wing folding mechanism and the addition of rocket packs (RATO) for hot n high operations.

 

 

Sad to see, final disposal sale of the Thunder City fleet;

 

http://www.go-dove.com/event-15794?lcid=en

 

Wonder whether we'll ever see the Lightnings fly again? RIP Dave Stock[ATTACH=full]999[/ATTACH]