onetrack

Well, you learn something new every day. I've never heard of coachwood timber, I thought it was generic description of timber used in the coach-building industry.

I was unaware that the sandwich ply construction style of the Mosquito was so advanced for its time.

https://www.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/minisite/static/7522/RAAFmuseum/exhibitions/restoration/dh_98.htm

I wonder what the "Australian coachwood" was, that was used in the Australian-built Mosquito. The vast majority of Australian timber is heavy hardwood, unsuited to aircraft needs.

Peter, rate of climb shows stall speed instead of the correct climb rate.

I can never see or read about a Wackett, without thinking of the poor bugger from W.A. who got lost in the Great Victoria Desert whilst flying his Wackett back to W.A. from the Eastern States in 1962.

Dying of thirst would be one of the most horrible ways to die, IMO.

http://adastron.com/adastra/people/wackett-1.htm

Peter, there's a whole paragraph repeated in this article. Otherwise, good work.

And Red forgot to add, the Hermes was powered by the same Sleeve-Valve Hercules 14 cyl radial engine, that powered the Beaufighter!

These engines were the quietest radials ever built, and gave the nickname of "Whispering Death" to the Beaufighters.

Qantas came terribly close to losing their fatality-free status when the Constellation VH-EAC crashed on takeoff in August 1960, at Port Louis, Mauritius, on a scheduled International flight to Cocos-Keeling Islands.

Engine No.3 failed just as V1 was reached, the crew tried to stop the aircraft, but failed, and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway, bounced over a low embankment, and then fell into a gully.

Everyone was quickly evacuated, but one woman passenger broke her ankle during the evacuation. The aircraft, being fully loaded with 29,000 litres of high-octane avgas, promptly caught fire, and was totally destroyed. Only pure luck meant any fatalities were avoided. There were a total of 20 pax and 4 crew reported with injuries, but these were all relatively minor injuries. One child had a fractured arm.

The cause of the crash was the flight engineers slight delay in assessing No. 3 engines failure to produce full power, and a slight delay by the Captain in applying full reverse thrust and braking. In addition, the runway was wet. All the factors combined to produce the disaster.

https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19600824-1

https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-lockheed-l-1049g-super-constellation-port-louis

The full story, by Macarthur Job - https://web.archive.org/web/20070203225636/http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2000/jan/page49.pdf

I'm always amazed at the size of the WW1 Handley-Page O/400 bomber. For that era, it must have been a staggering undertaking. And it had folding wings as well!

Can you imagine trying to do engine servicing and refuelling from the top of a 15' or 20' ladder, positioned on unpaved ground? With not even a "safety person" at the foot of the ladder, or any form of ladder security at the top! I wonder how many blokes fell off them? Add in some wing movement with some gusty winds, and it would have been a "hairy" job!

Red750, how many of these were built?