Post amazingly cool pictures of aircraft (Volume 3)

[GliderRider]

Yertis said:

Eric Mc said:

I also think that they never relished having to deal with Westland's chief designer, Teddy Petter. By all accounts he was a "difficult" guy to work with.

We often overlook that aspect of things. Petter was genius – his track record was amazing – but like you say – difficult. He'd probably be diagnosed with some syndrome or other nowadays.

Being the son of the Westland chairman probably didn't help his people skills.

[aeropilot]

DodgyGeezer said:

Interesting direction the chin turret is pointing....!!

[DodgyGeezer]

[DodgyGeezer]

[DodgyGeezer]

Barn-find?

[mko9]

Same aircraft? Cleans up nicely.

[aeropilot]

mko9 said:

Same aircraft? Cleans up nicely.

Yes, same aircraft, but taken about 50 years apart.

Top photo was taken of it when derelict at Provo, Utah, USA in the late 1960's, and the bottom one as it is now in the Museu Asas de um Sonho in Sau Paulo, Brazil.

[Eric Mc]

Can't be that many "Bird Cage" canopy Corsairs about.

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

Can't be that many "Bird Cage" canopy Corsairs about.

Its not a real 'birdcage' Corsair, although it is a rare original A-model, as it was reconfigured by the late Harry Doan back in the 60's to this 'birdcage' look.

[Eric Mc]

Interesting.

So, are there any "real" Birdcage Corsairs about?

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

Interesting.

So, are there any "real" Birdcage Corsairs about?

Not sure....don't think so, but, the Naval museum at Pensacola is restoring a really early Corsair that was recovered from Lake Michigan many years ago, but I don't know if that's a real birdcage or not.

[GliderRider]

aeropilot said:

Eric Mc said:

Interesting.

So, are there any "real" Birdcage Corsairs about?

Not sure....don't think so, but, the Naval museum at Pensacola is restoring a really early Corsair that was recovered from Lake Michigan many years ago, but I don't know if that's a real birdcage or not.

Some aircraft recovered from the Great Lakes were in remarkably good condition. There were several articles in the Experimental Aircraft Association magazine, 'Sport Aviation' about Wildcats and such like that had gone in the water at low speed whilst practicing take offs and landings from USS Wolverine and other training carriers. A combination of fresh water and very little oxygen in the mud at the bottom, meant that even after thirty years on the bottom, after a quick hose off, peeling paint was the most noticable issue; the metalwork was still shiny.

Aircraft recovered from the Great Lakes

[aeropilot]

GliderRider said:

aeropilot said:

Eric Mc said:

Interesting.

So, are there any "real" Birdcage Corsairs about?

Not sure....don't think so, but, the Naval museum at Pensacola is restoring a really early Corsair that was recovered from Lake Michigan many years ago, but I don't know if that's a real birdcage or not.

Some aircraft recovered from the Great Lakes were in remarkably good condition. There were several articles in the Experimental Aircraft Association magazine, 'Sport Aviation' about Wildcats and such like that had gone in the water at low speed whilst practicing take offs and landings from USS Wolverine and other training carriers. A combination of fresh water and very little oxygen in the mud at the bottom, meant that even after thirty years on the bottom, after a quick hose off, peeling paint was the most noticable issue; the metalwork was still shiny.

Aircraft recovered from the Great Lakes

Yep, several of the 30 odd that have been recovered have been good enough, to restore back to flying condition without having to resort to full new build structure either.

[MartG]

A rather fanciful Artwork by artist Wilf Hardy.

It features a 'what if' (with a 60's govt that still supported British aviation - at the time still a world leader, until Labour and Tory had been bought off to buy American) version of RAF Fighter Command of about 1960, showing Hawker 1081 aircraft on the ground and (performing a 'beat up') Saunders Roe 177 interceptors !

Illustration from an old RAF Yearbook - sorry, I don't know what year

[xeny]

Following on from the 1081, I just read that the Hunter is still in service with the Zimbabwe Air Force.

[Eric Mc]

Still being used in the UK for military purposes.

[hidetheelephants]

xeny said:

Following on from the 1081, I just read that the Hunter is still in service with the Zimbabwe Air Force.

Seems unlikely if the AF is run anything like as badly as the rest of the country.

[aeropilot]

hidetheelephants said:

xeny said:

Following on from the 1081, I just read that the Hunter is still in service with the Zimbabwe Air Force.

Seems unlikely if the AF is run anything like as badly as the rest of the country.

Its true, they still have one two-seat Hunter, and at least a couple of single seat FGA9 Hunters in service. They have at least one Hawk that they keep airworthy as well.

They are not flown a lot, and its believed they no longer have any ordnance left to use them operationally, and they seem to keep them for ceremonial flypasts.

The Hunters were certainly still airworthy in 2021, as there's Youtube vids of two Hunters and the Hawk flying a flypast...complete with lovely Hunter blue-note.

[MartG]

Eric Mc said:

Still being used in the UK for military purposes.

This civilian one flew over my house last Wednesday Based at Leeming

[DodgyGeezer]

Royal Air Force Hawker Henley TT Mark III (serial L3288) of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit