More childish things

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Looks very good.

My Grandfather used to hand start those with a large cranking handle when he was in the RAF during the war.

 

I think there are two still flying in this country, one at Old Warden and regularly flown by a Mate of mine.

I will dig out a picture or two.

Keep up the good work Mate.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Here you go, a little Anson action;

 

 

[amateur]

and a DH Rapide. The first flight that I made was, as a child, in a Rapide out of Birmingham airport. I think it was about 30 minutes

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Just now, amateur said:

and a DH Rapide. The first flight that I made was, as a child, in a Rapide out of Birmingham airport. I think it was about 30 minutes

First flight for my eldest son too!

[amateur]

The Tigermoth DH82c, Canadian version, which Dad first flew solo in November 1942. The huge greenhouse of a cockpit canopy was necessary to enable them to fly throughout the Canadian winter.

This version is not available as a model kit, so I made the canopy cover out of some 0.5mm stainless sheet and clear laminate

[The Heron]

20 minutes ago, amateur said:

The Tigermoth DH82c, Canadian version, which Dad first flew solo in November 1942. The huge greenhouse of a cockpit canopy was necessary to enable them to fly throughout the Canadian winter.

This version is not available as a model kit, so I made the canopy cover out of some 0.5mm stainless sheet and clear laminate

Fantastic I absolutely love anything like this. 💜

[amateur]

To bring things up to date.

Since Covid, I have not been able to build any more aircraft with our grandson, but our youngest grand-daughters, aged 5 and 7, wanted Grandpa to make the same for them.

During the spring, summer and autumn I built them the Spitfire, Harvard, Anson, Cornell and Stearman, examples of which you have already seen. 

I could not face making another "greenhouse" canopy for the DH82c that he flew in Canada, so I moved on to a later period of his service.

As the BCATP began to be wound up in early 1944, he returned to the UK on the "Niewe Amsterdam" and on his first leave, married my mother.

At 10 FIS, RAF Woodley, he converted to the UK version Tigermoth ll.

Woodley was also the home to Miles Aircraft, so he also flew the Magister. The apparatus to the rear of the pupil cockpit is the black instrument flying hood. A crude device, which when pulled forward, shielded the pupil from the outside world so that he was dependent on instruments only.

That must have been fun for the instructor!

Edited November 30, 2020 by amateur

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Very nice, I have been adding to my stash and will have a very busy retirement!

[dogone]

    We’re any of your relatives trained in Swift Current, Saskatchewan in Canada? They had Ansons there. Photos of at least 100 and five huge hangers. On of which remains. The firing range backstop also remains.

      When I learned to fly there in 75 there were many reminders in the hangers like Linc trainers and assignment chalkboards. Just recently an Anson fuselage with engines was rescued from a field and brought to the airport. The were sold after the war for effectively the price of the fuel in the tanks. Several were even flown , of course with no licence.

   My father bought an Airspeed Oxford for a few dollars. It sat in our farmyard for years before being dragged to the pasture. There are still many frames lying about.

     I am told you could by a flying Harvard with new spare engine and parts for $5000.00. This was in mid 50s.

     A farmer bought , rebuilt and flew a Hurricane. 
      The war had a huge impact on Canada beyond our dead soldiers. Thousands of flyers near town of only a few thousand had a big impact on the areas.

      One of our closest farm neighbour was a Halifax bomber pilot. Shot down and spent two years in prison camp. Married a girl from London and came back to the farm. She is still alive and doing ok.

LEST WE FORGET

[amateur]

43 minutes ago, dogone said:

    We’re any of your relatives trained in Swift Current, Saskatchewan in Canada? ......

   ........My father bought an Airspeed Oxford............

Dad was a flight instructor at 41 SFTS Weyburn, Saskatchewan where he trained potential fighter pilots in (mainly) Harvards.

However, as you mention the Airspeed Oxford, here is a model of the one that he flew in February 1945 from 1RFTS, Coleby Grange, Lincolnshire.

Trivial fact:- Airspeed was originally formed by the novellist Neville Shute Norway who was an aeronautical engineer before he wrote novels under the name of Neville Shute.

[dogone]

Weyburn is about 90 miles as the crow flies from me. Still a crop duster and a few others operating there.

[amateur]

6 hours ago, dogone said:

Weyburn is about 90 miles as the crow flies from me. Still a crop duster and a few others operating there.

Dad loved his time in Canada and, after he had retired, took Mum on a holiday back there to revisit his old haunts. I can't remember if they made it to Weyburn. I know that he was astonished by the changes to De Winton, where he had done his elementary training. Three of our houses in the 1950s, 60s and 70s were named "De Winton". 

[figgy]

I like that Anson, it's like a little dc3.

[amateur]

1 hour ago, figgy said:

I like that Anson, it's like a little dc3.

I must say that I can't see any resemblance between an Anson and the DC3. The Oxford, perhaps, a little. 

More trivia.

1. Apparently the Oxford was preferred by the RAF over the Anson as a trainer because it was harder to fly. Seems counter-intuitive, but I suppose they wanted pilots who could fly anything.

Anyway, the RAF ended up with more Ansons than Oxfords.

2. The Oxford was designed by RJ Mitchell of Spitfire fame and the Anson by Roy Chadwick, the Lancaster designer

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by amateur

[figgy]

It's the side shot gives a very similar profile to a dc3. From other angles the nose and cabin is very different.

[amateur]

19 minutes ago, figgy said:

It's the side shot gives a very similar profile to a dc3. From other angles the nose and cabin is very different.

Ok, looking at Tightshot's photo at the top of this page, I can see where you are coming from.

[figgy]

37 minutes ago, amateur said:

Ok, looking at Tightshot's photo at the top of this page, I can see where you are coming from.

Tightshot 😂😂😂😂 I like it 👍

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Surprised you can see the picture, looks like your eyesight is questionable!

[amateur]

37 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Surprised you can see the picture, looks like your eyesight is questionable!

Sorry mate. Brain and fingers became discombobulated

[TIGHTCHOKE]

4 minutes ago, amateur said:

Sorry mate. Brain and fingers became discombobulated

[amateur]

...and I am waiting for the optician to ring about when my new specs are likely to be in

[TIGHTCHOKE]

5 minutes ago, amateur said:

...and I am waiting for the optician to ring about when my new specs are likely to be in

Blimey, I reckon you'll notice the difference

[hawkeye]

On 03/12/2020 at 17:00, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Surprised you can see the picture, looks like your eyesight is questionable!

defiantly suspect have you seen him shooting clays safest place is in front of the trap stand ......

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by hawkeye

[amateur]

23 minutes ago, hawkeye said:

defiantly suspect have you seen him shooting clays safest place is in front of the trap stand ......

 

I don't believe that I have ever shot clays with you!

[TIGHTCHOKE]

3 minutes ago, amateur said:

I don't believe that I have ever shot clays with you!

Perhaps your reputation has spread!