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Remembered Today:

WW1 Top Gun


Moonraker

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If you can detect scouse in Wigan, you are doing well!

My son in law is from Wigan, and when I meet up with his family en masse, I need a Bebel fish to translate!

:lol:

Bruce

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Carefully, Bruce.....

ISTR one pilot nearly lost his life when trying to change a recalcitrant drum when the a/c looped and he was thrown out, hanging onto the drum for dear life: he was able to regain the cockpit when the a/c returned to a more even keel. Was this Louis Strange - or have I mis-remembered?

It was indeed Louis Strange. Reading about the incident long ago in 'RAF Flying Review' magazine, he had personally devised a gun mount on the top wing of his Martinsyde S1. Unlike the SE5A the Lewis Gun was fixed to the wing not mounted on a curved rail on which it could be puled down towards the pilot to reload with a new drum whilst remaining seated. Strange had to stand up to change the drum and in doing so accidentally inverted the aircraft and ended up outside the cockpit hanging onto the drum he had intended to change. Fortunately he managed to somehow regain the cockpit and control.

Regards

Chris

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Not one of his better ideas then, Chris? Thanks.

BTW - RAF Flying Review is responsible for my life-long interest in aviation: an excellent little publication. My cousin had the bound volumes from 1953-60 which I read avidly when a boy.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Nils Desperandum,

How I love it when someone tries to start a fight in an empty room! To try and help the mentally challenged I have loaded a diagrammatic explanation of the whole incident on http://www.peterhart...not-too-bright/

I think it might help you understand what happened.

Helpful Pete

l can confirm the FA Cup final will take place on 5th May at the later time of 5.15.lt will be between Chelsea and Liverpool -just as l predicted [ahem]laugh.gif.But dont bother watching as it will be rubbish [using the P Hart scale of dismissiveness]

by the way Pete l still cant access your site so who`s "not so bright" now? Or was it a 1st April joke?

ln the absence of your diagram l have worked out a formula of my own. =

where F is fight & [ ] = empty room then

F +[ ] :- me =only one winner.blink.gif

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Hi Nils Desperandum,

How I love it when someone tries to start a fight in an empty room! To try and help the mentally challenged I have loaded a diagrammatic explanation of the whole incident on http://www.peterhart...not-too-bright/

I think it might help you understand what happened.

Helpful Pete

*********************

l can confirm the FA Cup final will take place on 5th May at the later time of 5.15.lt will be between Chelsea and Liverpool -just as l predicted [ahem]laugh.gif.But dont bother watching as it will be rubbish [using the P Hart scale of dismissiveness]

by the way Pete l still cant access your site so who`s "not so bright" now? Or was it a 1st April joke?

ln the absence of your diagram l have worked out a formula of my own. =

where F is fight & [ ] = empty room then

F +[ ] x me = only one winner.blink.gif

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I've just watched it and, despite it being a Channel 5 documentary, actually quite enjoyed it. Well done Peter and Trevor! Peter - you were unnecessarily concerned! And well done the Vintage Aviator - some excellent film of replica WW1 aircraft. And I even saw a 'Vulcan to the air' T-shirt!

Roxy

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Hi, I recorded this programme and fell asleep when it was on but following this thread, I have just watched it again.

I saw a Mr Hart frequently throughout the programme making enthusiastic and cogent remarks which added greatly to the storyline.

Such documentaries are always aimed at viewers who are not as familiar with the subject as enthusiasts such as we, and so whlst some aspects may seem banal to us I feel it related the evolution of the aeroplanes pretty well.

The footage of the replica aircraft was a delight, and the information about the risks that the BE2c flyers had to take , Roland Garros, and Fokker's innovations were well related.

The title was a tad insulting but all in all - I thought it worked well.

Gosh Mr Hart looks good for 97 !

Andrew - The Silly Moustache- who wrote his own book on WW1 aircraft when he was ten !)

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  • 2 weeks later...

And the cockneys beat the Scousers - just as l predicted (ahem)whistle.png

l dont know how Peter has made it to 97 seeing how lm told he gives talks saying the RAF should never have been formed and that the IWM is the best place to do research on the RFC, said talk being inside the RAF MUSEUM in front of the RAFMs curator! ohmy.gif !!!

at least my room was empty !

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What ho all.

With this continued drought likely to drown the barbeque tomorrow, there is something for us to exercise our ears on at 11 ack emma. No visuals and presenters not to everyone's taste but at least the broadcasters are trying to bring Great War subjects to the fore at the moment.


  1. 100 Years of the Royal Flying Corps

Next on:

Monday, 11:00 on BBC Radio 4

Synopsis

b01h5xcq_303_170.jpgAfter receiving its Warrant from King George V, the Royal Flying Corps came into being in May 1912. Peter and Dan Snow look at the centenary of this corps of the British Army and how it advanced from primitive balloons and flimsy biplanes to sophisticated long range bombers.

Dan looks back on the experience of flying in a World War One trainer and Peter explores the aircraft of the Shuttleworth Collection, all working examples of trainers, fighters and bombers. Professor Richard Overy and General Sir Mike Jackson explain how the RFC's pioneering work altered the course of warfare, and documents from the Museum of Army Flying chart the tragic loss of life that went hand in glove with extreme bravery and remarkable technical development. In a few short years the RFC went from being perceived as a fad to a major component of 20th century warfare, and eye witness accounts tell of artillery spotting, photo reconnaissance and the carnage on the Somme.

More importantly, rather than focusing on the RFC as a curtain-raiser to the creation of the Royal Air Force in 1918, the programme looks at the Corps in its own right and what it brought in terms of intelligence, sophisticated mapping and air supremacy to the British Army in the field.

Producer: Alyn Shipton

A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.

Broadcast

  1. Mon 7 May 201211:00BBC Radio 4

More details

Duration

28 minutes

Cheer ho.

John.

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Come on Pete dont you want to tell us this will be a pile of whatsits before it is broadcast?devilgrin.gif

Youve only got a couple of hours before it goes to air!laugh.gif

its no waiting till it comes out , anyone can pass an opinion then.

come on you Blueeees, come on you Blueeeesbiggrin.gif

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The Radio 4 effort was OK (ish) for the lower orders to listen to...........It did not add a great deal to our knowledge. The presenters were just the same as in other odd things that they get involved with.

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The Radio 4 effort was OK (ish) for the lower orders to listen to...........It did not add a great deal to our knowledge. The presenters were just the same as in other odd things that they get involved with.

It was never going to be cutting edge history with major revelations. Rather than carping about what these things fail to be it is much more constructive to say that at least the broadcast media are taking something like the formation of the RFC and devoting a little time in bringing it to the masses. One can only hope that at some point a few people who have heard the programme will be sufficiently motivated to pick up a book or two and extend their knowledge. Great War subjects seem to be enjoying a little popularity at the moment (The War Horse effect?). Let's try to support the programme makers with some positivity so that they keep making them and pehaps, in time, produce something truly worthy.

John.

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Well said John

Grant

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  • 11 months later...

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