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Normal Topic Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies (Read 9,252 times)
Richard Jenner
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Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
23.08.2012 at 19:08:19
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BBC4 22 August - catch it on the BBC i-player for the next 13 days - you will not be disappointed!

Richard
  
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Dave Lowry
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Re: Jets! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #1 - 23.08.2012 at 19:20:26
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Hi Richard

I watched and agree, it will not disappoint. Some of the shots, especially of the Lightning on the runway, were of the LPG at Bruntingthorpe. The Lightning pilot interviewed was John Ward. The same chap who piloted the Lightning during the QRA Scramble Re-enactment on 15 July 2012.

We seem to be getting good coverage.

Dave
  
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Richard Jenner
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Re: Jets! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #2 - 24.08.2012 at 17:43:10
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Yes Dave, I had recognized John Ward and the LPG - great stuff. Some of the programme commentary was a bit inaccurate or not appropriate for the clip being shown but the archive film was great I thought. I think there is a part 2 but that will be more focused on civil aviation.

Richard
  
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Steve Morson
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #3 - 02.09.2012 at 22:44:32
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Great programme !!!
  
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Steve Morson
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #4 - 02.09.2012 at 22:49:08
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Talking of jets....
I went to see Vulcan XM655 at Wellesbourne the other day... would these pictures bring back any memories for anyone???
  

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Mike Clarke
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #5 - 03.09.2012 at 08:50:04
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Oh yes indeed! The hours that I have spent looking at that ppi! For the uninitiated, that is a H2S ppi, the associated computery (all analogue, I'll have you know - all pulleys and damp, soggy string!) was called the Navigation and Bombing Computer (NBC) and the whole systen was the NBS, the Navigation and Bombing System. All a bit antequated now, but sufficiently effective in those days to give someone a very bad day indeed if delivering a nuclear weapon.

How is 655 looking, Steve? Last time I saw her, she was in a pretty sorry state.

Mike

  
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Steve Morson
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #6 - 03.09.2012 at 09:31:43
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Good Morning Mike

I can assure you that XM655 is looking very good and does a full power take off run (to V1 and lift the nose wheel) at least once and sometimes twice per year.

Yes… the guide told us it was a H2S system …. “H2S ???” I said… “Like the Lancaster had in WW2 ???” “Almost” came the reply… just with a few tweaks here and there” (I was gob smacked).
Wasn’t the NBC a problem on the Black Buck missions when they had to use a northern hemisphere map upside down to feed in the co-ordinates?

Which Vulcan Squadron were you with?
You will have to recount some of your missions to me one day… over a beer of course !! (I’m nice like that with pensioners) Grin
  

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Mike Clarke
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #7 - 03.09.2012 at 12:19:40
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She certainly does look good. Thank you Steve.

I'm sure that rumour about the Black Buck mission is pure cr*p; I never had any problems with NBC in Australia, New Zealand and etc, all well south of the Equator. I flew Vulcans on 35 Sqn and yes, I have flown 655.

Best wishes

Mike

  
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Steve Morson
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #8 - 04.09.2012 at 11:38:47
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That's great Mike... if you fancy getting in touch with the XM655 Maintenance and Preservation Society (655MaPS)  their web site is at http://www.xm655.com/index.php

I'm sure they would love to hear from you and if you have any photos of your detachments and trips (XM 655 or any other Vulcan) I know they would love to get some copies for their files.
  
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Joe Marsden
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Re: Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
Reply #9 - 04.09.2012 at 15:08:15
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Hi Steve,
Like Mike, I flew Vulcans but from the front seat with a better view  Grin. I was on 27 and 617 Sqns back in the day and am a member of the 655MaPs. I visited last year as they were progressing with a repaint and she was looking good then. The addition of a bomb carrier and bombs whould help the display for the public.
  
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