My Lotus and I did a photo + sound recording session for Practical Classics in the 1990s. Was promised high quality photos from the day. Got nothing. Had to buy my own copy of the magazine + cassette tape, which I have now lost. At the time I don't think there were any aircraft movements at Bruntingthorpe, and the 2 mile runway was reminiscent of the long straight of Nordschleife but without the brows. The transition from wide runway to narrow taxiway was "interesting". The sound recording guy had not been in a Lotus before and was not entirely happy with the experience

 

Nice story and yes FOD is a big issue... It is what ended the Concorde story in tragic fashion (although economics played a part). They have done lot of work on runway cleaning systems (although some FOD is easier to spot / larger …)

 

Very interesting information / impressive piece of kit considering radar and autopilot technology levels at the end of WW2. Ref courage and stealing a quote aimed at Lancaster pilots the large huge amount of engine power on these aircraft were needed just to get their enormous testicles off the ground :0)

 

I wonder what the next round of cuts will do - Rolls Royce for example is heading south currently....Lockheed Martin seem to have a finger in every pie.

 

Reading further on Multirole combat aircraft and City of Bristol links led me to the Bristol Beaufighter.

Planes like the Spitfire, Lancaster, Hurricane and Mosquito seem to grab the WW2 glory headlines but I had not realised what a remarkable and adaptable plane the Beaufighter was.

Fighter, Night Fighter, Air-Ground, Air-sea, Air to Air, Photo -Reconnaissance, Rocket and Torpedo bomber – the ten-gun terror / whispering death. Seeing one video where a telegraph pole had clipped a wing off almost to the engine cowling … and it still made it home, so the plane could also soak up a lot of punishment and not just dish it out.

The videos below are both worth a watch. I had never heard of the single plane daytime propaganda raid on Paris.. and home in time for Tea and Medals… classic quote / classic right stuff.

I know it is tempting to be a bit jingoistic / gung-ho without really taking on board what everyone involved went through but the pictures below (actual artwork from WW2) shows there was a lot of sanguine gallows humour – a different and very brave breed back then. I found the pictures on an SAAF tribute site:-http://saafww2pilots.yolasite.com/steve-stevens.php

I saw a few watches on display in various photos but can’t make out how many might be Omegas. I still wear my 6b/159 with pride and great respect for that generation and all they sacrificed.

On a humous note and back to Concorde the short collars worn by FLT Mervyn Shipard, DFC & Bar would have probably taken him supersonic without an aircraft (see first vid below)...

Whispering Death Beaufighter Forgotten Warhorse...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y30WJ-WJ66w&t=5585s

Daring Solo Beaufighter Raid - Paris 1942....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM3HTl6oSSU

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