Member postings for Cornish Jack

And finally ... just to put it back into perspective and to offer an alternative venue if the 'knee-jerkers' have their way - **LINK**

... not just 'piston heaven', but super photography and joy o joy o joy!! NO so-called background music nor a mind numbing blabbermouth 'explaining' what you can perfectly well see!!

For the modelling interest, La Ferte Alais also hold a large annual model aircraft meeting as well. Vive La France!!

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Bill

Clive - you may find this informative

**LINK** #48 and #51

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Bill

Ian A & Bob B - it is usually regarded as 'tasteless' to criticise people in that way. However, it is also possible to become rather 'star-struck' over the displays performed at airshows. It is a fact that the loss of life of the public is (thankfully) minimal, however the participants dispose of themselves quite regularly. I suspect that the author of that vituperative piece is as aware of the problems as I am and, while undoubtedly OTT, it reflects concern not spite. Pilots operate in the Bell Curve world just as any other profession. Not all doctors, lawyers, whatever professionals are at the 100% level all the time. If you have an interest in such matters the following gives a remarkably full insight into the problem and is used as a prime case study. **LINK**

My predecessor at my second S&R flight posting was a victim of a similar 'expert' whose exploits were known about but not reported or constrained. I had to recover his personal effects from the crash site and it does tend to concentrate the mind and make one regard these events in a 'different' light.

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Bill

Andrew is correct in respect of the performance axis relative to the crowd line.

"It's inevitable that one of these planes is going to drop onto people eventually, low level stuff always carries an increased element of risk which is impossible to remove," ... NO!! you have provided both problem and answer!! If the display is for the Oooh, Aahh 'gogglers', maybe you're right but aircraft, of whatever type or age CAN be displayed through the full cleared envelope at heights that do not put the viewer at risk. As for the 'knee-jerkers', we have the Beeb's Today man Humphreys (speaking of things he knows not) talking to the main man at the Air Display organisation (incompetent and unable to connect brain and tongue) and suggesting all displays take place over the sea!! For those who haven't spotted the flaw, - "Airshows are massively popular events" and there are a very large number of boats in the UK, positioning of which as spectators would make herding cats simple by comparison. You're dealing with fallible humans and (less) fallible machines - $&!* happens!!

Having missed becoming one of these statistics by a matter of some 10' or so, many years ago, I have a personal interest.

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Bill

Physics ... doesn't change!! Temperature, pressure, air density but, particularly, 'topping out' a vertical manoeuvre too low and the bottom of the pullout will hurt!! The lessons are there to be learnt - Abingdon F4 , Hunter demo to the Swiss Air Force by a senior test pilot (almost). Overcooking things to please a bunch of goggling thrill-seekers is, ultimately, always going to end badly.

As one who had to clear up the mess from these and similar events, it is NEVER worth it

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Bill

Limited number of spotty kids with that sort of disposable dosh! In some ways similar to the threat from kites - we found out the hard way in Cyprus - flew through a kite string along Lady's Mile. Wrapped itself round the main rotor and tail rotor pitch change rods such that they went banana -shaped!! Quick landing and recovered by low loader ... not nice! Some protection from drones in their limited range but idiots abound and the prevalence of lasers is an equal or greater threat.

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Bill

Sam S

The dual livery model was British optimism failing to understand the US 'not made here' business model!! It's a characteristic which remains with us still. Just occasionally (ie Viscount, BAC 111) it can be nullified but not often.

Re Concord, it was still in service while I was at BA and the morning departures used to set off all the car alarms in the Cranebank multi-storey park. We did a couple of look-see visits and the most noticeable thing was the flight deck size by comparison with 'my' 747s and, particularly, Tristars. Concord pilot seating was akin to an MG TC for 'cosiness!! although the FE had a lengthy travelling area. I have a photograph somewhere of the final scheduled departure from HR taken from my, then, home in Addlestone.

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Bill

Neil - "sounds like you need a crane Bill... Etc.. Aaagghhh!!

Basil Brush would have been proud of that ... 'Boom Boom!!'

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Bill

Late this afternoon, took delivery of one of those 1 ton crane things. The house rebuild is making good progress and the new workshop now has a lid and is watertight!! That being so, I realised that I wouldn't be able to do all the lifting and moving (back and knees and Anno Domini) so thought a crane would be just the job. ... Anyone see the snag in this??

Yep, that's it - the &%$**$£ crane is TOO HEAVY for me to lift on my own!!! Just managed to end-over-end it into the car and got to the house before the builders packed up and they moved it under cover.

I suspect that there might be a moral in there somewhere!!

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Bill

Win 10??? Upgrade, me???

As a died-in- the- wool conspiracy theorist, not a chance!!! Microsoft FREE anything?? an oxymoron if ever there was one!! Foolishly moved from XP to W7 for no benefit that I could see and for a lack of drivers for some common-or-garden accessories. As for Apple and its much vaunted invulnerability and reliability - just google Apple problems ... and count the pages!! Once MS manage to make W7 unusable (and I reckon they will), it will be back to Linux.

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Bill

Not me but , rather, SWMBO who went out in the gloaming after supper to be confronted by a flying object coming straight at her. She thought it was a bat and retreated indoors. Called me and we went out to look and found the said 'bat' sitting on the cross piece of the soil pipe. Not a 'twitcher' or ornithologist but reckon this is a buzzard - according to this morning's Today on the Beeb now prevalent in all counties. Anyone confirm??

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Bill

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Bill

Dsel

Only just seen this. I have a Perfecto powered shaper - BUT ...It was put into storage with whatever else I could recover from the house and workshop wreckage 20 months, or so, ago! It remains there with the rebuild still in progress but might be possible to get at it for measurements if absolutely essential.

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Bill

Thank you Neil.

Very informative but even though I also have the Canon 10D I can't see any likelihood of getting results like yours. I suspect that it is an example of Jack Nicklaus's dictum - "The more you practice, the luckier you get!!"

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Bill

Neil

Brilliant (literally and figuratively!) moonshot. The detail along the top edge is spectacular.

Query "image stacking and sharpening" ??? any SIMPLE details, please? My own attempts with the anti-intuitive 'unsharp mask' never produces results anything like yours!!

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Bill

nb - I have a cabinet version, surplus to requirements. Built like the proverbial and, therefore, it has been disassembled so that I could move it. It is, apparently, a top-end version with a chamois leather filter and little used. PM if interested.

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Bill

...causing golbal inflation...

mis-spelling there, Neil. Should be 'gullible', perhaps??

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Bill

My other regular read is the Pprune.org aviation forum. This appeared on today's Jet Blast - might interest JS.

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Bill

Back in the 60s we took our Devon for a night-stop in N Burma (Mayonmar). Parked alongside us was a visiting Grumman Goose piloted by a Pakistani chap ferrying some business people around. We were parked on PSP planking. Came the morning and the Goose skipper found his battery was flat. In order to hand swing it he had to stand on a domestic chair balanced on the PSP.!! Not having a co-pilot, he deputed one of his passengers to back off the throttle once the engine 'caught'. Said passenger pushed instead of pulling and to save the situation the skipper launched himself BETWEEN the prop tips and the fuselage to reach in through the DV window and get it back to idle!!!! For those interested, find a scale drawing of the Goose and consider the space through which he inserted himself! One of those "Thank you God, I now have control again!" moments.

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Bill

"No it's not made from metal but is marvellous model made from wood and it actually works.... Makes you wonder what else is being made back sheds!"

Some very clever people about. Some months back, on the Beeb Sunday night Avarice Road Show, there was a model loco (King George V??), again made in wood, exquisite detailing, even down to fully working brakes!! Most surprising was the estimated guide price - £300-ish, IIRC. Manual skills not really valued??

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Bill

Norman

Your cockpit seat was, actually, the battery box, containing a bunch of NiFe cells (huge) to cope with the Bev's electrical system, flaps , anti-ice etc. Next to it (rearwards) was a floor to ceiling metal caged distribution panel referred to as the Hammond Organ. The bottom panels of this would have indentations over the locations of the BTH units - the result of flying boots being forcefully applied to get the electrics on-line!! Aft of the flight deck was another compartment which had hatches to allow access to the rear of the engines via internal wing walkways. (Theoretically possible in-flight but not if you wanted to retain your sanity!!) Finally, a rearward facing hole was the entry to the 'Dog Kennel' within which was the hand pump and selector cock for in-flight transfer of oil to the engines (104 gallons available) This activity was required on most flights and was a bit of a chore for those of us who smoked!! Cold-soaked oil after a few hours at 8000' is pretty 'treacly'

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Bill

Edited By Cornish Jack on 03/07/2015 16:27:13