Fly-past
- Thread starter mcatrophy
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dcarver
Well-known member
Good to see some of the old birds still flying...
Nice, thanks for sharing. A Lancaster, Spitfire, and a Hurricane?
mcatrophy
Privileged to ride a 2018 FJR1300AS
Correct. I believe it's the only Lancaster still airworthy, though there's another one being restored for flight. Still quite a few Spitfires and Hurricanes flying.
BigOgre
Well-known member
Something to see and hear, right? I have this museum less than a mile from me and they regularly fly their own around along with bringing in others for certain holidays and events. No matter how many times I've watched them, the sound and sight always makes me stop and take it in. And it always makes me think while watching one or two lumber over, imagine how whole squadrons of these must of sounded like flying over a village?
mcatrophy
Privileged to ride a 2018 FJR1300AS
"... And hear" is right. It was the sound of those six Rolls-Royce Merlins that made me dash for the camera even before I'd seen them.
Little story about the Merlins.
During the war, Pratt and Witney made Merlins under license to help with England's war effort. However, it was found that the US engines were liable to seize. All drawings and procedures were checked, but the difference couldn't be found. Until engineers from P&W came to RR's factory in Derby to see them being made at RR.
They eventually found the difference.
After the cylinder blocks were cast, they went to the milling machine to have the bores machined. At this point, being English, the RR workers stopped for a tea-break. Which gave the casting 20 minutes or so to rest. In the 'States, of course, where they aren't civilised enough to have tea-breaks, the casting was milled without this resting period.
Apparently, the rest period gave the block a chance to cool fully throughout, so the bores remained true. Without that period, differences in temperature within the block meant it changed shape after milling, leading to the seizures in service.
After that, the rest period was put into the P&W procedure, and all was hunky-dorey thereafter.
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I always thought it fascinating how the Merlins and drop tanks transformed the P-51 into one of the most effective fighters of the war. Goering was reported to have made the comment that he knew the war was lost when he saw P-51s in the sky over Berlin.
Chuck35
Well-known member
You would think that after that fiasco we would have tea breaks over here.
Geosci
Active member
mcatrophy
Privileged to ride a 2018 FJR1300AS
Wasn't aware of this on, thanks for enlightening me.
On their site they say "one of only two currently flying in the world". Anyone know of any more?
