‘There I was, upside down, in cloud, on fire, nothing on the clock except the maker’s name, when suddenly….. December 2, 2008
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend.Tags: 'warbird', Air Show, aircraft, Alvis Leonides engine, Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, GVFWE, Piston Provost, RAF, Royal Air Force
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Well, here we are, having fun.........
N.B. ALL images are copyright Ross Sharp ©
For many years, I have been volunteering at the Great Vintage Flying Weekend. It’s a bit of a long haul from New England, but well worth it. I meet many old friends, make new ones, and talk….and talk…(as some would say) on the public address system. I get to play a bit, too, as you can see.
Nanchang CJ-6A, G-BVVG June 14, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble, aircraft.Tags: 'warbird', aircraft, Albania, Aviation, Bangladesh, Bracknell, brakes, Cambodia, Chinese, CJ-6A, engine cooling gills, flaps, G-BVVG, GVFWE, Huosai-6JIA, Huosai-6JIA radial engine, Kemble, Kemble Airfield, Marlow, NAMC, Nanchang, Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Nanchang CJ6A Group, North Korea, oil cooler, Peeking Duck Group, People's Liberation Army Air Force, PLAAF, pneumatics, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, USA, Yak-18A, Zambia
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It would be perhaps wrong to describe this Chinese trainer as ‘universal’, but with over 10,ooo built it is, indeed, popular. Despite appearances, it is not a direct copy of the Yak-18A, but has been extensively re-engineered to suit Chinese requirements by the Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Company. The prototype first flew on August 27, 1958, and entered PLAAF service in 1960, followed by over 3,000 examples for the Chinese armed forces. Since then, it has been exported to Albania, Bangladesh, Cambodia, North Korea, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Zambia. Powered by a Nanchang Huosai-6JIA radial engine of 285hp, the CJ-6A is heavily reliant on pneumatics to operate flaps, brakes and start the engine. The control of various aircraft systems, such as the oil cooler and engine cooling gills are all manual, so there is a lot to manage during any flight.
The example seen here, G-BVVG, is parked at the GVFWE, Kemble and is in typical PLAAF markings. It was on the French register for a while, from 1999 to 2002, but is now owned by the Nanchang CJ6A Group of Marlow; prior to this it had been operated by the amazingly-named ‘Peeking Duck Group’ of Bracknell !
A very popular ‘warbird’, the CJ-6A is now being released in batches by the Chinese authorities, and several specialist companies in the USA are currently importing and overhauling these aircraft for re-sale.
Beech wood June 7, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in England, South Yorkshire.Tags: beech, beech mast, bluebells, European Beech, Fagus sylvaticus, furniture, Mediaeval times, nuts, pigs, silver-grey bark, South Yorkshire, toxicity, trunk, undergrowth, wild garlic, wood
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Beech wood
The European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a delightful tree, with silver-grey bark and a straight trunk. If left without management, it forms dense woodlands, whose deep shade, coupled with heavy layers of dead leaves, often prevents much undergrowth from forming. Sometimes, as in this case in South Yorkshire, the woodland floor is carpeted in season with bluebells or even wild garlic.
Beech wood is valuable in furniture making, and the beechnuts (or beech mast) are edible, but should NOT be consumed in large quantities by humans as they do have slight toxicity. Pigs, however, really enjoy beech mast, and used to, in Mediaeval times, be left to roam in the woods to feed on these nuts.
CEA Jodel DR. 1050/M-1 ‘Sicile Record’ June 7, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble, aircraft.Tags: aviation industry, CEA, Centre Est Aeronautique, Continental Motors Corporation, D.9 Bebe, dihedral, DR.100A, Dr.1050, Edouard Joly, EVRA propeller, French, G-BAEE, German, GVFWE, Jean Delemontez, Jodel, Jodel DR.1050/M-1 'Sicile Record', Kemble, Luftwaffe, O-200 engine, outer wing panels, Pierre Robin, plywood, Round Sicily Rally, Second World War
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- CEA Jodel DR.1050/M-1 ‘Sicile Record’
Following the Second World War, much of French aviation industry was either bombed flat, or still producing German designs, continuing on from Luftwaffe contracts. Edouard Joly, who ran an aviation repair business, and his son-in-law, Jean Delemontez, designed and built a light single-seat aircraft, the D.9 Bebe. This little plywood gem, with distinctive dihedral outer wing panels, first flew in 1948, and a whole series of developments and varients of what became the Jodel family of aircraft flowed from this, and were were either built by licencees or home-built.
May blossom, near Wittering June 6, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, England, Great Britain.Tags: 'cast not a clout 'til may is out', 55BC, Cambridgeshire, Common Hawthorn, Crataegeus monogyna, diverse habitat, farm-stock, farming, Flanders, ground cover, haws, hawthorn, hedgelaying competition, hedgerows, Hedges, Julius Caesar, mammals, May blossom, National Hedgelaying Society, Nervi tribe, nesting sites, Wittering
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- May blossom
The Common Hawthorn bush (Crataegeus monogyna) is a common sight in the British countryside; this example is growing near Wittering, Cambridgeshire. It grows wild of course, but it is also ’semi-cultivated’, in that it is planted and managed, in some cases by ‘laying’ – an ancient farming skill. Indeed, Julius Caesar, in 55BC, noted that the Nervi tribe, in Flanders, were skilled in layering and interweaving hedges.
There are many plants which can be planted to form a hedgerow, of course, but the hawthorn is amongst the most popular, in that it grows relatively quickly, to a good size, and gives a natural thorny barrier to farm-stock as well as providing shelter in bad weather. The work of the National Hedgelaying Society, and its members, ensures that ancient skills will not be lost. Indeed, you can watch hedgelaying competitions in most areas of the British Isles, if you know when and where to look for them.
If skilfully tended and trimmed, a layed hedge will last for 50 years before needing major attention – if left alone, the hedge would evolve into a series of individual trees, some up to 30 feet tall. Hedgelaying also makes for a thicker hedge, as wel as one which is more beneficial to wildlife, with more potential nesting site for birds, more ground cover, and a more diverse habitat. Other plant species arrive over the course of time, and the hawthorn provides a copious supply of red haws – the name for the fruit of the hawthorn – which are a major source of winter food for birds, and small mammals.
One of the reasons I love the English countryside in late spring, is the arrival of the May blossom (the hawthorn’s flower). Carried in clusters, it gives a frothy, dense appearance to many roadsides, and reminds me of my youth. An old English saying, ‘Caste not a clout, ’til may is out’ – an admonishment to retain winter clothing or face the chills - does not refer to the month, but rather the flower of the same name!
Folland (Hawker Siddeley) Gnat June 3, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, Great Britain, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, RAF, Royal Air Force, aircraft, military.Tags: 'Teddy' Petter, 'warbird', aircraft, airframe, Airshow circuit, Aviation, BAe Hawk, Charlie Sheen, Cirencester, Delta Jets, E E Lightning, English Electric, feature film, film, Fo. 144, Folland, Fuse 13, Gnat, Gnat T.1, Gnat Trainer, Hawker Siddeley, Hot Shots, instructional airframe, jet, jet warbird, Kemble, Kemble Airfield, KM, Lloyd Bridges, Midge, No 4 FTS, Postmaster, RAF, RAF Flying Training School, RAF Kemble, RAF Scampton, RAF St Athan, Red Arrows, Royal Air Force, runway, signal square, South Wales, twinkle roll, US Navy, W E W Petter, Yelowjacks
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- Folland Gnat T.1
Kemble Airfield has many interesting residents. The local aviation company, Delta Jets, is better known for it’s fleet of Hawker Hunters, but it also owns this Hawker Siddeley Gnat T.1, XP502. Currently, the Gnat is located on the old airfield ’signal square’ , a relic of the early days of flying, when a pilot would join the circuit overhead, and look down at the square, to see which runway was in use (shown by means of black ‘dumbell’ markers) and even confirm WHERE he was (the two-letter code for Kemble, KM, is still there). XP502 is in spurious ‘Red Arrows’ markings, to commemorate the fact that Kemble was the home of the ‘Reds’ for nearly 15 years, from 1969 to 1983; the last four years of which had seen the Gnats supplanted by the BAe Hawk. Indeed, the Postmaster at nearby Cirencester still sometimes gets mail addressed to ‘The Red Arrows, RAF Kemble’ – it is carefully forwarded to their present home at RAF Scampton.
Snake Pass, Peak District National Park May 23, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, Peak District, Royal Air Force, South Yorkshire.Tags: A57, Derbyshire, EGCC, Glossop, ICAO, Manchester Airport, National Park, Peak District National Park, Pennines, Sheffield, Snow, South Yorkshire, stream, UK, winter
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Snake Pass, A57 Glossop to Sheffield
I am from Derbyshire, and intensely proud of that fact. I am fortunate enough to be able to travel back fairly often, and visit friends and relations in the region. A few weeks ago, I landed at Manchester Airport (ICAO code, EGCC), the third-busiest airport in the UK and only a few miles from the boundary of the Peak District National Park. I have family in Sheffield on the other side of the Pennines.
I chose to travel the A57 road which runs from Glossop in Derbyshire to Sheffield in South Yorkshire. Part of this road forms the notorious Snake Pass, which winds it’s way through the National Park from west to east. Here you can see a typical piece of Peak District scenery on the A57, complete with pines and a rushing stream.
One thing the Snake Pass is notorious for is becoming blocked by snow, almost every winter, and its easy to see why!
Newark Liberty International May 22, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, New York, United States, aircraft.Tags: air conditioning, Air Train, aircraft, Amtrak, Continental Airlines, Empire State Building, Manhattan, monorail, New York, Newark, NJ, PATH, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, rapid transit, Statute of Liberty, terminal buildings
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Newark Liberty International - Air Train
Operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey since the 1940s under a lease arrangement, and one of the busiest airports in the Greater New York area, Newark Liberty International serves as a hub for Continental Airlines and many other carriers. One of the more interesting features of the airport is the ‘Air Train’, a free rapid transit monorail system which runs between Terminals A, B and C. This is easily accessed via a series of interlocked safety doors on the upper level of each terminal. It also travels to the Airport’s own rail station where Amtrak and NJ Transit passengers alight.
Here we see a set of Air Train cars, making the smooth transit between terminals. Be warned, however; the cars are NOT air conditioned, and on a warm day in May, the passengers were already feeling the heat.
Just over the Hudson River from Manhattan, it is easy for passengers to reach hotels in the city (the airport is about 16 miles from mid-town Manhattan). Both approaches to, and departures from, this airport offer spectacular views of the New York skyline, and such features as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building can be clearly seen. Please choose your seat assignments carefully!
Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Kemble, May 9 – 10th May 14, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Aviation, Great Britain, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, RAF, aircraft.Tags: 111 Squadron, aircraft, control tower, Delta Jets, EGBP, England, Great Vintage Flying Weekend, Hawker, Hawker Hunter, ICAO, Kemble, Kemble Air Day, Kemble Aviation, RAF, Royal Air Force
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Control Tower, Kemble Airfield
Well, the 2009 GVFWE has come and gone…..and it was a roaring success. Elements from previous events seemed to blend easily with the new, thanks to some excellent work by Glen and all at Kemble Aviation, (here is a shot of the control tower at Kemble, ICAO designation EGBP) . I know that those of us who were ‘carry-overs’ from previous years found ourselves thoroughly at home. Kemble, of course, is used to holding some first-rate aviation events, including an Air Day (this year a two day show) featuring some of the local Delta Jet fleet. GVWFE was re-worked to include a one-hour flying programme, in the middle of each day, which also featured sparkling displays by a Delta Jets two-seat Hawker Hunter, in the colours of No. 111 Squadron, RAF, and many other aircraft.
All in all, a great start to a ‘new’ edition of this classic event.
The Blacksmith’s Head, Lingfield April 20, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Great Britain, London, railways.Tags: London, Victorian, village inn, stoneware, brass, four star hotels, hotels, bed & breakfast, public house, home cooked food, The Blacksmith's Head, Lingfield, Surrey, Gatwick Airport, East Grinstead, train service, brick fireplace, stove, vintage, horse brasses, toasting fork, mantle, fire tongs, framed print, blacksmith, shoeing a horse, donkey, forge, beam, bar, glass bottles, gin, spirits
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The fireplace, The Blacksmith's Head
During my travels around the UK, I stay in a great variety of establishments , from four star hotels to modest ‘bed and breakfast’ accommodation. I am a great enthusiast for the ‘village inn’ type of public house, where the food is usually home-cooked and the company convivial.
‘The Blacksmith’s Head’ at Lingfield on the Surrey border is convienient for both Gatwick Airport and East Grinstead, which has a useful train service into the centre of London.
Here we see the brick fireplace in the public bar of this Victorian building. A modern stove sits where an open fire would once have done, but it still has some nice vintage touches. Horse brasses and a brass toasting fork hang from the mantle, and a set of brass fire tongs stand alongside the stove. On the shelves either side of the fireplace are displayed a number of Victorian glass bottles, and also a ‘bottle’ made from stoneware – many spirits were stored in such containers, including gin. The framed print depicts a blacksmith shoeing a horse, with a donkey close by; donkey’s do have a genuine calming affect on horses, which is why they are still sometimes used like this, today.
Although this building has Victorian roots, the orginal forge on this site was considerably older. There is an ancient oak beam above the bar with the date ‘1676′ carved deeply into it.
I found the place to be quite enjoyable after the hustle and bustle of the city, and would stay again, if I am ever in this part of the world.
M-Gator and R-Gator – the way forward April 13, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in 'warbird', Aviation, United States, aircraft, military.Tags: 3-cylinder, 3-cylinder diesel engine, Afghanistan, agricultural equipment, airfields, Basra, C-130, C-130 Hercules, Canadian Armed Forces, casualties, commercial buildings, diesel, Gator, industrial plant, Iraq, John Deere, litter support frame, M-Gator, military, military bases, military reservation, off-road supply vehicle, R-Gator, re-supply, rough country, Sather Air Base, tractors, UGV, Unmanned Ground Vehicle, US Marine Corps, USAF, vehicle hood, walking wounded
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M-Gator in Iraq
If nothing else, the security of airfields, commercial buildings, industrial plant, and military bases has come under increasing threat in the last few years. How to meet those threats, without exposing security or other personnel to increased risk, has become a major problem.
John Deere, the well known manufacturer of tractors and agricultural equipment, has come up with an elegant solution. They have taken one of the members of their Gator series of off-road vehicles, and turned it into a most effective military re-supply and utility machine.
The M-Gator, as it is known, is powered by an efficient 3-cylinder diesel engine and has already seen service with the US Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as being used by Canadian Armed Forces in the later country. There is a litter support frame fixed to the vehicle hood, and as well as evacuating casualties, the Gator is a nimble off-road supply vehicle in rough country.
However, the story does not stop there. The Gator has now been turned into an autonomous UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle), the R-Gator. The R-Gator can be controlled by an operator, remotely, or programmed to follow a pre-arranged path to and from a target location, carrying many types of loads – it can, of course, be driven normally by the flick of a switch. The R-Gator is equipped with a range of sensors, which enables it to act as a silent sentinel on military reservations, large industrial plants and other high value targets, yet retain a patrol facility.
Here you can see an M-Gator being loaded onto a USAF C-130 Hercules aircraft at Sather Air Base, Iraq on its way to Basra.
This vehicle, especially in its R-Gator form, has an exceptionally bright future ahead. It is an idea who’s time has come.
http://www.deere.com/en_US/contractsales/fedmilitarysales/cce/r_gator/r_gator.html
Image courtesy of Wikipedia: -
