Neil Smalley

Am I weird in getting all patriotic whenever I see a photo/hear/see a Spitfire?





[Edited by Neil Smalley - 9/10/2002 7:41:39 PM]

Tiggs

whats that then? some old plane?

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Nope

You're getting old & nostalgic

fatherpierre

Me neither.

It was the Hurricane that won us most of the airwars, anyway.

Luke

Lets be Honest..It wasnt up to much .

MarkehB

No better sound than that of a mk8 spit flying low overhead

Shark

Spot on mate.

Being in North London I have greatly enjoyed the sight and sound of the Lancaster, the Hurricane and the Spitfire flying over, last time having taken part in the Jubilee celebrations. Truly British stuff - makes me proud.

David

Shark

Try http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/h1to5.html

David

Brendan Hughes

Neil, for the Millenium year my parents (aged 67 and 62) prepared a Historical Pageant for the history of their village. Villagers performed selected scenes from the village history, all 900 years of it. The last scene was hop-pickers in the summers of WWII. For this, they had met a local warbird nut who kept a number of planes including a Spit; they went round his hangar, chatted, etc etc. The guy promised he would do a flypast at the appropriate time for just the cost of the fuel. In the event he was barely 2 mins late (or the performers were 2 mins early) and whilst singing "We'll meet again" we were all treated to about 8 low flypasts, wing waggles and a victory roll. My father, not an emotional man, told us later that he was forced to stop his conversation with a friend as the plane arrived due to an unexpected lump in his throat. Dad was only 8 when the war ended, and hadn't heard the noise of a Spit engine for 20 or 30 years, but all the memories came flooding back.

A sorry end to the story - the pilot, Martin Sergeant, was killed last year in the Spit when he crashed it during an air display in France. Apparently there was engine trouble and he just managed to keep it clear of the crowd. RIP to a really nice bloke.

Brendan

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

My old boy was ground crew (electrician) for 83(Pathfinder) squadron out of Scampton, then Wytton.
he can still talk Lancasters 'till he drops, despite being 87 now.

AllanB

Nope I agree make me proud of the sacrifice made by those brave pilots. Personally and living not too far from London Colney / Hatfield I get more nostalgic when I see a DeHavilland Mosquito with two of the bad boy Merlin engines.

Now they really do sound better than a flat 4.


AllanB

AllanB

Nope I agree make me proud of the sacrifice made by those brave pilots. Personally and living not too far from London Colney / Hatfield I get more nostalgic when I see a DeHavilland Mosquito with two of the bad boy Merlin engines.

Now they really do sound better than a flat 4.


AllanB

planky

Yeah..it always brings a lump to my throat when i watch the film Battle of Britain on tv.

Pavlo

They sound fantastic, saw one a while ago doing runs round plymouth harbour, at about 200feet.

Makes me proud anyway.

Paul

SimonH

Top aircraft flown by top people...

Here's a thought for you...next time you're swearing and cursing at the old boy in the beige Metro in front of you for going so slowly have a quick think about what the old boy was doing 62 years ago....might've been flying one of these.
He might have a metro now but I think his previous beats the **** off your Scoob I think that probably entitles him to drive around slowly now....

Like I said, not a flame just a thought.....

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Just a couple of weeks ago I saw a Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire doing a fly over. Fantastic sight and sound!

AllanB

SimonH thats one of the most thought provoking posts I've ever seen, nice one.



Allanb

camk

Got to agree, not enough of them out here these days. Come to think of it I've not seen a Lancaster over Frankfurt for ages either

Regards
Flt Lt Biggles

krankyd

I still think that the best piece of television advertisment was the tango? advert a few years ago. The one where the bloke starts off in a caravan going on about stuff, then he marches off and gets into a boxing ring, with a cool techno soundtrack, and the 2 harriers cover overhead.

the final line was the best "well, come on then - I'll take you all on!!!"

Nimbus

A couple of weeks ago a Lancaster flew right over our gliding club at about 2000ft. We tried to raise them on the radio as they were not supposed to do that, but they didn't respond.

Great sound though...

bladerider

Back in the days when I was in the RAF I was stationed at Conningsby where the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight is based. I worked out on the airfield. Every time one of the planes was up for a test flight we always stopped work to watch. It was an amazing sight and sound. It was hard to believe that the Spitfire, this most beautiful of aircraft was a weapon of war.

Scumbag

Agree about the sound - but has anyone noticed how SLOW the Lancasters were - they must have been absolute sitting ducks for the ground defences, no long range or smart bombs, but flying directly over the target - those guys must have had cajones the size of melons.
Now the soundtrack to 633 squadron gives me the shivers, too

MATTeL

I always preferred the Hurricane to the Spitfire and a special place was reserved for the Mosquito and Wellington bomber.

Something about the fact they seem to get overlooked.

I remember way back as a kid having a family in Devon, sitting in a bay when the Battle of Britain Memorial flight went overhead.

It was stunning, silence and then they were there. Flying low and very majestic. Stunning aircraft and such an imposing sight in the sky.

Jon1T

The bulk of RAF fighter commande was made up of Hurricanes during the battle of britain, and they accounted for more kills - but the Spitfire in its various incarnations lasted as a front line fighter for the whole war, while the hurriance was relegated to second line duties.

But hearing them makes you proud - when the UK stood alone during late '40 and '41....

My Great Uncle was a Spit pilot during the battle - I'll always have utter respect for him.

mattstant

I was sat in this very office (where I am now) only two weeks ago when I heard the unmistakable sound of a Merlin engine very low overhead it was doing a fly past over Darley park in Derby during a free open air concert I couldn’t see it unfortunately because of the thick trees around this building but the sound made my hair stand on end.

They do a fly past by Rolls Royce Aero works in derby every year on Henry Royce’s Birthday and I nearly crashed my car trying to see it once as I drove down London road.

I have still got a glossy hard back book on spitfires someone bought for my birthday when I was a kid and one of my favourite quotes is still the one about Adolf Galland to Goering :-

"Finally, as his time ran short, he grew more amiable and asked what were the requirements for our squadrons. Moelders asked for a series of Me109's with more powerful engines. The request was granted. 'And you ?' Goering turned to me. I did not hesitate long. 'I should like an outfit of Spitfires for my group"

taken From Adolf Gallands own book.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

The Lancaster in the RAF museum, R5868, used to be on my dad's squadron (83). It carried the markings "OL Q" then, and was known as "Q- Queenie". It later transferred to an Australian squadron when the Pathfinders were re-equipped with newer Lancasters with better radar etc for target acquisition and marking, and they re lettered it S-Sugar. it carries the later lettering in the museum, and my dad spent ages and a fortune in postage trying to get them to paint it as 83 squadron on one side, and the Aussie one on the other. No joy though, it nearly broke his heart when they point blank refused to consider it.

uncle buck

bladerider, my dad was stationed at RAF Conningsby during WW2. Has lots of stories about it.

I worked in Filton, Bristol for a couple of years where they keep a Spitfire and occasionaly someone would take her up of a spin. It will still happily climb, bank steeply, loop the loop and dive a crazy angles.

Oh, and it sounds fantastic