A Fitting Tribute to All Brits.........

[roadkingrider]

http://www.flyingmachinestv.co.uk/SpitPL965.wmv

[gasgasbones]

The most beautiful aircraft ever built. RJ mitchell = genius

While I was stationed at RAF Coningsby I had the good fortune to be able to have a sit one of the BBMF spits for a while. Of course I could never fly in one, though there is a twin stick about somewhere.
I was lucky enough to fly in the Lancaster though and that was an unbelievable experiences and I feel immensely privileged to have had a jolly in the old bird.

The feel and smell of these aircraft is just so hard to describe. If I could put it one word it would be Magical :)

Thanks for posting

Carl

BBMF link http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/

[docd]

Great stuff - thanks for posting :thumbright:

[miked10270]

The most beautiful aircraft ever built...

BBMF link http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/

Tragically, the BBMF have no Mosquito (which I think is even more beautiful that the Spit). Last airworthy one crashed on 21/7/1996.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag5ut3tP3ZM NOT for the easily upset.

Mike.

[gasgasbones]

The most beautiful aircraft ever built...

BBMF link http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/

Tragically, the BBMF have no Mosquito (which I think is even more beautiful that the Spit). Last airworthy one crashed on 21/7/1996.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag5ut3tP3ZM NOT for the easily upset.

Mike.

Your right Mike, beautiful aircraft. Such a shame there are none flying any more.
The mosquito is often forgotten about unfortunately but did so much for the war effort. Ariel recon, night bomber etc Very tough aircraft that could shrug off a few hits.
Like the Hurricane it had a fuselage made of wood !! Bonkers

[boddah]

Thanks for posting, I've been lucky to see that aircraft and others owned by Peter Teichman on a number of occasions, fantastic 8)

[lysanderxiii]

Actually, the Hurricane has a frame fuselage with fabric skin, the Mosquito had a monocoque plywood fuselage.

The Mosquito also made a great photo-recon aircraft.


A USAAF F-8-DH photographic reconnaissance aircraft.

[Seabadger]

In terms of using up materials, skills and production capacity that could otherwise have gone under-utilised, it was an inspired decision to build the Mosquito out of wood.

In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy.

The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that?

[miked10270]

Actually, the Hurricane has a frame fuselage with fabric skin, the Mosquito had a monocoque plywood fuselage.

The Mosquito also made a great photo-recon aircraft.


A USAAF F-8-DH photographic reconnaissance aircraft.

A Joan-Eleanor one, isn't it? Complete with a little OSS-Man sitting on the fuel tank in the rear fuselage! :)

Mike.

[Dave E]

Beautiful aircraft, just beautiful!

[gasgasbones]

Actually, the Hurricane has a frame fuselage with fabric skin, the Mosquito had a monocoque plywood fuselage.

fair cop. 1-0 to Lysander :D

Thought it had wooden fuselage parts :?

[lysanderxiii]

Actually, the Hurricane has a frame fuselage with fabric skin, the Mosquito had a monocoque plywood fuselage.

fair cop. 1-0 to Lysander :D

Thought it had wooden fuselage parts :?

The Hurricane fuselage forward, was square aluminum tube, aft of the cockpit was made from round wood stringers and wooden frames, with aluminum or brass fittings as attaching hardware. The Mosquito was made from sheets of spruce and fir wood, blocks of balsa wood, glue and brass screws.

The strength of the Hurricane was that bullets had to hit the actual wooden stringers or frames to do damage, otherwise they just passed thought fabric. The advantage of the monocoque plywood used in the Mosquito was there is so much extra load carrying material in the plywood skin a few holes did not reduce the strength to the point of failure.

The fuselage was made in two halves with a seam down the center top and bottom.

The US order 120 Mosquitos for reconnaissance, 40 were delivered, and less than 20 were assigned to the European theater, and most were returned to the British is exchange for PR Mk XVIs. All in all, the USAAF was loaned about 150 of them in the photo-recon role.

[Loddonite]

Many of you will have seen this before, but it is one of my favourite Spitfire videos...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IG29...eature=related

[johnbaz]

This one was a little closer on the fly-by :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDmfv...eature=related



John :roll:

[Pink Floyd]

Thanks, OP - beautiful video.

Really enjoyed Loddonite's video too - haven't seen that for years.
Youtube has some great low-flying videos.. Too bad the common folk can't enjoy that sort of stuff. I race a bike around circuits, but even that couldn't compare with the freedom of an agile plane.. :idea: Time to watch Top Gun again, soon :twisted: